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Showing posts from March, 2021

Instagram now lets you create reaction Reels, just like TikTok Duets

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Instagram has done it again. It has copied another popular TikTok feature called Duets and renamed it ‘Remix.’ If you don’t know what Duets (or Remix) is,  lets you make your own Reel right next to someone else’s Reel. With this, you can react to a new viral dance trend or plan a collab with a friend that makes it look like a planned cinematic creation. Re-re-re-remix 🤩 Now you can use the Remix feature in Reels to create your own reel next to one that already exists 🎭 Whether you’re capturing your reaction, responding to friends or bringing your… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Instagram from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31yLUvI

Games to play on date night: Fallout 76’s wasteland West Virginia is for lovers

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Date night, for my fiancée and I, is all about closeness and intimacy. Sometimes that looks like cooking our favorite meal together, having a few cocktails after dinner, and talking the night away. Other times, however, it looks like us playing a video game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where she’s a laser-gun-wielding punk rock goddess and I’m a machete-toting psychopath who collects teddy bears. Variety, they say, is the spice of life. It’s ironic then, that when I wrote the first edition of this series my plan was to publish a new piece each week. Unfortunately, the first article… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3cC9tu0

Spotify has launched a trio of new personalized playlists

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Spotify has launched a trio of new personalized playlists that evolve alongside your tastes in music. The streaming service today announced that it’s introducing an artist mix, genre mix, and decade mix. The feature is already rolling out to Free and Premium users around the world. The mixes use Spotify’s vaunted recommendation algorithms to curate playlists based on your listening habits. They’ll include your favorite songs from artists, genres, and decades you listen to most often, as well as new tunes that the app infers you’ll like. [Read: How to use AI to better serve your customers] Spotify says each mix category… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Spotify from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3woEXMb

Scientists measured brain waves using cochlear implants for the first time

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Scientists have successfully measured brain waves through an ear implant for the first time, a breakthrough that could improve smart hearing aids. Researchers from KU Leuven, a university in Belgium, used an experimental cochlear implant to record neural signals that arise in response to sounds. These signals could be used to measure and monitor hearing quality. “In the future, it should even be possible for the hearing implant to adjust itself autonomously based on the recorded brain waves,” said study co-author Tom Francart. [Read: How to use AI to better serve your customers] Instead of making sounds louder like a conventional hearing aid, cochlear implants use… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3sJS2gE

Facebook’s feckless ‘Fairness Flow’ won’t fix its broken AI

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Facebook today posted a blog post detailing a three-year-old solution to its modern AI problems: an algorithm inspector that only works on some of the company’s systems. Up front: Called Fairness Flow, the new diagnostic tool allows machine learning developers at Facebook to determine whether certain kinds of machine learning systems contain bias against or towards specific groups of people. It works by inspecting the data flow for a given model. Per a company blog post: To measure the performance of an algorithm’s predictions for certain groups, Fairness Flow works by dividing the data a model uses into relevant groups… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3sEnzAD

How we taught Google Translate to stop being sexist

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Online translation tools have helped us learn new languages, communicate across linguistic borders, and view foreign websites in our native tongue. But the artificial intelligence (AI) behind them is far from perfect, often replicating rather than rejecting the biases that exist within a language or a society. Such tools are especially vulnerable to gender stereotyping because some languages (such as English) don’t tend to gender nouns, while others (such as German) do. When translating from English to German, translation tools have to decide which gender to assign English words like “cleaner.” Overwhelmingly, the tools conform to the stereotype, opting for… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2POmdEE

MSTRMND Academy helps entrepreneurs learn the stuff that can make or break their business

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TLDR: MSTRMND Academy is home to hundreds of courses, e-books and more to help you train up in business, marketing, personal growth and more, all for less than $30. There’s a lot to consider when you’re starting a business. In fact, there’s too much to consider. And when you take into account the impact that all those early decisions across a whole swath of disciplines can have, it’s pretty intimidating. And no matter how learned or seasoned you are, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually stray into some uncharted waters. Since few of us have mastered everything, MSTRMND Academy is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39yhazg

Onboard new employees and transfer knowledge easier with this learning management system

