Author: ayinde

  • How to get tons of e-books on multiple topics for free – Komando

    How to get tons of e-books on multiple topics for free – Komando

    If you’ve run out of things to watch and are tired of scrolling through social media, how about reading a book? Sure, you can buy actual paper books online and have them shipped. But what if you want to save some money?
    How about an eBook? You can easily purchase those online, or you can borrow a digital version of a book just like you would at an actual brick-and-mortar library. Keep reading and we’ll tell you how to get eBooks from your local public library and other ways to get them for free.
    Thousands of free eBooks are just a click away on the sites we’re about to share. History, biographies, romance, mysteries and more.
    Public libraries these days don’t just offer old-school books for free. Now, you can borrow music CDs, movies and even eBooks. Here’s how.
    First, find your local library online and see if it’s offering free eBooks to borrow. In some cities, you can download a digital book from your library and you get to keep it anywhere from one to three weeks.
    Privacy, security, the latest trends and the info you need to live your best digital life.
    If you’re enrolled in college, check to see the options through the online campus library. You might be surprised at how much you’ll find. And don’t forget about the National Emergency Library that the Internet Archive launched. No library card is required.
    Public libraries are an excellent option for finding free eBooks. But, there are plenty of other options out there. Here are some of our favorites.
    Project Gutenberg has thousands of classic books in the public domain, and new titles are added daily.
    In addition to free books, this site offers sheet music, speeches and even music and videos. Several books are offered as audiobooks if you prefer to listen instead of reading. It’s a wonderful tool for researchers and students.
    There are currently over 800 free eBooks for you to choose from at OpenCulture, and the list is growing all the time. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean that all of these books are classics in the public domain.
    You can find newer works of fiction from big-name authors available here. Search alphabetically by author’s last name to find the titles you’re looking for. Downloading eBooks from there is a snap.
    OpenCulture also features free audiobooks, textbooks, movies and college courses. You’ll find what you want, or something new, no doubt.
    If you’re interested in science or technology, check these books out. NASA has compiled a list of books about the history and science of our national space program.
    These books cover everything from supersonic travel to atmospheric re-entry. And every book is available in different formats, so every eReader or computer can download them.
    Open Library is the largest site for free eBooks, with millions available for download, in all categories. You can get art books, biographies, recipes, science fiction, history — you want it, they got it.
    Each book’s page has information on the book, the author and relevant links. Find a mistake in the entry for your favorite book? You can edit mistakes and add information. You just need to set up an account using your name and email address.
    And now that you have all those free books crammed onto your computer, how do you find anything? Calibre is the perfect digital librarian for your eBooks. It helps you organize them so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
    Even better, Calibre converts your books into almost any format. You can customize title covers and get data about each book by automatically syncing to online booksellers. Caliber even downloads magazines and newspapers.
    Bonus: Best sites to download free audiobooks
    Kim’s eBooks are available on Amazon and Kobo.
    At Amazon, you can find “Windows 10: Secrets & Tips for Busy People,” “Android for Seniors,” “How to get Free HDTV and Cut the Cable,” and more.
    They can be downloaded on most digital devices, but specific gadgets like Amazon’s Kindle with big screens make reading eBooks easier on the eyes. You might as well check out some options when you can before your time gets otherwise “booked.”
    By clicking our links, you’re supporting our research. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Recommendations are not part of any business incentives.
    More:
    Get tech updates and breaking news on the go with the Komando.com App, available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.


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  • How Much Do Graphic Designers Make? – Small Business Trends

    How Much Do Graphic Designers Make? – Small Business Trends

    Are you good at conveying ideas through visuals? If yes, then graphic design can be an excellent option to earn money. But before you take the plunge, wouldn’t you be interested in knowing how much do graphic designers make?
    Today, we will explore graphic design as a way of earning a livelihood. In addition to understanding how much money graphic designers earn, you will know the types of graphic design job opportunities, the ways to maximize your earnings, and much more. All aspiring graphic designers will find this post useful.
    Let’s dive in:


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    What is a Graphic Designer?

    What is a graphic designer and why is graphic design important? In simple words, a graphic designer is a professional who designs visual concepts to convey information. From designing posters to logos to websites, graphic designers create a variety of visual concepts to communicate information.
    Here are some important qualities that can make someone an excellent graphic designer:

    • Verbal communication
    • Drawing and sketching skills
    • Research
    • Time management
    • Attention to detail
    • Analytical skills

    These days, companies use various kinds of design software. Therefore, designers are also expected to have essential software skills to get a job in a good design company.



    Types of Graphic Design Jobs

    There are different types of graphic design job openings. So you can pick one according to your creativity.
    Following are the key job types in the graphic design industry:

    • Photo editor
    • Logo designer
    • Web designer
    • Multimedia designer
    • Advertising designer
    • User-interface (UI) designer
    • User experience (UX) designer

    You can see that graphic design services are diverse. So, in addition to the above-mentioned job titles for designers, you can also find graphic design job openings for product packaging designers, publication designers, apparel graphic designers, and many more.

    How Much do Graphic Designers Earn Per Hour?

    If you’re thinking about being a self-employed designer, you would like to know whether you can make a respectable living or not. The good news is you can. According to a report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly wage of graphic designers is $28.06.


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    The average base hourly pay for freelance graphic designers, as per Payscale data, is $29.92.
    If you want to secure a strong position as a freelancer, you should work on multiple projects to build a powerful professional portfolio and keep on finding new projects.

