WebProNews
Bending Spoons Lays Off Entire Filmic Staff

Bending Spoons, the new owner of popular mobile video app Filmic, has laid off the entire staff behind the app.

Bending Spoons—the same company that now owns Evernote and laid off much of its staff—acquired Filmic in September 2022. According to PetaPixel, the acquisition was touted as a win for both companies, with Bending Spoons planning to use Filmic to help drive its mobile video ambitions.

Just over a year later, however, and the outlet is citing multiple sources that Filmic’s entire staff has been laid off, with all operations related to the app being brought in-house. The move is similar to how Italy-based Bending Spoons handled the Evernote acquisition, laying off all US and Chile staff to keep development focused in the EU.

Neill Barham, Filmic’s founder and CEO, doesn’t appear to have been spared. According to his LinkedIn page, Barham’s time with Filmic ended in November 2023.

At this rate, Bending Spoons is quickly gaining a reputation of buying popular apps, gutting their development teams, and leaving customers wondering if their favorite apps are going to survive.

Bending Spoons Lays Off Entire Filmic Staff
Matt Milano

WebProNews
Google Messages Tops 1 Billion Monthly RCS Users

Google has passed a significant milestone, registering more than one billion monthly active RCS users.

RCS is the successor to SMS, bringing improved security and features on par with Apple’s iMessage. The path to RCS adoption has been somewhat rocky, with carriers initially slow to embrace the new protocol. Google finally took matters into its own hands and began rolling out the feature across Android. Even Apple recently announced it would adopt RCS in 2024 as a fallback protocol for iPhone to Android communication.

In a blog post, Google touted the milestone:

By replacing the outdated SMS and MMS protocols, users benefit from a more modern and secure messaging experience with typing indicators, read receipts, threaded replies, high-quality media sharing, improved group chats, better privacy like end-to-end encryption and more with RCS. RCS is a much better messaging protocol, and we know that people love using it.

Today marks a new milestone that we are incredibly proud of: There are now more than one billion monthly active users with RCS enabled in Google Messages. We are grateful to our partners and our users that have advocated for RCS over the years — it’s been a lot of work to get here, and we want to thank you. Beyond Google Messages, there are other messaging clients that use RCS and we are pleased that Apple also took their first step two weeks ago in announcing that they’re embracing RCS.

Coinciding with the news, Google has unveiled seven new features for Google Messages:

1. Photomoji is very similar to Apple’s Memoji, using on-device AI to transform photos into emojies.
2. Voice Moods combines visual effects with your voice.

“With nine different emotions to choose from, your voice can sprinkle heart-eye emoji, fume with fireballs or break out the party popper so the recipient can hear your words along with a visual effect that expresses how you’re feeling at that moment.”

3. Screen Effects uses on-screen effects to accentuate your message.
4. Custom Bubbles provides customization options for bubble color and chat background.
5. Reaction Effects are designed to improve the basic emojoi reactions users are accustomed to.

“Picture this: Your friend texts you to let you know the two of you have reservations to that trendy new restaurant that everyone has been buzzing about. If you react to the message with a simple emoji, magic instantly unfolds as an animated trio of hands dances around the message bubble.”

6. Animated Emojis infuse “each message with a captivating burst of visual effects.”
7. Profiles provides a way to set your picture and name, so that even those who don’t have your phone number in their contacts will still know who you are.

The additional features are welcome additions to Google Messages.

Google Messages Tops 1 Billion Monthly RCS Users
Staff

WebProNews
UK Throws Cold Water On Adobe’s Figma Acquisition

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has cast doubt on Adobe’s Figma acquisition, saying it “would likely reduce innovation.”

Figma provides web-based tools that compete with Adobe’s product line at a fraction of the price. Adobe announced in September 2022 that it had reached a deal to purchase Figma for $20 billion. The move was immediately decried by designers and critics as a way for Adobe to kill off a competitor. Regulators in the EU and UK have been investigating the deal to see if it will harm competition.

After reviewing the proposed acquisition, the CMA has issued a preliminary report, finding that the deal would harm the design sector.

Adobe and Figma are two of the world leading providers of software for app and web designers and our investigation so far has found that they are close competitors.

This proposed deal, therefore, has the potential to impact the UK’s digital design industry by reducing choice, innovation and the development of new competitive products.

Today’s decision is provisional, and we will now consult on our findings and listen to any further views before reaching a final decision.

The CMA found that Figma’s existence and competition was fueling innovation at Adobe, innovation that would likely stop post-acquisition:

The inquiry group has also provisionally found that Figma is a credible future competitor to Adobe in image editing and illustration software – and that the threat posed by Figma has driven product development in Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator applications, including new web versions. The inquiry group considers that if the deal went ahead, it would eliminate Figma as a competitor which would otherwise have continued to seek to develop its capabilities in image editing and illustration, thereby fuelling innovation and product development by Adobe. This competition would be lost as a result of the transaction, harming designers and creative agencies who might have used these new tools or relied on future updates.

