Meta Launches AI Studio for Custom AI Creation |Small Business Trends

August 6, 2024August 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Meta has announced the rollout of AI Studio, a new platform that allows users to create, share, and discover AI characters without the need for technical skills. AI Studio, built with Llama 3.1, offers users the opportunity to design AI characters that can entertain, provide advice, generate memes, and much more.

Create AI Characters Based on Your Interests

With AI Studio, anyone can create AI characters at ai.meta.com/ai-studio or within the Instagram app. Users can utilize a variety of prompt templates or start from scratch to design AIs tailored to their interests, whether it’s cooking, generating Instagram captions, or making friends laugh with memes. These AI characters can be kept private or shared with followers and friends, and can also be made available for discovery and interaction on Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and the web.

Accounting Mistakes Your Small Business Should Avoid | business.com

August 5, 2024August 4, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When you’re growing your business, few tasks matter as much as tracking your company’s finances. In the beginning, many small business owners try to manage their books independently instead of using an in-house accountant or bookkeeper.

For many business owners, going it alone leads to easily avoidable mistakes. Here are some of the biggest accounting mistakes that can derail small businesses, along with some tips for avoiding them.

7 accounting mistakes to watch out for

Stay aware of the following avoidable accounting mistakes:

1. Failing to hire an experienced finance professional Even experienced accountants and bookkeepers make mistakes — but they’re finance professionals, and you probably aren’t. Even if you are, is it really worth the extra time investment to manage your business’s books on your own? Hiring a professional minimizes the potential for errors in areas such as tracking expenses, paying vendors promptly, balancing bank accounts and running payroll.

2024 Guide to Business Investment: Get the Best Investor Offer | Business.com

August 5, 2024August 4, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every business needs funding to launch and grow. Often, that funding comes directly from the founder or a business loan. For some businesses, though, getting to that next level requires the help of a business investor. That avenue can be rewarding but carries unique challenges, such as finding the right investors and successfully courting them. Whether you court venture capitalists, angel investors or crowdfund your investments, you must recognize a good deal from a bad one to avoid getting burned.

Everything leaving Netflix in August 2024 | Digital Trends

August 2, 2024August 1, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes, there are months when Netflix barely loses anything of note. Unfortunately, August is not one of those months. Everything Everywhere All At Once, the first five Spider-Man live-action films, Paddington, The Woman King, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, and more will be heading out the door by the time August 31 rolls around.

Most of these films have been on loan to Netflix by Sony as part of a larger agreement between the streamer and the movie studio. But even acclaimed indie movies like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On are running out of time on Netflix this month. As a subscriber, there’s only one thing to do if you want to catch these films before they depart: Make your viewing plans now. August is one of the longest months of the year, so use that extra day to your advantage. In the meantime, check out our roundup of everything leaving Netflix in August 2024. As always, our picks for the month are in bold.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Which ring is better for you? | Digital Trends

August 2, 2024August 1, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Competition in the smart ring market is heating up, and Oura’s long period of dominance is finally being challenged. Samsung, one of the world’s biggest companies, has stepped up to the plate with the Samsung Galaxy Ring — its own stab at wearable tech that slips onto a finger.

The Galaxy Ring is smaller and lighter than the Oura Ring, but does it have the features to compete? Does the Galaxy Ring’s higher price mean it’s not worth buying? Or does the Oura Ring’s insistence on a subscription mean it’s hard-pressed to hold up to Samsung’s onslaught?

Getting Your Business Noticed Is Half Of The Battle | The Startup Magazine

August 1, 2024July 31, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Getting your business noticed online is one of the most important tasks in your business. It might not seem like it, but getting noticed is really difficult in a sea of people who are all offerint the same thing. There are multiple companies on the market right now that can offer what you do, and that means that you have to find a way to make your business the one that users choose. Standing out is going to help with this, and that’s what we’re going to look at today. Keep reading if you would like to find out more about improving your business visibility.

Fed Decision: Officials Hold Rates Steady, Signal First Cut Is Nearer | Bloomberg

August 1, 2024July 31, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said an interest-rate cut could come as soon as September after the US central bank voted to leave its benchmark at the highest level in more than two decades.

“The question will be whether the totality of the data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks are consistent with rising confidence on inflation and maintaining a solid labor market,”

Powell told reporters Wednesday. “If that test is met, a reduction in our policy rate could be on the table as soon as the next meeting in September.”

His comments followed a Federal Open Market Committee decision to leave the federal funds rate in a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, a level they have maintained since last July.

Amazon responsible for product recalls, says US | BBC News

July 31, 2024July 30, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

US regulators have ruled that Amazon is responsible for handling recalls of unsafe products sold on its site and must improve its process.

They said Amazon’s alerts were not sufficient to convince its customers to stop using such products and ordered the company to submit a new plan for how it will respond.

The decision by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) came after the agency sued the e-commerce giant in 2021 for distributing more than 400,000 hazardous items, including faulty carbon monoxide detectors.

Amazon said it planned to appeal the finding while defending its practices.

Simone Biles leads USA to Olympic gymnastics team gold as GB finish fourth | BBC Sport

July 31, 2024July 30, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Simone Biles inspired the United States to victory in the women’s team gymnastics event as the first leg of a “redemption tour” began with a fifth Olympic gold.

For the world’s most decorated gymnast, it is the first Olympic gold since Rio 2016 after she pulled out of several events in Tokyo three years ago with the ‘twisties’ – a disorientating mental block.

Fellow sporting greats like Serena Williams and Michael Phelps were on their feet in the packed Bercy Arena as Biles’ stunning Taylor Swift-inspired floor routine sealed gold for her and team-mates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera.