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Judge Rebukes Apple and Orders It to Loosen Grip on App Store

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Apple must loosen its grip on its App Store and stop collecting a commission on some app sales, capping a five-year antitrust case brought by Epic Games that aimed to change the power that Apple wields over a large slice of the digital economy.

The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, rebuked Apple for thwarting a previous ruling in the lawsuit and said the company needed to be stopped from further disobeying the court. She criticized Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, and accused other executives at the company of lying.

In her earlier ruling, Judge Gonzales Rogers ordered Apple to allow apps to provide users with external links to pay developers directly for services. The apps could then avoid the 30 percent commission that Apple charges in its App Store and potentially charge less for services.

Instead, Judge Gonzalez Rogers said on Wednesday, Apple created a new system that forced apps with external sales to pay a 27 percent commission to the company. Apple also created pop-up screens that discouraged customers from paying elsewhere, telling them that payments outside the App Store may not be secure.

“Apple sought to maintain a revenue stream worth billions in direct defiance of this court’s injunction,” Judge Gonzalez Rogers wrote.

In response, she said Apple could no longer take commissions from sales outside the App Store. She also restricted the company from writing rules that would prevent developers from creating buttons or links to pay outside the store and said it could not create messages to discourage users from making purchases. In addition, Judge Gonzalez Rogers asked the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California to investigate the company for criminal contempt.

The ruling — a major victory for Epic and a stinging defeat for Apple — has the potential to change the app economy by increasing the money that developers collect while reducing the fees that flow to Apple. That strikes at one of Apple’s major businesses, with its App Store long the most prominent destination for people to download mobile games, productivity tools and other programs.

“There’s going to be a lot of latitude for developers to get better deals and for consumers to get better deals,” said Tim Sweeney, Epic’s chief executive. “This is a wonderful, wonderful day for everybody.”

An Apple spokeswoman, Olivia Dalton, said in a statement: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order, and we will appeal.”

Apple’s shares sank 1.5 percent in after-hours trading.

Epic, the maker of the game Fortnite, brought the antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020. In the suit, Epic accused Apple of forcing app makers to use its payment system in exchange for access to the App Store, which is the only way to distribute apps on iPhones. The rules allowed Apple to collect as much as a 30 percent commission on many transactions.

The App Store makes up a large portion of the nearly $100 billion in annual services revenue that Apple collects.

In a ruling two years later, Judge Gonzalez Rogers stopped short of declaring that Apple had a monopoly in the market of mobile games, as Epic had argued. That meant Apple avoided the worst possible outcome of the case. But she found that the company had violated California laws against unfair competition by preventing developers from offering users alternative ways to pay for apps.

Last year, Epic complained to the court that Apple wasn’t complying with the ruling because it had created a new set of fees and rules for developers. The judge ordered Apple to provide the documents explaining how it had come up with its new system.

Apple’s documents showed that it tried to discourage alternative payments and keep as much of its traditional 30 percent commission as possible. At a July 2023 meeting, Phil Schiller, who oversees the App Store, advocated that Apple take no commission, but Luca Maestri, Apple’s finance chief at the time, championed a fee of 27 percent. Mr. Cook sided with Mr. Maestri, according to the documents.

Mr. Cook also asked that when people clicked on links to pay for apps outside the App Store they be shown a “scare” screen saying “that Apple’s privacy and security standards do not apply to purchases made on the web.”

“Apple knew exactly what it was doing and at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option,” Judge Gonzalez Rogers said.

She said Apple executives had “outright lied under oath” and added, “Cook chose poorly.”

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01/05/2025
How to Protect Your Phone While Traveling Abroad
When I travel to Asia this summer, I plan to leave my iPhone at home. Instead, I’ll pack a different phone lacking my staple apps, like Instagram, Slack and Signal. It won’t even be logged in to my work email.

No, I’m not planning a digital detox. I’m choosing to travel with what’s known as a burner phone because my personal device contains sensitive data that I don’t want others, particularly U.S. border protection officers, to search.

For over a decade, the federal government has had the authority to conduct border searches of travelers’ personal electronics, including phones, laptops and tablets. In recent years, such inspections have steadily increased, though they happen to only a small portion of people entering the United States.

Last year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency reported that it had conducted roughly 43,000 electronics searches, up from about 38,000 in 2023.