The regulator will make a final decision by February 25, 2024. In the meantime, concerned parties can provide feedback from now till December 19, 2023. The CMA is reserving the right to take whatever action it deems necessary, including blocking the deal entirely.

UK Throws Cold Water On Adobe’s Figma Acquisition
Staff

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Finding Top Talent: Hiring Remote Web Designers for Virtual Success

Remote working has taken off significantly in recent years, particularly as decision-makers realize that making team members come into physical offices was not a guarantee of higher productivity. Some workers like the traditional environment, but others find they can get more done without getting caught up in watercooler gossip, office politics and other distractions.

Remote web designers are among those who have benefitted the most from the substantial increase in the distributed workforce. Typically, these professionals can do their work anywhere with a stable internet connection. They have essential expertise in today’s highly digitized and internet-driven world, using their skills to create or improve a website’s layout, usability and overall appearance. 

Suppose you own or manage a small business or you’re in the design or marketing fields. You’ll likely encounter numerous situations where hiring web designers could help you strategically grow your business by meeting new or pressing needs.

One of the great things about hiring web designers who work remotely is that you greatly expand the potential hiring pool. Here are some top tips to apply if you’re considering this approach. 

Write Sufficiently Detailed Job Descriptions

It’s always wise to provide plenty of specifics in your job descriptions. However, that’s particularly essential when appealing to remote candidates — including those in other time zones or countries. They can’t necessarily pick up the phone for quick clarifications on questions that arise. 

That’s why you must put yourself in their position and think about what they’d most likely want or need to know. Start with the basics you’d tell anyone thinking about applying, such as: 

• Minimum education level or years of experience
• Tools or programs the applicant should know well
• Desired hard and soft skills 
• Salary range
• A brief description of benefits  
• A blurb about the company’s values
• The job’s closing date

Additionally, add content about remote working requirements and the overall experience, including: 

• Work completion time frames
• Language requirements 
• Minimum internet speed 
• Equipment provisions
• Tax specifics 
• Travel needs 

Diving Into the Particulars

Perhaps you’re fairly flexible about when remote web designers do their tasks, as long as at least half their workdays occur between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time. You might also require applicants to be fluent English speakers and prefer they know at least one other language at an advanced level. 

If you worry about web designers completing assignments on outdated computers or slow connections, one of the best workarounds is to provide their equipment as a remote working benefit. Remote workers will also need to know whether the job will require any travel, and, if so, how often. Many people require visas before traveling, and some may need updated passports before confirming to your company that they’re ready to travel when required. 

Finally, clarify whether remote workers have specific tax responsibilities. If you’re hiring them as independent contractors, their countries of residence will likely require them to calculate taxes to pay to the relevant revenue authorities. But, if they’re employees, the amounts will be taken out of every paycheck. 

The clearer you are with the information, the better the chance people will apply with confidence and little or no confusion. It’s also useful to mention if unsuccessful applicants will get added to a database and considered for future opportunities. If you take that route, be upfront about it and make sure to comply with all relevant data retention and usage laws. 

Plan and Arrange Interviews and Pre-Hire Tests

As more companies hire remote web designers and other employees who can work from anywhere, decision-makers realize they can expand beyond interviews and screening practices. Although in-person interviews may happen in some cases, you may decide to stick to Zoom, phone calls and other methods that don’t require an applicant to be in the same room as you.

You might also ask people to show evidence of their skills by doing test projects you assign them. That’s a common and beneficial strategy when engaging with candidates who have already gone through multiple interview rounds. 

When determining when to hold interviews, keep potential time differences in mind. Some scheduling tools allow candidates to see available slots in their time zones, eliminating misunderstandings.

Steer clear of unintentionally ageist practices as you think about each interview or screening phase. For example, some people stereotype older workers as less tech-savvy. However, that’s not necessarily true. Indeed, these people typically didn’t grow up with technology the same way younger generations have. But many have taken it upon themselves to learn new skills and keep up with changes. Similarly, they’re often eager to learn and prove themselves, even if that means going outside their comfort zones. 

While describing each interview phase to successful candidates, be sufficiently descriptive to set expectations. For example, you might say, “You’ll meet with two senior team leads and the chief technology officer during this interview, which will last approximately 90 minutes. We’ll then send an assessment test by email that you must return to within 48 hours.” That way, everyone is on the same page with the proper information. 

Prioritize Continual Development 

A potential downside of bringing remote web designers on board is that you’re not necessarily interacting with them every day. That could mean you’re less informed about a remote worker’s career progress and aspirations. Fortunately, practical solutions exist. 

