FazzNoth

In the late 2000s, a lifestyle reporter in Moscow named Eugenia Kuyda, then in her early twenties, decided to produce a cover story on Roman Mazurenko, the person at the center of Moscow’s creative hipster scene at the time. Right from the start, Eugenia and Roman both felt they had a profound connection, and soon became close friends. A few years later, Kuyda moved to San Francisco to start a chatbot-based virtual assistant company. Shortly after, Mazurenko also moved and began his American life. They kept in touch continuously and exchanged endless text messages. But in late 2015 Mazurenko, then 34, was hit and killed by a car while crossing a street during a short visit in Moscow. Grieving Mazurenko, Kuyda read their messages over and over again. At some point, she realized that these messages had the potential to be more than just a memory. She took all the data she had and, with her team and using Google-based neural networks, built a chatbot version of Mazurenko. The result was surprisingly human-like. She could text with the chatbot on past and future events, and digital Mazurenko came to life and felt real. Digital Mazurenko was sad when she told him how much she missed him and joyful when she shared with him her recent achievements at her company. Kuyda and her team took this concept further and made a version that anyone could use. They named it Replika and users loved it instantly. Looking back at Replika’s success, Kuyda recounted, “People started sending us emails asking us to build a bot for them.” Some people wanted to build a replica of themselves, and some wanted to build a bot for a person that they loved but was gone.” These positive reactions encouraged Kuyda and her team to go further—to create fictitious characters that accompany people around the world. Replika is now a companion chatbot app available on almost any operating system with the slogan: “Always here to listen and talk. Always on your side.” Millions have downloaded the app, and it boasts hundreds of thousands of reviews, most highly positive. Among its po[CENSORED]r traits, Replika is deeply customizable. The gender, looks, and name of the chatbot character are up to the user. Users can even determine the type of relationship they have with this virtual character. Options include friendship, mentorship, romantic relationship, or “see how it goes.” As mentioned in the introduction, it is estimated that around 40 percent of the 500,000 regular monthly users choose the romantic option. Others interact with their Replika as a friend or a conversation partner. A user named Andrew wrote a review, saying: “I literally just had a conversation about philosophy on this app. I am truly blown away. Replikas will still occasionally say stuff that doesn’t make sense, but it’s usually very fun and fascinating to start nerding out about video games.” A day later, another user named Iam wrote: “Replika is more than just an AI, the way she talks and the conversation, everything feels as if she is a person not an AI.” More Info: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-future-of-human-machine-relationships-is-already-upon-us?ref=scroll

Apple’s macOS laptops continue to gather critical and commercial acclaim, but is now the time to be investing in new Mac hardware? With its Worldwide Developer Conference just around the corner, Apple is ready to announce plans for the next generation of Macs that will quickly supersede the laptops you can buy today. There are going to be a lot of Mac issues to talk about at WWDC. But the biggest talk, and the one that will have the most impact on when you should buy a new MacBook, will be about Apple Silicon, the existing M1 family, and when we can expect the M2 machines to start appearing Apple is nearing the end of the M1 roll-out. The M1 itself was not launched at WWDC 2020 - the A15Z-powered Apple Developer Transition Kit did much of the heavy lifting ahead of the first Apple Silicon Mac release - but Apple’s plans for the move to ARM-based Macs were front and centre. WWDC 2022 is in a much better place to announce an M2 chip. although there is always the danger of Osbourne-ing the existing hardware. Thankfully there is new hardware coming soon. Apple is currently testing the new Mac family of hardware - including updates for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini and Mac Pro ranges. Thanks to developer logs on third-party apps, the digital signatures from the new machines, along with the various M1 and M2 chipsets - have been identified. Apple looks to be following the same product mix with its early M2 devices; that means an M2 powered MacBook Air, Mac Mini and entry-level MacBook Pro; and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with M2 Max and M2 Pro chips, The Mac Pro also shows up, but with a successor to the M1 Ultra chip. This would be the final model to move from Intel to Apple Silicon, fulfilling Tim Cook’s promise to move all-new Mac hardware to the ARM-based platform by the end of 2022. I personally feel that Apple will want to launch all of the M1 based Macs before moving to the M2, which means the Mac Pro is the keystone holding back the launch of the M2 chipsets. Launching the Mac Pro with the presumptively named M1 Ultra Max Fabulous Pro alongside an M2 powered MacBook Air… feels awkward. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2022/04/16/apple-macbook-air-m2-wwdc-release-date-specs-macbook-pro-m1-ultra/?sh=462d39b324a5