To be clear, I may be particularly paranoid as a journalist who is constantly working to protect confidential sources from being outed, so a burner phone is an extreme measure that most people won’t find practical or even necessary.

But in recent incidents, travelers have been denied entry into the United States in part because of phone data, such as photos of guns and social media posts about protests.

“The bigger concern is that the government can single out people it wants to search,” said Esha Bhandari, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. “We’ve seen anecdotal evidence of more aggressive searches on the border, including lawyers who have attorney-client privileges and people seen as dissidents.”

In other words, while no rules have changed when it comes to entering the United States, a shift in how frequently the policies are enforced may be underway. Vacationers and business travelers alike should be judicious about the data they carry on their devices.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and the approach that works best for you depends on your lifestyle and profession. Here’s what to do.

Assess your risk

First consider who you are, what you do for work and what’s on your phone, laptop or tablet, said Jeremiah Grossman, a cybersecurity expert.

If, for instance, you’re a retired U.S. citizen carrying some vacation photos and text conversations with friends from your book club on your device, you probably don’t have to worry. But if you’re a student on a visa who has been involved in government protests, there may be media on your phone that could create issues.

“If law enforcement had everything on your phone and access to everything, would that be bad for you?” Mr. Grossman said.

From there, assess whether your risk is high or low and pick an approach.

Low risk: Use a passcode, and delete some apps

If you’re only mildly concerned about your data being searched, start with turning off biometrics such as fingerprint and face recognition sensors. Instead, rely only on a passcode for unlocking your device.

To turn off Face ID on an iPhone, open the settings app, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode and toggle off the switch for iPhone Unlock.

For Android phones, the steps depend on the model, but generally in the settings app you can type a search for the Face & Fingerprint Unlock menu and disable the settings there.

Using only a passcode can be an effective measure for U.S. citizens because it is legally more difficult for the government to compel you to share a passcode than it is for an officer to take your phone and hold it up to your face to unlock it, Ms. Bhandari said.

But while citizens can decline to provide a passcode, visa holders and tourists visiting the United States run the risk of being denied entry if they refuse to comply, Ms. Bhandari added. So it’s best to also take the extra step of deleting any apps containing information that could become problematic, such as Instagram, Signal or X.

Medium risk: Back up and purge your data

If you think there’s a modest possibility that the government could search your phone, consider backing up a copy of all your data and purging your device before returning to the United States, Mr. Grossman said.

To make this process simpler, you can back up your data to an online server, such as Apple’s iCloud for iPhones or Google One for Android devices. That way, you can later restore your data over the internet by entering your account credentials.
To back up your data on an iPhone to iCloud, open the settings app, tap your name, tap iCloud and select iCloud Backup. Switch on Back Up This iPhone and tap Back Up Now. Then, to purge your iPhone data, in the settings app go to the General menu, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, tap Erase All Content and Settings and follow the steps.

To back up your data on an Android device to Google One, open the settings app, tap Google, then tap Backup. To purge your Android data, the steps depend on your phone model, but generally you can do a search for the Factory Reset menu in the settings app.

After you cross the border with the wiped device, you will see an option to restore the device from a backup when you go to set it up, at which point you can enter your account credentials to get your data back. (Just make sure to have your password written down somewhere.)

High risk: Carry a burner phone

If you think it’s very likely that U.S. border officials will want to look at your phone, the most robust solution is to leave your personal devices at home and carry a burner phone used exclusively for travel.

Here’s how I plan to do it.

I’ll carry a cheap Android phone with only the software necessary for my trip, including ride-hailing and maps apps.

I’ll log in to one email account I created exclusively for travel to retrieve itineraries and other trip-related information.

When I land, I’ll connect to a temporary cellular plan on a foreign network using an eSIM, a digitized version of a SIM card, which can be activated through an app such as Nomad, Airalo or GigSky. (I wrote a guide to using eSIM technology in a previous column.)

Then, when I return home, I’ll copy all my vacation photos from the vacation phone to my iPhone and put the burner in a drawer until my next trip.
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30/04/2025
How to Lead Through Chaos and Uncertainty

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Whether you’re a seasoned investor or budding entrepreneur, it is clear that in today’s turbulent world, instability is not an exception — it’s the norm, and we must have the tools and mindset to navigate this certain uncertainty.

Embrace adaptive decision-making

Market volatility, supply chain disruptions, team turnover and regulatory shifts are happening at a rapid pace in every industry, and these stressors can feel overwhelming, even existential.

