Jun 22
You’ve seen time machines that are cars. You’ve seen time machines that are phone booths. You’ve even seen them as hot tubs, spaceships, boxes, and necklaces. But you’ve never ever seen a time travel mixtape. That is, until Press Play.
Jun 22
Senate Gun Bill Closes ‘Boyfriend Loophole,’ Gives Abusers Chance ‘To Straighten Up’
Posted in: Today's ChiliAbusive partners would be able to get their guns back after five years if they avoid additional domestic violence convictions.
Jun 22
Twitter has teamed up with Shopify to give merchants in the US an easy way to use the social network to grow their business. Merchants can now add a Twitter sales channel app to their Shopify admin dashboard to access a manager where they can see the social network’s shopping tools and features. That sales channel automatically and regularly syncs with Shopify merchants’ catalogs, so users won’t have to worry about updating product information on multiple platforms.
That will make it easier for merchants to showcase their products through Twitter’s Shop Spotlight, which is a dedicated space at the top of a profile that can display up to five items. Visitors to a merchant’s account will be able to scroll through those carousel of products to purchase them without having to leave Twitter. Merchants can also choose to highlight a bigger collection of goods through Twitter’s in-app shops, which can list up to 50 handpicked items. Both features used to be on beta testing, but they’re now available to all merchants in the US. Those who want to see what the Shopify integration looks like on Twitter may want to check out Trixie Cosmetics, which is one of the first users to take advantage of Twitter sales channel app on Shopify.
Amir Kabbara, Director of Product at Shopify, said:
“Reaching potential customers where they are is critical to the success of Shopify merchants. Twitter is where conversations happen, and the connection between conversations and commerce is vital. Our partnership with Twitter, and the launch of the Twitter sales channel, will let merchants seamlessly bring commerce to the conversations they’re already having on the platform.” – Amir Kabbara, Director of Product at Shopify.”
In addition to its team-up with Twitter, Shopify has announced other new features and products at its first semi-annual showcase called Editions. One of its upcoming offerings is the ability to accept customer payments right from an iPhone using Shopify’s Point of Sale. The company has built PoS hardware merchants can attach to their iPhone, and merchants in the US will even have access to the new Tap to Pay on iPhone feature.
Jun 22
Fitbit's Sleep Profile feature offers upgraded tracking for Premium subscribers
Posted in: Today's ChiliFitbit is delving further into sleep tracking with a new feature for Premium subscribers. Sleep Profile will examine 10 metrics, including new ones like time before sound sleep, disrupted sleep and bedtime consistency. Fitbit aims to provide a more in-depth look at a person’s sleeping habits over time via monthly reports.
Users will receive advice on how to fall within the ideal range for each metric, based on their body type. The goal is to help people improve their sleep and overall health. Fitbit notes the feature isn’t intended for medical use.
To use Sleep Profile, you’ll need to wear a compatible Fitbit to bed for at least 14 nights in a calendar month. Fitbit says you’ll receive a more accurate evaluation the more nights you wear it. Among the other metrics the feature tracks include sleep duration, REM sleep and restfulness.
Fitbit
The metrics will be shown on a monthly aggregate view for the first time, Fitbit says. Sleep Profile will compare a user’s trends to what’s typical for their age and gender to help them find areas for improvement. Fitbit says it will use animal characters to help users interpret their sleep data. Your animal may change from month to month, but Fitbit says there’s no “ideal” creature to aim for.
The company, which says it has analyzed 22 billion hours of sleep data since 2009, notes that the feature will be available on Fitbit Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe and Inspire 2 devices at the outset. Users will get their first report as soon as the week of July 4th, with subsequent profiles appearing on the first day of each month.
Other smartwatch makers are looking to improve sleep tracking. Apple’s watchOS9 will introduce a sleep stage feature that tracks REM, core and deep sleep stages over time.
Jun 22
Slack is bringing more features to huddles, which debuted as an ad hoc voice call option last June. While huddles will start as audio-only chats by default, you’ll be able to switch on video as well. Video huddles can be opened in a separate window and you’ll have the option to blur your background.
The revamped huddles will support multi-person screen sharing. Several people will be able to share their screens at the same time, which could make it easier to work on documents and presentations together. You can also draw on shared screens and use a live cursor feature as a visual aid while you’re discussing something specific.
Slack
Everything you share in the huddle (other than your voice and webcam feed) will be saved in the direct message thread or channel where it was started. That includes things like links and notes. Slack says these will be searchable. Folks who do not take part in a huddle will be able to catch up using these live messaging threads or keep an eye on the conversation as it’s happening. Users can pin these threads to a channel or direct message. You can give the huddle a name too, so it’s easier to find.
Since this is Slack, you’ll of course be able to use emoji reactions in video huddles. There are new animated effects, such as confetti and clapping hands. With stickers, users can show everyone that, for instance, they want to speak next or they’re going AFK for a minute. If you add a sticker, it will stay on the screen until you remove it.
Slack
Slack, which will continue to support live transcriptions in huddles, is taking a leaf out of Discord’s playbook with the addition of video and screen sharing. It hopes to turn huddles into more of a virtual coworking space with these tools, where you and your colleagues can collaborate on the fly (akin to having a quick chat in a physical office). The features are coming to the app soon.
Meanwhile, the company says GovSlack, a version of the service designed for secure government use, will be available in July. Slack says it meets key government security standards, affords users access to their own encryption keys and allows folks to connect to other agencies that use GovSlack via Slack Connect. The company announced GovSlack in September.
Jun 22
Before Tom Cruise was unbelievably wealthy and famous, he hit the road in a classic vehicle that was perfect for a young actor aiming to hit auditions aplenty.
Jun 22
Google has introduced a label that will allow a business to make it clear that it’s LGBTQ+ owned. That should help users to find and support queer businesses in their community via Search and Maps. Merchants in the US with a verified Google business profile can add the LGBTQ+ owned label starting today.
Google
The update comes during Pride Month and is the latest effort by Google to support diverse and inclusive businesses. Google Maps previously rolled out labels for Black-owned, Latinx-owned, veteran-owned and women-owned merchants. In 2018, the company added a way for business owners to show that their establishment is LGBTQ-friendly and/or a safe place for trans folks. As The Verge notes, Yelp introduced a similar LGBTQ+ business label label last year.
On a support page for business identity attributes, Google notes that it doesn’t tolerate harassment or abuse of its retail partners. It said its abuse teams will act promptly to tackle mistreatment, such as harassing user reviews. Earlier this year, the company laid out some of the steps it takes to detect and combat review bombing in Maps. These measures may not protect LGBTQ+ businesses from in-person harassment, though Google seems to be doing what it can to safeguard their online reputations from bad actors.
Jun 22
You Can Finally Waste Work Hours Watching YouTube Directly On Your Apple Watch
Posted in: Today's ChiliAs capable as the Apple Watch is at keeping users connected and keeping tabs on their health, it hasn’t completely lived up to the promise of being a truly all-in-one device you can wear. With a new app called WatchTube, however, it might finally fulfill that promise with millions of hours of distracting YouTube…
Jun 22
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Kate Bush has rocketed back to the top of the streaming charts according to both Billboard and Spotify after her 1985 hit Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) was featured in the hit supernatural series, Stranger Things. According to The Hollywood Reporter, after the show’s initial…
Jun 22
Some lawmakers in the president’s party are resistant to the idea of temporarily suspending the 18-cent federal gas tax to help alleviate pain at the pump.
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