Video Games Might Make Kids Smarter According to This Study

Parents have long thought that kids shouldn’t play too many video games because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up ruining their cognitive abilities. However, a recent study has shown that playing video games could have the exact opposite effect. It might actually make kids smarter than might have been the case otherwise since it develops their cognition in a unique way that promotes intellectual growth.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a new study that analyzed brain scans which was published in JAMA Network Open shed some light on the matter at hand. Children who played video games turned out to have improved attention spans, and it also resulted in better memory recall and visual recognition.

The way this study worked was that two sets of children were hooked up to an MRI machine and they were given two separate tasks that they needed to perform. The first tasked involved controlling inhibitions and the second was all about how well their memory functioned.

Children who played video games for up to three hours a day showed improved reflexes and faster reaction times with all things having been considered and taken into account. The study tried to control for video watching in order to get better results, and the gamers still managed to outperform their non-gamer counterparts in all of the tests that had been conducted.

One thing that might impact the findings of this study is the genre of the video game. Different genres might product entirely different results, but in spite of the fact that this is the case this study definitely shows that playing video games is not a bad thing for children at least in terms of cognitive advancement. While it’s not a good idea to let them get addicted and play all day long, it can be a reasonable pastime activity that actually promotes a healthy brain which might come in handy in many different ways as they grow into adulthood and become independent.

Read next: 66% of Americans Got Hacked While Playing Video Games According to This Report
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Twitter Relaunches Swipeable Feed Alternatives As Frustration Grows With The App’s Recommendations

In case you did not know by now, Twitter’s latest version is actually taking a step backward as no new additions are actually really new. Musk claims they are all really some great variations of the past trials that the app has been busy with.

The Twitter Chief has been super busy in terms of repitching these upgrades as he foists them in a manner that has enlightened the app’s users.

Musk’s new addition says that it was launched a while back in March but after a few days, it was removed so you could swipe among those that were algorithmically defined as a part of a home timeline and some latest tweets.

But so many users across the board really hated that whole timeline approach. It kept on showing old tweets as well as those from individuals that they were not keen on following. Some tweets may have even been loved by their so-called connections.

Twitter says that the feedback across the board was super clear. Users do not want alternative timelines, they only want this main feed to be the latest tweets out there.

Now, it appears that Elon Musk and Co are yet to uncover such feedback as they’re sorting through previous documents from Twitter. Now, they’re rolling it out again as the new Twitter navigation. Truly, it’s a brilliant approach from Twitter which is working hard at pushing more content into the app’s main feed.

It’s all about the expansion of the tweet discovery and people started getting annoyed because they are being given an algorithm-defined feed with a timeline of tweets that has people you follow in sequential order.

Twitter discovery is a new approach and it really does hope this side-swipe navigation will remove the frustration of users. This similarly would allow for more tweets to enter into people’s feeds too.

Twitter has proven with time that there are so many recommendations out there that are AI-based. If you do get it right, you can really attain some great benefits and in this case, it’s higher engagement and so much more retention. Twitter’s algorithm is not good but it can get great with time, at least this is what Elon Musk is hoping for.

Side swiping takes you on an experience that you really do wish to go on. But how successful that would turn out to be, time will tell.

Read next: Elon Musk Unleashes New Cryptic Tweet That Hints About Twitter’s Upcoming Policy
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Here Are the Biggest Tech Innovations Coming Up in 2023

People with a significant amount of experience in the tech world tend to have a good idea about the direction in which the industry might be headed. In spite of the fact that this is the case, many of the upcoming trends for the world of tech can be difficult to predict, and this unpredictability is the very thing that takes the entire industry forward. Without further ado, here are some of the biggest innovations that the tech industry might see in 2023.

1. Streaming Bundles

Netflix is conducting some experiments with ad based subscriptions tiers, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that the success of these experiments could have a huge impact on the streaming industry. We might see Disney snapping Netflix up to bolster its Hulu and Disney+ line up, or Apple might throw its hat into the ring.

2. Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles have already seen growth because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up mitigating the effects of climate change. However, EVs have seen their growth stall due to battery issues such as in the case of Tesla batteries catching fire. Such issues could EVs grow more slowly than might have been the case otherwise.

3. A Wire Free World

Many have been predicted entirely wire free smartphones, and 2023 might be the year when we finally get them. Apple has already taken some big strides to reduce any wires and extra components for its phones, such as with the iPhone 14 which didn’t have a physical sim card tray in many of its models. Wireless charging is also likely going to come to the fore.

4. The Smart Home

Gadgets for smart homes are forming a rising trend, and Matter is at the forefront of such innovations as of right now. While the Smart Home dream may not end up getting fully utilized over the course of 2023, chances are that it will see at least some small amount of growth. People may move towards smart homes without realizing it, and that will be an interesting trend to check up on as 2023 passes us by.

5. The Death of Social Media?

About a decade ago, social media seemed like a bit of an unstoppable force. Now, Facebook is struggling to keep hold of its users, Twitter may be dying under Elon Musk, Instagram is having a bit of an identity crisis and even TikTok is finding it hard to make ends meet after being met with challenge after challenge in American courts. That makes the future of social media rather unclear, although newcomers like Mastodon might push the industry forward.

6. Foldable Apple Products

Samsung beat Apple to the punch by launching a foldable smartphone, and chances are that Apple will be announcing a similar device in 2023. It is pretty unlikely that Apple will be able to release a finished product, but we will probably see a prototype as well as some images that can give us a glimpse of what Apple has in store. It will be interesting to see if Apple manages to bring any innovation to the foldable smartphone category.

7. Sustainability Takes Center Stage

The major narrative for 2023 is shaping up to be all about sustainability. Many have noticed sustainability creeping its way into manufacturing processes, and massive corporations like Apple and Samsung will likely be doubling down on it in the upcoming year. Sustainability will also be a hot topic for consumers themselves since they will be looking for new ways to live as sustainably as possible, and tech will play a huge role in that change.

