As is often the case ahead of its major hardware launch events, the Apple Store went down recently in preparation for the arrival of the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 and other new products. It’s back up now, though, so you can nearly pre-order the iPhone 15.

Normally, the Apple Store being down would be more mysterious, like when ChatGPT is down. In this case, history tells us that Apple always takes its online store offline ahead of its September launch event, which is why a “Be right back.” message took over its website temporarily on Tuesday, September 12.

It has come back now, complete with a range of new gadgets to tempt you. Not all are available to buy just yet, though: iPhone 15 pre-orders open on Friday, September 15 by way of example. Other new iToys are available to buy right away, namely the Apple Watch Series 9.

Apple Store Down as iPhone Launch Looms

The latest Apple Store downtime was entirely planned by Apple, who pulls the same stunt every year when it’s about to launch its next generation of iPhones.

This year’s models fall under the iPhone 15 banner as expected, while the headline software news is the release of iOS 17 into the wild not long after things wind down at Apple Park later today.

Among other things, the iPhone 15 line-up has now adopted a standard issue USB-C charging port, as Apple moves away from its proprietary Lightning port – nudged every so gently by new regulations in Europe.

What Else To Expect at iPhone 15 Launch

That’s not all we’re expecting Apple to have up its sleeve, either. Speaking of sleeves, the smart money is on a pair of new Apple Watches being revealed at today’s press event, with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 being their potential names based on current convention.

We’ve also been told to expect a raft of new iPhone, Apple Watch, and even AirPods accessories – namely a new USB-C charging case for the AirPods Pro as Apple looks to update multiple products in line with EU requirements.

As ever, the iPhone 15 isn’t likely to be a single device but rather a line-up of new 2023 Apple smartphones, with the standard handset joined by two rumored Pro models. These could feature everything from a new super lightweight titanium frame and thinner bezel to Wi-Fi 6E support and – on the expect top iPhone 15 Pro Max model – up to 6x optical zoom.

Read our iPad guide to find out which one is right for you

When Was the 2023 iPhone Launch Event?

Usually, the Apple Store goes back online just after Apple launches new products. With that in mind, it’s definitely worth knowing when today’s Apple event is taking place.

The iPhone 15 launch took place on Tuesday, September 12 and kicked off at 10:00am local PT / 1:00pm ET in the US, which is 6pm BST in the UK and 7pm in many European countries.

After the proceedings get underway then, all eyes are back on the Apple Store – complete with the option to order or pre-order the latest Apple gadgets.

Also In The News: Dreamforce 2023

Other than getting a job at one of the companies that offer a 4-day work week, landing a position at Google is one the holy grails of modern employment. Is it really all it’s cracked up to be, though? A new report shedding light on how much Google employees earn may have the answer that question.

According to leaked data, Google salaries vary dramatically depending on who you are and where you’re based, with one of the biggest differentiators being a disturbing one: race.

The data shows that Black Google employees earn on average $20,000 less annually than their white co-workers. In addition, women are consistently paid less than men at the company, despite it outwardly priding itself on diversity and inclusion.

The Truth About Google Salaries in 2023

News of Google paying its minority and female staff less was first revealed by Insider and is based on data gleaned from an internal company spreadsheet. The document was compiled independently by Googlers and saw over 12,000 US employees voluntarily share their salary data, along with other relevant information relating to their background, gender, location, job role, and level of seniority.

The numbers were then crunched by Insider to show clear trends in how employees were compensated by Google. On the whole, it doesn’t make for pretty reading, with the average base salary of participating Black/African Google staff sitting at $147,000. This is over $20,000 less than the average salary for employees of White/European descent, which was $171,000.

The same ugly fact reared its head when analyzing average salaries for specific roles. Insider noted that software engineers were particularly well represented in the dataset and used the role as an illustrative example. There, White/European software engineers earned on average $175,000 annually, compared to just $151,500 for their Black/African coworkers.

Google: Data is “Old” and “Inaccurate”

Google, of course, is not exactly thrilled by the report and its findings.

In a statement, the tech giant said that its salaries were based purely on job level and said that the data central to the report wasn’t as trustworthy as its own annual pay equity process.

“We compensate Googlers based on what they do, not who they are. We run a rigorous pay equity analysis every year to make sure salaries, bonuses and equity awards are fair. This spreadsheet has old, self-reported data that has not been verified and is not an accurate representation of compensation across our workforce.” – a Google spokesperson.

If discrepancy were to exist, it would be because there are more senior white software engineers than Black ones, assuming final pay grades are down to seniority and nothing else (as Google would seem to be implying). This is hardly a mitigating factor, however, and points to the wider issue of minorities being underrepresented in leadership positions, as evidenced most visibly by the appalling lack of Black head coaches in the NFL.

Women Also Underpaid at Google?

The data also reveals a significant gender pay gap at Google, with the average female staff member earning a base salary of $165,000 compared to their male counterpart earning $172,500. Equally concerning is the fact that those who identified as neither male or male (so transgender and non-binary Googlers) earned less still, with average base pay of $154,070.

In fairness to Google, it’s worth mentioning that one of the most specific comparisons in the breakdown of Google salaries — between the role of “Male Engineering Manager” and “Female Engineering Manager” — showed a lesser gender pay gap of $1,000. A lesser pay gap is still a pay gap, while also noteworthy in the bigger picture is how much higher Google’s salaries are than that of the average American. Recent Bureau of Labor stats put this at around $57,000.

Google has courted its fair share of controversy recently. It currently stands on the brink of a historic antitrust trial brought by the US Department of Justice, and on the comparatively mundane front of flexible working, has threatened to penalize remote workers if they fail to comply with its return to office mandate.

Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference is underway and it’s one of the biggest events in the tech industry. Here’s everything you need to know about the big Salesforce shindig, including the latest Dreamforce 2023 news, dates, agenda, speakers, last minute ticket details, live stream options, party info and more.

This year, the city of San Francisco is welcoming over 40,000 visitors for the event, with up to 180,000 total Dreamforce attendees as it looks to move back towards pre-pandemic levels of fanfare.  The theme of Dreamforce 2023 is undoubtedly AI, so expect to hear plenty about how one of the best CRMs on the market is adding new features leveraging the technology.

Specifically, Salesforce and larger-than-life CEO Marc Beinhoff promise an opening keynote that will show you how and why it’s poised to “transform the future of your business” with features like EinsteinGPT, its generative AI chatbot that was launched earlier in the year. No pressure, then.

There’s so much more to Dreamforce than just the opening keynote, though, with a jampacked agenda featuring an eclectic line-up of big name speakers: from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Dr Jane Goodall. Then there’s the infamous circuit of Dreamforce parties, headlined by the official Dreamfest bash and Foo Fighters concert today. Read on for full details of this and everything else Dreamforce 2023, including the headline news from this week’s big keynote.

Latest Dreamforce 2023 News: Days 1 and 2

It has been a busy start at Dreamforce 2023, with the Salesforce news coming in fast from San Francisco by way of Tuesday’s keynote from CEO Marc Benioff.

The major announcement out of the Dreamforce keynote on day 1 was that Salesforce has a new generative AI assistant, Einstein Copilot. The Salesforce chatbot will be coming to all of the applications that make up its popular CRM suite and builds further on its recent AI launches, most obviously its initial EinsteinGPT offering, but also SlackGPT and the recently announced Salesforce and IBM AI partnership.

What’s more, enterprise customers will be able customize its Einstein Copilot in Einstein Copilot Studio, which is made up of three elements: a custom prompt builder, skills builder, and model builder. All are interesting, but it’s Skills Builder that’s immediately caught our eye, as it essentially lets you associate specific actions with your custom prompts.

As of day 2, the blockbuster product news may be behind us, but there’s still plenty going on at Dreamforce. The biggest news today, of course, is that Foo Fighters are headlining the Dreamfest 2023 party at the Chase Center. All Dreamforce tickets include entry to the event, though it does have a maximum capacity, so get down early to avoid disappointment.

Don’t miss any more of the Dreamforce action – read on for details of the Dreamforce schedule, parties and more.