President Joe Biden will host a special ASEAN summit in Washington next month. The meetings with leaders from Southeast Asia on May 12 and 13 come against the backdrop of an ongoing global pandemic, heightened concerns about China's ambitions as Russia wages war in Ukraine, and tension between the U.S. and Myanmar — a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — over a campaign against the Rohingya minority that the Biden administration recently termed a "genocide." "It is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Saturday. "Our shared aspirations for the region will continue to underpin our common commitment to advance an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, secure, connected, and resilient." Psaki said Biden would build on commitments the U.S. made at an October meeting of ASEAN, which included $102 million devoted to health, environmental, economic and gender equality initiatives. The U.S. is not a member of the ASEAN, but has worked closely with the group and its members to counter China's influence in the Eastern Hemisphere. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-to-host-summit-with-leaders-from-southeast-asia-in-dc/ar-AAWihFR?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Luxury automaker will leverage Cerence in-car conversational AI and PATEO infotainment to deliver a safe, comfortable, productive experience to drivers AI for a world in motion, today announced that Hongqi Auto, the luxury automotive marque of China’s FAW Group, has selected Cerence and PATEO CONNECT+, a leading connected car technology provider in Asia, to provide connected and intelligent in-vehicle assistant technology as the automaker expands to international markets with its new E-HS9. With English and Norwegian language capabilities, the in-car assistant in the new Hongqi E-HS9 provides drivers with enhanced safety, comfort, and productivity while on the road. Leveraging Cerence’s premier conversational AI and in-car assistant technology within a state-of-the-art infotainment system from PATEO, Hongqi delivers and intuitive, conversational experience to its drivers that supports all their needs while on the go. To deliver an offering on par with Hongqi’s standards for luxury, Cerence was selected for its world-class innovations that span Audio, Input and Output AI for the most natural, safe and enjoyable experiences. Based on the industry’s preeminent hybrid offering, Cerence conversational AI leverages edge and cloud technologies for an always available, always current and always fast in-car assistant to respond with exactly what drivers need. “Hongqi Auto is a prestigious brand that symbolizes the best in comfort and innovation, and its drivers expect the in-car assistant to be on par with the rest of the driving experience,” said Stefan Ortmanns, CEO, Cerence. “We are proud to continue our fruitful partnership with PATEO to bring innovative, intelligent automotive technologies to this leading automaker as they bring their high-end lineup to new global markets, driving continued loyalty to the brand.” “PATEO and Cerence continue to build a strong innovation partnership that delivers industry-leading technologies to automakers looking to bring the best in-car experience to their customers,” said Ken Ying, PATEO Founder and Chairman. “In bringing Cerence assistant technologies into the well-designed PATEO headunit, we deliver a game-changing user experience to Hongqi drivers worldwide.” For more information about Hongqi Auto, visit www.hongqi-auto.com/. To learn more about Cerence, visit www.cerence.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Cerence Inc. Cerence is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the mobility world. As an innovation partner to the world’s leading automakers and mobility OEMs, it is helping advance the future of connected mobility through intuitive, powerful interaction between humans and their cars, two-wheelers, and even elevators, connecting consumers’ digital lives to their daily journeys no matter where they are. Cerence’s track record is built on more than 20 years of knowledge and more than 400 million cars shipped with Cerence technology. Whether it’s connected cars, autonomous driving, e-vehicles, or buildings, Cerence is mapping the road ahead. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/hongqi-auto-selects-cerence-pateo-120000904.html

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine is not willing to give up territory in the eastern part of the country to end the war with Russia, and Ukraine's military is prepared to fight Moscow's military in the Donbas region in a battle he says could influence the course of the entire war. Zelensky said in an exclusive interview Friday with CNN's Jake Tapper from the office of the president in Kyiv that his country has no guarantee that Russia wouldn't try again to seize Kyiv if it is able to capture Donbas. "This is why it is very important for us to not allow them, to stand our ground, because this battle ... it can influence the course of the whole war," Zelensky said. "Because I don't trust the Russian military and Russian leadership," he continued. "That is why we understand that the fact that we fought them off and they left, and they were running away from Kyiv -- from the north, from Chernihiv and from that direction -- it doesn't mean if they are able to capture Donbas, they won't come further towards Kyiv." Zelensky's interview with CNN Friday, more than seven weeks into Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine, comes as Ukraine's military has seen successes resisting Russia's offensive that have come as a surprise to US intelligence -- and a Kremlin that had planned for a quick and decisive victory. At the same time, Ukraine has suffered horrific civilian casualties across the country amid the fighting. Zelensky told CNN that the world should be prepared for the possibility that Putin would use a tactical nuclear weapon because he does not value Ukrainian lives. Zelensky spoke in both Ukrainian and English about the horrors his country has witnessed and the urgent help his military still needs to be equipped to fend off the coming Russian offensive in the east and southern parts of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden said last week that the civilian killings being committed by Russian forces appeared to be genocide. "I have the same opinion as President Biden," Zelensky said. "Look what happened in Bucha. It's clear that is not even a war, it's a genocide. They just killed people. Not soldiers, people. They just shot people in the streets. People were riding bicycles, taking the bus or just walking down the street. There were corpses lining the streets." French President Emmanuel Macron, who has engaged Putin diplomatically, said in response to Biden's comments on genocide that he didn't think it was constructive to raise the rhetoric. Zelensky said he spoke to Macron this past week and wants him to visit Ukraine to see the atrocities firsthand. "I think he wants to take some steps to ensure that Russia engages in dialogue. I just told him that I want him to understand that this is not war, but nothing other than genocide," Zelensky said. "I invited him to come when he will have the opportunity. He'll come and see, and I am sure he will understand." Zelensky said he also wants Biden to come to Ukraine. The US President suggested last week that he wanted to go, though he said US officials are still "in discussions" on whether a high-level US official will visit Ukraine. "I think he will," Zelensky said of Biden when asked if there were any plans for the US President to visit. "I mean, his decision, of course. And as well, the safety situation depends -- I mean that -- but I think he's the leader of the United States, and that's why he should come here to see." Zelensky was emotional talking about the death that the war has caused in Ukraine, saying it is " a great pain for me" to see the lives lost. Zelensky, who lost family in the Holocaust, was asked what he thought about politicians around the world saying "never again" on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, given what's happening in his country. "I don't believe the world," he said, speaking in English. "We don't believe the words. After the escalation of Russia, we don't believe our neighbors. We don't believe all of this." "The only belief there is belief in ourselves, in our people, belief in our Armed Forces, and the belief that countries are going to support us not just with their words but with their actions," Zelensky continued in Ukrainian. "And that's it. Never again. Really, everybody is talking about this and yet, as you can see, not everyone has got the guts." https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/17/politics/zelensky-russia-war-tapper-interview-cnntv/index.html

