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I like chatting with my friendswho doesnt?but I dont always know where to find them. There are simply too many apps. Some of my friends text, others use WhatsApp, while others yet insist on using Discord or the DM feature in whatever random social network they prefer. Its a mess, and it can mean keeping several tabs open all day just to keep the conversations flowing. It makes you wish some application could combine all of your conversations into one place. This is a dream that used to be reality. Applications like Trillian, Pidgin, and Adium all combined instant messaging services like AIM, MSN, and ICQ in one handy interface. Over time, though, messaging services got more protective of their APIs, and these sorts of all-in-one portals slowly stopped working. The dream, it seems, is dead. Or is it? This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures! Messaging, minus the mess Time to meetor maybe just rememberan exceptional app that takes all of your messages and puts them in a single streamlined interface for easy, ongoing access. The app is called Beeper. It can connect to all the major messaging platforms: Google Messages, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Google Chat, Facebook Messenger, Signal, LinkedIn, X, Discord, and Slack. Its one application for all of your conversations no matter where they might be happening. Installing Beeper is quicka minute or two, tops, but adding in all of your messaging services could take longer, depending on how many different things youre connecting. Now, if Beeper rings a bell, theres probably a reason. You may recall a controversy around Beeper a few years back involving Apple. The application was initially launched as a way for Android users to send blue bubble messages to Apple usersa feature Apple then worked diligently to shut down. (These days, Beeper can connect to iMessage only via its desktop Mac version.) In the time since then, the programs been acquired by Automattic, the same company behind WordPress and Tumblr, and given both new resources and a new reason for existing. If you have an Android phone, you can use it to manage your text messages alongside messages from other applications (something that, as an iPhone user myself, makes switching to Android a tempting option). And no matter what type of phone youre using, combining several little-used messaging apps into one that you keep openon your phone and/or computeris in and of itself worthwhile. I hardly ever open LinkedIn or Facebook, for instance, and yet I never miss any messages on either platform with Beeper in the mix. Beeper unites all your chat apps and makes them feel like a single streamlined communication system. Ive personally been using Beeper for years, and I love that it creates a single inbox for all of my ongoing conversations across any applications. Before this tool, I would constantly see a notification, intend to respond, and then never get around to it because the message came in via an application I dont check often. That doesnt happen anymore. I honestly believe Beeper makes me better at keeping in touch. I also like that you can archive messages, allowing you to create a sort of inbox zero for text messages. If I see something I intend to respond to later, I simply leave it un-archived in my inboxthe same as I do with emailsthen power through my messages whenever I have a minute. There are a bunch of other nice features beyond that. On the desktop computer front, Beepers keyboard shortcutsincluding a built-in command barmean I can jump between conversations without ever touching my mouse. I could go on, but you get the idea. Beeper is just a well-put-together piece of software that solves a common problem. It takes a little bit of fidgeting to get going at first, but the results are 100% worth it. Beeper runs on Android, iPhone, iPad, ChromeOS, macOS, Windows, and Linuxso basically, everything. The service offers a free version that supports up to five accounts on different messaging services, which is probably plenty for most people. If you need to connect to more than that, youll have to spring for a paid subscription, starting at $10 a month (or $100 a year). Many of Beepers integrations run in the cloud, meaning an encrypted copy of your messages does get stored by the company. The privacy policy is pretty solid, though, and there are no ads or data monetization built into the application. Its funded entirely by subscribers. Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletterstarting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app thatll tune up your days in truly delightful ways.