Dreamforce 2023 Agenda, Dates and Speakers

Dreamforce 2023 takes place Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Registration, badge pickup, and certification opens a day earlier on Monday, September 11.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most important Dreamforce 2023 dates and times. All times are Pacific Standard Time (PST).

• Mon, Sept 11: Badge pickup opens (12pm)
• Tues, Sept 12: Main keynote with Marc Beinoff and “special guests” (10-11am)
• Weds, Sept 13: Dreamfest and Foo Fighters concert (6-9.30pm)
• Thurs Sept 14: Dreamforce closes (5pm)

In that time, the Dreamforce agenda is absolutely packed and Salesforce recommends downloading its Salesforce Events app, available for iOS and Android devices, to help you manage your schedule.

Some of the big names speakers at Dreamforce 2023 are Dr Jane Goodall, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, actor Viola Davis, director Spike Lee, actor and Salesforce spokesperson Matthew McConaughey, actor Rainn Wilson, author and businesswoman Arianna Huffington, and many more. You can find the full Dreamforce agenda and schedule here.

Dreamfest 2023: The Biggest Dreamforce Party is Here

The biggest and best Dreamforce event? While we know everyone loves the learning and networking at the main event, it’s always Salesforce’s annual Dreamfest party that steals the show. It’s taking place today (Wednesday, September 13) at the Chase Center and being headlined by a Foo Fighters concert. Tickets for this are included in your main Dreamforce ticket, though note that the concert venue operates different policies to Moscone and the main Dreamfest conference.

Along these lines, our top tip is to get to Dreamfest early, as the Chase has a maximum capacity of around 20,000 for concerts and it’s therefore possible that entry will be closed at some point on Wednesday night.

More Dreamforce 2023 Parties

The other key consideration when finalizing your Dreamforce agenda is Dreamforce parties. You don’t want to miss these, and this week in San Francisco you’ll find everything from free rooftop drinks (the Argano Sunset Social) to breakfast pickleball, boat parties, and a wine and cheese soiree. Credit where credit is due, head to Salesforce Ben for a full list of Dreamforce 2023 parties.

Dreamforce Tickets: Can I Still Attend Dreamforce 2023?

Yes, as of Wednesday morning a handful of “Last Chance” tickets were still listed on the Dreamforce website.

Salesforce pricing has these available for $2,299, which is nearly a grand more than the first batch of “Early Bird” tickets that went on sale at $1,499 earlier in the year. That’s a heck of a lot for two-thirds of the show, but then again it does include a Foo Fighters gig, so who’s really counting?

The only other option you have is try and convince a colleague to let you go in their place. Substitutions were free of charge until the end of August, but will now cost $100 per ticket. That’s still a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a last-minute pass, though.

If all else fails, know that you can still attend Dreamforce digitally using the Salesforce+ service explained above. While we’ll be the first to admit this doesn’t match the experience of seeing the Foos live, it is a free and easy way to follow all of the action from Dreamforce, no matter where you are in the world.

Dreamforce Live Stream: How To Watch Dreamforce 2023 Online for Free

If you’ve missed out on Dreamforce tickets or can’t convince your manager to let you go, don’t worry: it’s easy to get a Dreamforce live stream free online. Dreamforce is very much a hybrid conference with hundreds of thousands expected to tune in virtually, so you’ll be in good company.

This all happens through the Salesforce+ platform, which is 100% free to sign up for and is the digital home of all things Dreamforce 2023. As Salesforce puts it, it’s your “free front-row seat to our biggest global events, like Dreamforce.” All you have to do is sign up with a few basic details and you’re in!

This means you can watch Dreamforce online from the comfort of your home, and as the live stream is coming direct from Salesforce, it’s less essential to use a secure VPN compared to using less reputable streaming sources. That said, there a many other good reasons, from data privacy to finding the best flight deals, to use a VPN for all your online activity.

IBM is the latest big tech firm to issue a return to office mandate, telling employees within 50 miles of a company office to be at their desks at least three days a week starting today.

While there are still plenty of companies that offer remote working, the overall industry trend now seems to be toward a hybrid model, with Big Blue joining fellow tech giants Apple, Google and Meta in issuing the return to office call.

News of IBM’s move comes by way of an internal company blog post dated last week, in which senior executives from its software division put staff on notice of the new requirement and attempt to explain the corporate thinking behind it.

IBM Wants Staff To Have “More Meaningful Time” Together

News of IBM’s return to office mandate comes by way of an internal company blog post seen by the The Reg. Dated September 5, it’s attributed to IBM Software Senior VP for Product Management, Kareem Yusuf, and Senior VP for Products, Dinesh Nirmal.

The executive duo emphasize to staff that they’re “setting the tone” at IBM and that they “must be better stewards of getting into the office” if they want to preserve flexible hybrid working as a whole.

The timeline? IBM employees have scarcely had time to say goodbye to their cat, with the mandate coming into force with just a week’s notice, meaning it kicks off today.

“Starting next week, all IBM Software employees will be required to spend at least 3 days in the office each week. The decision on which days will be left to managers and individual project teams,” the blog adds.

Improved Productivity Behind Shift

As often seems to be the case with corporate return to office mandates, there’s a strong suggestion in IBM’s internal blog that improving productivity is one of the primary motivations for suddenly enforcing physical office time.

“It is vital to our culture and our shared goals – tripling development output, building winning products, and winning new clients – that we spend more meaningful time together, in-person,” the executives write.

What that means in practice is that IBM expects the majority of its software employees to dust off their slacks and be back in the office more often than not over the next few weeks.

“Right now, 1 in 4 of you are working in the office three days a week. By October, we want to see that number closer to 3 in 4. We appreciate your attention and support,” Yusuf and Nirmal say.

In order to help achieve this, IBM will apparently be appointing “Software Executive Focals,” which is code for in-office staff tasked with encouraging their co-workers to make a more “concerted effort” to spend time in the office. Hall monitors, basically.

Some IBM Staff Exempt – For Now

IBM’s return to office mandate is applicable to employees that live within 50 miles of an IBM office. Anyone who lives further is “exempt at this time” from the directive, though the language here suggests it’s only a matter of time.

The blog notes that local employment laws will also be taken into account for the mandate, as it applies globally, with schedules of office days to be determined by managers on an individual team and project basis.

At present, it’s unclear if IBM is planning to implement the return to office mandate for the entire company, or if it will stay confined to the software division. It’s also unknown how IBM plans to monitor its return to office push, beyond individual managers and the specially designated staff for each its physical locations.

Watch this space, as return to office mandates tend to have a habit of precipitating further tech layoffs, as there are typically some staff unwilling to comply with such measures.

Apple has released a security update to address a newly discovered system flaw that’s being ‘actively exploited’ to deliver Pegasus malware to iPhones and iPads.

The invasive spyware was developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group, and has previously been used to access the devices of journalists, and political dissidents.

Toronto’s Citizen Lab, the researchers that discovered the vulnerability, is urging users to update their devices “immediately”. Read on to learn more about the NSO Group’s latest exploit and for instructions on how to install the update.

Apple Releases Security Update to Block Pegasus Spyware

Apple is urging iPhone and iPad users to update their devices to iOS 16.6.1 to protect themselves from a software vulnerability known as BLASTPASS.

According to researchers at Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, the flaw can be exploited by Pegasus spyware, giving attackers full control of devices, and allowing them to gain access to victims’ text messages, call recordings, camera rolls, and even data from encrypted apps like Signal and WhatsApp.

Pegasus exploits “zero-click” vulnerabilities, meaning that Apple users don’t even need to install software to prompt the attack. The malware can be delivered through images attached to PassKit, sent from a fake iMessage account, making it very hard for users to tell when they’re being surveilled.

“This latest find shows once again that civil society is targeted by highly sophisticated exploits and mercenary spyware.” – Citizen Lab

Citizen Lab first discovered the security gap when they were checking the device of a Washington DC-based civil society employee. After discovering Pegasus’ mercenary spyware on the device, they immediately disclosed their findings to Apple.

The NSO Group first developed Pegasus back in 2011, and the Israeli spyware has since claimed a number of high-profile victims including the president of France Emmanual Macron, and the president of the European Council Charles Michel.