But when we learn from leaders who have operated in some of the world’s most fragile environments — conflict zones, post-crisis governments and unstable political systems — we find that such conditions are manageable, and from their experiences, we can draw profound lessons. The leaders who succeed in these environments are the ones who embrace uncertainty, build trust and adapt quickly to rapidly evolving circumstances.

Related: 4 Secrets to Unwavering Leadership Amidst Turbulent Times

Build trust to weather crises

Fragile business ecosystems require sensitive adaptability and fluidity. Rigid leadership styles often crack under pressure. Leaders who cling to certainty are quickly outpaced by complexity, while those who embrace adaptive leadership — rooted in learning, iteration and responsiveness — are better equipped for uncertainty. For entrepreneurs, this means moving away from static business plans and embracing agility. Set short-term priorities that allow for learning cycles. Use weekly retrospectives to evaluate what’s working. Build feedback loops into your decision-making processes.

The ability to pivot quickly, while staying grounded in core values, is what sets resilient leaders apart. In high-risk environments, trust is the foundation for rapid, effective collaboration.

Collaborative leadership thrives on mutual respect, psychological safety and open communication. As evidenced in modern approaches to “soft and hard” workplace leadership skills, do not wait for a crisis to start building trust. Create a culture of transparency today. Invite dissenting opinions. Share the “why” behind hard decisions. Across turbulent business, social and political landscapes, what I have seen time and time again is that when people feel heard and respected, they are far more likely to rally in difficult times. Trust, once established, becomes the invisible glue holding your organization together when external pressures mount.

Leverage diverse ideas to build resilience

In transitional governments and post-crisis rebuilding, effective leaders often rely on broad coalitions — civil society, the private sector, and diaspora communities — not just for representation, but as a strategic advantage. Diverse teams bring fresh perspectives, challenge assumptions and innovate under pressure. Entrepreneurs can apply this by hiring for cognitive and experiential diversity, building cross-functional teams and fostering a culture of ownership, reflection and shared purpose. The most resilient teams I’ve seen weren’t just skilled — they were united by something bigger than their job titles.

In my work with the World Bank’s Collaborative Leadership for Development program, we saw time and again that moments of acute crisis often opened up space for bold reforms — reforms that would have been politically impossible in calmer times. One example that demonstrates how adaptive leadership and collaborative trust can unlock progress under pressure comes from one of our projects in Nigeria.

Related: The 4 Things Leaders Need to Do First When Faced With Uncertainty

Case study: Nigeria’s water reform

In Nigeria, easy access to groundwater and informal water markets made it hard for the government to collect tariffs and maintain infrastructure. We ran a workshop in Obudu with 50+ engineers, water commissioners, business and civil society leaders from six states to shift focus from technical fixes — like tariffs and meters — to adaptive challenges: ensuring payment and preventing water theft by addressing behavior change and stakeholder engagement. By the end of the program, teams had set 11-month goals, built action plans and crafted customized stakeholder messages. The success of these cross-functional teams contributed to national legislation reform on stakeholder engagement.

This example underscores how cross-sector collaboration, local buy-in and a shared sense of purpose can unlock large-scale systems change. The lessons here are just as relevant for startup founders as they are for policymakers: Deep listening, shared accountability and stakeholder trust are not optional in today’s fractured landscape — they’re essential.

See crisis as a catalyst

When old systems break down, new ideas can finally take root. Entrepreneurs should view crises not only as threats but as invitations to rethink outdated assumptions. Which processes can be streamlined? What technologies could you adopt now that seemed risky before? Who else needs to be involved in strengthening your team? Crisis forces clarity. Use it to your advantage.

It begins with me

One of the core components of what I teach global leaders is the importance of self-mastery. Leaders working in fragile environments often carry the emotional weight of their teams, communities and constituents. They must find ways to center themselves amid chaos. Similarly, entrepreneurs need practices that build inner resilience. Whether it’s breathwork, meditation or structured time for reflection, grounding yourself enables you to find calm and focus — both of which are essential during times of stress.

Related: How to Stay Calm Under Pressure

Remember: As a leader, your team takes emotional cues from you. The steadier you are, the more stable your organization becomes.

A resilient team begins with each member cultivating self-mastery. Individual transformation is the foundation for systemic change. To foster true collaboration, leaders must empower their teams with the tools to find inner strength and hone leadership skills needed to navigate uncertainty.

