Thanks to a struggling Greek economy, from the July 1st, employers will be able to ask workers in specific industries to add an extra day’s labor each week.

The move flies in the face of the current trend for the 4-day workweek, which has continued to grow at a huge pace, with many companies (outside of Greece) adopting the practice.

While other countries have considered the 6-day workweek in the past, including Russia, Greece is one of the few to actually go ahead with it in recent years.

Greece Introduces the 6-Day Workweek

At the start of July, Greek workers may find that their working week has been extended by an extra day, as Greece, struggling to tackle its economy woes, permits bosses to ask employees work longer under new labor laws.

It’s a tough break for the long suffering Greek workforce, who already work the longest amount of hours in Europe, recording an average of 39.8 hours weeek, ahead of Romania and Poland. For contrast, the Netherlands boasts the shortest European workweek, at just 32.2 hours.

The move impacts some industries more than others. Those in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors are expected to be the worst impacted.

Those who are expected to work a sixth day will receive a supplement of 40% of their daily wage.

The Rise of the 6-Day Week?

The introduction of the six day week in Greece is unfortunate, but should be considered an outlier. With many other counties across the globe considering the idea of the 4-day workweek, spurred on by efficiency and the rise of AI elevating workloads, it’s unlikely many other countries will follow suit.

There is one other country that recently looked to introduce a 6-day workweek, however. Last year we reported that a leading business group in Russia had proposed extending the work week, in order to boost the nation’s economy.

However, in June last year, this proposal was vetoed by the labor minister, Anton Kotyakov, who also stated that those who do decide to work overtime should be properly compensated.

4-Day Workweek Continues to Gain Popularity

The 4-day workweek has become a real hot button issue for both employers and employees in the post-pandemic workplace, and there have been numerous trials, nearly all with positive results.

A 2022 trial found that 67% of employees reported less burnout during the 32 hour week experiment, and a huge 97% wanted to continue with the 4-day week after the trial had run its course.

Recently, in a Bank of America survey, 64% of respondents named a 4-day workweek as the perk they most wanted from a job, beating out having a ‘better work/life balance.’

There’s no doubt that the 4-day workweek is only going to gain momentum, with many companies already adopting the practice, and more following suit.

If your boss doesn’t currently offer a 4-day workweek, check out our guide to making your pitch to work one day less.

As the US workforce continues to deal with escalating workloads for stagnant pay, a new study by PwC found that far more employees are considering quitting their current jobs in the next year, compared to the number of resignations we saw during the great resignation of 2022.

Technological disruptions like generative AI also have a massive hand to play, with the vast majority of casual AI users believing that the tech will help improve their career development and earning potential in the future.

As the desires of employees continue to evolve, we explore whether quitting is likely to be the best option for dissatisfied workers, before explaining what companies can do to hold onto quality talent.

Are We On The Cusp of The Biggest Great Resignation Yet?

After the pandemic turned the job market upside down and gave employees a chance to take stock of their careers, over 50 million US workers quit their jobs in 2022 – making it the biggest employment reshuffle to date.

Skip to the current day, and the record-breaking numbers are due to be topped, according to data from PwC’s 2024 “Hopes and Fears” survey. The survey revealed that out of the 56,000 workers questioned, 28% claimed they were “very” or “extremely likely” to leave their current company in the next 12 months, compared to 19% of workers in 2022.

While motivations vary, common threads included being overworked and undervalued – with 45% of respondents claiming that their workload had significantly increased in the last 12 months. The majority of workers also reported to being financially stressed, with 11% of respondents struggling to cover basic expenses like bills each month.

But aside from long-established concerns around burnout and pay, some uniquely modern factors have entered into the fold too. For example, the survey reveals that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is hugely influencing employees’ decisions, but not in the way you might think. 76% of workers believe generative AI will create opportunities for them to learn new skills, benefiting their career trajectory as a result. This challenges the widely held notion AI will be a destructive force for careers.

Attitudes towards AI weren’t wholly positive, though. Almost half of the respondents (47%) believe that generative AI will change the nature of their work in a negative way, and even more workers don’t trust the technology as an accurate source of information. Whatever the popular consensus is on AI in the workplace, its transformative potential is undeniable.

But, as fluctuating economic conditions and the widespread adoption of AI contribute to an increasingly unpredictable employment landscape – is moving onto perceived greener pastures always a good idea?

Is Quitting Your Job A Good Idea?

In many cases, quitting can be the best course of action for your life and career – especially if you’re underusing your skills or dealing with a toxic or unhealthy workplace environment. It’s important to understand that there’s no wrong reason to quit too. While quitting was once perceived as a failure, in the modern day it’s understood as a logical response from an employee whose needs aren’t being met – whether they desire a healthier work-life balance in the form of a 4-day week, more employee perks, or more opportunities for career progression.

However, with a 2023 Paychex survey revealing the majority of Great Resignation quitters regret their decision, the debate certainly isn’t clear-cut. Of the 825 workers surveyed in Paychex’s survey, over 80% wish they didn’t, with the figure rising to 89% for Gen Z workers.

This widespread remorse –  contributing to what many are dubbing “the great regret’ – was largely caused by workers missing their colleagues and the sense of community they felt in the workplace. However, many Gen Xers also reported missing the work-life balance from their previous jobs the most.

Quitting a job and leaving your co-workers behind is obviously going to mark a difficult period for workers, so the results of the survey are hardly surprising. Yet, while it’s common for workers to experience an initial dip in mental health after parting ways with a company, the decision will likely be justified in the long-run, when the employee makes positive steps in their career and establishes bonds with new colleagues.

Still thinking of handing in your notice? Learn how to write a resignation letter that strikes the perfect note.

What Can Employers Do To Hold Onto Top Talent?

If you’re concerned about talent leakages at your companies, PwC recommends taking a number of steps to make your company a more desirable place to work.

Firstly, as a huge segment of workers faces unmanageable workloads, employers need to do what they can to make sure expectations are realistic. Burnout affects the company as a whole, not just individual workers, so prioritizing the mental health of employees and setting reasonable targets are important ways to look after your most valuable workers.

As AI continues to transform working environments, giving employees the opportunity to explore its potential is an important way to stay ahead of the curve. Rolling out development options like digital upskilling also lets workers augment their labor through the technology, instead of risking being replaced altogether.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to equip your workers with useful skills either. Get the ball rolling by reading our round-up of the best free AI training courses.

After years of warnings and threats, the US has officially banned Kaspersky, the Russian-backed antivirus software and cybersecurity firm.

Antivirus software is supposed to keep your devices safe from malware, ransomware, and other cyberthreats that may steal data from unsuspecting users. However, Kaspersky has a long history of presenting more threats than they solve, particularly in the US.

Now, the company is entirely banned from operating in the US, which means any leftover users are going to need an antivirus alternative to keep their data secure. Luckily, we can help/

US Bans Kaspersky

The Biden administration announced this week that all Kaspersky products are banned from use in the US, over fears that the company is a willing participant in Russia’s attempts to use the data to subvert US interests.

“Russia has shown time and again they have the capability and intent to exploit Russian companies, like Kaspersky Lab, to collect and weaponize sensitive U.S. information, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to safeguard U.S. national security and the American people.” – Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of Commerce

The ban doesn’t go into effect immediately, though. Users have Kaspersky products have 100 days to find an alternative, at which point these services will be entirely unavailable in the US.

Best Kaspersky Alternatives

While 100 days may seem like a long time, you’ll definitely want to lock down a Kaspersky alternative sooner rather than later. After all, the last thing you want is to have a lapse in your antivirus software that could lead to lost data before you find a viable alternative.

Luckily, we’ve done the research to help you find the best Kaspersky alternative to protect your data online.

Check out our best antivirus software providers for more information

Norton

Price: $29.99 per year

In our research, we found Norton to be one of the best antivirus software options on the market, thanks to its flexibility for usage. You can customize just about everything, including what gets flagged in scans and how you actually monitor your device. There’s also a top tier mobile app available, so you can scan phones, tablets, and any other device you may want to keep secure.

Another benefit of Norton is that it offers a lot of different pricing plans, so you can find exactly what you need for the right number of devices. You can protect either one, three, five, or 10 devices, as well as adding additional features like VPN functionality and dark web monitoring if you pay more.

McAfee Antivirus

Price: $39.99 per year

Considered one of the most well-known cybersecurity platforms in the world, McAfee Antivirus offers an intuitive interface as well as 24/7 live chat and phone support to help you solve any problems that might arise. This makes it perfect for those less familiar with antivirus software as a whole and maybe need a bit of guidance.

When it comes to key features, McAfee provides excellent identity theft protection with regular monitoring and helpful notifications to keep you in the know. You’ll also get protection and scam scores, which help you understand your vulnerability to different types of cyber threats.

Check out our Norton vs McAfee comparison guide for more info

Surfshark One

Price: $3.19 per month for two-year contract

Surfshark is one of our favorite cybersecurity providers, offering a comprehensive platform that can help you shore up your entire security setup, rather than just a single option. Admittedly, you can’t get Surfshark Antivirus by itself, but the Surfshark One platform provides you with a dedicated VPN, an ad-blocker, and 24/7 antivirus protection.

