Showing posts with label FineJewelryandWatches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FineJewelryandWatches. Show all posts

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Trimming The Tag End Of A Fishing Knot - How Short To Cut It

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In fishing, as in life, there are consequences to your actions. If you are constantly finding that your fishing knots are coming undone, then you may be causing that to happen by cutting the tag end of your fishing knot too short. How short should it be? That's exactly what you're going to discover in this article.

Let's back up a little bit and first give some definitions.

When tying a fishing knot, the "Main Line" is the end of the line that connects to your fishing reel. So this is the bulk of your fishing line. You obviously don't cut this end of the line, or you will have cut the knot you just tied clean off your line.

The "Tag End" is the short end of the fishing line that is left over after you tie a knot.

Now you could just leave the tag end as long as it is after you tie your knot and forget about trimming it altogether to avoid mistakes. But unfortunately a tag end that is too long can cause a whole new set of problems. The extra line gives your knot additional weight, as well as cause unnecessary drag in the water that can alert fish to your presence.

So as you can see, leaving the tag end untrimmed is not recommended.

My suggestion then for the tag end goes back to the basic principles of tying a fishing knot:

Tie your knot with the correct number of wraps required for the type and weight of fishing line that you are using.

Ensure that you lubricate the knot well prior to tightening it down. Using soap, rather than saliva is recommended, as it will not eat away at your line. You should keep a small squeeze bottle of dish soap in your tackle box for this purpose.

Tighten your knot properly. Using a small pair of pliers can help you tighten the knot evenly and securely. I keep a pair on a retractable cord on my fishing vest for this very purpose.

If you tighten your knot securely it will not slip and you can leave a short tag. A tag end of 1/16" to 1/8" on a securely tied knot is sufficient.

So as you can see, you may in fact have an issue with your knot tying technique, rather than the length of your tag end, that is causing your knots to come undone. Tighten it down properly and your fishing knots will never slip again.

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Thursday, July 13, 2023

Pfizer Board Member Pressured Twitter to Censor Posts on Natural ... - The Epoch Times

A Pfizer board member who used to head the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lobbied Twitter to take action against a post accurately pointing out that natural immunity is superior to COVID-19 vaccination, according to an email released on Jan. 9. Dr. Scott Gottlieb wrote on Aug. 27, 2021, to Twitter executive Todd O’Boyle to request Twitter take action against a post from Dr. Brett Giroir, another former FDA commissioner. “This is the kind of stuff that’s corrosive. Here he draws a sweeping conclusion off a single retrospective study in Israel that hasn’t been peer reviewed. But this tweet will end up going viral and driving news coverage,” Gottlieb wrote. Giroir had written that it was clear natural immunity, or post-infection immunity, “is superior to vaccine immunity, by ALOT.” He said there was no scientific justification to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination if a person had natural immunity. “If no previous infection? Get vaccinated!” he also wrote. Giroir pointed to what was at the time a preprint study from Israeli researchers that found, after analyzing health records, that natural immunity provided better protection than vaccination. The study was later published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases following peer review. Researchers said the data “demonstrated that natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 two-dose vaccine-induced immunity.” BNT162b2 is the trade name for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is the main shot used in Israel. Gottlieb’s email triggered messages on Jira, Twitter’s internal messaging system, according to journalist Alex Berenson, who was granted access to Twitter’s internal files by CEO Elon Musk. “Please see this report from the former FDA commissioner,” O’Boyle wrote. A Twitter analyst who reviewed the post determined it did not violate any misinformation rules but Twitter still put a tag on it, claiming to all users who viewed it that it was “misleading” and directing them to a link that would show “why health officials recommend a vaccine for most people.” The tag prevented people from replying to, sharing, or liking Giroir’s post. Gottlieb later defended his actions, saying he targeted posts that he thought included “false and inflammatory” information. Giroir said “my tweet was accurate then, and it remains so now” and that Twitter never responded to him. Gottlieb later messaged O’Boyle again, flagging a post from Justin Hart, a critic of lockdowns and a skeptic of COVID-19 vaccines, Berenson reported. Gottlieb took issue with Hart writing that “sticks and stones may break my bones but a viral pathogen with a child mortality rate of <>0% has cost our children nearly three years of schooling.” COVID-19 poses little mortality risk to young, healthy people, studies and data show. Gottlieb did not detail why he wanted to censor Hart, but the objection came shortly before the U.S. government authorized and recommended Pfizer’s vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. O’Boyle sent the request to Twitter analysts, failing for a second time to disclose Gottlieb’s ties to Pfizer. The complaint did not trigger any action. “Our team of ragtag analysts, activists, moms and dads have been going after Scott since April 2020 when he repeatedly advocated for school closures and lockdowns. He doesn’t like people pushing back on the narrative,” Hart told The Epoch Times in a Twitter message. Twitter did not respond to requests for comment. Gottlieb also tried to get Berenson, a former New York Times reporter who now authors a Substack, banned from Twitter, a message released in 2022 showed. The message showed that Gottlieb forwarded a blog post from Berenson to a Twitter worker, writing that Berenson calling Dr. Anthony Fauci arrogant was an example of why Fauci, at the time the head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, needed a security detail. Four days later, and a day after Gottlieb met with Twitter workers, Twitter banned Berenson for allegedly violating its rules on COVID-19 misinformation. Gottlieb defended his actions. “I’ve raised concerns around social media broadly,” Gottlieb said during an appearance on CNBC. “And I’ve done it around the threats that are being made on these platforms, and the inability of these platforms to police direct threats, physical threats about people, that’s my concerns around social media, and what’s going on in that ecosystem.” “I am very concerned with physical threats being made against people’s safety and the people who gin up those threats against individuals,” he also said. Berenson responded that he’d never threatened Fauci or Gottlieb and referred to Gottlieb’s comments. In the post that triggered Gottlieb’s email, Berenson criticized Fauci for saying that “attacks on me are attacks on science” and how he handled the U.S. pandemic response. Berenson was reinstated to Twitter in 2022 as part of a settlement of a lawsuit he brought against the company. Berenson obtained Gottlieb’s email about Fauci’s post during discovery. Before the settlement agreement, a judge had concluded that Berenson plausibly alleged Twitter failed to abide by a policy of five strikes before banning the journalist. Share this with everyone! source https://4awesome.streamstorecloud.com/pfizer-board-member-pressured-twitter-to-censor-posts-on-natural-the-epoch-times/?feed_id=37842&_unique_id=64b0484f3381a