Leading under pressure isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the humility to learn, the courage to act and the wisdom to bring others along. The entrepreneurs who can master these skills will not only weather the storm — they will reshape the landscape in its aftermath.

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29/04/2025
How Much Do Google Employees Make? Median Salaries Revealed

A mid-level Google employee made $331,894 in 2024, a 5% increase from the median salary of $315,531 in 2023, per a new filing submitted by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The figure aligns with compensation at other tech giants in recent years. At Meta, for example, the median pay for employees in 2023 was $379,000 a year.

The filing further showed that Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai received total annual compensation of $10,725,043 last year, about 32 times more than the median employee. Pichai received a nearly $2 million raise from the $8,802,824 he made in 2023.

^{Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images}

The bulk of Pichai’s compensation came from the “All Other Compensation” category, besides his $2,015,385 base salary and $405,630 in stock awards.

The remaining $8,304,028 included Pichai’s personal security costs, which climbed 22% from the $6,775,631 Google paid in 2023 to $8,267,123 in 2024. The category also included his retirement plan and use of company aircraft or cars.

Related: Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says ‘You’ll Be Surprised’ By How Google Search Changes in 2025

“Due to Sundar’s significant public profile, Alphabet provides him with security protection,” Alphabet’s 2025 proxy statement reads. “In 2024, Sundar’s security arrangements included residential security and consultation fees, security monitoring services, car and driver services, and personal security during all travel.”

Alphabet called Pichai’s personal security expenses “reasonable, appropriate, necessary and in the best interests of Alphabet and its stockholders.”

Other tech CEOs also have seven or eight-figure security costs. For example, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $27.2 million total compensation in 2024 included a $14 million pre-tax security allowance. Meanwhile, Nvidia spent nearly $2.5 million in 2024 on CEO Jensen Huang’s security costs.

Related: Here’s How Much 8 CEOs Made in 2024, From JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon to Disney’s Bob Iger

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29/04/2025
Single Travelers Are Finding Love in Airport Lounges

Brittany Romano, 32, was not looking to start her own long-distance rom-com last September when she showed up to JetBlue’s lounge at Kennedy International Airport 10 minutes before her flight was set to board — but she did.

That’s where she met Matt Harrington, 35, a schoolteacher from Pasadena, Calif. He had spied her rushing through security, and when she stopped in the lounge for her usual routine — “take a shot and use the restroom” — he sent her a tequila shot and took one himself. Then the two jogged to catch their plane, as it turned out they were on the same flight to Los Angeles.

Ms. Romano, an entertainment journalist who lives in New York, assumed that would be that, but Mr. Harrington begged a flight attendant to switch his seat so he could sit with her. More tequila shots followed over the course of the six-hour flight; the pair still talk daily.

There has always been something magical about an airport love story. “Airports are lawless,” said Natalie Stoclet, 32, a writer and designer based in Mexico City, who once had a flirtation with a man she met in the Iberia lounge at the Madrid airport. “You can have a cocktail at 8 a.m., wear compression socks with no shame and delusionally stare at the departures board, convincing yourself that you could change your flight and start a new life in Paris. Anything goes.” (Her lounge fling fizzled out, but at least she still has “a good airport story,” she said.)

But airport lounges, those calmer, semi-exclusive spaces away from the deadening realities of modern air travel, have increasingly become a locus of romance for millennials, who post TikTok videos of themselves getting dressed up to go to the lounge early before a flight, hoping to find their soul mate or, at the very least, a fresh romance. It’s the new, “I’m looking for a man in finance,” if you will.

“Romanticizing airports thinking I will casually find my future travel loving husband at one,” one TikTok user wrote. “Waiting mysteriously in the Emirates lounge waiting for my future husband to sweep me off my feet as I live in my own movie,” another user captioned her clip. “Can we have a designated ‘singles lounges’ at airports please,” asked a third.

Grace Ma, 38, an investor in New York, and a Delta and American Express Centurion lounge fanatic, said that lounges are the new members-only clubs — though more intimate and less intimidating — which makes them a prime location for dating. “It’s more of a targeted location to meet like-minded people versus going to a bar in a random city,” she said. “Someone who has access to a nice airport lounge likely already checks off a few boxes for you, which could be psychologically more comforting. For example, they are willing to spend the money to enter, they have travel status, they are flying a certain class airfare.”

