How to start a free blog on Google?

How to start a free blog on Google

#blogger #blogging #Blog #Bloggers #Google #freeblog #business #technology 

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Earth Day 2020: What Is It And How Do People Mark It Around The World?

Earth Day 2020: What Is It And How Do People Mark It Around The World?

 

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated all over the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The first Earth Day 🌍 celebrated in 1970.

Earth Day 2020 is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Celebrations will include activities such as the Great Global CleanUp, Environmental Protection, Citizen Science, Advocacy, Education, and art.

This year people are celebrating in a different way. The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world. More than a fifth of the world's population has been under lockdown in the global fight against coronavirus. Individual activities such as education and cleanups are encouraged where local conditions permit.

Earth Day will educate and mobilize more than one billion people to grow and support the next generation of environmental activists. It's time to reimagine what we can collectively do for our global environment with activities and events.

What is the theme for Earth Day 2020?

The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. The enormous challenge but also the vast opportunities of action on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary.

What is the theme for Earth Day 2019?

The theme for Earth Day 2019 was "Protect Our Species". It aimed to draw attention to the rapid extinction of species in our world, which is directly linked to human activities. These include climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, unsustainable agriculture, pollution, and pesticides.

Does Earth Day really help?

Earth Day will educate and mobilize more than one billion people to grow and support the next generation of environmental activists. It's time to reimagine what we can collectively do for our global environment with activities and events.

What are the ways to help the environment?

The Ways To Help The Environment
1. Recycle plastic and aluminum materials
2. Conserve Energy.
3. Conserve Water.
4. Stop Using Bottled Water.

GitHub is now free for teams

GitHub is now free for teams

 

We’re happy to announce we’re making private repositories with unlimited collaborators available to all GitHub accounts. All of the core GitHub features are now free for everyone.

Until now, if your organization wanted to use GitHub for private development, you had to subscribe to one of our paid plans. But every developer on earth should have access to GitHub. Price shouldn’t be a barrier.

This means teams can now manage their work together in one place: CI/CD, project management, code review, packages, and more. We want everyone to be able to ship great software on the platform developers love.

Teams who need advanced features (like code owners), enterprise features (like SAML), or personalized support can upgrade to one of our paid plans.

We’re also reducing the price of our paid Team plan from $9 per user/month to $4 per user/month, effective immediately. Existing customers will have their bills automatically reduced going forward.

Source:

Follow These 6 Easy Steps to Reduce Startup Costs

Follow These 6 Easy Steps to Reduce Startup Costs

“You need to spend money to make money.” Anyone who has founded a startup knows this old adage contains quite a bit of truth. That said, most people who found startups and small businesses also have tight budgets. While spending money is vital to your success, so is saving money whenever possible.

Luckily, it can be easier than one might assume. If you’re thinking about starting a small business, keep the following cost cutting tips in mind. They’ll help you make the most of your budget during the critical early stages of growth.

1. Search For Open Source Software

You’ll probably need to use several different types of software to run your business; word processing programs, accounting software, project management tools and more. Additionally, depending on the nature of your startup, you’ll likely need to rely on specific niche programs.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming you need to spend money on all of these items. Do an online search for open source options, which, in many cases, will locate free programs that suit your needs perfectly.

2. Outsource Your Work

Many startup founders are responsible for handling a wide range of tasks when initially growing their businesses. You’re probably in the same position because you simply might not have the budget to hire a full team of employees.

That said, there may be some tasks you’re not qualified to handle on your own. For example, if you have no marketing experience, you’ll probably want help developing your first marketing campaign.

That doesn’t mean you need to hire a full-time marketing specialist to work for you. Instead, you’re better off hiring a contractor or freelancer for this type of work. This allows you to optimize your budget by not paying employees when your current needs don’t justify hiring someone on a full-time basis.

That’s just one example. Whenever a task you’re not qualified to handle arises, consider whether you could save money by hiring a freelancer.

3. Carefully Evaluate Every Purchase

This is a simple tip, but it’s one worth mentioning. You will obviously need to purchase certain tools and resources when starting a business. While some of these will be essential, there will likely be instances when you’re considering making a purchase that isn’t necessary at this time.

Keep that in mind every time you’re thinking about buying something for your business. For every single purchase, evaluate whether you need that particular item or service now, or whether you can justify waiting until you’re more financially stable to make the purchase.

4. Automate Your Work

Time is money. The more time you can spend on tasks that drive revenue, the more money your business will make. That’s a basic but undeniable fact.

Again, this can create problems when you’re responsible for handling many tasks. That’s why you need to save time by automating tasks when it makes sense to do so.

For example, if social media is one of your top marketing channels, don’t waste time manually posting consistently. Instead, create most of your posts ahead of time (there will still be instances, however, when you might post spontaneously to take advantage of a trending topic), and schedule them to post automatically using social media automation tools.

5. Don’t Rent a Traditional Office

There’s a good chance you won’t need a full office when first growing your business. When the company gets larger and you hire more employees, traditional office space might be necessary, but during the early stages, this likely isn’t the case.

