From Massachusetts to Mississippi: Exploring the Range of Living Costs Across America

SmartAsset conducted a research that talked about how much money a family needs monthly to live comfortably in every state of the USA. A comfortable lifestyle is often divided by 50/30/20 rules where 50% income is spent on necessities, 30% of income is spent on nonessential expenses like entertainment etc. and 20% of income is for savings or investments. So, according to the data collected from different states, the report ranks Massachusetts as the most expensive state in the USA to live in. You need to have a total of $301,184 annual income for a family (which included only 2 working adults raising 2 children). The reason why this state is most expensive is probably because of its housing and real estate market trends. The houses are too costly to buy and the rents are barely affordable for a middle class family. The healthcare and utilities in Massachusetts are also very expensive.

The second most expensive city to live in the US is Hawaii. If you are two working adults with two children, you should have $294,611 annual income to have a comfortable lifestyle. Connecticut is the third most expensive state with $279,885 income on average to live comfortably. Other states in the top list of most expensive states to live in the USA include New York ($278,970), California ($276,723), Colorado ($264,992), Washington ($257,421), Oregon (257,338), New Jersey ($251,181) and Rhode Island ($249,267).

The three most least expensive states in the USA to live comfortably are Mississippi, Arkansas and West Virginia. Mississippi is the least expensive with $177,798 annual income to live comfortably. Arkansas is the second least expensive state and requires $180,794 yearly income while West Virginia is the third least expensive with $189,363 annual income to have a comfortable lifestyle.

State	Hourly wage needed for a single adult	Annual salary needed for a single adult	Annual income for 2 working adults raising 2 children
Massachusetts	$55.78	$116,022	$301,184
Hawaii	$54.66	$113,693	$294,611
California	$54.64	$113,651	$276,723
New York	$53.72	$111,738	$278,970
Washington	$51.20	$106,496	$257,421
Colorado	$49.66	$103,293	$264,992
New Jersey	$49.52	$103,002	$251,181
Maryland	$49.48	$102,918	$239,450
Oregon	$48.60	$101,088	$257,338
Rhode Island	$48.48	$100,838	$249,267
Connecticut	$48.26	$100,381	$279,885
Virginia	$48.06	$99,965	$235,206
New Hampshire	$47.16	$98,093	$244,109
Arizona	$46.80	$97,344	$230,630
Georgia	$46.58	$96,886	$212,826
Alaska	$46.52	$96,762	$242,611
Vermont	$46.04	$95,763	$248,352
Illinois	$45.72	$95,098	$231,962
Delaware	$45.26	$94,141	$228,966
Utah	$45.04	$93,683	$218,483
Nevada	$44.92	$93,434	$237,286
Florida	$44.86	$93,309	$209,082
Maine	$44.08	$91,686	$229,549
Pennsylvania	$43.90	$91,312	$230,464
North Carolina	$43.12	$89,690	$209,331
Minnesota	$42.90	$89,232	$244,774
Idaho	$42.66	$88,733	$211,245
South Carolina	$42.46	$88,317	$200,762
Wyoming	$42.14	$87,651	$203,424
Texas	$41.84	$87,027	$201,344
Tennessee	$41.54	$86,403	$195,770
Indiana	$40.88	$85,030	$206,003
Montana	$40.74	$84,739	$211,411
Kansas	$40.70	$84,656	$196,768
Michigan	$40.56	$84,365	$214,490
Wisconsin	$40.44	$84,115	$225,056
Missouri	$40.40	$84,032	$202,259
Alabama	$40.30	$83,824	$193,606
Nebraska	$40.24	$83,699	$213,075
New Mexico	$40.20	$83,616	$203,923
Iowa	$40.08	$83,366	$211,411
Mississippi	$39.78	$82,742	$177,798
Louisiana	$39.64	$82,451	$189,613
South Dakota	$39.16	$81,453	$192,608
Kentucky	$38.80	$80,704	$190,112
Ohio	$38.80	$80,704	$209,331
North Dakota	$38.72	$80,538	$202,176
Oklahoma	$38.66	$80,413	$194,106
Arkansas	$38.20	$79,456	$180,794
West Virginia	$37.88	$78,790	$189,363

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Setting Up Google Alerts: Tips and Tricks for Effective Web Monitoring

Google Alerts remain a hidden gem, with many unaware of its powerful capabilities.

Not only is it designed to monitor the web for all sorts of new mentions in regard to search terms, but it also brings added benefits. This includes customization to your search preferences and also the chance to delete it whenever you want.

Alerts are sent to the user on an immediate basis or they can be scheduled to be done on specific days or times of the week.