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Best appointment scheduling software for small organizations - TechRepublic

Best appointment scheduling software for small organizations Your email has been sent Choosing appointment scheduling software is easy if you know how to weigh the options. This article will help you make the right choice. Appointment scheduling software for small businesses has become increasingly necessary in recent years, and it’s easy to understand why. These programs allow small business owners to focus their time and energy on what matters most: growing and managing their businesses. Appointment-setting software does this by automating many of the tasks associated with managing appointments, such as sending reminders and notifications, tracking availability, booking events, and syncing schedules across different platforms. SEE: Hiring kit: Technical recruiter (TechRepublic Premium) In this in-depth guide, compare some of the top business appointment scheduling software solutions on the market and learn more about the features and benefits that come with investing in this type of small business technology. Jump to:

Calendly

Available for individuals, teams, small and midsize businesses, and even enterprise organizations, Calendly boasts an intuitive interface, rapid adoption, fast and frictionless customer interactions, high levels of customer end-user satisfaction, and important security safeguards. In addition, the software works with popular web browsers, features a stand-alone mobile app, integrates with customer relationship management systems, and connects to the PayPal and Stripe payment platforms. Figure A Calendly offers a free Basic version of its software with no time limit, while a free 14-day trial is available for its Teams plan. An Essentials subscription runs $8 per seat per month, the Professional plan is $12 per seat per month and the Teams offering costs $16 per seat per month. Those prices are for annual billing plans; slightly more expensive monthly options are available as well.
Thryv logo.
Image: Thryv
Touting a dedicated focus on small businesses, Thryv isn’t simply an appointment scheduling tool. It also offers a suite of complementary solutions for small business owners that include CRM, customer communication, reputation management, payment processing, marketing, document sharing and storage solutions. Thryv seeks to provide a complete small business management platform using a single online dashboard. The company’s appointment scheduling software permits customers to reserve their own meetings and appointments and synchronizes with the business’s calendar software to prevent overbooking. Figure B
Thryv's appointment scheduling software targets small businesses specifically and supports leading calendar platforms.
Thryv’s appointment scheduling software targets small businesses specifically and supports leading calendar platforms.
Thryv offers three subscription options: Plus, Premium and Unlimited. The Plus version supports two users and provides scheduling and appointment services; text and email features; 20GB of document storage; and payment processing using Braintree, Square, Stripe or PayPal. Exact pricing information is available upon request from the Thryv sales team.
Squarespace logo.
Image: Squarespace
Squarespace, known for simplifying SMB website design and e-commerce administration, also offers an all-in-one Squarespace Scheduling appointment management solution. Customers need not possess a Squarespace website to use the company’s appointment scheduling service; any web-hosting service will work. All Squarespace Scheduling plans offer calendar syncing, custom payment options, invoicing and automatic reminder email messaging. A similar service, Acuity Scheduling, was acquired by Squarespace in 2019. The two share almost all of their features. However, Squarespace Scheduling is natively offered for existing Squarespace users and accounts. Figure C
This is an example of how calendar syncing works on Squarespace scheduling.
This is an example of how calendar syncing works on Squarespace scheduling.
Three Squarespace Scheduling plans are available. Billed annually, the Emerging plan is $14 per month, the Growing plan runs $23 per month and the Powerhouse plan costs $45 per month.
The Square logo.
Image: Square
One vendor that is familiar to several SMBs is Square, which gives many businesses the ability to start accepting credit cards. The company’s Square Appointments software integrates with its point-of-sale system to concentrate scheduling, point-of-sale features and payment processing all within a single platform. Figure D
Square Appointments allows users to select where they want their online booking widget to show up. Users can choose multiple channels.
Square Appointments allows users to select where they want their online booking widget to show up. Users can choose multiple channels.
Three subscription plans are available: Free, Plus and Premium. The Free version is for use at a single location and includes an unlimited number of user accounts, access to the custom booking website and social media integrations, integrated payments, automated text and email reminders, and appointment and sales history tracking. The Plus version, at $29 per month per location, adds multiple time zone and location supports and lowers the in-person credit card transaction fee by 10.1%. Premium is $69 per month per location and adds custom permissions, multiple wage rates, and team sales and labor reporting capabilities.
Setmore logo.
Image: Setmore
Advertising itself as “free scheduling software,” Setmore offers its clients’ customers around-the-clock automated online scheduling. The solution also offers SMBs a wealth of other features for managing appointment workflows. Free trials for Setmore are available, and the company also offers 30-day money-back guarantees. Figure E
Setmore offers businesses a mobile app, as well as Mac and Windows desktop versions.
Setmore offers businesses a mobile app, as well as Mac and Windows desktop versions.
Three pricing plans are available, with the first being free and supporting up to four users. The free version provides businesses with unlimited appointments, social media integrations, email reminders, Square payment processing, Teleport video meetings and a custom booking webpage. The Premium plan runs $5 per user per month billed annually and supports two users. The Pro plan, which supports three or more users, is $5 per user per month when billed annually.
SimplyBook.me logo.
Image: SymplyBook.me
An unusual approach, one company offers two separate but similar scheduling solutions: SimplyBook.me and SimplyMeet.me. The SimplyBook.me LTD company, a global ISO 27001 certified firm, first launched its appointment scheduling software in 2009. When the company acquired the Harmonizely CalDAV scheduling tool in June 2021, it rebranded that technology as SimplyMeet.me. The firm offers both solutions today. If SimplyBook.me proves too extensive for a business’s needs, SimplyMeet.me offers a simplified interface with fewer features.
The SimplyBook.me dashboard gives users a variety of colorful and interactive booking visualizations.
The SimplyBook.me dashboard gives users a variety of colorful and interactive booking visualizations.