V2 - Text & Effects

Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: Focus Entertainment Name of the game: Warstride Challenges Video link: Short description of the video: Eradicate hordes of demons at a furious pace in a series of bloody challenges! Race against the clock, completing each challenge and repeating until you achieve an unbeatable time and take the top spot in the leaderboards! Create, share and play hundreds of unique challenges designed by and for the community.

Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 has arrived in the US market today as a 2-in-1 version of the Chromebook 2, with a price and features tailored for students. The key feature is a flip-around 2,560 x 1,600 WQXGA 12.4-inch touch display that can output 340 nits of brightness, making it decently viewable in bright sunlight. Depending on the position, that lets you use it in laptop, tent or flat tablet modes. It's designed to be durable and shock resistant and is relatively lightweight at 1.28 kg (about 2.8 pounds), with a relatively slim 16.9mm profile and smallish bezels. Connection-wise, you get a pair of USB Type-C, one USB 3.2 type A, a microSD slot and a headphone/mic port. For any remote learning activities, it offers a decent 720P front-facing webcam. The WiFi 6 feature should deliver fast connection speeds at school or in the dorm. If you want even better connectivity and have a mobile plan that allows for extra devices, you can add LTE connectivity. Samsung also offers some Galaxy-related features like Nearby Share and Phone Hub that lets you control your smartphone, even if it's buried in a backpack. Aside from that, the Chromebook 2 360 isn't exactly a spec monster. It comes with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM (8GB optional), up to 128GB of storage, an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU (with Intel UHD graphics) and a 45.5 Wh battery. Those specs are absolutely fine for Chrome OS and its ecosystem of Chrome and Android apps, however. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 goes on sale today starting at $430 for the 4GB/64GB WiFi 6 model. We don't have pricing on the LTE model yet, but it's an £80 (about $100) upgrade in the UK. https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/shopping/samsungs-24430-galaxy-chromebook-2-360-is-aimed-at-students/ar-AAWfWsT?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Remote and hybrid work settings are here to stay for the near future, and they pose a challenge to established corporate practices. Organizations can adapt to dispersed workforces and solve related issues by implementing cloud-based solutions. According to Gartner, worldwide cloud services investment is predicted to reach USD 482 billion in 2022, up from USD 313 billion in 2020. Given the expansion of remote work and hybrid work settings that rely on cloud technologies for optimized and efficient operations, such an increase is unsurprising. The issue for IT leaders is to establish their own roadmap to the cloud, one that is tailored to their individual needs rather than following a cookie-cutter strategy. Thankfully, new cloud technologies can help them construct a tailored cloud journey, and they can do it in ways that make true cloud transformation more achievable than ever before. Here are three reasons why savvy businesses will benefit significantly from cloud computing. Facilitates effective teamwork One of the most compelling reasons to adopt the cloud is its capacity to facilitate team communication, which is becoming increasingly important as companies migrate to more distant work. Teams can access data when they need it, regardless of geographic location, because it is securely stored and available in a centralized, searchable database. For example, invoices are digitized and data is consolidated rather than stored in file cabinets with cloud-based back-office systems, allowing accounting teams to access data through a portal. Finance professionals and corporate executives can check the status of each invoice, evaluate patterns, generate management reports, and communicate critical financial data with finance teams to help them predict, make estimates, and plan budgets more accurately. Teams have more time to collaborate on areas that save their business money, such as dynamic discounting, rebate programs, supply chain financing, and other solutions, and, perhaps most importantly, strengthening relationships with customers, by trying to replace time-intensive manual accounting tasks such as chasing approvals on invoices. Security as an enabler, not a barrier Some businesses are still hesitant to use cloud services because of security concerns. Aggressive cloud adopters, on the other hand, are flipping that notion on its head, understanding that security can transform from a barrier to cloud adoption to an enabler. Since cloud providers have far more competencies and knowledge to catch pace with the always-evolving threat landscape, this is the case. For example, the ordinary company lacks the expertise to implement data security for cloud services not just at the application layer, but also at the database and microprocessor level. IT leaders will never, and should not, give up their information security strategy. The day-to-day management of information security, on the other hand, will increasingly be delegated to cloud providers. Provides additional options Customers will want a variety of cloud options, including public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud, as well as the ability to manage all workloads uniformly across those environments. When it comes to clouds, there is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all.” Some workloads will be moved to a cloud platform and infrastructure in a lift-and-shift fashion. In other circumstances, businesses may want to undertake development and testing in the cloud before moving to a similar on-premises infrastructure for production. Due to regulatory issues, some may prefer the flexibility of pay-per-use cloud services managed by a cloud provider, but with the real hardware sitting in their data center. The adoption of cloud computing will be driven by choice and flexibility. https://enterprisetalk.com/featured/three-reasons-why-cloud-transformation-is-an-ingenious-idea/