Introduce all your company’s professional development opportunities during the hiring phase. Emphasize to candidates that leaders are serious about making the workforce well-equipped to tackle current and existing needs. While explaining the company’s perks to someone in a late-stage interview, you might mention how each worker gets a yearly education budget to develop skills related to their work. Perhaps continual development means giving workers access to libraries of online courses and audiobooks or paying for their conference tickets.

Sometimes, an organization’s push for ongoing education happens after a downturn. Consider how LEGO cut 8% of its workforce due to sales declines. Part of the subsequent workforce rejuvenation effort involved polling all employees to learn which characteristics leaders possessed. Bravery, curiosity and focus were some of the leading aspects. Company decision-makers used those takeaways for inspiration when building an open-source leadership playground. That resource attracted 800 workers who wanted to develop their leadership skills. 

Even when remote web designers love their work arrangements, some may occasionally feel isolated from their colleagues. That reality can be especially hard for new hires who might experience early challenges fitting in and getting to know people. That’s why many companies host retreats for remote teams. Those getaways help attendees form bonds in new, exciting environments. They’re fun, with a heavy dose of professional development. 

Showing candidates that continuing development is a foundational aspect of your company is a great way to encourage them to stay accountable and pursue ongoing growth. This approach also sets your organization apart in a competitive market.

Are You Ready to Hire Remote Web Designers

Finding the best-qualified remote web designers isn’t easy, but expanding your candidate pool to accommodate remote workers is an excellent way to remove many barriers. Follow the tips above to move through all phases of recruitment without hassle.

Finding Top Talent: Hiring Remote Web Designers for Virtual Success
Staff

WebProNews
US Judge Shuts Down Montana’s TikTok Ban

A US judge has sided with TikTok, shutting down a ban by the state of Montana, the first state-wide ban in the US.

TikTok has been under fire for the last several years over its privacy practices, and concerns that it serves as a conduit for Beijing’s espionage efforts. While US government agencies and jurisdictions have banned TikTok from government devices, Montana was the first state to implement a total ban.

According to Reuters, US District Judge Donald Molloy has shot down the ban with a preliminary injunction, citing freedom of speech. Judge Molloy says the ban “oversteps state power and infringes on the constitutional rights of users.”

While Montana’s ban targeted TikTok, it did not target TikTok users and made no provision for penalizing them for using it.

Nonetheless, the ruling is a big win for the social media company and illustrates the challenges lawmakers will have taking more aggressive action against the company.

US Judge Shuts Down Montana’s TikTok Ban
Staff

WebProNews
Senator Ron Wyden Wants DOJ To Disclose AT&T Surveillance Program

Senator Ron Wyden is asking the Attorney General Merrick Garland to disclose information on the AT&T Hemisphere surveillance program.

Senator Wyden is a well-known privacy advocate, routinely putting pressure on companies and lawmakers to do more in the interests of protecting user privacy. In a letter to AG Merrick, Senator Wyden raised concerns about Hemisphere, a program that gives “federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies” the ability to search trillions of AT&T phone records as far back as 1987.

Under the Hemisphere program, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) indirectly pays AT&T to allow any federal, state, local or Tribal law enforcement agency to search AT&T customers’ phone records as far back as 1987, according to public records about the program.

“I have serious concerns about the legality of this surveillance program, and the materials provided by the DOJ contain troubling information that would justifiably outrage many Americans and other members of Congress,” Wyden wrote. “While I have long defended the government’s need to protect classified sources and methods, this surveillance program is not classified and its existence has already been acknowledged by the DOJ in federal court. The public interest in an informed debate about government surveillance far outweighs the need to keep this information secret.”

Although information regarding Hemisphere is not classified, it is marked as “Law Enforcement Sensitive,” which is enough to keep it the information out of the public. What’s more, Senator Wyden’s office says the program has not been subject to a federal Privacy Impact Assessment.

Rather than directly funding the surveillance program, the ONDCP provides a grant to the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, which in turn pays AT&T to operate this surveillance program. Law enforcement agencies nationwide are able to request Hemisphere searches, including for investigations that are not drug related, Houston HIDTA officials told Wyden’s office.

US government agencies have increasingly turned to purchasing information from companies instead of going through the trouble to getting a warrant. The Hemisphere program may be one of the biggest such examples, which would explain Senator Wyden’s concern.

Senator Ron Wyden Wants DOJ To Disclose AT&T Surveillance Program
Matt Milano

WebProNews
Meta Is Finally Bringing Threads To The EU

Meta is finally bringing its Threads platform to the EU, a move that was likely delayed over privacy concerns.

Threads is Meta’s answer to X (Twitter), but the platform collects a gargantuan amount of personal data, leading to concerns about whether the app could even launch in the EU. Unlike the US, the EU has strict privacy laws designed to protect the consumer.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta now plans to launch Threads in the EU.

