The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognizable buildings in the entire world, but what if we told you there are several buildings that look just like it? Architectural marvels that look like doppelgängers of Australia’s timeless symbols are scattered all around the world, and these three have to be seen to be […]

Six-hundred-twenty in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days. The core Windows apps Notepad and Paint are getting more AI features. Some of them are reserved for Copilot+ PCs, others are available for all Windows 11 devices. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week The following list is… [Continue Reading]

Back in the day, when personal computers were first making their way into homes, buying a desktop was often a massive investment. The price tags on those early machines were no joke, especially in the ’80s and ’90s. Dropping a couple of thousand dollars on a beige box humming with potential was considered normal. Fast forward to today, and times have certainly changed -- computers, including the powerful M-series Mac minis, have become more affordable, while flagship smartphones have skyrocketed in price. I recently bought Apple’s new base-model M4 Mac mini, which set me back $500 with the education discount… [Continue Reading]

Apple has launched a beta feature called Share Item Location in iOS 18.2, allowing users to share the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties. This update is designed to simplify the process of locating misplaced items, particularly when traveling. Users can generate a secure link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which can then be shared. The recipient can access an interactive map that shows the item’s location and updates automatically. The shared link expires after seven days or when the item is recovered, maintaining privacy and security. “Find… [Continue Reading]

Branding is important, and this is something we’ve already seen with digital assistants like Siri. Moving into the artificial intelligence era, companies have been falling over themselves to get their own stamp on their version of AI. Apple has opted for the reasonably predictable “Apple Intelligence”, while Microsoft’s approach has been a little more haphazard. But now there are clues that suggest the company has finally come to understand the importance of giving people an overarching term to cover all of its AI-related offerings. Say hello to Windows Intelligence. See also: As is so often the case, it is the… [Continue Reading]

Fully updated to reflect modern developments in the field, the Fifth Edition of An Introduction to Optimization fills the need for an accessible, yet rigorous, introduction to optimization theory and methods, featuring innovative coverage and a straightforward approach. The book begins with a review of basic definitions and notations while also providing the related fundamental background of linear algebra, geometry, and calculus. With this foundation, the authors explore the essential topics of unconstrained optimization problems, linear programming problems, and nonlinear constrained optimization. In addition, the book includes an introduction to artificial neural networks, convex optimization, multi-objective optimization, and applications of optimization in… [Continue Reading]

SurveyMonkey, a widely used platform for creating surveys and forms, has expanded its social sharing capabilities to include WhatsApp. This addition allows users to share their surveys and forms directly with WhatsApp contacts and groups, aiming to simplify the distribution process. WhatsApp joins SurveyMonkey’s existing social sharing options, which include LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Microsoft Teams. With over 2 billion active users globally, WhatsApp is recognized as one of the most popular messaging apps. SurveyMonkey customers in over 130 countries, speaking 56 different languages, can now leverage this integration to share surveys and forms through a platform that… [Continue Reading]

Google is showing both seller ratings and product ratings on a single Google Shopping Ad unit. It is a bit weird to see both ratings, and it can potentially be confusing to see different ratings for the same retailer but one is for the rating of the specific product and one is for the rating of the company selling that product, i.e the seller.

This was spotted by Hana Kobzová who posted about it on her PPC News site who wrote, "Google started showing both seller ratings and product ratings can appear together in Shopping ads. This help retailers to be more trustworthy, visible, and competitive."

Here is what it looks like:

There is a lot more detail on this over here but again, I am not sure I like this.

Forum discussion at X.

A couple of months ago, we reported how Google Search will label if an image was AI-generated, edited by photo editing software or taken with a camera by working with Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) as a technical standard. Well, now Google officially supports C2PA metadata in the about this image feature.

Google wrote this morning, Google Search now supports this [C2PA] metadata in the "About this image" feature."

Google updated its image meta data documentation to add a new section for "How C2PA metadata can appear in Google Search results."

The new section reads:

If an image contains C2PA metadata, Google can extract those details and may show information in the "About this image" feature, such as how the image was created or if it was edited with AI tools. This metadata comes from a signer, which is usually an app, device, or service (for example, photo editing software, the camera itself, or other services that modify or create images) that meets the following conditions:

• The app, device, or service has adopted C2PA version 2.1 or later.
• The image's manifest must be signed by a certificate from a Certification Authority on the C2PA Trust List.

It does seem like Adobe products, like Photoshop, Illustrated, and others, do support this metadata.

I just wonder how it handles the image above, which I generate using Midjourney AI and then edit later in Photoshop.

Forum discussion at X.

Happy New Year to everyone. Here’s to a spectacular fresh year and lots of cake.

The post Happy New Year 2023 appeared first on The Red Ferret Journal.

Google has just announced a new virtual shopping experience for search which lets you try on apparel virtually using some AI cleverness. Users in the US (only, at first) will be able to try out an item of clothing from a catalog if it has a ‘Try On’ badge on it in search. The service is starting with a limited number of brands including Anthropologie, Everlane, H&M and LOFT, and a limited repertoire of AI generated lady’s tops.  Virtual shopping...

The post Google Introduces AI Based Virtual Try-On Apparel appeared first on The Red Ferret Journal.

