Today I learned there's a glowing color-changing level that's easier to read.
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Forbes
2 minutes ago
- Forbes
You Want To Speak Memorably? Try These Smart Tips
In today's high-stakes professional world, the ability to communicate isn't just a competency—it's currency. Are you leading a team? Strong communication skill is one of your most important tools. Pitching a product? Ditto. Navigating a job interview? Ditto. In most every workplace situation, your presentation style can be the defining factor between influence and invisibility. Bill McGowan understands this better than most. This Emmy Award-winning TV journalist and bestselling author is a top communications advisor to leading names in business, tech, entertainment, sports, and finance. He's coached the founders of Amazon, Meta, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Spotify, Snapchat, and Airbnb … as well as Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winners and World Series, Super Bowl, and Olympic champions. McGowan's latest book is Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience. His experience in TV journalism underscored many of the lessons he now provides as a coach. For example, when McGowan worked on ABC's popular '20/20' show, the executive producer would share the minute-to-minute ratings of a segment. Any time an on-camera personality told a story, viewers' interest spiked. Stories, McGowan learned, are much more compelling than statistics. You want to break out of the conformity zone? McGowan recommends avoiding 'corporate speak' and communicating concisely with clarity and simplicity. And at every opportunity, use pertinent stories. While it's important that every part of a presentation be interesting and relevant, McGowan highlights what psychologists call the primary-recency effect: people tend to remember the first and last items in a sequence better than those in the middle. That's a clue on where compelling stories, challenges, or facts should be in a presentation. To underscore the importance and power of simplicity, McGowan tells of a CEO who was in a media interview about a struggle his company was experiencing. The interviewer asked the CEO, 'Why do you think your IPO underperformed vis-à-vis the other companies in your competitive space?' McGowan says that instead of blaming the market or a poor valuation or even suggesting that they didn't have the right financial institution leading the offering, the CEO simply said, 'We underperformed because we failed to come up with a narrative that could fit on the back of a cocktail napkin.' McGowan used that story to kick off a speech he made to a group of communication clients. Using a 'through line,' the connective tissue that helps explain the relevance of a story, he spoke on the subject of simplicity. Citing research studies, McGowan says factual information embedded within storytelling becomes 22 times more memorable 'than if you just fire hose talking points and data points.' McGowan coaches his clients to communicate the visual, the specific, and the anecdotal. When you speak abstractly and theoretically, it's pictureless, he says. 'We human beings have this movie reel spinning in our heads at all times. If a speaker doesn't give us imagery to work with, that movie reel keeps spinning in our head—only now it's spinning with the images we've created. That's what daydreaming is.' In what ways has the rise of remote work and virtual meetings affected the way people communicate? In addition to what many people now call 'Zoom fatigue,' McGowan talks about 'Zoomnesia.' That occurs when people attend a seemingly endless string of remote meetings in which they're sitting in the same room with the same potted plant on their desk and the same view out the window and with no contextual clues. That circumstance makes it even harder for people to retain information, and it underscores the value of well thought-out communication practices that engage people's thinking. McGowan frequently uses metaphors in his coaching. For example, he talks about what he calls the 'pasta sauce principle.' You put a pot of tomato sauce on the stove and cook it down for about three hours. You then have something with about half the volume but a lot more flavor. 'But it takes time and effort to get that reduction going,' McGowan says. 'The same is true for speaking.' It wouldn't be accurate to say McGowan has written a cookbook. But Speak, Memorably certainly provides the ingredients for welcome servings of appetizing communication. Whether you're giving a TED talk, speaking at the local Rotary Club, or just trying not to lose people in your Monday morning staff meeting, McGowan offers insight that will boost your communication mojo.
Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Digital Trends
The TCL D2 Pro lets you open your doors like Tony Starks Iron Man
The TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock is a new smart home lock that allows you to unlock your door simply by holding your hand up, drawing comparisons to Marvels Iron Man's iconic repulsor blast pose. It uses AI-driven palm vein recognition technology, with TCL boasting 99.9999% accuracy and a 0.3-second unlock time, making it fast, reliable, and unaffected by moisture, dirt, or simply forgetting your door code. Unlike fingerprint or facial recognition, this biometric system scans the unique vein patterns in your palm, offering a hygienic, touchless entry method. Key features include: Multiple Unlocking Methods : Besides palm vein recognition, you can unlock the door using a keypad, key fob, physical key, the TCL Home Security App, or voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. : Besides palm vein recognition, you can unlock the door using a keypad, key fob, physical key, the TCL Home Security App, or voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Local Data Storage : All biometric data and access logs are stored on the device, enhancing privacy by avoiding cloud-based risks. : All biometric data and access logs are stored on the device, enhancing privacy by avoiding cloud-based risks. Long Battery Life : Powered by a 10,000mAh rechargeable battery, it lasts up to 10 months (or 240 days in some reports) and includes a USB-C port for emergency charging. : Powered by a 10,000mAh rechargeable battery, it lasts up to 10 months (or 240 days in some reports) and includes a USB-C port for emergency charging. Smart Home Integration : Supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for remote access, real-time notifications, and user management through the app, with features like temporary access codes and activity logs. : Supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for remote access, real-time notifications, and user management through the app, with features like temporary access codes and activity logs. Durability : IP55 waterproof and dustproof, it operates in extreme temperatures (-25°C to 70°C), ensuring reliability in harsh weather. : IP55 waterproof and dustproof, it operates in extreme temperatures (-25°C to 70°C), ensuring reliability in harsh weather. Built-in Doorbell: Adds convenience for visitors. The D2 Pro is part of TCL's D2 Series, which also includes the D2 Plus (fingerprint-based, $119.99, powered by AA batteries for up to 8 months) and the base D2 model (keypad-only, $79.99). The D2 Pro retails for $169.99 but has been discounted to $135.99 during promotions like Amazon Prime Day with additional codes. It builds on the success of the D1 Pro, which earned Best of CES honors and topped Amazon's smart lock sales for models over $150. Digital Trends has not reviewed the TCL D2 Pro yet but make sure to check out our Best Smart Locks of 2025.
Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Digital Trends
Stunning Mac mini dock revives the Apple Macintosh with a tiny screen
Over a year ago, product designer Scott Yu-Jan created a Mac Studio iPad dock that was inspired by the classic Macintosh design, integrating the iPad mini and a Mac Studio in a sleek 3D-printed package. A few months later, he gave a portable computer treatment to the Mac mini by linking it with a full-sized keyboard and an oddly wide display. Yu-Jan, who is currently an interaction designer at Google, doesn't sell his ware commercially. However, if you've ever dreamed of giving a retro Macintosh look to your tiny Apple desktop, there's finally a product for you. The device in question is Wokyis M5, a Mac mini dock that features a 5-inch display and a heck ton of connections, including an M.2 SSD slot (up to 8TB capacity). The Kickstarter project, which has currently been oversubscribed by more than 16 times over its initial crowdfunding goal, will begin shipping next month. The hub offers a total of 13 ports, which include USB-C (10Gbps USB 3.2), USB-A (four units, 1Gbps), HDMI, SD/microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well. Recommended Videos The Wokyis website lists the official price of the hub at $199, but on Kickstarter, the 10Gbps version is put up for $169. The 80Gbps variant should cost you $339. Of course, if you pledge as an early bird supporter, the price will come down to as little as $109 for the base model and $199 for the higher-end trim. The biggest draw is the retro Apple Macintosh design format, and the 5-inch display on it. This is no toy screen. It's a fully functional panel that supports screen extending or mirroring for the Mac mini, just like any other external display connected to your Mac. I believe it would be perfect for controlling media playback or keeping an eye on chats. There's even a power button underneath the screen, adorned in the classic Apple logo color wave. Do keep in mind that it only supports the current-gen Mac mini with its shrunk chassis and an M4 series processor inside. However, it will work when connected with a MacBook, as well. You can check out more details about Wokyis M5 on its Kickstarter page and the brand's official website.