Pegasus tends to be deployed against political opponents and dissidents, making it unlikely for regular users to be targeted. However, if you’re not keen on taking chances, here’s how to protect yourself from the spyware.

How to Install Apple’s Emergency Update

Luckily, installing Apple’s latest security update is very straightforward. All you need to do is:

1. Open up Settings on your iPhone or iPad
2. Select “General” then “Software Update”
3. Click on the iOS 16.5.1 software update

If the update isn’t available on this screen, check your iOS version number under “General” and then “About”. Your device will already be protected if it’s running on the 16.6.1 version.

If you’re serious about evading threats like Pegasus, we’d also recommend using a VPN for an additional layer of security. Read our guide to the best VPNs for iPhone and iOS to discover our best-rated options.

China has reportedly banned government agency officials from using iPhones and other foreign devices, as part of a broader cybersecurity led directive to switch to domestic technology.

News of the ban, alongside China-based Huawei’s unexpected smartphone launch, has been bad news for Apple — with the company’s stock price tumbling by 6.4% in just two days.

This is the latest development in China and the US’s proxy war over technology, with a number of US states taking similar actions to ban TikTok from Government devices this year.

China Extends iPhone Ban For Government Officials

Chinese authorities have ordered officials at government agencies not to bring iPhones and other foreign-branded devices into work with them, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.

Employees were given instructions by their superiors in workplace chat groups or in-person meetings, and the prohibition is reportedly coming into effect this month people familiar with the matter have revealed.

It’s unclear how widely the policy will be implemented, but the order expands on a ban on all foreign smartphones, computers, and operating systems that’s been in place in Beijing-based agencies since 2019.

This latest ban is also more stringent than past crackdowns, representing an increasingly hard-line approach the Chinese government is taking to limit the flow of home-grown data traveling outside of the country.

As China-US relations grow increasingly hostile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has implemented a number of measures in recent years aimed at safeguarding national information. For example, this July, the National People’s Congress (NPC) revised its anti-espionage law, giving Beijing more power than ever before to penalize perceived threats to China’s national security.

How Badly Has Apple Been Hit?

Unfortunately for Apple, China’s latest development has hit its stock evaluation pretty hard. Following China’s latest clampdown, $200bn has been knocked off Apple’s share price, representing a 6% drop.

The news has impacted manufacturers hard too, with the shares of Qualcomm – the world’s biggest smartphone chip supplier – dropping by 7% on Friday, and South Korea’s SK Hynix falling by 4% on Friday.

But China’s iPhone ban for government workers isn’t the only hurdle Apple’s faced this month. Last week, Chinese-based smartphone manufacturer Huawei unexpectedly launched its Mate 60 Pro smartphone – an iPhone rival with a powerful new 5G Kirin 9000s processor.

The Seattle-based manufacturer still boasts the world’s highest stock evaluation, so despite stock market turbulence it’s safe to say its monopoly isn’t going away any time soon.

However, with iPhone sales continuing to dip, and Beijing reportedly preparing to invest $40 billion in its chip-making industry, it’s likely that Apple will face growing competition from China’s Huawei going forward.

US and China’s Proxy War Continues

While China has been taking a hastened approach to data security for years, it’s likely its latest order is in retaliation to similar measures deployed by US officials.

In March, the US government came one step closer to banning the Beijing-based social media platform TikTok over concerns that the app is a threat to national security. If the proposed bill is put through, US President Joe Biden will have the authority to prohibit its commercial use across the country.

Due to the explosive popularity of the app, most experts believe a nationwide ban will be unlikely. But with several US states including Texas, New York, and Nebraska already banning TikTok on state-issued devices, it’s clear the US is matching China’s hardline approach to national data security.

If you’re a white-collar worker, now might be a good time to assess your career options — with new research from Forrester predicting that 2.4 million US jobs are expected to be replaced by generative AI by 2030.

Those with salaries over $90,000 stand the greatest chance of having their job replaced altogether, with legal, scientific, and administrative professions being identified as the highest risk.

In a rare win for creatives, the report found that artistic fields are much more likely to incorporate AI into their current roles, while blue-collar professions in construction and transportation may remain virtually untouched. Read on to see what Forrester’s report reveals about the fate of your job:

White Collar Workers: AI is Coming For Your Job

The AI takeover may not be as bad as once feared — unless you’re working a white-collar job — according to a new report by IT research company Forrester.

The company’s 2023 Generative AI Impact Forecast predicts that 2.4 million US jobs will be replaced by 2030, a dwarfed figure in comparison to the 300 million full-time jobs that Goldman Sachs forecasted would be lost to automation in April of this year.

However, those on salaries of $90,000 or more will be bearing the brunt of AI much more than those on lower incomes due to the high automation potential of professional tasks.

For example, the research found that 78% of legal occupations could become obsolete by 2023, with this potion dropping to 61% for science researchers and 57% for administrative roles.

Percentage of roles likely to be lost to AI by 2023. Source: forrester.com

Forrester’s latest findings don’t come as a major surprise, with mounds of previous research highlighting the impact AI will have on many white-collar workers. Yet, with the research company likening the deep social challenges that may result to those experienced in the postindustrial Rust Belt, the report is still likely to raise alarm bells for many US high-salaried workers.

But fortunately, not all job replacements will come at a loss. The research firm also predicts that the technology will be able to fill many workplace gaps that have existed in frontline industries since the 2020 pandemic.

Creative Industries Are Safe for Now

Forrester’s research also found that generative AI is likely to influence a grand total of 11 million jobs by 2023, making the tech 4.5 more likely to reshape a role than stamp it out altogether.

Generative AI is expected to transform jobs in a number of ways, including by giving workers opportunities to upskill and retrain, as well as simplifying business workflows through automation.

According to the report, creative professionals like poets, writers, and editors are less likely than white-collar workers to have their jobs replaced altogether as their skill sets are harder to replicate. Instead, Forester predicts that the nature of these jobs will evolve as AI tools become further embedded in our daily practices.

How to Get AI Implementation Right

AI is already uprooting the business landscape in major ways, with our own research revealing that 47% of business leaders are currently considering using AI over new hires.

But while failing to embrace AI fast enough is a valid concern, doing so without adequate guardrails could open your business up to numerous risks including poor AI performance, negative employee experiences, and security issues.

While it’s impossible to account for every contingency, to sidestep major pitfalls Forrester outlines the importance of building an informed generative strategy. According to the research firm, here are some major factors businesses should consider:

• Invest in the robot quotient (RQ) – RQ is a measure that evaluates your company’s readiness for robotic process automation. Self-assessing your team under this criteria will help you focus on which areas will benefit the most from AI automation.
• Prioritize augmentation – Enhancing roles with AI tools instead of replacing roles with technology will have a much more beneficial outcome on your business.
• Identify which jobs will benefit from AI the most – AI doesn’t assist all roles evenly. Analyzing which jobs will benefit the most will ensure that experience and precision don’t get lost in your transformation efforts.
• Hire or upskill to fill AI gaps – Most companies currently lack adequate AI know-how, so hiring or upskilling workers with relevant skills like prompt generation will be a solid return on investment.

To learn more about how to get AI implementation right, read our guide on important AI principles, guidelines, and frameworks to consider in 2023.

In April 2013 I launched a Tumblr for science fiction art from the 70s. I had no social or mobile presence, I had no marketing experience, and no one knew who I was on the site.

A few months ago, 70s Sci-Fi Art passed 350,000 followers, right around the time my art book on retro science fiction book cover illustration, Worlds Beyond Time, launched. Across all my social media accounts, I’m inching closer to a million followers, with around 900,000.

These days, with traffic on Twitter/X continuing a steady decline, many of the most internet-poisoned among us are reconsidering our approach to social media. Should we even bother finding another platform to doom-scroll through, allowing its engagement-optimized algorithm to bombard us with contextless emotion-ridden content?

There’s another way: Pick a quieter social platform, and reach for success with a sustainable, less frenetic environment. Start a Tumblr blog.

Flashback to the Mid-2010s: Another Era in Social Media

In 2015, 70s Sci-Fi Art reached 50,000 followers after growing steadily for two years. Tumblr was possibly 2015’s hottest social network, although this is something that I don’t recall many people highlighting at the time.