“He’s got lofty goals for it,” Debra Aho Williamson, an independent tech analyst, told the outlet about Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “Bringing it to Europe is an important test of the viability of Threads long term.”

“Launching in Europe would certainly bring more people, creating more conversations and more usage,” Williamson said. “But Meta still needs to figure out what Threads is.”

Meta Is Finally Bringing Threads To The EU
Staff

WebProNews
Today Is The Last Day To Save Old Gmail Accounts

Today is the last day to save old, unused Gmail accounts, with Google planning to begin deletions December 2023.

Google announced in May that it would begin deleting unused Gmail accounts, beginning December 2023. The company cited the security risks of abandoned accounts, saying they are 10x less likely to have two-factor authentication set up than active accounts.

To reduce this risk, we are updating our inactivity policy for Google Accounts to 2 years across our products. Starting later this year, if a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, we may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos.

With deletions slated to begin as early as tomorrow, users who want to save old accounts should log in today to ensure they don’t disappear.

Today Is The Last Day To Save Old Gmail Accounts
Staff

WebProNews
Dollar Tree Data Breach Impacts Millions

Dollar Tree revealed it is the victim of a data breach, one impacting some two million individuals.

According to BleepingComputer, the store chain says 1,977,486 people were impacted as a result of its service provider, Zeroed-In Technologies, being hacked. The Zeroed-In incident occurred August 7 and 8, 2023.

BleepingComputer says the Zeroed-In hackers were able to obtain private information for Dollar Tree and Family Dollar employees.

“While the investigation was able to determine that these systems were accessed, it was not able to confirm all of the specific files that were accessed or taken by the unauthorized actor,” reads a letter sent to those impacted.

“Therefore, Zeroed-In conducted a review of the contents of the systems to determine what information was present at the time of the incident and to whom the information relates.”

Dollar Tree Data Breach Impacts Millions
Staff

WebProNews
Roundcube Joins Nextcloud

Roundcube, the webmail option that features a desktop client-like interface, is joining forces with Nextcloud.

Nextcloud is a popular open source cloud platform, providing email, documents, calendar, and storage features. The platform competes with popular cloud options from Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

The company announced that Roundcube is joining it:

We are thrilled to announce that Roundcube project has found a new home with Nextcloud. Becoming a new steward for a popular webmail client trusted in highly regulated industries and among security-savvy users alike, we set sail to foster the growth and improvement of the project. This brings about a new milestone for global IT decentralization.

Nextcloud founder Frank Karlitschek touted the merger as a win for open source, as well as the two platforms and their users:

“The merger not only underscores the collective strength of the open source community but also highlights our enduring commitment to privacy, security, and user empowerment,” Karlitschek said.

The merger does not mean that Roundcube will be absorbed by Nextcloud and disappear as an independent product, nor does it mean that Roundcube will replace Nextcloud Mail:

As a product, Roundcube has an established path to success on its own. With opportunities remaining to be explored, a direct merger between Roundcube and Nextcloud is not planned. Neither will Roundcube replace Nextcloud Mail or the other way around. The products both have strengths and weaknesses and as open source products they already do share some underlying libraries and tools, but remain independent offerings for overlapping but different use scenarios. Nextcloud Mail will evolve as it is, focused on being used naturally within Nextcloud. Roundcube will continue to serve its active and new users as a stand-alone secure mail client.

Roundcube Joins Nextcloud
Matt Milano

WebProNews
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Will Be Wayland-Only

Red Hat has announced it will go all-in on Wayland with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10, dropping support for Xorg server.

The X Window System has been the default display solution for Linux for three decades. Unfortunately, Xorg and X11 have become a patchwork of code that make it difficult to update and add new features. As a result, Wayland has been in development for the last 15 years as a replacement, with developers eager to avoid the issues that have led to the Xorg dead-end. The road to Wayland has not been without its own challenges, however, which is why it still isn’t the default on my many Linux distros.

Red Hat has been one of the largest maintainers of the old Xorg code. According to Carlos Soriano Sanchez, Software Engineering Manager, that is about to change:

Earlier this year (2023), as part of our RHEL 10 planning, we made a study to understand Wayland’s status, not only from an infrastructure perspective, but also from an ecosystem perspective. The result of this evaluation is that, while there are still some gaps and applications that need some level of adaptation, we believe the Wayland infrastructure and ecosystem are in good shape, and that we’re on a good path for the identified blockers to be resolved by the time RHEL 10 is out, planned to be released on the first half of 2025.

With this, we’ve decided to remove Xorg server and other X servers (except Xwayland) from RHEL 10 and the following releases. Xwayland should be able to handle most X11 clients that won’t immediately be ported to Wayland, and if needed, our customers will be able to stay on RHEL 9 for its full life cycle while resolving the specifics needed for transitioning to a Wayland ecosystem. It’s important to note that “Xorg Server” and “X11” are not synonymous, X11 is a protocol that will continue to be supported through Xwayland, while the Xorg Server is one of the implementations of the X11 protocol.

