10 Awesome Ways to Use Voice-Activated Technology in the Workplace

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Sarah Mejia

The use of voice-activated technology in the workplace is steadily growing. And that is because this kind of technology offers a plethora of resources and support that, previously, were not there. It helps workers manage customers without a problem not to mention playing a huge role in increasing productivity.

The following are ways to use voice-activated technology in the workplace:

1. To Improve Customer Service Phone Support

Voice-activated technology enables the telecom industry to tackle simple problems. He also states that this technology provides more natural customer service help through the telephone. As far as IVR (International Voice Recognition) is concerned, voice-activated technology is by far the best thing the telecom industry has ever come up with.

2. To Augment Internal Workplace Education

Voice-activated technology not only comes in handy in improving the relationship between the company and customers but also can be used to connect employees to on-demand internal resources. This allows developers to access comprehensive documentation. It also helps other people get their questions about workplace policies answered.

3. Can be Integrated with Business Apps

There are plenty of reasons businesses should consider using voice-activated technology like Amazon’s Alexa. One of these is that this technology helps employees work more efficiently. It helps them schedule meetings, set important reminders, and keep track of to-do lists, among others.

4. To Improve Search Engine Efficiency

Scientists can use voice messages to text to speak complex search terms into the product search engine. This software ensures faster results, plus makes searching more efficient. When dealing with complex product names, speaking the search terms becomes more accurate compared to typing them.

5. To Improve the Effectiveness of Meetings

Nationwide or global organizations are frustrated going through shared meeting spaces. Voice-activation software can provide a solution to this issue. Well, this is through massively enhancing scheduling as well as utilizing meeting rooms.

This technology can also free up employees, thereby, allowing them to focus on more pressing issues. Voice-activated assistants can be relied on to manage virtually everything. This ranges from conference call setups to room booking and availability.

6. To Boost Productivity

Voice-activated technology can be integrated with automation to keep productivity up. This technology achieves that by using voice commands to automate everyday tasks. It helps employees find information and enables them to come up with a resolution faster.

7. Easier Access to Big Data

Voice-activated technology can be used to access enterprise data. All you need to do is pose a question in basic spoken language and the software will get you the answer. You can ask a question like “What are German unit sales trends” and receive back the charts and data immediately.

8. Comes in Handy in Voice Coding Language

You can code anywhere without having to use a keyboard. Everyone knows that coding can be hard on the wrists and hands. It can even lead to carpal tunnel, especially when doing it on a standard keyboard. Well, this is where voice messages to text come into play.

9. To Reduce Costs in the Health Care Sector

Voice-activated technology boasts exciting potential. This technology simply shows how rapidly machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence) have been advancing. This technology, if used correctly, can help health care save on costs. But why health care? Well, this is a sector where documentation and admin costs have been rapidly increasing.

10. To Increase the Effectiveness of Financial Services

Voice-activated technology can handle the majority of purchasing and banking functions. This eventually minimizes the friction for the consumer. Insurers, payment networks, and banks act as conduits for employees and consumers who adopt voice-activated technology.

Voice-activated technology can also be used to make IT operations smarter and faster. In information technology, artificial intelligence and natural language processing are already being used to power virtual network assistants. This, in turn, allows employees to effortlessly ask such questions as “why Bob’s smartphone is having issues” without having to manually look into the data in many different locations. Combining voice-activation software with this technology is the next big thing. That is because it makes IT operations faster and smarter, thereby, ensuring the best possible UX.

Top Investments for the Office Worker

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Robert Fichter

Numerous CEOs, journalists, and bloggers have claimed that the office has never been more vital or is completely extinct following a significant work-from-home trial. These contradicting messages might perplex firms trying to resume pre-Covid commercial activities while keeping their personnel secure. Over the past several weeks, we have been talking to businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors from all points along the real estate value chain to establish how and how long the next phase of the contemporary office may take.

Many employees, particularly those with modest incomes, cannot work entirely from home. However, businesses like Twitter may permanently implement rules allowing employees to work from home. Others, like Apple, could demand that workers start showing up in person at their offices again. Additionally, some companies may use hybrid tactics, in which staff members alternate between working remotely and in-person with coworkers.

Badges for less Physical Contact

Even when lockdowns are over, we’ll be dealing with the effects of coronavirus for a very long time. Touchless offices and clever social distancing will become commonplace. This, in our opinion, will influence everything from touchless technology to workplace design. Additionally, applications and technology will be available to manage workers in faraway places or minimize office occupants. Intelligent badges will even warn us over the Internet if we approach coworkers too closely.

Office Headsets

The office headset has developed into more than just a requirement and also more than just a cool technological gadget. Headsets have become essential for those who use a radio, a cell phone, or even a standard phone at work. Worldwide, enterprises have realized the value of headsets in ensuring productivity and mobility in the workplace. Because of this, more companies are searching for wireless headsets of the highest caliber. As this is essential to invest in, we recommend carefully selecting your options; see this review for a Plantronics office Headphone

Cloud Computing

Without the direct and active administration of the user, on-demand access to digital resources is made available via cloud computing. Your data is not kept on a server on your property; instead, it is retained on a server someplace else. Internet connectivity, security, dependability, and network access advancements have increased this availability and appeal. Cloud technology guarantees that your data are always available and that access is constantly active, facilitating a shift to more mobile, flexible, and hybrid working styles. Many of Xerox’s top software solutions are entirely, or at least optionally, cloud-based, and our machines are cloud-ready right out of the box.

EnGenius Durafon

A long-range cordless phone from EnGenius Durafon increases mobility at work. Imagine broadcasting from phone to handset in a warehouse up to 250,000 square feet or on a school campus with the most extended range of capabilities. Consider the potential for higher earnings and productivity if store managers and employees accept calls while managing store inventories. Products made using EnGenius Durafon make these ideas a reality. The DuraFon is a dependable and reasonably priced option for your communication needs, thanks to its robustness, usability, and extended range capabilities.

BYOD

Our teams may be provided with more customized and targeted devices and services as we share fewer gadgets with our coworkers. An as a service approach can frequently make it easier to handle such personalized technologies. Cloud technologies and subscription-style contracts that simplify switching and modifying office equipment will have a big influence on lowering upfront hardware expenses. To encourage more BYOD working, some offices would even relocate. Businesses can increase efficiency by, for instance, allowing staff to use their own smartphones, but there are drawbacks as well. BYOD may cause shadow IT problems, or those that are not supported by IT departments, as well as privacy and security difficulties.

Conclusion

Cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to continue to grow, supporting mobile, hybrid, and flexible teamwork. While this is going on, the tools we use to accomplish it will advance, reducing the noise and fostering a revitalized feeling of health alongside the desire for effectiveness, security, and productivity. As we, hopefully, start to move through the worst of the lockdowns, we also anticipate that environmental concerns will rise back up the list of priorities.

MFA Fatigue – A New Favorite Tactic of Hackers to Conduct Big Corporate Breaches

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Hamza Razzaq

Hackers often tend to use psychological manipulation via social engineering attacks to trick users to give away sensitive information or make security mistakes. There are different types of social engineering attacks used by hackers, such as phishing, baiting, scareware, pretexting, etc. However, there is another emerging social engineering tactic that is becoming a favorite choice of many hackers, i.e., “MFA Fatigue”, which compromises the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process.

When hackers conduct corporate breaches, they target to access insider’s (employee) log in credentials. To do that, they use different tricks, such as phishing attacks, malware, buying data from the dark web, accessing the leaked credentials due to data breaches, etc. Corporations need a strong defense including advanced encryption and key management systems to ensure security. One common defense is in the form of multi-factor authentication (MFA).