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TLDR: The Coassemble Learning Management System lets you easily create online training for any-sized business. Every founder wants to grow their business from a one-man band into the next big thing. Of course, the more a business expands and hires on new people, the less each of those newbies are connected to the founding principles. Messages get watered down, procedures shift when no one is looking, and before you know it, ideas that were company cornerstones at the start can become forgotten. Or boil it down to something even more basic: wouldn’t it be nice to have all your employees… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3m8UYkD

UK is spending £3B to completely overhaul its bus system

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This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans to invest £3 billion (US$4.18 billion) in bus services across England, including the roll-out of 4,000 new British-built electric or hydrogen buses. As part of the investment, the government has pledged to introduce hundreds of miles of new bus lanes, provide more weekend and evening services and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31zFmgl

Here’s how a charitable deed can win you $5K in cash towards a new gaming PC, NFTs, and more

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TLDR: Donate to the Playing for Change Foundation and one lucky donor will then be rewarded with $5,000 for their good work. There’s nothing better than being rewarded for doing the right thing for the right reasons. You don’t need the grateful little old lady to give you $20 for finding and returning her lost purse. But that $20 definitely feels sweeter because you put good karma out into the universe — and that good deed found its way back to you. That being said…how does $5,000 worth of good karma sound to ya? You’re going to have to be… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3fvX8cK

Google Maps will soon suggest ‘eco-friendly routes’ by default

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Google Maps is getting a new feature that encourages drivers to make more eco-friendly journeys. The app will soon default to showing the route with the lowest carbon footprint, as long it’s got roughly the same ETA as the fastest path. The new routing model analyzes data such as road incline and traffic congestion to optimize for lower fuel consumption. When the eco-friendly route significantly increases the travel time, you’ll be able to compare the CO2 impact between the different routes. If you’d rather prioritize speed, you can adjust your preferences in Settings to show the fastest route as default (just know Mother Earth will… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google Maps , Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39qjYP5

What your selfie camera angle says about you

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Over the past decade, selfies have become a mainstay of popular culture. If the #selfie hashtag first appeared in 2004, it was the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010 that saw the pictures go viral. Three years later, the Oxford English Dictionary crowned “selfie” word of the year. We use selfies for a variety of purposes, ranging from the social to the professional. According to a 2018 survey, 82% of US adults under 34 had posted a selfie on social media. Until the pandemic hit pause on public gatherings, an entire industry was dedicated to generating selfie events and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3dkuRDg

Music recommendation algorithms are unfair to women artists — but we can fix that

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These days, more and more people listen to music on streaming apps – in early 2020, 400 million people were subscribed to one. These platforms use algorithms to recommend music based on listening habits. The recommended songs might feature in new playlists or they might start to play automatically when another playlist has ended. But what the algorithms recommend is not always fair. In a new study we showed a widely used recommendation algorithm is more likely to pick music by male than female artists. In response, we’ve come up with a simple way to give more exposure to female… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31B02oo

How to control who can comment on your Facebook posts

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On Facebook, you can control if you want to make a post public, visible to friends, just yourself, or a specific set of friends.A nd now, a new feature lets you control who can comment on your public post — great for when you only want responses from friends and family, or if you just need to put something out there and don’t care to hear back. Here’s how you can change the comment control on your public post: Open the Facebook app on your phone. Head to the post where you want to control comments. Tap on the three-dot… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3m71PuE

Tesla reportedly double charged its customers, and there’s no refund in sight

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Imagine saving up for your dream car, only to be charged twice when you come to pay for it. That’s bad enough, but then imagine not knowing where or who to turn to, to get your money back. This is an affliction facing a host of new Tesla owners at the moment, according to a report by CBNC published earlier this week. One buyer told CNBC that they paid $37,000 extra, while another reportedly had $71,000 removed from their bank account on top of what they already paid for their car. Those affected have said the funds were taken without… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Tesla from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31Cuwq1

What’s the difference between open-back and closed-back headphones?