This presents another cost cutting opportunity. You don’t need to rent office space if you don’t need it just yet. Instead, you can work from home using a virtual office if you need such amenities and features as a dedicated mailbox. If you do need some type of office space, consider a coworking office. Rent is much less expensive than traditional office space, and the lease terms will be far more flexible.

6. Research Tax Write-offs

This tip is particularly worth keeping in mind if you’re starting your business from home. Odds are good you qualify for tax write-offs that can help you save money. It’s important to research them to learn more about your options.

Most importantly, stay on top of your finances. Regularly monitor and review your budget, revenue and spending to make sure you’re using your money wisely. By keeping a close eye on your money and applying these tips, you’ll boost your odds of achieving long-term success.

 

Source

Happy Baisakhi 2020: Wishes, messages, quotes, SMS, Facebook and WhatsApp status

Baisakhi is a spring harvest festival for Sikhs and Hindus. It is usually celebrated on April 13 or 14 every year. It marks the Sikh new year and commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

 
HERE ARE SOME WISHES THAT YOU CAN SEND YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY:

Happy Baisakhi to all your loved ones. I hope the celebrations of today are as colourful and joyous for you as ever!

This day makes the life look way more colorful and hopeful. May your all dreams come true. Happy Baisakhi.

Just as a new bloom spreads fragrance and freshness around. May the new year add a new beauty, freshness into your life. Happy Baisakhi.

May Waheguru blesses you with growth, health and peace on this festival of harvest.

Happy Baisakhi to all my friends, let get our bodies and soak in the color of Baisakhi.

Have a great Baisakhi and celebrate it with loved ones all around.

Wishes for a blessed, prosperous and joyful Baisakhi.

May god shower you with endless blessing, love and happiness. This festival brings the best growth you. Happy Baisakhi!

Top 10 useful Touch command on Linux

Top 10 useful Touch command on Linux.

Just like Windows, iOS, and Mac OS, Linux is an operating system. It is one of the most popular platforms. Linux is also distributed under an open source license.Linux was designed to be similar to UNIX, but has evolved to run on a wide variety of hardware from phones to supercomputers. Every Linux-based OS involves the Linux kernel which manages hardware resources and a set of software packages that make up the rest of the operating system.

Linux Touch commands

The linux touch commands are used to modify the access/modification timestamps of files. By using the commands you can easily create an empty file.

In this article we are going tell you how the touch commands are used for modifying timestamps or creating files.

1. Create a blank file

$ touch demo.txt

The above syntax allow you to simply create a blank file.If the file already exists then the access time will be updated.

2. Create multiple files

$ touch demo1.txt demo2.txt demo3.txt

This command allow you to create multiple files.

3. Create large number of files

$ touch {A..Z}
$ touch {1..10}
$ touch {1..100}.txt

The above commands will be used for creating large number of files.
First one will be used to create files with names A to Z
Second one will be used to create files with names 1 to 10
Third one will be used to create files with names 1 to 100 with .txt extension

4. Avoid creating new files

$ touch -c demo.txt

This will be used if you don't want to create file but just want to update access time of existing file. Here demo.txt not created but the access time will update.

5. Change file access time

$ touch -a demo.txt

To change only access time of a file use the '-a' option with the file name.

6. Change the modified time

$ touch -m demo.txt
$ touch -m *.txt

First command: Use the '-m' option to change the modified time of the demo file.
Second command: To change the modify time of multiple files using wildcard.

7. Change access and modification time together

$ touch -am demo.txt

Use the a and m option together to modify both access and modification time

8. Set a specific access/modify time instead of current time

$ touch -c -t 1603051055 demo.txt
$ touch -c -t 201603051915 demo.txt

To set the access/modify time to a specific datetime use the t option and specify the datetime in format [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.ss]

If you not enter the c option then a new file will be created with the given datetime if it does not exist.

9. Use the timestamp of another file as reference

$ touch -r ref.txt demo.txt

The above command will set the access/modify time of demo.txt to that of ref.txt

10. Specify datetime as a string

$ touch -c -d '10 Apr' demo.txt

Apart from the t option, there is another option '-d' which accepts datetime in general human readable formats.

The above command provides the date only. The time is automatically set to 00:00

SSD vs HDD: Which is Better for you?

SSD vs HDD: Which is Better for you?

What’s the difference between SSDs and HDDs? Solid state drives and hard disk drives are similar in their physical specifications, but they store data very differently. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of drive, and deciding on which type is right for you comes down to how you use your computer. Our guide shows you how each type of storage drive works and what it means for you.

The technology behind hard disk drives is well known and well-tested. Hard disk drives have been around for more than 50 years, steadily increasing their storage capacity and decreasing their physical size. HDDs rely on spinning disks, or platters, to read and write data.

Hard disk drives consist of one or more magnetically-sensitive platters, an actuator arm with a read/write head on it for each platter, and a motor to spin the platters and move the arms. There is also an I/O controller and firmware that tells the hardware what to do and communicates with the rest of the system.