All in all, what you get are the latest updates on what’s trending in an industry, region, or even around the globe. How cool is that, not to mention how it can elevate the search experience in a manner like never before.

In case you’re wondering what benefits this brings when you already can search the regular way, well, we’re here to discuss that with you.

This feature gives rise to a proactive search of the web for certain terms that you desire. You can think of it like a keyword. Now select how often you’d like to see content linked to that term. Now whenever there is anything relevant to that particular term, across a blog or new video featured, for instance, you would be notified. This way, you’re highly unlikely to miss out on all of your favorite things, thanks to Google's powerful feature.

The tech giant first rolled this out in the year 2003 after the idea was brought forward to the company’s heads by one of its engineers. As far as which initial keywords were used for testing of the alerts, well, it was Google and Larry Page.

While it's been around for over 20 years, its importance has never diminished. In the past, it got negative reviews from users who complained about how it was just too restricted, not accurate, or simply irrelevant. Plenty of monitoring firms are cropping it up as a whole and providing their own respective alternatives on this front.

One of the biggest advantages here is linked to the fact that it doesn’t cost a penny. So many brands might need more intricate software to have things monitored, this effort by Google works great for everyday users.

Now the question is whether or not it’s user-friendly and if yes, how to set this up the right way.

Simple Steps For Google Alert Setup

It’s actually quite simple, contrary to many people’s thinking today. You need to make sure you’re logged into the account on Google and then you can navigate towards the Alerts page on the Google website.

After that, search any keyword you wish to follow across the bar that says ‘create alert’. There is no limit to what or who you’d like to get alerts for so be creative if you like. Once that is done, press on the blue box that states, ‘Create alert’. And that is it!

You managed to give rise to the first Google Alert and now you can go about accessing that and editing as you wish. Simply visit the Alerts homepage and click on your desired keyword that you want to track or directly go to the inbox of your email account to get the detailed report.

While it does not have its own respective app, every member would get alerts through iPhone devices or their respective smartphones online.

Just go to the page for alerts across the device’s browser and be sure to follow the list of steps.

Oh and just for the fun of it, click on creating alerts against your name too, who knows, you might get famous through this means with your name alerts.

While there is yet to be a means through which you can find out about who is looking for you on the Google search engine, you can go back to carry out a search in your name through Google Trends and that proves if people do have search interest in anything, even you!

Customization is key!

But wait, once the setting up of alerts process is completed, there is more to be done on your part. Through default means, allow Google to roll out updates regarding the alerts each day, at least once. However, you can alter the frequency to your liking as per your choice. There’s a whole technique for customization available and we think that’s great.

Simply go to the page for alerts and search for the specific want that you wish to alter with your customization. Press on the pencil (edit) icon that’s present on the alert’s right side. This would open settings.

Once that’s done, press on a new page and see how often you get alerts and which language you require. At the same time, the region for sourcing and where you’d like to attain the alerts can even be selected through customization. After that, press the Update Alert button in blue.

If you’d like all the alerts delivered to you at a particular time, press on the gear icon that’s located on the right-hand side for My Alerts and click on the time of delivery. You can then go about limiting the alerts to the frequency of your choice.

You may also request Google to send alert updates across a certain email instead of sending them separately.

How to delete your Google Alerts

The last step is for those who would like to delete an alert. Imagine you’re bored of something or no longer wish to know what’s trending in that respective domain. If that’s the case, simply click on the Google Alerts page and locate the recycle bin icon that’s located right next to the alert you wish to remove.

After you select that, the alert will disappear instantly. Meanwhile, the taskbar on the heading of the page would pop up and would read, ‘your alert on XYZ’ was removed or deleted. It would give you the chance to undo that if you want and if not, you can dismiss it. If the latter is selected, you delete it permanently. The same would be the case if you closed the Alerts page.

Read next: How to Turn Off Meta AI on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Microsoft Edge Achieves Record 13.14% In May 2024, Still Trailing Google Chrome’s Dominant 64% Desktop Market Share

When you think of leaders in today’s desktop browser market, Microsoft Edge rarely comes to mind. The competition to reach the top spot is tough when you’ve got Google Chrome involved.

But the month of May 2024 proved otherwise for the software giant which managed to report record-high figures for its Edge browser users. The news comes to us thanks to intelligence from Statcounter where the latest findings put a lot of things in the spotlight.

Microsoft says that after a period of steady decline, the rapid rise in users of its desktop browser showed all-time high figures. The report also sheds light on which apps users like to browse online.