Category:
E-Commerce
When Starbucks announced that it would phase out its mobile-order pickup-only locations beginning in 2026, it raised a question: Why abandon a format seemingly built for speed and efficiency? As Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol explained in an earnings call, the pickup-only stores have a transactional feel, lacking the warmth and human connection that defines our brand. While Niccol also touted the mobile-order options at its traditional coffee shops, I see Starbuckss move as an attempt to return to its roots as a third placea destination between home and work where people can gather and connect. But this sort of pivot comes with trade-offs, and it creates interesting market opportunities for competitors. As a marketing professor and a coffee connoisseur, Im offering this analysis to go with your morning cup of joe. The two types of coffee shop patrons In general, coffee shops attract two distinct customer segments. The first are what I call stay-and-savor customerspeople who mostly use the site as a place to meet others or work. Their primary interest is in the space, not the mocha or muffins. The second are grab-and-go customerspeople who want a consistent product, delivered efficiently. They dont linger at the store, so the place is less important to them than convenience, speed, and product quality. Think of the morning rush at your local coffee joint. Starbuckss pickup-only stores, branded as Starbucks PICK UP, cater to grab-and-go customers. If you dont live in a busy area, you might never have heard of the brand: There are fewer than 100 Starbucks PICK UPs, many in densely packed cities. In contrast, there are about 17,000 sit-in Starbucks stores across the United States. That means the companys plan will affect just 0.5% of its locations. Thats not very much. So why does this change have me a little, well, steamed up? Back to the third place, whether you like it or not As I said before, I see this move as part of an effort to emphasize stay-and-savor customers over their grab-and-go counterparts. Indeed, Niccols recent earnings call presentation claimed that Starbucks is prioritizing warmth, connection, and community. Starbucks also published a document stating its principles for upholding the third place, and its commitment seems to be more than just rhetorical. The problem is that coffee shops arent like regular restaurants in terms of menu prices and customer spending. Stay-and-savor customers are costly to serve for coffee shops, and may generate insufficient revenue, making them less profitable. That could be bad for the bottom line. The change could also have unintended consequences for workers and customers. For example, pickup-only stores allow employees to focus on food and beverage preparation, with less pressure to engage in small talk in the hopes of generating warmth and tips. Indeed, much academic research has shown that restaurant workers who serve customers report more emotional labor and stress and worse morale and well-being than those who dont. In contrast, Starbucks rivals such as Dunkin and the Chinese new entrant Luckin Coffee have embraced the grab-and-go customers. These rivals provide space for seating, but they dont elevate their positioning as if their baristas are serving warmth, connection, and community. Starbucks CEO Niccol has described the plan as a sunsetting. Id watch out for Dunkin and Luckin Coffee and, of course, Starbuckss financials in 2026, to determine whether the Starbucks sun sets or rises. Vivek Astvansh is an associate professor of quantitative marketing and analytics at McGill University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
More than 2,700 “No Kings” anti-Trump protests and community events are scheduled to take place today, Saturday, October 18, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. And a majority of those events are in small and medium-size towns, as the grassroots pro-democracy movement spreads to all corners of the country. This latest protest comes amid a federal government shutdown and as Trump has deployed National Guard troops to an increasing number of American cities. The event is organized by Indivisible, a progressive grassroots movement, and a coalition of more than 20 partners that includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), 50501, and MoveOn. It builds on the momentum of the first “No Kings Day” protest on June 14and today’s event is expected to exceed that day’s turnout of 5 million people. “We are anticipating the largest turnout in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; NYC; Boston; Atlanta; New Orleans; San Francisco; Kansas City; Honolulu; and Bozeman, Montana,” the “No Kings” organizers said in a statement emailed to Fast Company. While organizers are anticipating the largest gatherings in major cities, which may grab most of the headlines, a majority of the events are actually taking place in rural, small, and midsize towns. This map shows a complete list of locations for the “No Kings” events in each state scheduled nationwide. (A core principle of the protests is nonviolence, and the No Kings.org website also provides training in de-escalation.) Fast Company has rounded up some of the events taking place in lesser-known cities, which form the backbone of the “No Kings” movement today. Here are six of them below. Bryson City, North Carolina In Bryson City (population 1,500), attendees are gathering for a public protest on Main Street. Burns, Oregon No Kings Harney County is gathering in Burns (pop. 2,700) in peace and solidarity to voice our opposition to government overreach, and our support for the First Amendment . . . and all those oppressed by the MAGA regime. Storm Lake, Iowa Protestors in Storm Lake (pop. 12,000) are once again standing up to say, NO KINGS IN AMERICA” at the town sign, as they did for the first “No Kings” event in June. Traverse City, Michigan The Traverse City (pop. 16,000) event is being held at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center, and it will include speakers, live music, and a demonstration. Attendees are encouraged to bring items to donate to local food banks. Maryville, Tennessee Organizers in Maryville (pop. 32,000) are encouraging local participants to dress to honor democracy, by wearing costumes celebrating American icons like Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, and historical heroes who defended democracy. Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc (pop. 35,000) is holding a rally and food drive in Washington Park, the site of the towns first county fair in 1859, that will include a performance by the Raging Grannies of Madison, a social justice organization of older women with chapters in eight countries.
Category:
E-Commerce
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