Yahoo Expands Ad Network, SlideShare Offers Free Features


Yahoo Expands Ad Network, SlideShare Offers Free Features

This week, Yahoo expanded one of its advertising programs to include more Web publishers. This means that businesses may be able to reach more online customers through additional outlets. And more publishers could be able to bring in advertising revenue from this program as well.

In addition, SlideShare announced some added features to its free accounts this week, making presentation sharing even easier (and cheaper) for users. These and more business-centric headlines are included in this week’s small business news roundup.

Online Marketing

Yahoo Opens Its Ad Network to Other Publishers

Yahoo is set to expand its Stream Ads service to allow other Web publishers beyond a close knit group of publishing partners to include its sponsored posts on their sites as well. The Yahoo ads will appear as “recommended content” on participating websites. The recommended content will pull not only from sponsored posts but also a publisher’s own content.

SlideShare Premium Features Are Now Free

SlideShare, the presentation-sharing platform owned by LinkedIn, announced last week that it is making many of its PRO level features free.  The change is effective August 20, 2014. This change means that all users with SlideShare accountswill have access to most premium features.  Those who had been paying for PRO accounts no longer have to pay.

Green Business

Study: Consumers May Doubt the Quality of Green Products

Some entrepreneurs might assume that with environmental concerns top of mind, consumers will always respond positively to green products when available. Not so, a recent study finds. Consumers don’t want companies to focus on being green if it means their products will suffer in some other way.

Solar Powered Startup Provides Protection Against Lion Attacks

How do you stop a lion from attacking your farm animals? If this isn’t a problem you encounter often, then you probably weren’t aware that bright lights help keep the predatory animals away at night. But it is a problem for farmers in rural Africa – and so is getting electricity to their homes.

Mobile Technology

Holy Moley! Largest iPad Ever Coming From Apple

The largest iPad ever is coming soon. A new report indicates that Apple is close to giving the go-ahead to start production on an iPad device with a 12.9-inch screen (diagonally). Unnamed sources say suppliers have been told that production on this device would begin at the beginning of next year. Apple hasn’t confirmed any of these plans just yet.

First Sharp Aquos Smartphone Comes to U.S. Market

The first Sharp AQUOS Crystal smartphone is coming to the U.S. The phone comes with a number of unique features including Sharp’s Aquos LCD display. The Sharp AQUOS Crystal may be the first smartphone available in the U.S. with a true edge-to-edge display. That’s a totally flat screen that extends all the way to the phone’s edges. Sharp is more known for its high-definition televisions.

Moto 360 Smartwatch Price and Specs Leaked

You might have to wait another week to slip the new Moto 360 smartwatch onto your wrist. But at least now you know how much it will cost. The Moto 360, Motorola’s new wearable device, is expected to go on the market Sept. 4. And according to a leak on a product page at BestBuy where the Moto 360 smartwatch is expected to be on sale, the retail price will be $249.99.

Sales

Merchants, Are You Ready for the Square EMV Card Reader?

Square says it’s ready for the nationwide switch to EMV cards next year. Recently, the company said it would soon make available an update to its magnetic strip card readers it introduced several years ago. These readers will be able to process the new EMV cards that should be in millions of consumers’ hands by October 2015.

Small Biz Spotlight

Spotlight: Jetty Productions Creates Professional Videos on a Budget

Video marketing is still a relatively new tool for businesses. Some might even require help with creating compelling video content. That’s where Jetty Productions comes in. Jetty Productions LLC is a digital marketing company that focuses on video content. The video format has the potential to tell a story in a really unique way.

Social Media

17 Ways To Master LinkedIn’s Professional Publishing Platform

When LinkedIn launched as a professional social community  in 2003, it claimed a place in the social space that was not yet represented. LinkedIn is exclusively focused on professional B2C and B2B connections and activities. Learn how to master LinkedIn‘s professional publishing platform.

New re:fluence App Combines Features of Klout, PRWeb

So you’ve created a press release. Will mass-blasting it be helpful? No, in fact, many consider it a spammy method, even if a PR agency or content marketer does the blasting for you. But what about the great content you’ve created? It’s got videos and articles to go with it, and you’re confident the right people will share it.

Startup

Colorado Coffee Shop Focuses on Hiring the Homeless

If you visit RedTail Coffee in Fort Collins, Colorado, your barista could very well be homeless. The coffee shop aims to provide employment opportunities to homeless and low-income people in its community. But its owners also hope to change the attitudes of people throughout the rest of the area.

Taxes

Begich Bill Could Reduce Healthcare Premiums by 18 Percent, Study Says

A bill proposed by Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK, pictured above) to amend the Affordable Care Act could lower health insurance premiums by 18 percent, a study says. The Expanded Consumer Choice Act creates a new, more affordable tier of healthcare coverage, known as the Copper level.

Technology

No More Fumbling: New Reversible USB Connector Announced

If you’ve ever fumbled trying to figure out which end is up on a USB connector, relief is at hand. The importance of the little reversible USB connector to most of our daily business lives can’t be overstated. The plugins are used not just to connect smartphones and tablets to chargers, but also to transfer data from these devices to a laptop, PC or other larger device.

Acer Iconia One 7: Nice Tablet for Users on a Budget, But…

The Acer Iconia One 7 is a nice tablet for the user on a budget. At a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $129.99, it is a very affordable if average tool running on the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. You will be able to update that to Android 4.4, also known as KitKat, in the near future, however.

Microsoft Recommends Uninstalling Windows Update After Systems Crashes

Recent updates to Microsoft Windows may give you grief … if they haven’t already. Microsoft issued an official security bulletin recently that indicates users who have problems after installing one of a series of updates starting Aug. 2 should uninstall that update.

Funding

HubSpot Files for IPO, Hopes to Raise $100 Million

HubSpot, the inbound marketing company founded by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah in 2006, has filed its intentions for an Initial Public Offering. The company says it hopes to raise $100 million from sales of public stock, according to its S-1 filing with the Security Exchange Commission. HubSpot says it plans to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HUBS.

Coolest Cooler is Now Top Earning Kickstarter Campaign

There’s a new top earner among Kickstarter campaigns. The Coolest Cooler is a high-tech appliance that its creator describes as more of a portable party than a regular cooler. The campaign still has a couple of days left, but it’s already raised more than $10.7 million.

Reading Photo via Shutterstock

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  1. I had NO idea LinkedIn owned SlideShare.

    The highlight for me, of all the posts, was the one about the Colorado coffee shop. Just seeing the title made me smile.