This Week In Small Business Tech: This Is The Best Laptop Under $500

Five things that happened in technology this week and how they impact your business. Do you miss them?

1. This person makes a living reviewing laptops and says this is the best laptop under $500.

Sean Riley of Laptop Magazine recently endorsed the best laptops under $500. Sean chose the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 for its superior display quality, detachable screen and 13 hours of battery life. One of the downsides Sean mentioned was system performance, but only when compared to other laptops on the market. His overall rating for the Duet 5 is 4.5/5 stars. (Source: laptops)

Why it's important for your business:

I'm looking for a new laptop but have never owned a Chromebook. I've had cases where my Chromebook didn't work for me, either because I didn't have a lot of hard drive space or because I didn't have Microsoft. But this is stupid: I love my Android phone, will Microsoft apps work fine, and when I'm offline? Sean's approval is probably my take on the purchase.

2 - Microsoft offers a green screen feature in Teams meetings.

Now you can enhance your virtual meetings with movie-quality backdrops. Microsoft recently added a green screen feature to Microsoft Teams, providing a richer background experience. Users can now spawn in different environments identical to the technology used in the film. (Source: betanews)

Why it's important for your business:

This can be a game changer for people who make videos but want to significantly improve their experience. Microsoft's update to Virtual Meeting Rooms has raised the bar, as users can control their background for better presentations, privacy-based screen settings, and a number of other cool effects. Microsoft notes that the green screen significantly improves image brightness and sharpness. The green screen is available in the Teams public preview.

3 - Google Bard is modernizing its virtual assistant department with a focus on artificial intelligence technologies.

A recent statement from CNBC said the company will be putting Bard, an AI-powered assistant, in the spotlight when it comes to ongoing development. Google is in the midst of a massive rollout of its AI technology. He recently sent out a message announcing the start of testing of the Bard, inviting the public to test the technology. (Source: CNBC)

Why it's important for your business:

Google has also been quietly working on Bard for the past few years and was forced to launch it sooner than expected after ChatGPT took the world by storm. Most of the entrepreneurs I spoke to didn't really pay much attention to their core AI until it got better and more accurate. But think about the possible times when Bard really is the best time to do what you can ask Google to do with your data. I'll be writing about that in the not too distant future.

4. TipHaus, which helps companies distribute tips, raises $3.5 million and launches a banking institution.

Described as “the world's first and only distributed ledger solution,” TipHaus is a startup founded by Leif Magnuson. With a client base that includes restaurants and hotels, TipHaus helps managers calculate and manage tip allocations for their employees. (Source: GeekWire)

Why it's important for your business:

TipHaus now offers enterprise software at more than 2,000 locations nationwide ($99 per month per location). Tips are delivered systematically, eliminating manual time and unexpected errors.

5 - PayPal introduces support for Apple Pay for small businesses.

Financial company PayPal has added ApplePay to its system for small and medium businesses. (Source: iClarified)

Why it's important for your business:

As financial institutions continue to make efforts to facilitate and secure electronic transactions, PayPal is aware of the challenges facing small and medium businesses. “The retail industry is constantly evolving and SMEs need access to multiple tools to drive sales…” said Nitin Prabhu, vice president of merchant experience and payment solutions at PayPal.

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