SimplyBook.me offers a free 14-day trial that includes most features and up to 50 bookings. Five subscription types are available: SimplyMeet.me, meanwhile, offers simplified services, albeit via three different pricing plans: In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever for small businesses to provide their customers with convenient, self-service appointment scheduling options. Appointment scheduling software permits customers to review a business’s availability and independently book appointments and meetings using an online interface or email. Such apps allow customers to reserve, change and cancel appointments and meetings without needing to call or communicate with the business directly. SEE: Calendly vs. Acuity: Appointment scheduling software comparison (TechRepublic) Not only does this free up valuable time for small business owners and their staff, but it also provides a better customer experience by allowing customers to schedule appointments according to their own schedules and timelines. In addition, appointment scheduling software often comes equipped with valuable features like online payment processing, automatic reminders and customer management tools. Depending on the platform and selected features, appointment scheduling applications can integrate with a small or midsize business’s website and software systems — including email, calendars, customer relationship management and payment systems — to better enhance workflows. Workflows that are often improved by appointment scheduling software include appointment booking, customer follow-up messaging, and requesting and receiving payments. SEE: Vendor access policy (TechRepublic Premium) Business owners and managers can share their business’s calendaring and appointment-booking systems with the appointment scheduling software. Customers, subsequently, can access the information in real time and use their own devices to find or reschedule an appointment that also works with the business’s schedule. At the very minimum, appointment scheduling software should have the following features: One of the most important features of appointment scheduling software is its ability to sync with calendar software. This is important because it allows business owners to see their appointments in one central location — their calendar — along with any other meetings or appointments they might have. This can prevent double-booking and other schedule conflicts. Another key feature of appointment scheduling software is the ability to generate a shareable link to a user’s booking page. This link can be shared via email, social media or a website. It makes it easy for potential customers to book an appointment without having to go through the hassle of filling out lengthy forms. In addition to generating a shareable link, many appointment scheduling software platforms also allow users to embed their booking page into their website. This is a great option for businesses that want to make booking an appointment as easy as possible for their customers. Finally, most appointment scheduling software platforms enable users to set custom working hours or availability windows. This is important because it allows businesses to only offer appointments when they are available. For example, if a business only offers appointments from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, then they can set their availability window accordingly, so potential customers can only book appointments during those times. Appointment scheduling software improves customer service in several ways. First, it ensures customers can easily book appointments online, 24/7. This eliminates the need for customers to call during business hours and wait on hold until they can speak to someone. Second, it allows businesses to send automatic appointment reminders to customers before their appointments. This reduces no-shows, which is often a major issue for businesses that rely on appointments. Appointment scheduling software can also help businesses keep track of customer information and preferences, which can be used to provide a better customer experience. Another benefit of appointment scheduling software is increased efficiency. When businesses use appointment scheduling software, they no longer have to spend time managing appointment bookings manually. This frees up time for employees to focus on other tasks, such as serving customers and growing the business. SEE: How to use Google Calendar appointment schedules (TechRepublic) Appointment scheduling software can also automate many tasks associated with managing appointments, such as sending reminders and confirming appointments. This further increases efficiency by eliminating the need for employees to do these tasks manually. Appointment scheduling software can improve profitability by reducing operating costs and increasing revenue. When businesses use appointment scheduling software, they often find that they need fewer staff members to manage appointments effectively. This reduces labor costs and helps improve bottom-line profits. SEE: Hiring kit: Automation specialist (TechRepublic Premium) In addition, by automating many of the tasks associated with managing appointments, businesses can free up time that can be used to generate new leads and close new sales. This helps increase top-line revenue and further improves profitability. Appointment scheduling software has been known to help business users better manage their time. With a system in place, users will be able to see exactly how much time they have available for each appointment. This information can help users better plan their day, so they can make the most of their time. Additionally, users will be able to avoid overbooking or double-booking appointments, which can lead to wasted time and lost revenue. Another advantage of using an online booking system is that it offers businesses much greater flexibility than traditional methods of booking appointments, such as by phone or in person. Online booking systems allow businesses to offer their customers a range of options for booking appointments by date, time or location. This flexibility means businesses can cater to their customers’ needs much more effectively than before. Finally, one further benefit businesses enjoy when using online booking systems is increased exposure. By making it easy for customers to book appointments online, companies are opening up their services to a much wider audience than before. This exposure can help to boost sales and spread awareness about the company’s products and services. Read next: Best employee monitoring software (TechRepublic) Stay up to date on the latest in technology with Daily Tech Insider. We bring you news on industry-leading companies, products, and people, as well as highlighted articles, downloads, and top resources. You’ll receive primers on hot tech topics that will help you stay ahead of the game. Best appointment scheduling software for small organizations Your email has been sent Your message has been sent TechRepublic Premium content helps you solve your toughest IT issues and jump-start your career or next project. Looking for the best payroll software for your small business? Check out our top picks for 2023 and read our in-depth analysis. Next year, cybercriminals will be as busy as ever. Are IT departments ready? The company, which for several years has been on a buying spree for best-of-breed products, is integrating platforms to generate synergies for speed, insights and collaboration. Organize a number of different applicants using an ATS to cut down on the amount of unnecessary time spent finding the right candidate. Whether you are a Microsoft Excel beginner or an advanced user, you'll benefit from these step-by-step tutorials. Stay up to date on the latest in technology with Daily Tech Insider. We bring you news on industry-leading companies, products, and people, as well as highlighted articles, downloads, and top resources. You’ll receive primers on hot tech topics that will help you stay ahead of the game. This policy describes guidelines your organization can follow to track, process and decommission IT equipment. From the policy: SUMMARY An organization’s IT hardware inventory constitutes a significant capital investment in order to perform company operations. Because hardware represents a critical asset and often holds organizational data, it is important for the company to track each ... Whether an infection is the result of a disgruntled employee, hardware vulnerability, software-based threat, social engineering penetration, robotic attack or human error, all organizations must be prepared to immediately respond effectively to such an issue if the corresponding damage is to be minimized. Because even the best protected networks become infected, all organizations must have ... Every operating system should be appropriately secured, especially end user workstations which often contain or permit access to company data and upon which most employee job duties are based. To get the maximum security protection out of your Windows 10 deployments follow this checklist from TechRepublic Premium. Also included in this checklist: Security solutions Product ... Third-party cloud-based file storage applications such as Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive have all contributed to the success of business cloud data storage. These products have brought proven flexibility and ease of data access to users and businesses alike while ensuring security of confidential information. Cloud data storage offers many benefits to consumers and companies ... source https://4awesome.streamstorecloud.com/best-appointment-scheduling-software-for-small-organizations-techrepublic/?feed_id=36908&_unique_id=646151b11cccd