As Sanchez points out, there are still gaps in Wayland’s functionality, although these are rapidly closely. Those gaps have, however, caused some developers to hold off from adopting Wayland. Red Hat’s announcement should serve as a clear message that Xorg’s days are numbered and Wayland is the future.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Will Be Wayland-Only
Matt Milano

WebProNews
Amazon Announces Amazon Q, the Company’s ChatGPT Rival

Amazon used its AWS re:Invent 2023 to unveil Amazon Q, its generative AI competitor to ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Bard.

Generative AI has become the hottest trend in tech, with companies large and small investing heavily in the tech. OpenAI, and its backer Microsoft, jumped to an early lead, leaving Google, Amazon, and others to catch up, which Amazon hopes to do with Amazon Q.

According to the company, its generative AI is designed specifically to give customers the ability to customize it to their needs:

Amazon Q brings a set of capabilities to support developers and IT professionals. Now you can use Amazon Q to get started building applications on AWS, research best practices, resolve errors, and get assistance in coding new features for your applications. For example, Amazon Q Code Transformation can perform Java application upgrades now, from version 8 and 11 to version 17.

The company says it leaned on its 17 years of experience with AWS to help create Amazon Q:

Application development is a journey. It involves a continuous cycle of researching, developing, deploying, optimizing, and maintaining. At each stage, there are many questions—from figuring out the right AWS services to use, to troubleshooting issues in the application code.

Trained on 17 years of AWS knowledge and best practices, Amazon Q is designed to help you at each stage of development with a new experience for building applications on AWS. With Amazon Q, you minimize the time and effort you need to gain the knowledge required to answer AWS questions, explore new AWS capabilities, learn unfamiliar technologies, and architect solutions that fuel innovation.

Customers can learn more about Amazon Q here.

Amazon Announces Amazon Q, the Company’s ChatGPT Rival
Staff

WebProNews
The Role of AI in Online Reputation Management: Future Trends and Current Uses

Introduction

Overview of Online Reputation Management and the Role of AI

In today’s digital age, online reputation management (ORM) is crucial for businesses. It’s the practice of monitoring and influencing the public perception of an organization on the internet. As we look to the future, artificial intelligence (AI) is steering ORM in novel and efficient directions. AI-driven tools are now capable of scanning the vast expanse of the web to track mentions, analyze sentiments, and identify patterns that humans alone may miss. They automate the handling of vast quantities of data, responding to reviews, and flagging inappropriate content. AI also personalizes customer interactions, ensuring that the responses feel organic and tailored, thus maintaining a brand’s reputation more effectively. As ORM continues to evolve, the integration of AI not only simplifies processes but also equips businesses with the agility to preemptively address potential reputation issues.

Current Uses of AI in Online Reputation Management

AI-powered sentiment analysis

AI technology powerfully assists companies in gauging public opinion by performing sentiment analysis. These advanced tools, bolstered by machine learning and natural language processing, delve into customer feedback, reviews, and social media conversations to ascertain not just the topics of discussion, but also the emotions behind them. Such real-time analysis enables businesses to rapidly respond to the market, adjusting strategies and communications to enhance their public perception.

AI-driven social media monitoring

Further, AI-driven social media monitoring is revolutionizing how businesses track and manage their online reputations. These intelligent systems tirelessly scan multiple platforms to identify brand mentions and relevant hashtags, providing comprehensive insights. They not only detect emerging trends but also alert firms to potential PR crises before they escalate. This proactive approach to social media management is now critical in safeguarding a brand against reputational damage in the hyper-connected digital landscape.

Future Trends in AI for Online Reputation Management

As we delve into future possibilities, artificial intelligence is anticipated to become even more integral to online reputation management (ORM). Advancements in AI will enable firms to not only react to reputational issues but also to predict and pre-empt them. These technologies are expected to expand the boundaries of ORM, enhancing the way companies interact with and understand their customers.

Predictive analytics for reputation management

Moving beyond real-time analysis, AI’s role in ORM is gearing towards predictive analytics. This evolutionary step empowers companies to foresee potential reputational risks by analyzing patterns and trends from historical data. Businesses will be able to take preemptive action by understanding which areas are most susceptible to negative impressions, ensuring they stay ahead of any issues that could impact their brand’s public perception.

AI chatbots for customer engagement and support

AI chatbots are poised to play a pivotal role in ORM by offering around-the-clock customer support and actively engaging with users across various platforms. As these chatbots become more sophisticated through learning from human interactions, they will be able to handle complex queries, provide personalized responses, and even identify and alert businesses to potential reputational risks. This level of proactive engagement and support not only enhances customer experiences but also directly contributes to maintaining a positive brand image.