But just look at the numbers: Tumblr topped 100 billion posts on January 3rd of 2015; it was Buzzfeed’s biggest source of content (Remember The Dress? That was in 2015, and they found it from Tumblr); and over 70% of Tumblr’s audience fell into the coveted 16–34 demographic.

Despite Tumblr’s obvious worth, it was (and still is) often overlooked by brands with the requisite accounts on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram. Tumblr has a problem: it’s insular.

Anyone can start a Tumblr blog in five minutes, but they’ll have no followers. They can’t import any from Facebook or Google; they must either tag their posts and hope someone randomly searches Tumblr for them, or they must like and reblog others in the hope that those users will notice them. The operative word here? “Hope.”

Sure, regular and high quality content will always grow a Tumblr, just as quality works on any platform. But even then, growth is slow, with more small niches than large blogs.

Some specialty Tumblrs have taken off quickly, but a trajectory that takes a user   from zero to 50,000 followers in two years  is very rare. Tumblr doesn’t release statistics on individual blogs, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it usually takes years for a moderately popular Tumblr user to break 1,000 followers.

My journey that started with Tumblr ten years ago, has led to the publication of my book, Worlds Beyond Time.

It’s Tumblr’s lack of traffic-driving infrastructure that deters marketing professionals.

But in 2023, we’re all tired of nonstop news feeds: Tumblr’s insularity is starting to look a lot more like a feature than a bug. And you can still go viral on the platform, even if that looks different.

A Few Tips for Blogging Success on Tumblr

Now, as you can tell from the title, this isn’t a guide to success on Tumblr.

I could write one. Post between seven and ten times a day, emphasize images, keep a 50/50 ratio of reblogged to original content, and use the ‘queue’ feature extensively. But those are only best practices. I didn’t become a success by following any of them.

The truth is, I can’t tell anyone how to replicate my success… and that’s a problem for anyone who wants to explore Tumblr.

That doesn’t mean I can’t shed some light, though. Here’s my attempt to break down the nebulous secret to true popularity among specialty Tumblrs.

1. Winning concept

I know, right? This isn’t actionable at all. You need a concept that everyone wants to see, but no one else has invented yet. Good luck!

For my Tumblr, a couple factors worked in my favor: a hint of nostalgia and eye-catching visuals. More importantly, no one else had recognized my exact niche.

I probably wouldn’t have picked up speed as fast if I had focused on “retro” instead of “70s” art. The added specificity creates curiosity, and since I care about the difference between the two, I was able to prove that 70s sci-fi art deserves its own venue.

One more note: all the reasons my concept worked were the same as the reasons I wanted to start it in the first place. Make sure you’re as passionate as you hope your audience will be.

2. Digestible format

Whatever your concept, it must be clear, and I mean crystal clear. I didn’t name my url “spaceandstarships” or “thefutureofyesterday.” Keywords are a must.

This is most important on social media even when compared to related forms of writing. My art book has a less clear title, Worlds Beyond Time: Sci-fi Art Of The 1970s, although that subtitle includes the same keywords.

For a time, 70s Sci-Fi Art was the first result for a Google search of “sci-fi art” (It’s currently in the top five), and I wouldn’t have gotten that with a less specific name.

Users need to be able to instantly understand what your Tumblr does, either from the url or from the first post they see.

3. Branch out

Sticking with one social media platform is putting all your eggs in a single basket. And you never know when a weird billionare will buy that basket for $40 billion and make a bunch of bad business decisions with it.

I added Facebook and Twitter in 2015, using an IFTTT app to auto-post from my Tumblr. I’ve since added Instagram and even Pinterest, although I have switched away from IFTTT as their free tier was pared down, and I now use a full-blown social media management service to handle it all, complete with image alt text.

Having a big audience on one platform makes it a lot easier to grow an audience on another. I now have over 900,000 followers across all platforms, and all without much more work than I would have done for one platform. That audience helped me sell my art collection: Publishers are looking for safe bets now more than ever.

And that’s all my advice. It’s vague and slightly recursive, but hey, I told you that I couldn’t show you exactly how to shoot to the top.

Follow those three rules perfectly, add the best Tumblr practices you can find elsewhere, and you have truly done all you can.

You may never take off, but if you have a fun idea and a little spare time one evening, I’d recommend giving it a try anyway. You don’t need to have dozens of thousands of followers to enjoy running a bizarre Tumblr about, say, rejected newspaper headline puns.

This article is an expanded, updated version of an article that first ran on Medium in 2015.

State-mandated paid leave plans are on the rise across the US: Colorado is the latest state to create regulation surrounding this job benefit, with laws set to kick in next year.

By 2026, four more states – Delaware, Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota – will have joined as well, bringing the total number up to 18 states across the nation.

If your own state isn’t on that list, it might be next. That’s why smart businesses are already looking at adding or expanding their paid leave programs in order to stay ahead of the legally mandated minimums.

What Paid Leave Laws Tend to Focus On

The exact paid leave coverage will vary by state — the “seriousness” of an employee’s health condition might be tracked in different ways, although injury and maternity are typically covered.

Some state laws cover a set period of time following a child’s birth, adoption, or fostering, and states are increasingly likely to cover paid leave taken on behalf of a family member who is dealing with a serious health issue of their own.

Speaking at a Disability Management Employer Coalition webinar that was recently covered by HR Dive, Tom Foschino, vice president of accident and health at Arch Insurance Group, discussed the rising number of states with mandated paid leave.

“You can see this is really starting to catch on more and more here. There are a lot of things that you as an employer need to be looking out for when you have employees across these different states.”

Will We Get a Federal Paid Leave Law Anytime Soon?

No, we’re probably not getting a nationwide paid leave mandate, at least in the near future.

That’s not for a lack of trying. Most recently, a paid family leave provision was slipped into the “Build Back Better Act,” which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2021. It was replace by a condensed version after Senator Joe Manchin rejected the original, and even that shortened edition of the provision didn’t ultimately make its way into law.

Sadly, we’ll be stuck with the much more complex raft of state-by-state regulator sticking points and loop holes for the foreseeable future — making the US the only industrialized country in the world to lack national paid leave regulations.

Don’t Forget to Bring Up Paid Leave at Your Next Job Interview

By 2026, the number of US states with mandated paid leave requirements will reach 18.

That’s enough to set an expectation for bolstered paid leave everywhere in the nation, particularly for any companies that have a workforce on the same payroll across more than one state.

If your company isn’t leaving all the HR management protocols to a third-party company like an EoR or hiring agency, you’ll have to figure out how to navigate all the new mandates yourself.

Online retailers offering deals is nothing new. In fact, it’s one of the biggest ways technology impacts our daily lives in 2023. However, upstart Chinese-owned digital retailer Temu is selling stuff so cheaply it has bargain hunters worrying it’s too good to be true. Is Temu legit or a scam? That’s the question many shoppers are asking right now, so read on as we bring you up to speed on the viral megastore and what Temu is.

You’ve probably seen Temu ads pop up in your social media feed and Google searches by now, even if you haven’t realized it. Thanks to its rock bottom prices, the retailer’s popularity has boomed since its launch in late-2022 and it’s currently the top shopping app on the iOS and Android app stores, sitting ahead of ecommerce giants like Amazon, eBay and Walmart.

Like Amazon, it sells pretty much anything (legal) you can imagine, just at ludicrously low prices. To use the humble USB cable as an example, you can get an Amazon Basics one for around $10-20, but on Temu you’re talking $2 or $3. That’s why so many people are skeptical of it. Now let’s dive a little deeper and explain Temu and how legitimate it is in the bigger picture.

Temu Primer: Why is Temu So Cheap?

Temu is a super cheap online retailer that sells everything from electronics and clothing to car accessories, garden furniture, and cosmetics.

It’s based out of China, where it’s owned by a company called PDD Holdings. It’s so cheap because its business model sees it working with a network of direct suppliers to offer goods to consumers at wholesale prices, which allows it to undercut the competition. But as we explore more later, it’s also thought that Temu is so cheap because it’s using a “loss leader” strategy where it’s OK with losing money in exchange for market share.