Each platter is organized into concentric circles called tracks. Tracks are divided into logical units called sectors. Each track and sector number results in a unique address that can be used to organize and locate data. Data is written to the nearest available area. There is an algorithm that processes the data before it’s written, allowing the firmware to detect and correct errors.

The platters spin at preset speeds (4200 rpm to 7200 rpm for consumer computers). Those speeds correlate to read/write rates. The higher the preset speed, the faster a hard drive will be able to read and write data.

Each time you ask your computer to retrieve or update data, the I/O controller tells the actuator arm where that data is located, and the read/write head gathers the data by reading the presence or absence of a charge in each address. If the request was to update the data, the read/write head changes the charge on the affected track and sector.

The time it takes for the platter to spin and the actuator arm to find the correct track and sector is known as latency.

The drawbacks to HDDs are a result of the mechanical parts used to read and write data, as physically finding and retrieving data takes more time than electronically finding and retrieving data. The mechanical parts can skip or even fail if they are handled roughly or dropped. This is a concern in laptops, but not as much in desktops. HDDs are also heavier and use more energy than comparable SSDs.

The benefits of a hard disk drivs are that they are a proven technology, and are frequently less expensive than a solid state drives for the same amount of storage. Currently, HDDs are also available with more storage space than SSDs.

Solid state drives use flash memory to deliver superior performance and durability. Because there are lots of small, moving parts inside your hard drive — magnetic heads, spindles, and spinning platters — it's easy for things to go wrong and you could lose your important data. Without moving parts, SSDs are more durable, run cooler and use less energy..

SSDs can be thought of as large USB drives; they use the same base technology. NAND, the technology in solid state drives, is a kind of flash memory. At the lowest level, floating gate transistors record a charge (or lack of a charge) to store data. The gates are organized in a grid pattern, which is further organized into a block. Block size can vary, but each row that makes up the grid is called a page.

An SSD controller that performs several functions, including keeping track of where data is located.

Updating data is more complex for SSDs. All the data in a block must be refreshed when any portion of it is updated. The data on the old block is copied to a different block, the block is erased, and the data is rewritten with the changes to a new block.

Each time you ask your computer to retrieve or update data, the SSD controller looks at the address of the data requested and reads the charge status.

When the drive is idle, a process called garbage collection goes through and makes sure the information in the old block is erased and that the block is free to be written to again.

There is another process, called TRIM, that informs the SSD that it can skip rewriting certain data when it erases blocks. Because there are a finite number of times any block can be rewritten, this is an important process that prevents premature wear on the storage drive.

To further prevent wear on the drive, there is an algorithm to make sure that each block in the drive gets an equal amount of read/write processes. This process is called wear leveling and happens automatically as the drive is working.

Because the read/write process requires data movement, SSDs are usually overprovisioned with storage; there is always a certain amount of the drive that is not reported to the operating system, and not accessible to the user. This allows room for the drive to move and delete items without affecting the overall storage capacity.

SSDs are newer technology, and as such, are more expensive than HDDs. Although they are catching up, it can be harder to find large-capacity solid state drives. HDDs can be as much as 2.5 times larger.

Solid state drives deliver faster load times for games, applications, and movies. Because of the technology they use, SSDs are lighter and better able to withstand movement and droppage. In addition, solid state drives use less energy, allowing computers to run cooler.

The difference between hard drives and solid state drives is in the technology used to store and retrieve data. The table below illustrates some of the differences.

HDDs are cheaper and you can get more storage space. SSDs, however, are faster, lighter, more durable, and use less energy. Your needs will dictate which storage drive will work best for you.

	Cost	Speed	Durability	Highest capacity	Energy efficiency
HDD	Cheaper	Slower	Less durable	10TB	Use more energy
SSD	More expensive	Faster	More durable	4TB	Use less energy

Source

Basic UNIX commands

Basic UNIX commands

Unix is a portable, multitasking, multiuser, time-sharing operating system (OS).The Unix operating system is a set of programs that act as a link between the computer and the user.UNIX is case-sensitive.

Basic Commands:

ls

Lists your files.

ls -l

Lists your files in 'long format', which contains lots of useful information. The information will be the exact size of the file, owner of the file and who has the right to look at it, and the last modified date.

ls -a

Lists all files, including the ones whose filenames begin in a dot, which you do not always want to see. There are many more options, for example to list files by size, by date, recursively etc.

emacs filename

Is an editor that lets you create and edit a file.

mv filename1 filename2

moves a file into a different directory.

cp filename1 filename2

copies a file

rm filename

removes a file.

diff filename1 filename2

compares files, and shows where they differ

wc filename

You will find how many lines, words, and characters there are in a file

chmod options filename

It will allow you to change the read, write, and execute permissions on your files.

gzip filename

This command compresses files so that they take up much less space.

gunzip filename

uncompresses files compressed by gzip.

Directories Directories, like folders on a Macintosh, are used to group files together in a hierarchical structure.

mkdir dirname

Create a new directory

cd dirname

change directory.

pwd

tells you where you currently are.

whoami

Returns your username.

passwd

Lets you change your password.

kill PID

kill the processes with the ID you entered. If you don't know the process ID just type ps and you will get I'd

quota -v

Get details information regarding your disk quota.

du filename

Get the disk usage of the files and directories in filename.

date

Shows the current date and time.

cal

Shows a calendar of the current month.