As per the figures from last month, it’s the Edge browser who hit the all-time high mark of 13.14%, beating out stats from the previous month by nearly 0.32 points. But, indeed, we won’t have a new leader in the browser market that overtakes Google Chrome’s massive share that it benefits from today. But one thing we can confirm is that the Android maker did lose a huge chunk of its user base last month.

If we look into the stats, it evident that the market share went downhill from 65% to 64%. So it’s Google in first place, Microsoft in second and Apple’s Safari stands at number three. In fourth position, we saw Mozilla Firefox and in 5th place it was Opera which closed at 3.2% market share.

On the other hand, mobile browsers are filled with two leading players which happen to be Apple and Google. The former has a 23% share while the latter has a 65% share. And while Microsoft’s Edge is also a tin6y player, the internet market share is really nothing when you look at the likes of Samsung. The latter has a 4.4% internet share while Edge stands at just 0.34%.

As experts have confirmed, disturbing the market that has been so well established over time is not easy. But when you’ve got the likes of Microsoft doing its level best and working to bring out new features that assist Edge in getting more users, it all makes sense.

As per results from Statcounter, the figure is really small and while it’s great for Microsoft to see this change and the result of its hard work to get more users, it’s got a long way to go to be a true leader.

We know the company is deriving Extensions as a means to get on board with more users. The goal is to bring more attention to the browser from various other mobile platforms so this could help in that regard. But at the same time, it’s struggling in terms of bringing forward more extensions from preview channels so users can benefit.

So yes, it’s a great milestone for Microsoft and its Edge browser but still a long way to go as competition is at its peak with strong arch-rivals in existence.

Read next: How to Turn Off Meta AI on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

How to Turn Off Meta AI on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook

The new blue circle appearing on your widely-used apps is a ChatGPT version of Meta, known as Meta AI, to help users do tasks fast and save their time. But not everyone is a fan of AI and wants this new feature to be on their screens while scrolling on Facebook, Instagram, or chatting on WhatsApp. So how can one get rid of it?

Can one get rid of it?

Frankly speaking, there is not a way to escape from it permanently. Meta, just like Google and Microsoft, feels compelled to rise in the artificial-intelligence industry, so it has included AI in all its services. However, it appears to be an unnecessary option, not required by all.

A loophole can help

One cannot get rid of it permanently, but making it invisible is an option we still have. Here are the steps you can take to make the AI icon invisible on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

On WhatsApp Mobile

• First, go to your WhatsApp and open the chat with Meta AI

• Tap on the profile name written at the top in the chat i.e. Meta AI.

• Tap on the notification tab and tap notification option.

• In next window choose Always from the options and click OK.

On Messenger Mobile

• Open the Messenger app on your phone.

• Click on the Meta AI symbol on your chat page

• Now, the chat window will open; look for the info icon in this window

• In next tab, select the mute option and then select Until I change it and then tap OK.

On Facebook Mobile

• Click on the Meta AI logo at the top of the page.

• In new tab, select the i (information) option at the top-right corner of the page.

• In next window, select the mute option under the AI symbol and then choose Until I change it from the given options.

On Instagram Mobile

Muting Meta AI on IG is as easy as the three methods mentioned above:

• Click on the AI symbol in the search bar at the top of the page.

• Click on the i option given at the top-right corner.

• Select mute from the given options and then choose Until I change it from the list.

Some other remedies

If you are not willing to go through all this hassle, a better option exists to overcome the issue. Strat using the web version of the apps or Lite versions as AI feature is still non-existent there. But iPhone users are exempt from using this panacea, as these apps are not available on iOS. They have to show a little cunning wit and do the following:

• Open their Facebook or Instagram account on Safari browser.

• Click on the share icon and then choose Add to home screen.

The aforementioned trick would generate a shortcut of apps in question and add them to your collection of apps on home screen.

The above-mentioned ways could be used by users not happy with the addition of AI feature in their widely-used apps.

Read next: Frustrated with Google's AI Overview in Search Results? Here’s How to Completely Disable It

by Ehtasham Ahmad via Digital Information World

Here's How Generative AI is Revolutionizing Marketing Creativity and Efficiency

Artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, is reshaping the marketing landscape nowadays. It is offering new ways for professionals to enhance creativity, streamline research, and optimize analytics. AI tools are becoming integral in the marketing field, helping marketers to generate content quicker, increase efficiency and build more creative campaigns.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have become essential in many marketers toolkits. For instance, a 2024 survey highlighted that 68% of B2B marketing leaders use generative AI to produce more content efficiently. Meanwhile, 55% leverage these tools to focus on high-value tasks, and 51% use AI to create content that is both optimized and engaging.

