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The notion of instant on-the-go translation is nothing new for most of us, thanks to the now-ubiquitous Google Translate service. But a scrappy Google competitor thinks it can do better. This month, a company called Kagi is officially launching its Kagi Translate app for both Android and iOS. The app mirrors most of the same features Google Translate offers, with a few interesting new touches and one key point of distinction: It is all about protecting your privacywith no ads, no trackers, and no data being monetized or repurposed in any way. Ohand its free, too. Youll need all of two minutes to take it out for a test-drive. Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. You’ll be the first to find all sorts of simple tech treasures! Instant translationsplus privacy Once you’ve got the Kagi Translate app on your device, it’s really quite intuitive to use. At its core: You can type or paste any text into its main translation box to have the text translated from and to any language you like. You can tap the camera icon in that same box to take a photo of text in the real worldon a document, a menu, a whiteboard, you name itand then have the language auto-detected and translated into your native tongue from there. A document icon in that same area lets you upload a file from your phone (or any connected cloud storage) for speedy on-the-fly translation. And a microphone icon lets you speak aloudor have someone else speak aloudfor real-time translations of the words as theyre uttered. Kagi Translate’s main screen is one simple promptwith plenty of power around it. Beyond that, Kagi Translate offers some interesting extrasfor instance: If you tap the three-line settings icon within the main translation box, you can change between a natural and literal translation style, a formal or informal voice (for languages where thats relevant), and also any available gender preference (again, where relevant for a dialect). In that same area, you can also add your own custom context to help guide the translationtelling the app, in your own words, what type of conversation youre having, and with whom, so it can adjust its approach accordingly. Poke around, and you’ll find all sorts of ways to customize and control your translation output. In the apps bottom-of-screen Dictionary tab, you can simply get an on-demand, instantly translated definition of a word or phrase in another language. The apps Proofread tab will review any text you type or paste into it and offer suggestions to make it work better in your chosen language. And with any translation the app provides you, you have the ability to play the text out loud or copy it onto your system clipboardas well as request alternate translations for different ways to say the same basic thing. Kagi Translate can give you different ways to say the same thing, if you aren’t entirely thrilled with its initial translation. Again, though: Its Kagis commitment to privacy that really sets this app apart. You dont have to sign in or create an account to use it, and nothing you do or say within the app is ever shared or used for any type of ad targeting. If that sounds familiar, it should: Ive written about Kagi and its similarly privacy-centric approach to regular ol search before, and that same mindset applies to pretty much everything else the company has offeredincluding, too, the excellent Android summarizing app I mentioned in these same quarters a few months ago. Kagi makes its money entirely from user subscriptions, which are required for its core search service but not for the assorted stand-alone apps like Translate and Summarize. Whether youre using Kagi for any other purposes or not, though, this new tool is an interesting option to keep around and a welcome alternative to Google’s de facto defaultand maybe, just maybe, its exactly the je ne sais quoi youve been waiting for. Kagi Translate is available for both Android and iOS. There’s also a web version for desktop computer access. The app is completely free to use, though a paid Kagi membership will allow you to access some additional options. The app doesn&8217;t have any ads or trackers and doesn’t require any sort of sign-inand even if you do opt to create an account, Kagi’s core promise is that it never shares any of your data with anyone, in any way, or uses it for any profitable purposes. Treat yourself to all sorts of experience-enhancing treasures like this with my free Cool Tools newsletterstarting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app thatll tune up your days in delightful ways.
Category:
E-Commerce
Weve all opened our mailboxes to discover an unsolicited credit card offer (or three) inside. Although there must be people out there who take advantage of these offers, most of us simply throw the unopened envelopes in the trash. Yet simply tossing these pieces of snail mail can leave you and your finances vulnerable. Heres why, and how you can get those unsolicited offers to stop for good. Why am I getting unsolicited credit card offers? While not as incessant as all the spam emails and text messages we get every day, unsolicited credit card offers are definitely one of the annoyances of modern life. The offers are sent by credit card companies via the U.S. Postal Service and arrive in our physical mailboxes without request. Yet unlike many types of digital spam, these unsolicited credit card offers arent illegal to send. The offers are permissible under the decades old Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and other subsequent laws, which allow credit card companies to approach the major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, Innovis, and TransUnion) with a wishlist of the type of customers they are looking for (ones in a certain ZIP code or with a certain credit score, for example). The credit card companies then pre-approve these individuals and send the offer in an unsolicited letter. Provided that the recipient still meets the credit requirements when they reply, they are legally entitled to that offer. Pre-approved offers differ from pre-qualified offers in that, with pre-approved offers, the credit card company is essentially scouting you as a customer. With pre-qualified offers, you have to take the initiative to contact the credit card company, telling them that you are interested in applying for a card. But regardless of whether the letter waiting in your mailbox is for a pre-approved card or pre-qualified one, that piece of physical mail can leave you and your finances vulnerable. How do they leave you vulnerable? Credit card offers are tempting by nature: they seduce you into racking up debt at incredibly high interest rates. But unsolicited pre-approved and other credit card offers are risky for an entirely different reason, as well: They leave you vulnerable to identity theft. The letters