Why do you need a VPS Hosting?

VPS stands for Virtual Private Server.VPS uses virtualization software to partition physical servers into multiple "virtual" servers. Each VPS hosting server gets dedicated resources from the host server, which offers a great amount of reliability and performance.

If you are using VPS you will get all the important features like Full root access to Guaranteed CPU, RAM, SSD Storage & Network and Management options like Stop, Restart and Rebuild for complete autonomy of the servers.

An excellent choice for web developers, webmasters, resellers, and for those who run resource-intensive websites, VPS Hosting operates and performs just like an independent physical machine would, except it’s partitioned into multiple “virtual” servers, offering security and flexibility for your websites, independence from your neighbors, and full control over your hosting environment.

How Other Hosting Options Compare

Essentially, hosting services can be compared by how the servers are set up and the type of access people have to them.

You can think of VPS Hosting as the hybrid approach, balancing the advantages of Shared Hosting with that of Dedicated Server Hosting.

Shared Hosting is more or less the “entry-level” of hosting, giving you and other customers access to one physical server. In essence, you’re sharing the key resources of that same server, things like CPU, RAM, disk space, etc. And although the cost is quite low, Shared Hosting is also low on customization given you have limited administrative access.

Dedicated Server Hosting, however, is on the opposite end of the hosting spectrum. Here, one single customer gets an entire server to themselves (ahem, no sharing in sight). Although there’s a higher degree of self-management and power, it also comes at a higher cost. Another potential drawback of Dedicated Servers is that they can only run on one Operating System (OS).

Here are the few reasons why VPS Hosting might be exactly what you’re looking for.

1. Scalable:

If your business has taken off or you plan to expand within the next year, a VPS is designed to adapt to the natural ebb and flow of a business.

That’s why with VPS Hosting, you can start as small as your business can afford and grow as your business expands. Pretty scalable, right?

All you have to do, depending on your hosting provider, is to authorize the cost of any upgrade or downgrade.

Forget messing around with hardware installations or going through long data transfers; with a VPS, you decide if and when you need more or less resources.

2. It Gives You Control

With a VPS, you call the shots.

Whether you prefer to operate things on your own or enlist the help of your hosting provider, a VPS gives you root access, the ability to install and update your own software, run batch files, make backups, customize your control panel, and update any software as you see fit.

And, since you’re not sharing a server with your neighbors (compared to Shared Hosting), you have way more control because you don’t have to worry about some rogue application shutting you—and everyone else around you—down. Remember, it’s your private server, so you can run whatever application you choose, whenever you like.

Even if you don’t feel the need to reach out to your hosting provider, just knowing that you have a reliable expert on call when you need it can be a real lifesaver. This allows you to focus on your small business, not the big technicalities.

3. It’s Got Reliable Uptime

Let’s face it—downtime is downright costly to your business.

That’s why with a VPS, you have defined memory and bandwidth allocations all within your virtual environment. If your website grows in popularity, your visitors won’t get frustrated over slow loading times. Why? Because your VPS is able to handle all the incoming traffic, keeping your business operating as usual.

If you’re also looking to amp up your SEO performance on your website, a VPS is the way to go. Avoiding the noisiness of Shared Hosting neighbors, VPS Hosting offers more optimization opportunities to speed up the loading time of your website. Given that Google takes into consideration page loading times, the fast performance and higher amount of resources of VPS Hosting can only help to keep your business or blog top of mind.

And, when compared to Dedicated Server Hosting, VPS also features its own OS and allows for separate rebooting. This “portability of application” is a huge benefit of VPS Hosting. As previously mentioned, if you decide you want to upgrade or downgrade your server, your hosting provider can move you to a new virtual server with zero downtime. Reliable, indeed.

4. It’s Very Secure

Concerned about security? Don’t worry, a VPS has your back.

Because your website is hosted in its own “virtual” space, you don’t have to concern yourself with what your neighbors are doing, as you might with Shared Hosting. A VPS is far more secure because it provides you root access, which gives you the ability to implement advanced security measures in your server environment. What does this mean exactly? Your neighbors don’t have any access to your resources or files that are kept behind a secure partition.

VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting also often come with a dedicated IP address, making it far less likely that your website is confused for another while offering benefits for email marketing and security for e-commerce payments.

Small business owners or organizations with highly-mobile staff can benefit greatly from this type of secure accessibility.

5. It Won’t Break the Bank

When it comes to cost, a VPS is more or less right in the middle.

Although it’s a bit more expensive when compared to Shared Hosting, it’s significantly less expensive than a Dedicated Server.

And, when you add in just how easily and effectively a VPS tends to scale, this makes it the most cost-effective hosting choice there is. In other words, you get what you pay for and/or you pay for what you use.

Because you’re not investing in the upfront costs of a physical server like Dedicated Server Hosting, you only take what you need and don’t overinvest in unwanted capacity.