As the name implies, multi-factor authentication is an extra verification step that is intended to make sure that only the right user is accessing the account. Mostly, a one-time password via a call/SMS or a prompt notification is sent to the user’s smartphone to confirm the login attempt. To bypass this security defense, hackers are seen actively using the MFA fatigue attack that even let them succeed in doing data breaches of high-profile companies, such as Cisco and Uber. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about MFA fatigue, including the best tips to protect from such attacks.

What is MFA Fatigue

If a company has set up a notification-based MFA, then employees will receive a pop-up or prompt message that asks them to either approve or reject the sign-in location. Some prompt message also provides the location from where the sign-in request is made. So, in an MFA fatigue attack, the hackers use the stolen ID credentials of employee(s) and keep sending them push notifications to eventually make them approve the request to stop the never-ending stream of approval notifications.

There are also chances that users might keep rejecting the push notification or become doubtful about the hacking attempt, so hackers sometimes also use fraudulent email or call tactics to convince users to accept the sign-in request. In this email/call tactic, they pretend to be from the IT team and ask the employee to approve the request.

MFA fatigue is not just confined to non-stop push notifications, any other MFA approach, such as SMS or voice MFAs can also be compromised. In short, any tactic from hackers that can make the user bypass the MFA check intentionally comes under the MFA fatigue attack.

MFA Fatigue Attacks Are on the Rise

MFA fatigue attacks are on an aggressive rise for the past few years. As per Microsoft, from December 2021 to August 2022, the number of MFA attacks has increased significantly. For example, there were 22,850 Azure AD Identity Protection sessions with multiple failed MFA attempts in December 2021, while the number rose to 40,942 in August 2022.

Hackers have managed to successfully use MFA fatigue attacks to breach the security defenses of high-profile corporate names. Cisco and Uber are two prime cases of MFA scams this year. Let’s quickly look at the attack approach behind both of these high-profile attacks:

Cisco: One of the Cisco employees was targeted by Yanluowang threat actors that hijacked the employee’s personal Google account synced with the browser and stole the login credentials. Once done, the hackers then started the MFA fatigue attack along with voice phishing attacks, which eventually made the employee accept the log-in approval request.
Uber: One of the Uber employees was tricked into a social engineering attack that gave hackers access to Uber’s intranet. Once done, they started the MFA fatigue attack by presenting themselves from Uber IT support, eventually convincing the employee to approve the log-in request.

It is evident from the above two attack approaches that MFA fatigue is a serious security concern for companies no matter what level of MFA authentication they have set up.

Constant Sign-in Requests are Turned into Habitual Approval Clicks

It is acceptable that when you do something continuously, it becomes a habit. So, if users continuously receive a sign-in approval request, then they become habitual in accepting those requests. So, there is a very high chance that they will unintentionally accept the sign-in request right away even if it’s not made by them. So, sometimes hackers just have to do is access the login credentials, send the sign-in request, and instantly get access to the account/system. Therefore, habitual approval clicks are giving more support to hackers to deploy MFA fatigue attacks.

Best Tips to Protect from MFA Fatigue Attacks

MFA fatigue attacks have the potential to even compromise a highly secure network. However, there are multiple ways to minimize the chances of becoming a victim of MFA fatigue attacks. Some of the main ones are as follows:

Don’t always click “Approve”: Employees have to stop the habit of immediately approving any sign-in request. First, ensure that it is either you or an authorized person that is requesting the login, only then approve the request.
Use Number Matching MFA: Other than the popular MFA techniques like push notification, voice, or SMS, the number matching MFA technique provides more protection. In this technique, the person who is intending to log in receives a combination of numbers that he/she puts in the authentication pop-up message on the smartphone. If the number matches, only then the request is approved. This way, hackers can no longer trick user to approve MFA request.
Contact IT Admin: If you keep receiving MFA request either via push notification, call, or SMS, then get in touch with the IT team to discuss the matter and verify if they are the ones requesting the access.
Change Password: Continuous MFA requests give indication that something is wrong and that most likely your login credentials are compromised. So, you should immediately change the password to take the hackers out of the cycle.
Awareness Training: It is likely that most employees are not well-aware of MFA fatigue attacks. Therefore, a company should conduct awareness training so that employees can instantly detect such malicious activities.

In addition to the above tips, your cybersecurity team can find more protective measures depending on your cybersecurity posture and minimize the chances of MFA breaches significantly.

Wrapping Up

Cybercriminals are working tirelessly to find new tricks to compromise the security of companies. MFA fatigue attacks are an emerging and serious threat, especially for big corporate names that involve thousands of employees. However, if we look closely at MFA fatigue, then the attack is only successful if the victim is unaware of such scams. Therefore, it is a preventable attack, and the above tips can help a lot with it. So, implement preventative measures and protect your company from this emerging and concerning cyberattack.

A Guide to Debt Consolidation

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Emma Grant

The number of households with large debts increased by a third in 2021. There are a number of factors behind this, including the Covid pandemic, as well as low wages, job insecurity, welfare cuts and the rising costs of living.

As such, many households are finding themselves in situations of cyclical debt, whether this be through loans or outstanding credit card bills. Further, with interest rates on the rise, many are struggling to pay off the growing interest on their outstanding repayments, especially if they have multiple.

In order to overcome the stress of this, many are turning to debt consolidation.

Debt consolidation refers to when an individual’s multiple debts, including credit cards, overdrafts and loans are merged into a single and more affordable loan. By doing so, this can help to simplify repayments and pay off a loan to become eventually debt-free against all your financial liabilities.

Who is Eligible for Debt Consolidation?

In order to be eligible for a debt consolidation loan, the borrower must meet the following criteria:

They must be a resident
They must be able to afford monthly repayments
They must be in receipt of a regular monthly income
For secured loans, they must have an asset of value such as a property or car
For unsecured loans, they must have a fair credit rating

How Does Debt Consolidation Work?

Debt consolidation loans allow an individual to compile all of their existing debts, such as credit cards, loans, student loans and overdrafts, into one single loan. This will then be taken as a single monthly payment and should have a lower interest rate.

By compiling the multiple outstanding debts into one, the individual no longer has to worry about making several separate payments or interest being added to existing loans or accruing any late fees.

When the debt consolidation loan is taken out, it immediately pays off all existing debts and then you have one loan to pay off with one provider, at ideally more favorable rates. This can help to clear off some of these debts sooner than expected as well as help to avoid any additional interest or late payment fees.

Debt consolidation loans are used by homeowners and tenants. There are two types of loans; unsecured and secured, so homeowners may lean towards a secured option against their property, but they could use an unsecured loan if they prefer.

Debt consolidation loans typically operate under the following terms:

You can borrow up to $25,000
Repayments take place over 1 to 30 years
One single repayment every month
Funds can be available within 48 hours of the initial loan application
Low cost and fixed rates are available
Those with poor credit scores are still considered

Types of Debt Consolidation Loans

There are two types of debt consolidation loans that you should be aware of.

Secured Debt Consolidation Loans

The main feature is that the loan will be secured against an asset of value, such as your car or home. If the loan repayments are not made on time or in full then there is the risk of losing this collateral.

The rates will often be much lower with secured loans as the collateral provides the lender with some form of expensive security.

Unsecured Debt Consolidation Loans

Debt Consolidation Unsecured loans are when the loan is not secured against any valuable assets. This means that there is no risk of losing anything if the loans are not repaid on time or in full.