    How Much do Graphic Designers Make Per Year

    If you want to know the average salary for a graphic designer, the answer is $ 58,370 (mean annual wage).
    However, job seekers may notice variations in graphic designer salaries on different sources. For example, Indeed data states an average base salary of $51,588 per year. According to Payscale data, the average base salary of a graphic designer is $47,085/ year.


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    Art directors, who often begin their careers as designers, earn way more than these mentioned salaries.

    How to Get Started with Graphic Design

    Now that you know common questions about graphic design as a career option, such as how much graphic designers make, types of graphic design jobs, and prowess required to become a great designer. It is time to get started.
    Here are some pointers to help you:

    • Get professional education (degree or certificate in design)
    • Master design software programs
    • Build a website to create an online presence
    • Be active on LinkedIn and job search websites
    • Build a network to get references

    Also, sharing your portfolio website on Behance, Dribble, and other sites in the related field can increase your chances of getting hired.


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    Different industries have different requirements. So, it’s a good idea to ask experience people in your chosen industry for additional information that can help you get started fast.

    10 Ways to Make Money as a Graphic Designer

    Working for a company is just one way to earn money as a designer. Here are ten ways you can explore to make money with your creative expertise:

    1. Freelance Work for Clients

    Hiring an in-house designer is a costly affair. So, many businesses choose to hire freelancers to get design work done. As a result, you can earn good money doing freelance work for clients. Upwork and Fiverr are good platforms to hunt for freelance gigs.

    2. GIFs or Animations

    The trend of using GIFs in increasing customer engagement is growing fast. With more and more companies including GIFs in their marketing materials, there are ample opportunities for you to sell GIFs and earn money.


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    3. Sell Canva Templates

    Canva is used by many people as the learning curve is minimal. So creating and selling Canva templates can be a good way to earn money.

    4. Social Media Graphics

    Social media has become a must for businesses of all sizes. And it goes without saying that eye-catchy visuals increase engagement on social media. Not all companies hire graphic designers, presenting you with tons of opportunities to sell social media graphic packages and earn money.

    5. Printable Wall Art

    People love to personalize the walls of their homes. Posters and wall stickers are among popular wall art items. You can sell readymade printable wall art or customizable packages online and make money.

    6. Design Fonts

    Do you love designing beautiful fonts? Why not make money out of it. Platforms like Etsy, Creative Market, or Creative Fabrica can help you sell your fonts and earn money.


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    7. eBook Covers

    Many small businesses publish eBooks to educate their audiences. And Kindle Direct Publishing has opened doors to self-publishing authors. So, selling eBook cover design can help you earn a decent income. You can sell both pre-made eBook covers and packages for custom eBook covers.

    8. Ready-to-Print Party Decorations

    In the time of Instagram, people spend a great deal of money on decoration for their kids’ birthday parties. You can easily sell printable party decoration files and supplement your income.

    9. Branding Packages

    Businesses use a variety of visual elements in their sales and marketing materials to build a distinguished identity. Logos, business cards, brochures, packaging materials, are just a few to mention. So selling branding packages can be great for designers to earn money.

    10. Run Workshops

    Do you love sharing your knowledge? If yes, then running personal or online design workshops can be an excellent way for you to earn money. However, you have to build a strong portfolio first. Only then, it will be easier for you to persuade people to join your workshops.


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    How to Maximize Your Graphic Design Earnings

    Whether you’re planning to start a graphic design business or begin your career in a graphic design company, you would defiantly want to earn more money.
    Here are a few ways to maximize your graphic design earnings:

    • Pick a profitable niche and stick to it
    • Join graphic design programs to sharpen your skills
    • Build a portfolio site to showcase your work
    • Make your own product (ebook, course, t-shirt design, etc.) to sell
    • Create a powerful web presence
    • Be active on LinkedIn to get noticed by a good paying company

    If you’re freelancing, you should never rely on one site for freelance work. Instead, you should create your profile on multiple websites to get more clients for your freelance services.

    Which graphic design job pays the highest graphic designer salary?

    A product design job pays the highest graphic designer salary. Indeed reports that a product designer, whose job is to create the foundation for the user experience of a product, gets a national average salary of $119,921 per year.


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    Which US states have the highest graphic design salaries?

    Illinois has the highest graphic design salaries when you adjust the salary based on the cost of living in a state. According to the Zippia data, graphic artists receive a $60,137 adjusted average yearly salary in Illinois. But if you consider actual wages employers pay, New York tops the list where employers pay a $64,840 average yearly salary.

    Final Thoughts,

    Now you understand how much money you can expect to earn working as a graphic designer. As every business invests in graphic design, you will have ample opportunities to earn provided that you keep yourself updated. You can explore these graphic design tools to maximize your success.
    Image: Depositphotos Comment ▼


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    Small Business Trends is an award-winning online publication for small business owners, entrepreneurs and the people who interact with them. Our mission is to bring you “Small business success … delivered daily.”
    © Copyright 2003 – 2022, Small Business Trends LLC. All rights reserved.
    “Small Business Trends” is a registered trademark.