Friday, March 31, 2023

Z GRILLS launches early holiday pricing across pellet grill lineup from $200 - 9to5Toys



Z GRILLS is currently offering a number of the year’s best prices across its wide range of pellet grills to upgrade your outdoor cooking setup. Our favorite model is the L6002E 572-Square Inch Pellet Grill plus $20 gift card for $379 shipped. Down from a $479 list price and $409 going rate at Home Depot, today’s deal marks one of the best prices that we’ve tracked. Ready to take your outdoor grilling game to the next level, this Z GRILLS pellet grill features 572-square inches of cooking space. On top of that, you can sear over direct heat at temperatures up to 750F, which is something that we don’t normally see for pellet grills. Another feature is Z GRILLS’ digital PID control board which helps you to dial in the exact settings with ease. Keep reading for more Z GRILLS deals.
Don’t forget that the Alexa-enabled Traeger Pro Series 780 wood pellet grill is on sale for its all-time low of $150 off. Down from $1,000, it’s on sale for $850 as we head into Black Friday. Then, give our home goods guide a look for other great ways you can save on upgrading your kitchen this season. Black Friday is just a week away, so you’ll want to keep it locked there for all the best discounts to find.
With unmatched versatility, convenience, and build quality, the Z Grills L6002E is everything you need to be the pitmaster for years to come. This grill features a digital PID control board and advanced technology for precise temperatures. Our grills are designed with your experience in mind. From searing over direct heat at high temperatures to making sure all the grease goes to the right place, the L6002E packs all the necessary features to make your outdoor cooking experience hassle-free
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Monday, February 27, 2023

Five critical components for entrepreneurial success - Crain's Cleveland Business