How’s that for being cost-effective?

6. It Suits Many Scenarios

Running a VPS is a great choice for many different website needs.

If you run a high-traffic website –As we mentioned earlier, a VPS is designed to withstand surges in traffic, e.g. e-commerce webshops that promote their seasonal sales.

If you use a sandbox – A sandbox is a virtual environment that many companies use to build, test, and deploy software before going to production. Need to identify bugs? Fix them? Test patches? Then a VPS is your best bet, allowing you to test and/or simulate whatever is needed. And once you’re finished and okay with that, you can easily go back to default. You can't do the same with Dedicated Server Hosting, where it requires communication with Customer Support to reset, which can take several days.

If you want to develop your own software – Programming students or web developers, this one’s for you. A VPS lets you test and try out different staging environments so you know what works best.

If you want to have separate backup storage – A specific amount of disk space and file limitations make a VPS very popular when storing offsite backups.

If you stream online – A VPS is a solid option if you regularly vlog, produce online courses, hold digital conferences, and broadcast content.

If you are a reseller host or domain reseller – A VPS offers more power than conventional shared Reseller Hosting, letting you implement customized control panels and features that drive more customers and sales.

If you handle email/database servers – A VPS gives email server users full control over outgoing emails while letting you set up advanced filters. Those who handle database servers turn to a VPS for more security and optimized resource usage.

If you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) – If you want to set up secure access for your business network, a VPS helps control all incoming traffic.

Source: Namecheap

Key Benefits Of An Order Management System

Key Benefits Of An Order Management System

 

Customer expectations and product demands have changed. As customers increasingly drive the buying journey, merchants must adjust quickly to ensure they are delivering a seamless customer experience in a way that is cost-effective for their businesses. This is where an order management system can help, providing key benefits that align a company with evolving customer expectations and current market demands.

With all the features and benefits that an order management platform can offer, a surprising number of commerce merchants still do not focus on digitalizing this process. Whether you are a small business with two stores or a large, multibillion-dollar company, using an order management platform, such as the one provided by Magento, is necessary for continued growth and profitability.

When paired with a strong digital commerce platform, an order management solution can help provide the additional capabilities needed to meet customer growing demands and expectations. With such fierce competition, your business needs to rely on more than just the traditional methods of order management. It’s important to invest in an updated system that provides seamless orders, tracking, customer service, and omnichannel functionality.

Seamless Order Management

The order management process starts when a customer places an order, and it ends when the service or items are received. From the moment a sale is made to the second it is in-hand, the entire process needs to be as seamless as possible for the customer. Your order management solution needs to make the entire process flow across all touch points. It also needs to happen flawlessly, without delays or other problems.

If a customer experiences any hiccups, glitches, or something perceived as a disturbance to the overall buying experience, that person is more likely to become unhappy with your company. If your order management system, or lack of one, cannot meet or surpass customer expectations, you are at risk of losing clients, and they will take their business elsewhere.

Centralized Customer Service

Today, customers expect to be informed every step of the way across the buying journey with regular email updates, tracking information, and delivery status alerts. Without order management solutions in place to compile customer information and filter data into one place, there are more opportunities for error.

With Magento's centralized customer service, all customer and order information is centralized in one location. This keeps every customer service rep more informed via a complete view across sales channels and fulfillment centers to address any inquiries about shipping, delivery, or even cancellations.

We're seeing drops in call center volume ranging from 40 to 60 percent as customers can track order status online. This transition to more transparency in the shipping and delivery process is something customers are beginning to expect whenever they make a purchase.

Omnichannel Store Fulfillment

From buy online/pickup in-store (BOPIS) to same-day shipping, customers expect as much choice in delivery as they do in channels of engagement. Shoppers expect to be able to have an order fulfilled in a way, time, and place that is most convenient to them. Each touchpoint in the journey presents an opportunity to provide great customer experience and boost retention and revenue.

Magento omnichannel capabilities offer customers the type of options that are expected today: ship from store, ship to store, BOPIS, and an endless aisle of inventory. This endless aisle gives customers more options to purchase items from a global inventory that can be fulfilled anywhere.

Global Inventory and Sourcing

The size of your business should not limit your opportunities for growth. Showing the customer live inventory is incredibly powerful and something an order management system can enable. With the option of utilizing global inventory control, customers are able to view real-time information on where they can purchase and obtain their required products or services. Even if you have a couple of inventory locations – for example, a store and a warehouse – you will have the ability with Magento's global inventory and sourcing to determine the fastest and most cost-effective way to get your products to customers.

If you are managing multiple channels, you can have more fine-grained control of your inventory to specify which SKUs and what quantity of those items are sold on which channel. This lets you prioritize channels to align to demand and margins, all critical for success at peak sales periods like Black Friday.

Invest in an Order Management System

These days it's about complexity, not about size. If you have multiple stores, warehouses, or sales channels and websites in various countries, and you want to try and bring them all together, order management makes sense. With order management, you're able to pull all of those different platforms for different countries together – in one place.