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  • List of Entrepreneur Resources – New Hampshire Business Review

    List of Entrepreneur Resources – New Hampshire Business Review

    Sections
    Extras
    Connect With Us
    COMPETITIONS AND PROGRAMS
    INNOVATION SUMMIT
    The Innovation Summit highlights innovation in New Hampshire through all phases of growth. The Startup Showcase features early stage startups and is a great way to showcase the newest technology coming from New Hampshire. Mid-growth startups share lessons along the way and the annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given out at the event. For more information visit nhtechalliance.org/innovation-summit
    SOCIAL VENTURE INNOVATION 
    CHALLENGE
    Founded by the University of New Hampshire and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the SVIC was designed to be different from other traditional business plan competitions. Rather than full business plans, the Challenge is interested in jumpstarting innovative thinking among students and community members who design novel, sustainable, business-orientated solutions to some of
    society’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Winners receive awards that help bring needed resources to advance these promising models. The November event attracts more than 700 people to hear the keynote speaker and finalists’ pitch competition. For more information, visit unh.edu/sustainability/student-education-engagement.
    SPEED VENTURE SUMMIT
    Startups can apply to participate in a 90-minute speed pitch session to investors representing angel groups, various funds and VC firms from all over New England. Participating startups represent bio tech, ed tech, diagnostics therapeutics, and software and consumer products. The event also includes a featured speaker and networking reception with more than 140 attendees. Applications are available at nhtechalliance. org. Investors interested in participating can email stephanie@nhtechalliance.org for more
    information.
    THE PITCHFORK CHALLENGE
    The Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship runs an annual pitch competition with the purpose of boosting startups in the Monadnock region. Over the summer local entrepreneurs are coached to create a compelling pitch describing their business opportunity in pursuit of a cash award. Ultimately, one business winner will be chosen to receive a prize of $10,000 in cash along with national print and digital media coverage. The final event is part of the Radically Rural Summit. Eligible applicants must have businesses with no more than $250,000 in revenue or funding, must be a for-profit and currently earning revenue, and is located in a town with a population of 30,000 or less. For more information or assistance developing required materials, contact www.hannahgrimes.com/pitchforkchallenge or programs@hannahgrimes.com.
    TORY C. MARANDOS
    ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE
    Entrepreneurs with exemplary business ideas submit their business plan to be considered a finalist in the pitch competition that determines the winner of a $5,000 grand prize from the Tory C. Marandos Foundation. Entrepreneurs with startups less than three years in business or who have not yet started
    a business but have a well-thought-out idea are eligible to submit a two-page concept paper in PDF format to marandos@snhu.edu. More information can be found at www.alumni.snhu.edu/community-events/marandos-entrepreneurial-challenge.
    ANGEL INVESTORS AND VENTURE
    CAPITALIST FIRMS
    10X VENTURE PARTNERS
    www.10xvp.com
    10X Venture Partners invests predominantly in mobile, internet, wireless, security, med tech and
    green tech. A typical investment ranges from $50,000 to $500,000, but 10X is capable of larger investments. 10X invests in companies ranging from the idea stage through $5-10 million in revenue, for profitable companies.
    ALUMNI VENTURES
    www.av.vc
    Alumni Ventures is a co-investor whose network can help with connections, capital, and customers, offering alumni entrepreneurs a smart, simple way to back the ventures of fellow alums. Alumni Ventures typically invests $100,000 to $500,000 per deal, with the opportunity for up to $2
    million when several of its sibling Alumni Ventures Group funds participate. Key investment
    considerations: a Dartmouth alumni connection (on the executive team, board or investing group) and a strong co-investor in place. Alumni Ventures does not lead rounds, set valuations or take board seats; they aim to be a transparent, low-friction, value-add partner to its portfolio companies.
    BOREALIS VENTURES
    www.borealisventures.com
    Borealis Ventures partners with entrepreneurs who aim to create new markets or redefine existing ones, especially in areas such as life science platforms, digital health and animal health. Borealis seeks an initial institutional round of financing, including seed funding, and will invest anywhere from $100,000 to $2.5 million initially, with the potential for more over time.
    ECOAST ANGEL NETWORK
    www.ecoastangels.com
    eCoast Angel’s focuses on early-stage companies involved with advanced technology, e-commerce, healthcare, and industrial products and services, principally located in the New Hampshire coastal region. The group is most interested in companies requiring $250,000 to $2 million at pre-money
    valuations of less than $6 million, who have a credible, multi-option exit strategy and are led by an experienced core management team.
    HARBOR LIGHT CAPITAL PARTNERS
    hlcp.com
    Harbor Light Capital Partners focuses on investments in the $1 million to $5 million range. They target the “funding gap” for early- and growth-stage companies. Unlike institutional investment funds, they are not limited to traditional holding periods of 4 to 6 years. Harbor Light’s growth stage criteria: $5 million to $20 million in revenues; strong historical/projected revenue growth; companies with passionate, loyal
    customers; exceptional management teams with proven entrepreneurial leadership and vision.
    VESTED FOR GROWTH
    www.vestedforgrowth.com
    Vested for Growth, a program of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, provides
    risk-tolerant capital up to $1 million, business education and peer-learning opportunities
    to help owners of established small businesses increase profits and create higher-quality jobs. For investment needs greater than $1 million, VFG may be able to draw from other lending partners. The only business financing program of its kind, VFG creates sub-debt and royalty financing packages when banks and equity sources can’t provide enough capital to meet their needs. Training or technical support may be provided by some combination of a business performance coach, consultant, an advisory board or a business peer group.
    WASABI VENTURES PARTNERS
    www.wasabivp.com
    Wasabi Ventures is a venture capital, incubator and consulting firm that specializes in
    building and advising early-stage technology companies. In the last decade, Wasabi Ventures has built, financed and advised over 200 startups including some wildly successful ventures like RightNow Technologies, User Testing, Ustream and EtherPad.
    Source: NHBR Research
    © 2022 NH Business Review.

