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Local business surprised with order for ornaments that ended up on the White House Christmas Tree
A small 3D printing shop in Miami unknowingly helped to decorate the White House for this year’s holiday season.
Chicago small business advocate pushes for less red tape
(The Center Square) – Small Business Advocacy Council President Elliott Richardson prides himself on tirelessly pushing the envelope when it comes to making life more bearable for Chicago small business owners. “Small businesses really could use a point person at City Hall to help them through the process,” Richardson told The Center Square.
How smart small business owners are planning for a successful 2026 — even on a tight budget
Affordable small business internet, strategic spending, and investing in people help owners like Amanda Hofman and Sara McCarthy prepare for success.
Business editor Adam Daigle's top five stories of the year: Trader Joe's is No. 1
The sale of the Northgate Mall was the No. 2 story of the year.
Susan B. Anderson turned a passion for knitting into a family business
Anderson and her son, Evan Anderson, run Barrett Wool Co., a small business that sells knitting patterns, kits and wool yarn.
SPONSORED Premium rewards, zero hassle: The business card that helps you grow
With Capital One's Venture X Business card, small business owners skip the complexity of other premium cards and turn everyday spending into real momentum.
Silhouette Shoppe receives $200k small business grant from state
QUINCY — The Silhouette Shoppe, an intimate apparel boutique located at 117 N. Sixth St., was awarded a $204,010 small business grant last month through the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program. Nearly $10 million in total was awarded to 47 businesses throughout the state to support capital improvement and infrastructure projects. The Silhouette...
Science in a French City, Which I Shall Not Name
It has a beautiful historic center with typical old European streets and an impressive number of museums. It is a delightful area of narrow cobbled streets, small charming squares, and beautiful old buildings. It is a very old city—more than 2,000 years old. It is a green city with many parks. There are 14 churches and cathedrals in this city, although over the years it has become less Christian and more Muslim. [Alex Gordon]
MSI MEG X870E Godlike X Edition Review
MSI aims for the AMD motherboard crown with one of the most over the top halo tier models we've seen yet. You get a crazy specification with cutting edge features and an equally mad price. But has MSI done enough to beat the competition?
Small Business Promotion Week: Ritzy Glitzy
When Dulce Sarahi Chairez got started doing eyelashes, she had no idea where her business journey would take her.
Fort Lauderdale couple turns their passion for photography into small business
Small Business Administration unveils new initiative to roll back federal regulations
SBA unveils new initiative targeting Biden-era regulations that imposed $6 trillion in compliance costs on American families and small firms nationwide.
Top 25 And 1: Small margin separates No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Arizona
There is very little separating the Wolverines and the Wildcats in the Top 25 And 1
My kids went to an outdoor elementary school with no art, music, or library. They loved it, but adjusting to public school was hard.
My kids loved their private elementary school because they got to learn in small groups outside. They missed out on a lot, but it was worth it.
With new tech and science roadmap, New Mexico looks to turn research strength into economic growth
Nora Meyers Sackett says New Mexico’s small, intertwined tech ecosystem can sometimes suffer from si ...
Innovate Alabama can be incredibly important to our state’s economic future: op-ed
Innovate Alabama is small in appropriation but monumental in potential
At this small buyout firm, talking about AI for cost-cutting is off-limits
Unlike their buyout peers, Tide Rock isn't looking to AI to cut costs. Instead, it's CEO told us, its using it to find new customers and deals.
Small Business Technology News This Week: Does Microsoft Have “Shoddy” Products?
Also: Agents are increasingly being used in the enterprise and some think AI could replace seasonal workers.
The geography of grief, mapped from Louisiana all the way across Texas: Jan Risher
A long drive across Texas isn’t just about the scenery. It’s about the horizons, the small surprises, and the unexpected ways grief finds its space.
From shoplifting to return fraud, how America became a nation of small-time scammers, cheaters, and thieves
Everyday consumers are shoplifting, cheating on returns, and committing other "mini crimes" to get back at big businesses.
Small business owners seeing effect of paid parking in Wichita
Owners say the parking is making a difference in sales during the holidays.
Winter Doesn't Slow Down Entertainment in Buena Vista - by Carly Winchell
Buena Vista (BV) has become known as a small town with a lively music scene. Entertainment does not die down during the winter months either. Below are a
Bill aims to safeguard small businesses operating franchise chains
A returning bill in Arizona aims to protect small-business owners operating large chain restaurants and businesses as franchisees, facing heavy opposition.
