Apple shares its best apps, podcasts, books/audiobooks of 2020

Source: Apple

Apple has released its comprehensive list of the best app, podcasts, and books/audiobooks based on editorial picks and data from the App Store, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books. Vancouver-based game developer RAC7 won the Apple Arcade Game of the Year with Sneaky Sasquatch.  

The company noted that a trend that dominated the year lent towards helpfulness, which meant to help users "stay healthy, educated, connected, and entertained."

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Waze's Snow Alert helps you avoid unplowed roads

While this isn't a new feature, it's definitely a useful one as snow has started to descend in the Greater Toronto Area. Waze's Snow Warning feature lets you know if roads are coming up haven't been plowed. Since Waze relies on crowdsourcing, you can also report in real-time if you spot a road that hasn't been plowed. As expected, Waze Canada notes that reports of unplowed roads peaked around days with the most snowfall. 

"The trips Canadians make this winter will be to pick up essentials as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mike Wilson, Waze's Canada country manager. "We want to make sure these trips are as smooth as possible so people can focus on navigating safely to their destinations. Knowing which roads have been plowed—and flagging unplowed roads for others—can help drivers avoid difficult driving conditions and provide some extra peace of mind." 

Making Money at the Casino: Does the Martingale System Work?

There are lots of casino strategies available that claim to increase your chances of winning. The Martingale System is just one of them. Find out top licensed casino sites that juicy bonuses such as free spins no deposit at CasinoBernie. 

There are lots of debates over the efficiency of the Martingale System. ’Can I make money at the casino using the Martingale System?’ If you ask a new player who studied books and other resources about casino strategies, they will reply in the affirmative. On paper, the martingale system sounds superefficient.

Ask a pro gambler the same question and the answer will not be that favorable. Some will even go the extra mile to name better strategies that offer you a better chance of making money. Yes, the Martingale system works but it is no longer the smashing success it was in the 18th century.

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Salesforce buys Slack for US$27.7 billion

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There's another significant acquisition in the business software segment. Cloud computing giant Salesforce is buying workplace chat app Slack for US$27.7 billion, making it Salesforce's biggest acquisition yet. According to a press release from both companies, "Under the terms of the agreement, Slack shareholders will receive $26.79 in cash and 0.0776 shares of Salesforce common stock for each Slack share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $27.7 billion based on the closing price of Salesforce's common stock on November 30, 2020."

While we don't know what this would mean for the app, it seemed like this acquisition was a long time coming as the company hasn't been profitable in recent years, even as COVID-19 has forced more and more companies to focus on remote and online work. Slack continues to face intense pressure from competition like Microsoft Teams. Maybe this acquisition will make it easier for both companies to go against their competition.

One thing is certain, a Salesforce-backed Slack now has the latitude to be a dominant player in the business-software space. Not only do we expect tighter integration between Slack and Salesforce products and services, the staggering Salesforce partner ecosystem will be opened up to Slack which can potentially be the nerve-center of a businesses communication and activity. We're talking project management, marketing, sales, CRM, support and other functions piped into Slack. The future is bright and the software landscape had definitely changed because of this acquisition.

Source: The Verge