Read next: Most Businesses Are Likely To Succeed If Bosses Are Kind And Thoughtful, New Survey Unveils
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

WhatsApp for Desktop Just Got a New Chat Selection Update

WhatsApp has long been trying to perfect its desktop and web apps, and one of these updates might change the way that users interact with their various chat windows on the platform. A future update that many eagle eyed users have noted in the beta might give you the ability to select multiple chats at once with all things having been considered and taken into account.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the ability to select multiple chats has long been a part of the smartphone app. In spite of the fact that this is the case, this feature took a really long time to develop for the desktop version of the online messaging platform.

Such a feature can be highly useful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping users to better organize their chats. It can be difficult to see which chats are where, and that can make the user experience less enticing than might have been the case otherwise.

One thing to remember is that this update is not going to be rolled out for regular users anytime soon. It is still in the beta testing phase, so we will have to wait and see when WhatsApp decides to roll it out for the general public. Chances are that they would want to make a few tweaks before the wider rollout, but beta testers have not yet reported any issues so it is possible that the release might come sooner rather than later.

Users will be able to mark a number of different conversations and label them as read or unread. This can be especially useful for business users because they often have a multitude of chat windows that they would need to get through. Multi chat selection options can facilitate improved user experiences across the board, and it will be quite exciting when the update finally comes through. Most WhatsApp users will be waiting with bated breath for that to happen, and it will definitely create some buzz.

Read next: Own an Old iPhone or Samsung Smartphone? WhatsApp Might Stop Working for You
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Minecraft Secures Top Spot For Most Popular Video Game Of Gen Z In 2022

The year 2022 is coming to an end and we’re taking a look at the most popular video games of Gen Z this year, thanks to a new research.

We can say without any doubt that Gen Zers aren’t just a simple fascination but they have some really serious power of making purchases and having an impact on cultural capital. They are the ones putting out new imprints regarding today’s global market.

Recently, Morning Consult was seen putting out a new survey for Americans that were between the age of 13 to 25. This had to do with tastes in categories like media and their habits. In the same way, brands and relationships had been studied and they had some keen interest in the world of sports.

This just makes you understand things so much better as to where the youngsters in today’s adult generation are heading.

While some might feel Fortnite is a very cartoon-like game that was launched in 2017, its popularity is incomparable to all others. It’s much older and intricate and is one of this year’s favorites but it didn’t top the list.

It was actually the famous 3D sandbox favorite that made a debut in the year 2011. The fandom it has had with Gen Z than other games, as per Morning Consult’s survey for Americans between the age of 13 to 25 shows that people adored it to a great extent.

Right after Minecraft became so popular among Generation Z, the next in line was the Grand Theft Auto series, which gained a massive 63% popularity, followed by Call of Duty which arose at a popularity of 58%. In sixth place, it was Fortnite with 44%.

So with Minecraft securing a staggering 71% with Gen Z and 31% with the general population, you have to understand that this game is really being loved by the newer generation more than the older ones.

The study says that the gap recorded between the two was the widest of them all when compared to other games present.

Another game that was shockingly a hit with Gen Z as compared to the older adult age group was Among Us. It has been awfully popular ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

There were just three games that were super popular among the general population as compared to that seen in Gen Z. This included the likes of Final Fantasy, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft.

Read next: Almost All States in the US Have Laws About Flying Drones and You Should Know About Them Before Operating Copters
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

These IT Skills Remain Important in Recessions

The landscape of IT jobs has been impacted quite considerably by rampant inflation, and the ensuing recession looks like it will be continuing to reduce jobs in this sector with all things having been considered and taken into account. In spite of the fact that this is the case, there are some IT related roles that are famously resistant to the effects of a recession, and focusing on preparing for such roles can help IT workers tide over the troublesome period that is coming up.

Tech layoffs have been leaving many IT workers without gainful employment. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that some of the skills mentioned below are going to be great options for IT workers who have recently found themselves without a job.

1. Cryptography

It’s not just cryptocurrency that requires a number of tech workers who specialize in cryptography. Data encryption has become a much needed feature for many programs, and cryptography experts are crucial for the privacy that such encryption can provide. Roles that require cryptography have seen a 20% increase in terms of their overall value this past year alone, and chances are that the numbers will continue to go up.

2. Azure Key Vault

Many analysts have noted a 19% uptick in Azure Key Vault related roles over the course of 2022. This cloud service is a pivotal component of secure storage of sensitive data. This includes things like passwords, API data, as well as keys to various security protocols that cryptography experts might have put into place.

3. Security Auditing

Cybersecurity has become a top priority for almost every single major corporation as well as small to medium businesses. Specializing in security auditing can be helpful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making you suitable for such high paying roles. The market value for security auditing specalists has risen by as much as 20% in the span of a year. Such skills can come in handy for a wide array of business roles, so employees can broaden their horizons by looking into this sphere.

4. Identity and Access Management

The pandemic brought a lot of seismic changes to many industries. One of these changes was that remote work became an increasingly prevalent method for employees to complete their daily tasks. While this created a host of opportunities for improved work life balance, it had the added side effect of causing some security issues as well. IAM specialists can help ensure that remote workers don’t create any gaps or weaknesses in cybersecurity protocols, so it’s not surprising that such roles have seen a 6% increase in market value this past year.

5. Penetration Testing

This is a role that has seen one of the most impressive market value increases in 2022. With a 21.4% increase being seen so far, penetrating testing has turned into a hot item for tech workers who want to branch out into new roles, find new challenges and ideally earn a bit more money. DDoS attacks have seen an enormous increase this year, and penetration testing can help companies to enlist ethical hackers who can stress test their various cybersecurity protocols.

6. Risk Analytics

Tech workers are unique in that they can assume a number of different roles within a given organization. With risk analytics, a tech specialist can branch out into the field of business intelligence. This is a field with a lot of scope, and roles related to the field have seen their market value go up by around 6% this year and it might be even higher next year than might have been the case otherwise.