While the benefits of using an order management system for larger global companies are apparent, smaller businesses can benefit as well. What's notable about Magento's order management system is that no matter how small your business is, you can keep up with the platform. As your business grows, you can add customization and extensions to make the order management system do what you need it to do. From eCommerce purchases to in-store locations, consumers expect products and services to be delivered to them quickly and accurately. The benefits of using an order management system include having the ability to keep your inventory and tracking in line, while also providing a seamless, front-facing experience for your customers.

Source

Tips for Increasing the Efficiency and Functionality of Your eCommerce Business

Tips for Increasing the Efficiency and Functionality of Your eCommerce Business

ECommerce has given small and midsize enterprises (SME) a chance to grow into bigger companies with customers from all around the world. Those customers have high expectations from online businesses, challenging them to steadily improve the quality of their eCommerce businesses.

Each part of an eCommerce operation – ranging from customer-facing operations on the front end to fulfillment and inventory management on the back end – can be upgraded to improve efficiency and expand functionality. Improvements include online personalization, mobile optimization, and intelligent commerce to engage with customers, alongside enhancements throughout the internal supply chain.

Personalization Is Key

Customer expectations are higher than ever before, with technological advancements that provide an abundance of information about products and services. People are better equipped to research eCommerce sites and online reviews that help to inform their purchase decisions.

While quality service and fair prices used to be enough to keep customers satisfied, they now demand more personalized service that fosters long-term loyalty. People are more likely to remain loyal to companies that can show how well they understand their customers by having a full view of their shopping habits.

Personalization is key to standing out amid the many choices consumers have among a wide variety of products and service. Fortunately, personalization is possible for even the smallest eCommerce businesses, including emerging brands whose goals include customer loyalty along with brand awareness and greater market share.

Personalization not only includes the content that customers see when they visit an eCommerce site, but also promotional efforts such as customized e-mail marketing campaigns. eCommerce businesses can tailor their messaging to connect with customers based on their past shopping habits.

eCommerce sites can also personalize what customers see based on their geographic region, shopping habits, product browsing history, date of birth, and average order size, among other attributes. However, it's important to let customers know how their personal data is being used to give them greater assurances of privacy. Many people are willing to share personal information, but they want to see tangible benefits like discounts and other special offers.

Mobile-First Focus

ECommerce has migrated to mobile devices as people grow more comfortable with using smartphones to shop. Providing a mobile-friendly experience is necessary to convert Internet users into paying customers.

Mobile-first initiatives are currently undergoing a massive shift with changes in technology. While responsive design is the current industry standard, there are many forward-looking advancements that will soon become commonplace.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which use regular Internet technology but deliver an app-like experience in a mobile or desktop Web browser, have become more popular among eCommerce sites. PWAs are easier to maintain than mobile apps, making them more accessible to SMEs that don't have the financial resources and manpower for IT development. Oftentimes, SMEs can't justify the effort to build a mobile app that's difficult to find in crowded app stores.

However, shoppers now expect app-like experiences that include a modern mobile interface, app-like navigation and functions, and features such as push notifications. PWAs provide all these features and can be easily updated without requiring customers to download the latest upgrade.

Intelligent Commerce on the Rise

Intelligent commerce relies on the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to improve website functionality. More eCommerce businesses are adopting these innovations to make their websites more dynamic.

Marketers and merchandisers currently can collect troves of data about their customers, but the next step is putting that information to work with intelligence commerce that's more responsive than past digital technologies.

These innovations have become more accessible to SMEs, giving them stronger footing to compete with bigger rivals. Supplementing data-driven eCommerce initiatives with AI is becoming an important way to satisfy the need for the personalization of eCommerce experiences.

Improving Online Checkout

Retailers can have amazing eCommerce sites with the latest features to engage shoppers, only to see those efforts wasted with an abandoned shopping cart. To cut down on abandonment rates, which are estimated to be as high as 80 percent, eCommerce sites need to harness as much data as possible to figure out when shoppers don't follow through with a purchase.

For example, a shopping session on an eCommerce store that ends abruptly may indicate a customer was distracted by something else, was surprised by high prices, or was virtually window-shopping. ECommerce sites can use that information to determine whether they should send a reminder email that includes discounts or other promotions to close the sale.

Customers who routinely drop off during checkout may indicate that the process is creating too much friction and needs to be redesigned.

Back-End Integration

A key part of improving front-end operations is connecting them with back-end support, giving customers greater visibility into product inventories online. That helps to manage their expectations and increases the likelihood they'll be satisfied with a final purchase. Improved customer satisfaction helps to cut down on product returns that are costly to restock.

Better inventory visibility lets shoppers at physical stores check the availability of items, helping them to decide whether to visit another store location or to order products for delivery. Greater transparency also helps eCommerce businesses determine which warehouses can provide the quickest and least expensive distribution.

Ultimately, a lack of visibility and access to inventory typically results in inflated shipping and logistics costs – and possibly the loss of a sale.