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If you don’t love headphones, then I’m worried about you. Do you like sunsets? Puppies? Food? Anyway, as fantastic as musical earmuffs are, they can also be a little confusing. And that’s why we’re here. Today, we’re going to answer a common question: what’s the difference between open-back and closed-back headphones? Your response to that might be “who cares?” — and the answer? You. You should care. Whether a pair of headphones is open- or closed-back makes a huge difference to the sound. Without any further messing around, let’s just jump straight in. Tell me, what are open-back headphones? The phrase “open-back”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ucveGu

Successful subscription models are like a well-choreographed dance

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If you are in the thick of rolling out a subscription business model, it’s not news to you that you’ve just fundamentally changed your relationship with your customer. Where once you focused on lots of one-and-done transactions to drive quarterly revenue growth, now you need to optimize long-term relationships and boost average customer lifetime value (CLTV) across the entire subscription business lifecycle. I know that’s a tall order, but the path to success is straightforward.  For me, the key is to leverage the massive volumes of data produced throughout your subscribers’ lifecycles — from acquisition to renewal — and transform… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31AVr5E

Google’s new app automagically organizes your scanned documents

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There are plenty of apps to scan documents: Google Lens, Microsoft Lens, and the good old camera. But once you’ve taken a scan, it might be difficult to find it in a few weeks’ time. Google’s Area 120 team has launched an Android app called Stack to solve this problem. The app lets you scan documents and then it uses AI to automatically name and sort them into different categories such as bills, IDs, and vehicles. The Area 120 team has worked with Google Clouds‘ DocAI team to develop a machine-learning algorithm to identify important parts of a document, such as due… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ue5utD

GoCycle’s 4th gen folding ebikes bring improved motor, and faster charging

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UK-based GoCycle has just announced its 4th generation of fast-folding ebikes, which look set to further refine the company’s current format of two-wheelers. Despite their hefty price tags, we’re fans of GoCycle’s range of folding bikes. They’re unique, well-designed, and practical. But yeah, that price tag, they’re some of the most expensive bikes in their class on the market, there’s no denying that. We haven’t had the chance to get our hands on one of the new GoCycle’s yet, but based on the information we have at the moment, it seems there won’t be any major changes over the previous… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3wfGlQU

Scientists used AI to link cryptomarkets with substance abusers on Reddit and Twitter

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An international team of researchers recently developed an AI system that pieces together bits of information from dark web cryptomarkets, Twitter, and Reddit in order to better understand substance abusers. Don’t worry, it doesn’t track sales or expose users. It helps scientists better understand how substance abusers feel and what terms they’re using to describe their experiences. The relationship between mental health and substance abuse is well-studied in clinical environments, but how users discuss and interact with one another in the real world remains beyond the realm of most scientific studies. According to the team’s paper: Recent results from the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Reddit , Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u8T5qE

These 10 MacBook, iPhone, and iPad accessories will each become your daily essentials

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TLDR: These 10 devices will keep your Apple MacBook, iPhone, or iPad running in tip-top shape, all at up to 40 percent off. No device is an island. At its most independent, most devices are more like a peninsula, appearing to be surrounded by water and out on their own, but actually, it stretches back to a solid motherland foundation of support and accessories. While Apple devices can happily plug away on their own for a while, eventually your device is going to need some helpful extras to live its very best Apple life. These 10 accessories to a MacBook,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3wcxoIe

Why robots make great surgeons and crappy nurses

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Robotic surgery systems are used in thousands of hospitals around the world. A decade ago they were clunky machines built to assist with routine procedures. Today, they’re capable of conducting end-to-end surgeries without human aid. Recent leaps in the field of deep learning have made difficult tasks such as surgery, electronics assembly, and piloting a fighter jet relatively simple. It might take a decade to train a human in all the necessary medical knowledge required for them to perform brain surgery. And that cost is the same for each subsequent human surgeon thereafter. It takes about the same investment for… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39qJDXM

Save an extra 30% off these 10 apps that can get your mind and body right

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TLDR: You can save an extra 30 percent off each of these 10 personal development apps to help improve your mind, body and soul. Spring is here and it’s time to shake off some of the winter blahs. We’ve all probably let a few things go while we get our legs under us to start 2021, but now, it’s time to get serious. If you think it’s time to get your mind and body in shape, learn something new, or generally just make yourself a better you, we wholeheartedly agree. To help, these 10 personal development apps can go a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rzNwQx