Teen’s video a ‘Breakthrough’ in science communication
Seventeen-year-old Grace Lee from Chula Vista is gaining national attention as a finalist in the global Breakthrough Junior Challenge, an annual competition that invites students to create original videos explaining complex scientific ideas in creative and engaging ways. Founded in 2015, the contest encourages young people to break down advanced scientific theories using imagination and storytelling— “Steven Spielberg meets Albert Einstein,” as organizers describe it. Lee’s submission centers on the principle of least time in physics, a concept that explains why light always travels the path that takes the least amount of time. To bring the idea to life, she used intricate origami characters and stop-motion animation, along with simple at-home experiments, she said. “The fact that light always travels via the path that takes the least amount of time sounds simple at first, but nature is full of surprises,” she said. “This principle is actually very profound and underlies many different fields in physics that seem completely unrelated, from optics to Newton’s laws to Einstein’s theory of relativity.” Also, origami has long been one of her passions and integrating it into her project felt natural. She often makes origami gifts for friends and teaches origami in her school clubs. “A single 10-second scene would take hours to craft,” she said, noting the mixture of stop-motion and post-production editing required to animate expressions and movement. To ensure the science remained accurate and accessible, she spent time reading books and online resources, writing a script, creating a storyboard, and filming and editing repeatedly until the visuals worked.The experiments were among the biggest challenges. To demonstrate water waves, she used everyday household items — “a spatula and an electric toothbrush to vibrate the waves, glass in a baking pan for different depths, and an iPhone flashlight so the waves would be visible.” She also put careful thought into explaining the principle through analogies, including a gingerbread man and a fox. “Analogies and visuals are incredibly important,” she said. “Visual demonstrations allow viewers to see how the science actually works.” Beyond the competition, Lee is deeply involved in science leadership and advocacy. She serves as International President of miRcore, the world’s largest student computational biology organization, with 136 chapters across five countries. She leads a 20-member executive board, organizes outreach connecting schools worldwide, and has helped run workshops at locations including Scripps Research Institute and the University of Michigan. “I used to be intimidated,” she said, but she gradually grew her skills and confidence. “Now I am no longer afraid to use my voice and enthusiasm to bring out the best in others.” Her research experience includes two peer-reviewed papers on asthma and vaping. Misconceptions around vaping, she said, show why clear science communication matters. “Our research shows that there is long-term harm to your lungs on the cellular level that isn’t obvious unless you come down with an illness like the flu,” she said. Lee also founded Full Hearts at Eastlake High School, transforming the small club into one of the school’s largest, with hands-on service projects in partnership with local nonprofits. She continues mentoring younger students to sustain the mission. If she wins the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, Grace hopes the $100,000 science lab prize for her school will expand opportunities for students who have limited access to equipment and hands-on science outside the classroom.
Cows forgotten on an island survived alone for 130 years — their story fascinates scientists - Futura-Sciences
In the late 19th century, a small group of cattle was left behind on Amsterdam Island, a remote spot in the subantarctic region. Against the odds, the herd survived and adapted to the island’s harsh ... Read more
Efforts to help small businesses in Tucson
Businesses that have closed in downtown and Fourth Avenue have all felt it, so is there anything that can be done to protect the remaining businesses?
After House GOP's unprecedented cuts, a potentially long wait for info
A small group of House Republicans single-handedly cut hundreds of millions in previously approved spending. The full impact remains unknown.
Report: Small business optimism up, but worries percolate
An increase in business owners expecting more sales was the biggest factor in the increased Optimism Index.
Wilmington small business owner announces NC Senate District 7 candidacy
Wilmington small business owner Jessica Bichler filed for candidacy in N.C. Senate District 7, announcing her bid for a seat Democrats view as a key opportunity to break the Republican supermajority in 2026.
Pittsburgh's Black Market showcases local and Black-owned businesses
The Black Market, part of the Peoples Gas Holiday Market in Pittsburgh, is a venue where small businesses sell unique homemade gifts like purses, jewelry and body butters.
Space Force officials fear program delays from small business fund fight
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office already is seeing an impact from the congressional impasse on reauthorizing Pentagon use of Small Business Innovation Program grants, Director Kelly Hammett said.