Unlike many cities, Cleveland is uniquely positioned to promote a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. This is why I wholeheartedly agree with the majority of Ray Leach's Nov. 14 opinion article in Crain's on what it will take to make these entrepreneurial aspirations into a reality.
From first-hand experience, I can attest not only to the creative approach Leach has to the problem, but also the invaluable partnerships he has introduced to Cleveland. His recent piece features the importance of commitment, collaboration and capital. These "3 C's" are critical components of the formula to build a booming entrepreneurial economy.
However, I would like to comment on two additional components that are absolutely vital to include. The two additional components are merely expanding on the formula Leach has outlined. Without factoring these components into the formula, the highest level of innovation will never be achieved.
What enables an ecosystem to reach success? Talent.
Talent enhances the formula for success because it acts as a stable pipeline of new innovators into the community. Without talent, neither commitment, collaboration, nor capital would be efficient. A concrete pipeline of talent, however, ensures that this efficiency is possible. This is because talent introduces novelty and increases the process of innovation in an ecosystem.
Where does this pipeline start? Higher education.
The Boler College of Business at John Carroll University intersects with the foundation of Cleveland's talent base because it embraces the responsibility of being a citizen in Cleveland's innovative community. Therefore, the college, like others, has a prevalent role to educate and prepare people for careers and to produce talent for Cleveland's entrepreneurial network.
As part of the pipeline, the Boler College of Business can be a source for startups to launch a new idea in Northeast Ohio. One idea can revolutionize and transform the Cleveland area. To successfully catalyze an innovative idea, one last component needs to be included in our formula.
Two ecosystems may have all four components to the equation on paper, yet sometimes one is evidently doing better. For some unknown reason, one community's levels of innovation and success are thriving, while the other community's is not. Why might this optimism be present in one and not the other? Passion is properly leveraged.
Call me a romantic, but I think excluding passion in the formula for success would result in a doomed potential for Cleveland.
The most successful entrepreneurial hubs in the world accommodate passion into their formula. This is due to passion being a multiplier.
In our formula, if one of the components is at zero, then the entire configuration ultimately fails. This is why one ecosystem advances compared to another. The ecosystem that does not advance tries to innovate with zero passion, but with commitment, collaboration, capital and talent still in the formula.
Ultimately, properly leveraging passion enhances the overall success of a region engaged in entrepreneurship.
Passion cannot be artificially manufactured.
One unique thing about Cleveland, however, is that passion is already ingrained into the region's network of collaborators. In the past 10 to 15 years alone, the landscape of passion has only been increasing. Transitions into positions of new leadership in Cleveland are an exemplifier of this. Just to name a few, there is the election of Mayor Justin Bibb, the appointment of Baiju Shah as CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, and even new leadership in multiple nonprofits and the Cleveland Clinic.
When attempting to create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, there is a danger and risk of staying static. Rather than staying complacent, passion builds in a drive to constantly be innovative and regularly oppose regression. This drive is embodied in the talent that is pipelined into an entrepreneurial network.
The Final Formula for Success: Commitment x Collaboration x Capital x Talent x Passion = Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Granot is dean of the Boler College of Business at John Carroll University.

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Saturday, February 18, 2023

Parks Associates: 38% of Households Own at Least One Smart Home Device, Up 2% From the Previous Year - PR Newswire

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CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES to address the impact of connected products on the rapidly changing connected home landscape
DALLAS, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- International research firm Parks Associates today announced the agenda for the 17th annual CONNECTIONS™ Summit: Smart Home Growth Strategies, taking place in Las Vegas on January 5 at the Venetian Conference Room, in cooperation with CES® 2023. The annual event features Parks Associates' analyst team and industry players, with insights on new business models, tech advancements, and the services stemming from connected devices and services in the home.

Parks Associates' latest consumer survey work of 10,000 internet households shows that 38% of households own at least one smart home device, up 2% from a year ago. Consumers continue to buy connected products. Twenty-seven percent of US internet households report buying a smart home device in the past 12 months, and 44% of households report intentions to purchase a smart home device in the next 12 months.
CONNECTIONS™ Summit, sponsored by Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Johnson Controls, Alarm.com, Cooktop Safety, Ivani, and Rapid Response Monitoring, brings together leading executives from smart home, connected health, privacy and security, value-added services, and home security industries.
"There is so much to talk about. All channels that develop and deliver smart home products have seen new demand, with rising consumer expectations and new opportunities to deliver an integrated connected experience in the home," said Chris White, research director, Parks Associates, and cohost of the Connected Consumer Podcast. "We are excited to bring industry leaders together to talk about the advancements in the connected home."
9:00 AM   Value-Added Services – Expanding Broadband 
10:00 AM   Scaling Smart Home: Smart Apartments and Smart Spaces
11:00 AM   New Era of Home Energy: EVs, Solar, Storage
1:00 PM   Smart Home Security: Automation, Response, and New Value
2:00 PM   Smart Home Platforms: Interoperability and Partnershipssponsored by CSA Alliance
3:00 PM   Virtual Care and Independent Living: Keeping Seniors Safe 
4:00 PM   The Whole Home Experience: Use Cases, Services and Support
5:30 PM   Networking Reception
CONNECTIONS™ Summit is accepting speaker submissions. For sponsorship information, contact Ashton Gambrell at [email protected]. To request research or an interview, contact Rosey Sera, [email protected], 972.996.0233.
CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES is an annual research and industry event hosted by international research firm Parks Associates at CES in Las Vegas. The executive event features one day of panel discussions on the smart home, Internet of Things (IoT), connected health, and connected entertainment, with trends and implications for connected consumers and opportunities for companies to build new revenues and develop innovative business models.
The 17th annual CONNECTIONS™ Summit will take place January 5 during CES, which runs January 5-8 in Las Vegas. Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Summit. http//www.connectionssummit.com
Contact:
Rosimely Sera
Parks Associates
972.996.0233
[email protected]
SOURCE Parks Associates
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Wednesday, February 15, 2023