Xiaomi’s new Mi Mix foldable packs an 8-inch screen and FOUR (?!) speakers

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Xiaomi has just unfolded its first foldable phone — the Mi Mix Fold. The device packs an 8.01-inch WQHD+ AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision Support. When it’s folded up, you can continue using it through a 6.52-inch flexible AMOLED screen. However, its resolution is weird 2520 x 840. Not having a full HD screen on the front is slightly disappointed. To handle folding and unfolding, Xiaomi says it has specially crafted a hinge and tested it 1 million times. We inserted a beautifully crafted hinge as the backbone of the device, giving #MiMIXFOLD the ability to unfold epic moments. #XiaomiMegaLaunch… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Xiaomi from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3fszrls

Bed Tricks, Cod, and the Hidden History of Catfishing

Intriguing, maddening deception can shake up our existence and sometimes—sometimes—set us free. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3fx4tc5

YouTube Has a Disturbingly Creepy Minecraft Problem

A WIRED investigation has found dozens of kid-focused videos with disturbing thumbnails that the platform serves up on the "Topic" pages of popular games. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3m7Hkya

Does It Matter That I Let My Car Park Itself?

WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist on automation, productivity, and what it means to be human. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/2Pn5qJ3

Xiaomi confirms its making an EV — will setup a $10B entity to build it

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Xiaomi confirmed today it’s building an electric vehicle and also setting up a separate entity to do so. In an announcement today, the Chinese tech giant said that for the initial phase it’s investing 10 billion RMB ($1.5 billion). Additionally, Xiaomi plans to invest $10 billion over the coming 10 years. Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, will also serve as the CEO of the new smart EV business. Last week, Reuters reported that the company will use Great Wall Motor Co.’s factory for manufacturing and the first model is expected to arrive in 2023. Till now, Xiaomi hasn’t detailed its… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Xiaomi from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3dgIXFH

3 ways to make social impact run through your business, not around it

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Sherry will be hosting a session on this topic at Boost on April 15th — along with Uber’s Eugenie Teasley. Secure your ticket now. Until recently, my entire career had been spent in the tech industry. From the inside, leadership led a rallying cry that told employees they weren’t just there building software — they were making the world better. These ideas would often be delivered through a corporate purpose, a corporate responsibility statement, or sometimes they would be simplified down to a vow to put customers ahead of (or at least next to) shareholders.  As an employee, these grand… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3m5EYjd

Rivian’s amazing new warranty should be the standard for all EV brands

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Amazon-backed electric SUV maker Rivian is quietly making a name for itself as one of the most exciting newcomers to the electric vehicle market. Not only are its cars looking great, it’s also offering after-sales service that sets a new standard for the industry. Over the past week, sleuths over on Rivian forums spotted updates to the EV startup’s vehicle warranties, and it has well and truly thrown down the gauntlet to all other manufacturers with its five-year, 60,000-mile comprehensive warranty. I’m not surprised if warranties don’t get you as hot under the collar as they do me, so bear… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2QI8YpC

The Apple TV remote is getting a redesign… maybe there is a god?

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For a company so renowned for its design, Apple sure does release some stinkers. For every gorgeous new MacBook, you have the butterfly keyboard. For every iPhone, you have that stupid mouse you couldn’t use while charging. And for every AirPods Pro, you have the accursed Apple TV remote. God I hate it. So much. But we’ll get onto that: let’s discuss the good news first. Apple is supposedly redesigning the Apple TV Remote. 9to5Mac has been told by sources that the company is developing a new controller for its upcoming Apple TV. The new bit of hardware has been given… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple TV , Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39rC82S

VW stole my totally brilliant and not terrible idea to rename itself ‘Voltswagen’

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It seems VW of America is a little jealous about Tesla’s S3XY CARS meme, and supposed sense of humor. So much so, it’s committed the greatest atrocity of them all, and coming up with lame dad jokes. What’s worse though, is they STOLE it, from ME! According to Car and Driver, VW of America posted a press release announcing that it’s changing its name to Voltswagen, to make itself appear more EV friendly. The post has since been removed, and it looks nothing more than perhaps a premature April Fool’s day gaff. Even though it was allegedly confirmed to CNBC.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39pdM9U