Additionally, the popularity of AI is evident in the upskilling of marketing professionals. LinkedIn's 2024 Global Marketing Jobs Outlook report shows an increased focus on AI skills. The top LinkedIn Learning courses for marketers now include topics such as "What is Generative AI?", "Introduction to Artificial Intelligence", and "Ethics in the Age of Generative AI". These courses are part of a broader trend where twice as many marketing leaders have added AI skills to their profiles in the last quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

Furthermore, the demand for AI literacy is growing in the workplace. According to Microsoft and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trend Index, 71% of leaders would prefer to hire a candidate with AI skills over one with more experience but without such skills. A significant 66% of leaders stated they would not hire someone lacking AI literacy.

The impact of AI on marketing extends to job opportunities and the competitive landscape. Over half of the marketers plan to use AI to gain a competitive advantage. The integration of AI into marketing not only facilitates a more efficient workflow but also fosters a creative and competitive industry. This shift suggests that we are moving towards a work environment that allows for more human interaction. This enables marketers to perform more fulfilling work and collaborate efficiently.

Read next: Report by Adobe Shows New Trends in Fonts, Colors and Other Elements on Websites in 2024
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World

Canalys Report: AI Smartphones Surge Amid Privacy Concerns

The latest report from research firm Canalys shows that there are growing concerns about privacy on AI smartphones. As we already know, AI is going to be a major force driving the smartphone market this year. Many companies are launching PCs and smartphones which are AI powered. Recently, Microsoft launched its Surface AI PC which has CoPilot+ features. Some other companies have also launched their devices which are powered by AI. Canalys has predicted that due to AI, PC sales will increase by 8% this year.

The report from Canalys talks about how presence of AI in hardware of smartphones is capable of executing AI models and supporting real-time device inference. Many of the big smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S24, Google Pixel Phones and Apple iPhone 15 have integrated AI in the smartphones. About 16% of the smartphones that will be sold this year will be powered by AI while in 2028, the percentage will increase to 54%. This means that manufacturers of smartphones will have a huge advantage due to AI smartphones. But despite all that, manufacturers will also have to face some challenges and negative effects of that.

• Also read: Has ChatGPT Superseded Human Intelligence? This New Study Provides A Unique Perspective

AI smartphones are generally safe to use but after studying 5000 participants, it was found that users are still facing privacy concerns due to AI capabilities. Canalys noted that these concerns are due to storage, usage and utilization of AI algorithms. The report says that over half of the participants in the survey are not sure if their data is safe. There are also some other problems like users not understanding AI use on those smartphones and their inability to use all the features on AI smartphones.

In the market of AI smartphones, Apple is going to take the lead with its iPhone with A17 Pro Chip which will offer a lot of features. About 55% of the AI smartphone market will be Apple's by 2025. It is because of its premium hardware and software, followed by a capable developer community.

Read next:

• 76% of Developers Use AI Tools 38% Report Inaccuracies 95% See Productivity Boost

• Report by Adobe Shows New Trends in Fonts, Colors and Other Elements on Websites in 2024
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Report by Adobe Shows New Trends in Fonts, Colors and Other Elements on Websites in 2024

The 2024 small business branding report by Adobe analyzed 930 websites to determine which colors, fonts and features are getting popular in 2024. All of the websites which were analyzed were all from small businesses which made it easy to study all the designs and features in detail. When the font colors were analyzed on those websites, the report found out that many brands are now opting for natural background colors like white (85%) and gray (34%). Other preferred colors were blue (22%) and black (9%). These were also the preferences for font colors as having neutral colors on the website makes readability easier. When you are choosing fonts for a website, it is important to have a background and font color contrast that is easier on eyes.

Adobe's report also talked about the font styles which are getting popular in 2024. The font style that is dominating the websites is Open Sans. The top font family is San-Serif which 90% of the websites are using nowadays. Other fonts that are being widely used include Roboto and Montserrat. A little drawback of using serif fonts is that they have to be adjusted according to the resolution and screen size. They, undoubtedly, add a touch of elegance to the blog but if there is a long reading material, it is advised to not use this font because it can affect the readability of the readers.

Other things that should be included in websites in 2024 are photographs (87%), Call to action button (86%) and illustrations (47%). Contact information, place to enter the email and zip code should also be a part of a website. The website should also give information about its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages so that users could follow it on social networks. This whole report by Adobe shows that small and new businesses would try to make a website that is easy to access and has all the information and visitor wants. Only then can these businesses and websites increase their digital presence and attract customers.

Read next: HP, Apple, And Dell Dominate U.S. Laptop Market; Notable Shares Held By Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, Microsoft
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World