7. AI

If there is one field of tech that is constantly generating a lot of buzz that goes beyond the hype cycle, it is AI. AI is also an exceptionally fast growing field, with around 33% of all tech roles advertised this year requiring some level of AI knowhow. Becoming an expert in AI related skills can enable tech works to become more nimble, since they would be eligible for a far larger set of roles. With average salaries dipping into the $150,000 range, it’s definitely understandable that AI is seeing such growth.

H/T: Footepartners

Read next: Is the Gig Economy Creating New Cybersecurity Problems?
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Almost All States in the US Have Laws About Flying Drones and You Should Know About Them Before Operating Copters

If you have a drone or any quad-copters, you cannot fly them everywhere in America. Some states in America prohibit flying drones around the area while in some states, you can easily control your remote control drone without any restrictions. Nowadays people buy drones for fun and it's alright because everyone needs a little bit of out door activity and entertainment. If the drone you have bought weighs more than 8.8 ounces, you need to register it with the FAA. The registration fee isn't very high and you will only need to spend $5 for the registration of your drone.

This isn't all because to fly a drone, you must know which state allows the use of it under which conditions. This information isn't too public and you have to dig it up or else you can violate the rules and regulations of the state. Verizon made it all easy for you by creating an infographic that tells the people which states allow drones and which do not.

According to the infographic, 24 states in the USA prohibit surveillance of people and buildings with drones by any means. These states include Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida. 20 states restrict the use of drones in parks and wildlife areas including California and Texas. 16 states allow the use of drones only for law enforcement. Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont prohibit the weaponization of drones. This means you can use drones as a fun activity, but not as a weapon.

Only four states require licensing and registration of drones before you start using them. These states are Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Oregon. Keep in mind that the registration of drones needs to happen for commercial as well as public use or it will be an offense. People in Kansas and Kentucky cannot use drones near or on airport property. New Jersey has a law that people cannot control drones under the influence by any means. Louisiana also regulates the use of drones in agriculture and farming. If you are using a drone for commercial purposes in Minnesota, you have to get its insurance.

Even if all of these states have some laws and conditions for flying drones, some states do not have any laws for them. Even if laws are absent in these states, if you are buying a drone with more than 8.8 ounces weight, you must have to register it as it is a federal requirement. So do not overlook this important requirement. These states are Alabama, Missouri, and South Carolina in which you can fly drones freely, without any restrictions. A restriction that is common in all states is that no one can use drones for the surveillance of people and buildings. It's against common human rights too because it is considered stalking. If someone doesn't obey the laws given by their respective states for flying drones, they can get locked up in jail.

There are many other laws for flying drones in different states in the USA. Like in Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, and Texas, there are drone-specific criminal offenses. The states of Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Wyoming provide funding for drones so they can be used for research and testing purposes.

So all of this means that flying drones isn't that easy. You have to know your state laws for drones before taking the remote control into your hands. As mentioned above, Verizon has made it all easy for you to skim through the laws to have a better understanding of them.

Read next: Can Smartphones Affect Your Married Life? This New Study Reveals The Answer Most People Gave
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

iPhone dirt is the same as toilet seat dirt - here’s how to stop it!

Smartphone hygiene has become a significant issue since 2020 when the pandemic started and sanitation took the spotlight. It has recently been found out that your iPhone can be dirtier than a public toilet seat. Yes, you read right. Since your iPhone touches thousands of surfaces daily, it is a hub of all bacterial misdemeanors.

If we leave our iPhones dirty, what can a tiny screen do to us? We are putting ourselves in the mouth of danger. Starting from our skin, dirty mobile surfaces tend to cause irritation and bacterial buildups which cause acne.

So the question arises, how to clean your iPhone to stop it from becoming dirty? The answer is pretty simple.

The first and most common way to clean an iPhone is to use disinfecting wipes. They’re easy to find, easy to store, and can be used anywhere. Because of their ease of access, they can be kept in your purse, car box, or drawer. They are simple to use since all you need to do is pull out a wipe, and swipe it across the surface of the iPhone.

It is important to note that wipes should not be used aggressively against a screen since they can damage the touch of the iPhone. A safe way to use them would be to gently swipe them across the screen so the bacteria are taken care of and the screen can be used for a long time.

Next, people have been found using isopropyl or ethyl alcohol to clean the surface of their iPhones. 70% isopropyl alcohol and 75% ethyl alcohol should be used. The diluted solutions should be sprayed on the cloth first and then the screen should be wiped. We do not recommend spraying the solution directly on the surface of your iPhone. Unless you want to purposely destroy the fingerprint resistance of your screen.

One downside of using this solution is that it does damage the fingerprint resistance. As Apple itself says, it can wear away the ‘oleophobic coating’ of your screen. To prevent this, we recommend a screen protector. They don’t even cost much depending on the type and quality you get. Getting an iPhone screen protector is an investment we all need.

Another recommendation is to use a damp lint-free cloth to wipe your screen surface. If you simply use water to dampen the cloth, that can wipe away excess dirt as well. So if the above solutions are unavailable, going for a damp lint-free cloth is a good option too.

When none of the items given above are available, you can simply use a dry lint-free cloth to wipe the surface of your iPhone as well. This will remove the dust from your screen and work as an easy solution till you can find a proper cleaner.

We should warn you, this will not eradicate the germs and bacteria found on your iPhone surface. It will simply remove the dust temporarily but something is better than nothing, right?

The last and perhaps the most expensive solution on our list is to get a UV smartphone cleaner. Yes, it does cost a little extra but it is a really good investment. UV smartphone cleaners use 360-degree UV-C bulbs to kill all bacteria and viruses (99.9%). The results have been proven clinically by some companies hence do your research before getting one. The portable sanitizer also acts as a charging port.

Now that you know all the ways you can clean your phone, here are a few things you should be careful of.