Niantic’s AR glasses teaser has my inner Pokémon trainer excited

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Pokémon GO is an addictive game and you can find yourself stuck to the screen in a hunt of mythical creatures for many hours a week. But wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could do all of that without a phone? I hope that’s possible through Niantic’s AR glasses — a teaser of which Niantic CEO John Hanke shared on Twitter. The company, which is also behind Pokemon GO didn’t say much about when these will be available or exactly what they’ll be capable of. Exciting to see the progress we’re making to enable new kinds of devices that leverage our platform…… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rvmwBv

Apple is making it easier to get your iPhone fixed at a repair shop near you

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Apple is finally relaxing its stance on third-party repairs, as the company is set to expand its independent repair provider program globally. The tech giant announced last night that this program is expanding to 200 more countries. In regions such as Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, the process is starting off next week, and the rest of the countries will follow later in the year. The company originally launched the program in 2019 to allow customers in the US to get their iPhones — specifically basic parts such as batteries, speakers, and screens — repaired from authorized third-party providers. Later, Apple included… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: iPhone , Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rvimJT

Xiaomi’s Mi Band 6 gives you GPS and blood-oxygen sensors for only $35

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Xiaomi has built up a strong presence in the wearable market through its affordable Mi Band series. The company today launched the latest device in the line, the Mi Band 6, with built-in GPS and blood oxygen sensors. The company has introduced a new 1.56-inch AMOLED display compared to last year’s Mi Band 5 design that featured a 1.1-inch AMOLED screen. Plus, Xiaomi is refreshing the interface and new default watch faces will show you more information in a more dignified manner on that 326 ppi (pixels per inch) screen. There are two versions of the band: the NFC version for… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Xiaomi from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3cxICiM

Xiaomi’s new Mi 11 Ultra features the biggest camera sensor in a smartphone

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Xiaomi is gunning for the crown again, this time in the smartphone camera segment with its new Mi 11 Ultra. The flagship is said to feature the biggest camera sensor in a phone yet. The phone features a whopping 1/1.12-inch sensor, which beats Nokia PureView 808’s record of the biggest sensor with a 1/1.2-inch size. Panasonic jammed in a 1-inch sensor in its Lumix DMC-CM1 device, but it was an Android-powered camera, and not a phone.  But let’s back up for a second. What does a bigger sensor in a phone mean for you? Your phone’s camera captures light through that… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Xiaomi from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u2vhEX

Add these 10 in-demand digital marketing skills to your resume, now 50% off

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TLDR: The collection of digital marketing training can optimize your online sales efforts, all at 50% off with the TNW Deals’ Semi-Annual Sale happening. Knowing how to sell is one thing. Knowing how to sell online is another story entirely. Businesses have to engage with potential customers everywhere they may be congregating on the web. That means catching them on social media or Amazon, in Google ads, or a well-crafted email. And each of those venues requires different sets of knowledge to best convert more sales. This collection features 10 different sets of digital marketing skills that any seller will… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3w6BQrT

Seoul’s smart poles will soon be able to charge drones and EVs

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This article was originally published by Sarah Wray on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is installing new ‘smart poles’ which act as streetlights, traffic lights, environmental sensors,  footfall counters, smartphone chargers, Wi-Fi access points, CCTV, and more. Twenty-six smart poles have already been installed in six areas of the city, with each pole’s functions customized to the needs of its location in the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39lt5Aj

Here’s how to calculate the cost of driving an EV per km (or mile)

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Welcome to SHIFT Basics, a collection of tips, explainers, guides, and advice to keep you up to speed with mobility tech. A couple of weeks ago, we asked ourselves the question, “How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle?” Calculating that — when you’re charging at home of course — is a straightforward case of multiplying the per kWh cost of your electricity by the size of your car’s battery in kWh. However, one interested reader asked us another brain teaser: how much does it cost to drive an EV per mile. And we’re going to get to the bottom of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3diCoSL