In order to obtain an unsecured loan, the borrower will need to have a fair credit history as well as receive a regular income. If they do not meet the monthly repayments, then this will risk negatively impacting their credit rating making future loans more expensive due to higher rates.

How Much Can You Borrow?

Most unsecured loans allow you to borrow up to £25,000 depending on factors such as income, employment and credit score.

For secured loans, this could depend on the value of your property or asset, as well as your income and credit score. While most mainstream lenders allow you to access up to $50,000, it is not surprising to be able to access up to $100,000 or $200,000.

Those with bad credit or less than perfect credit score will often be able to access debt consolidation loans, especially if they are struggling to stay on top of their debts, but you will typically need to leverage some kind of collateral or assets to be eligible.

How Does Debt Consolidation Impact Credit Scores?

When you apply for a debt consolidation loan, the lender will carry out a hard credit check on your financial history. This hard credit check leaves a visible footprint on your credit report but has no lasting impact.

If you are approved for a debt consolidation loan and make the monthly repayment on time and in full, this will actually help to improve your credit score and can open you up for better rates for future financial products.

If you are approved for a debt consolidation loan and miss your monthly repayments, then this will negatively impact your credit score and could make future borrowing more difficult to get approved for, with more expensive rates.

What Next For Fintech?

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Emma Grant

In the last decade, fintech has grown at an astronomical rate. Fintech is changing not only the way payments are made and investing is done but also how businesses work.

Financial technology has really revolutionized the financial services industry at lightspeed and the Covid-19 pandemic only accelerated this trend, with entrepreneurs looking to find ways to maximize profits in a time of remote working. However, while social distancing is no longer required, these changes inspired by fintech are here to stay.

Global fintech companies saw a remarkable $22.8B raised from Venture Capital funding across 614 deals in Q1 of 2021; numbers that are only expected to rise. Here we explore three possible directions that could write the future for the world of fintech.

Sustainable Fintech

Sustainability in financial services has very much moved in from the margins to become a key priority for organizations.

According to a global corporate sustainability report by Nielsen, 66% of people are prepared to pay more for goods and services if they come from sustainable companies. This figure jumps to 73% among millennials.

Generation Z is being hailed as the generation of sustainability, with the vast majority willing to spend 10% more on a sustainable brand.

The first thing that fintech startups may look to do is to understand their carbon footprint. This can include energy use, their supply chains and workforce movement and transport, such as international flights and office commutes.

AI and value creation

A report by McKinsey estimated that artificial intelligence (AI) could generate up to $1 trillion additional value for the global banking industry annually.

Evidence of this was plain to see in the pandemic, which certainly helped with the advancement of AI, automation and cloud computing.

With more streamlined AI algorithms, businesses will be able to more match customers to the products and services that are right for them without hours of laborious paperwork on the part of either party.

B-to-C

Lastly, the evolving business-to-consumer market has historically been a bit of a roadblock for pretty much all goods and services worldwide. Previously, a person’s ability to buy and sell was limited by their physical access to commercial properties, transportation and more.

However, the pandemic did level the playing field between the companies boasting mammoth delivery service capacities and the small businesses that had far greater restrictions when it came to outreach.

An experienced fintech marketing agency is key to taking advantage of this trend.

The growth of fintech will undoubtedly increase the capacity of business-to-consumer services. The importance of an online presence for a small business and the accessibility of things such as interest-free installment pay options will almost certainly result in a growth in sales made directly by independent businesspeople to consumers.

Summary

Knowledge of how to work within the banking and finance systems, which was once largely denied to working-class families, was made accessible through distributed networks of trained financial educators as a result of the growing fintech industry, which can only be a good thing!

Small Business vs Startup: What is the Difference?

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Emma Grant

Startup seems to be the new buzzword in the world of entrepreneurship. Startups have brought all sorts of new technology to various industries and are being backed by Venture Capitalists and angel investors for millions of dollars. The disruption to markets such as fintech, biotech and countless others has been inspired by the growth of startups in recent years.

What is a Startup?

However, some of us are still trying to wrap our heads around the idea of what a startup actually is. Isn’t a startup just a new, fancy way of saying a small business with scalability? Is there really a difference between the two, or is it just the millennials in Silicon Valley trying to put a new spin on what is ultimately a tried and tested entrepreneurial concept?

Well, for those of us who really are befuddled at this relatively new concept of a startup, we have explored and identified the differences between a new startup and your traditional small business.

Growth

One of the main differences between a startup and a small business is the intent for growth. To put it simply, startups have the intent of growing to a point where they can achieve the goal of disrupting the market. On the other hand, small businesses are created purely with the purpose of serving a local market with a piece of entrepreneurship and therefore, typically won’t be aren’t concerned with growth on such a large scale that they’d disrupt the market they find themselves in.

The main point is that all types of business must have some kind of development strategy, whether it is a startup business plan or the expansion of services, products, goods, because without it, sooner or later you will run into a certain barrier, – says Slava Vaniukov, expert and CEO of Softermii.

“When we first set-up, we had the discussion about how we would set ourselves apart from the competition, and ultimately how we could scale up and grow to serve as many potential borrowers as possible”, commented Richard Allan, co-founder of fintech startup, Capital Bean. “We don’t just intend to serve a small community, we want to disrupt the market, and we feel that is what gives a startup its name”.

Scalability

As well as the growth intent and scalability of the startup versus the ‘old school’ small business, the founder of a startup is usually looking to disrupt the market with their scalable and impactful business model, grow as quickly as possible, beat out competitors, etc… This is often why startups don’t stay ‘startups’ for such a long period of time with some success. Founders are, more often than not, looking for investors to get on board to bring their product or service to international markets and become disruptors of said markets.

On the other hand, a founder of a small business is not necessarily looking to disrupt the market or break into a new market; instead, a small business owner simply needs to have the desire to start their own business and find a market that they can reach effectively. As long as he or she can do so while earning revenue, they will successfully be able to run a small business.

Conclusion

Finally, although there are other points of difference between a startup and a small business, the last main point of interest that you should be aware of is funding. Though this is not set-in-stone and can vary depending on the size and interests of the business or startup, typically speaking, where a small business owner may turn to a bank for a ‘small business loan’, or to a family or friend who believes in their idea, a startup founder will typically look for equity financing.

With equity financing, startups can look for VCs or angel investors who are willing to offer large amounts of capital in exchange for equity, or ownership, in the company. Typically, these investors offer minimum amounts of capital in “rounds” and then with each series of funding, the startup gives up equity.

How to Start a Fintech Company: a Step-by-Step Guide

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Emma Grant

The FinTech industry is one that has continued to grow from strength-to-strength, regardless of the world economic outlook or major events.

Many regard the birth of FinTech to have come in 2005, when online peer-to-peer lending was popularized with Zopa, but it has come on leaps and bounds since then. Almost any financial product or service can be accessed online and remotely, to the point where brick-and-mortar establishments could soon become a thing of the past.

By the end of 2021, Fintech investment reached $210 billion in the United States, and there’s no exclusivity when it comes to having a good business idea in the field of fintech. As mentioned above, due to pure accessibility to the internet, simply anyone can start a fintech business.

So, if you think you have a good business idea in the fintech industry, this step-by-step guide should help you to get it off the ground:

1. Understand your industry and its regulations

The first thing to note is that fintech and the general financial services industries are highly regulated, and for good reason.