Thinking Ahead

These tips for improving the efficiency and functionality of eCommerce operations reflect some of the most common areas for advancement and future progress. It's important to take a holistic approach toward eCommerce, considering how front-end operations can work more seamlessly with back-end functions to boost customer satisfaction and longer-term loyalty.

SMEs that demonstrate their willingness to exceed the expectations of customers by personalizing their interactions, delivering a mobile-first experience, and adopting intelligent commerce solutions will stand out in a crowded marketplace. Improving online checkouts and making inventories more transparent to customers boost the likelihood that customers will keep coming back.

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The graphics source code for Xbox Series X has leaked online

The graphics source code for Xbox Series X has leaked online

Microsoft has been quite forthcoming with information about its upcoming console, but it probably wasn’t ready for its graphics source code to be leaked.

The Series X uses a custom GPU by AMD which supports ray-tracing. AMD’s current RDNA flagship, the Radeon RX 5700 XT, features 2,560 Stream Processors across 40 compute units. For comparison, the Series X has 3,328 Stream Processors spread across 52 compute units.

AMD will release high-end GPUs that are more powerful, and more expensive, than what’s being offered in the Series X this year. The company says that a hacker obtained source files for some of its current and future GPUs.

“In December 2019, we were contacted by someone who claimed to have test files related to a subset of our current and future graphics products, some of which were recently posted online, but have since been taken down,” said AMD in a statement.

One of the aforementioned future GPUs is destined for the Xbox Series X.

AMD says it’s filed multiple takedown requests to GitHub where repositories hosted stolen GPU code for future Navi 10, 21, and Arden hardware. Whether the fact GitHub is a Microsoft-owned platform has anything to do with it or not, the code containing details of the Series X GPU was taken down pretty quickly.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the matter. In an interview with TorrentFreak, the alleged hacker threatened to “just leak everything” if they’re unable to sell the information.

AMD doesn’t appear to be too concerned about the situation.

“While we are aware the perpetrator has additional files that have not been made public, we believe the stolen graphics IP is not core to the competitiveness or security of our graphics products,” says AMD. “We are not aware of the perpetrator possessing any other AMD IP.”

The company says it is currently working with law enforcement and other experts as part of a criminal investigation into the matter.

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How AI is Changing the Face of Customer Service

How AI is Changing the Face of Customer Service

Image Credit: ReadWrite

Having a good customer service process is an integral element to the success of any business. The way this process looks, however, is dramatically changing.

Let’s explore the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and messaging for customer service.

The Rise of Chatbots

A chatbot is an artificial intelligence or a computer program that interacts with a user through text or audio. It’s hard to imagine a world without chatbots since it has become part of ordinary transactions today. However, they weren’t always around to assist customers.

Chatbots was first contemplated by Alan Turing, an English computer scientist who authored the paper, “Computer Machinery and Intelligence”, in 1950. In his article, Turing outlined the Turing artificial intelligence test and challenged his students and colleagues by asking whether machines can think.

The Turing test inspired many computer scientists. Among them was Joseph Weizenbaum, who created ELIZA in 1966. ELIZA set out the foundation for the structure of chatbots used today such as pre-programmed responses, keywords, and specific phrases.

Other bots followed thereafter. In 1995, A.L.I.C.E, a language-processing bot, gained popularity. In 2001, Smarterchild, which is considered as a precursor of Siri and S Voice, was distributed across SMS networks.

The last decade saw bots as an integral part of tech companies. For example, IBM has Watson, Apple has Siri, Google has Google Now, Samsung has S Voice, Amazon has Alexa, Microsoft has Cortana and Facebook has Portal (backed by Alexa).

In 2016, Facebook further facilitated the development of AI-enabled customer service when it launched a messaging platform that enabled business developers to create bots that converse with their followers. Businesses have also integrated chatbots on their websites.

Impact of AI to Customer Service

In research conducted by Forrester, messaging itself ranked as the No.1 customer service channel preferred by consumers in South Korea, Singapore, India and the US, and among the top three preferred channels across the world.

Small wonder then, a large proportion of businesses (both big and small) and incorporating some form of messaging functionality into their CRM.

The following are the top cited benefits that come from AI customer service:

Round-the-clock Service

Chatbots can be operational 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, allowing them to serve your customers even while you’re sleeping or doing other tasks.

Instantaneous Response

Contemporary consumers desire immediate results and lean on businesses that deliver on promptness. One study on chatbot user experience found that 40 per cent of consumers don’t care whether a human or a chatbot responds to their questions as long as they get quick help.

Easy Access

Chatbots can be easily accessed by users who are increasingly moving away from traditional phone inquiries and want everything accessible from their mobile phone.

Consumers are not the only ones who benefit from chatbots. According to Chatbots Magazine, the incorporation of AI-enabled customer support by businesses has saved up to 30% in cost as it allows prompt resolution of basic customer queries. Juniper Research relayed that chatbots were responsible for a $20 million business savings in 2017. In addition, research by PWC showed 34 per cent of business executives express that utilizing chatbots reduced their workload and allowed them to focus on creating new business ideas, which were previously spent on resolving clients’ concerns.