Today, the OCP Foundation, the nonprofit organization bringing hyperscale innovations to all, announced a new hardware-software co-design strategy that is exemplified by recent contributions to the OCP by Microsoft and Intel of the Scalable I/O (Input/Output) Virtualization (SIOV) specification, and a new collaboration with the SONiC Project now at the Linux Foundation. “Hardware–software co-design focuses on software that requires intimate knowledge of the hardware to drive maximum hardware performance, and speed time-to-market for hardware where system performance and ecological footprint can be highly dependent on software and hardware interactions. As part of the OCP’s new hardware–software co-design strategy we are pleased to have new contributions from Microsoft and Intel and continue our collaboration with the SONiC Project at the Linux Foundation,” said George Tchaparian, CEO Open Compute Project Foundation. Hardware-software co-design takes on new importance as software workloads become more diverse requiring specialized silicon to deliver top performance at an acceptable energy and ecological cost. System software, or firmware, will need to be designed using knowledge of the underlying hardware architecture to make appropriate engineering trade-offs along the cost vs performance curve enabling greener software. The recent contribution of Microsoft and Intel of the Scalable I/O Virtualization specification is an important example of OCP’s hardware-software co-design strategy where SIOV provides a hardware and software architecture for mass-scale virtualization of I/O. This specification is an evolution of SR-IOV (single root input output virtualization) removing scaling limitations, enabling 100’s and 1,000’s of VMs (virtual machines) or software containers to dynamically share a pool of I/O devices meeting the requirements of today’s modern cloud native software. The OCP intends to grow a healthy community around SIOV becoming a catalyst to spark innovation in silicon and cloud architectures. Collaboration between the OCP and the Linux Foundation expands to include the SONiC Project. In alignment with hardware-software co-design, collaboration continues around the Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) project remaining at OCP and SONiC now at the Linux Foundation. The OCP is pleased that this collaboration allows the OCP to benefit from larger acceptance of SONiC by the Linux Foundation software development community, creating pull for OCP recognized switch hardware, opening new market verticals for OCP recognized equipment. While SONiC is the OS of choice for many hyperscale data center operators, other market segments need specialized features and SAI will enable the market to choose the switch OS best suited to its use cases. More Info: https://enterprisetalk.com/news/open-compute-project-foundation-launches-a-new-hardware-software-co-design-strategy/

Many Americans have recently found themselves joining the gig economy as either a self-employed individual, a freelancer, or a similar short-term worker. If you fall into one of these categories, you are likely wondering how self-employment tax is handled compared with what you've done before. Here, we'll help you feel confident in your understanding of taxes when you're self-employed. Get every dollar you deserve with unlimited tax advice from experts who know self-employment taxes inside and out. Whether you're a freelancer, independent contractor, small business owner, or have multiple streams of income, TurboTax Self-Employed can help you uncover the industry-specific deductions you qualify for. What is the gig economy? A gig economy is a job market where many workers hold short-term jobs or contracts, typically working for different companies or individuals rather than longer-term, permanent jobs with one company. There are many reasons why workers might start working a "gig," but common reasons include the desire to earn more money with a side job, to be their own boss, or the loss of a more permanent job. Gig jobs span a wide range of skills and wage ranges. If you're a gig economy worker, you may have one of the following jobs: Consultant Handyperson Freelancer Delivery driver or rideshare Airbnb owner Tutor Photographer Fitness trainer Online seller How does working for myself affect my taxes? Individuals working in the gig economy will still pay traditional income taxes. However, if you make over $400 per year from your work as a self-employed worker, then you also need to pay self-employment tax. This tax includes Social Security and Medicare tax and is calculated on Schedule SE and filed with your Form 1040. This amount is also reported on Schedule 2, Line 4 of your Form 1040. The good news is that you can deduct half of the amount you pay in self-employment tax from your income on your Form 1040. For example, $2,000 in self-employment tax reduces your taxable income by $1,000. In the 22% tax bracket, that would mean an income tax savings of $220. More Info: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/turbotax-guide-to-self-employment-taxes-in-todays-gig-economy/ar-AAWgkCT?ocid=BingNewsSearch