Rachel Childress, 32, a server at the Delta One lounge in Logan Airport, in Boston, met her current partner there when he came in as a guest. In addition to the luxuries a lounge experience offers, it lowers the hurdles to meeting someone, she said.

“There’s also no obligation to have to see someone again. It makes connections more thrilling,” she said. “Plus, thinking about how crazy it is that your paths crossed with someone? The sequence of events that had to occur for you to meet them? It’s fate.”

Jennifer Higginbotham, 41, the director of premium services operations strategy and support, for American Airlines said “in-flight and Admirals Club meet-cutes are common.” The airline even hosted a wedding in its Nashville lounge. (Ms. Higginbotham’s husband proposed to her at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, so she’s quite the expert on airport love stories.)

Claude Roussel, who manages lounge experiences for Delta Air Lines, said the carrier’s public relations team has a plan of action for managing proposals, which includes decorating the lounge, helping facilitate the proposal, and creating a special food and drink cart for the couple — often involving photogenic espresso martinis.

Kishshana Palmer got the full experience. Ms. Palmer, 45, met cute in the Delta lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Terminal B, in the summer of 2023. Her boyfriend proposed in the same lounge a year later. “Suddenly team members come out from the four corners of the earth,” she said. “They make me reapply my lipstick and then tell him, ‘Do it again,’ because this brotherman didn’t think to film it.” But he broke things off before their aviation-themed wedding took place.

Ms. Palmer remains hopeful: “I still feel like I’m going to find my boo, and probably in another airport lounge,” she said.

Delta also pulled out all the stops last year when Ryan Scheb, 35, proposed to Philip Tuzynski, 37, at LaGuardia’s Delta Sky Club. The two are self-proclaimed “aviation geeks” from New York, whose idea of romance is sitting in the airline lounge with a cocktail, watching the planes take off.

Here for a Good time, Not a Long Time

While the promise of everlasting love is all well and good, not everyone is looking for commitment. Sometimes, a fling will do. YOLO-era singles chalk up the trend to two things: There is little to lose, and you’re both right there.

Silas Forest, 29, a creative director in Los Angeles, was lounging through a layover in the Delta Sky Club at Miami airport when he saw a cute guy out of the corner of his eye. They exchanged shy grins and nods, but then it was time for Mr. Forest to go to his gate, two terminals away. “I’m standing in line when I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I turn to find the man. I’m instantly smiling but surprised he found me. My group is called, and I tell him I’ve got to go, but feel the urge to lean in for a kiss. He also leans in and we kiss in front of a bunch of people,” he said. “I boarded my plane grinning ear to ear.”

Mr. Forest got the man’s contact information, but decided “to leave it at that — just one magical moment in the Miami airport.”

Benjamin Schmidt, 29, a New York writer, opened his Grindr app at a Delta lounge in San Francisco and agreed to meet a match at the lounge bar. “We flew back to New York together, with some discreet and playful hand-holding on the plane and flirty conversation,” he said. And then it ended. “It felt like I rented a boyfriend for the day,” Mr. Schmidt said.

Ms. Romano pointed out that airports offer few rules of behavior, and lounges give you the perfect setting for casual dating. “They have better lighting, free drinks, and no ‘What’s your bio?’ awkwardness,” she said. “The best part? If it’s not a match, one of you actually has to leave.”

People Are Craving Something Real

This love-in-the-lounge trend is more than a pang of nostalgia for rom-com fantasies or a millennial need to dissociate from reality. Travel experts and frequent travelers alike predict that airline lounges will begin to play a much bigger role in people’s romantic lives for one reason: Dating app culture has backfired.

“App culture, besides it being gamification, is designed for you to opt out,” said Ms. Palmer. Meeting someone in person, you start searching for something in common, she added. “And here, the lounge is your thing that you have in common.”

This all led Iñigo Merino, 30, to start a dating app aimed at fliers. “There’s so much digital burnout, of just being constantly online. We’re bombarded. And then there’s this love-hate relationship we have with dating apps,” said Mr. Merino, the founder and chief executive of Wingle, a new app that allows you to connect with users at the airport lounge and aboard your flight.