“In our niche, predatory lenders are big exploiters of vulnerable Americans, and so it is our job to ensure that our lenders are fully compliant with both state and federal regulations”, commented Ben Sweiry, co-founder of online fintech startup Dime Alley.

In order to keep your fintech business on the right side of the law, you need to know the ins and outs of what is a highly complex sphere, including the regulatory authorities, laws – both state and federal, legal limitations and requirements.

2. Discover your USP or niche

Fintech may be a relatively new term in a lot of peoples’ vocabularies, but that’s not to say it’s a small field; quite the contrary. There are lots and lots of different fintech-based services that you could provide and so it is crucial that you find your USP – what will set you apart from the competition?

To be competitive and have a chance of being successful, you could start by researching the new products or services which can be developed or perhaps try to analyse the problems that consumers are facing, and how your service or product can alleviate them.

3. Make a business plan and identify how much capital you will need

As easy as it may seem to start an online fintech business, getting a startup off the ground isn’t cheap, especially if you want to be successful, and so it is essential that you make sure you are financially ready to start a company.

A good way to start is to write a business plan – it will help your fintech startup get organized. Do not hesitate to ask for help from experts to write a good business plan, as they often have been-there-and-done-it.

There are lots of different ways that you could raise capital for your fintech startup; from bank loans to crowdfunding to venture capital, etc… You could even look into borrowing money from your family or friends if they believe in you and your idea.

Regardless of your path, you should try and have something to show to your potential investors, hence why a business plan and perhaps even a visual prototype would come in handy.

How to get Free Money for your Business

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Emma Grant

The cost of starting a company puts off many new business owners. Others might want to upscale but feel limited by a lack of investments. Whatever your goals are, there are ways to raise money without taking out a loan.

Fintech DollarHand writes that 24% of business owners rely on loans and credit, not cash, to start their businesses. This is great for people who can swing lending and credit. But some people need more than that. So here are four great ideas:

Crowdfunding Sources

This is another excellent choice for those who already have a following, but it also benefits startup companies. Using websites like GoFundMe, you may obtain “free” money from clients worldwide while also gauging public interest in your product.

The procedure is quite simple. You post some text, images, and potential incentives for donors onto the platform. You must determine how much money you will require and outline the measures you will take once you obtain it.

The marketing aspect of crowdfunding is the only challenge. Businesses with a small customer base may find this stage challenging. Smaller companies may profit from employing a social media manager or developing these abilities independently.

Pre-Sell your Product

This choice is excellent for those who already have an audience. Give them a chance to place a pre-order if you know they are enthusiastic about your good or service.

This will not only help you gauge consumer interest in each product, but it will also reduce the likelihood of having unsold inventory on hand. It prevents companies from making uncertain investments that would not yield any money.

Enter Contests

A fantastic approach to get “free” money for your business is to enter business competitions. Prizes may include cash, opportunity, and possibly mentoring as well. Prize money is especially desirable because it has few or no requirements.

Although grants give you greater choice with your winnings, contests are considerably more difficult to win. They shouldn’t be a company’s first choice for financing because there is a great probability that your efforts will be in vain. It may be worthwhile to pursue rival businesses in your industry segment because of this.

Apply for Grants

Many businesses that apply for a grant will be successful. The process also can aid in strengthening your business strategy and verifying the accuracy of your financial records. If you are successful, the benefits frequently outweigh the costs.

Government grants can assist small firms in paying for rent, machinery, and IT equipment. Businesses that sell eco-friendly goods or use environmentally friendly processes might also qualify for grants and incentives.

The application process for grants can be rather rigorous. Before applying, make sure all of your documentation is in order. On state government websites, you can search for grants that might help your business.

Summary

Starting a business is not easy. Using these alternative sources of startup capital can get you enough to start with to launch your successful product or service.

Tech Advancements & Modern Businesses: 6 Ways They Correlate

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Charlene Brown

Businesses have had to adapt and change with the times since the beginning of commerce. With new technologies come different ways of doing things, which business owners must account for. In this blog post, we will explore 6 ways that advancements in technology have coincided with modern businesses. Keep reading to learn more!

6 Ways Tech Advancements and Modern Businesses Correlate

In the world of business, technological advancements have been fundamental to the success of organizations in achieving their goals. On the other hand, modern businesses must also be in tune with the latest technologies to remain competitive and relevant. Experts from Grapevine MSP say that businesses must be prepared to invest in the latest technologies, implement new processes and train their staff in order to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. In other words, the only way to stay ahead is to embrace technology and use it to its full potential. Hence, here are the six ways technology advancements and modern businesses correlate:

1. Automation

Automation is one of the most significant tech advancements adopted by modern businesses. The people over at amazingbusinessresults.com can tell you how it increases efficiency, accuracy, and speed while reducing manual labor costs associated with completing repetitive tasks.

Automation also helps to reduce errors, thereby improving customer satisfaction levels. Business automation can vary from automating mundane, repetitive tasks to utilizing robotics for more complex functions. Furthermore, automation helps reduce the time and effort involved in completing tasks, making it easier for businesses to focus their efforts on more strategic initiatives.

2. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of computing resources over the internet, replacing physical hardware and reducing operational costs. This technology has enabled businesses to access data from anywhere in the world anytime with just an internet connection. Businesses can also use cloud computing to store data securely and access it quickly. When it comes to scalability, cloud computing is an invaluable tool for modern businesses looking to grow and expand quickly. Furthermore, cloud computing solutions are highly reliable, meaning businesses can depend on them to remain functional and secure.

3. Big Data Analytics

Big data analytics uses technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and predictive analytics to analyze large amounts of structured and unstructured data. This technology enables businesses to make better decisions based on the insights gained from analyzing customer behavior, market trends, and more. Big data analytics helps businesses stay ahead of their competition by predicting customer needs and providing personalized services. In addition to this, businesses can use big data analytics to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.

4. Internet of Things (IoT)

The internet of things (IoT) refers to the network of physical devices that are connected to the internet and can collect, exchange, and analyze data. Essentially, IoT technology is being used by businesses to monitor and control their operations in real time. For example, a business can use IoT sensors to monitor the performance of their machines or track shipments in transit. On the other hand, businesses can use IoT to automate processes and provide better customer experiences.

5. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is one of the most important aspects of technology that modern businesses must consider. It involves implementing measures such as encryption, firewalls, and antivirus software to protect their data from malicious actors. Businesses must also ensure that their staff is aware of the latest cybersecurity threats and can identify potential risks. Cybersecurity is essential for businesses to maintain the trust of both customers and partners alike.

6. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly important in today’s business world. AI can help with data analysis, customer service, marketing automation, product development, and much more. Businesses are utilizing AI to improve their operations and gain insight into customer behavior. AI can also be used to automate mundane tasks and enable businesses to focus on more complicated problems. One of the biggest advantages of AI is its ability to predict customer needs and provide personalized services. This can later help business increase customer loyalty and improve customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, technological advancements and modern businesses have a strong correlation as these advances are being utilized to help businesses stay ahead of the competition, reduce operational costs, and gain insights into their customers. Technologies such as automation, cloud computing, big data analytics, the Internet of things (IoT), cybersecurity, and AI are all invaluable tools for modern businesses looking to stay competitive. These technologies give businesses the capability to monitor their operations in real-time, automate processes, improve customer experiences, and predict customer needs. By utilizing these advances, businesses can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and gain a better understanding of their customers. Ultimately, technology has given businesses the tools and insights they need to succeed in the modern business world.