A witness from Donald Trump’s impeachment over Ukraine has mocked the one-term president’s “word vomit” about Vladimir Putin. Lt Col Alexander Vindman told MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace that Mr Trump, who bragged about his friendship with the Russian leader to Sean Hannity on Fox News, has “spiraled down mentally.” “Honestly, it was word vomit, is what we heard, what that clip showed,” said Mr Vindman. The comments come as a Washington, DC jury on Thursday handed down a guilty verdict in the case of an Ohio man who claimed he was just following then-president Donald Trump’s orders when he stole a bottle of liquor and a coat rack while participating in the worst attack on the Capitol since 1814. The jury took fewer than three hours to convict Dustin Byron Thompson of five charges, including obstructing an official proceeding, stemming from his conduct on 6 January 2021, the day a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in hopes of stopping Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Former President Donald Trump quipped that he doesn’t “have time to lose weight” as he told a crowd about advice given to him by Dr Mehmet Oz, the celebrity physician whose candidacy in the Pennsylvania Senate race Mr Trump endorsed on Saturday. At an event this week, Mr Trump spoke to an indoor venue and noted that Dr Oz had urged him to lose weight in order to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. ‘Can you believe I weigh 208?’ Trump said. ‘Now maybe a little more’. “Dr Oz has said you should lose weight. I told him, ‘I don’t have time to lose weight.’’ It wasn’t clear exactly where Mr Trump was speaking, but the event apparently took place some time after Mr Trump’s rally in North Carolina on Saturday at which he made his endorsement official. https://sports.yahoo.com/trump-news-live-ex-president-151241667.html

Adding @𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐦 𝐓𝐍 as a Member. Check the desk VGR!

Well, you have waited a week and you still have good activity. But I tell you again to respect the rules to avoid problems with the STAFF, because it can ruin your activity if you don't respect them. So, I really hope to see no mistakes in your news and a report about you. Request Accepted. Welcome to the team

Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: PlayStation Name of the game: Bugsnax Video link: Short description of the video: The Isle of Bigsnax will be available for free on April 28! The Isle of Bigsnax! adds around three

