LANSING – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 5.5 points in December to 95.9, falling below the average Index value since 1973 of 98. Nine of the 10 Index components declined and only one improved. Owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months declined 24 points to a net negative 16 percent. NFIB,
DETROIT - Recent years have witnessed a surge in the digital media industry, with Internet users worldwide choosing online content as their main source of information and entertainment. However, with millions of people spending more time indoors and online amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the year 2021 is expected to bring records, both in terms of
STAMFORD, Conn.— Worldwide PC shipments totaled 79.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020, a 10.7 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2019, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. For the year, PC shipments reached 275 million units in 2020, a 4.8 percent increase from 2019 and the highest growth in ten
DETROIT - Walmart said this week that it’s creating a fintech start-up with Ribbit Capital, one of the venture capital firms behind Robinhood. The big-box retailer did not share the name of the new company or say when its services will be available. It said it will develop unique and affordable financial products for Walmart
CUPERTINO, CA. - WhatsApp will soon start sharing your data with Facebook whether you like it or not. In light of that, many people are searching for WhatsApp alternatives with deeper focuses on privacy and security. Here are two recommendations. First, when WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion, the messaging app assured users
WASHINGTON DC - Under Donald Trump – America’s gaze shifted more strongly to human missions to the moon and to Mars. Will that focus continue under President Joe Biden? How can NASA expect to fare under Biden? Here is some context. In 2017, Trump appointed Jim Bridenstine, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, to run NASA. The
NEW YORK - With everything moving to streaming services right now, live TV might seem like it’s an archaic thing of the past. But don’t count it out just yet — there’s still programming, like sporting events and award shows — that aren’t easy to find or are even available online, and first-run primetime shows are still broadcast
WASHINGTON DC - Apple and Amazon both cracked down on Parler late Saturday, pulling the app from their Apple store and Amazon Web Services hosting until the conservative social media platform ramps up content moderation. “We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on
LANSING—The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced a request for proposals through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program from the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. The program is designed to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan’s specialty crops, which are defined as "fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and
WASHINGTON DC - The coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath could transform the landscape for U.S. businesses. With a larger remote workforce, expanded delivery options and lingering health fears likely to last long after the pandemic is under control, business owners and entrepreneurs are asking tough questions and bracing for an uncertain future. Businesses that pay