1. Never use cleaning sprays to clean an iPhone. These include bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and similar cleaning solutions.

2. Never use compressed air to blow out your iPhone.

3. Never leave cables plugged into your iPhone when cleaning it.

4. Do not submerge your iPhone in any cleaning solution.

5. Keep the openings of your iPhone clear of any sprays and cleaning solutions.

Read next: Researchers Claim Video Game Addiction Leads To Poor Psychological Performance
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

This Survey Highlights Tips and Tricks for the New Digital Marketing Landscape

The marketing landscape has seen a lot of ebbs and flows these past few years, and this has resulted in a dynamic shift which many marketing professionals are scrambling to understand. While the pandemic created a lot of problems, it also centered digital marketing with all things having been considered and taken into account. A new survey from Goodfirms sought to highlight some of the best strategies that marketing experts can leverage to obtain the most favorable results.

The first thing that this survey reveals is the popularity of social media marketing. It was used by 97.9% of businesses that responded to this survey, making it the most popular advertising option by far. Companies can use this channel to generate awareness for brands, as well as find leads that can help them boost their revenues in the future. Website referrals and useful analytics round off the package, and they can explain the high level of popularity that this marketing channel is continuing to see.

The second most popular option was email marketing because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up sending marketing and consumer engagement content directly to their inboxes. It was preferred by 72.3% of businesses all in all. Email users are constantly on the rise, so it should come as no surprise that email marketing is a top priority for brands who are trying to boost awareness and gain some much needed loyalty from their customer base.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that content marketing is also a mainstay for 41.4% of the brands and companies that responded to this survey. This includes both written and visual content, and combining this approach with social media can give it a greater level of reach than might have been the case otherwise.

Another important fact that was highlighted in this report was that most companies prefer to combine organic and paid marketing. 64.2% of firms said that they preferred a combination of the two. 21.3% said that they preferred entirely organic methods of marketing and 14.5% stated that paid marketing was more their speed.

However, it is essential to parse the differences between organic and paid marketing. Organic marketing can consist of blog posts, SEO, social media posts that are not paid for to boost reach, YouTube uploads as well as newsletters sent to email inboxes.

Paid marketing, on the other hand, includes all sorts of ads. These include paid ads on social media and on search engine results pages, as well as video and banner ads that are commonplace on platforms such as YouTube.

Anyone that is interested in implementing some paid marketing would need to familiarize themselves with the pay per click model. This makes it so that you would have to pay a fee any time someone or the other clicks on your ad. Such formats are useful since they can help marketers to only pay for clicks instead of impressions which are not all that beneficial when it comes to optimizing the sales funnel.

Marketers who are opting for PPC advertising methods tend to prefer paid search ads and social media ads more than anything else. 72.3% said that they use paid ads on search engine results pages, with 69.5% stating that social media ads are an essential part of their current marketing strategy.

Interestingly, paid marketing does not appear to take up a huge chunk of advertising budgets. 31.9% of respondents stated that they spend under 10% of the budget on paid marketing online. 27.7% spend between 11% to 25%. However, 21.3% spend between a quarter to half of their marketing budget on such ads, so they continue to be important for certain sectors.

Read next: Companies focus on new values to increase their reach
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Are Brain Parasites Behind the Success of Powerful Entrepreneurs?

Studies of wolves in the wild have yielded a lot of results that revealed that importance of collaboration amongst wolves that stayed within their packs. In spite of the fact that this is the case, there are often wolves who prefer to hack it out on their own. These wolves often end up dying out due to the dangers of being without a pack, but a few of them manage to find great success and become the Alphas of their very own packs.

Researchers at the Yellowstone Wolf Project hypothesize that such high risk and high reward behavior may be brought about by a parasitic infection in the brain. Behavior like this seems to go against the lone wolf’s best interests from a survival point of view, so there is a chance that brain parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii might be causing such aberrations although this is still just a theory at this stage.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that there are other entities outside of the wolf community that behave in a similar manner. We’re not talking about lone wolf terrorists either. Rather, the lone wolf mentality that seeks to go against the grain and innovate to forge new paths seems more similar to the mindset of a startup founder, CEO or entrepreneur.

The main impact that an infection from this parasite can have is that it increases risk seeking behavior. More specifically, the individual that is infected by Toxoplasma gondii has more of an appetite for risk than might have been the case otherwise. You need a risk taking mindset in order to become an entrepreneur because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping you take the risks necessary to get ahead.

Does that mean that all CEOs and successful entrepreneurs have this parasite roaming around in their brains? The answer might be yes, but not for the reasons that you think. It turns out that approximately 80% of all human beings might have be infected by this parasite.

The origin of this parasite comes from cat feces. Any contact from a warm blooded creature with feline fecal bacteria will likely result in an infection. Rats infected with this parasite were more likely to go exploring into unpredictable territory, so it stands to reason that it could increase a human being’s desire to venture out into the unknown as well with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Another thing to remember is that this isn’t a one to one relationship. Being infected with this brain parasite is not going to turn you into an entrepreneur overnight, so don’t go out looking for cat poop if you are unsatisfied by your current career trajectory.

There are likely a number of other factors at play here as well, and it is the combination of one’s personality as well as other aspects of your brain chemistry that can go towards entrepreneurial success. It is also possible that Toxoplasma gondii does not have any impact whatsoever on a CEO or startup founders confidence since the findings might just be a coincidence!

H/T: Business Insider

Read next: New Report Says Small And Medium Businesses Are Struggling To Survive
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

New Survey Says Most People Use Password Managers But Have Very Little Trust In Them

The great thing about technology is that it makes your life super simple. As far as password managers are concerned, you’ll be amazed at how many internet users actually include them in their daily lives.

Not only is the figure shocking, but a new study is highlighting another very important aspect related to the entire ordeal. And that has to do with it being a useful but unreliable tool.