As for what the antivirus software can do, you’ll be able to schedule regular scans, customize which files get scanned for efficient security, and opt for short scans for faster results. You’ll also get cool features like webcam locking, which lets you know when apps try to access your camera, and data breach alerts, so you know exactly when your data is compromised.

Get 80% off Surfshark One, plus three months free

Avast One

Price: Free

Yes, you read that right, Avast One is a free cybersecurity platform that includes antivirus functionality. Obviously, compared to some options above, it’s a bit basic, allowing only for basic malware protection, network security, and advanced firewall functionality. You’ll have to go with one of their paid plans, which start at $2.99 per month, to get features like webcam and scam protection.

Like Surfshark, the Avast One platform provides more than just antivirus software. You’ll get a 5 GB per day VPN as well as the ability to check for compromise passwords on your device, all in addition to the antivirus functionality.

Bitdefender

Price: Free

Avast isn’t the only free antivirus platform on this list. In fact, Bitdefender offers its service for free as well, stopping everything from ransomware and malware to zero-day threats and cryptojacking. Even better, it’s not very demanding, so won’t slow down your device too much while it’s active.

Perhaps the best part of Bitdefender is that, in addition to the free plan, it offers a vast selection of pricing plans to mix-and-match features, so you only pay for what you actually need for your security setup. We counted 15 different pricing options, which should be more than enough to help you find what you need in a Kapersky alternative.

Check out our Avast vs Bitdefender comparison guide for more info

How to Stay Safe Online

If you want to stay safe online, antivirus software is a vital tool that will regularly scan your computer for viruses, malware, and everything in between.

However, there’s more to protecting yourself online than just antivirus software. In fact, there are a wide range of tools that you can use to ensure that your data is safe, your scrolling is secure, and your passwords aren’t just floating around the black market waiting to be used by a nefarious third party.

Password managers are a great place to start, allowing you to not only store your hundreds of login credentials, but also suggest more complicated codes to keep you safe. VPNs are another helpful tool that can hide your web activity from anyone that might be watching.

All that to say, antivirus software is just the tip of the iceberg, and if you want to stay safe online, there’s a lot more you can do to shore up your security.

Which is the best AI chatbot? Claude is making its case, with Anthropic announcing an array of updates and new features that will have you dropping ChatGPT before you know it.

Claude has been in the fight for chatbot supremacy for a few years now. The company behind it, Anthropic, was the self-proclaimed ethical approach to AI, with many contributors from other competitors opting for the startup over the big time.

Now, Claude is announcing another upgrade that definitely sets itself apart as a clear favorite, at least for certain users.

Claude 3.5 Sonnet – Better and Faster

Announced in a blog post from Anthropic, the newest model for the popular chatbot — dubbed Claude 3.5 Sonnet — is quite impressive, sporting new features and improved functionality for all users.

For starters, Claude 3.5 Sonnet greatly improves its responses, “grasping nuance, humor, and complex instructions” much better than it s predecessor. On top of that, it’s significantly faster than its predecessor at responding. How much faster, you ask?

“Claude 3.5 Sonnet operates at twice the speed of Claude 3 Opus. This performance boost, combined with cost-effective pricing, makes Claude 3.5 Sonnet ideal for complex tasks such as context-sensitive customer support and orchestrating multi-step workflows.” – Anthropic blog post

Suffice to say, Claude is on the up and up, but there is a lot more to the update than simple functionality improvements.

What Is Artifacts on Claude.ai?

On top of that performance improvements available in Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Anthropic has announced a new feature called Artifacts. The new feature provides a window to the side of your conversation, showing all of the “code snippets, text documents, or website designs” in real-time to help you visualize your workflow.

“This preview feature marks Claude’s evolution from a conversational AI to a collaborative work environment. It’s just the beginning of a broader vision for Claude.ai, which will soon expand to support team collaboration.” – Anthropic blog post

For a better idea of how Artifacts will work, take a look at the video from Anthropic below and give it a try for yourself.

How to Use Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Given the improvements to the functionality and the usefulness of the Artifacts feature, you’re probably thinking the Claude 3.5 Sonnet is going to cost you a pretty penny to gain access.

Well, you’re in luck, because all this new functionality is completely free for both Claude.ai and the Claude iOS app. Simply download the latest update, and you’ll be ready to take advantage of all these new features.

It’s worth noting, however, that if you opt for the paid version, you’ll get access to Claude 3.5 Sonnet “with significantly higher rate limits,” so if you plan on using it often, it could be worth the investment.

Remote work and the tech industry go together like cookies and cream: Coding, tech support, and project management can all be done from any location with an internet connection. Plus, the tech business is rife with sprawling corporations like Google or Microsoft that always have hundreds of positions open at any time of the year.

So, it’s no wonder that potential employees are constantly looking towards Apple for fully remote positions. The company currently has a market cap of $3.22 trillion, which makes the tech giant what we in the business world call “richer than god.”

Its corporate and engineering teams are just two of the areas that are constantly hiring, and despite some blowback against remote work in the tech industry, they still have a decent amount of work-from-home options open (even if Microsoft still has them beat by a country mile).

Here, we’ll take a look at the best 100% remote positions at Apple that are open at the time of writing, and we’ll throw in a little job interview advice and perspectives on your remote living options to boot.

Fully Remote Apple Jobs: Listings for June 2024

Right now, Apple has 33 remote jobs available when searching their careers portal while using the “home office” tag. There were just 27 similar positions open last month, and 33 is about the highest number of open positions we tend to see from the company.

As always, the company lists geographical locations that relate to the office that you’ll be working with if accepted. Here’s a snapshot of the most interesting open positions, although you can always see the entire group for yourself on the company job site.

• Benefits Analyst (London, Greater London, UK)
• K-12 Education Account Executive, (Nashville, Tennessee, US)
• Higher Education Account Executive, (Phoenix, Arizona, US)
• Strategic System Engineer, (Los Angeles, California, US)
• Core OS Integration Engineer, (Prague, Bohemia, Czechia)
• Threat Intelligence Analyst, SEAR, (Washington DC, US)
• Specialist: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Part-Time Temporary (Apple Retail Stores), (Toronto, Ontario, CA)
• Facility Manager, (Atlanta, Georgia, US)
• Enterprise Pre-Sales Systems Engineer, (Minneapolis, Minnesota, US)
• Research Engineer – AI Interpretability & Safety, (Seattle, Washington, US)
• SAP Business Security Liaison, (Culver City, California, US)

You’ll have to check each of the positions you’re interested in by following the links above, so that you can confirm that they’re still available – there’s a steady churn and a new crop of positions will be available soon. 

Is Remote Working Really for You?

Surveys have confirmed what you could likely have guessed by yourself: Some types of people thrive in fully remote positions, while others really prefer to work in person, and still more workers enjoy a hybrid model that keeps them in the office two or three days a week.

The real takeaway is that workplace flexibilty should always be an option for as many people as possible. Of course, some positions must be done in person, like many public service jobs or customer-facing work. However, opening up all white collar work to incorporate at least a some fully remote positions is a huge benefit to everyone who prefers it.

Genuine accommodations are a big reason to support flexible options, too: Let’s not forget everyone who anticipates a need to care for young children or elderly parents, as well as any workers with disabilities that prevent them from commuting or working on an office.

Sadly, many of the downsides to working remotely come from managers and C-suite execs that can’t handle the concept – here’s how we explained the phenomenon using stats from a 2022 survey:

Some of the most surprising results detail how executive staff feel remote working affects the career progression of their employees. A huge 41% of survey respondents said remote employees would be less likely to be considered for promotion.

 

Why is this? Well, it can in part be explained by the fact that 43% of executives surveyed agreed that remote employees are less wired in to a company’s culture, whilst just over half (52%) felt employees working from home or elsewhere were “overly reliant on others to be able to collaborate remotely.”

Of course, if you find yourself among those overlooked for promotion when annual reviews roll around, you can always take your salary in your own hands and start looking for the next fully remote position at a company that can treat you better.

For that, look no further than our monthly roundups of the best remote jobs available at today’s top tech companies.

Do You Want to Try Out Life as a Digtal Nomad?

You don’t need to complete all your work while paying a high rent to stay in a cramped New York City or Seattle apartment for every work day. You might want to consider digital nomadism, the term for white collar workers who take full advantage of their remote status to travel the world while keeping up with their nine-to-five.

If you’d like to take a crack at it, we have a few guides that might help. First, you’ll need a job that makes it easy to travel remotely or work odd hours: Some good digital nomad jobs include web designing, data analysis, or serving as a virtual assistant.

You can take a look at all the top countries to visit as well, which involves the biggest pain: Figuring out which digital nomad visas are best, and how long you’ll be able to use them. Costa Rica, Malta, and Anguilla all topped our list, but there are many of other off-the-beaten-path options available, and some come with nice tax breaks to boot.

Just don’t forget to have a backup plan. International travel can be a challenge, and you’ll always want to have the funds for an emergency plane trip right back to your home country if anything serious goes wrong.

How to Nail Your Remote Job Interview

If you can actually get an interview, you’re doing better than most: The real challenge these days is getting past all the automated resume-screening services, or avoiding a ghost job position that was always going to go to an internal candidate anyway.