As well as being ultra-affordable, it has quickly established itself as a global player, with shipping offered to the US, most of Europe (including the UK), Australia, and much of Asia. It has doubled down on its push for international exposure by way of its savvy “Shop Like a Billionaire” marketing campaign, paying for a high profile Super Bowl spot in addition to its regular social media and Google ads.

Of course, that doesn’t make Temu legit and there’s plenty you probably want to know before ordering from it. Now let’s answer the big question: is Temu safe?

Is Temu Legit and Safe To Order From?

That’s the big question and the short answer is yes, Temu is legit. Among other things, this is indicated by the fact it sits atop the iOS and Android app store rankings. An out-and-out fraudulent retailer would have been removed by now, but instead Temu has tens of thousands of positive reviews. It has plenty of negative ones, too, but it’s safe to say that Temu is not a scam.

In fact, it looks just like any other online retailer in 2023, complete with its Temu Credits loyalty and referral scheme. If you order from Temu, it’s likely you’ll get what you paid for. We say “likely” because there’s an element of risk involved in all online shopping, especially when it comes to shipping and the timely delivery of your products.

Based on our research into Temu, the main thing you should be aware of it that its shipping times are much longer than those of Amazon. What you’re getting is, in all likelihood, coming from China, so you won’t be getting it those knock off AirPods the next day – you’re probably looking at closer to 10 days in total, as a general rule of thumb.

Temu Shipping Times and Delivery Reviews

Temu clearly advertises shipping times on individual listing pages and while delays aren’t exactly unheard of, most products are delivered on time – around 80%, based on our experience browsing Temu for lip balm mega savings. It also compensates for late deliveries, according to its website. There are plenty of complaints about Temu on the Better Bureau Business website, but it’s worth noting here that most people who post there aren’t satisfied customers, whatever the company. Along these lines, Temu’s 2.51/5 rating is actually better than that of Amazon, which is a measly 1.16/5 at the time of writing.

Rather than just rely on third-party reports, though, we’ve ordered a car charger from Temu and will update this article based on our experience of the retailer soon.

A final caveat here is that Temu is allegedly losing millions to establish itself in the US and elsewhere. A “loss leader” strategy is when a company accepts not making a profit immediately, as long as it’s gaining market share. It’s a common but risky strategy when businesses first enter a competitive market. While it’s backed by a Chinese tech giant (PDD), that’s not to say it can’t fail, and retailers shuttering have a much more mixed track record when it comes to delivering on promises.

What’s Not Legit About Temu?

Well, that depends on who you ask.

Much suspicion around Temu revolves around the fact its parent company, PDD, also owns Pinduoduo. It’s another global Chinese retailer that specializes in cheap agricultural equipment, but its reputation has been tarnished by a suspension from the Google Play Store over malware and concerns about working conditions after two employee deaths went viral a couple of years ago.

The US government has previously raised concerns over the human cost of Chinese “fast fashion” in general, highlighting that just because Temu is safe, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily ethical. It’s doubly true if you believe in supporting independent retailers, as the latest data shows online mega stores like Amazon squeezing smaller ecommerce businesses to the point of collapse.

All of which ties in with broader suspicion in the US over Chinese companies, with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte listing Temu as among the “foreign adversaries” whose apps should be banned on all government issued devices over data privacy fears. With cars tracking their owners sex lives, it’s a fair enough thing to wonder.

Are Temu Products Good Quality?

Sure, though they’re also what you would expect from goods that only cost a few bucks.

Much of what’s for sale on Temu is generic, meaning that while goods might look a bit similar to name brand items, they’re usually not. Unless you get really lucky at TJ Maxx, you probably won’t get a real pair of Nike sneakers for under $50, so don’t expect the same quality.

Where Temu does sell name brand goods, these are designated with a blue checkmark. Beyond that, there’s plenty of cool and useful stuff available on Temu, just don’t expect it to be made by anyone you’ve heard of.

Read Next: Best Website Builders for Ecommerce

Privacy has long been the Achilles heel of technology, but it turns out the worst offender might not be your smartphone, laptop, or even data breaches – but your car. And it’s collecting data on a whole lot more than you think.

A new study by the Mozilla Project has revealed that cars are officially the “worst category of products for privacy,” naming and shaming big name manufacturers like Kia, Audi and Nissan for the alarming scope of personal information they collect – and what they do with it after they get it.

The worst of the worst? That distinction belongs to Elon Musk‘s EV brand Tesla, which says your car might break if you don’t let it take your data for a ride!

However, you may be more concerned by the companies openly admitting to collecting data on the sex lives of car owners in their privacy policies. Especially given their habit of then selling such data on.

Named and Shamed: The Cars Collecting Your Private Data (and Selling It On)

Mozilla is most famous for its privacy friendly Firefox web browser, which paired with things like free VPNs can help boost your online privacy. What you may not know is that the organization also publishes regular reports under the Privacy Not Included (PNI) banner.

According to the latest Privacy Not Included report, the reputation of cars as “computers on wheels” isn’t a good thing for drivers, as it means they collect vast amounts of data on their owners. This includes the most personal of personal information regarding your sex life.

Kia and Nissan were both named and shamed here. Kia explicitly states it collects “information about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sex life and political opinions,” while Nissan’s fine print reveals it’s keeping tabs on your “sexual activity.”

Worse still, 84% of the car brands investigated by Mozilla share this personal data with third-parties, including the data brokers targeted by software like Incogni). Of these, a whopping 76% sell it to make a quick buck, while a further 56% will hand it over to the police or other government bodies if prompted.

Tesla Tops Car Privacy Wall of Shame

Tesla is rated as the worst car for privacy, largely because of its AI chatbot being deemed untrustworthy. Mozilla’s dossier, which is based on 600 hours of research, highlights that Tesla cars received every ‘privacy ding’ possible. What set it apart is the fact that its AI-powered autopilot has been linked to multiple crashes, deaths and federal investigations – something not even the Peeping Toms at Kia and Nissan can match in terms of severity.

Mozilla further points out that where car owners are able to opt out of data collection regarding their vehicle, the plainly stated consequence is that the car probably won’t work properly. While Tesla notes that “if you no longer wish for us to collect vehicle data or any other data from your Tesla vehicle, please contact us to deactivate connectivity,” the result could be “your vehicle suffering from reduced functionality, serious damage, or inoperability.”

Specifically, functionality such as “over-the-air updates, remote services, and interactivity with mobile applications and in-car features such as location search, Internet radio, voice commands, and web browser functionality rely on such connectivity” and are therefore only guaranteed to work in exchange for your data.

Tesla is noteworthy for topping the list, not least given CEO Elon Musk’s general disregard for all things privacy, on which X starting to collect biometric data is the latest high profile example. However, it’s worth noting that all of the 25 car makers probed as part of the Mozilla PNI study were given failing grades – a first in the seven-year history of the series.

How Cars Collect Your Personal Data – and What You Can Do About It

If this comes as a shock, Mozilla says it really shouldn’t. When we’re saying that cars are “computers on wheels,” what we mean is they’re packed with all the cameras, microphones and internet connectivity necessary to bag a whole bunch of your personal data.

It follows that everything you do when you’re in your car – from the conversations you have to the connected services and apps you use (such as Spotify or Google Maps) – is essentially leaking your data. The list of what’s collected in exhaustive, including your name, address, phone number, and email address along with much more personal stuff like photos, calendar information, and even details on the driver’s race, genetic information, and immigration status.

We’ve often been surprised by how quickly and accurately things we might be interested in appear as highly targeted advertising on social media, even when we haven’t actively Googled it. Now, we might finally know why.

Anyone itching to fight back should know that Mozilla has launched a petition calling on car companies to stop such invasive data collection practices.

Could Microsoft’s forced unbundling of Teams and Office in Europe be the start of a bigger, global unravelling? Watch this space, at least if Zoom CEO Eric Yuan gets his way.

Reports out of a recent event suggest that the Zoom head honcho is throwing some shade Microsoft’s way after EU antitrust regulators told the Redmond-based tech giant to separate the two products earlier this week.