Wingle users put in their flight details, and when they arrive at the airport, they can flag their location — like which lounge they are in. Once the plane takes off, the seat map illuminates with other users, allowing users to start a chat. And when the plane lands, the chat disappears. “So, either what happens in the air stays in the air, or you share your contact information so you can continue the conversation in real life,” Mr. Merino said.

When people are traveling, he said, they are “in another mind-set, so you can make more meaningful connections. I mean, you’re stuck in this metal tube with up to 300 people, and I’m sure that among those hundreds of people there’s someone that you can have an interesting conversation with.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.

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28/04/2025
Last Chance to Get Windows 11 Pro at an All-Time Low Price

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

The majority of Windows users still haven’t upgraded to Windows 11, according to TechSpot. With the clock ticking on support for Windows 10, if you keep waiting to upgrade, you may be stuck without security fixes, technical assistance, or free software updates if you don’t upgrade to Windows 11 Pro ahead of the discontinuation.

To ease the blow, we’ve been selling Windows 11 Pro license keys at an all-time low price of $14.97, but today, April 27, is the last day to get this price (reg. $199).

Up your workday productivity

The changes to Windows 11 Pro include a seamless interface to help you tackle your to-do list more conveniently. Support for biometric login, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses are just a few of the features that boost your online security. And improved voice typing and a better search experience aim to save you time and increase your productivity.

With Windows 11 Pro, Microsoft Teams and Widgets capabilities are all built-in. There’s also the addition of Copilot, Windows 11’s AI-powered assistant that answers your questions and serves as your own (unpaid!) personal assistant.

Since you’re always working so hard, you need to make sure you’re playing hard, too. Windows 11 Pro offers unprecedented gaming advantages, with DirectX 12 Ultimate providing incredible graphics so you can play your favorite games in all their splendor.

Before purchasing, make sure this license is the right fit for your computer. This particular Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license requires your device to be running Windows 10 or higher, with a processor of 1GHz or faster, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or larger.

Why this deal is worth it

Upgrading to Windows 11 Pro isn’t just about staying current, it’s about working smarter. With new productivity tools like Snap Layouts for better multitasking, deeper Teams integration for faster communication, and support for multiple virtual desktops, this upgrade can genuinely streamline your day. If your PC is still running Windows 10, you’re not just behind on security, you’re missing out on built-in features designed to help you move faster, focus better, and get more done.

Get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97 through April 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT with no coupon needed.

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro – $14.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

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28/04/2025
Develop a Lifetime of New Skills for Only $20

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

Whether you obtained a college degree or not, training programs can be a great way to qualify for a new career or advance in the one you have. Best yet, developing new skills is now convenient and affordable. You can get lifetime access to EDU Unlimited by StackSkills for just $19.97 while the price has dropped from the regular $49.99 sale price.

StackSkills is the premier online platform offering the most in-demand skills today and this exclusive limited-time promotion provides lifetime access to more than 1,000 pre-selected StackSkills courses. Elite, highly rated expert instructors share important lessons learned from both their successes and failures.

From iOS development to growth hacking, blockchain, more than 350 of the web’s best teachers cover skills of all levels, beginner to advanced. New courses are added every month, so you can choose from business, finance, marketing, IT, graphic design and so much more. Course certifications and premium customer support are included.

There’s no longer any need to add another commute to your day, squeeze in classes at inconvenient times or take classes you don’t want or need. Whether you’re a professional, freelancer, parent or student, you’ll love the flexibility of being able to train at your own pace and focus on just the specific skills you need to develop.

Best of all, you get an entire lifetime of education at one extremely budget-friendly price. No college or individual online courses are anywhere nearly as affordable and a variety of courses remain available even if your needs change over the years.

It’s no wonder StackSkills has an impressive Trustpilot rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. As PCWorld noted:

“StackSkills Unlimited gives you a lifetime of professional training for one low price.”

Get lifetime access to EDU Unlimited by StackSkills while the price has dropped to $19.97 until April 27.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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27/04/2025
Microsoft Surface Ad Is AI-Generated, No One Picked Up On It

Microsoft released a 56-second ad for the Surface laptop on January 30, and no one realized that it was partially AI-generated until Microsoft disclosed it on Wednesday.

The ad shows different people typing away on a Surface laptop in various locations. It emphasizes the Surface laptop’s standout features, like its touchscreen and battery life.