In today’s time, every sector across the globe is welcoming digital transformation and undergoing revolutions. To gain efficiency, simplify operations, and lower costs, organizations are looking to adopt new-age technologies. Thanks to the digital wave, many firms have been able to explore numerous pathways to increase overall enterprise performance through breakthroughs in Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence. In the next few years, India's workforce automation is likely to be bandwagoning. The benefits are obvious: automating and repetitive back-office chores frees a team to focus on more complex tasks that need a certain skillset, resulting in enhanced productivity and a more streamlined process. Nonetheless, digital transformations are now covering past unimaginable connections with customers. Digital connection puts businesses in unprecedented direct contact with their consumers and as any conventional firm knows, good customer engagement requires the human touch. Businesses have always provided human support to aid and address client concerns that were destined to be answered by real human connections in the past. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has surpassed all sectors and changed the notion of digital adoption, replacing traditional human assistance by evolving with new-age technology. However, the fact of the matter is that both of them co-exist together and change the customer experience in corporate sectors. Human touch's importance in a digital world Personalisation is always important in business sectors to differentiate the company from the competition and show consumers what the company is all about. In the digital era, there is no scarcity of entrants. The broad array of digital services now available to businesses of all sizes has trigger in a surge in online brand presence across all industries. However, creating anything for a company used to entail hiring an expensive, experienced individual and waiting for months to get the completed product. Due to technological advancements like AI, a small business can now also develop a highly functional and professional-looking project in a couple of hours at a low cost and within less time than ever before. This is great news for every small, big and new enterprise, but it has made the globe extremely competitive. To differentiate themselves from the competition, companies must connect with customers and provide something more. It's no longer only about who can provide the lowest price; it's also about who can provide the finest customer service. There are hundreds of aspects that go into building a great customer experience, but one of the most important one is your ability to connect with customers on a human-level. However, for the growth of the company, the human touch plays an influential factor in this digital-driven era. Thus, it is true that new-age technologies such as AI are not replacing the overall stable structure of human interaction, but they are evolving as assertive technologies that are innovating and transforming it. According to Forrester, companies that combine AI and human assistance are more effective at enhancing customer happiness (61 percent), agent satisfaction (69 percent), and agent productivity (66 percent). Simply said, dynamic AI bots relieve human assistance from basic, repetitive and tiresome jobs. This implies that implementing AI doesn't quite obliterate or demotivate existing customer support representatives. Ways to keep the human touch in a digital world Memorable experiences: Consumers remain attached to experiences that are engaging, rewarding, unique and memorable. A customer remembers their experience with the business if they think that the product they need is what the business is offering. There are numerous things that a company can do to stay at the top of the customer list, such as surprise gifts, personal and effective customer service, maintaining a distinct presence on social media, etc., just to name a few! Communication on social media is personal and human: The consumer is always surrounded by AI bots and they are increasingly talking to them. However, sometimes they do not wish to deal with robots all the time. This is the reason why some companies are turning away from the old, traditional style of managing their brand presence on social media and adopting the modern style. Some businesses use social media to establish a hilarious presence. Humor isn't the only way to add a personal touch to your message on social media. Some businesses are now pushing their marketing personnel by signing their tweets with their names so that customers will be able to get a sense of the genuine individuals that are working for the company. Even a simple question about what your followers are up to may go a long way. As a result, both types are assisting companies in their transformation into professionals. Use customer service to learn more about your customers: The customer service team is the face of the business. Every day, they speak with every customer and answer all of their queries. As a result, they are in a terrific position to learn more about their consumers on a personal-level. Traditionally, customer service has been centered on the most difficult-to-reach customers. When it comes to their questions and inquiries, the clients always want to be heard and want someone to listen to them. They wanted to be regarded as genuine people with valid demands and requirements. However, in a digital era, customers expect to contact the company whenever they want and according to their communication preferences. And with modern technology tools, it becomes easy to meet the expectations of customers and potential customers. Prioritising customers over others: Prioritising customers over other market participants is becoming more common. As the market is so competitive, many business owners get too focused on what their rivals are doing and attempt to replicate it, rather than concentrating on what their consumers want. Your objective should be to provide an outstanding customer experience for your consumers since this will put you ahead of the competition. https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/view-the-relevance-of-human-touch-in-customer-service-amid-digital-transformation/ar-AAWb4Hv?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Today, decacorn Brex revealed that it is making a big push into financial software with the release of a new spend management product called Brex Empower. And it’s making the leap with one high-profile customer already signed up -- DoorDash. Now, normally, a startup announcing a new product is hardly fodder for a news story. Brex is one of a number of companies in the corporate spend management space that has grown increasingly crowded -- and competitive -- in recent years. Originally, Brex was a startup focused on startups. Specifically, it provided corporate cards aimed mainly at startups and SMBs. Brex gradually evolved its model with the aim of serving as a “financial operating system” for companies. Historically, it has generated its revenue from interchange fees. But now, the company is making a "big push" into software, which means its revenue generation will be more diversified as it will now be making money off of interchange fees and recurring revenue from subscriptions to its software. Brex is also placing greater emphasis on moving upmarket to serve larger customers, as evidenced by its landing DoorDash -- a company with more than $36 billion in market capitalization and 9,000 distributed employees -- as one of its first clients. While it will still serve startups, Brex wants to be able to support startups as they grow, as well as enterprises that are already huge. “We’re very focused on signing up net new large enterprise customers and DoorDash is the first of many, with lots to come,” Brex co-CEO and co-founder Henrique Dubugras said in an interview. “It’s extremely important to us. The reason that DoorDash bought our product is that the entire software suite is very powerful. They don’t see Brex as a card or financial services company but as both a financial services and strong software company.” He goes on to share the experience of a DoorDash GM who wanted to buy $1,000 worth of ice. The process took weeks and the GM had to create a purchase order and get it approved by the finance team first. “This was five weeks of delayed testing, iterating on ideas -- wasted,” Dubugras said. “Especially for a fast growing company.” Brex’s growth has been swift and impressive. Earlier this year, Brex confirmed a $300 million raise that valued it at a staggering $12.3 billion. The company now has 1,100 employees, saw 100% YoY revenue growth in 2021 and has a customer base “into the 50,000s,” according to Dubugras. He declined to reveal hard revenue figures, but previously told TechCrunch Brex was still focused on growth and not yet profitable. The majority of Brex’s revenue still comes from interchange fees, Dubugras said. But he expects that the proportion of SaaS revenue and “other revenue lines” will grow over time. 'A much bigger push and bigger play' In April of 2021, Brex said it had combined credit cards, business cash accounts and new spend management and bill pay software “together in a single dashboard” as part of a service called Brex Premium that cost $49 per month. In announcing Brex Empower, the company said it was no longer offering Brex Premium. Currently, Empower’s first product is focused on spend management but will evolve over time to have “wider capabilities” such as travel, procurement, payments and banking access, Dubugras said. Empower is a very different model than Premium, the company said, in that it was built from the ground up to help companies grow at scale with a “trust and verify” approach. “It's a much bigger push and bigger play than Premium was,” the company said, noting that it would release pricing for the new product in "early summer." “We want to help companies build a culture of trust -- but one of financial discipline so that it’s not a free for all. That way, companies can make decisions faster, and grow faster,” Dubugras told TechCrunch. “We want to make it super easy for employees to do the right thing. And we believe in increasing the speed of business. Empower, the company says, will, for example, eliminate the collection of receipts. It automatically collects over 80% of receipts by “leveraging exclusive data from credit card networks, and integrations with thousands of POS partners,” according to Brex. A customer can’t use Empower without also using a Brex Card. https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/fintech-brex-bets-big-software-130042343.html