Clubhouse shows us how businesses can save millions on marketing

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After launching in April 2020, Clubhouse has already been downloaded 10 million times and has around two million weekly active users. In the grand scheme of things, this might sound like a small amount — especially if you consider that Facebook has 2.7 billion active users on its platform, Instagram 1 billion, Twitter 330 million, and Snapchat 301 million. But the amount of hype that Clubhouse has generated in its relatively short lifetime is oddly disproportionate to the number of users it had acquired. I’ve heard and seen Clubhouse references every single day for the last few weeks, which would… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3lYWy8z

5 tips for an ethical investment in tech stocks

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These days people trading on the stock market want more than just a strong financial return. They’re increasingly opting for investments that will also have a positive societal impact. The coronavirus pandemic showed us even established tech companies can suffer downturns in the short term. Apple, a tech behemoth, was left reeling when Chinese manufacturing hubs were temporarily shut down last year. In the longer term, however, technology stocks remain a first choice for many investors. Historically, they’ve dominated global stock markets and continue to grow at a remarkable rate. Even during the downward spiral of the pandemic, tech stocks… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/39ri8gW

Run out of ethernet ports on your router? Here’s the solution

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Ever look at the back of your router and ask yourself “WHY!?!?” There are only four ethernet ports there. Four. How can anyone live and thrive with such a measly amount of wired network connections? Well, friend, this article is for you and anyone else who has run out of ethernet ports on their router. The solution to this is surprisingly simple: you need a network switch. Without getting bogged down in too much detail, a network switch is a box that you connect to your router. On that box are a range of ethernet ports. And you can plug more things… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2PDO2PY

How to prevent unwanted Mac apps from launching at startup

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Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. Every time I restart my Mac, some apps that I rarely use launch automatically, and I have to wait for a bit longer to get started with whatever I wanted to do. So, I decided to kick those apps out of the startup process to speed things up. Here’s how you can do it tpp: Open System Preferences on your Mac. You can do this through Finder (Cmd + Space) or by clicking on the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u85RWB

What is the Hubble Constant?

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Until just a century ago, our galaxy was thought to be the lone family of stars occupying the Cosmos. Philosophers, notably Immanuel Kant in the 18th Century, postulated the existence of other families of stars beyond our own. Unfortunately, their postulations — although correct — were not based in empirical data, and so could not be proven. This began to change during the 1920s and 30s, as astronomer Edwin Hubble set his sights on other galaxies, using the 2.5-meter (100-inch) telescope recently constructed on Mount Wilson in southern California. For the first time, Hubble was able to clearly see individual stars within M31 — the Andromeda… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u047i0

Jam any waterway on the planet with the Ever Given on this interactive map

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It finally happened: The massive Ever Given cargo ship that’s been blocking the Suez Canal and holding up traffic has been freed at last by salvage crews. It likely caused many a sleepless night for shipping crews and importers worldwide over the last week — but it also gave the world a boatload of relatable memes, and something to chuckle about for a minute back there. That doesn’t mean you have to stop humming sea shanties and put the Ever Given out of your mind, though. Drop anchor on this page and play with the interactive map, which lets you… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u6oLgf

Increase traffic, sales, and more with this UI/UX design training for just $15

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TLDR: The Introduction to UX/UI Design 5 Course Bundle puts the main tenets of user interface and user experience centerstage in the website or app building process. UI and UX. Yin and yang. Two sides of the same coin. A website based on a compelling user interface can’t survive without an equally streamlined user experience — and vice versa. For anyone with an eye toward site or app building, both pursuits need to be at the forefront of that campaign. Of course, that’s easier said than done. From scraping together user research to defining a strategy for the project to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31tkwz6

Master AWS, CompTIA, and more with this IT certification and training prep, now under $100

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TLDR: With a 3-year subscription to ITU Online, users have access to more than 220 IT training courses covering everything from networking and cloud storage to cybersecurity and beyond. Information technology means a lot of different things to a lot of different organizations these days. Some may be focused on transitioning all of their existing operations to the cloud. Others might be plagued by cybersecurity problems. Still more could be trying to build out customized apps for streamlining efficiency and performance across their entire employee network. Regardless of their direction, few organizations have the resources to employ IT personnel tasked… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u2c9H7