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  • How to Stream Torrent Files Without Downloading on Android – MUO – MakeUseOf

    How to Stream Torrent Files Without Downloading on Android – MUO – MakeUseOf

    You don’t need to download torrents on your phone. You can stream them instead. Here’s how to stream torrent files on Android.
    Finding and downloading legal torrents on your Android smartphone or tablet is not a difficult task. However, often because of the large size of the videos, you will need to wait for hours before you can watch the content.
    On a desktop, you can stream torrents with WebTorrent and other apps without downloading them. On Android, your options are limited but it is possible. Here we show you the three ways to stream torrent files without downloading them on Android.
    WebTor is a torrent streaming service available as a web app. You can paste the magnet link for a torrent and start streaming right away. It also supports subtitles, on-the-fly transcoding, and direct downloading.
    The only issue with the app seems to be the pop-up and in-page ads, which are quite annoying. Otherwise, WebTor is an excellent service to stream torrents on Android.
    Related: 7 Underground Torrent Sites for Getting Uncensored Content
    The uTorrent client on Android supports a preview file feature. You can use this feature to play torrents as they start downloading. While the torrent will continue to download in the background, you can continue to play the video without waiting for the download to finish.
    Download: uTorrent (Free, in-app purchases available)
    To stream torrent files using uTorrent:
    Related: How to Increase Torrent Download Speeds: 10 Tips and Tricks
    If you don’t want to use a web app, you can use the Telegram app and VLC Player to stream torrents on your Android device. You can get started by installing the apps from the Play Store if you don't already have them.
    Download: Telegram (Free) | VLC Player (Free, in-app purchases available)
    Now here's how to stream torrents on your phone.
    While this is a handy solution, it only works if you manage to find the torrent link with a multimedia extension. For example, if the Telegram bot returns a zip file link for the given magnet URL, it will not work with VLC Player.
    WebTor is an excellent all-platform torrent streaming client. It is on the web, supports on-the-fly transcoding, and you can even download torrents directly if you want.
    However, if you prefer to download torrents in the background while streaming, then the uTorrent app for Android is a good alternative. While the Telegram and VLC Player torrent streaming hack is a handy solution, it is tedious and unreliable.
    If you want to stream torrents on your Windows, Mac, or Linux systems, there are multiple desktop and web-based torrent streaming apps to stream torrents on the go.
    Tashreef is a developer and works as a technical writer at MakeUseOf. With a bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications, he has over 5 years of experience and covers Microsoft Windows and everything around it. When not looking for a missing semicolon or churning out text, you can find him trying FPS titles or looking for new animated shows and movies.
    Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!

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  • What Is the Arch User Repository (AUR)? Everything You Need to Know – MUO – MakeUseOf

    What Is the Arch User Repository (AUR)? Everything You Need to Know – MUO – MakeUseOf

    Arch Linux has a community-driven repository called the AUR which is home to thousands of packages contributed by Arch users.
    Arch users are spoilt for choice when it comes to software downloads. You could either get your packages from the official Arch repository, Snap Store, and Flathub or completely eliminate the need to install software by simply downloading AppImages.
    Then there's another option—downloading software from the Arch User Repository (AUR). But not every Arch user is familiar with it, especially newcomers. So, what is the AUR, and how can you download packages from this special repository? Let's find out.
    The Arch User Repository is a community-driven package repository developed by Arch users for Arch users. If you don't find a package in the official repository, there's a good chance it might be in the AUR.
    The AUR doesn't contain prebuilt packages, however. Instead, it hosts package builds (PKGBUILD), which are scripts that you can run with makepkg to build a package. The generated archive would then contain all the binaries and instructions required to install the package on your system.
    If you've ever wondered how does a package get into the official Arch repository, the answer is the AUR. Most packages start their journey in the AUR, where users can vote for them to express their interest.
    And as obvious, a package with a specific amount of votes and good packaging gets tested and included in the official Arch "community" repository (not to be confused with the AUR). The minimum amount of votes for the package to be eligible for inclusion is 10, anything more than that is icing on the cake.
    But that's not the only prerequisite, a Trusted User (more on that in the next section) should volunteer to maintain the package when it's moved to the official repository. If a package has hundreds of votes and no TU that's willing to maintain, it won't be moved to the community repository.
    Also, unlike the AUR, the community repository contains binary packages that users can install with pacman, and not PKGBUILDs.
    If anyone can upload and submit their PKGBUILDs to the AUR, doesn't that compromise the security aspect? The answer is yes, but partly. The AUR has package maintainers known as "Trusted Users" that have been a part of the project for a long time.
    The TUs regularly check what gets uploaded to the repository and keep an eye out for anything that looks troublesome. Although the regulations and checks help kick malicious uploads away, there are times when things slip past.
    Therefore, an advanced security-conscious Arch user always checks the package builds before running makepkg to build the archive (and you should do it too).
    Since the Arch User Repository and the official repository aren't the same, the utilities for downloading packages from both the repositories are different. For the official repository, you can use pacman. But for the AUR, you have two choices.
    Either you can manually clone and build the package or you can automate the process using an AUR Helper.
    To download a package from the AUR, you'll have to install some necessary utilities on your system. Type the following command in the terminal to install the packages:
    Start by heading over to aur.archlinux.org and searching for the package you want to download. Go to the package web page and copy the Git Clone URL.
    Then, launch the terminal and type the following command:
    Navigate to the downloaded folder using the cd command and run makepkg as follows:
    For example, let's download the Brave browser from the AUR:
    You don't have to run pacman to install the generated package archive. The makepkg command will automatically invoke pacman, which will then install the package along with the necessary dependencies.
    An AUR Helper simply automates the process of downloading PKGBUILDs from the AUR, generating the archive, and installing the package using pacman.
    One such AUR Helper is yay, which is easy to download and use. Run the following commands one by one to install yay on your system:
    The basic syntax of yay is very similar to that of pacman:
    To download Brave from the AUR using yay:
    That's how easy it was to install AUR packages using yay.
    One of the primary concerns of developers is submitting packages to the AUR. The first thing you could do is read the package submission guidelines on the official website. Note that this guide already assumes you know how to create a package for the AUR.
    To get started, you need to host your package on a platform like GitHub or GitLab. Then, clone the repository to your system and navigate to that directory using the command line.
    The next step is to create a PKGBUILD that you'll add to the AUR. To do that, replicate the default package build prototype available at /usr/share/pacman:
    Open the package build file using any text editor of your choice. Then, inside the PKGBUILD, specify the necessary information such as the package name, repository URL (GitHub or GitLab), necessary dependencies, etc.
    Here's a full table covering the important variables in brief detail:
    Note that you also need to fill in the maintainer details specified at the beginning of the file. Additionally, edit the build, check, package, and prepare methods at the end of the file to suit your needs.
    When you're done, build the package using the PKGBUILD you just created.
    If all goes well, generate the SRCINFO file by typing:
    Move the PKGBUILD and .SRCINFO to a separate directory.
    To submit your package build, create and clone an empty AUR repository using the following command syntax:
    …where packagename is the name of your package.
    Copy the package build and SRCINFO file to the newly created repository folder using the cp command. Finally, all you need to do is commit, add, and push the changes to the remote AUR repository using Git.
    Related: Advanced Git Tutorial
    The AUR is one of the most prominent methods of package distribution on Arch Linux, and the community is striving to take it to the next level. Thanks to all the users who participate in the maintenance of the AUR, this community-driven repository now hosts thousands of user-developed software packed with exciting features.
    To sum it up, there's no actual harm in downloading software from the Arch User Repository, but only if you check the package builds and the INSTALL files prior to installation. Failing to do so might not have any serious complications every time, since the Trusted Users do a great job steering harmful packages away from the whole database. But it's always better to be safe than sorry.
    If you're new to Arch Linux, consider learning how to download and install packages from the official repository first, and then, when you're comfortable with the process, proceed with the AUR.
    Deepesh is the Junior Editor for Linux at MUO. He writes informational guides on Linux, aiming to provide a blissful experience to all newcomers. Not sure about movies, but if you want to talk about technology, he’s your guy.
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  • House of cards? Why the world is falling out of love with Netflix – The Guardian