Smart Eye, the pioneer of Human Insight AI and global leader in AI-based Driver Monitoring and Interior Sensing, today announced the appointment of Magnus Brunzell as VP of Applied AI Systems. Brunzell will lead this business unit, responsible for the development and delivery of Smart Eye’s end-to-end Driver Monitoring Systems for fleet and aftermarket. By combining the company’s purpose-built proprietary hardware with its proven Driver Monitoring System (DMS) software, Smart Eye offers a plug-and-play product built on over 20 years of automotive experience, which Brunzell will help to scale globally. Martin Krantz, Founder and CEO of Smart Eye, and Magnus Brunzell, Smart Eye’s newly appointed VP of Applied AI Systems. (Photo: Business Wire) Driver Monitoring Systems have become an increasingly important safety feature — not just in newer passenger cars, but also for trucks, buses and the millions of cars already on the road. As a result, the demand for complete, out-of-the-box and easy to install Driver Monitoring Systems, including both hardware and software, has grown steadily over the last few years. To target this new and rapidly growing market, Smart Eye started Applied AI Systems in 2019, with the purpose of delivering a high-performing and cost-effective safety solution for fleet and aftermarket that is Euro NCAP and GSR compliant. Prior to being appointed its new VP, Brunzell has been deeply involved in the business unit as Director of Business Development, and has played an important role in developing Smart Eye’s first DMS product for fleet and aftermarket customers. Today, the business unit consists of developers and a team tasked with sales, marketing and partnership management. The majority of the team is based at Smart Eye’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. "Magnus has been part of the core team starting up this new business unit and bringing its first product to market," said Martin Krantz, CEO and founder of Smart Eye. "The automotive fleet and aftermarket are significant growth markets for Smart Eye. This product is also intended for low volume truck and bus OEMs who can benefit from an out-of-the-box solution. As proven by customer demand, our industry-leading technology addresses a void in this space. I have confidence in Magnus to take lead of Applied AI Systems as we start delivering this groundbreaking new DMS to fleet and aftermarket customers." "I’m very excited to step into this new role," said Magnus Brunzell, newly appointed VP of Applied AI Systems. "Over the past few years, I have seen how our hard work has resulted in an incredible Driver Monitoring System that is sure to take the automotive industry by storm. I’m beyond proud of what we have accomplished so far, and I look forward to seeing how our technology will make roads safer around the world and ultimately save lives." Brunzell has more than 25 years of experience in the automotive industry and has held a variety of technical, operations and business roles at companies including Alps Electric, Delphi Automotive Systems and Mecel. Brunzell has a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/smart-eye-announces-magnus-brunzell-130000945.html

Love meets doubt. Fear meets joy. Boy meets boy. HEARTSTOPPER, an eight chapter story about life, love and everything in between. Based on the bestselling graphic novels from Alice Oseman.

Veterinarians across the country are feeling burned out today potentially affecting you and your pet as you face longer-than-usual wait times for vet appointments, plus other issues. Even before today's pet adoption boom (which was brought about by the coronavirus pandemic), animal health care providers had been facing workplace stress. "There has been a large influx of pets, even prior to the pandemic, while class sizes to create veterinarians and vet nurses have stayed the same," Oregon-based Dr. Cherice Roth, chief veterinary officer at Fuzzy, The Pet Parent Company, revealed to Fox News Digital in an interview this week. "We have also seen more [pet] patients to treat, all while having more people than ever leave the industry without the ability to replace them," she continued. Reasons that veterinarians are fleeing the profession "range from high debt-to-income ratio to student loan burden to emotional blackmail," she said. Here's why this matters: Seventy percent of U.S. households, or about 90.5 million families, own a pet today, according to the 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). This is up from 56 percent of U.S. households in 1988 — the first year the survey was conducted — and 67 percent back in 2019. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimates that "close to one in five households" welcomed a dog or cat at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That accounted for "approximately 23 million American households," according to 2019 U.S. Census data the ASPCA sourced. "This pet boom across the U.S. led to significantly higher demand for veterinary care while the number of veterinarians and technicians didn't grow to absorb that demand," Rakesh Tondon, co-founder and CEO of Dr. Treat, a San Francisco-based pet health and wellness startup, told Fox News Digital. "As a result of this increased demand, the teams at clinics are significantly overworked," Tondon added. He also said the pandemic put "emotional and physical pressure" on veterinarian teams. Many working vets with children had to stay home while their kids' remote learning was in effect, resulting in a "smaller workforce in clinics." The veterinary worker shortage has persisted so long that some animal clinics have had to close their doors, according to Thomas Dock, director of communications and public information officer at Noah's Animal Hospitals, an Indiana-based vet clinic network. "This has pushed care onto other veterinary hospitals and even to animal emergency clinics," Dock told Fox News Digital. Wait times of two to three months for appointments at general practices were not uncommon, he said. "And most veterinary emergency hospitals routinely have a two- to four-hour wait time to be seen," he added. Roth — of Fuzzy, The Pet Parent Company — said that new pet owners make up a good number of veterinary visits, often because they’re making errors in pet care. "Common pet parent mistakes" include "inappropriate feeding, toxicity from common human medications into the pet, or preventable illness like flea allergy dermatitis or pyometras," Roth said. (The latter is a reproductive infection common among older, unspayed female dogs.) Dr. Felicity Moffatt, lead veterinarian at Dr. Treat in San Francisco, told Fox News Digital that veterinarians and technicians are feeling pressure from the rising costs associated with veterinary care. "Veterinarians and their teams hear the anxiety and stress from clients who have been waiting for an extended period due to overwhelmed practices," she said. "Or [clients] do not understand the cost of veterinary services and the subsequent need for veterinary insurance." She added, "Many clinics have had to cut [their] hours due to a lack of technicians or veterinarians." "This creates a situation where veterinary staff have to turn away sick pets," she said, "which goes against everything we believe in, and results in pets not having access to the care they need." As helpful as it is to know what’s causing burnout today among veterinarians, animal clinics want pet owners to be aware of several considerations before they make the trip to the office. "Pet owners are asked to be patient and understand that, like many business types, veterinarians are facing staffing shortages and may not be able to see your pet as quickly as they have in the past," said Dock of Noah's Animal Hospitals. "Understand that emergency animal hospitals run like human ERs and that the most critical cases are seen first, regardless of who got to the hospital first." Dr. Roth recommends that before making an appointment, pet owners check the resources that animal care providers feature on their websites to see if there are answers to common questions. "Often, there is an over-the-counter option to help take care of the issue," she also said. "If a vet visit is required, we’re able to steer you in the right direction as to what that appointment should look like, as far as diagnostics and even potential therapies to ask for," Roth added. Pete Wedderburn AKA Pete the Vet, a veterinary columnist at The Telegraph (U.K.) shared three key tips for pet owners who wish to have a smoother-sailing pet appointment. https://news.yahoo.com/today-apos-veterinarian-shortage-could-060044847.html