Serato Debuts 'SLAB' – Its First Standalone Beatmaking Device
Created in partnership with AlphaTheta, it features a 7-inch OLED touch display, 16 RGB pads, stems control – and it's small enough to fit in your backpack.
Small Business Administration offices in Palisades, Eaton fire zones to close next week
The Small Business Administration is preparing to close its two Los Angeles area offices, but those impacted by the January wildfires can still get help.
December 12, 2025
Over the past century, most cancer research has focused on the tumor itself. Rakesh Jain focused on the tumor’s environment instead. Plus, a glacier’s edge can be a dangerous place to do research. One team is using robots and sound samples to monitor the melting ice. And, when cases of plague pop up in the US, it can feel straight up medieval. It’s treatable, but how and why does it persist?
Senator Demands Federal Agencies Halt Small Business Contracts, Citing Investigation of Native Hawaiian Firm
Joni Ernst, chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, sent letters to 22 federal agencies saying the no-bid contracts granted through a Small Business Administration program are a “fraud magnet.”
New laws to be considered after ‘harrowing stories’ from ex-Vodafone franchisees
Concerns about power imbalance in franchise agreements amid claims over firm’s treatment of small-business owners
Jonathan Blow has spent the past decade designing 1,400 puzzles for you
Preview: Order of the Sinking Star started small but became a “combinatoric explosion.”…
Seahawks To Host Small Businesses At Marketplace During Inspire Change Gameday On Sunday
During pregame of Sunday’s game vs. the Colts, there will be a marketplace featuring small businesses that are a part of Seattle’s Hawks Huddle small business partnership.
Local business owner introduces monthly hands-on AI workshops
GRAND JUNCTION Colo. (KREX)- A local business owner and educator is launching a new AI training series designed specifically for small business owners in Grand Junction. Nick Gumpert, owner of the UPS Store on 12th Street and Patterson Road, is introducing a monthly lineup of hands-on artificial intelligence workshops beginning in February. Gumpert said after […]
A guide to self-employment tax for small business owners
Self-employment tax isn't an "extra" tax — it's the same payroll tax that was always there, now just fully visible to new small business owners.
AirPods Pro 3 Drop to New $199 Low Price on Amazon
Apple's AirPods Pro 3 have hit a new record low price of $199.00 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. This deal beats the Black Friday price we saw last month by about $20. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Breakthrough 3D wiring architecture enables 10,000-qubit quantum processors
The novel 3D wiring architecture and chip fabrication method enable quantum processing units containing 10,000 qubits to fit in a smaller space than today's 100-qubit chips.
Man Utd financial results: Cost-cutting having an impact in first quarter numbers for new financial year
Redundancies and other cost-cutting measures at Man Utd have been reflected in their latest quarterly financial results; there have been small losses that will not be significant for a business of their size; the results will also not affect their plans for the January transfer window
Water damage tops small business insurance claims, Hartford insurer finds
Water leaks and frozen pipes tied with burglary and slip-and-fall incidents as the most common small business insurance claims in 2025, each accounting for 20% of filings with The Hartford, […]
I went hands-on with the Galaxy Z TriFold at Dubai Mall — Samsung's tri-fold has a distinct advantage over the Huawei Mate XT, and the design is much better than I expected
It costs an absurd amount of money, but the Galaxy Z TriFold isn't just a tech demo — this is a tablet-sized foldable you can actually use.
Why Indiana Republicans Are Standing Up to Trump
Small-c conservatism is still a point of pride in the state.
Small businesses worry of 'insane' costs once this key tax credit expires
Half of ACA tax credit users are small business owners, employees. The credits are about to expire.
Billionaires are spending massive sums on politics. A backlash brews.
An anti-oligarch protest in a small Indiana town shows the depth of the national backlash against the concentration of wealth and power.
UK Sports Cardiology helps marathoner back to chasing 50-state goal
After a midrace cardiac arrest, Brian Rice was advised not to run again. But with help from UK HealthCare’s Sports Cardiology Program, Rice is back chasing his dream of running a marathon in every state.