    House of cards? Why the world is falling out of love with Netflix – The Guardian

    After years of growth, the streaming giant revealed a shock fall in subscribers. But is it really downhill from here?
    An era comes to be defined by its major innovations and, sometimes, just a simple company name does the trick: the Ford Motor Company more than a century ago, or Virgin in the 1980s. They are the business ideas that sum up a moment of progress. Of course, somewhat less prophetically, there were also the shorter-lived promises offered by DeLorean or Myspace.
    Until last week, all of us were enjoying “the Netflix boom”, mainly because of what the streaming giant represented, rather than for what it actually was. Netflix stood for easy access to culture, for family sharing, and for turning our backs on the shallow commerce of ad breaks. And it quickly became rather an emotional consumer relationship, especially during the dark lockdowns imposed during the pandemic. In isolation, the homebound took solace in The Crown, Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Money Heist, Lupin, Call My Agent! or Squid Game. In fact for 10 years now in the UK, these box-set shows have fed a national conversation that occasionally also intersected with the chatter around the rest of the world.
    So when Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings admitted last week that 200,000 subscribers had walked away in the first quarter of the year, with more likely to follow, fans of the service were forced to reassess. As a result of the losses, the company’s share price dropped more than 35% last Wednesday, sliding nearly 8% further the next day. Then billionaire investor Bill Ackman decided to sell his Netflix shares, despite incurring a vast loss, because things were suddenly looking so scary.
    For many inside the industry, the alarm call from Netflix was the sign they had been waiting for that, after a vertiginous climb, “peak subscription” had finally been reached. After all, hadn’t music lovers already noticed how complicated their love affair with Spotify had become? The freedom to enjoy their favourite tunes was, it turned out, actually a threat to the livelihoods of the musicians that made them.
    Among those who claim to have seen the writing on the wall well before the Netflix announcement are two Swedish entrepreneurs who are banking on a return to a simpler deal. Måns Ulvestam and Karl Rosander, the founders of Acast, the podcast platform, have now created a new ebook and audiobook platform called Sesamy – for which customers will only pay what they want, when they want it, on any device. The Swedes believe the public has seen through the premise of a subscription. In their view, it is not just belt-tightening that has caused Netflix members to leave the fold.
    “We are seeing the end of the something now that began with the paywall,” said Ulvestam. “It is not sustainable because it does not work for customers or for creatives any more.”
    Like the gyms that rely on users forgetting about their monthly membership payments, the subscription model, according to Sesamy’s creators, verges on being a deception. “We think all these content subscriptions, with their ‘easy on-boarding’ and very tricky cancellation, are almost a fraud,” said Rosander.
    But surely Netflix, a place where so many British viewers still go to enjoy their evenings, cannot be facing disaster? After all, even a show with bad reviews such as Anatomy of a Scandal is drawing a lot of viewers, while this weekend the new teen drama Heartstopper has been greeted with critical bouquets and hailed by some as the most important British TV show since It’s a Sin.
    Much of the rush to weep over Netflix’s imaginary open grave has been partly motivated by the way the success of the company, which had attracted new subscribers steadily for more than a decade, has been held up as an example to public service broadcasters such as Channel 4 and the BBC. When the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, said earlier this month that she wanted Channel 4 to be free to compete with Netflix, many programme-makers were quick to point out that the global streamer she so admired had had great difficulty establishing a viable business model.
    And Netflix itself has never liked this rivalry. The company line is that Britain’s public service channels are its “creative partners”. To substantiate this, it points to investment in hundreds of hours of content, including popular shows such as The Serpent, Giri/Haji, and Dracula. A show such as The End of the F**king World, first seen exclusively on Channel 4 and then shown by Netflix, reaped renewed popularity when it returned to C4 for a second series.
    For those other Netflix sceptics, the cinephiles, news of the drop in subscriptions bore the sweet scent of revenge. Film fans are still smarting at the way the streamer challenged the financial balance of cinema’s theatrical distribution model. Once Netflix started to make its own feature-length products, the Cannes film festival tried to take a stand against it by banning films that had not been given a release in French cinemas. Organisers warned of an existential threat to the big-screen experience.
    But now Netflix has become a prominent part of the film ecology, with The Irishman seducing director Martin Scorsese into the streaming world and both The Power of the Dog and Don’t Look Up winning Oscar nominations last month.
    Like many a good film hero, Netflix had more humble origins. Long before it dominated the entertainment scene, it was an unassuming DVD delivery service, just as Virgin started out as a record label and Amazon once only wanted to sell books. But in 2012, the same year it launched in Britain, Netflix began to produce its own content, including the compelling Washington political drama House of Cards. Ten years on, the company has 221.64 million subscribers in more than 190 countries.
    Any documentary about Netflix’s fortunes, however, could not yet chart a dramatic downward path. For a start, a chunk of its financial instability can be put down to the shutting down of its Russian service following the invasion of Ukraine, and to the fact that most of those in the west who want to join Netflix already have.
    British Netflix subscription levels are holding up comparatively well, yet every form of media service is having to think quickly about what subscription overload will mean. And this pondering has become more urgent with the news that the Competition and Markets Authority in Britain is now set to make “subscription traps” illegal.