Jamie Penney’s entrepreneurial adventure began when he was in university.  He dabbled in niche sites and a travel vlog on YouTube successfully until the recent Google updates, but he really found his groove when he focused his efforts on a…

The post How Jamie Penney is Growing a +$4000/Month Flipping Furniture YouTube Channel appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast! This week Jared and guest host Morgan Overholt break down the biggest news affecting publishers and SEOs and cover the latest moves by Google. After the news, they talk…

The post More Volatility in Rankings! Core Update Gains Disappear appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

This week Jared Bauman sits down with Jake Cain, a long-time blogger with a portfolio of sites, a former Niche Pursuits employee, and an attendee at Google’s recent Creator Summit. In this interview, Jake shares his experience at the event,…

The post Jake Cain Was Inside Google’s “Secret” Meeting with 20 HCU Crushed Bloggers. Here’s What Happened appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

PPC marketing is a method of advertising online that allows marketers to pay for their ad placement only when their ad is clicked on by an online user.

The post What is PPC? Pay-Per-Click Explained appeared first on Portent.

Gen Z is well known for being social media savvy. But not all platforms are created equal, and with new trends emerging it can be hard to keep track of where Gen Z is spending its time. In this blog, we’ll walk through the apps where you’re most likely to find this cohort scrolling, liking, and viewing, covering the following topics: 

• What social media app has the highest reach among Gen Z? 
• What social media app has grown the fastest among Gen Z?
• How does Gen Z’s social media usage compare to the general population? 
• How does Gen Z’s social media usage compare to other age groups? 

Our feelings and desires are trained by our culture to seek satisfaction. In our spiritual life, we often need to learn how to be disappointed. Fr. Stephen looks at the "disappointment of religion."

The update is rolling out to several airlines soon, including United. Here's how it works.

If you need to add encryption or digital signing to the Thunderbird email app (or other supporting apps) on Android, there's one clear and easy route to success.

The post How to Approach Influencers in Your Niche: Twelve Crucial Tips appeared first on ProBlogger.

Do you want to connect with influencers in your niche? Most bloggers do. But many of them go about it the wrong way. Forming relationships with influencers is something you really want to get right. Done well, it’s one of the best ways to grow your audience and brand. And hopefully ...more

The post How to Approach Influencers in Your Niche: Twelve Crucial Tips appeared first on ProBlogger.

Speaking of time—the new year is upon us! It's a season when lots of people are thinking of goals and self-improvement. In this episode, Dr. Roccas shares some strategies she has learned as a writing consultant about how to set goals without becoming perfectionistic or destructive . . . also, why shell collecting is a perfectly good new year's resolution.

A quick touchstone to welcome the Sabbath from Abraham Joshua Heschel's book The Sabbath. Heschel was one of the 20th century's great Jewish theologians and his work continues to resonate with people of faith today.

A short sabbath thought from Marilyn Paul’s book Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life. Mentioned in this episode: Participate in the 2022 Little Church Planner Giveaway: instagram.com/p/CTRw7RQLDyU Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Email her at timeeternal@ancientfaith.com.

Frederica reviews Flipped, a movie by director Rob Reiner that tries so hard to sell itself that it's only the sales pitch that you hear.

Frederica discusses a controversy that erupted online over her comment on gay marriage, and concludes that it is time for Christians to stand together on this issue.

Frederica reflects on how music can penetrate through the fog of advanced years and even senility to focus our minds on the worship of God.

The next interview from Albania is with veteran OCMC missionary Nathan Hoppe. Fr. Tom references a recording of Nathan's late wife Lynette made only a week or two before she died. That recording was featured on AFR in an interview with Fr. Luke Veronis and can be heard HERE. You can purchase Fr. Luke's book by clicking HERE. For Lynette's pictorial album about the re-birth of the Church in Albania, click HERE.

September 1 marks the beginning of the Church year and Fr. Tom Hopko is meditating on the meaning of times and seasons in Church life.

Throughout the history of the Church, there have been moments of scandal and disappointment with various hierarchs of the Church. How are we to respond as faithful Orthodox Christians? Fr. Tom shares his reflections.

After a season of elections, an inauguration, the State of the Union address, as well as social and political unrest, Fr. Thomas Hopko explores an ancient Christian perspective on the rights identified in the Declaration of Independence.

Fr. Thomas comments on the often used phrase "The Slippery Slope" and cautions about the assumptions made when using it.

We have a mid-week supplemental lesson from Jeannie today with helpful information about the "Christian" and "Gnostic" apocryphal books and why they were rejected by the Church.

In this second supplemental lesson, Jeannie continues her teaching on the apocryphal books, in particular, the Gnostic gospels.

Speaking at St Sophia Church/Dripping Springs, Texas, Fr Joseph responds to the question: "How do you talk to your non-Orthodox family about the Faith?"

Fr. Joseph is starting the celebration of the New Year a bit early, no? Nah. It's tradition!

Following the Scripture readings and the sermon, there are prayers that are skipped in some churches. These prayers are part of the Litany of Fervent Supplication, and Fr. Thomas feels they are very important.

Fr. John shares his homily on Luke 16:19-31 and 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

Fr. John talks about the impossibility of repentance without a changed life, from Luke 19:1-10.

Fr. John shares from Matthew 6:14-21 encouragement as we begin Great Lent.

Fr. John Whiteford reflects on the importance of fasting and Mark 2:18-22.

Fr. John Whiteford discusses the role of authority throughout the early Church.

Fr. John Whiteford speaks on the difference between earthly and heavenly judgment.

Fr. John Whiteford uses Acts 16 to describe for us the way we should glorify God in the midst of persecution.

Fr. John Whiteford talks about happiness in this life, and learning to lose ourselves for the love of our neighbors.

Fr. John Whiteford shares about the Samaritan Woman, from John 4:5-42.