Aside from the benefits mentioned, the use of chatbots can also increase your sales.

In a recent experiment conducted by HubSpot using Facebook Messenger to drive and follow up leads to an event, they saw an incredible 477 per cent reduction in lead cost, and 242 per cent increase in opens, followed by a 619 per cent increase to their click through rate. Not bad for a free bot integration.

Similarly, in 2017 a bot created by the organizers of the Australian Open directly outperformed Ticketek in selling tickets for the popular tennis tournament. The bot drove 170 per cent more conversions than the Ticketek for a 25x return on investment.

Disclaimer: Content may be edited for style and length. Source

3 Ways Asia Is Shaping Digital Consumers Of The Future

3 Ways Asia Is Shaping Digital Consumers Of The Future

Image Credit: LightRocket via Getty Images

A surge in smartphone usage over the last decade spurred an infatuation with the mobile device, which has spilled over into commerce activities. Even activities that were predominantly performed on other devices are now shifting to phones in greater numbers.

The rise of social commerce, digital wallets and now super apps are three of the clearest ways that Asia has most impacted the digital consumer globally. These are all trends that first gained steamed in Asia Pacific. Those in different parts of the world have taken noticed and attempted to replicate at least portions of the strategy. The below explores how these three trends took shape in Asia and what others can learn from these developments:

1. Marrying social life with commerce

Asian consumers take a pragmatic approach to time spent online. For example, WeChat can be used to hail a taxi, order food delivery, buy cinema tickets, pay utility bills and even book a doctor’s appointment, all via an integrated app. In contrast, social media in the West is much more fragmented, with a variety of apps from a plethora of competitors fulfilling those needs.

As social media grew in popularity in the East, these platforms worked with companies to bring their brand messaging into the wide network of personal influencers. As a result, one of the first places where social converged with commerce was Asia Pacific. In contrast, Western social media players have been less confident about the introduction of purchasing tools and how to leverage social platforms in the consumer engagement process to build more genuine relationships. Recommendations from known connections is especially valuable in a market like China where consumers often do not trust official sources. Instead, their purchasing decisions are influenced more by word of mouth. In fact, 40% of China’s consumers find recommendations from families and friends “extremely influential”, compared to only 32% in the US and 26% in the UK, according to Euromonitor International’s 2019 Lifestyles Survey.

2. The super app revolution

Besides social commerce, Asia Pacific also gave rise to the super app revolution. A super app is a multifunctional mobile app combining several features, such as communication, lifestyle, social, financial and retail, in a single platform. This type of app enables companies to leverage their existing infrastructure to generate new revenue streams and increase consumer engagement. Consumers have embraced these all-in-one apps because they offer a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient experience.

These apps first emerged in Asia on the back of popular social platforms like WeChat. Tencent layered additional services, including ones that would assist with aspects of a consumer’s financial and retail life, in its core messaging platform to drive usage and engagement.

While many super apps like WeChat are rooted in messaging, others like Go-Jek started in transport. Established in 2011 as a motorbike-hailing mobile app in Indonesia, Go-Jek capitalized on its network of 200,000 drivers across 25 cities to begin offering services in other sectors. Singapore-based Grab, which started in 2012 as a taxi-hailing platform, now offers a plethora of everyday services as well. In 2018, the company launched a payment platform, GrabPay, and a foodservice delivery platform, GrabFood, and acquired Uber’s business in Southeast Asia. Adding delivery to transport-based apps is a natural way to leverage existing resources like a logistics network to create new revenue streams.

3. A hotbed for digital wallet exploration

Digital wallets are another area where Asia Pacific is taking the lead when it comes to tech-inspired commerce. Asia Pacific is being overrun with these alternative payment platforms.

Digital wallets have taken different forms depending on market dynamics. In China, more than half of 1 billion people use mobile payment services, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, to transact in online and brick-and-mortar stores. In Singapore, the industry is extremely fragmented compared to China, with the island nation having 27 different digital wallets. Even in cash-dominated societies, such as India, mobile wallets like Paytm helped drive growth of digital payments.

Asia Pacific is the global leader in mobile payments. In 2018, Asian consumers transacted US$1.6 trillion on mobile devices, corresponding to 61% of the total mobile payment value globally, according to Euromonitor International. Asian connected consumers are more likely to use their mobile phone on either a weekly or monthly basis to buy goods or services than their counterparts elsewhere, according to Euromonitor International’s 2019 Lifestyles Survey.

Asia will continue to write the digital consumer story for years to come

Asia Pacific is already an important region based on many metrics and will increase its leadership in the future. With the global balance of power continuing to shift to Asia, the region will continue to be the largest market for digital commerce in the next five years. Of course, China is a key driver. By 2023, China will account for an estimated 64% of digital commerce in Asia Pacific and 27% globally, according to Euromonitor International.

Retailers and brands wishing to win in Asia must embrace the digital channel as a key one for reaching and engaging consumers. It is important to consider how consumers use their mobile phones within larger lifestyle choices like social media. Mobile will continue to play a fundamental role, similar to the three trends highlighted above.

Source: Forbes