In the close to three months since the ad’s release, no one has picked up on its AI-generated roots, per The Verge. The ad has over 46,000 views on YouTube, and none of the top comments suspect that the ad was partly AI-generated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SWEA2y2DjQ

According to a Microsoft Design blog post released Wednesday, Microsoft employees used generative AI tools to cut down the time and expense required to create the ad, putting it together in just a month.

“With a small budget and a tiny amount of time, we were able to accomplish in a month what would have traditionally required exponentially more resources,” Brian Townsend, visual designer on Microsoft’s Windows + Devices Visual Design team, stated in the blog post. “We probably saved 90% of the time and cost it would typically take.”

Related: Apple Issues Apology for iPad Pro ‘Crush!’ Ad and Pulls It from TV — Here’s Why

The team started the process by using unspecified AI tools to create a script, storyboards, and a pitch deck. AI helped expedite the process, allowing the team to get the materials ready in a matter of days instead of weeks.

The team then told an unnamed AI chatbot what they were looking for in the ad. They went through “thousands” of additional prompts to refine the AI output.

Because AI still has trouble generating details like human motion, the team decided to use some human-created shots to fill in the weaknesses of AI-generated shots. They determined that humans had to manually capture shots with “intricate movement,” like closeups of hands typing on keyboards, while AI generated quick cuts or shots with limited motion.

AI allowed the team to display different backgrounds in the ad without having to travel to the location. However, the team acknowledged in the blog post that from time to time, AI tools would experience hallucinations or generate inaccurate responses. When hallucinations arose, the team would manually fix “any unnatural elements” that popped up.

“However, as with all things created using AI, the occasional AI hallucination would rear its head,” the blog post stated. “To combat this, the team employed a blend of AI and traditional video production tools to meticulously compose frames and correct any unnatural elements.”

Related: Google Pulls Gemini AI Olympics Commercial After Backlash

Microsoft emphasized in the blog post that AI democratizes filmmaking and allows anyone to create their own ad or video.

“All it takes is imagination and the curiosity to explore the myriad of tools available,” the blog post reads.

Microsoft did not specify which AI tools they used to generate the ad, though the company’s own tool, Microsoft Copilot, is capable of creating a script, footage, and a video project from a single prompt.

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26/04/2025
7 AI Tools That Help You Build a One-Person Business — and Make Money While You Sleep
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Most entrepreneurs are still using AI like a sidekick, just scratching the surface with basic tools that save a few minutes here and there. But what if AI could run your business for you while you sleep? This isn’t about chatbots or rewriting blog posts. This is about building a lean, one-person business powered by automation, speed and strategy.

Inside this video, I’m revealing seven powerful AI tools from the “Black Book”— hand-picked for solo entrepreneurs who want to scale without a team and unlock true freedom.
- Website conversion and sales amplifier: Discover a free Google AI tool that audits your site like a conversion expert, spotting costly mistakes and giving you data-backed recommendations to boost leads and sales (no coding required).
- Hidden market insights at your fingertips: Uncover the AI research engine that reveals untapped market gaps and competitor weaknesses in seconds, without spending $200 per month on bloated SEO software.
- No-code agent creation made simple: Learn how to build your own AI agents to automate client onboarding, handle admin tasks, and even make smart decisions — freeing up your time for growth and strategy.
- Instant presentation builder: Turn any blog, transcript, or outline into a polished, professional deck in minutes—perfect for selling ideas, landing clients or creating lead magnets on autopilot.
- Social media intelligence extractor: Access a pre-trained AI bot that scrapes platforms for viral trends, top-performing posts, and competitor engagement data, giving you a content edge without guesswork.
- Data reporting on autopilot: Use the same AI analysis tool trusted by universities to transform raw numbers into smart, visual insights — ideal for optimizing campaigns, funnels, and offers.
- The ultimate solo founder AI toolkit: Explore the “app store of AI” where you can clone voices, analyze sentiment, and plug into hundreds of advanced tools that extend what one person can achieve.
I’ll walk you through each tool step-by-step, no tech background needed. If you’re ready to build a high-performance business that works while you sleep, this video is your blueprint.

Download the free “AI Success Kit” (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from my brand new book, “The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.”
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26/04/2025
Smart Hiring Tactics From a James Beard Award Nominee
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Located in the heart of Portland, Maine, Sur Lie is a James Beard Award-nominated tapas restaurant with a menu spearheaded by chef Mimi Weissenborn, a recently announced contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef.