Lifestyle, one of India's leading fashion destination for the latest trends, launches their newest campaign for Fame Forever- 'Wear it. Pair it. Anywhere it.'The collection features functional pieces that are essential for men, women and kids at affordable prices. The collection offers a range of versatile creations that can be styled in different ways to create countless looks. Consumers today, are seeking fashion as a form of self-expression and prefer clothing that is high on utility while shopping for their everyday needs. The campaign highlights the idea of versatility by showcasing how every individual has different style preferences and Fame Forever fulfils each individual's requirements. Fame Forever by Lifestyle has unique pieces that can be adapted in many ways at great prices. Whether it's working from home or office, or just chilling out with friends and family, the new collection has got everyone covered. The attractive price points make it even more desirable as customers get to transition into vibrant, feel-good fashion with trendy styles for the whole family. Fame Forever by Lifestyle's newest range perfectly captures the vibe of the season with the right assortment of colours, prints and silhouettes. For women, modern silhouettes and trends like soft, ultra-comfort graphic tees, and fashionable tops go perfectly well with breathable stretch denim while keeping the style up-to-date and available at desirable prices starting at just Rs. 299. The category for men is led by colourful polos, slim fit shirts, and super comfortable printed tees that can be paired with knitted shorts that offer all-day comfort starting at Rs. 499. For kids, quirky graphic tees with comfy everyday shorts for boys and chic summer dresses for girls at attractive price points starting at just Rs. 299. Speaking on the occasion, Devarajan Iyer - CEO, Lifestyle said: "We are excited to launch the new collection from Fame Forever by Lifestyle. The collection has been carefully crafted, keeping in mind our consumers who seek comfort and value while shopping. The collection has something for everyone, available under one roof at delightful prices. We invite our consumers to come and explore the collection that is effortless with versatile pieces that can be styled in various ways."Blending fashion with utility, the new range from Lifestyle is bound to add freshness to any wardrobe and let one flaunt their unique summer style. Lifestyle is one of India's leading fashion destination for the latest trends. Part of Dubai based retail and hospitality conglomerate - The Landmark Group, Lifestyle brings multiple categories including men, women and kids' apparel, footwear, handbags, fashion accessories and beauty under the convenience of a single roof. Lifestyle provides seamless and hassle-free shopping, offering leading national and international brands along with the convenience of a true omni-channel experience with its online storeThe company is recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including Most Admired Fashion Retail Destination of the Year at Images Fashion Awards for 5 consecutive years; No. 1 India's Best Company to Work for in the retail industry for 2 consecutive years and Top 10 Best companies to Work for in India in 2015 - Great Places to Work Institutereg;. Currently, Lifestyle has a network of over 80 stores, over 40 cities and delivers to over 19000 pin codes. Lifestyle is a true omni-channel player with its online storeThis story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/272477041/fame-forever-by-lifestyle-launches-their-latest-campaign-wear-it-pair-it-anywhere-it

Chris Mason has been announced as the new political editor of BBC News. The 41-year-old will take over from Laura Kuenssberg next month after spending more than a decade as political correspondent at the broadcaster. In that time, he HAS reported from Westminster across TV, radio and online and has presented the BBC Radio 4 programme Any Questions? since 2019. He said: “What a tremendous privilege to take on what, for me, is the most extraordinary job in British broadcasting and journalism. “I clamber upon the shoulders of giants like Laura, Nick (Robinson) and Andrew (Marr) with a smattering of trepidation and a shedload of excitement and enthusiasm. “To lead the best team of journalists in the business on the best news patch of the lot is something I’d never even dared dream of. I can’t wait to get started.” Kuenssberg was last month announced as the new permanent presenter of the BBC’s Sunday morning politics show, replacing Marr. Her final assignment as political editor will be covering the local elections in May. Jonathan Munro, interim director of BBC News, said: “Chris has been an exceptional correspondent in an extraordinary time for British politics. “His calm, incisive analysis and signature candid style have been invaluable for audiences when navigating complex stories. “His ambition and vision for the political editor role is really exciting and I wish him every success in the new post.” Originally from Yorkshire, Mason started his career as an ITN trainee before spending time as BBC Radio 5 Live’s political reporter. He co-presented the network’s Question Time Extra Time and also spent two years in Brussels as the Europe correspondent. In recent years, he was co-host of political talkshow Brexitcast and still regularly appears on Newscast. Sky News political editor Beth Rigby added: “What a great choice. Huge congratulations @ChrisMasonBBC and welcome to the Pol Ed role – the best and busiest beat in the business. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/tv/chris-mason-to-replace-laura-kuenssberg-as-bbc-news-political-editor/ar-AAWbdjC?ocid=BingNewsSearch

V2 - Text & Effect