However, once you’re hopping on a Zoom call to chat with a potential manager, you’ll have to know what to say. We’ve discussed all the top most common job interview questions and answers in the past, but they can be summed up pretty easily: The typical job interviewer just wants to know that you have the past experience to handle the position, that you have the skills to work well with others, and that you have the aptitude that will make working with you simple, easy, and maybe even fun.

For entirely remote positions, there are a few different skills that will be essential to show off: You’ll need to convince the interviewer that you are motivated to work on your own, you can communicate even from across the country, you can make decisions by yourself, and you have all the technical know-how to handle the software stack that you’ll be using.

Once you’re all done, you might even want to send them a thank you email.

New data has revealed that Dell’s staunch return to office policy isn’t having the desired effect, with many staff still choosing not to come in.

The company has been making headlines over the last year with its aggressive campaign to fill its physical locations, even going so far as to withhold promotions for those who continue to work from home.

However, an internal survey shows that many are simply choosing the remote life over career advancement.

Employees Call Dell’s Bluff on Promotions Threat

According to internal data seen by Business Insider, Dell’s threat to pause promotions for employees who refuse to come into the office is not having the desired affect, with many staff simply choosing to stay at home and forego career advancement.

Reportedly, around 50% of Dell employees are choosing to stay away from the office, and it’s not just US staff either. One third of international employees are also not returning to the office.

Speaking to Business Insider, some staff who opted to stay at home stated that they were unwilling to spend time and money on the commute, while others said that when they do go into the office, they are surrounded by empty desks, and have conference calls with other Dell employees in similarly empty offices.

A Short History of Dell’s Return to Office Mandate

Like most other companies, Dell asked its staff to work from home early in 2020, when the pandemic was beginning its global sweep, and initially, had a fairly relaxed attitude to remote work, even encouraging the practice when pandemic conditions started to ease.

Nowhere is this more evident than in this quote from Dell CEO, Michael Dell, back in 2022:

“But from my experience, if you are counting on forced hours spent in a traditional office to create collaboration and provide a feeling of belonging within your organization, you’re doing it wrong.” Dell CEO, Michael Dell, 2022

Given those words, you could be forgiven for thinking that Dell employees could rely on the option to work remotely going forward.

However, just one year later, in 2023, Dell demanded that staff who work within an hour’s commute, return to the office.

Less than a year later, this demand was extended to all staff, regardless of location, who were told they must come back to the office for a minimum of 39 days a quarter.

A month later, in March 2024, a leaked memo showed that Dell employees were being told that their career progression would be paused and they would be passed over for promotion, if they didn’t return to the office.

“For remote team members, it is important to understand the trade-offs: Career advancement, including applying to new roles in the company, will require a team member to reclassify as hybrid onsite.”- Dell memo, March 2024

To show it was serious about its RTO demands, information appeared in May of this year which revealed that Dell had implemented a color coding system to show which staff were clocking into the office, with those who weren’t, receiving a red flag on their record.

This war of attrition between Dell and its employees seems far from over, and with a strong contingent of staff refusing to go back to the office, the question is, what will Dell do next, and can its employees win their fight?

Return to Office Still Divisive in 2024

There is a clear split when it comes to companies that are for and against remote working. We have had to continually add to our list of companies that have called staff back to the office, despite the strong evidence of the benefits of letting staff work from home.

However, there are still plenty of companies that are happy to welcome remote workers, and we continue to highlight these every month, if you’re a Dell employee looking to jump ship, or just anyone that doesn’t want to do the commute anymore, check out remote roles for June, as well as Microsoft remote jobs for June, and Google remote jobs, too.

If you don’t want to leave your current job, but would like to do it from home, check out our guide to asking to work remotely.

Let’s be honest, whether you’re a busy student or a full-time worker, finding time to read full bodies of text back-to-back isn’t always easy, especially if you have to go through multiple documents in one sitting.

Thankfully, by leveraging the power of generative artificial intelligence, AI summarizer tools can be used to condense documents, articles, research papers, and more into useful summaries – trimming down the fat for you so you have more time to focus on the content that matters.

With so many AI summarizers available, we rounded up some of our top picks and pointed out which are best for different use cases. We also cover their prices and whether they offer a free version, to help connect you to an AI platform in your budget. Read on to find out how the best AI summarizers compare against the competition, and to learn why the tools are emerging as one of the best time-saving hacks of 2024.

Why Use an AI Summarizer Tool?

According to Gartner, professionals spend around 50% of their time searching for information – time that could be better spent in a variety of ways including engaging in deep work, collaborating with colleagues, or taking a well-earned stroll around the block.

Thanks to rapid developments in generative AI, the time you spend riffling through surplus information can be axed significantly, and you don’t even need to spend a fortune for the privilege.

AI summarizer tools can be used to create concise rundowns of large bodies of text in seconds, making it easier for users to get the main highlights of news articles, business documents, research papers, and more, without spending half an afternoon doing so.

Lots of AI summarizer tools offer extra translation, proofreading, and paraphrasing capabilities too, allowing you to condense, refine, and reformat content in one fell swoop. If you don’t want to pay a premium for the service, there are several free options available too, although these products tend to lack advanced content features and have more stringent text limits.

The Best AI Summarizer Tools in 2024

AI summarzers have the potential to revolutionize the way you work. Take a look at our favorite platforms, and what their best suited to, below.

1. AI Summarizer – Best AI summarizer overall
2. Summarizing tool – Best free AI summarizer tool
3. ChatGPT – Best AI tool for summarizing PDF files
4. Jasper – Best AI summarizer tool for content creators
5. Scholarly Best AI summarizer for academics

1. AI Summarizer

• Best AI summarizer overall
• Price from $6.99 (Free version available)

AI Summarizer is a user-friendly summarizing tool that lets you summarize, paraphrase, and improve the quality of your text. The provider offers both paid and free versions, with its paid plan capping words at 5,000 words per submission and its freemium plan limiting words to 3,000.

AI Summarizer screenshot lets you condense and reformat lengthy content for free. Source: AI Summarizer

With most bodies of text falling under this limit, AI Summarizer will be a top option for users trying to keep costs to a minimum. The tool also provides output in three different styles – whole paragraphs, bullet points, and single sentences – and lets you choose how concise you want the summary to be. This gives AI Summarizer a leg up over other free platforms, like Summarizing Tool, which doesn’t give users as much control over the final result.

However, for all of AI Summarizer’s strengths, the free version is littered with ads which may get on your nerves if you’re using the tool a lot. You’re able to bypass this problem by upgrading to its enhanced Summarizer 2.0 platform quite easily though, as long as you’re willing to shell out a couple of dollars per month.

2. Summarizing Tool

• Best free AI summarizer tool
• Price from: Free

Summarizing Tool is a free forever text summarizer that allows users to condense text with or without AI. For a free service, the tool offers a surprising amount of capabilities. For example, the platform lets you transform text from a wide variety of formats, including text, documents, and PDF files and also gives users the option to copy or download output, based on your specific needs.

Summarizing Tool lets you summarize text from a wide variety of formats for free. Source: Summarizer Tool

Aside from summarization capabilities, the free platform lets users check content for plagiarism and grammatical errors, and can also be used to paraphrase text. The tool doesn’t place limits on how many times you’re able to use the service either, making it a great fit for users who have to transform large quantities of text on a tight budget.

However, like AI Summarizer, Summarizer Tool does feature lots of ads on its service, and with no option to bump up to a paid tier, the platform definitely won’t be right for everyone.

3. ChatGPT

• Best AI tool for summarizing PDF files
• Price from: $20 per month (Free version available)

While we wouldn’t normally recommend using chatbots to summarize and refine large bodies of text, ChatGPT’s newly rolled-out PDF summarizing feature makes it one of the best solutions of its kind for condensing the file format. And the best thing about it? You can use the feature for absolutely free without upgrading to the Plus plan.

ChatGPT can now be used so summarize large documents. Source: communityopenai.com

Thanks to ChatGPT’s recent GPT-4o update, the popular chatbot now lets users attach documents, screenshots, and PDF documents to queries. This useful upgrade means that you’re able to use the tool to summarize and analyze PDF files and ask the chatbot questions about this document to gain targeted follow-up insights. You’re also able to request for the information to be displayed in a variety of different formats, including paragraphs and bullet points, making the service more useful than other free options like Summarizer Tool.

At the time being, free ChatGPT users are only able to make a limited amount of GPT-4o queries before their credits run out. But for those tasks with analyzing a high volume of PDFs, you also have the option to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus for $20 per month, as the paid plan doesn’t feature a cap on GPT-4o queries.

4. Jasper

• Best AI summarizer tool for content creators
• Price from: $39 per month

Jasper AI is a versatile AI tool that lets you summarize text to a high degree of accuracy, working in a similar way to AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Alongside its text-based capabilities, Jasper also lets you brainstorm ideas for your own content, browse through summary history in the chat window, and translate text into 29 languages.

Jasper AI lets you summarize text-based documents, as well as image and audio files. Source: Jasper AI

The chatbot-style platform makes trimming down content a whizz by giving users control over its output style and letting them choose how long they want the summary to be. However, what really gives Jasper its competitive edge is its ability to summarize audio content like podcasts, lectures, and interviews. This unique capability makes the tool ideas for content creators who are interested in turning existing audio files into multiple pieces of short-form content.

