Volume of cement bag

US stock bulls are taking heart from a range of market signals pointing to an upbeat year for Wall Street, as equities sit on impressive gains despite worries that the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy tightening may plunge the economy into a recession. Among these are equities’ positive January performance, a "golden cross" chart pattern on the S&P 500 and more stocks making new highs rather than new lows. Such signals are far from the only indicators market participants use to make investment decisions, and they are not foolproof. Weak outlooks for corporate heavyweights such as Amazon and Microsoft and a blowout employment number that heightened expectations for Fed hawkishness injected a fresh note of uncertainty into markets on Friday, though the S&P 500 remains up 7.7 percent year-to-date. However, steady improvements in gauges of momentum and sentiment in recent weeks reinforced the view among some investors that asset prices may be heading for a more benign … [Read more...] about Wall Street Week Ahead | Signals of market regaining momentum attract investors

It's harder than ever to find customers you've yet to meet. At least, in the digital age: After Apple's more stringent privacy restrictions rolled out in its iOS 14.5 update in the summer of 2021, many brands scrambled to update and improve their marketing strategies. Because Apple's update blocked the use of third-party cookies--the software that has long been used by advertisers to track and target new customers based on their data--businesses found that paid social advertising campaigns, especially those on Facebook and Instagram, dramatically increased in cost and decreased in results . Increased privacy restrictions haven't quite eliminated paid social as a customer acquisition strategy, but they have made it more difficult to use that strategy successfully. "Ad creative has started to matter a lot more, given that you're no longer able to leverage [Facebook's] powerful platform data to target that niche audience that was really likely to purchase your product," … [Read more...] about Third-Party Cookies Are Over. These New Strategies Help Brands Win Over Customers

Supreme Court justices used personal email accounts to send sensitive information, making the Court’s investigation into the leak of the Dobbs decision more difficult, CNN reports Saturday. The Supreme Court issued a statement on January 19 saying they cannot identify the individual who leaked the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center decision. Politico published a version of the decision that was leaked to them in May, causing many pro-abortion protesters to begin demonstrating in front of the justices private homes. Employees at the Supreme Court were able to print sensitive documents off-site without tracking them, and “burn bags” which were meant to be destroyed to prevent the compromise of sensitive documents were left open and unattended in hallways, according to CNN’s report . (RELATED: The March For Life Has Never Had To Struggle For Relevance, Until Now) “This has been going on for years,” a former employee said. Justices did not adapt to improved … [Read more...] about REPORT: Loose Security Protocols Made SCOTUS Leak Investigation Difficult

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Online content is meant to inspire, engage and inform. More importantly, its goal is to put a business on its target audience’s radar. Even if an informative blog post doesn’t immediately convert readers into customers, the information stays in the back of their minds. Consumers will see the company as a helpful resource, perhaps prompting them to consider its offerings down the road. While digital content might be a good way for companies to reach increasingly savvy audiences, producing it takes significant effort. A lot more goes into social media posts, online articles and website pages than meets the eye. Businesses need a well-executed strategy, plus talented content creators with a bent for research and a bit of technical expertise. At the end of the day, though, creative people are only human, and the job’s demands can become overwhelming. That’s when content teams should get some help from AI tools in handling the … [Read more...] about How Businesses Can Use AI To Improve Their Content Strategy In 2023

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Two of my favorite things are IMAX 70mm film projection and science-fiction movies so last Thursday was something of a red letter day when an email landed in my inbox making me aware of a science-fiction film festival at the London Science Museum this March (2023). The sci-fi film festival is offered to celebrate the museum’s exhibition, Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination , and a very good thing it is too. The Science Museum IMAX is the only venue in the country that features both digital dual-laser and 70mm film IMAX projectors, (the BFI IMAX has single laser and 70mm). It has taken its time getting back up and running showing commercial movies as part of its roster and I’m glad it’s now doing so. The festival offers a range of classic sci-fi films alongside special guest speakers and Q&As with key people from the films- but if you don’t already know about it, you’ll need to hurry up and grab some … [Read more...] about Science-Fiction Film Festival Lands At London Science Museum In IMAX 70mm Format

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin As healthcare systems face increasing societal scrutiny and criticism, restoring trust is critical to improving public health. According to a study , if mistrust goes unchecked, it can erode physician-patient relationships and effectuate poorer patient outcomes and prevalent burnout among doctors. Healthcare leaders have taken steps to address this issue. For example, many organizations now utilize customer experience metrics to measure the quality and trustworthiness of their services. But has it made a difference? The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer concluded that public trust in healthcare systems is, in fact, declining. This is problematic for a variety of reasons. First, patients may be less likely to seek medical help if they distrust the system. Second, physicians may be discouraged from providing care due to negative public opinion. Disparities in how healthcare systems treated different races, genders, and … [Read more...] about Leaders Are Restoring Trust In Healthcare—But How?

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Investors were on edge at the start of the week as concerns mounted about the health of the stock market rally ahead of the FOMC meeting and earnings from four tech giants. Many think that the January move higher in stocks was just a bear market rally even though the S&P 500 gained an impressive 6.18% while the Nasdaq Composite rose 10.7%. Many Wall Street strategists , who on average looking for stocks to close below current levels in 2023, think a recession is inevitable and that earnings valuations are too high. Stocks reflected the nervousness on Monday as they had the largest drop of the month with the Nasdaq 100 losing 2.1%. Apple AAPL , Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft MSFT (MSFT) led the decline. This reassured the stock market bears as Morgan Stanley commented “We think the recent price action is more a reflection of the seasonal January effect and short covering after a tough end to December and a … [Read more...] about Tech Rally Scares Bears, Should It?

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Listening to music on the move is a relaxing way of passing the time on a long train or plane journey. It’s ideal for catching up on the latest releases or relistening to favorite albums if you have music stored on your smartphone or stream tracks from a service like Spotify, TIDAL or Qobuz. A good quality amplifier/DAC is ideal for those who demand high-quality sound no matter where we are. Last month, I brought news of the launch of a new and affordable amplifier/DAC from FiiO . The company makes some excellent music players and amplifiers. The brand’s main competitor would possibly be iFi , but there are many alternatives in this market. The BTR7 is about the size of a cigarette lighter (remember those?) and is finished in a classy matte black with glass panels front and back. It feels incredibly well made and includes a small 1.3-inch color screen on the front panel for navigating the device’s menu settings and … [Read more...] about Reviewed: FiiO’s BTR7 Is A Superb For Listening To Music On The Move