AI-Enhanced Review Management

As we navigate the digital landscape, AI-enhanced review management is becoming an essential tool for businesses looking to maintain a stellar online presence. Its capabilities are reshaping how companies approach customer feedback and manage their reputations online.

Automated review analysis

Taking advantage of AI-powered tools, organizations can now automatically analyze vast numbers of online reviews across different platforms. This technology categorizes sentiments, gauges customer satisfaction, and summarily provides insights that would typically require extensive manual effort. The ability to quickly process and quantify customer sentiment on a large scale enables businesses to swiftly adapt to market demands, address concerns, and refine their offerings.

AI-powered review response generation

Beyond analysis, AI technologies extend to the generation of timely and appropriate responses to customer reviews. With natural language processing capabilities, AI systems can craft personalized replies that resonate with customers’ emotions and specific comments. This not only ensures prompt responses to customer feedback but also demonstrates a brand’s dedication to customer engagement and service excellence. Such interaction solidifies relationships between businesses and their clientele, fostering loyalty and trust.

AI-Driven Crisis Management

In the vibrant and rapidly evolving world of online reputation management, artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role, particularly in crisis management. As businesses continue to digitize, the potential crises that can arise from online activities grow proportionally, making AI an indispensable tool for preemptive measures and damage control.

Real-time monitoring and alert systems

AI-driven solutions are now capable of real-time monitoring of social media, blogs, news outlets, and other digital channels for any mentions that may impact a brand’s reputation. Advanced algorithms can detect negative trends and alert companies instantly, providing the opportunity to take immediate action. This swift notification system is crucial in a digital age where information spreads rapidly, allowing businesses to manage potential issues before they escalate into full-blown crises.

AI-powered reputation repair strategies

Following the detection of a reputational threat, AI can assist in devising and implementing effective repair strategies. By analyzing past crises and outcomes, AI systems can recommend the best course of action to mitigate damage. Whether it’s through creating tailored messaging for public responses or identifying the most effective communication channels, artificial intelligence offers informed and data-driven solutions that can help restore and maintain a positive online image for brands amid challenging situations.

AI and SEO for Reputation Management

As organizations strive to safeguard their online image, AI continues to shape the landscape of online reputation management. Looking towards the future, artificial intelligence is poised to play an even more integral role, with current uses already demonstrating its significant impact on strategies and outcomes.

AI-driven keyword monitoring

Artificial intelligence enhances search engine optimization (SEO) by tracking keywords closely associated with a brand’s online presence. Utilizing AI, companies can monitor their brand mentions across various platforms with unrivaled accuracy and efficiency. AI systems sift through vast expanses of online content to alert businesses to both positive and negative mentions, enabling them to craft timely and appropriate responses. Such proactive monitoring helps prevent the escalation of issues and ensures the maintenance of a healthy digital footprint.

AI-powered content creation for online reputation enhancement

The creation of engaging and reputation-enhancing content is another arena where AI demonstrates profound capabilities. Not only can AI tools suggest relevant content topics and identify trending keywords, but they can also generate material that is geared towards improving a brand’s SEO ranking. By producing high-quality and strategically optimized content, AI assists businesses in rising above the digital noise, ensuring their brand message is heard clearly and aligns with the desired reputation objectives.

Ethical Considerations in AI for Reputation Management

As we delve deeper into the digital age, the role of AI in online reputation management continues to evolve and expand. Organizations have recognized the profound benefits that AI offers in this domain, but with rapid advancements come new ethical considerations that must be addressed to responsibly harness AI’s capabilities. The emerging trends show a heightened focus on striking a balance between automation and human oversight, as well as ensuring the protection of privacy and data within reputation management strategies.

Balancing automation and human oversight

The future trend in reputation management points towards a seamless integration of AI’s analytical prowess with the empathic and contextual insights of human intuition. While AI excels at processing vast amounts of data, discerning the nuanced implications of that data still largely rests with human experts. Companies are, therefore, emphasizing the importance of having human professionals in the loop, reviewing and interpreting AI-generated insights to ensure they align with the brand’s values and ethical standards.

Privacy and data protection concerns

Another pressing concern that accompanies the use of AI in reputation management is privacy and data protection. As AI systems require access to large datasets to monitor and analyze online mentions and sentiments, there is an intrinsic need to keep individuals’ data secure. The current use of AI has spurred discussions on the ethical collection, storage, and processing of digital footprints to prevent breaches and misuse. Future trends indicate that businesses will need to be more transparent about their AI-driven activities and take stringent measures to comply with data protection laws, thereby preserving trust and maintaining a good reputation among stakeholders.

Conclusion

In an era where online presence is virtually synonymous with reputation, AI’s role in managing this digital image has become indispensable. With real-time monitoring, sentiment analysis, and deepfake detection, AI is revolutionizing the ways in which reputations are shaped and protected online.