While Jasper does offer a 7-day free trial for new users to test out the platform, its paid plans, which start at $39 per month, will likely exceed the budgets of most casual users.

5. Scholarcy

• Best AI summarizer for academics
• Price from: $3.75 per month (Free version available)

Scholarly is an academic companion that uses AI to summarize text and generate flashcards for research or studying purposes. The tool uses extractive and abstractive summarization capabilities to provide users with useful output, and the platform can also identify key concepts in the text, to make it easier for users to understand important themes.

Scholarcy offers a useful browser extension that provides users with snapshots of articles across the web. Source: Scholarcy

In addition to its desktop version, Scholarcy’s useful browsing extension lets users condense content while they’re browsing, making the platform ideal for users looking to regularly summarize articles and online papers.

Schorlarcy does offer a free version, but it only lets you summarize three research papers daily. While this should be more than enough for casual researchers, if you will be relying on the tool consistently you’ll have to upgrade to one of its paid plans which start from $3.75 per month.

If you’re a legacy AT&T customer, your phone bill could be going up as much as $20 a month, with the popular US telecommunication provider planning to increase the price of its older plans from August.

As telecommunication providers continue to steer loyal users to their newer plans, the company’s decision to hike prices follows similar actions made by competitors, with T-Mobile deciding to bump the price of its legacy plan by $5 per month just two weeks ago.

However, AT&T is planning to cushion the blow by increasing the amount of high-speed and hotspot data offered by these plans. Curious about what these changes could mean for you? Read on to see if your plan is impacted by the pricing restructure, and if it’s worth staying loyal to the package if so.

Which AT&T Plans Are Affected By The Price Increase?

After upping the cost of all of its plans by 99 cents per line per month in March, AT&T is ramping up its prices again in August, according to a recent blog post by the company. The carrier will be raising rates by $10 per month for users with a single line of service, or $20 per month for those with multiple lines.

AT&T explained the changes will affect “most of our older unlimited plans”, including the following packages:

• AT&T Unlimited & More Premium
• AT&T Unlimited Choice Enhanced
• AT&T Unlimited & More
• AT&T Unlimited Choice II
• AT&T Unlimited Plus
• AT&T Unlimited Choice
• AT&T Unlimited Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Plus Enhanced
• AT&T Unlimited Value Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Plan (with TV)

This follows similar measures the provider took in March, when it upped the cost of all of its plans by 99 cents, per line per month. At risk of affronting its oldest, most loyal customers, AT&T is planning to supplement these price hikes with additional perks, which we explore next.

AT&T Also Plans To Increase The Data Limits On Unlimited Plans

In an effort to consolidate legacy customers who may be disgruntled by the new pricing hikes, AT&T also announced it will be expanding the data packages offered in Unlimited tiers.

For example, the AT&T Unlimited Choice, Choice II, and Choice Enhanced plans will now include 30GB of hotspot data and 75GB of high-speed data, and Unlimited Plus, Plus Enhanced, Unlimited & More Premium, and AT&T (with TV) plans will now boast 60GB of hotspot data, and 100GB of high-speed data.

If you need to make extensive downloads and hot spots regularly for business or personal purposes, then the adjustment of AT&T’s may seem like a fair trade-off – especially as other providers like T-Mobile and Verizon recently increased the price of certain plans without improving their offering.

Yet, for the casual user with more modest data needs or less cash to spare, seeking an alternative plan or even ditching AT&T altogether may be a better option. If you’re unsure about what your next steps, we walk you through some potential options next.

Affected By AT&T’s Price Hike? Here Are Your Options

If you’re currently using one of AT&T’s plans impacted by the price change, you don’t have to continue paying a premium if you don’t want to. According to the telecommunications provider, customers can currently choose between the three following options:

1. Stick with the unlimited plan

Content with the extra perks you’ll receive in exchange for a slightly higher monthly fee? Then we’d recommend avoiding unnecessary administration by sticking with your current plans.

2. Migrate to one of AT&T’s newer plans

If you think the Unlimited plans’ renewed data packages will be wasted on you, you also have the option to move to one of AT&T’s newer plans.

For example, the provider’s ‘Unlimited Starter® SL‘ plan offers unlimited talk, text, and data in and between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, alongside 5GB of hotspot data and 5G access for $66 per month for a single line. Alternatively, AT&T’s mid-range plan ‘AT&T Unlimited Extra EL‘ gives you unlimited talk, text, and data between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, alongside 30GB of hotspot data for $76 per month for a single line.

According to the provider, both of these plans are subjected to slow data speeds if the network is busy, so it’s important to consider this before moving forward with a new package.

AT&T’s Unlimited Premium PL plan, on the other hand, does not have data slowdowns, and includes everything in the Extra plan alongside 30GB of extra hotspot data and 4K UHD streaming. The plan does cost slightly more at $86 per month for a single line, however, which will be on the pricier side for most casual users.

3. Leave AT&T altogether

Not content with any of these options? You’re also free to cancel your wireless service and pursue alternative providers. This may also be a good course of action for customers concerned about AT&T’s commitment to data security, with the company recently falling victim to a major data breach in March which compromised the personal data of 70 million customers.

However, if you have an installment plan in place, you’ll need to pay off your remaining installments first in order to keep your device. You can call AT&T at 800 331 0500 to discuss cancellation options, or to learn more about what next steps you can take with your account.

The “buy now, pay later” service from Apple that some analysts predicted would “wallop” the competition, has been quietly discontinued with immediate effect.

The news – which was revealed in a statement to 9to5Mac – means that no new customers will be able to use Apple Pay Later. This is confirmed on Apple’s support website, which states: “Apple Pay Later is no longer offering new loans. Existing Apple Pay Later loans and purchases are not affected.”

Meanwhile, anybody with an outstanding loan through Apple Pay Later can continue to make and manage payments via Apples’ Wallet app.

“Flexible” Options Preferred to Apple Pay

Originally announced at WWDC22 and launched in March 2023, Apple Pay Later got its official US roll out last October. The service offered eligible users the freedom to pay for purchases made through Apple Pay through four equal installments over six weeks with 0% interest.

Built into Apple Wallet, the company said that Apple Pay Later would provide users with “a seamless and secure way to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase” using the Mastercard network.

But now Apple has cited consumers’ wider forthcoming access to installment loans through credit and debit card providers, which – Apple hastens to add – will be a facility integrated into Apple Pay. Unlike Apple Pay Later, which was limited to the US, this functionality will also be available in the UK, Australia and Spain when rolled out.

“Our focus continues to be on providing our users with access to easy, secure and private payment options with Apple Pay, and this solution will enable us to bring flexible payments to more users, in more places across the globe, in collaboration with Apple Pay enabled banks and lenders.” – Apple statement

What To Do If You Use Apple Pay Later

There’s no need to panic if you’re an Apple Pay Later user who has an outstanding loan through the service – Apple isn’t about to try and call in the full payback of your loan right away.

On the company’s support page, it sets out what you need to know in several use cases:

If you have an active loan – Continue to make loan payments by the due date, either via autopay or manually.

If you’ve made a purchase that hasn’t been shipped – There will be no changes to purchases previously made with Apple Pay Later. Apple says that: “When the merchant processes your order, your down payment is debited from the debit card that you selected when you applied for Apple Pay Later and your payment schedule starts.” Then, the remaining three payments are due every two weeks.

If you’ve returned an item or you’re waiting for a refund – Again, there will be no changes to the existing process. But if you do end up having any issues with your refund, Apple says that you should contact Apple Support to seek a resolution.

“If you experience an issue with an order, contact the merchant first to see what they can do. If you’ve contacted the merchant and they haven’t resolved your issue, contact an Apple Pay Later Specialist to report an issue.”

42% of European job seekers would refuse an otherwise attractive job offer if the employer didn’t give the option to work remotely or on a hybrid basis.

In Ireland, that figure climbs to 47%, compared to the global average of 29% – that’s according to a report published by The Stepstone Group (parent company of IrishJobs) titled How Work Preferences Are Shifting in the Age of GenAI.

However, a different study from the Office for National Statistics suggests that the workforce’s growing predilection for working from home is presenting companies with new challenges around productivity.

Workers Demanding More Flexibility

The study, which solicited the views of 150,000+ respondents across 188 countries, asked a series of questions about job seekers’ perceptions, expectations, and deal breakers with regard to the labor market.

It found that “job security” is now globally the most important factor that employees consider, having overtaken “good relationships,” which has fallen to fourth. “Good work-life balance” and “financial compensation” complete the top three, with “learning and career development” another growing consideration.

“There continues to be significant competition among employers to attract and retain skilled talent,” said Sam Dooley, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland. “With nearly half of [Irish] jobseekers willing to turn down opportunities that do not provide hybrid or fully remote working options, employers should ensure they’re evolving their policies to address these needs and comply with new Government guidelines on the right to request remote work.”

The recognition of mental health implications is another key factor in the forefront of job seekers’ priorities, with 40% of global respondents saying they wouldn’t work for a company that doesn’t offer mental health support or that has a perceived negative impact on society.