This would be welcome news for users of Zoom, Slack, or any video conferencing app not named Teams, as the automatic booting of Microsoft’s workplace communications platform at the start of every Windows session is a real pain in the backside.

Zoom CEO: FTC Should Follow EU’s Lead with Teams

According to Bloomberg, Yuan made the comments speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference in San Francisco, California.

Asked a question about the recent unbundling of Teams and Office in Europe, which followed a complaint made by Slack, Yuan is reported as saying: “You should ask this question to the FTC as well.”

He added that customers are starting to realize the hidden costs of using “the so-called free service” of competitors like Teams.

“We have huge competitors, sometimes they bundle everything together,” Blooomberg quotes the Zoom CEO as saying earlier in his remarks. “No matter what, you’ve got to be fair.”

In Fairness to Microsoft…

While we’re all for the latest twist in the Teams vs Zoom plot, in fairness Microsoft isn’t the only company who bundles its products together in a bid to entice customers. While Slack (succesfully) argued to the EU that the bundling of Teams with Office for free essentially killed its chances in Europe, there are plenty more examples out there.

If you’re reading this at home, there’s every chance your internet access comes bundled with your cable subscription; and if you’re on a smartphone, that you got your handset and phone contract as part of the same deal. Google does it with Meet and its Workspace suite, Adobe bundles all of its products as Creative Cloud, and so on.

The issue, therefore, isn’t the longstanding sales practice of bundling, but the unfair competitive advantage this can create when done in a certain way.

Microsoft Also Edges Away From Browser Baiting

Microsoft has also quietly revealed via the change notes for by a new Windows 11 build that it will stop forcing its Edge browsers on Windows users in Europe.

Starting with Windows 10, clicking links from the Widgets panel or from your PC’s search results automatically opened in Edge, no matter what you had set as your default browser – something that was already difficult enough to change.

However, Microsoft users in most European countries will now have their default browser choice respected.

“In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows system components use the default browser to open links,” the tech giant writes.

While it’s not certain this is also the EU’s doing, it seems unlikely Microsoft would have had the sudden change of heart were it not prompted – especially as it looks like it will continue baiting users into using Edge as a browser in the US.

Ad tracking in Google Chrome is nothing new, but it looks slightly different now Google’s Topics API is rolling out more widely. If you’re not comfortable sharing your interests with advertisers but feel secure VPNs are probably overkill, then we’re here to tell you how to disable ad tracking in Chrome.

First, a bit of background. Over the summer as part of July’s Chrome 115 release, Google announced it had developed a new feature for the browser called Privacy Sandbox. It has been designed to replace the third-party cookies that have been tracking the activity of netizens for years.

In place of cookies, Google’s Privacy Sandbox features the Topics API. It relays information, like what you buy and from where, to advertisers in a slightly more privacy friendly way. This is because with cookies, every single website you visit individually tracks you and your activity, while Topics API means now (theoretically) only Google will be keeping tabs on you.

This might not thrill you either, but don’t worry, as you can easily turn off ad tracking in Chrome. Here’s how.

How To Disable Google Ad Tracking in Chrome

Turning off ad tracking in Chrome is relatively straightforward. In short, you need to get to Chrome’s “Privacy and security” settings and then to the specific “Ad privacy” section.

If you already know your way around Chrome, there are a couple of ways to do this. You can either follow the Settings > Privacy and Security > Ad privacy pathway, or alternatively just type chrome://settings/adPrivacy into the URL field.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to disabling ad tracking:

First, find and click of the three vertical dots in the top right-hand corner of an open Chrome window. Then, scroll down to “Settings” in the menu.

Next, find and click on “Privacy and security” in the left-hand menu, followed by “Ad privacy” in the central list of  options that then appears on your screen.

You’ll now see a list of three options: Ad topics, Site-suggested ads, and Ad measurement.

To disable the bulk of ad tracking in Chrome, you want to select “Ad topics” and ensure the small button at the top of the central list is turned off. This is shown by the the color gray. If it’s blue, it’s currently turned on and you may see a list of the topics Google associates you with, which is an indication of the kind of information it’s sharing with advertisers.

If you don’t want to turn off ad tracking entirely, that’s fine and there’s definitely an argument is favor of personalized ads. However, you may want advertisers not to know about some of your interests specifically, so you can remove these from the list if that’s the case.

More Ways To Protect Your Privacy in Chrome

Now that you’ve found out where Chrome’s privacy settings live, there’s plenty of other things you can do to make your online presence more discreet.

For instance, you could also opt to disable Site-suggested ads and Ad measurement, or head to the “Third-party cookies” section from the main “Privacy and security” options to look at how those are configured.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s easy to switch back if you change your mind. Unfortunately, you might find that tightening up your privacy settings too much makes using Chrome problematic, as access to websites may be restricted based on the controls you enable.

For this reason, some people opt to use an entirely different web browser, with DuckDuckGo being one of the most popular  choices for privacy.

Another option is using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. The best cheap VPNs can all help you protect your privacy online by essentially masking your IP address and encrypting all of the data that’s sent over the internet when you’re using it.

For just a few bucks a month, these simple bits of software offer an easy solution to your data privacy headache, which is why we’re always keen to recommend them.

The NFL season is here, and Amazon is taking its relatively new role as the exclusive partner for Thursday Night Football seriously, announcing that a wide range of AI features will be coming to the broadcast this year.

There’s no denying that AI technology has left a big impact on the business world over the last few months. From integrated features in software like Salesforce to updated curriculum in schools, AI is here in a big way.

Now, it looks like the technology is coming to the sports world as well, with some serious upgrades coming to broadcasts for the 2023 NFL season.

Amazon Prime Announces AI Features for TNF

Last year, Amazon Prime took over the broadcasting responsibilities for Thursday Night Football without too many bells and whistles. The platform stayed relatively true to the format, with largely the same experience that viewers have become accustomed to over the last few years.

Now, however, Amazon Prime is upping the ante with some new features that are powered by AI and machine learning, aimed at improving the overall experience for viewers. The goal is to make the game and, more specifically, strategy more accessible to laymen and experts alike.

“We don’t want to just put math on the screen. It’s about using data to tell a deeper story and to bring our fans insights so that they understand the game better. We think doing that lets people understand the chess match that’s unfolding on the field.” – Betsy Riley, senior coordinating producer at Prime Video.

If you don’t want to watch the big game like this, have no fear. The new AI features will be on display for the Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats broadcast of the game, which will be separate from the standard experience.

Given the relatively shaky roll out of AI features throughout business software, it’s safe to say there will be some growing pains. Still, by the sounds of it, this could be a big leap for the technology to reach even more mainstream users.

Thursday Night Football AI Features Explained

So, what kind of features can you expect to see on Thursday Night Football this year? Here’s a breakdown of some of the AI features that will be available during the broadcast of the 2023 NFL season.

Defensive alerts

Blitzing is an integral part of any defensive strategy in the NFL, and the ability to know when it’s going to happen can separate a good quarterback from a great quarterback. But what if the audience could get in on the analysis?

With the Defensive Targets feature, Amazon Prime has trained machine learning models on 35,000+ plays to guess when it’s going to happen. Body language, pre-snap position, and general player movements are all taken into account to provide viewers with potentially game-changing plays in real time.

Prime Targets

They say defense wins championships, but it’s pretty hard to win the game without scoring some points on offense. Luckily, these AI features are rolling out on both sides of the ball, and Prime Targets should make some viewers think they can actually play.

With Prime Targets, viewers will be able to see the exact moment a wide receiver or other pass catcher is wide open. A small green bubble will appear around the open player, indicating that the defender has left in the dust.

Key Plays

If you’ve ever missed SportsCenter and wanted to get a comprehensive recap of the game, you know that it’s not nearly as easy as it should be. Fortunately, Amazon Prime is taking this into consideration to provide you with game highlights that actually give you everything you need to know.

Much like Google Bard features that can recap meeting notes, the Key Plays feature will use AI technology to provide a comprehensive set of game highlights, helping you understand what happened without having to actually watch the game (or a 15-minute “recap” on YouTube).