9 effective team building activities to try this year - CIO

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The time has come. You can’t avoid it any longer. You can already here the screams of protest. But there is no way out of it: You absolutely must do a team building event.
Maybe someone quit. Or the team isn’t performing well. Maybe your boss suggested it. Or there has been a lot of absenteeism. There is always a reason for investing time and effort in activities that make your team work better.
The data on team building tells a story you can’t ignore:  According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, most US workers (51%) are disengaged from their workplace. This is bad for business. Engaged employees produce better business outcomes, show up to work and do more of it, improve customer relationships, and obtain more impressive organic growth than those that aren’t engaged.
Last time you tried it, though, it was a disaster. “Paint ball will be a blast!” You insisted to a room full of sullen stares. And, sure enough, by the end of the day, paintball had disintegrated into a full-on war. There are still factions not speaking to each other.
So what’s your next idea?
 “How about axe throwing!”
If you’ve got a new team or a team that gets along well, axe throwing might be a fun way to spend some time getting to know each other while blowing off a little steam.
“As with anything that’s supposed to be fun, 25 percent of your people will be gung-ho,” says Adrian Gostick, author of The Best Team Wins. “Some will be reluctant but will get into the swing. But there will be a few who will say, ‘This is stupid and why are they dragging me out here.’”
Still, there is a lot of time to talk and get to know each other while other people are throwing axes. And with all the movement, waiting for your turn, and the necessity to form teams, it’s hard for subgroups to isolate themselves and avoid people they don’t know. Also? Drinking to excess is not allowed. “This can be a good event,” says Gostick. “But you can’t force people to have fun.”
Avoid it, though, if your team is fighting, broken, not functioning, and still angry from the paintball debacle. “Do not give those people sharp objects!” warns Liane Davey, Ph.D. and author of  Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. “You have to be much more careful when you are trying to rebuild trust.” In that case, hire a professional facilitator to help.
When it works? This is a social outing that gives people a chance to get to know each other in a fun, relaxed setting. Warning: If your teams hates each other, they are now armed with axes.
Ex private eye Jayson Wechter has been taking IT teams on team-building adventures through the streets of San Francisco for over two decades.  He builds a custom treasure hunt for each one.
“I first get information about the participants – their job, age range, how active they are, if they are competitive, and if they live in the area or are coming in from somewhere else,” he explains. This knowledge helps him avoid cultural references a non-American won’t get or clues that will be too easy for a local or too hard for an out-of-towner. “Then we meet in the game zone for a briefing and to go over the mechanics of the event and concepts of collaborative problem solving and working effectively as a team.”
Armed with supplies and clues, everyone goes out into the city to find answers. Along the way, you get a fascinating tour of San Francisco’s lesser known places, people, and history. “Finding the clues is like working a crime scene for small details,” explains Wechter. “It requires effective collaboration.”
In many workplace situations, there is one person – often a man – who dominates meetings and is seen as a leader. “But the most effective leader is not the person with the strongest personality,” says Wechter. “It’s the person who enables every member of the team to contribute as fully as possible.”
He often sees teams learn this lesson. While they are having fun, they see how they would play better if they listened to everyone.
When it works: This event teaches leadership, effective collaborative, and a bit of history. It is a fun puzzle for smart teams that enjoy games.
“The best team building exercise I was part of,” says Lisa Brand, a marketing executive in Los Angeles, happened on its own.” It started with a challenge: Bring in the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich you can make. People had strong feelings, it turned out, about the lowly PB&J. And submissions came in from all over the company.
“People brought in everything from gourmet confections to Skippy and grape jelly,” says Brand. Along the way, everyone shared stories about the role of PB&J in their life, ate each other’s offerings, chatted, and had fun. Without anyone having to call it a “Team Building Exercise,” it became a monthly challenge. Each one a different “Best version of…” category. Eventually relationships and friendships were formed around simple foods.
Key to the success of this organic team building, was the role managers played in recognizing, encouraging, and participating in it. No manager stepped in to wonder why everyone was taking a break to eat sandwiches. Instead, the contest was given space, time, and official sanction.
“A meal where you aren’t forced into uncomfortable one-on-one conversations is a great place to start with a new team,” agrees Davey. “Everyone has the chance to talk to each other, learn something about their background, and build trust.”
When it works: Everyone needs to eat. If you find a way to make that social, you can build fundamental team relationships organically.
“Escape rooms are a fun way to build on a team’s communication and problem-solving skills,” suggests Georgene Huang, CEO and Co-Founder of Fairygodboss.com, a career community for women. “They force you to work as a team in a pseudo ‘high stakes’ environment without any risks.”
Each person brings specific skills to this sort of game and all are necessary. So, it’s a great way to play off everyone’s strengths. There is a time pressure, but no real-world consequences for failure. People will have to throw in, communicate, and work together to solve the puzzle and escape the room in the allotted time.
“What’s interesting about escape rooms,” says David Goldstein, COO of TeamBonding.com. “Is that the team members don’t know they are working together. But they have to in order to succeed. I am the guy that that picks everything up and turns it over. I am not the guy who solves the puzzle. But both of those people are necessary.”
When it works: Locking a broken team into a room for an hour might not be a great idea. However, new teams will gain from this collaborative puzzle solving event. Solid working teams will kill it.
“We had the technical operations team build a bridge,” says Emily King, Human Resources Director for ScienceLogic. “It was a blast.”
They broke the group down into six groups of four, gave everyone a bag of marshmallows, a box of toothpicks, and some magnets and asked each team to build a suspension bridge over some tables. They had 20 minutes. The best bridge would win a prize.
But before the timer started, everyone did the Gallup StrengthsFinder test. This assessment identifies if people are ‘strategic’ (able to plan and spot patterns) or if they have ‘positivity’ or ‘command’ (where they have presence, take control, and make decisions) along with many other qualities.
“It was very funny to watch,” laughs King. “Everyone doing it found it great fun, too.” One team, with too many strategic members talked and planned so much they ran out of time and never started their bridge. Another, with too many doers jumped in and started building without listening to the instructions. They had to start over and never finished their bridge.
“The group I worried about the most,” says King. “Had one woman who asked question after question. I thought they would use up all the time answering those. The leader was ‘empathetic’ and worked hard to make sure everyone was on board. In the end, they worked so well together they won.”
When it works: This sort of facilitated team building where someone guides a team through a test works for any team and is a good solution for a team that needs to work on building trust and psychological safety.
“The most popular team building event in the world, right now,” says Goldstein of TeamBonding.com. “Is the Charity Bike Build.”
That’s where a team shows up to assemble bicycles for children who have never had one. The bike building itself is something of a team building exercises, as the participants have to work. It’s also good for retention and company culture because people want to feel good about where they work and charity events give them that.
But giving the bikes away is when the real magic happens. “When the kids show up and accept the bicycles,” says Goldstein. “People cry.”
The groups go from worrying about work that won’t get done because of this team building event to enjoying having permission to build a bike for a kid to understanding that their workload, that issue they’re having with someone on the team, their commute, or whatever else it is that they are feeling sorry for themselves over is nothing compared to a child that has never owned a bike.
“This is the thing I am most proud of about my work,” says Goldstein.
When it works: This is a great event for a team that’s working well together and doesn’t need to get to know each other.
 “Eating together is a great way to build trust,” says Davey. And culinary team building events are wildly popular. Cooking classes can be fun. But it can be hard to find a class that hits everyone’s skill level. And someone who goes home from work to cook for a family might be annoyed by it. But events where the participants eat, preferably in some lovely setting, are welcomed by everyone.
“I did a fantastic event with a fairly new team,” says Davey. “We had a meal in a beautiful vineyard.” Appetizers were served outside in the vineyard, among the vines. Then the group moved into the caves for the salad course. Each course got a new location – and a new seating arrangement.
“They had a wonderful room with a big roaring fireplace where we ate desert and enjoyed an open time where we could join any group or talk one-on-one. It was an excellent team-building event.”
When it works: This is a great for any team that needs to get to know each other. There is plenty of opportunity for conversation and no forced groupings or physical activity.
Karaoke is so last decade. This year, it’s all about live band Karaoke. League of Rock specializes in team building events where you get to get up on stage and perform in front of a rock band. It’s so much classier and Karaoke and takes the experience to a whole new level.
It’s really fun,” says Davie. “You are on stage. It’s your big chance to play the guitar or be the rock star you have always dreamed of being. But it is just as fun if you don’t want to get on stage. You are in the audience watching your teammates rock out.”
This is the sort of team building that takes a working team to the next level. It gives them a shared history and builds on their relationship rather than just helping them get to know each other.
“This is the sort of event where people end up with nicknames and in-jokes emerge,” says Davey.
When it works: Got a team that works? Want to bring them closer? This is a great way to do that.
When Xavier Lee, now head of executive coaching at Ideal Coaching Global and a partner at Centered Leadership Institute, worked on a high-functioning team that had just had an immensely successful year, his team – of about 50 people – went to Thailand for team building.
This is the sort of team building event that is, at least in part, a reward. Travel puts everyone on equal footing, gets people to stop the daily grind and enjoy each other’s company, and builds strong relationships and fond memories.
Lee’s team was living and working in Asia at the time, so it wasn’t distant travel. “It was fantastic,” he says. “There were chartered busses to take us to the sites. We went to temples and took a guided tour of Bangkok. We went to a nice dinner with a show. Then we got a massage.”
It’s hard to imagine a team that would whine and complain about that kind of team building event. But you don’t have to go all the way to Asia for it.
When this works: When a team is really working, it shows in your bottom line. If that’s the case, spoil them, make them feel appreciated, and cement the team’s relationships.
More on leading teams:

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Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Grill Your Own Skewers at Rockville's New Chinese Barbecue and ... - Washingtonian

A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
window.blockAvantis = true;
The DC area has plenty of Korean barbecue restaurants with tabletop grills. But a new Chinese barbecue spot in Rockville, Hulu Skewer House, is the first of its kind in the region with custom grills designed to rotate and cook meat on a stick right in front of you. The place also features a menu of hand-pulled noodles and other Chinese specialties, two bars, and six private karaoke rooms.
The restaurant is a joint venture from eight longtime friends who were looking to create their ideal hangout. One of the owners, Tina Xue, has family in Northeastern China who owns similar grilled skewer restaurants there. These high-tech tabletop grills have gained popularity in parts of China in recent years, but they’re a total novelty in the US.
“It’s really hard or impossible to find a similar grill out here, so we had to contact one of the manufacturers in China to have them specially made to our standards,” says partner Jonathan Wang, who works in biotech and had experience helping family run Chinese restaurants in Arizona. The grills had to be specially modified with ventilation to meet US standards.
 
 
A post shared by Hulu Skewers | NEW Skewer Restaraunt in MoCo (@huluskewers)

Diners can choose from a long list of proteins: Angus beef, Berkshire pork belly, and lamb alongside odd bits like chicken heart, pork intestine, or beef tongue. There’s also a range of seafood (squid, fish cakes, garlic scallops) and at least 10 different vegetable options (corn, king oyster mushrooms, okra).
The grills rock the skewers back and forth so that they cook evenly. When they’re done, diners move them to a rack above. The restaurant has utensils designed specifically for removing meat from the skewers, and containers at each table for dispensing used sticks. Two different dry spice blends with cumin and sesame seeds—one mild, the other slightly spicy—are offered for dipping. You can also request a sweet chili sauce.
Beyond the skewers, the opening menu offers pigs ear and green onion salad, thousand-years eggs with tofu, and even spiced French fries. But a big attraction is the Lanzhou beef noodle soup: “I would say we have no competition for this noodle soup around this area. It’s the most authentic hand-pulled noodles you can try,” Wang says.
If you’re overwhelmed by the choices, Hulu offers curated combos for $80 to $105 for two people, which include a mix of skewers, appetizers, the hand-pulled noodles, and dessert. All the ordering is done via a QR code on your phone. The restaurant is still in its “soft opening” phase, meaning they’re troubleshooting service and expanding the menu.
The restaurant also has two bars—one in the main dining room and another in the upper level where you’ll also find the karaoke rooms. (You can also order skewers while you sing, but they’ll be cooked in the kitchen.) In addition to staple beers, a handful of wines, and classic cocktails, Hulu also offers bottle service.
The name Hulu comes from a Chinese anime series about eight characters—an old man and his seven children—just as the restaurant has eight friends as investors.
“Some of us have known each other for over 20 years, and we always wanted to do something together,” Wang says. “Every Saturday night, we all hang out and chill, so this restaurant is really a place where we want to chill and have fun—and also we want to bring the most authentic [Chinese] food to the DMV area.”
The owners already have their eye on expansion, too. They’re looking to open two more locations in Arlington and Ellicott City by early next year.
Hulu Skewer House. 1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville.
Jessica SidmanJessica Sidman
Food Editor

Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.


Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.

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Friday, January 20, 2023

How to use your smart display as a security camera - Android Police

That's right, smart displays can do more than show you the 10-day forecast
In the modern age, virtually every smart home device is equipped with a camera, from phones and laptops to video doorbells and microwaves. The popularity of camera-equipped devices has made for easy video calls and some hilarious videos on social media. It also means that devices like smart displays can act as effective and durable home security cameras for customers.
As long as you have an Amazon Echo Show powered by Alexa or a Google Nest Hub powered by Google Assistant, you can access the live feed from the smart speaker on your smartphone or another handheld device. Depending on your smart display, you can move the camera to look around your home as long as your Wi-Fi connection is intact.
In this guide, we explain how to use your smart display as a security camera, walking you through the steps for the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show interfaces, so you can keep an eye on your home with ease.
The Google Nest Hub is a popular smart display option for those that love the Google ecosystem of devices. However, not all iterations of the smart speaker have access to the security camera feature, which Google calls Nest Cam. Subsequently, you'll need the correct model to use your Google Nest Hub as a security system.
The Google Nest Hub Max is the only device that can utilize the Nest Cam features. If you're working with the first or second generation of the standard Google Nest Hub, you're out of luck.
Once you confirm that you have the Google Nest Hub Max, follow the steps below to set up your Nest Cam features and use your device as a security camera.
And now, you're all set to use your Google Nest Hub Max as a security camera. You'll be able to get live feed from your device, as well as talk and listen through it. When you say, "Hey Google, show me the living room," you'll see a camera feed of that location and have two-way audio functionality.
Nest Cam also provides a three-hour window where you can get snapshots from the device when it detects an event. If you want access to full-on continuous recording instead of just a livestream, sign up for Nest Aware, which costs $6 per month. You'll be able to save and share clips for up to 30 days on the Nest app, set up activity zones, and get automatic notifications when the device notices something unusual.
You may be more of an Amazon Alexa person when it comes to smart technology. The devices offer many smart home integrations that can improve your setup. However, like the Google Nest Hub, not all Amazon Echo Show devices can be used as security cameras. Make sure you have the right iteration to take advantage of Home Monitoring, which Amazon calls its security camera functionality.
The Echo Show 5 (2nd gen), Echo Show 8 (2nd gen), Echo Show 8 (2nd gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15 are compatible with the Home Monitoring feature. Now that you have a compatible device, follow these steps to use your Amazon Echo Show as a security camera.
You can now access your Amazon Echo Show as a security camera, providing a live feed from that device's camera. If you have the Echo Show 10, you can swivel the camera back and forth by swiping left and right on the screen. You can also take advantage of Ring Modes, which integrate multiple Ring devices for easier functionality.
Like Google, Amazon requires you to sign up for a subscription to get continuous recordings. The plan for these devices is called Amazon Protect, and it costs $3.99 per month for a video history of up to 180 days.
While smart displays perform admirably when it comes to home security cameras, there's no substitute for the real thing. Yes, the Google Nest Hub and the Echo Show have their perks. Still, security cameras from companies like Ring and Alro are better equipped for home security, mainly because they're built with home security functionality in mind. Even Nest cameras provide a solid option that integrates seamlessly with Google Nest Hub.
Home security cameras are often weatherproof, so you can place them outside to monitor more than your living room. Additionally, they typically offer better connectivity, as they aren't powering a full-on smart display on top of recording your home. On top of all that, home security cameras are portable, allowing you to place and mount them wherever you'd like rather than awkwardly sitting on the entryway table.
Smart displays are an excellent addition to a home security setup, but they won't do the job on their own. If you want to be 100% sure you're secure, check out our best security camera guide to see what options are beyond your smart speaker.
Conor has been staunchly in favor of Android since graduating to a smartphone from his hot pink Motorola RAZR. In fact, he'll gladly ruin a friendly dinner in service of lambasting Apple devices to those that use them, which he admits is one of his worst personality traits. After being talked out of sports writing by someone working for ESPN Chicago ("it's the same thing every year, it's like purgatory"), Conor decided that the ever-evolving world of tech would be a much more interesting topic to focus on. Now, more than half a decade later, he covers everything from new devices and big conferences to small startups and business trends. In addition to freelancing for Android Police, Conor is the Lead Writer for Tech.co, a tech publication focused on helping small businesses grow and succeed. He's worked with the likes of Forbes, WeWork, General Assembly, Chase Bank, Tech in Motion, and SXSW, among others, through Tech.co in service of making tech a bit more accessible. Conor also can't properly pronounce the word "colloquially," but honestly, who can?

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