How Malware Causes Chaos and Damage to Your Digital Devices

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Ebbe Kernel

Malware is the disease of computers, smartphones, and other digital technologies. Often used and distributed by hackers and cybercriminals, different kinds of malicious software manage to infect the information systems we enjoy, to damage and exploit them in a preferred way.

The key to battling trojans, worms, and infamous viruses lies in a basic understanding of how these tools function. While malware is not as rampant as it was at the beginning of the XXI century, viruses that manage to infiltrate our digital devices are far more complex and secretive than in the past.

In this article, you will learn about malware: its types, what damage it can do, and what are the ways, tools, and preventive measures you can take to stop the potential mayhem, sabotage, and destruction. For example, to stop viruses from entering your computer or network in the first place, you can buy HTTP proxy from reliable providers in the growing cybersecurity market. To learn more about these powerful tools and their use cases click here. Even while the use of intermediary servers is effective and stops malware, there are many reasons to buy an HTTP proxy and customize your browsing experience.

Malware Identification

Most internet users refer to all malware as viruses, but it is only one of the types that can infect your electronic device. Malware is a collection of harmful software, usually distributed over the web unless a cybercriminal manages to reach your devices and servers for a physical injection

In reality, computer malware should be synonymous with a biological weapon, but for computers, instead of a natural disease. Here you will learn about the most popular versions of malware, with some being present on many devices around the world without the owner’s knowledge.

Adware and CryptoJacking

Let’s start with sneaky little parasites that sneak into our devices to syphon away our attention and resources but avoid any noticeable damage. The goal of adware is not destruction but the functionality of a parasite that infects and alters the system to transfer a part of its value to malicious distributors.

Internet users that lack technical knowledge take the dip in device performance as an aging, a consequence of prior damage, or rarely pay attention at all. The truth is adware and cryptojacking take over your browsing experience: websites start to show more ads than intended, searches redirect to unauthorized search engines, and the program itself consumes more resources, usually a consequence of added BitCoin or other cryptocurrency miners.

While these types of malware do not yield instant, powerful games, the distributors choose to play the long game – prey on new inexperienced users or seniors that struggle to adapt to frequent use of technology in the first place.

Digital Trojan Horses

Malware with arguably the best name, trojans were named after the infamous trojan horse that was used to sneak in soldiers that sacked the city of Troy. Trojans have no way of sneaking into the devices by themselves, but when a gullible internet user falls for the bait, usually in the form of a free application on the internet, chaos ensues – all the information stored on a device can be duplicated to crash the system, stolen, or deleted.

Keyloggers

Finally, something that feels like straight out of a spy movie! When keyloggers find themselves on your device, the power only depends on the software. Great hackers can create keyloggers that record your every keystroke, mouse movement, audio, and video recording, location tracking, and more! Make sure to avoid suspicious downloads on the web, or you may give up crucial private information to a cybercriminal through a keylogger.

Computer Viruses

The goal of a digital virus is the spread of deletion, falsification, and replication. When a digital virus comes in contact with the devices, it infects the surrounding information and causes mayhem on the device.

Ransomware

The big guns, only designed and used by most experienced hackers, ransomware can sabotage, disrupt, destroy, and even lock out the owners of their devices until a ransom is paid. Modern businesses that have local area networks and many digital devices have to take care of company cybersecurity and close any vulnerabilities to prevent ransomware attacks and data leaks.

Tools and Solutions to Stop Malware

Most digital security problems are a consequence of closed-code software. When hackers find an operating system vulnerability, all the users are at the mercy of cybercriminals until a fix is implemented. You can eliminate most malware threats by running the safest Linux distributions on your devices. Not only are the structure of filesystems and privileges very secure, but any threat that opens up can also be fixed extremely fast by dedicated teams of developers. When the code of a system is open, anyone can contribute to making sure no stone is left unturned.

As for external tools, we recommend choosing HTTP proxies. They will act as powerful, flexible, and accurate performance filters that stop viruses from entering your network. Use a secure system and get your IPs from reliable proxy providers and malware will never bother you or your device.

Are VoIPs More Secure than Traditional Phone Systems?

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Claire Ward

Phones can be both equally secure and equally vulnerable, especially if you own a business. The fear that our phone calls are being monitored or the data that we are sending to people can be hacked, can be very worrying as a business owner.

In order to overcome this, most people are looking at a VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which allows you to make phone calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a normal phone.

It converts your voice to a digital signal that goes over the internet, and it allows you to make calls from your personal computer or even a traditional phone that is connected to the internet. But are they more secure than normal phone systems? Well, this article is going to answer that question!

How Secure Is VoIP?

This is a very interesting tool that you can use, for fast, cost-effective, and yes secure to help make sure you can talk to anyone you want. Now, you do need to do some things to keep yourself safe, because VoIP is something that is done over the internet and that can be hacked. You are transferring data over the internet and that can be risky, so you need to make sure to take the steps to keep your call safe.

These include encryption, multi-factor authentication, and using VPNs to keep your calls secure so people won’t get into your data. VoIPs aren’t as secure on their own, so you need to supplement them with common sense and protection. But even with all this security, how secure are they when compared to traditional phones?

VoIP vs Traditional Phones

VoIPs are very secure on internal systems for a business. If you are using VoIP for a business and have a small business phone system like OpenPhone, then you will find that your OpenPhone guide will tell you that your internal calls to others in your same system are secure. If you have calls coming from outside your system, then you need to upgrade your security because that is when VoIP is vulnerable.

But the main benefit of VoIP is that it overcomes the problems of traditional phones.

For example, traditional phones can be wiretapped by both third party users and even the government.

VoIP can’t be wiretapped and their calls can’t be intercepted as easily, especially if your business is keeping security in mind. Text Messaging For Businesses makes it easy to message your customers, whilst keeping your own mobile number private.

Make Sure To Find A Good Provider

Internet based hacking and other dangers to your VoIP service can be mitigated by finding the best provider as well. Many providers have incorporated security features such as encryption and extra security, so you need to look for the providers that will give you these features and will also give you high voice quality as well.

One of the things that you might find with smaller providers is that they might have a lot of encryption, but that encryption can impact and negatively interfere with your call quality. Make sure to find providers that will share both high voice quality and dedicated encryption as well.

Keep Security In Mind No Matter What

Even though VoIP is much more secure than a traditional phone system, you still need to make sure that you are finding a provider that will keep your security in mind. A great provider with security at the forefront is going to make sure that all the calls that you do in your small business are going to be 100% secure.

With no problems with your calls, you can make more of them, and what are more calls going to do for your business?

Why Is It Essential to Perform Mobile App Testing?

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Baba

Have this question ever occurred to your mind – why is it essential to go for mobile app testing? or what is the significance of mobile app testing?

Mobile app testing can get overwhelming when you consider the various operating systems versions, dozens of screen resolutions, all sorts of connection types, etc., that you will need to test. But one cannot wish for a successful mobile app release without it. Mobile app testing ensures that your app release is of phenomenal quality.

Let’s not beat around the bush and come straight to the point: what are mobile app testing and its importance?

What is Mobile App Testing?

Mobile app testing is the methodology of running tests against a mobile app to ensure that its usability and functionality meet the needs and requirements of its purpose before its final release.

It includes various testing types like security, performance, usability, and functional load and mobile-specific one’s certificate, installation, interruption, location, memory leakage, and many more.