Summary of the current and future impact of AI in online reputation management

Currently, AI is transforming online reputation management (ORM) by providing tools that can process and analyze enormous volumes of data with exceptional speed and accuracy, allowing for proactive reputation management. Looking towards the future, AI is set to play an even more integral role. We’re expecting to see AI systems equipped with advanced algorithms that not only detect potential reputation threats but also predict them before they even occur. This proactive approach will not only mitigate issues faster but also enhance the strategic decision-making processes within businesses.

Moreover, as these technologies continue to develop, the ethical use of AI in ORM will remain a focal point, with an increasing emphasis on privacy and transparency to maintain public trust. AI’s evolution in ORM signals a future where businesses can navigate the complex digital landscape with greater confidence and foresight.

The Role of AI in Online Reputation Management: Future Trends and Current Uses
Brian Wallace

WebProNews
Evernote Tries to Push Users to Paid Plans

Evernote is trying to convert users into paid subscribers with a limit on how many notes free accounts can have.

According to TechCrunch, some users are seeing a pop-up message encouraging them to upgrade to a paid plan for as much as 40% off. The message goes on to say the user will be limited to a single notebook and 50 notes on their current free plan.

Evernote owner Bending Spoons confirmed to the outlet that it is experimenting with the option, but that nothing has been finalized. As TechCrunch points out, there is no mention of the free account limitation on the company’s website.

Bending Spoons acquired Evernote in late 2022 and laid off its US and Chile-based employees in mid-2023, consolidating operations in Europe. It’s not surprise the Milan-based company is looking for ways to increase monetization and help recoup its investment.

Evernote Tries to Push Users to Paid Plans
Staff

WebProNews
Broadcom Lays Off An Undisclosed Number of VMware Employees

Broadcom has begun notifying VMware employees that they are being laid off after successfully closing a deal to purchase the company.

Broadcom announced its plans to purchase VMware for $61 billion deal in mid-2022, a move that caused significant concern among many VMware employees. Broadcom is well-known for buying companies and slashing cost, leading many to believe that VMware would go through significant changes under Broadcom’s ownership.

Those fears appear to be coming true, with Business Insider reporting that Broadcom has begun notifying employees that their roles have been terminated.

“Broadcom recently completed its acquisition of VMware,” reads an email seen by the outlet. “As part of integration planning, and following an organizational needs assessment, we identified go-forward roles that will be required within the combined company. We regret to inform you that your position is being eliminated and your employment will be terminated.”

“We would like to thank you for your dedication and service. We want to make this transition as smooth as possible, including offering you a generous severance package and providing you a non-working paid notice period,” the email continued.

At the time of writing, the exact number of impacted employees remains unknown.

Broadcom Lays Off An Undisclosed Number of VMware Employees
Staff

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Headlines Are Coming Back to X Posts

Elon Musk has revealed that X will bring headlines back to X posts in an upcoming release.

Musk announced in early October that X would stop displaying headlines when users shared a news post, citing “esthetics.” The move, as many of Musk’s have been, was unpopular with users. It appears X will be reversing its stance on headlines, according to a post by Musk:

In an upcoming release, X will overlay title in the upper potion of the image of a URL card

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) — November 22, 2023

Headlines Are Coming Back to X Posts
Staff

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YouTube Slows Performance For Ad-Blocking Users

YouTube continues its war on ad blockers, slowing performance for users who visit the site with ad-blocking plugins enabled.

Reports began surfacing that YouTube was forcing users to wait for five seconds before loading a video when using Firefox with ad blockers enabled. The reports sparked an uproar, with many believing YouTube was targeting Firefox and exempting its own Chrome browser from the slowdowns.

According to a statement provided to Android Central, however, YouTube says it is applying the slowdown to all browsers that use ad blockers, including its own Chrome.

“To support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favorite content on YouTube, we’ve launched an effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad free experience,” the company said in an email to the outlet. “Users who have ad blockers installed may experience suboptimal viewing, regardless of the browser they are using.”

YouTube clearly has every intention of continuing its efforts to making using ad blockers as painful as possible.

YouTube Slows Performance For Ad-Blocking Users
Matt Milano

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Broadcom Completes VMware Acquisition

Broadcom has completed its acquisition of VMware, despite concerns among employees, industry experts, and regulators.

The two companies announced a $61 billion deal in mid-2022, immediately sparking criticism and investigation from various regulatory bodies. After winning approval from regulators across the globe, China was the last holdout. China has ultimately signed off, however, clearing the way for the acquisition.

Broadcom CEO Hock Tan touted the news:

Today I am thrilled to announce Broadcom’s successful acquisition of VMware, and the start of a new and exciting era for all of us at the company. VMware joins our engineering-first, innovation-centric team, which is another important step forward in building the world’s leading infrastructure technology company.