The New WHO Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance: Incorporating Common but Differentiated Responsibilities into PABS - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty designed to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The product of three years of arduous negotiations, the treaty marks a new era of global cooperation in public health. However, core aspects of the agreement remain unresolved—notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, which is intended to ensure equitable access to pandemic-related materials and benefits. To support the successful implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Introduction For the first time, an international treaty has enshrined the principle of “One Health,” the compelling idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment all contribute to pandemic risks. SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009–10), Ebola (2014–16), and COVID-19 all emerged through zoonotic spillover from animal hosts—respectively, civets, hogs, and bats. Together, they underscore the need for a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach. The Pandemic Agreement responds to this call, requiring state parties to acknowledge the ecological interplay and commit to a comprehensive “One Health” strategy. Specifically, Article 5 charges governments to address “the drivers of pandemics and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface,” including wild animal markets, deforestation, and antibiotic overuse. Yet the effectiveness of this “One Health” vision depends equally on the free flow of scientific information and data among countries and institutions. Just as environmental and animal health factors have been neglected in past global frameworks, so too has data sharing been marginalized, despite its centrality to timely detection and response. The Pandemic Agreement takes an important step by requiring governments to enhance data collection and cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these provisions will remain aspirational without a robust Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. The PABS system will determine whether countries and researchers can rapidly exchange pathogen samples and genetic data while ensuring equitable access to resulting research and development, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Without such mechanisms, the treaty’s promise to operationalize “One Health” and strengthen global preparedness will risk becoming largely symbolic, echoing earlier failures to translate shared principles into coordinated action. Equity Concerns When the 2025 Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, it left the difficult question of access to pathogens and the sharing of resulting benefits to be addressed in a separate agreement. Negotiations on this separate agreement, PABS, are now underway in Geneva. Yet governments remain divided over fundamental questions of equity between the countries that primarily contribute to the system and those that primarily draw from it—and consequently benefit. For example, wildlife in countries bordering the equator is likely to produce PABS materials, but companies in Europe are likely to use them to develop lucrative products. The most likely contributor countries are likely to be those biodiverse countries around the equator, such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, where the number of human-mammalian viral host interactions is large. Conversely, countries most likely to benefit from this material are those with the technology, investors, and infrastructure to capitalize on genomic data, such as the United States, EU member states, and Japan. This imbalance reflects a broader pattern seen in prior international frameworks. Now, as in the past, the wealthiest countries in the world (a useful heuristic is membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) disproportionately benefit from systems in which pathogens and genomic sequencing data are contributed to a common source. Under the International Agreement on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the “Plant Treaty” or “Seed Treaty”) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, companies from Europe and North America disproportionately withdraw biological samples and data for development into lucrative medical products. Their governments and companies have both statutory and contractual claims to the products that those companies correspondingly produce. PABS appears poised to follow the same pattern. The text calls for strong language on access to pathogens and associated data, but the corresponding benefits that should flow to poorer countries are couched in equivocal or non-binding language. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities To address these inequities, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Common but differentiated responsibilities are often a feature of climate change negotiations. The basic principle is that, even though all countries should reduce carbon emissions, governments that became rich and powerful through massive carbon emissions (e.g., France, the United Kingdom, the United States) should have a greater obligation to address the resulting crises. Applied to PABS, it would require that governments hosting and supporting companies developing lucrative products carry greater obligations toward the cost of running the PABS system; share benefits or final medical products; and transfer technology to help countries worldwide develop their own capacities to innovate and manufacture vaccines during an emergency. For example, an annex could mandate that any company based in an OECD country that withdraws PABS material would be obligated to donate the resulting diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines to the WHO during a public health emergency or pandemic. Questions remain about how robust those donations would be, but the principle is that they should deliver highly significant lifesaving benefits to be equitably shared. Theoretically, this approach mirrors the PIP Framework, in which companies withdrawing influenza samples are required to pay half of the operating costs. In practice, however, the framework has fallen short. The PIP Framework Secretariat has struggled to secure payments from companies, with companies often disagreeing over how much is owed. Additionally, without another pandemic influenza to test the strength of the agreement during a public health emergency, corporate compliance with sharing mechanisms remains unknown. Even if these limitations did not characterize