Here are some basic things to raise curtains with before coming on to mobile app testing:

It ensures that you have enough test coverage. If you do not contemplate it, there are effective ways to improve it.
Choose your method of testing: mobile apps can be tested using the best mobile app testing tools, either on emulators or on real devices. The real device testing cloud allows you to test concurrently, use thousands of devices remotely, and record the results accurately.
You might be the old player in app testing, but still, there are broad areas of improvement. Planning a test, going for mobile app automation testing, and continuous testing are the general things that you can use to make the testing process flawless.

Why Is It Important to Go for Mobile App Testing?

Mobile app testing is rapidly increasing in today’s digital world. The most general errors found in hybrid and native mobile applications are deficient/lacking in performance, loading problems, responding to solutions, unresponsive elements, etc. These errors can be rectified with mobile app testing tools to be used before the final launch.

In this technology-oriented world, everybody uses a mobile-friendly website or a mobile app for business. And many new businesses are turning up daily with various apps hiding their internet spaces.

Some of the influential factors that verify the importance of mobile app testing are:

Use of native apps for messaging and calling, such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, Quick Ride Ola, Uber, messenger, telegram, and others.
Your main objective should be to offer your customer the best possible experience while running a business.
Testing mobile apps is a sovereign stage in the process of mobile app development. Thus, all app issues and errors can be easily rectified via mobile app testing.
Outstanding mobile app testing guarantees easy app launching without any problems.

Other Factors That Highlight the Importance of Mobile App Testing

Flawless user experience: The application should perform well, work smoothly, and be easy to use on their devices. If the application doesn’t meet the needs of its customers, they will rarely use the app or delete and uninstall it.
Pass mobile application store reviews: The Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and other mobile app stores review the submitted apps before launching them. They check the apps’ privacy policy, code, data management process, requested permissions, and more. Testing your mobile application before the final go will help you solve prime issues and pass the review test.
Prevents data from getting hacked: Some apps are required to gather users’ personal information, such as medical, financial, or other sensitive data. The organization owning an app has to guarantee that all the sensitive data and information related to user personnel should be well protected. A theft or leak of sensitive data can cause massive financial and reputational losses.

Nowadays, mobile apps are not only mobile applications. In the technological era of embracing change, we have evolved and got hybrid and progressive apps as well. With so many advancements, app testing has become a non-negotiable task.

Factors Contributing to Developing a Five-Star Mobile App?

The mobile app release costing error can be dangerous. Lags and bugs activate a hurricane of negative feedback leading to bad reviews and low ratings on the App Store or Google Play Store. It is a no-brainer that one-star-rated mobile applications rarely attract new users. But if you take up testing seriously, you can fly and achieve great ratings and a seamless customer experience.

Let’s look into some of the factors that trigger and influence people in getting high ratings and reviews of applications and what benefits of mobile app testing lead your app to rank high.

Performance

If a mobile app performance breaks down to meet the expectation of users, it’s unlikely that people will provide it with another opportunity. Performance is the primary stone of app quality, and you should give your best effort into the testing process before launching an app.

A mobile app will need a particular implementation to hit the top of the mobile app store list. And if your mobile app passes the test convincingly, no one can stop your app from gaining five stars indeed.

Intuitiveness

One should ask a user why they go for a specific app. Is that their favorite one? The answer most times is – they are easy to use. Since mobile applications do not come with a user manual, an excellent mobile app is all about providing a new user experience with minimal effort.

Intuitiveness is valued by most users and is something challenging to achieve when developing and designing an application. Always ensure that you test the experience of users using the application throughout the stage of the development life cycle.

Easy Feedback

An app that works seamlessly is an example of a perfect and thoroughly tested mobile app. But even the mightiest of quality assurance can only go through some testing cases. Sometimes users are the ones who find errors by themselves, and you need to provide them with a specific medium to communicate these bugs directly instead of jotting them down on your page. As a result, it helps build trust between your potential customers and your business.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, mobile app testing is as necessary as doing the checks of the airplane before its considered to be used for commercial flying. A professional mobile application development organization should concentrate on the quality and functionality of the product and look ahead to enhance the apps’ quality by offering new quality improvements. To stand out in the marketplace, it is vital to create a high-quality and user-friendly app. And Mobile app testing is key to turning a good idea into a great experience. And if you complete your task with proper planning in the app development process, you can design a five-star rating application that will become an instant success.

5 Ways That Drive Sales to Your Online Business

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Alycia Kuan

Online shopping has been rising for some time and was dramatically boosted by the COVID pandemic. With the right strategies, you can benefit from this trend by increasing online sales and building loyalty to your company. Here are five ideas to drive sales to your online business.

1. Choose a Reliable Hosting Service

A hosting service provides rental space on a physical server that stores all the data and files needed for your website to run correctly. Unreliable servers leading to unstable network connections can push your site offline, denying you viewership and sales. Choose a web hosting service with uptime scores over 99.5 percent for better website performance.

Apart from less downtime, here are several other things a good hosting service provides:

Better security: All information going through your site is automatically encrypted.
Frequent backups: You can recover accidentally deleted files, resolve update problems, and receive hacking protection.
Faster load time: When a page takes too long to load, a user is likely to click away.
Better search engine rankings: Website downtime and slowness can significantly impact your rankings.
Allowance for Growth: As your business expands, increased traffic is easily accommodated.

2. Conduct a Website Audit

A website audit provides an analysis of your site’s effectiveness, pinpoints needed improvements, and helps discover if you are optimized to drive sales to your site. Here is what a thorough website audit assesses:

Site Health: A “health” check identifies the number of issues your website has, which may include URL structure, 4XX and 5XX errors, broken links, duplicated content, and page loading speed (including mobile page speed). Responsive design ensures that your site renders properly on different devices.
Technical SEO: Assesses crawlability and indexability.
Security: Having HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) that encrypts user data is critical to high Google ranking. Possible security breaches and Google penalties are also assessed.
Keyword Performance: A review of keywords and search queries you are already performing followed by new keyword research to pinpoint fresh opportunities to improve rankings. (Research found that search makes up 65% of all e-commerce sessions.)
Off-Site Presence: An examination of backlinks, reviews, and social media (Google ranking looks at social media performance).
Conversion Rate: An assessment of the effectiveness of lead forms, CTAs, checkout flow, etc.
Competitor Analysis: A look at websites competing in your target market.

3. Drive Sales By Improving User Experience

If site visitors are leaving without buying, it may be because of poor user experience. Note where users struggle or easily make missteps. Here are some ways to fix user experience problems:

Upgrade Customer Service: A survey found that 84% of respondents took customer service into account when making a buying decision. Your contact page should clearly show your phone number, email address, and chat. An FAQ page helps provide immediate answers. Important: When someone contacts you, respond promptly.
Provide a Chat Feature: Add one, monitor it constantly, and include an auto-response letting users know when you are available.

Note: Virtual Agent Technology (VAT) is a plug-in that immediately answers common questions.

Make Checkout Simple: Checkout can be a big sticking point for sales. Break up the procedure into several pages or an expanding page, so the prospective buyer isn’t overwhelmed with information fields. Provide a guest checkout option.
Keep Shipping Costs Low: Consumers don’t tend to think about shipping costs until they reach checkout. Many abandoned shopping carts result from extra charges like shipping. Build shipping costs into your prices so you can offer free shipping. If this isn’t feasible, offer free shipping for a minimum order or provide a flat shipping rate upfront.

4. Drive Sales by Understanding Your Target Audience

Good marketing decisions depend on an in-depth understanding of your potential customers that enables you to focus on qualified prospects, guide effective product development, and align work across all aspects of your business.