Fourth Down Territory

Going for it on fourth down has become a popular option for NFL coaches, as analytics show that the move can be statistically beneficial in the right scenarios.

Now, viewers will be able to understand exactly when those scenarios arise with the Fourth Down Territory feature. This will provide live odds and statistics based on how likely a team is to convert on fourth down.

Field Goal Target Zones

There’s nothing more exciting than the end of an NFL game when a team is only losing by three points. Currently, broadcasts show that field goal target line, the spot on the field at which the kicker is at least somewhat likely to make the kick.

The Field Goal Target Zones feature will add to that functionality, providing multiple lines on the field, displaying the likelihood of each location. This way, you’ll know exactly how stressed you need to be about your team hitting a double doink before halftime.

Elon Musk continues to make more enemies than friends as the CEO of Twitter/X, threatening to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over the social media platform’s lost revenue from advertisers.

It’s no secret that X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has been struggling since Musk took over. From lost ad revenue to major glitches, the platform has certainly seen better days.

Now, Musk is blaming some of those problems on the ADL for reporting that X is now inundated with hate speech, which honestly is pretty hard to argue with.

Musk Threatens Lawsuit Against ADL

Announced — where else — on X, Musk threatened to sue the ADL for defamation, naturally noting the irony of the situation with this patented attempt at being funny.

“To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League … oh the irony!” – Elon Musk in a post

The ADL responded to comments by stating they don’t reply to legal threats, but they did acknowledge the renewed attacks on the organization, as well as the #BanALD hashtag that has now started trending on X.

Why Does Musk Want to Sue the ADL?

Over the last few months, Elon Musk has made some notable changes to X. The most significant change in the eyes of the ADL is that the platform reinstated a wide range of permanently banned accounts for hate speech and antisemitism. Subsequently, the organization published reports noting that the platform is allowing hate speech to proliferate unchecked.

This report, as well as general pressure from the ADL, has made ad revenue for X plummet, which is grounds for this lawsuit, at least according to Elon Musk.

“Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by ADL (that’s what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!” – Elon Musk in a post

This isn’t the first time Musk has taken issue with independent organizations calling out X for hate speech. In fact, Musk already launched a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) last month for the exact same thing.

Is Twitter Going Down?

Let’s be honest, it’s not looking good for the platform formerly known as Twitter. For starters, hemorrhaging ad revenue alone is enough to take down any company, let alone one that so heavily relies on that income to keep operating.

As a result, the company is currently valued at only $4 billion, compared to the $44 billion it was purchased for by Musk in October 2022.

That’s not all, though. Musk has also taken on dozens of lawsuits in pursuit of a profitable platform, and the company has shirked a wide range of responsibilities, including paying rent and not erecting illegal signs on their roof.

Suffice to say, the company is floundering with little sign of recovery, and with even Musk admitting the platform may fail, the days may be numbered for X.

A new study found that remote workers are increasingly willing to move in search of affordable housing, further solidifying the paradigm shift caused by the pandemic.

Remote work has been a boon for workers since 2020. The flexible working hours have increased employee wellbeing, allowing employees to take care of their families, run important errands, and generally get some of semblance of work-life balance.

Additionally, this new study shows that remote work has empowered employees to evade the rising prices of everything, including housing, to build the stable financial lifestyle that continues to elude so many.

Study Reveals Remote Work Trends

A new study from Fannie Mae has uncovered a wide range of remote work trends that have changed since the peak of the pandemic. One of the most significant stats is that remote workers are increasingly willing to move in order to find more affordable housing.

In fact, the change has been quite substantial in such a short period of time. In 2023, 22% of employees noted that they were willing to move cities while remote working for the purpose of moving to a more affordable area, while only 14% said the same in 2021.

More importantly, this sentiment is shared across all income and age groups, although younger employees — those between the age of 18 and 34 — were notably more willing and experiencing a higher increase. Those workers were only 18% open to moving for affordable housing in 2021, as opposed to 30% in 2023.

Why Are Remote Workers More Willing to Move?

So, what exactly is the reason for this shifting trend? Well, the researchers from Fannie Mae have one theory:

“We believe this greater willingness to live farther from the workplace may be an indication that some workers are feeling more secure about their remote work situation or their ability to find another job if their current employer were to change its policies.” – Fannie Mae researchers

That may very well be the case, although other studies about the decreasing prevalence of remote work opportunities might undermine that theory, or at least leave these employees in trouble if anything goes wrong.

In all likelihood, the main driver of this willingness to move is sky high housing prices that have gripped the entire country. Rent is higher, mortgages are higher, home prices are higher, and the availability of new homes is dwindling by the day. As a result, workers are willing to do whatever it takes to be more financially stable.

The Value of Remote Work

With all the return-to-office mandates being announced — and receiving substantial backlash — you might think that it’s time to get your employees back in the office. However, as this study and others have shown, this can have a negative impact on the financial and mental wellbeing of your employees, and therefore, the bottom-line of your business.

For starters, remote work continues to be a high priority for top talent, which means that your recruiting efforts are going to take a serious hit if you’re back in the office.  On top of that, remote workers are reportedly 22% happier than in-office employees, so if you want a satisfied workforce, working from home is an excellent option.

All that to say, remote work continues to prop up the problematic business world that refuses to raise wages in line with cost of living. And taking it away from your employees isn’t going to help, particularly if you rush the decision.

Along with learning some of the best ChatGPT prompts, a simple way to turbocharge your AI abilities is adding plugins to the popular chatbot – and one of the biggest to date has just arrived in the form of Canva.

Canva is a graphic design tool that’s especially useful for creating visuals for social media, Now, it’s even easier to use Canva thanks to a ChatGPT plugin that lets the OpenAI chatbot do most of the heavy lifting for you, adding to the list of potential ways to make money with ChatGPT.

Here’s how to install the Canva ChatGPT plugin and use it once you’re up and running.

How To Install the New Canva ChatGPT Plugin

Before you get started installing plugins on ChatGPT, one thing to know is that you’ll need to be running the premium ChatGPT Plus version of the platform. It costs $20 a month and, among other things, gives you access to the latest GPT-4 model. Currently, free ChatGPT users have a waitlist for getting access to plugin functionality.

If you’re all set up and logged in on a Plus account, then you should find it straightforward to get the Canva plugin for ChatGPT. Here’s how.

1. Open ChatGPT in your browser
2. Navigate to the Plugin section by hovering over the GPT-4 icon and clicking ‘plugins’
3. Click the arrow next to the GPT-4 button, then go to the Plugin Store
4. Search for Canva
5. Click ‘Install’

That’s all there is to it. This process will work for installing ChatGPT plugins in general, with Slack, Zapier and Expedia just some of the other big name platforms that now have direct integrations with the popular AI platform.

How To Use the Canva Plugin on ChatGPT

Now that you’ve got the Canva ChatGPT plugin installed, you can start using it. Fortunately, this is every bit as easy as installing the add-on in the first place.

Just follow these simple steps.

1. In the ChatGPT prompt box, describe what you what to create. For example: “I am a B2B technology website. Create me a Twitter/X banner.”
2. ChatGPT will create a number of options for the visual you have requested.
3. Click on the link above the one you want to use to open it in Canva
4. Once redirected, you can finalize the design in Canva, share and download it

As you can see from the example above, Canva is a particularly useful tool for digital marketing, branding, and promotional purposes.

With AI-generated content already one of the social media trends taking 2023 by storm, Canva’s new ChatGPT plugin offers further proof of AI’s potential in the workplace.

Microsoft has announced that it’s finally killing off WordPad, a basic word processor that has been included in every version of its flagship operating system Windows since 1995.

The company is encouraging users to make the switch to Microsoft Word or NotePad, which are used for similar tasks.

The software has been an optional feature since 2020, but now, it won’t be updated and won’t appear in any subsequent versions of Windows.

So Long, WordPad

“WordPad is no longer being updated and will be removed in a future release of Windows,” Microsoft confirmed in a documentation about soon-to-be deprecated features.

“We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt.” the company added.

The writing has been on the wall for some time. In 2020, the Windows 10 Insider Build 19551 was released, becoming the first version of Windows where you could uninstall WordPad in the “Optional Features” area.