“In attracting global talent, a personalized, modern recruitment process is every bit as critical as providing a value-based workplace that supports the well-being of employees… These are simply not just ‘nice-to-haves’ anymore.” – Sebastian Dettmers, CEO of The Stepstone Group

AI Up, Productivity Down

The study also discovered that AI tools are now used regularly by 39% of respondents, which shows that the use of chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini aren’t specifically limited to remote AI jobs and entry-level AI jobs. 57% of global respondents said that they were ready to retrain into new roles if required, recognizing that artificial intelligence will continue to be a disruptive force in the workplace.

The study was published just a few days before the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) released its own study on the labor market’s productivity (Regional and subregional labour productivity, UK: 2022), however.

A mixed set of data showed that, while some parts of the country had shown improved productivity, London’s fell by 2.7% between 2019 and 2022. The shadow of that figure is cast upon a backdrop of numbers showing 60% of all London workers either work on a hybrid model or entirely from home.

A further questionnaire carried out by the ONS earlier this year revealed that 29% of London businesses intended to embed greater levels of working from home, compared to a figure of 44% to the same question in 2022. This perhaps shows that some London businesses have identified their own inverse correlation between remote working and productivity levels.

We’ve all been there. Sitting in front of an intimidatingly huge PDF document – faced with an impenetrable-seeming wall of text that no amount of CTRL + F’ing will navigate you to the pertinent section or passage.

Thankfully, alongside the OpenAI chatbot’s other handy functionality and best ChatGPT plugins, there’s now a free way to speedily analyze PDF documents and more easily pull out the information that matters to you.

It comes as a result of the upgrades made to the latest version of ChatGPT in May – known as ChatGPT Model GPT-4o – which permitted free users to upload documents, screenshots and photos to read. That means you can give the chatbot access to PDF documents, which it will then digest and summarize in line with your commands – and, like most ChatGPT tools, it’s really easy to do…

How To Upload PDF Documents to ChatGPT

Although ChatGPT has a free-to-use tier, you’ll still need to have an account to use the chatbot tool. Logging in also has the benefit of adjusting the settings and accessing past queries.

• Sign up or log in – all that OpenAI asks for is an email, date of birth and a password with minimum of 12 characters
• *Click the paperclip icon in the ‘Message ChatGPT’ query box
• Click “Upload from computer”
• Locate and select the PDF you want to analyze

At this point, ChatGPT will confirm the document that you have uploaded and will ask: “Are you looking for specific information or a summary of certain sections?”

*Note that you can alternatively drag the PDF document into the ChatGPT interface to begin the upload.

Use ChatGPT to Analyze Your PDF Document

Once uploaded, you can then use the chatbot to summarize the PDF. How overarching or specific you make your questions is up to you.

• Type your query into the ‘Message ChatGPT’ query box
• Use the query box to sharpen or expand your query

In addition to summaries of the whole or parts of the document, you can also ask the chatbot questions and instruct it to use the PDF as a source for its answers. Plus, you can specify how you’d like the information to be presented; be that in running paragraphs, bullet points, as an email, or anything else.

You should note, however, that free users are currently limited by the amount of GPT-4o queries they can make. After you have exhausted your daily GPT-4o access, you’ll be downgraded to GPT-3.5, which doesn’t include the ability to upload documents, screenshots or images.

That means you’ll either need to wait until your count is reset the next day, or upgrade to a ChatGPT Plus subscription for $20 per month.

What Else Is New From GPT-4o?

As the models for the best AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and others become more populated and accurate, the application possibilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT continue to broaden out from basic functions like writing refund requests to a retailer or creating a killer resume.

One of the most noteworthy new features introduced by GPT-4o is a new and improved Voice Mode, which enhances the chatbot’s ability to recognize speech commands and respond by audio in a more ‘human’ and perceptive way.

Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN

Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

The update also tweaked the main ChatGPT interface to make it a little more user friendly, and increased the amount of languages ChatGPT supports to more than 50 – from Albanian to Vietnamese.

The use of AI and deepfake technology could result in the spread of misleading information about the Holocaust, UNESCO has warned.

Reported by the Associated Press, the troubling report is further fuel to the fire for critics of the rapidly increasing and unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization suggests that a combination of flaws in the AI tools themselves, together with misuse from hate groups and Holocaust deniers, could result in false information being spread.

Antisemitic Use of AI a Possibility

The most insidious-sounding aspect of the warning from UNESCO is that AI may be used as a tool to generate and spread content that questions the 20th century genocide of Jewish people and other minority groups at the hands of the Nazis.

UNESCO warns that deepfake technology could be used to produce realistic images and videos that call into question details of the Holocaust. Such images would then be used by people and groups wishing to promote anti-Semitic views in order to dilute, distort and falsify historical facts, it says.

“If we allow the horrific facts of the Holocaust to be diluted, distorted or falsified through the irresponsible use of AI, we risk the explosive spread of antisemitism and the gradual diminution of our understanding about the causes and consequences of these atrocities.” – Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

In addition to deliberate misuse, there are also concerns about AI inadvertently corrupting historically accurate information – a challenge to artificial intelligence that’s far from limited to responses pertaining to the Holocaust.

AI Mistakes, Mishaps and Failures

While the potential benefits of AI and its impact on the workplace are well documented, so too are the technology’s downsides; the list of AI errors, mistakes and failures continues to grow and so it’s easy to see why imperfections with the technology would concern UNESCO in relation to online information about historic events like the Holocaust.

Only this week, fast food giant McDonald’s was reported to have shut down its testing of AI ordering in its restaurants. This followed a string of embarrassing errors experienced by diners and made public on social media.

In other examples this year alone, Google was criticized in February when its chatbot, Gemini, was found to have generated false images of people of color wearing Nazi uniforms; Swifties were left speechless, when explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift flooded the X social media platform; and reports emerged in April that an AI tool “falsely suggested it is legal for an employer to fire a worker who complains about sexual harassment, doesn’t disclose a pregnancy or refuses to cut their dreadlocks”, according to the Associated Press.

Ethical Rules for AI Required

Alongside its warning, UNESCO has called on tech companies to agree and enforce ethical rules for the use of AI to reduce the chances of unreliable information being distributed.

However, much like social media before it, the development of AI technology has been something of a wild west. While in theory a unified code of AI ethics would be desirable to many, its creation and policing would be extremely difficult to manage.

And others in the industry could be reluctant to harness such a rulebook, citing the effect it would have on stymying and slowing the progress of AI development.

If you’ve been the victim of a pre-recorded call over the last few years (and lets face it, who hasn’t), then you may be entitled to a pay out thanks to a class action settlement that is ending very soon.

The case centers around CallCore Media, which is agreeing to pay $2 million to people who received a pre-recorded call from them.

To find out the details of the case, and whether or not you’re eligible to put in a claim, read on.

CallCore Media Settlement Explained

The class settlement lawsuit against CallCore Media alleges that the company violated laws by placing pre-recorded marketing calls, using information obtained from PHBC Marketing LLC.

Specifically, the claim is that in making these automated calls, the company violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Furthermore, in targeting residents of Texas, it also is alleged to have broken the Texas Solicitation Act. Residents of Texas are entitled to a slightly larger pay out in the settlement.

It’s worth noting that CallCore Media hasn’t admitted to any wrong doing in this case, but has agreed to pay out in the $2 million settlement.

Want to work remotely? Check out our pick of the 48 best WFH jobs for June.

Who is Eligible for CallCore Media Settlement?

If you want to be part of the settlement and make a claim for your payment, you’ll need to make sure you’re eligible:

• You were called by or on behalf of CallCore, with information obtained from PHBC Marketing (TCPA Class).
• OR you are a person with a Texas address and/or area code to whom calls were placed on behalf of CallCore, with information obtained from PHBC Marketing (Texas Class).
• You submit a claim form by June 19th 2024.

If you don’t know if you are eligible, or if you received a call from CallCore Media, contact the lawyers representing the case via the settlement website.

Amazon workers entitled to $500+ pay out in new settlement

How To Claim in CallCore Media Settlement

If you want to claim in this settlement, you don’t have long – the deadline is June 19th.

In order to claim, you’ll need to fill in a claim form, and submit before June 19th, 2024, and the form can be found at the settlement website.

If you wanted to exclude yourself from the settlement lawsuit, or had any objections, then you have missed your opportunity to raise them, as the deadline for this was May 21st.

In terms of the actual pay out amount, successful claimants can expect around $120 each from the $2 million settlement allocation, with residents of Texas receiving around and extra 10% on top of this.

Payments should follow the final approval hearing, which is set for June 25th 2024.

A lot of progress has been made towards making lesbian, bi, gay, trans, and queer employees feel welcomed in the workplace over the last few years, for remote positions and in-office work alike. However, not every company is doing everything they can to promote equality.

June is Pride month, which means that a lot of companies are currently splashing rainbow flags on their logos and proclaiming to be allies, but how many of them can actually back up these claims when July comes around, especially if you’re an employee? It’s important to investigate whether or not the business you’re applying to actually has the infrastructure in place to make you feel welcomed and supported at work.

In this guide, you’ll learn about some of the best companies to work for as an LGBTQ+ individual in 2024, offering benefits, systems, and general inclusivity for all employees.

1. Adobe

Adobe has a corporate motto, Adobe for All, which outlines how the company is “committed to building and advancing our global employee population to reflect the diversity of our customers and the world around us.”