Create a buyer persona (a representation of your ideal customer) to provide you with an in-depth awareness of what your targeted audience needs and wants and enable you to create resonating messaging. Research data should include:

Age and sex.
Career path or professional background.
Goals – what do they want to achieve?
Where they live – cities, suburban, rural areas.
Hobbies/pastimes.
Role played in the purchasing decision.
Challenges – what obstacles are they trying to overcome?
Preferred method of communication.
Where they go for information.

You also should research how paying customers found their way to your site so that you can better focus your marketing efforts.

Examples: If lots of cookware sales result from a blog post about healthy eating, write more on that topic. If Facebook ads account for most sales, invest in more advertising.

5. Create Interesting Content

Content providing relevant and interesting information helps prospects find you through SEO. Search engines prioritize pages that provide consistent content, so write new posts regularly. Also, address ways to use your products or common issues related to them.

Example: If you sell dog toys, write about fun games to play with your canine friend or how to help dogs with separation anxiety.

Your content and messaging should highlight what you offer that no one else doesn’t. Understand what makes you different and shout it from the virtual rooftops. Include it in your tagline and home page, place it prominently in social media ads, and highlight it in your email marketing campaigns.

You also need high-quality pictures that highlight your product’s best features. However, photos should accurately represent a product to avoid a high return rate because the received item looks different than the photo. Include more than one product image – three or four is ideal.

Consistently sharing content on social media helps new customers find you and builds loyalty with current ones. Connect your online store to your social media accounts so users can easily make a purchase.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of good ideas to select from, so choose those that work best for your online business and dive in!

Alycia Kuan is a digital marketer from WebRevenue. She has a passion for yoga, music and loves to share her thoughts on e-commerce. She likes exploring the latest trends in digital marketing and SEO. Say hi to her on LinkedIn.

What Is Cryptocurrency? Internet Money, Virtual Currency, or a Commodity?

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Penny Ortiz

Is Bitcoin considered a form of internet money, a virtual currency, or a commodity? The answer is that in can be all three. There are about a thousand cryptocurrencies in the world, but the most famous is Bitcoin. Recently, attention to Bitcoin has increased in the world due to the rapid growth of their prices.

“This is a new type of asset that is different from our usual money or other financial assets. It differs from money in that you own the currency directly and for this, you don’t need a bank or some licensing authority. It is stored in a personal electronic wallet,” explains an expert.

A unit of cryptocurrency is a code that is born as a result of complex computer mathematical calculations. To trade as a professional use the biticodes trading soft.

What Can You Buy With Cryptocurrency?

If you find a seller who will accept cryptocurrency, then you can buy anything. There are enough retail outlets, restaurants, cafes, and other establishments that accept the same bitcoins for payment. Gradually, other cryptocurrencies are also being used in this way as well. If someone wants to spend their cryptocurrency, you can find a list of places that accept it on the Internet.

“Another matter is that, given the growth of the cryptocurrency exchange rate, it is not entirely profitable to spend it now, it is profitable to buy and hold it,” the marketing director of the Bitcoin agency is convinced.

How Much Is 1 Bitcoin Worth?

Today, bitcoin is worth about 16,552 dollars for 1 virtual coin. And the price is formed depending on the demand. If a lot of people want to buy it, then the price goes up, if more people want to sell it, then the price drops a little.

Traders successfully make money precisely on these price fluctuations. That is, it is a game on the cryptocurrency exchange. Legal trading can be done with dex.ag.

There is a risk that you will buy a cryptocurrency at one price and it will fall. You need to be ready for this, and be careful not invest more than you are afraid to lose.

You Can’t Make Money, but How Can You Extract It?

It is possible to find an employer that pays in cryptocurrency, but most likely it will be possible to do this only with a foreign partner in the IT field. A company like Immediate Momentum can help you with converting fiat to crypto and back.

Legal Entities, in Principle, Cannot Officially Use Cryptocurrency Now, Including Wages

The extraction of cryptocurrency is called “mining”. It takes place with the help of special computer equipment. You also need a special program that allows you to choose what you will “mine” and where. All this needs to be configured and studied, and for this, there are special forums.

“Mining” is the basis of network activity. “Miners” calculate the same blocks that are included in the same bitcoin transaction. Without it, the process is impossible. “Miners” receive a reward for finding these blocks, plus they also receive commissions for transactions that they credit to the block,” the specialist explains.

To earn on cryptocurrency, it is not necessary to invest large amounts, but it increases earnings and probability.

Bitcoin is now very difficult to mine because the equipment for mining bitcoin is highly specialized and expensive. Ordinary users successfully mine other cryptocurrencies for ordinary video cards of home computers or build farms in which only a few cards can be placed.

Will Body Image Kill the Metaverse Fantasy?

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Hamza Razzaq

Look at the image below of Zuckerberg’s avatar vs Zuckerberg’s “dadbod”. What you will see is a deliberate misrepresentation here. The avatar presents the ideal body shape of a 30+ years old man with perfect skin color and appearance.

Seems impressive, right? But what are the consequences on the body images of employees when avatar-based metaverse becomes a new normal in the corporate sector? Is this something that will plague Meta as badly as Facebook and Myspace’s body image issues? Let’s explore this point in light of the new “legs” announcement by Meta.

Legs are coming to Meta’s Horizon Worlds Metaverse

Meta recently conducted the Meta Connect event where Mark Zuckerberg provided an avatar-based presentation and announced new developments by Meta, including the main news that legs are coming into the company’s Horizon Worlds Metaverse. Previously, the avatars were just floating in the Metaverse with no lower body parts. However, now the avatars of users will have legs too, meaning that you will have a full avatar body now.

Why the legs news is so talked about because adding legs is a big challenge not just for Meta but other VR competitors as well. The VR headsets can only detect hand and facial movements, while legs movement is often blocked by the hands or not seen by the headset. Therefore, the Meta is now using an AI-based predictive model to detect the orientation and movement of legs.

With legs and a complete body avatar, many are doubting how this will impact the body image concern of users which is already a well-debated topic for social media apps. But before we jump into that discussion, let’s quickly take a look at body shape issues with social media platforms.

Body Shape Concerns with Social Media Platforms

One of the reasons social media platforms got the attention and popularity across the world was the way they let users connect with their family and friends and let them know what’s going on in their lives. Over the years, social media platforms have grown a lot in terms of features and usability. Today, social media platforms are highly driven by celebrities, models, or so-called “social media influencers” that attract followers with their premium lifestyle or perfect body shape.

Although watching your favorite celebrities seem like a fun activity, deep inside you start hating your body image. That’s what has been in the debate ever since social media platforms have become a part of our lives. In fact, there are numerous researches on the impacts of social media and body shape concerns.

Other than getting manipulated by the perfect body shape of your celebrities or models, the growing use of filters and editing toolkits is further worsening the whole environment. There are filters that can turn your face into perfectly glowing skin. Similarly, there are editing tools that can transform your whole body into a perfect model-like shape. So, imagine one of your close friends posts an image of him/her on Facebook or Instagram with a stunning body shape and glowing skin. What it will make you feel? You will walk to the mirror and feel disappointed about your looks. However, if you try the same filters and editing, you might even look better than your friend. That’s how social media is impacting our mindset about our body shapes.

Role of “Legs” in Affecting Employee Body Image

Metaverse is not just about building virtual worlds and using them for gaming, it can have tons of other corporate-level benefits. Meta is collaborating with Microsoft to add the Office suite into its Metaverse. Similarly, Meta is also partnering with Zoom to enable avatar-based virtual meetings. So, the Metaverse is eventually going to provide employees with new ways of interacting and collaborating.