While Weissenborn takes the helm in the kitchen, owner and James Beard Award semifinalist Krista Cole works behind the scenes to ensure a smooth service night after night. She first opened the restaurant out of her love for tapas and wine pairings, filling a gap she couldn’t find in Portland. Then, Weissenborn came along and changed the game. Now, their unique dynamic is a key component to their success at Sur Lie.

“[We’re] this incredible dynamic duo,” Cole says. “I’m very data-oriented, organized and efficient, and she’s the brilliant, creative brain that comes up with the menu, which is why people come into Sur Lie as well. We have a really good relationship that way. As women in the industry trying to break down barriers, we focus on what we’re both really good at and how to complement each other.”

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Together, the pair has crafted innovative menus and an even more impressive tapas service. One customer, Mike C., visited the restaurant on a post-holiday trip and still remembers his server’s name today.

“Service makes the meal, and it can break the meal,” Mike says. “Meg — because I do remember her name — she was really great, super friendly, nice and casual but professional. The service that we got was attentive but not overbearing. I’m not looking for them to come up and check on me every second, but I also don’t want to have to look around when I need them. That’s service: learning that knowledge, that experience, that know-when-to and when-not-to.”

Cole says she isn’t sure if the sixth sense for exceptional service can be taught, but she encourages her team to develop pride in their work. She notices a clear improvement in service when servers treat their work as a craft and feel empowered to add their own personal touch.

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It also helps to have a passionate chef running the show. “I think the most important thing, too, is [Mimi is] an amazing leader, and that, to me, speaks more than being an amazing chef because when you can lead a team of people and really inspire in our industry, then that translates into the guest experience,” Cole says.

Building a dream team doesn’t happen by mistake. Cole uses two hiring tactics to find employees who show promise. First, she reviews the applicant’s resumé and researches their previous workplaces to understand their past work cultures and see if they would be a natural fit at Sur Lie. Second, she asks about the applicant’s favorite workplace and why, gaining insight into their values and cultural contributions.

From hiring to inventory, Cole does it all, emphasizing the importance of organization to stay on top of everything. Before becoming a restaurateur, Cole worked as a healthcare manager and studied entrepreneurship, gaining expertise in team and organizational structure that still serves her today.

“Having systems and processes in place is super important to providing quality and consistency,” she says. “[That translates into] having your team really engaged in the work they’re doing and being able to hold people accountable. It should be a well-oiled machine, and there should be very clear expectations and one way of doing things.”

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With such systems and expectations in place, Cole is able to protect her limited time. She owns and runs two other eateries in Maine in addition to Sur Lie. Something as simple as creating an Amazon order request form or preparing a meeting agenda saves her precious time and ensures she addresses every issue with her team.

Reading customer reviews is always an item on Cole’s to-do list and an essential component of Sur Lie’s well-oiled machine. She appreciates anyone who takes the time to provide feedback, but she really takes it to heart when it comes from a local resident.

When she first took over the restaurant Gather, she invested in the brand by hiring experts and sourcing local ingredients, resulting in higher menu prices. “[We were] hearing from the community that it was getting too expensive,” Cole says. “We definitely took that feedback seriously because you’re not a destination restaurant in a small town. Usually, you’re supported by your community and the locals. So that was something that we shifted and tried to make a little more approachable for people, especially in a family-oriented community.”

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From starting in healthcare to owning three restaurants, Cole continues to steer her entrepreneurial journey with these key lessons:
- Pick up transferable skills along the way. The entrepreneurial journey is often a winding road, but skills from other industries can prove invaluable in the long run.
- Listen to locals. Community is the driving force behind all local businesses. Make sure to listen to locals and value their opinions to foster long-term loyalty.
- Get a good read on the market. Determine if there’s a hole in the market your business can fill and assess how you can differentiate yourself from competitors.
- Service is a craft. Service leaves a lasting impression, good or bad. Encourage your team to bring their own flair to customer service and take pride in their craft.
- Protect your time. Set clear expectations with your team on when and how you’re available. Whether it’s a form for inventory requests or an agenda item for the all-hands meeting, having a system in place will help you work smarter, not harder.
- Hire to enhance your culture. If you don’t invest in your staff’s careers, they won’t invest in the customer experience. Recognize their value and how it aligns with your company culture.
Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Cole and Mike C., and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

Editorial contributions by Erin Palmero and Kristi Lindahl
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25/04/2025