This appears to be true, with Adobe offering a wide range of benefits for LGBTQ+ individuals to include them in the workplace. From medically necessary services for gender-affirming care to non-birthing parental leave, the company has been steadfast in support of its LGBTQ+ employees.

On top of that, Adobe frequently hosts employee panel discussions and guest speaker engagements year-round, not just during Pride Month.

2. Dropbox

Inclusivity is the name of the game at Dropbox, with the cloud storage company actually winning the BuiltIn “Celebrating Inclusive Workspaces” award in 2022. Why you ask? Because they’ve got LGBTQ+ employee benefits coming out the wazoo!

Dropbox offers financial support for employees interested in potential adopting, gender-affirming care through its Anthem health coverage, and community-specific educational sessions on topics such as allyship and supporting LGBTQIA+ parents.

Even better, to ensure inclusivity for its gender-affirming care, Dropbox does not require the typical mental health certifications to receive it.

3. Groupon

When it comes to providing benefits for LGBTQ+ employees, Groupon does not take 50% off. The company has shown it’s committed to building an inclusive company that pays full price when it comes to encouraging diversity on its team.

More specifically, Groupon offers adoption assistance programs and equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care. The company also has an LGBTQ+ employee resource group to help ease any issues staff might have about their acceptance in the workplace.

4. Nvidia

Over the last year, Nvidia has become one of the most valuable companies in the world, largely driven by the push to launch more and more AI across the business landscape. A new AI chip isn’t all the company is up to, though, as it’s considered one of the best companies for LGBTQ+ employees.

For family planning, all Nvidia employees have access to FertilityIQ, a service that “provides connections to resources created by expert clinicians” in hopes of helping out gay, lesbian, and trans employees to find a path to parenthood.

For gender affirming care, Nvidia goes above and beyond, offering a lot of benefits through its health plan, including surgery and other surgical services, travel and lodging, hair removal, speech therapy, and hormone therapy visits and administration.

5. Pinterest

Pinterest can be a great place to find inspiration for your Pride Month outfits, but it’s also a company that has made huge strides in providing care and support for their LGBTQ+ employees.

Most notably, Pinterest has wide range of communities, one of which is the Up & Out community that focuses on supporting LGBTQ+ staff. This group provides engagement opportunities to meet others, educational moments in the form of speakers and talks, and philanthropic endeavors to raise money for the cause.

Pinterest also offers medical plans that follow the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) standard of care, and its US medical benefits include transgender services such as hormone therapy, fertility, gender affirming surgery and counseling.

6. Apple

You would hope that one of the biggest tech brands in the world, which boasts the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, would be an LGBTQ-friendly place to work, and you’d be right.

The company has a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ causes, and has lobbied heavily against legislation that would harm gay and trans communities.

Within Apple, employees can join one of the many Diversity Network Associations (DNA), which champion difference and acceptance, and first started way back in 1986. The LGBTQ-based network, Pride@Apple, helps employees connect with likeminded workers, ensures that their voices are heard by leadership, and provides support and resources.

7. Salesforce

Salesforce is the largest CRM provider in the world, representing nearly a third of the industry in market share. Luckily, they haven’t let all that success go to their head, with the company offering a litany of benefits that make their LGBTQ+ employees feel welcomed.

For starters, Salesforce has a full-on global Gender Inclusive Benefits package, gender affirmation leave, medical reimbursement, wardrobe reimbursement, counseling services, and legal fee reimbursement to support trans employees.

Salesforce also has a company-focused support line, called Warmline, that has been updated and improved to include resources for LGBTQ+ employees.

8. Google

Google may not have the long history of LGBTQ+ support that Apple does, but in fairness, it hasn’t been around as long as the Cupertino giant. However, it’s not to far behind, with its first LGBTQ employee group, Gayglers, established over twenty years ago, and became an important resource for the community.

Today, the group is called Pride at Google, but there’s no doubt that the members have had a massive impact on the company over the years, helping to steer it in the right direction when it comes to queer employees, offering insightful and true voices.

In terms of perks, the company extended health insurance and medical leave benefits to same-sex partners in 2010, and a year later, it offered transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits, which included transitioning procedures and treatment.

Data from the company’s 2023 diversity report, shows that 7% of Google staff identify as LGBTQA+.

9. Spotify

As arguably the biggest music streaming platform in the world, it’s great to know that Spotify is also on the right side of the issues when it comes to taking care of their LGBTQ+ employees.

For one, Spotify offers an LGBTQ+ employee group, dubbed Spectrum, which provides counseling, support, and other important resources for staff members.

Spotify even created a video outlining its transgender support options, including masculinization and feminization treatments recommended by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health that have helped real-life employees since 2019.

AI clearly isn’t ready for the dinner rush, with McDonald’s reportedly shutting down its AI ordering test after its errors went viral on social media.

While AI has provided a wide range of groundbreaking innovations, AI errors are equally well-known in 2024. Yes, the technology is still in its infancy, but the missteps have real world consequences that are impacting users in unforeseen ways.

Now, the biggest fast food restaurant in the world is removing its AI drive-thru voice ordering system, raising the question: will this tech ever be reliable enough to take over for humans?

McDonald’s Stops AI Ordering at 100+ Restaurants

According to an email sent to franchisees last week, McDonald’s is ending its AI ordering test, dubbed Automated Order Taker. The system, which launched in 2021, will be completely removed from more than 100 restaurants by the end of the month.

McDonald’s AI ordering test was born of a partnership with IBM, which saw drive-thru patrons requesting Big Macs and McNuggets via AI technology, rather than talking to a person.

Unfortunately, the technology was far from perfect, with the system getting orders right about 85% of the time, but needing human intervention for approximately one in five orders, leading to the shutdown. Even worse, many of the errors went viral in 2023, highlighting that the technology simply isn’t ready for the big show.

Is AI Ordering at Fast Food Restaurants Dead?

When the largest fast food chain in the world gives up on AI, it might seem like a death rattle for the technology. After all, if a restaurant with nearly 42,000 locations can’t figure it out, what hope do the rest of us have?

However, McDonald’s has made it clear that they have confidence in the future of the technology. At least, that’s what the spokesperson says:

“As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future. We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year.” – McDonald’s spokesperson

On top of that, while McDonald’s is throwing in the towel for now, other fast food restaurants are reportedly giving the technology a try as well, including the popular chain Hardee’s.

AI Blunders Abound

If you’ve kept up with AI news over the last few years, you know that McDonald’s is far from the only company experiencing these AI failures in a major way.

Google, for example, has dialed back its AI Overview initiative, a system designed to provide in-depth overviews of search results to make finding your information easier. However, after the system started churning out answers like “adding glue to pizza can make it cheesier” and “a healthy diet consists of eating rocks,” the tech giant was forced to reevaluate.

Beyond that, AI errors have become as common as its successes at this point. Mistakes range from false accusations to inappropriate generated content, leading to real world consequences for the actual human beings that rely on it to get things done.

It remains to be seen whether or not AI is merely experience growing pains or if the technology really does have an informational plateau that prevents it from being trustworthy enough for sustain use. Either way, you’ll being ordering your next McDouble from a human being for the foreseeable future.

When summers hours just aren’t enough to satiate your desire to spend time outdoors in June, remote work can be a huge draw. The weather is beautiful, and spending your days in an office, even with a shorter schedule, can be a huge bummer, which is where work from home jobs can really help.

Still, finding a remote job in 2024 is a lot harder than it was in 2020. Businesses around the world have started instituting return-to-office policies despite a lack of evidence to back it up, and fewer and fewer jobs offer this flexible perk.

Luckily, Microsoft is not one of those companies. The big tech firm has been committed to providing hybrid and remote positions, and we’ve collected some of them below for your convenience.

Fully Remote Jobs at Microsoft for June 2024

The Microsoft careers page shows that the company is currently hiring for 3,400 jobs, many of which are remote work eligible. In fact, the page shows that 1,024 jobs currently offer “up to 100% work from home,” so your proverbial cup runneth over with options when it comes to remote work options at Microsoft.

Also, it’s worth noting that the job listings below do include a location to go along with the title. Don’t worry, they’re still 100% remote eligible, but we wanted to include the locations so that you know where the role is based, in case you want to take time zones into consideration.

Here are some of the remote work positions available at Microsoft in June 2024:

• Senior Software Engineer (Redmond, WA, USA)
• Central Cost Lead – Data Center Construction (London, UK)
• Business Analyst II (Boston, MA, USA)
• Principal Software Engineering Manager (Hyderabad, Telangana, India)
• Principal Electrical Engineer (Austin, TX, USA)
• Technical Program Manager II (Prague, Czech Republic)
• Senior Mixed Signal Design Engineer (Raleigh, NC, USA)
• Senior Software Engineering Manager (Bucharest, Romania)
• Technical Support Engineer – Power BI (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
• Recruiter (Mexico City, Mexico)
• Senior Software Engineer (Atlanta, GA, USA)
• Cloud Network Engineer (Dublin, Ireland)
• Software Engineer-Azure Software Defined Networking (Sydney, Australia)

As we mentioned, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the jobs available at Microsoft right now that are eligible for remote work. Check out the Microsoft career page to get a full picture of your options.