The news comes to us thanks to a new survey by Tech Radar. Out of the 1000 people surveyed, nearly 750 were outlined to use the tool. Moreover, most people did reveal how they may use it but they have very little trust in it.

This is in terms of keeping their personal data safe. Yes, it’s useful in the sense that it aligns all of your logins and passwords. But keeping those credentials in the best of hands is not easy and you just don’t seem to be too confident about the matter. People claim it’s not safe but again, they’re using it thanks to the convenience it’s adding.

Then the survey proved how one-third of such people made use of combinations of dedicated managers with one that was browser integrated. Then another third spoke of using one of those two. Meanwhile, a little over a tenth mentioned that two dedicated managers for passwords was the way to go but a quarter added that they were not interested in any such tools and hence had zero usage.

Then came the time in the survey to add a score-linked password manager security. These results were not too impressive. 60% was the score that was more commonly seen by the 144 people involved in this survey. Then came the likes of 50% and 70% which again were selected by the likes of 140 and 136 individuals.

Now, these middle figures could be linked to so many recent stories showcasing password managers that were hacked. Perhaps, some of it was linked to people getting more and more worried about privacy concerns like Apple and Google that make it hard for users to resist their offerings. Some experts felt that conflicting results might have little to do with the likes of little trust in firms generally.

While some have trust in big tech names, others do not so much. Remember, big tech firms are not having it easy. They have a reputation to manage and bad PR would definitely hit them badly.

These results were shown to go against the findings proved in another survey of the past. They were contradictory as most individuals claimed to not use any password manager, to begin with.

Here, 75% said they do use it but don’t trust it as much as they’d like to it so that says a lot. Meanwhile, another survey that was analyzed also showed that people were hesitant of using these tools too. This might be one of the best explanations that reveal why many users have weak and unreliable passwords altogether.

Experts revealed how important it is to get your password game strong before it gets too late. And the tactics are awfully simple, to those that pay heed.

But another aspect that we forgot to shed light on is how the number of passwordless systems is increasing with each passing day. Today, the digital world wants to revolutionize the way we see things and the manner in which we behave. This entails biometric systems like facial recognition and even scanners that detect fingerprints.

These passkeys are getting adopted by leading firms and it wouldn’t be wrong before they make their way to all aspects of the digital world. Then, we wouldn’t need such tools as a whole. What do you think?

Read next: Is the Gig Economy Creating New Cybersecurity Problems?
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

This Holiday Season Wasn't Too Good For Some Categories of Shopify

According to the research by Ampla Technologies, this holiday season wasn't too good for Shopify as its revenue dropped by a large amount in the food, beverage, and wellness category. The percentage of food revenue dropped more than any other category in Shopify. It has dropped to -9.58% YoY from 12.57% YoY. It is a great loss for many sellers and speaks volumes to non-Shopify buyers. This is also proof of the diversification of different marketplaces and retail shops and how Shopify and non-Shopify brands differ from each other.

The food category wasn't the only one to fall victim to this as the beverage category on Shopify also dropped to -14.7% from a 16.3% ratio. This was from the non-alcoholic beverage category on Shopify. Similarly, the Wellness category also lost a great deal of revenue. It dropped to 28.8% from 33.5%.

In all of this, TikTok wasn't behind anything as it came third in the ad spend percentage. The ad spend percentage was between 3% to 9% all this while and the 3% was recorded in November 2022. This was when Facebook was recorded as the highest level of total ad spend percentage. In November 2022, Facebook's ad spend percentage touched as high as 80%.

Ampla Technologies also found that many brands earned 18% of their total revenue from their custom YoY, and the savings were up to 22%. Overall, 12% of revenue was recorded in the holiday season while 14% of revenue was seen in the total orders on Shopify. Seeing all this revenue, Ampla reported the future of the online market. Ampla says that many sellers are going to use embedded finance and will use options to fill the gaps between the inventory and sale prices. They will also have to look for what the consumer needs and have to level up their tech.

Read next: China Loses Momentum But Maintains Firm Grip on International IoT Module Market
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Do SEOs See ChatGPT As An Alarming Threat To The Industry? This New Poll Says No

ChatGPT is indeed a very cool tool that many people in the tech industry have started to learn more about. But keeping the fun and games aside, can it really pose a threat to SEOs in today’s world?

To answer that question a recent poll was conducted. And that’s where it was highlighted that many people’s concerns were linked to its ability to write out content.

It could even provide some great recommendations for SEO across the board and would even set out some leading examples in terms of coding. In the end, some critics revealed how it may end up replacing SEOs but they appear to be least bothered.

Thanks to one poll that was set out on the Twitter app and another on Mastodon, we know about a man named Brodie Clark who really wished to see what users had to say. And nearly 2000 (total) votes came in.

They were asked if ChatGPT or related AI features could end up posing a massive threat to today’s SEO industry. Now, we are not quite sure how people ended up interpreting such threats but in this case, around 60% of the votes from SEOs stated not and that they had zero worries in the world regarding this. But again, nearly 40% of votes revealed how they were indeed quite worried about all of this.

Meanwhile, when we looked at Mastodon, the results appeared to be closer to the likes of 63% mentioning a no and around 38% stating a yes. These polls were done raw or in real-time. And by that, we mean to say that you can see the results as they are coming in.

In case you’re still confused about what ChatGPT is, well it’s another name given to a language model. It’s a type of tool for processing language that’s created to produce human-like text that relies on the type of input it gets.

While other types of language models can attain text that’s very similar to the likes of our human writing, this fails to do so and can’t replicate the whole thought process and ability to make a decision by a human.

It’s true that SEO tends to think of these tools as great and reliable for producing content or carrying out research through keywords. But they can’t be relied too heavily upon because they don’t always put out accurate judgments or replace the experience of humans.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Good News For Movie Fans As US Judge Says They Can Sue For Misleading Trailers

There can be nothing worse than watching a movie that’s the complete opposite of its trailer.