    So perhaps this is all a category error? That’s what some analysts argue, anyway. We have wrongly assumed that Netflix is a tech innovator simply because its extraordinary expansion prompted many media empires to copy it, including Disney, Warner Brothers, NBC and Paramount, to say nothing of Amazon and Apple. But Netflix is not really founded on tech: it is just an entertainment provider that became a production studio – and that is always a very precarious business. As the screenwriter William Goldman famously put it, in showbiz “nobody knows anything”. It simply is not possible for hit to follow hit, even if you spend $55bn on television shows and movies, as Netflix did between 2018 and 2021.
    In reaction to the subscriptions slump, Hastings and his team have suggested they will be holding back on their spending, opening their minds to running adverts “in a year or two”, and pushing harder on quality by somehow “taking it up a notch”. (These three key strategies, of course, are also shared by many of the old-style content providers.)
    One Twitter wit, Jake Menez (@Jake Menez), met the news that Netflix was now considering launching a cheaper service supported by adverts with the line: “That’s pretty neat. I’d probably give it a snappy name like ‘television’ or maybe ‘cable.’”
    For the average household, the company’s change in attitude to the cosy sharing of passwords will come as a bigger shock. Six years ago Hastings said “we love people sharing Netflix”. Now, with an estimated 100 million people using each other’s accounts, the chief executive is not so relaxed.
    The truth is that neither consumer markets nor quality entertainment are endlessly expandable. If we all want a supply of good films and television, we have to ensure that it is priced fairly and that the artists are being paid well. Otherwise, as Rosander drily points out, TV culture is in danger of reverting to a Renaissance situation, where only the wealthy can afford the good stuff: “That is why all the paintings back then were of the duke’s wife.”

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  • 10 Small Business Marketing Strategies That Actually Work – Entrepreneur

    10 Small Business Marketing Strategies That Actually Work – Entrepreneur

    Signing out of account, Standby…
    Avoid the pitfalls of small business marketing and achieve long-term goals by choosing the right strategies.
    If you’re a small business owner, then you know that marketing can be tough. It seems like everyone is competing for attention, and it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. But don’t worry: Here are 10 small business marketing strategies that work.
    When it comes to marketing your small business, it’s essential to target the right audience. By developing a strategy that focuses on your ideal customer, you’ll be able to reach more people who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer. So how do you go about doing this? Here are some tips for targeting your audience effectively:
    Related: 6 Ways to Market Your Small Business for Less Than $100
    When it comes to small business marketing, cold emailing is one of the most effective strategies. It’s a great way to connect with potential customers who may not be familiar with your business. Here are a few tips for using cold email to market your small business:
    When it comes to advertising your business, there are several different strategies that you can use. However, not all of these strategies will be effective for your business. To find the best marketing strategy for your small business, you need to do some research and try out a few different tactics.
    One of the most popular online marketing tactics is social media advertising. This involves using platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote your business. You can create ads that target specific demographics, or you can simply post about your business on your social media page.
    Another popular online marketing strategy is search engine optimization (SEO). This involves optimizing your website so that it appears higher in search engine results pages. There are many different SEO techniques that you can use, and it’s important to choose the right ones for your business.
    If you have a limited budget, you may want to consider using online marketing tools like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads. These tools allow you to target specific audiences with your ads, which can help you save money on advertising costs.
    Related: 4 Free Small Business Marketing Tools
    When it comes to marketing your small business, you can’t afford to overlook the power of influencers. Influencers are individuals with a large online following who can sway the opinions of their followers. In other words, if an influencer promotes your product or service, their followers are likely to take notice.
    There are several ways to work with influencers to build awareness for your small business. One option is to reach out to them directly and ask them to promote your product or service. Another option is to partner with an influencer marketing agency that can connect you with influencers who are a good fit for your brand.
    One of the best ways to market your small business is to connect with local businesses. When you partner with other businesses in your area, you can share resources and promote each other to your customers. You can also collaborate on marketing initiatives and events.
    To connect with local businesses, start by networking with other business owners in your community. Attend business events and join online forums and groups that focus on local business collaboration. You can also reach out to local businesses directly and offer to collaborate.
    This can be in the form of a percentage off your products or services or even a free item with purchase. You can also offer loyalty programs, which give customers rewards for continued patronage. Whatever incentive or discount you choose to offer, make sure it’s something that your customers will find valuable.
    Building an email list isn’t hard. It doesn’t take much time or any special skills to do, and once it’s done it saves you a lot of time in the future. Here are some ideas for building your initial newsletter subscribers:
    SEO is the process of optimizing your website for Google and other search engines. By investing in SEO, you can improve your website’s ranking in search results and attract more visitors.
    Blogging is a great way to connect with customers and share information about your business. When you blog about the latest trends, news stories and events related to your business niche, potential customers can learn more about you and what you offer. This can help you attract new customers and build trust with existing customers.
    Related: Top Social-Media Marketing Essentials for Small Businesses
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    Copyright © 2022 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media Inc.
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  • The Creator Economy Draws Entrepreneurs – Practical Ecommerce