the PIP Framework, partially paying for operating expenses does not address the inequity in access to genetic data and pathogen samples that left less developed countries last in line for COVID-19 vaccines (and, before them, H1N1). Common but differentiated responsibilities would go further, addressing governments’ legitimate grievances regarding information sharing. It would make withdrawals of PABS material and resulting products more transparent, building trust across the board. Enforcement and Enduring Success A key implication of this approach is that the governing mechanism of the PABS must have real enforcement authority. The WHO Pandemic Agreement delegates its core governance responsibilities to a Conference of the Parties (COP)—a governing body composed of one representative from each participating government, similar to those established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed WHO Pandemic Agreement COP is charged with oversight functions but ultimately possesses no real authority to compel a government to take any action it does not wish to take. The text does not give the COP the ability to, for example, sanction a party that does not comply with either textual obligations or PABS provisions. In other words, there are no effective mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. Perhaps just as significant, establishing a meaningful enforcement mechanism within the PABS system would strengthen the WHO’s credibility and its ability to ensure compliance across global health governance. By setting a precedent for accountability, such a mechanism could enhance the organization’s authority not only within the Pandemic Agreement but also in enforcing the revised International Health Regulations and other frameworks for public health emergencies. Conclusion The PABS annex can—and should—be different. It should establish clear responsibilities for funding as well as for sharing the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that result from contributions to the system. The system, in turn, must include a dedicated body empowered to hold governments and the corporations they sponsor accountable for their responsibilities before, during, and after pandemics. Doing so would restore trust in the broader agreement, which was eroded as commitments were repeatedly diluted while parties scrambled to meet their own self-imposed deadlines during the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A robust PABS Annex would cement a grand social bargain. Wealthier countries and their corporations would gain unimpeded access to scientific information essential for developing and manufacturing lifesaving medical products. As such, they would stand to gain considerable economic benefit. Yet that privilege must be matched with responsibility. The grand bargain must include not only the right to innovate, but also the duty to ensure that innovation serves all. As medical products are developed and produced through collective contributions, every person must have equal access. All human beings deserve an equitable chance to survive—to save their own life, the lives of their families, and the well-being of their communities. … Sam Halabi, JD, MPhil, is the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Health and the Director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at Georgetown Law. He serves as the co-lead for the WHO’s Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI and Health’s training workstream. He earned his JD from Harvard, his MPhil from Oxford, and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University. Lawrence Gostin, LLD (Hon.), JD, BA, is University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director and Timothy and Linda O’Neill Professor of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is the author of Global Health Security: A Blueprint for the Future (Harvard University Press, 2021); Global Health Law (Harvard University Press, 2014); Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2016); Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2018); Law and the Health System (Foundation Press, 2014); Principles of Mental Health Law & Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010). He also directs the WHO Collaborating Center at Georgetown University. Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
45 percent of small business owners cite inflation as one of biggest challenges: Poll
A new poll found that 45 percent of small business owners cite inflation as one of the biggest challenges they currently face. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly Small Business Index also fou…
CBA Shares Stories, Insights, and More From Member Banks Supporting Small Businesses
Last month, the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) celebrated Small Business Saturday with a countdown sharing the important work our member banks do to support Main Streets across America. This blog provides a look back on small business stories, insights, and more from our members. From jewelers and manufacturers to home…
Hartford: 10-Year Analysis Shows Shifts in Common, Expensive Small-Business Claims
Liability risks for small businesses have shifted over the last decade, with fire and slip-and-falls becoming more expensive while water and freezing
FIU helps small business owners harness the potential of AI
Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at FIU teamed up with OpenAI recently to host a hands-on workshop in Wynwood to help 200+ small business leaders learn practical ways to use ChatGPT...
AMD FSR 4 Redstone Review
AMD's FSR Redstone is finally here—and it's more than just another FSR update. With ML-powered frame generation that can match (and sometimes beat) DLSS, smarter ray tracing cleanup, and excellent driver-level support, Redstone turns FSR into a competitive performance solution.
Small businesses report record monthly surge in price increases as inflation pressure mounts
Small businesses hit a record high for price increases in November, with 34% raising prices amid persistent inflation pressures, an NFIB survey reveals.
Gresham touts Garage to Storefront program as way to uplift small business
Program waives first-time fees and helps fill vacant storefronts in business hubs The city of Gresham wants small businesses to thrive and take a bite out of the vacant storefronts across town. The hope is its Garage to Storefront program could be the answer to success. “It helps relieve some of the first-time fees for […]
Science Center of Iowa prepares to reopen popular exhibit
"Small Discoveries" is a play space for kids to explore.