The whole idea of movie trailers is linked to building up anticipation for a film but when they turn out to be misleading, it’s never a great feeling for a devoted fan.

But if you’re a movie buff, this next piece of news is sure to excite you. Think along the lines of having the ability to sue, just in case the movie’s trailer is the opposite of what you had imagined. Yes, it’s true, as confirmed by one US Judge recently.

Fans that are not too happy about the news that their favorite actor didn’t end up in the film can pursue legal action, the judge further elaborated. And it’s something that we’ve never heard of before.

The reason is linked to false advertising which is a clear crime conducted for the sake of revenue generation for leading production houses. And it’s no longer ok, the Judge went on to add.

The news comes as two hardcore movie buffs put forward their complaints linked to a major issue they had with the film Yesterday from the year 2019. According to them, there was a slot for actor Ana de Armas.

After paying for their rented DVD and not getting what they were promised, they were clearly not happy campers. They further alleged that Universal Pictures tricked them and the world and they should pay for such consequences.

Seeing the actor not make the final cut was a tough pill for them to swallow and they really did wish things were better next time around.

But this is just one of the biggest movie grievances that so many individuals ended up having. Many others have made similar claims against Universal Pictures and the latter requested for such cases to be thrown out the window.

The American judge did take notice of the case and went on to add how such behavior was no longer okay. It is shocking to see people behave in this manner because trailers are basically previews for a film. And it’s important for them to be as honest as possible.

The judge concluded that since trailers are like ads for films, they can’t mislead the viewer.

We can’t even begin to imagine how delightful people must feel after such news comes out? Let us know what you think!

H/T: TG

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Can Smartphones Affect Your Married Life? This New Study Reveals The Answer Most People Gave

The introduction of smartphones in today’s era is definitely seen to be a double-edged sword for obvious reasons.

There has been plenty of discussions regarding this ordeal, including how beneficial and harmful these pocket-sized devices have turned out to be. But do they have the tendency to affect your married life or not?

A new study conducted on the Indian population has gone on to reveal how 88% percent of respondents felt it does affect their married life. Moreover, they fear the negative impacts they come with and the consequences that could affect their future. Did we mention how many are fearful of the way they can harm future generations too?

It’s definitely a worrying affair and couples are putting forward their opinions via the study. Yes, they link you to all sorts of people around the globe. Then you’ve got issues related to them being the root cause for breakups, especially divorces among married individuals.

This survey was carried out by the CMR and Vivo who found 88% of people agreed these devices and their excessive use may harm relationships. Around 1000 citizens with smartphones were studied from the country’s leading cities to get an equal distribution.

Via: Twitter / Vivo India

Most participants were asked to examine matters like changes in both behavioral as well as mental changes that usually arise in relationships due to excessive use of smartphones.

Additionally, we saw how 67% of such married couples usually end up using the device while spending time with each other. And then 66% agreed how their marriage ended up suffering due to this action of their spouses who excessively used the device without any limits.

Via Twitter / Vivo

Similarly, couples who were married agreed that they paid their partners less attention due to cellphone usage when their better half was seen speaking or starting a conversation of some kind.

A lot of people became upset when a spouse interrupted them while they happened to be using this device.

Some positivity was also present in the study, thank God for that!

Spouses claim they would much rather prefer to spend time with their partners than stay glued to the screens of their phones. It just ended up making them feel so calm after it all.

And then there were around 90% of people who claim they would much rather put time into things that were super meaningful like chats instead of a phone’s screen.

This is a clear demonstration of how so many people are clearly aware of how their relationships are getting affected and perhaps even replaced thanks to this modern-day invention of the tech world.

As commented upon the subject by a leading brand strategy head who works at Vivo, she says that it’s quite obvious what cell phones are doing and how damaging they are generally for our relationships of today, be they married or not married. They are taking away leisure time and it’s totally up to users to see what’s taking place before it’s too late.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Majority Of Tech Employees That Were Fired Have Now Found New Jobs As Per This Report

A new report by the Wall Street Journal is shedding light on how the majority of tech workers that were fired have managed to find new jobs. And that too, only within a tiny three-month timeframe.

Those who sought to get a job within a period of just three months since they were laid off were very successful, the report elaborated.

This particular survey comes from the likes of ZipRecruiter which quizzed quite a few new hires and their respective circumstances. And while it might be a good ordeal to seek new employment, it’s definitely great news to see such positive results in such a short period of time.

As a whole, employment in this particular sector rose to a staggering value of 83%. As per this data, nearly 40% of people had taken around one to three months. Meanwhile, 15% took nearly 3 to 6 months to land the perfect job. And then we had 5% take around six months or more.

In case you’re wondering about that quick turnaround time, well, the answer is simple. It is related to finding a new job in a field where they already have experience, thanks to the previous job and new role.

In case you happen to be wondering, around 74% of the workforce had been rehired in this tech sector. Meanwhile, around 26% opted to trade industries and get better jobs like in the world of retail, attain financial services, and even work in healthcare too.

The survey from ZipRecruiter had been conducted on nearly 2550 US citizens that began a new job within a span of six months, going all the way up to the middle of October.

And those that did end up being rehired, well, they continued to work in this same tech industry.

Neowin was quick to recover from so many layoffs that arose throughout the tech industry. Both Twitter and Meta have ended up laying off a short amount of people to get their finances in a better state of mind as interest rates and credit turn out to be an expensive affair.

At the moment, the way things are now standing, American interest rates could rise to a staggering 5% by next year’s March end. And it could remain in that very same position for a while too.

A huge spike in interest rates is never fun to witness. It just makes it so much harder for firms to hire other individuals. Hence, hiring is paused temporarily and there are just so much fewer opportunities for employment.

But this data is nevertheless very eye-opening. It shows how getting fired in the tech industry may not be the end of the world. If you’ve got the talent and ability to make a difference and the drive to move ahead in the same industry, then you can really go places. It’s all on you and how far you are willing to go at the end of it all.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Most Businesses Are Likely To Succeed If Bosses Are Kind And Thoughtful, New Survey Unveils

One of the biggest turnoffs when joining a new workplace is linked to having a mean boss.