    The Creator Economy Draws Entrepreneurs – Practical Ecommerce

    The creator economy is attracting new entrepreneurs, perhaps supplanting retail ecommerce as the starting point for many small and new ventures.
    Just a few years ago, if she wanted to own a business, an entrepreneur would frequently turn to ecommerce — opening a small online store, adding a few products, and advertising to drive sales.
    In 2022, that same person might instead launch a YouTube channel or publish an Instagram Reel.
    While opening a small ecommerce store is easy, success is not guaranteed. The many retail ecommerce businesses and direct-to-consumer brands make competition tight.
    In 2005, I started an online toy store selling Papo and Schleich figures. At the time, a handful of other online shops offered these toys. A simple search ad could generate thousands of dollars in sales.
    Now, Google Shopping lists dozens of merchants selling Papo figures, and Google search results show more than 4 million pages indexed for these inexpensive toys.
    There are hundreds of online stores selling identical or similar products, such as inexpensive toys.
    With so many merchants selling identical items, price is often a key differentiator. Margins grow thin.
    In 2005, if you wanted to open an online store, the barriers to entry were the cost of inventory and the technical challenges associated with launching a site.
    Now those barriers are significantly reduced. Retail inventory is relatively easy to find (supply chain problems aside). Financing options abound. And many ecommerce platforms can have a store open and selling in just a few days, if not hours.
    Competition and the ubiquity of online commerce are the new barriers to success.
    Just as retail ecommerce appears to be more competitive and therefore more challenging to start, content creation is becoming relatively more straightforward.
    Massive social media networks have built their businesses on advertising, and the fuel that makes their advertising engines run is engagement.
    Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, and nearly every social media site seek active users. To sell ads, they need folks to scroll, watch, and interact.
    These social platforms have introduced tools and developed courses to help creators generate content. And an ecosystem of software and hardware services has emerged to make the process easier.
    YouTube creators once needed serious video cameras and lighting gear to stand out. Now, YouTubers can have quality results with an iPhone and a light ring. There are dozens of cheap and fast video editing options.
    Podcasting was once a complicated task of recording and mixing audio to achieve radio quality. For less than $300 a year, a podcaster can now produce professional interviews with Riverside, an online recording studio, and many similar services. The result is an excellent audio podcast and video, too.
    Starting a creator business is as easy as putting up your first post. This ease makes being a creator attractive for entrepreneurs.
    Why spend months launching a DTC brand only to struggle to make a sale because you don’t have an audience of customers? Instead, build a profitable creator business more efficiently and get an audience of customers.
    As evidence to support this supposition — that the creator economy is attracting entrepreneurs — consider Shopify. In March 2022, the company, one of the largest SaaS ecommerce platforms in the world, launched a free link-in-bio service called Linkpop.
    Shopify President Harley Finkelstein announced Linkpop on his LinkedIn profile, noting that the service could connect content and commerce.
    Link-in-bio services are aimed at creators. Shopify sees an opportunity in the creator economy.
    The Linkpop by Shopify website addresses creators.
    Content creation could be a new path toward ecommerce.
    In retail ecommerce, businesses tend to build the product, launch a website, and head out in search of customers. While in the creator economy, brands tend to develop an engaged audience and create products specifically for that audience, then sell those products with relatively little competition.
    For now, creators tend to sell digital products such as ebooks, online courses, and similar, but that could change. In the same way, creators could start developing physical products.
    Here is an example. Imagine you are a content creator. You make fishing videos and publish them on YouTube.
    Over time, you build an audience of a few hundred thousand followers. Of these, 30,000 have signed up for your weekly fishing newsletter.
    You decide to create a DTC fishing rod. You get feedback from your audience during the design process. You hold a contest wherein a few newsletter subscribers can test and review prototypes.
    When you are ready to go into production, you sell pre-orders — promoting the product on YouTube and via your email newsletter.
    You have effectively bypassed competition and used your audience to validate and buy your product. It is a new path to ecommerce.
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  • eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More – City of Round Rock

    eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More – City of Round Rock

    Home » Departments » Library » Books and Services » eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More
    Looking for something else? Try our alphabetical or our categorical listings to find the right resource.
    eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More - City of Round Rock 1Download popular eBooks and eAudiobooks for all ages to your computer or device using Overdrive/Libby.
    Download the Libby app.
    Need help? Check out an Overdrive/Libby tutorial.
    eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More - City of Round Rock 2Odilo provides Spanish-language eBooks that can be downloaded to the Odilo app. Many titles can also be read in your browser.
    En Español.  Ayuda en Español.
    Tumblebooks App ImageTumbleBooks are animated talking picture books that you can read, or have read to you.
    Need help? Check out a TumbleBook Library tutorial.
    eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More - City of Round Rock 3Flipster allows unlimited, simultaneous use of popular digital magazines. Log into Flipster with your library card number and PIN. Then, read the content anywhere using the Flipster app or a web browser.
    Available for Apple, Kindle, and Android.
    Need help? Check out a Flipster tutorial.
    eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More - City of Round Rock 4 Freegal is a downloadable music service which provides access to the catalog of Sony Music Entertainment artists. Library cardholders can download five songs a week. Freegal works with any MP3 device, including iPods.
    Available for Android and Apple.
    Need help? Check out a Freegal tutorial and/or Freegal’s FAQs 
    Available for Android and Apple devices.
    brainfuse app imageBrainfuse–HelpNow provides online tutoring for students in grades K-12 and adult learners. Students communicate with live tutors using an interactive whiteboard to chat, write, draw, copy/paste text or images and graph homework problems. Available for Android and Apple devices.
    Need help? Check out a Brainfuse tutorial.
    eBooks, eAudiobooks, and More - City of Round Rock 5Learn a new language quickly, easily, and effectively. Fun and engaging interactive lessons incorporate the four conversational components critical to effective communication: vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and culture.
    Available for Android and Apple devices.
    Need help? Check out a Mango Languages tutorial.
    reference usaReference Solutions provides access to millions of U.S. residential and business phone numbers and addresses. Conduct market and competitor research as well as business analysis by industry or geography.
    Available for Android and Apple devices.
    216 E. Main Street, Round Rock, TX 78664
    Phone: 512-218-7000 | 512-218-7001 
    Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
    Fridays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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    221 East Main Street
    Round Rock, TX 78664
    512-218-5400

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  • Loyalty Research Center and Rep Data Release eBook, "A Cookieless World: The Shifting MarTech Landsc – Benzinga

    Loyalty Research Center and Rep Data Release eBook, "A Cookieless World: The Shifting MarTech Landsc – Benzinga

    New publication explores how Fortune 500 companies and MarTech leaders are reallocating marketing budgets, employing technology solutions and turning to primary data collection for ongoing marketing effectiveness
    LAS VEGAS, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Loyalty Research Center, leading end-to-end research and analytics consultancy, and Rep Data, a full-service data collection firm for quantitative primary research, today released their new eBook, "A Cookieless World: The Shifting MarTech Landscape" during the ACG 2022 Intergrowth Conference. The eBook covers findings from a recent quantitative study among Fortune 500 marketing leaders and qualitative interviews across leading MarTech organizations who rely on cookies for their current campaign strategies.
    Data includes how both B2C and B2B companies are reallocating budgets and employing new technology solutions to circumvent reliance on cookies, as well as the speed of adoption and success rates of specific approaches.
    Johann Bittner of Loyalty Research Center (LRC) said, "At many of our Private Equity clients, we are seeing the downstream impact of how recent trends toward privacy are impacting marketing effectiveness by channel across their portfolio. We wanted to find out directly from leaders what approaches have been most successful."
    Some specific findings published in A Cookieless World: The Shifting MarTech Landscape include:

    The survey was conducted among a niche audience of 175 director-level, executive and C-level marketers at leading B2B, B2C and B2B2C companies in more than 15 vertical industries, ranging from financial services to technology and from manufacturing to consumer goods. Respondents were recruited using a custom recruitment method, which identifies individuals and verifies that each one meets profiling criteria, boosting data quality. Data was collected by Rep Data in just eight days.
    "We specialize in finding these highly targeted B2B survey respondents, and our team had personal interest in the study topic, as we believe that market research will become increasingly important as cookies phase out," said Gary Elstein, partner at Rep Data. "Turns out, we were right. More companies are turning to primary, first-party data collection to help them understand audiences in the new marketing ecosystem."

    In short, the study found that recent trends toward a "cookieless world" have led to structural changes in what actions, systems and channels are most effective. This has resulted in reallocation of marketing budgets, technology adoption trends and an emphasis on primary data that has separated leaders from their competitors.
    About Rep Data
    Rep Data provides full-service data collection solutions for primary researchers, helping expedite data collection for primary quantitative research studies, with a hyper-focus on data quality and consistent execution. The company's mission is to be a reliable, repeatable data collection partner for market research agencies, management consultancies, Fortune 500 corporations, advertising agencies, brand strategy consultancies, universities, communications agencies, public relations firms and more. repdatallc.com
    About Loyalty Research Center:
    Loyalty Research Center is a leading end-to-end research and analytics firm providing expert consulting to domestic and international B2B, B2C, Private Equity, and Association organizations for over 25 years. Our belief is that understanding and transforming prospective, current, and quit customer behaviors are paramount to sustaining competitive advantages in the marketplace. loyaltyresearch.com
    Media contacts:
    Johann Bittner, 334771@email4pr.com, 317.466.5035
    Michelle Andre, 334771@email4pr.com
    Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/loyalty-research-center-and-rep-data-release-ebook-a-cookieless-world-the-shifting-martech-landscape-301531172.html
    SOURCE Rep Data
    © 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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