Scientists uncover the hidden survival trick that lets cancer bounce back
Scientists discovered that certain cancer cells use a low-level activation of a DNA-dismantling enzyme—normally seen in cell death—to survive treatment. Instead of dying, these “persister cells” leverage this sublethal signal to regrow. Because the mechanism is non-genetic, it appears much earlier than typical resistance mutations. Targeting this enzyme could help stop tumors from returning.
Is history repeating itself or will Emery 'seize the moment'?
"Arsenal's normally regimented defence had gone missing; Villa's title prospects were soaring," he wrote. Reading back that old report on the train to Villa Park on Saturday refreshed the memory of Gregory's gamble: early in the second half, trailing to two Dennis Bergkamp goals, he replaced Gareth Barry with Stan Collymore and sent Villa charging forward.
Boynton Beach CRA still has $450,000 available for small business grants
At a recent meeting, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) gave an update on businesses they have helped through grants, announcing that $450,000 is still available to be allocated.
7 Quick Wins To Put AI To Work In Your Small Business
Small business leaders are put off AI by perceptions they need to master a sophisticated technology. But simple AI tools are easy to use and will deliver quick results
Small-business owners are losing confidence
The Chamber of Commerce finds inflation the biggest challenge for small business.
Small Business of the Year: Hercules Express Wash, Pinnacle Building Services win big
Hank Keller never dreamed of owning a car wash, but the unexpected path led him to what he now calls “the things we cherish most.”
Investment Firm APEX Is Raising $350 Million To Target European Sports Assets
Large private equity funds have mostly scorned the continent’s smaller teams and leagues, but CEO António Caçorino thinks he can generate outsize returns with deals from $15 million to $50 million.
I’m Trans and Playing Sports Changed Me for the Better
By Sasha Buchert, Lambda Legal Counsel, Nonbinary & Trans Rights Project Director For as long as I can remember, people have been throwing wiffle balls, basketballs, footballs, dodgeballs, volleyballs, frisbees, hockey pucks, and boomerangs at me. As an adult, I’m now part of an adult softball league, where I get softballs hurled at me all...
Local Comment on Latest Small Business Optimism Index
Idaho comment on November 2025 Optimism Index
Small business optimism rises, but owners say qualified workers are still hard to find
Small business optimism rises despite ongoing labor quality concerns as well as inflation challenges, according to new NFIB data showing mixed economic signals.
Watch: Man rips Christmas lights off tree outside Dallas business
Dallas police need help finding a holiday Grinch who destroyed a Christmas light display outside a small business.
6 Ways to Turn Your Small Town Business Into a Local Success Story
Discover practical strategies to build brand awareness, attract loyal customers and stand out in a close-knit community.
Roundup: Small business confidence / Commercial real estate / Private consumer lending
Ticking up: Small business confidence rose slightly in November, with the NFIB optimism index climbing to 99.0 on stronger sales expectations, outperforming forecasts. However, hiring remains challenging, as labor quality is still the top concern. Meanwhile, inflation pressures and supply chain disruptions are growing and uncertainty over future investment has increased. Expectations for better business […]
Trump's approval sees slight bump in poll amid focus on affordability
In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, the president had a small overall approval rating bump, while Republicans' views on one key issue jumped.