There’s truly nothing more nightmarish than that, we feel. And if you happen to be in the same boat as our thinking, well, congratulations because you’re not the only one.

A new survey is shedding light on how people have had enough of bosses that refuse to be kind. And the research further highlights how effective managers are now getting, even more, harder to find than anyone else.

This study analyzed the experiences of a few American professionals and what issues they had with their bosses. Most people would end up quitting their jobs at the office if their higher-ups were mean. And we’re talking a staggering 85% who mentioned this.

The report comes to us thanks to the likes of Gallup, which says around 50% of those located in the US workplace do virtual jobs or those in office. It’s all done in a very subtle manner that certainly does not exceed anyone’s expectations. We like to call this endeavor ‘quiet quitting’.

It is usually rooted in the likes of various things like having that worker feeling or a certain lack of purpose in your work. On some occasions, it has to do with bosses not helping out too much in terms of making employees feel so much more useful.

In one particular survey, around 1000 members that hailed from the country’s professional society had been studied. The majority of respondents would prefer a kinder boss over a more competent one each day. So even if the skills were at par but the personality wasn’t great, they were not interested.

They similarly held great value to such communications as for them, it was the most important one that they sought out.

Also revealed by the study’s findings, two out of three people found bonds with bosses to hold great importance so the best ones had to do with those that treated employees wonderfully well and also provided good communication.

There were also plenty of details provided in terms of the worse bosses out there today. These were those who micromanage, can’t communicate well, and also have a tendency to look down on those that work for them.

Some people highlighted which qualities really stood out in terms of the ideal boss. This was related to great management skills, good interpersonal communication, and even great styles for providing feedback as well.

Clearly, this signals one very important aspect. And that’s linked to having a manager that has a good personality than one having a lot of knowledge and great skills. On the other hand, 90% highlighted how fair treatment was the call of the day. People have good communication and great respect for their opinion.

Communication is a very integral aspect and many people couldn’t help but highlight how important this is in today’s day and age. It’s what makes the process so much simpler and allows them to carry out their day-to-day functions with ease.

Take a look at below charts and infographics for more insights:

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

New Study Says Most Buyers Blindly Trust Social Media Influencers For Purchase Decisions

The world of social media is definitely very influential. Look around and you'll find how hard it is to not be affected by trends in apps.

Now, a new study is diving down deep into making us realize that buyers blindly trust influencers on various social media platforms when it comes down to their purchasing decisions.

This particular study was conducted by GoodFirms, which happens to be a very well-known research company that provides rates and reviews too. Recently, it went on to highlight a new article called ‘Social Commerce- Progress and Future’ and this was a survey that was held this year.

The whole aim of this study was to highlight and analyze the current state linked to social commerce and what really drives such platforms including a great many challenges and scope of this world related to social commerce.

The survey similarly showed some more details linked to how transactions take place in such a digital and competitive environment that’s social. Brands can really make the most of the diverse environment on display that puts all kinds of products in the open as well as creating chats through AI-powered chatbots, making content that’s shoppable, and allowing brands to take part in all types of procedures where you have all of these activities in different shops.

All sorts of marketing strategies are out there in the open by which we can utilize social commerce and make transactions and more. Getting feedback from users has also turned out to be so much simpler as is the likes of a customer engagement so that at the end of it all, sales get boosted with feedback requests. Brands also get the chance to witness the marketing of brands via several famous individuals through direct links to shopping carts and more.

Instagram is definitely one of the most preferred mediums you’ll find out there today. But other apps like Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Amazon Live can’t be forgotten for obvious reasons. Other than that, the study highlighted how TikTok and WeChat as well as Verint happen to be leading in this regard, providing shopping carts and motivating others to shop, similarly to how influencers behave out there today.

Furthermore, this survey highlighted how 49% of users would prefer to go for virtual try-on and even accessories through social platforms that allow for a wonderful VR medium to evaluate products across the board.

In this survey, nearly 22% of respondents wished to buy products through a Livestream on social media. Around 63% indicated how they use the likes of virtual worlds like the metaverse to enable social shopping.

Research can be seen highlighting some more problems related to people buying through social media apps. Around 45% of people claim to be redirected to other websites that they’ve got zero interest in. And then a staggering 38% revealed total unavailability for payment modes that they preferred.

Other issues were linked to the likes of checkout concerns, stockouts, and even spam. Then a few had to do with invalid coupons and more.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Is the Gig Economy Creating New Cybersecurity Problems?

The gig model has become a popular choice for many companies because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up getting the workers that they need without them having to pay for perks such as health insurance or paid days off. Instead, they can pay their workers precisely for the amount of work that they are doing, and that has the potential to keep all parties happier than might have been the case otherwise.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the gig economy is not without its fair share of problems. One such problem is a heightened cybersecurity risk. Whenever a company hires a contractor, they need to give them access to a certain quantity of sensitive data. 87% of these contractors say that they still have access to client accounts after they have completed their assigned tasks, as per Beyondidentity. This can cause some serious cybersecurity threats down the line if measures are not taken to mitigate this issue.

With 59 million Americans now working freelance, gig works now comprise a full third of the American work force. This is still a relatively new phenomenon, so all concerned parties are getting used to the ins and outs of this way of doing business. 71% of these contractors have access to financial accounts, 64% have access to communication channels and 63% are able to access operational accounts to get the job done.

Other areas are at risk as well. 47% of gig workers need to be able to open up social media accounts, cloud accounts are necessary for 42% of workers, 32% get access to their client’s email accounts and there is also the 22% that are responsible for project management.

Also, while 62% of gig workers said that they are fully familiar with a client’s security protocols, as many as 34% said that they are only somewhat familiar. 4% even said that they are not familiar with their client’s security protocols at all.