With the announcement of legs and the full body avatar, Meta is gradually heading towards providing a complete lifelike experience to users. However, it is again rising the concern of unrealistic body shapes of avatars. Just as an example, see the below picture of the avatars of Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta exec Aigerim Shorman. What you see is that they are looking well-shaped and well-dressed, but they look a lot different in their real life.

Once legs are linked with avatars and the Metaverse becomes a go-to place for employees to virtually interact and collaborate, it can negatively affect their body shapes. It is because they will create a perfect avatar of themselves with the ideal body shape they want and then use it for interacting with their colleagues. So, if those employees are working remotely, then this means that their actual looks are hidden from the team. They no longer have to dress up or keep up with maintaining body shapes because no one will be able to criticize them for their body shape. Eventually, it can lead to weight gain, which can impact the health and productivity of employees.

If we compare social media’s impacts on body image with that of metaverse avatars, then there is one major difference. In the case of social media, the influence is triggered by celebrities/models that make their followers feel bad about their body shapes. On the other hand, avatars make employees design their ideal body image and feel less worried about maintaining their actual body shapes. Overall, both social media and avatars can cast their negative effects on their users’ body images.

Final Thoughts

Social media is part of our everyday life and seeing so many filter-based posts of celebrities, models, and influencers with unrealistic body standards are negatively impacting teens and young adults. On top of that, full-body avatars are going to worsen the whole situation, especially at the corporate level. When employees no longer have to worry about the criticism they might face due to body shape, they can become more reckless about it.

One solution to address avatar impacts on body image is by auto-designing the avatars by seeing the actual body shape of the user and giving them limited customization options. However, this does not seem to get implemented by Meta and other VR services. Overall, it might take a few more years till avatar-based meetups become mainstream, so the actual impact of avatars on body image can be better guessed after that.

How to Recover Deleted or Unsaved Word Documents for Free?

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Irina Upadhyay

Have you accidentally closed Microsoft Word without saving the document you were working on? Lost the unsaved Word documents due to a random crash? If yes, then you can easily recover the unsaved Word documents in Windows 10/11 from the Temporary files, AutoRecover Files, or File Backup.

However, to recover the deleted Word files in Windows 10/11, you need to do it from Recycle Bin, Local Backup, Cloud Backup, or data recovery software.

This article will show you an efficient and easy way to recover unsaved and deleted Word documents in Windows 10/11.

How to Recover Unsaved Word Documents?

The Microsoft Word application crashed, and you haven’t saved the Document? Don’t panic. Take a deep breath; you can get your unsaved Word document back by following the below-mentioned tips to recover an unsaved Word document.

AutoRecover feature of Microsoft Word can help you recover unsaved documents. While working on a file, if Microsoft Word crashes or your system freezes, you can recover your data only if the Autorecover feature is enabled in Word. Follow these steps to recover unsaved word documents using Autorecover:

Open This PC and type .asd in the search bar at the top.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\type-asd-in-search-bar.jpg

Wait for some time for the search result, and then look for the file you want to recover.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\open-asd-file-using-Word.jpg

Click to open the file in MS Word and then choose Save to store the file at your desired location.

2. Recover Unsaved Word Docs with Document Recovery

If Word crashes or closes abruptly, it automatically restores unsaved Word documents. You can find these unsaved Word documents under Document Recovery on the left panel.

Open the Word Document once your PC restarts.
You can see the Document Recovery panel on the left side.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\document-recovery-panel.jpg

It shows the Auto-saved versions of your Word files with timestamps.
Open the file you want to recover and then choose to Save it.
In the next pop-up, choose what you want to do with other recovered files.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\document-recovery-pop-up.png

3. Restore Auto-Backup File

Microsoft Word has a fantastic ‘Backup copy’ feature that creates the backup copy of your File. This file has a .wbk extension, and you can follow these steps to restore the auto-backed up files:

Go to This PC and type .wbk in the search.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\open-wbk-files.png

From the scanned list, choose the file you want to recover.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\save-wbk-file.jpg

Rename the file and click Save.

4. Recover Unsaved Word Documents from Temporary Files

The Temporary files feature comes handy when processing a Word Document. These files hold information temporarily to avoid any data loss situation caused due to sudden power outages or program shutdowns. The temporary files are found in the Application Data folder under Microsoft and Temp folder in the Local Settings. Recovering unsaved Word documents from temporary files is easy if you follow these steps:

Click the Search icon and choose Documents from the option.

Type .tmp in the search and click Enter.

D:\S1989\Internal\Sept 2022\B_How to Recover Deleted Word Documents for Free\Image\search-result-for-tmp-file.png

The scanned result will appear; you need to look for the file you want to recover and Save it.

How to Recover Deleted Word Files?

Let’s run you through several methods which can be helpful to retrieve a deleted Word file.

1. Recover Deleted Word Document from Recycle Bin

All your deleted files and folders go to Recycle Bin, which makes restoring data from the Bin easy. Moreover, Windows are configured to empty the Recycle Bin after 30 days automatically, so restore any important data immediately from this trash application. Follow these steps to recover deleted Word files from Recycle Bin:

Double-click on Recycle Bin to launch it.

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Browse the files in the Bin to check for the files you require.
Right-click on the desired file and choose the ‘Restore’ option.

The recovered Word document is saved at its original location.

2. Recover Deleted Word Document from OneDrive

With OneDrive or Microsoft 365 subscription, you can enable the sync-up feature to save your files in the OneDrive account instead of locally saving them on your system. Moreover, OneDrive has its own Recycle Bin from where you can recover deleted Word Documents.

Go to the OneDrive homepage and sign in to your account.

Now go to Recycle Bin and open it.
Select the deleted Word documents you want to recover and click Restore.

3. Recover Deleted Word Document from Local Backups (File History)

The File History utility of Windows 11 can help you recover permanently deleted files only when you have enabled it earlier.

Click the Windows icon and type “Restore your files with File History.”

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Click Open to launch File History.

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Find the documents you want to retrieve and click Restore to save the file to its original location.

4. Recover Deleted Word Documents Using Data Recovery Software

If none of the above methods help you recover unsaved or deleted Word documents, your best bet is to use data recovery software. Use Stellar Data Recovery Free software for Windows to recover deleted or corrupted Word Documents, photos, and videos from all types of storage drives. It ensures 100% data retrieval in all data loss conditions like data corruption, accidental deletion, and virus attack. Follow these steps to recover deleted Word documents using Stellar Data Recovery software:

Download and launch the Stellar Data Recovery Free software.
Select Office Documents in the ‘Select What to Recover’ screen and click Next.

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Select the location, toggle on the Deep Scan button at the bottom and click Scan.

Wait for some time for the scan to get completed.
Now preview the files from the scanned list and click Recover.

Browse the location to save the recovered files.

Tips to Prevent Data Loss Scenario in Word Document

Losing a Word document you’ve spent so much time working on can be annoying. Although you can easily recover unsaved or deleted files, following a few simple tips can help prevent data loss in the first place.

Make sure to enable the AutoRecover feature in Microsoft Word.
Take multiple backups of your documents across different devices.
Use advanced options like tracked changes and versioning features to avoid user errors.

Conclusion

Whether your Word document was unsaved, deleted, encrypted by malware, or corrupted, you can easily recover it with Stellar Data Recovery software. Make sure you take regular backups of your system so that you can recover the document using backup. Moreover, ensure you have enabled the Auto Recover feature in Word, so you never have to worry about losing a Word doc again.