Top Stories: Google Plans Glass Revival, Office 2016 Debuts


Top Stories: Google Plans Glass Revival, Office 2016 Debuts

Google says it’s going to try again on the previously unpopular wearable device, Google Glass. This is the same technology that resulted in traffic tickets, people getting kicked out of establishments and its own derisive term. But the company has a new team on the project and we could be seeing a reboot in the near future.

Also, Microsoft released the long-awaited Office 2016 suite of productivity apps. And the new program won’t be just for PC users. Mac users can now buy a full version of Office, too.

Read about these items and more in our weekly Small Business Trends news and information roundup.

Technology Trends

Remember Google Glass? A Revival is Being Planned

Despite Google’s failure to hit the bull’s eye on its first run with the Google Glass project, the tech giant doesn’t seem ready to give up on the project. At least, not yet. For those who are hearing about the device for the first time, Google Glass is a wearable computer that gives users hands-free access to a number of smartphone features.

Office 2016 is Now Here

If you have been anticipating the final release of Office 2016, your wait is over. The latest version of Office has been in preview for some time now, but Microsoft announced on Tuesday that the worldwide release for Office 2016 is here. But this news is not just for Windows users. Apple users have access, too.

GoDaddy Pro Expands Features Available to Program Members

Web hosting and domain registrar GoDaddy says that it has surpassed the 50,000 user mark on its paid GoDaddy Pro program. The subscription service provides tools for Web developers and designers who, GoDaddy says, maintain about 60 percent of small business websites. The company launched its GoDaddy Pro service late last year.

Verizon Hum Makes Your Business Vehicle Secure

Verizon Telematics, a division of Verizon, has announced the release of hum, a technology that makes cars smart, regardless of the their wireless service provider. With Verizon hum, Small businesses can now benefit from services that have been available to fleet managers and insurance companies for more than a decade.

eCommerce

Amazon Webstores Merchants May be Headed to Shopify

Come July 2016, Amazon’s Webstore will be no more. With less than a year to go, the small and medium-sized businesses the platform was designed for will have to find another eCommerce solution. The company first made the announcement it would be discontinuing the service in March 2015.

eBay Launches New Speedy Shipping Service in Germany

eBay is set to launch a new membership program in Germany that includes a free, speedy shipping service. The eCommerce giant will debut the eBay Plus membership program in Germany, according to a Wall Street Journal report. With an annual price of $22, it includes free delivery within two days on items sold by thousands of merchants that sell product on eBay.

Online Marketing

Adam Bosworth of Salesforce on Customer-Centricity and the Internet of Things

Last week during Salesforce’s massive Dreamforce conference, they officially announced their Internet of Things (IoT) Cloud to help organizations leverage the power of connected devices – and the information they can provide – to create better real time experiences throughout the customer life cycle.

Livestreaming Lets Brands and Entrepreneurs Target Millennials

Livestreaming communities put businesses on a fast track for discovering and engaging Millennials. By 2018, half of America’s workforce will identify as Millennials. They cringe at the thought of being “targeted” by traditional marketing tactics. Instead, they’d rather be seen as future leaders, collaborators and idea-tors.

What is Visme and How Do I Use It for Business?

If two of your greatest obstacles to implementing an effective content marketing campaign are “Producing Engaging Content” and “Producing Content Consistently” you’re not alone. The fact is that many businesses cite “lack of internal content creation resources” as their No. 1 challenge to content marketing success.

Local Marketing

Subject of Google Robocall Lawsuit No Stranger to Complaints

The same California marketing company that Google sued over robocalls has a history of online complaints against it, along with one other lawsuit. Local Lighthouse of Tustin, California, has had at least 250 complaints (that we counted) lodged against it on websites such as Yelp.com, ComplaintsBoard.com, Pissedconsumer.com, and RipoffReport.com.

Product Lists

25 Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts

Most of people spend enough time on computers every single day to want shortcuts for the repetitive tasks they perform most often. For many people, the mouse is the preferred tool. But there are a lot of Windows keyboard shortcuts that are faster and more efficient. And there are some exclusive to Windows 10.

Amazon Has Four New Tablets, Including One for Just $50

If there was one company that was going to introduce a six-pack of tablets, it was going to be Amazon. The company just released four new Amazon tablets to its Fire line and one of them comes in at $49.99. Amazon’s thinking, at that price, why not grab a few? If you decide to buy five, Amazon will throw in one for free in a handy six-pack carrying case.

Small Biz Spotlight

Spotlight: Angels’ Cup Founders Inspired by Love of Coffee

Coffee is something you can get just about anywhere. But the experience of a blind coffee tasting is a bit more rare. Even more rare is a coffee tasting experience, or cupping as it’s commonly referred to, that’s done via an app. That’s what Angels’ Cup provides. The relatively new business is working on growing a steady base of loyal coffee fans.

Small Business Operations

Highlights from the Twitter Chip Card #SmallBizChat

A deadline of sorts is approaching for small businesses. As of Oct. 1, merchants are being asked to begin accepting new EMV or “chip” cards replacing the older magnetic strip cards in use since the 1970s. The new cards contain a microchip and are inserted into the point-of-sale terminal for the entire duration of payment, not simply swiped as with older cards.

Social Media

Facebook Tracking Likes? Soon They will Help Target Ads

One of the ways Facebook collects data about its users is through the Like button. With a snippet of code added to a Webpage, the company knows the sites you visit. While this has been a point of contention for privacy advocates, Facebook has permission — understood or not — from its users to track their activities.

Facebook Signal Will Help Journalists Cover Your Business

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs now use Facebook to share news and information about their brands, products or services. Now, a new tool called Facebook Signal will make it easier for journalists to follow, collect content and report on your brand or business — or any other newsworthy content on Facebook.

Pinterest Monthly Users Hit 100 Million, Is Your Company One?

Pinterest has crossed a pretty big line – 100 million users. A blog post by Enid Hwang, Pinterest’s community manager reads: “Back in 2010 when we first started Pinterest, we were blown away by how many ways people found to use it.

Startup

Startup Gives Students a New Way to Seek Scholarships

As the cost of college continues to increase, students and their families have had to seek out and find creative ways to cover all of the expenses. Abby Saxastar was one of those students. But in order to cover her tuition at Stetson University, a private college in central Florida, Saxastar got some help from a new startup, Raise.me.

What’s in the DNA of an Entrepreneur?

What makes entrepreneurs tick? While there’s likely no definitive answer, Hiscox Insurance recently released its 7th annual “DNA of an Entrepreneur” report which contains a lot of interesting insights. There is a lot of good news for American entrepreneurs in the report — U.S. small businesses are best in the world when it comes to revenues, profits, and customers.


Google Glass Photo via Shutterstock

2 Comments ▼
2 Reactions
  1. I guess Google is not ready to give up on the Google glass idea just yet. Let’s see how far it can go.

    • google glass is a genius idea. they should minimize it so nobody will notice it. just another pair of glasses.
      then it wont look any geeky. that box should also have a diffrent shape, so wont look geeky.