This might not be the last we ever see of WordPad, however – famously, Microsoft deprecated MS Paint only to revive it and eventually give it a makeover.

Cortana also Axed

Cortana has also been nudged onto the chopping block recently, seemingly a victim of Microsoft’s continued and increasing focus on next-generation AI tools.

Cortana is Microsoft’s digital assistant app, first released to the public almost a decade ago, back in 2014. It will officially end life as a standalone app by the end of the year.

There are several apps where Cortana will remain available during a transitional period, however, including Outlook on mobile, Teams on mobile, and Microsoft Teams Rooms.

NotePad Gets an Upgrade

Just a few days prior to the announcement that WordPad would be deprecated, a significant upgrade to Notepad’s features was announced.

A Windows Insider blog post authored by Dave Grochocki details that “Notepad will start automatically saving your session state allowing you to close Notepad without any interrupting dialogs and then pick up where you left off when you return.”

Notepad will also “automatically restore previously open tabs as well as unsaved content and edits across those open tabs.”

These updates will make it a significantly more capable program that, along with the more powerful Microsoft Word, will satisfy any particularly disgruntled WordPad fanatics.

Although the timing is likely to be a coincidence, ChatGPT bankrollers Microsoft has had its patent for an AI-powered backpack approved with back-to-school season in full swing.

The backpack has a variety of interesting features, including voice and audio capabilities, as well as sensors that can extract information about the surrounding environment.

Will the backpack usher in a new era of functional, wearable digital assistants – or will it suffer the same fate as many other wearable tech products that haven’t taken failed spectacularly?

Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft’s AI Backpack

Microsoft’s patent for an AI-powered backpack with a slew of novel features was approved last week by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

According to the patent application, the AI-powered backpack “may include sensors, such as a microphone and camera”, and will be able to recognize “contextual voice commands” that include a “non-explicit reference to an object in an environment”.

The first diagram in the patent application shows it being worn by a skier, who is advised by the backpack to avoid a nearby out-of-bounds area.

Another shows a person looking at a poster for an upcoming concert, and booking tickets by asking the backpack.

It says further along in the patent that the product may include a GPS unit, a compass for sensing cardinal direction, a thermometer and a barometer.

According to the application, the backpack would also include biometric sensors that can measure heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.  The backpack may even be able to be aware of its own contents via RFID tags.

Privacy concerns

Although the backpack seems to be built with the capacity to collect a lot of biometric data about wearers, there are some privacy stipulations mentioned.

Microsoft suggests, for instance, that the backpack could encrypt user data, have stringent rules around how long it can store it, and only perform specific functions with express consent from the wearer.

This is just a prototype, of course – and it would be somewhat surprising if Microsoft was planning on storing every user’s data locally.

Wearable Tech: A Hit and Miss Story

“Wearable tech” is a category of products that includes some of the world’s most fascinating technological inventions, but is also littered with catastrophic failures.

The Logbar Ring – designed to give users the power to control a range of technological appliances via hand gesture commands – is often described as one of the worst products ever made.

But it’s not just small wearable tech products that haven’t succeeded – who can forget Google Glass, which failed to secure widespread uptake due to poor battery life, sub-par functionality and a hefty price tag.

Whether Microsoft’s AI-powered backpack would go down well isn’t clear from the patents.

There’s an argument that it could have niche appeal for extreme sports junkies. As the diagram in the patent suggests, skiers may benefit from safety information and data about the surrounding terrain.

However, as is the case with other types of wearable tech, there are a myriad of privacy concerns that the manufacturers will have to deal with.

Besides, would you really ask your backpack to book a concert ticket, or would you just whip out your mobile phone? And would you feel comfortable speaking out loud, in public, to your backpack?

However capable the backpack ends up being, there will be challenging obstacles that this type of tech would have to face if it went to market.

Facebook users who claimed a portion of the $725 million settlement fee that the social media site was ordered to pay as part of a privacy settlement will have to wait a little longer to find out exactly how much they’ve been repaid.

The payments cannot be released until the settlement is given final approval by a judge, with the hearing due to take place on September 7 in San Francisco.

Facebook Settlement: Final Approval Required

Although it may seem like the Facebook settlement lawsuit is all wrapped up, there are still some final steps that need to be taken before Meta will start to send everyone’s payments.

At the hearing scheduled for September 7, a judge will determine whether the settlement is a fair and reasonable outcome, and decide whether the fees paid to lawyers as part of the settlement should be approved.

However, even if the settlement is granted final approval, there could still be some things that hold up payments being sent. For instance, Meta could appeal the settlement, and in the process, hold up the payments for years.

Why Is Facebook Paying Users Back?

Facebook is settling a $725 million class action lawsuit that alleges that the social media platform shared its users’ private information with third parties without their consent.

Among the third parties was Cambridge Analytica, which gained access to information pertaining to 87 million Facebook users via the platform’s shady data practices.

The timeframe to be eligible for a payment is huge. Anyone who used Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, may be eligible for a slice of the settlement pie.

How Much Will I get From the Facebook Settlement?

The deadline to apply for part of the settlement has long passed, and if you haven’t done so already, unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to.

However, if you did apply in time and you’re currently awaiting a payment from the social media giant, you’ll probably be sent around $7, according to some educated estimates.

However, there’s a points system for deciding precisely how much each individual will get paid, and the longer you’ve held your account, the more ‘points’ you’ll be awarded.

The claims website did note, however, that the lawyers involved in securing the settlement may take up to 25% of the total fee – which amounts to over $180 million. This would reduce the total size of the money available for claimants significantly.

Even so, it’s worth keeping a close eye on the outcome of the settlement’s final approval hearing on September 7.

Salesforce has announced a partnership with IBM that will make the popular CRM software provider’s suite of enterprise AI tools available to customers of both companies.

Specifically, the IBM Consulting arm of Big Blue will now offer implementation of Salesforce’s AI tools – which include Sales GPT, Service GPT, Salesforce Einstein, Slack GPT and Marketing GPT – as a feature of its Garage digital transformation proposition.

In practice, this means that businesses that turn to IBM’s consultancy expertise will now be helped to deploy Salesforce and all of its AI powers, in a landmark tie-up for both sides.

What Does IBM Get From New Salesforce Partnership?

IBM’s end of the bargain is, first and foremost, that its 160,000-strong army of human consultants will be helping businesses get up and running with Salesforce and its shiny new AI capabilities. Which obviously sounds like a great deal for Salesforce!

There’s more to it than just that, though. For its part, IBM will be hoping to use the process of Salesforce adoption to promote its Watsonx enterprise AI platform, which helps companies use the “data locked in backend systems” to more effectively inform software systems like, well, Salesforce.

Big Blue will go a step further and also push its industry-specific Data Classifier as a solution to help companies map their data and make it more usable by AI tools like, well, Salesforce again. So it’s far from a one-way street.

Salesforce and IBM: Friends With Benefits

In many ways, it’s a logical progression for IBM and Salesforce’s existing relationship. Big Blue has used Salesforce alongside Watsonx to improve its own sales and services processes over the years, so it’s like going from friends to friends with benefits for the two enterprise powerhouses. Or diversifying their partner ecosystems, if you prefer.

The new offering will be available immediately through IBM Consulting and its products, namely IBM Garage. Pricing is quoted on an individual client basis by IBM.

For its part, Salesforce pricing will remain unchanged by the tie-up, having already increased in August for the first time in years.

Salesforce Dreams Big Ahead of Dreamforce

It has been a big week for Salesforce overall, with the CRM giant gearing up for its annual Dreamforce conference by announcing impressive Q2 2024 results.

It roundly beat expectations for both revenue and profit to the tune of 11% year-on-year growth, offering further proof that larger-than-life CEO Marc Benioff’s recent strategy of mega bucks acquisitions (Slack and Tableau) alongside internal belt tightening (it’s part of the tech layoffs club) is paying dividends, at least for investors.

It’ll cap it all off with the annual shindig that is Dreamforce from September 12-14, where presumably much of those $8.60 billion earnings have been spent paying Foo Fighters to top the bill.