What’s It Like Working for Microsoft?

As is often the case with big tech firms, working for Microsoft is a pretty good gig. The company offers competitive salary for its many available roles, with the average salary of an engineer hovering around $141,000 per year.

Even better, Microsoft is big on providing employee perks and benefits for its staff. From bonuses and stock options to parental leave and professional development classes, Microsoft is fully invested in its employees across the board, all on top of its remote work offerings.

All that to say, working for Microsoft — even if you never go into the office — is a pleasant experience for most employees. In fact, the company has a 4.2-star rating on Glassdoor, with 86% of reviewers noting that they would recommend the company to a friend.

Is Working Home Bad for Productivity?

Whether you’re trying to decide if working from home is right for you or simply need to convince someone that it’s a good move for your career, it’s important to note that remote work is not bad for productivity. At least, as far as the statistics are concerned.

Our research found that productivity actually increases as businesses where remote and hybrid working conditions are available. Even better, other studies have found that work-life balance increases, which has a positive impact on employee wellbeing and retention in the long run.

To be clear, though, remote work isn’t for everyone. If you distract easily or love the social elements of working in an office, remote work can certainly have a negative impact on your mental health and cause you to fall behind on your work. Still, the flexibility is certainly worth it if you can find a way to combat those issues.

How to Find a Remote Job

Finding a remote job may not feel easy right now, given that many companies have begun forcing employees back into the office. If you’ve tried asking your manager to transition into remote work and it hasn’t worked out, it might be time to move on to a new role.

Luckily, Tech.co is frequently producing guides that can help you find remote work, AI jobs, and 4-day work week gigs that will give you a bit more control over your life.

Be sure to check back on a regular basis and we’ll help you find a remote job. We can even give you some interview tips and help you create the perfect headshot to attract the right role.

Those innocent pandemic tricks could get you in serious trouble in 2024, with Wells Fargo reportedly firing a group of employees that were caught pretending to work on the job.

Hybrid and remote work options remain popular in the business world, despite some businesses pushing employees to return to the office. Companies like Google and Microsoft have positions open right now, with a variety of other businesses still allowing the flexible work perk to exist.

That doesn’t mean some don’t take advantage, with Wells Fargo cracking down on faking it while working from home in a major way.

Wells Fargo Fires More Than a Dozen for ‘Mouse Jiggling’

A report from Bloomberg acquired a disclosure to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority that found more than a dozen employees were found to be using technology that allowed them to simulate keyboard behavior to make it seem like they were working. They were promptly fired.

“[The employees were] discharged after review of allegations involving simulation of keyboard activity creating impression of active work.” – the disclosure from Wells Fargo

It was unclear whether or not the employees in question were remote workers from the disclosure, but it’s safe to assume so given the nature of the offense. A company spokesperson noted that the company holds its employees to “the highest standards and does not tolerate unethical behavior.”

What Is a Mouse Jiggler?

During the pandemic, a huge influx of remote workers hit the market, many of whom were perhaps more interested in enjoying the additional free time than getting work done at home.

As a result, technology was invented to track employees while working from home, leading to many workers to employ unconventional methods to maintain there more relaxed business day.

That’s where mouse jigglers came in. With mouse tracking software rolling out to some companies to make sure employees were actually doing something during the day, these handy devices made your computer mouse move without your assistance, so that it appears you’re an attentive employee.

As you can likely tell from the subject matter of this story, mouse jigglers are frowned upon at best and outright prohibited at most jobs. So, make sure you don’t get caught if you plan to use them, which we’d recommend against.

Does This Mean Remote Work Is Bad?

Obviously, this is a hit to the validity of remote work in the business world. Managers looking to force employees back into the office could use this to make it seem like the flexible work arrangement leads to this kind of inappropriate work behavior.

However, it’s worth noting that this anecdotal evidence hardly refutes the studies upon studies that show remote work can improve productivity and even boost revenue for businesses that offer the popular perk. On top of that, employees regularly report better work-life balance and mental health, which leads to better retention rates for top talent.

All that to say, don’t let a few bad apples spoil the bunch, particularly when the rest of the orchard really likes the flexibility of working from home.

Anyone who has worked at Amazon in the past six years could be in line to claim over $500, thanks to a class action settlement that was taken against the company.

The lawsuit relates to workers who received a signing on bonus in the same week that they worked overtime.

Read on to find out if you’re eligible, and how the claims process works.

Amazon Worker Settlement

The Amazon settlement relates to workers who received a signing bonus and worked overtime in the same week, in the state of California.

According to the plaintiffs, Amazon violated California laws through underpaying overtime wages during the week of the signing on bonus, and that this overtime pay was calculated at the regular rate of pay, rather than taking into account the bonus payment.

Amazon denies that it has done anything wrong in the case, but has committed to a $3 million dollar pay out for staff who have been affected.

Who is Eligible for Amazon Workers Settlement?

If you would like to be included in the settlement, you need to ensure that you are eligible. The criteria is as follows:

• You are, or have been, an Amazon employee.
• Based in California.
• Between July 22 2017 and November 7 2023.
• Received a signing bonus/sign-on bonus in the same week you worked overtime.

If you want to take a look at the documents concerning the case yourself, you can find them on the official settlement website.

How To Claim in Amazon Workers Settlement

The best thing about this settlement is that if you’re eligble, then you’re already included in the settlement, and you don’t need to take any action. You should receive your payment automatically, assuming there are no last minute complaints or complications.

If you are included in the settlement, and want to object or opt-out for any reason, you don’t have long, as the deadline for this is June 17.

Assuming you are happy to be included, the final approval hearing is currently set for September 10, and payments will follow after this.

The expected pay out, per person, from the $3 million dollar sum, is $565.43. However, it’s worth noting that this is an estimate, based on how many Amazon workers are included in the settlement.

With 42% of US companies currently owned by females, the business landscape has become a lot more equitable in recent decades. Yet, despite major strides being made by women in business, entrepreneurship is still very much a man’s game, with all-female start-ups receiving only 1.9% of venture capital funding in 2023.

But it’s not just angel investors that favor the status quo. Women-owned businesses still face disproportionate challenges when it comes to obtaining equity financing, government funding, and private loans. Some equity-focused organizations are trying to level the playing field, however, by offering female entrepreneurs cash injections to launch or grow their venture.

We round up the best business grants for female entrepreneurs taking applications in 2024, so you can spend less time trawling the internet and more time focusing on your business. We also run you through the eligibility criteria and application process of each grant, to arm you with all the information you need to fire off a proposal today.

Grants for Female-Owned Businesses to Apply for in 2024

Don’t let opportunities to grow your business pass you by. Scroll down to check out some exciting funding programs open to women-owned businesses, or jump to a specific grant using the links below.

1. IFund Women Grant
2. She’s Connected by AT&T
3. HerRise Micro-Grant
4. The Girlboss Foundation Grant 
5. Enthuse Foundation
6. Tory Burch Foundation
7. Beyond Open Small Business Grant
8. Her Village Grant 

1. IFund Women Grant

• For: Female entrepreneurs
• Grantor: Multiple grantors
• Amount: Depends on chosen grant

IFund Women is a popular online marketplace where women are able to browse funding options for their businesses. Instead of offering one primary grant opportunity, the platform lets entrepreneurs search through an assortment of listings, and filter the results with various criteria such as deadlines and funding amounts.

Aside from accessing a plethora of private grants, you also have the option to fill out VFW’s Universal Grant Application. By submitting the application, you will be notified when a funding opportunity in the database matches your venture’s criteria. The IFW is always accepting applications, and it only takes ten minutes to submit a proposal.

• Deadline: Rolling

You can learn more about the grant portal, and find out how to apply for the Universal Grant Application here.

2. She’s Connected by AT&T

• For: Small women-owned businesses
• Grantor: AT&T
• Amount: $50,000

She’s Connected by AT&T is a female-focused grant program provided by US telecoms company AT&T. Every year the scheme awards $50,000 to one successful applicant, in addition to a year of AT&T service with a new device, and the chance to be featured in the content series #ShesConnected.

To be in with a chance of winning, you need to run a solely or majority female-owned business, hire fewer than 50 employees, be based in the US, and be aged 18 or older. AT&T’s funding program is one of the best ways to boost your brand’s exposure overnight. If you’re interested in the opportunity, you’ll have to be quick though, as 2024 applications close on July 10.

• Deadline: July 10

Learn more and apply for the She’s Connected grant here.

3. HerRise Micro-Grant

• For: Business owners that are Women of color
• Grantor: The Yva Jourdan Foundation, Inc and HerSuiteSpot
• Amount: $1,000

HerRise Micro-Grant is a grant program designed to support women of color through funding, community support, and coaching. The program, which is provided by The Yva Jourdan Foundation, Inc and HerSuiteSpot has handed out a micro-grant of $1,000 to successful businesses every month since 2017.

Previous winners have used the cash injections for various purposes including building their websites, marketing their businesses, purchasing equipment, and more. If your business is 51% owned by women of color, you’re registered in the US and you turn around less than $1 million in gross revenue, you’ll be eligible to apply.

• Deadline: Last day of every month

Learn more and apply to HerRise MicroGrants here.