While an important moment for Broadcom, it’s also an exciting milestone for our customers around the world. And as I said when we first announced the acquisition, we can now come together and have the scale to help global enterprises address their complex IT infrastructure challenges by enabling private and hybrid cloud environments and helping them deploy an “apps anywhere” strategy. Our goal is to help customers optimize their private, hybrid and multi-cloud environments, allowing them to run applications and services anywhere.

Broadcom Completes VMware Acquisition
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Residential Real Estate Trends: Moving to Florida

Florida has been a long-standing destination for those who have reached retirement age. But it seems that many more than just retirees have sought out the ‘Sunshine State’. Key cities such as Tampa, Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville have exploded with over 70% increases in population. This is paired with a variety of economic factors that are furthering the development of the state. From the highest percentage of small businesses in the country to much higher availability for homes than other major states like California or New York. But what is driving some people to seek out Florida specifically? One aspect of it is the possibility of remote work. One consequence of the pandemic is that companies are now able to offer job positions in an entirely virtual format. Seeing as you don’t need to be in the office, you can enjoy the sunshine in Florida while completing what you need to at work. In fact, it is estimated that over 16% of all Floridians worked entirely remotely last year. 

On the other hand, Florida has also seen a boom in new businesses. The state ranks 3^rd  highest rate of new businesses applications per capita and has the highest percentage of small businesses in the U.S. And, in terms of living situations, Florida boasts a lower cost of living than major states with no income tax, with a temperate climate to top it all off. While these benefits remain enticing to many, picking up and moving to Florida  into the newly constructed Florida homes is not quite so simple. When purchasing a home, many compounding factors such as fluctuating daily interest rates or the multitude of loan types serve to impede a smooth transition to the Sunshine State and to obfuscate the process of homebuying. 

For instance, someone who qualifies may benefit more from a DPA governmental loan that has down payment assistance, compared to a conventional loan from private lenders. But with this inauspicious collection of factors to account for, many prospective homebuyers may suffer ‘paralysis by analysis’. Fortunately, many Florida companies have arisen to help those looking to move become Florida residents. Next Wage Mortgage, for instance, enables customers to get 1% credit on buying or selling of a property, while educating clients about down payment assistance and potential rebates. By providing both education and expertise, people who go with mortgage companies can maximize their cost-effectiveness and streamline the process of finding a new Florida home. 

Ultimately, the state of Florida has a plethora of benefits that appeal to many. Whether the reasons are rooted in economic viability or personal preferences, Florida can accommodate just about anyone. But in order to be in a position to enjoy the Sunshine State, you need to make the move as easy as possible. The easiest way to do this is through a mortgage company like Next Wage Mortgage. With resources to educate and the ability to more easily afford properties, mortgage companies are the best way to find your new home as soon as possible.

Residential Real Estate Trends: Moving to Florida
Brian Wallace

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Sam Altman Is Back!

After a tumultuous few days, filled with drama and backroom deals, Sam Altman is back as CEO of OpenAI.

OpenAI shocked the industry when it fired Altman late last week. Co-founder and President Greg Brockman immediately resigned in protest, with both execs quickly being hired by Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor. Some 500 of the AI firm’s employees penned a letter to the board supporting Altman and threatening to follow him to Microsoft unless he was reinstalled as CEO.

According to The Verge, the OpenAI board has acquiesced and is preparing to reinstate Altman and Brockman to their previous positions. In addition, with the sole exception of Adam D’Angelo, the entire board will resign and make way for a new one composed of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and D’Angelo.

Sources told the outlet that D’Angelo is remaining to ensure the previous board has at least some representation, but the new board’s immediate purpose will be to vet and appoint additional members. The goal is to have a board of up to nine people — with both Microsoft and Altman wanting a seat on it – that will provide improved governance and accountability and ensure this debacle never happens again.

The deal comes on the heels of intense pressure on the OpenAI board for what was seen as nothing more than a boardroom coup, a coup that was ultimately undermined when Ilya Sutskever, believed to be one of its main architects, did an about-face:

I deeply regret my participation in the board’s actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we’ve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.

Ilya Sutskever (@ilyasut) – November 20, 2023

The board initially accused Altman of withholding information from them, but no evidence was ever presented to support those claims, even under threat of lawsuits from investors. In fact, The Verge reports that Emmett Shear, the second interim CEO appointed during the chaos, threatened to quit unless the board could present evidence of any wronging on Altman’s part.

Shear welcomed the outcome in a post on X:

I am deeply pleased by this result, after ~72 very intense hours of work. Coming into OpenAI, I wasn’t sure what the right path would be. This was the pathway that maximized safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved. I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.

Emmett Shear (@eshear) — November 22, 2023

Shear’s sentiments were echoed by investors across the spectrum, with many breathing a sigh of relief that the ship was being righted at one of the most important firms in the AI industry.

Sam Altman Is Back!
Matt Milano