Pebble's founder introduces a $75 AI smart ring for recording brief notes with a press of a button
After rebooting the Pebble smartwatch, founder Eric Migicovsky is expanding his company's device lineup with a new smart wearable: an AI-powered smart ring known as Index 01. Named for the finger where the ring is meant to be worn, the new $75 ring is not meant to be a competitor to the always-on, always-listening AI devices, like the AI pendant Friend, but instead offers a way to record quick notes and reminders with a press of a button on the ring's side. AI only comes into play via the open source, speech-to-text, and AI models that run locally on your smartphone, via the open source Pebble mobile app. That is, if the Ring's button is not being pressed, it's not recording. (And this is a press-and-hold gesture, too, which means you can't start the ring's recording and then let go to surreptitiously record a conversation.) You can wear the stainless steel ring while in the shower, washing hands, doing dishes, or in the rain, but you would have to take it off for other water-related activities, like swimming. At launch, it's water-resistant to 1 meter. The ring is also not a fitness tracker or sleep monitor. It doesn't record details about your heart rate or health. And it's not there to be your AI friend. "I'm not trying to build some AI assistant thing," Migicovsky told TechCrunch in an interview. "I build things that solve one main problem, and they solve it really well," he explains. "I think of as external memory for my brain...that's what this is. It's always with you." Plus, the ring has been designed to be highly reliable and privacy-preserving, he says, as all your thoughts are stored on your phone, not in the cloud. There is no subscription. Migicovsky has been wearing the ring for three months now and says he cannot imagine going back to a world where he doesn't always have a memory device with him. "The problem is that, during the day, I get ideas or I remember something, and if I don't write it down that second, I forget it," he says. The ring solves this problem, he adds, without becoming another device you need to charge. "The battery lasts for years," Migicovsky claims. Technically, the ring is said to support roughly 12 to 14 hours of recording. On average, the founder says he uses it 10-20 times per day to record 3-6 second thoughts. At that rate, he'll get about two years of usage. When the ring's battery dies, you can ship it back to the company for recycling. When using Index, you can record up to five minutes of audio, which can be saved to the ring and synced to your phone later. This makes sense for recording briefer, personal thoughts and notes, even when you don't have your phone handy, but it wouldn't work for recording a longer chat, like a presentation, meeting, or in-person interview of some kind. The ring also supports 99+ languages and has a bit of on-device memory, in case you're not in Bluetooth range of your device, where the recording is ultimately saved and transcribed. (The raw audio is retained, too, in case the speech-to-text is garbled due to loud background noise). If you own a Pebble smartwatch or one from another brand, your recorded thought can even appear on the watch's screen so you can verify it's correct. The ring works with Pebble's mobile app, which offers notes and reminders, but can optionally integrate with your phone's calendaring system, too, or other apps, like Notion. And the ring's software is open source, which makes it hackable by the community, the founder points out. Because of its open nature, the ring's button is already programmable. In addition to the press-and-hold gesture, you can program the ring to do other things with a single or double press, like play or pause your music or control the shutter on your phone's camera. You could use it to send a message through the universal chat app Beeper, which Migicovsky also created, or you could add your own voice actions via MCP. A new approach to hardware Migicovsky acknowledges that hardware can be difficult to get right -- as the previous exit of Pebble to Fitbit showed. (Fitbit, too, was later acquired by Google in 2021). "I didn't earn any money during Pebble -- we exited, but it was not a great exit," Migicovsky admits. This year, however, he decided to reboot the Pebble project after Google open sourced the PebbleOS, which opened up the door to new hardware. With his new company, Core Devices, Migicovsky plans to do things differently. Still, the founder doesn't regret his previous choices, he clarifies. "I wouldn't have gone back and changed anything. I loved what we built. I loved what we did. I love the company that we built, but it's not the only way to build a company," he told TechCrunch. " And, speaking as an ex-YC partner, there are -- there's a time and a place for building a venture-backed startup. Some companies are phenomenal when they raise money and build a big team, and I tried that...I think what I'm doing now is trying an alternative path, which is start from profitability," he says. The new company is a small team of five, self-funded, and focused on sustainability. So far, Core Devices has shipped the Pebble 2 Duo smartwatch with a black-and-white display. Its first run sold out, and the company is now preparing to ship the upgraded version, the Pebble Time 2. The newer device, which has seen 25,000 pre-orders, is a stainless steel watch with a larger, color e-ink screen. As for the Index 01, the ring's pre-order offer ends in March 2026. After that, the price increases to $99. It currently comes in silver, polished gold, and matte black and works with iOS and Android devices. Customers can select from eight ring sizes and three colors.
Apple's M5 iPad Pro Returns to All-Time Low Black Friday Prices at Up to $180 Off
Amazon and Best Buy today opened up big discounts across the M5 iPad Pro lineup, offering as much as $180 off select tablets. Prices start at $899.00 for the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M5 iPad Pro at Amazon, down from $999.00. All deals in this sale match — or beat — the record low prices we tracked during Black Friday. Note. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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Kelsie Moak: Quick ways to strengthen your digital defenses
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AirPods Pro 3 Matching Black Friday Low Price of $219.99 on Amazon
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UK publishes small business finance review findings
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Winners Announced for 2025 IAPO Business Awards
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SBA extends deadline for 2026 National Small Business Week Awards nominations
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New police Chief Clay Morris to speak to Hoover Small Business Alliance
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Omaha small business vendors see improved sales at Midwest Fest weekend
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Madison businesses ‘redo’ Small Business Saturday after storms slowed holiday shopping
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Christmas in LeClaire offers fun, helps make up for Small Business Saturday
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