4. The Girlboss Foundation Grant

• For: Female entrepreneurs
• Grantor: Girlboss.com
• Amount: $15,000

The Girlboss Foundation is a nonprofit that offers grants and other useful resources to women, non-binary, and trans creative entrepreneurs. Its Girlboss Foundation Grant provides $15,000 to women-owned businesses that operate in the arts, fashion, design, or music industries twice a year.

Aside from the cash boost, successful applicants also get a chance to boost their profile with social media and newsletter features from Girlboss.com. The non-profit has given out a total of $130,000 since the origin of its Foundation grant in 2014.

• Deadline: Rolling

If you want to throw your hat in the ring, learn more and apply to the Girlboss Foundation grant here.

5. Enthuse Foundation

• For: Female-owned businesses
• Grantor: The Enthuse Foundation
• Amount: $2,500

The Enthuse Foundation is a non-profit charity designed to support women entrepreneurs in launching their businesses or assisting their growth. The organization awards grants of $2,500 to ten businesses a year to female-owned businesses operating in the US.

To be eligible for the program, you need to identify as a woman or non-binary individual, run an established business, and work with the business as your full-time job. You’ll also need to demonstrate a financial need for the funding in your application. With the winners from 2024 being declared in June, you may have to sit tight until the grant cycle for 2025 is announced.

• Deadline: TBA

6. Tory Burch Foundation

• For: Female and minority-owned businesses
• Grantor: Tory Burch Foundation
• Amount: $5,000 to $20,000

The Tory Burch Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by designer Tory Burch in 2009. The foundation was created to empower female entrepreneurs and currently supports the demographic by providing them access to capital, mentorship, and digital resources.

Its grant program provides successful applicants with $5,000 business education grants, and also supports them with expert-led workshops, by giving them access to a peer-to-peer network. If you’re a female business owner of color, you may also be eligible for business grants worth anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.

The Tory Burch Foundation hasn’t opened applications for 2024 yet, but in previous years its application window begins in November.

• Deadline: TBA

7. Beyond Open Small Business Grant

• For: Women and minority businesses in Charlotte, North Carolina
• Grantor: Foundation for the Carolinas
• Amount:  $10,000 to $150,00

The Beyond Open Small Business Grant Program is a financial assistance scheme open to female, minority, veteran, LGBTQ+, and disability business owners. The scheme, which is provided by the Foundation for the Carolinas, focuses on accelerating economic mobility in the Charlotte community and is eligible for businesses operating in or near the North Carolinian city.

The program has handed out over $10 million in grants throughout its tenure, to over 300 businesses. Applications for its next funding cycle open on August 5, and are open until the end of the month on August 30.

• Deadline: August 30

Learn more, and apply to the assistance program here.

8. Her Village Grant

• For: Female non-profit owners
• Grantor: Boundless Future Foundation
• Amount: Depends

Her Village Grant is a grant program supported by the Boundless Futures Organisation. The foundation was created to provide financial and leadership resources for aspiring female entrepreneurs to help improve equity within the non-profit landscape.

If you’re a female entrepreneur with a business operating in the US for at least three years, you could be in with a chance of winning. Her Village Grants has two application cycles a year, and the deadline for the next cycle is in September 2024.

• Deadline: September 2024

Learn more and apply for the Her Village Grant program here.

Capital One customers could be welcoming a pay out soon, as a class action settlement aimed at the bank comes to a close.

The settlement affects customers who were with the bank between 2015 and 2022, and who were charged a representment fee.

We explain what you need to know about the settlement, who is eligible, and how to claim.

Capital One Settlement Explained

The settlement is centered around representment fees, which the settlement defines as “an unrefunded [nonsufficient funds] NSF Fee or an Overdraft Fee charged to an account holder for either a Represented Check or Represented ACH, after Capital One had returned that Check or ACH for insufficient funds and assessed an NSF Fee on a prior presentment of that Check or ACH.”

Plaintiffs argue that Capital One should have refunded these fees when the customers presented checks and ACH (automated clearing house) debits.

For its part, Capital One hasn’t admitted to any wrong doing in this case, but has agreed to pay out in the $16 million settlement.

Want to work remotely? Check out our pick of the 48 best WFH jobs for June.

Who is Eligible for Capital One Settlement?

If you want to be part of the settlement and get your share of the $16 million pay out, the terms of eligibility are refreshingly simple:

• You were a Capital One account holder between September 1 2015 and January 12 2022.
• Capital One charged you representment fees during this period.

That’s it! It may be that you have received an Email or Postcard Notice from the bank, which is a sign that you may be entitled to the settlement.

Amazon workers entitled to $500+ pay out in new settlement

How To Claim in Capital One Settlement

If you’ve claimed in a settlement before, you’ll know that it usually involves filling out a form to register your interest.

However, in this Capital One case, you don’t actually need to do anything! Anyone who doesn’t exclude themselves from the settlement will automatically receive a pay out, assuming they’re eligible.

If you do want to exclude yourself for any reason, or claim an objection, you’ll need to do so by June 17 2024, so you don’t have long. You can do this by visiting the official settlement website.

If you’re wondering how much of a pay out you can expect, the amount is being distributed pro rata, so the final sum depends on how many people are eligble, which we don’t know at this time. It’s also worth noting that the $16 million figure isn’t the final pay out figure, as legal costs and other fees brings it down to $10,308,909.16.

As for when you can expect to receive your payment, the final approval hearing for the case is scheduled for July 15 2024, with any payments expected to be made with 60 days of this date. However it’s worth noting that if there are any objections raised, this could push the payment date back

Another day, another data breach. Bluetooth tracking device company Tile has fallen victim to a mammoth data breach, with cybercriminals stealing sensitive consumer data like names, physical addresses, and phone numbers, and even accessing tools that process location requests made by law enforcement.

In addition to stealing personal data en masse, hackers have also demanded a ransom from Tile’s parent company Life360 via email, contributing to a recent spike in ransomware attacks taking place across the US.

According to the tracking device company, the location of Tile devices and financial information like bank details have not been compromised in the attack. However, if you’re a member of Tile’s millions-strong customer base, we explain everything you need to know about the recent data leak – including what your next steps should be.

450,000 Tile Customers At Risk From Data Breach

The popular Bluetooth tracking device company Tile has become the latest data breach statistic after a hacker recently gained access to its internal system after retrieving login information from a former company employee.

After breaching the server, the cybercriminals took control of a tool used to “initiate data access”,  before stealing a large amount of sensitive customer data, including names, phone numbers, physical addresses, email addresses, and more.

With over 40 million Tile devices currently in circulation – many of which belong to users with a free subscription – the number of people impacted by the data breach is could be in the millions. The bad actor also gained access to an internal tool that processes location data requests for law enforcement, making Tile the latest in a long list of tech companies to be targeted for their data-sharing practices with the police.

Screenshot of Tile’s internal data search tool, sent to 404 from the hacker

According to media publication 404, the hacker “had access to everything” through its access of the internal company tool. However, Chris Hulls, CEO of Tile’s parent company Life360, asserts that the hack was limited to a customer support platform, and sensitive information like “credit card numbers, passwords or log-in credentials, location data, or government-issued identification numbers” were not jeopardized.

Hackers Are Also Demanding a Ransom from Tile

Hulls also revealed that the hacker attempted to criminally extort the company, by emailing owner Life360 and demanding money in exchange for the safe return of the information. The CEO explained that the company had reported this event to law enforcement and had taken further steps to protect their systems from bad actors.

“Recently, an extortionist contacted us, claiming to have used compromised Tile admin credentials to access a Tile system and customer data. We promptly initiated an investigation into the potential incident.” – Tile told 404 Media in a statement 

As cybercriminals come up with increasingly creative ways to breach company systems, ransomware attacks have consistently surged in the past decade with research from Sophos revealing that 59% of US organizations were hit last year. However, with the hackers also hinting to 404 that Tile was targeted due to its data-sharing practices with law enforcement, it’s likely the cyber extortion could be part of a wider Hacktivism trend, where vigilante hackers go after corporations for political or moral purposes.

Whatever the reasoning behind Tide’s latest cybersecurity mishap, if you’re a Tile customer concerned about what the recent events mean for you, we guide you through what your next steps should be below.

What Tile Owners Can Do to After Hack

Unlike most major companies that have just weathered a cyber attack, Tile hasn’t yet reached out to customers that they believe have been impacted by the breach. The tracking company hasn’t revealed how widespread the problem is either, but to play things safe and minimize the potential fallout we’d recommend assuming you’ve been affected until Tide has officially posted a data breach notification letter.

One way to exercise caution is by being sceptical of potential phishing attacks. With so much personal data being exposed from the attack, Tile customers are currently at more risk of being targeted by cyber gangs that have gained access to their information.

As a result, when sifting through communication platforms like emails, we’d recommend keeping an eye out for suspicious messages with a heightened sense of urgency, spelling, and grammatical issues, and unofficial domain names. With tools like ChatGPT being used increasingly to execute email phishing attacks, combing through messages with a fine comb may be necessary to spot red flags.

It’s also worth regularly checking in on the site haveibeenpwnd.com, which tracks leaked data from data breaches, and is a good way to see if your data is out there in the public domain.

There are lots of other warning signs to look out for to ensure your online safety, however. Learn more about how to spot and avoid email phishing attempts.