Category: Life Style

Work From Home: Trends, Trajectory, and Future Outlook

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Ananyaa Bhowmik | Wealth of Geeks undefined

In a 2022 survey, 36% of CIOs believed that work will transition into a hybrid or work-from-home model permanently. And with good reason.

While people commonly believe that the work-from-home culture arrived with the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, 15-16% of survey respondents said that their company had already worked remotely even before the pandemic. Around 2005, with the availability of high-speed internet connections, advanced laptops, and the rising digitization of jobs, work from home became a viable option.

Between 2005 and 2019, the corporate world saw steady growth in remote working, but this was mostly limited to certain sectors. It was the 2020 pandemic that changed it all. As the world went into lockdown, most jobs outside the essential sectors shifted to remote working almost overnight. Continue reading

As climate warms, that perfect Christmas tree may depend on growers’ ability to adapt

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Intermediate

Gary Chastagner, a Washington State University professor called “Dr. Christmas Tree” shows an example of a less-desirable tree due to fewer top branches, grown in a small plantation of Turkish fir trees to produce disease and insect-resistant Christmas trees at the school’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Puyallup, Wash. Chastagner has been working with breeders to see if species from other parts of the world — for instance, Turkish fir — are better adapted to conditions being wrought by climate change. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

By MELINA WALLING Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Christmas tree breeder Jim Rockis knows what it looks like when one dies long before it can reach a buyer.

Rockis farms trees in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, where he and other producers often grow their iconic evergreens outside their preferred habitat higher in the mountains. But that can mean planting in soil that’s warmer and wetter — places where a nasty fungal disease called Phytophthora root rot can take hold, sucking moisture away from saplings and causing needles to crisp to burnt orange.

“After a while, it just gets to the core of it,” Rockis said. “They just wither away.”

Christmas tree growers and breeders have long prepared for a future of hotter weather that will change soil conditions, too. People buying trees may not have noticed a difference in availability this year and may not even in the next couple; the average Christmas tree takes eight to 10 years to reach marketable size. Continue reading

Do Language Apps Really Work? Bilingual Teacher Shares Her Experience

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

By Caitriona Maria | Wealth of Geeks undefined

The language learning app industry is a rapidly growing market, projected to grow from $3.14 billion in 2021 to $16.6 billion in 2031. With more options available than ever, now is a great time to learn a new language.

I’m a bilingual translator and I checked out the six most popular learning apps on the market. Instead of evaluating technical aspects like interface and speed, I focused on the app’s didactic approach. In other words, can a person learn a new language using an app like Duolingo?

The method was simple: download the apps and start from the most basic level in Spanish. A week-long performance evaluation, using the app daily and making mistakes like a novice. Continue reading

What did you Google in 2023? ‘Barbie,’ Israel-Hamas war are among the year’s top internet searches

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

FILE – A cursor moves over Google’s search engine page, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2018. Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived.

Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer ), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war topped news trends in 2023, per Google’s global data, followed by queries related to the Titanic-bound submersible that imploded in June, as well as February’s devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Continue reading

Buyers worldwide go for bigger cars, erasing gains from cleaner tech. EVs would help

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Advanced

FILE – Vehicles move along Interstate 76 ahead in Philadelphia, Nov. 22, 2023. The energy used by cars and CO2 emissions could have dropped by over 30% in the past decade if not for the world’s growing taste for SUVs, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

By ALEXA ST. JOHN undefined

The negative impact on the climate from passenger vehicles, which is considerable, could have dropped by more than 30% over the past decade if not for the world’s appetite for large cars, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests.

Sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, now account for more than half of all new car sales across the globe, the group said, and it’s not alone. The International Energy Agency, using a narrower definition of SUV, estimates they make up nearly half.

Over the years these cars have gotten bigger and so has their cost to the climate, as carbon dioxide emissions “are almost directly proportional to fuel use” for gas-powered cars. The carbon that goes in at the pump comes out the tailpipe. Continue reading

Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh chosen to host the 2030 World Expo

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Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

A supporter of the candidacy of Busan, South Korea, jokes with a supporter Riyadh , Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris. In a high-profile showdown, Rome, Busan, and Riyadh are the top contenders as the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) prepares to vote on Tuesday in Paris for the host city of the 2030 World Expo. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

By THOMAS ADAMSON and SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, France (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was chosen on Tuesday to host the 2030 World Expo, beating out South Korean port city Busan and Rome for an event expected to draw millions of visitors.

Riyadh was picked by a majority of 119 out of 165 votes by the member states of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, or BIE.

The vote has been held behind closed doors in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a southwestern suburb of the French capital. The result was greeted with cheers by the Saudi delegation. Busan got 29 votes and Rome 17.

With the stakes high, each city has escalated its campaign efforts, showcasing unique visions and ambitious promises to secure the rights to the globally prestigious event. Continue reading

Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Advanced

FILE – Sgt. Kevin Fowler organizes food at a food bank distribution by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in Cleveland. Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual as nonprofits and industry groups say donations so far are down compared with previous years. Many organizations will be looking to make up the difference on GivingTuesday, which is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak File)

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press

Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual. Why? Because nonprofits and industry groups say donations so far are down compared with previous years.

Many organizations will look to make up the difference on GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which started as a hashtag in 2012 and has grown into one of the biggest fundraising dates on the calendar. Many nonprofits will run matching campaigns, meaning a supporter has pledged to double or sometimes triple the donation of other, smaller donors.

Combine that boost with businesses that match employee donations and it can really add up, said Tim Pries, who runs a small production studio in the Bay Area matching employee gifts to nonprofits of up to $1,000.

“It’s just kind of exponential, which makes me happy in my heart that a little bit goes a much longer way, especially on that day,” Pries said. Continue reading

Unlocking Your Career Potential: Learning a Second Language is a Job Market Game-Changer

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Read time : 5 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Caitriona Maria | Wealth of Geeks undefined

Only 21.9% of Americans speak two or more languages in a world where over half of the globe’s population is estimated to be bilingual.

Although the United States is a global leader in some respects, a new generation of Americans is growing up in an increasingly interconnected world and will need to speak more than English to succeed.

Parents seeking advantages for their children in the global market should prioritize bilingualism. With various leading languages to choose from, knowing which to study is half the battle.

According to the World Economic Forum, Spanish and Mandarin are the top two languages in the world. Experts also suggest French as the language of international diplomacy; it’s one of the two official working languages of the United Nations. Continue reading

Side Hustles: Red Flags or Great for Boosting Employee Performance?

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Ananyaa Bhowmik | Wealth of Geeks undefined

A study conducted by Lending Tree late last year found 44% of Americans have a side hustle. As the cost of living surges, many Americans resort to busting into the gig economy to feed their lifestyles. This may make bosses across industries more than a little worried.

The study shows a whopping 13% rise in Americans with a side hustle since 2020. Gen Zs make up a considerable portion of these growing numbers, with 62% saying that they have a side hustle.

But the expert consensus is that a little side action, employment-wise, actually may improve employees’ performance at their primary jobs. Continue reading

Less boo for your buck: For the second Halloween in a row, US candy inflation hits double digits

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

An assortment of Halloween candy is shown in this photo taken on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023 in New York. For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer

Spooked by the high price of Halloween candy? There’s not much relief in sight.

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. Candy and gum prices are up an average of 13% this month compared to last October, more than double the 6% increase in all grocery prices, according to Datasembly, a retail price tracker. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022.

“The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous,” said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. “It doesn’t make sense to me to spend $100 on candy.” Continue reading