This means that there are hundreds of thousands of gig workers in America alone who are directly causing cybersecurity disruptions. That’s not even counting the tens of millions who are only somewhat familiar and are therefore opening up their clients to all sorts of cyber attacks and security woes.

Also, being aware of security restrictions and protocols is not the same as adhering to them. 41% of contractors admitted that they only follow these protocols sometimes. 24% said that they follow them often but not always, with 34% saying that they always stick to the protocols no matter what.

A company getting hacked after hiring a contractor is quite serious. 64% reported unauthorized purchases and a similar proportion stated that their money had been stolen. The theft of user IDs and passwords was also the result of 60% of hacks, and 46% of companies that got hacked found that their credit rating had been destroyed.

Any company that is looking to collaborate with gig workers should take steps to reduce the cybersecurity threats that can so often ensue. Failing to do that might make the gig economy unsustainable in the long run.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

This year big companies have faced a huge loss in market shares and Tesla seems to be taking the brunt of it

This year has been a roller coaster ride of unstable economies, along with the high inflation, and rising interest rates. Due to all these reasons, companies in the public sector lost brillions in their market capitalizations, investors became hard to find and those that were available were very significantly warier of what companies to choose and what to drop and consumers became less inclined to spend on luxuries after high inflation raised the costs of basic living. Put these together and you have the perfect way of getting companies into a sharp decline in market shares. That is exactly what happened, but in all this, there were some companies in important sectors that had good growths.

Visual Capitalist recently released an infographic that displayed all of the biggest companies of the year alongside their market capitals in a very eye-catching way. The infographic used data collected from Companiesmarketcap and was based on data collected until 12th December 2022.

According to the infographic, Apple came at the top of the list of 100 companies with an astronomical 2.3 Trillion dollars as market capital. Even though 2022 was a tough year Apple proved victorious as it managed to retain its top spot as the richest company in the world and even more so in the technology sector, which was mainly because of the popularity of apple’s most wanted product, the iPhone. This is the product that makes apple gain about half of its total revenue, and every year as the new iPhone releases the craze follows and Apple makes good money.

The second place was secured by Microsoft with 1.9 Trillion dollars in market cap. Even though Microsoft faced some problems of its own like slower earnings over the year it still managed to stay within the Trillion-dollar club. The slow sales were mostly dues to lower demand for PCs, which are now being replaced by more compacted mobile Phones and tablets alongside the huge impact of the strong dollar that impacted sales from overseas countries where about 50% of the company’s sales take place.

And as for the Trillion-dollar market cap club, it is now down to only four members; Apple, Microsoft Saudi Aramco, and Alphabet. The first two and fourth are from the technology sector while Saudi Aramco hails from the energy sector. The company is an Oil Giant at 1.8 trillion dollars in market cap and is the only non-US company that made it to the top 10 of the list. In May the company even just for a short time became the most valued company in the world as the high energy prices increased revenue. For those who are not aware, Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of oil in the world with 7061 barrels of oil being exported each day.

If we take it on a wider scale, then 62 out of the 100 have headquarters situated in the United States, 11 in China, and 5 operate from France.

In terms of Performance, nobody did well this year. That is quite the understatement of course as none of the companies in the top 10 saw a growth of double digits. The largest growth was 5.0% by the United Health Group. Out of the companies that saw a decline, Tesla took the cake. Bearing the brunt of the weight Tesla saw a staggering 68.9% loss in market shares due to 2 factors: 1. The loss of demand in many countries especially China and 2. The risky purchase of Twitter by Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has also played a part in lowering Tesla’s market share.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Chrome Users Take Legal Action As Google Accused Of Wrongly Collecting Data While Browsing In Incognito Mode

A group of Google Chrome users is asking a federal appellate court to intervene in a privacy lawsuit alleging that the company wrongly collects data from users who browse in incognito mode.

This lawsuit was reportedly filed on Friday at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Here is where the counsel was seen mentioning how the American District Court Judge had refused in an incorrect manner to enable users to get financial compensation in a class-wide manner. Now, users are requesting the 9th Circuit to attain immediate appeals for the ruling regarding the users.

There are calls to take this new motion very seriously and the search engine giant should not be given any form of free pass to do whatever and whenever it desires, the motion went on to reveal. It also adds how collecting profit through such wrongful means needs to be prohibited as soon as possible.

This battle goes on to date June 2020 and that’s when residents hailing from California and Florida went ahead to make the allegations. It detailed how the Incognito mode tries to wrongly market itself as being safe and secure but it is actually involved in the shady business when users visit various websites including Google Ad Manager and Google Analytics.

This data collected includes the likes of web pages, IP addresses, and information regarding browser and ad managers. Such sensitive data may be utilized for the likes of digital fingerprinting which is one of the most talked about and controversial techniques for tracking that rely upon characteristics linked to devices belonging to users.

• Also read: Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, And Bixby - The List For The World’s Best And Worst Voice Assistants Is Out

Users continuously allege that the statements coming out from Google regarding the incognito mode were not informing people in an adequate manner about data collection. They revealed through such a complaint how the leading tech giant was violating its own terms and conditions from its contract.

Users of Google’s Chrome want Google to realize this practice is wrong and won’t be allowed. Moreover, they wish to restrict the browser’s ability to collect data. But on a global basis, it’s not going to be possible for users to attain compensation for such behavior. This has to do with the fact that any financial damages would conflict if a user had consented to such behavior in the first place regarding data collection.

Factfinders would need to determine if class members provided consent to such alleged conduct by looking at the source of information to which members got exposed. And outlining which members provided consent on the matter regarding this conduct and which did not is going to end up driving litigation. Remember, consent is never easy and it’s a defense for all plaintiffs involved, a judge went on to reveal.

And such a ruling would be giving Google a great sigh of relief as it’s a victory for them. Remember, no individual member has the ability to sue such a huge firm and demand financial claims regarding a violation of their privacy.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World