Master AWS, CompTIA, and more with this IT certification and training prep, now under $100

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TLDR: With a 3-year subscription to ITU Online, users have access to more than 220 IT training courses covering everything from networking and cloud storage to cybersecurity and beyond. Information technology means a lot of different things to a lot of different organizations these days. Some may be focused on transitioning all of their existing operations to the cloud. Others might be plagued by cybersecurity problems. Still more could be trying to build out customized apps for streamlining efficiency and performance across their entire employee network. Regardless of their direction, few organizations have the resources to employ IT personnel tasked… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u2c9H7

How to Keep Nearby Strangers from Sending You Files

Sharing is caring—except when it's an unwelcome photo from a rando on the subway. Here's how to lock down your phone and computer. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2QCYmIA

I tried to use the ad tech industry’s tool to opt out of personalized ads. Did it work?

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Last year, while reporting a story about how the digital advertising industry burrowed its tracking technology into scores of websites serving vulnerable and marginalized communities, I did something counterintuitive, especially for a reporter who writes about tech for a living: I surrendered to the surveillance economy. This decision to inject pure, uncut internet directly into my veins came as I was using and helping to create The Markup’s Blacklight tool, which opened my eyes even further to the plethora of companies that sought to grab my data from the websites I used on a daily basis. Until then, I had… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3w9pXBp

Scientists are trying to redefine how we measure time – here’s why

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Everyone needs to know the time. Ever since the 17th century Dutch inventor Christiaan Huygens made the first pendulum clock, people have been thinking of good reasons to measure time more precisely. Getting the time right is important in so many ways, from running a railway to doing millisecond trades on the stock market. Now, for most of us, our clocks are checking themselves against a signal from atomic clocks, like those on board the global positioning system (GPS) satellites. But a recent study by two teams of scientists in Boulder, Colorado might mean those signals will get much more… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rty6gL

Take your music to the next level with this wearable smart devices for musicians

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TLDR: Soundbrenner Pulse is a smart watch made especially for musicians, a wearable metronome that can help players stay on rhythm while also packing a few other cool features. We’ve seen smartwatches geared toward athletes. We’re even seeing them now tailored to doctors and other medical professionals. So it’s no surprise that the market for specialized wearables is growing to include all kinds of different niche groups. Like musicians. Yep, there’s now a smartwatch made especially for musicians. And the Soundbrenner Pulse SmartWatch for Musicians is an absolute ninja if you live in a world of music. Soundbrenner’s debut product,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3da3dbS

Looking to dive into photography? Learn the foundations through this training for $2 per course

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TLDR: The Complete 2021 Superstar Photographer Bundle is the perfect introduction to the steps for taking and editing perfect images every time. If you haven’t heard about Deep Nostalgia, you need to check it out. It’s the brainchild of genealogy platform MyHeritage, taking old photos, enhancing them, and infusing them with artificial intelligence to effectively bring faces to life, including images taken decades before film technology existed. While it’s a magical intersection between history and technology, the reality is that skilled photographers have been imbibing life into photos since the dawn of the medium. With the right lighting, exposure and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rqAuEY

Hackers Hosed by Google Were a Counterterrorism Operation

Plus: Fox News gets sued for its election coverage (again), a record ransomware attack, and more of the week’s top security news. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3suoNOS

The Roaring '20s Post-Pandemic Summer Terrifies Me

If quarantine quashed my social anxiety, looming reemergence is sending it into overdrive. Coping means taking pressure off ourselves and everyone else. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/2PftIoe

Here’s why cassette tape sales doubled during the pandemic

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Described by some as “Europe’s biggest tech show”, the Berlin Radio Show has long been famous for exhibiting the next big thing in consumer electronics. In 1963, that was the compact audio cassette, introduced at the time by its creator, the late Dutch engineer Lou Ottens, who died in early March. Over the course of Ottens’ lifetime, cassette tapes came to redefine listening habits, which until then had been limited to the much more unwieldy vinyl record. Car stereos and the iconic Sony Walkman suddenly made individual listening experiences possible outside of the home. The re-recordable nature of the format,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2P9z2ti