already contain your name and address. Pre-approved offers reveal that you will likely have no problem securing a new line of credit. Many of these letters also include a unique code that lets you easily reply to the offer online without having to manually re-enter your identifying information. All of this information is mouthwatering to an identity thief as it means they have to take little actionbesides snatching the offer letter you tossed into the trashto accept a card issued in your name. And often during the acceptance process, they can reroute the card to their address or PO Box with minimal effort, and begin using it to rack up debt at your expense. How to stop pre-approved credit card offers from hurting your finances To protect yourself from having a stolen credit card offer open up a black hole in your financial life, you can do two things. First, under no circumstances should you simply toss an unsolicited credit card letter into the trash or recycling bin. Anyone can fish it from the garbage and use the information it contains to apply for a card in your name. Instead, you should securely destroy the letter’s contents by shredding it. Second, and better yet, stop unsolicited credit card offers from landing in your mailbox in the first place. You can do this by informing the credit bureaus that you do not want to receive any such offers. You can opt out of receiving offers for two timeframes: five years or forever. Once you inform the credit bureaus of this, they are legally required to comply with your request. To opt out, youll need to have your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security or tax identification number. Once you have this, youll go to OptOutPrescreen.com, which is run by the four major credit reporting agencies. To opt out of getting unsolicited credit card offers in the mail for five years: Go to OptOutPrescreen.com. Tap the Click here to opt-in or opt-out button. Select Electronic Opt-Out for 5 years. Click Continue and follow the opt-out instructions. If you are opting out for only five years, you can submit your entire request online. However, if you want to permanently opt out of receiving credit card offers, you must physically mail a form to the credit reporting agencies. To permanently opt out of unsolicited credit card offers: Go to OptOutPrescreen.com. Tap the Click here to opt-in or opt-out button. Select Permanent Opt-Out by Mail. Click Continue and follow the opt-out instructions. Youll be asked to download a Permanent Opt-Out Election Form and then print, sign, and date it. You must then mail this form to the address provided on it. And not to worry. If you change your mind in the future and decide you want to be eligible to receive unsolicited credit card offers again, you can opt back into them at any time. But if you do, just keep an eye on your mailbox before an identity thief does.
Category:
E-Commerce
Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issueseverything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor. A reader asks: I manage a team of four. One of my staff members, Jeff, asked to go to a conference that was about a five-hour drive away. I approved the request as the conference would be good for his professional development. Three other staff members from our closely connected teams were also going. Jeff registered for the conference. A couple of weeks later, he asked me about booking a flight to it. I was surprised by this, as the conference was a reasonable driving distance. I explained that the department would rent a van and the attendees would drive there together. (Our department wants to minimize expenses when reasonable, so this is normal unless it doesnt make sense logistically or financially.) He pushed back with a couple of reasons that he wanted to fly, such as it would save time and he didnt feel comfortable driving. I said that flying wouldnt save time since the airport is at least an hour away, you need a time buffer to go through security, etc., and the flight is two hours. I also knew the others going were comfortable being the drivers. He then said that he didnt want to be in a car for long periods of time since he sometimes has digestive issues. I empathized but suggested he make up a reason he might need more rest stops than usual and give the others a heads-up at the start of the trip. Something like, Sometimes I get woozy when Im in the car for a while, so I need to take more rest stops than usual. This was not acceptable to Jeff, and he ultimately decided not to attend the conference. It wasnt a huge issue, but he was salty about it for a while and complained to a few other people. Is it reasonable to expect employees to drive to conferences? Are there situations other than distance and cost where we should make an exception to our norm? Green responds: I think a five-hour drive one-way is a really long drive, and Im not surprised he expected to fly. Some businesses, especially those with more limited resources, do use a five-hour rule on business tripswhere if the drive is less than five hours, people drive instead of fly. Personally, it strikes me as too long. Yes, flying can take nearly as long when you account for security, delays, etc., but you can work on planes and in airports; its much harder to work in a car. But this also varies by field and, in some cases, by professional level. I did five-hour drives without blinking as a 20-something working at a nonprofit. I would not do it now. But even if this is the norm in your field, Id still make an exception for Jeff because of his digestive issues. Telling him to make up a story about why hed need frequent stops wasnt reasonable. Bathroom issues are private ones, and asking him to come up with a cover story while inconveniencing and possibly annoying his colleaguesand thus making that trip a lot longer than five hourswasnt fair to him. Plus, digestive issues can be urgent in a way that doesnt always leave time to wait for a highway exit, pull off the interstate, find a place with a bathroom, park, etc. Its very possible Jeff can only travel confidently if he stays within a few minutes of a bathroom. Personally, Id be pretty unhappy if I told a manager I had a medical condition that made long car trips prohibitive and was told, essentially, too bad. Im wondering if, at some level, you didnt fully believe Jeff and thought he was exaggerating to avoid having to do the drive. As a manager, you really need to default to believing people about their own health unless you have a specific reason not to. Otherwise, you can end up doing things that are really, really problematiclike denying people accommodations they actually need, or making them feel they need to disclose details that they should be able to keep private, or making them feel discriminated against. Thats not to say you cant ever ask for more info or propose a different accommodation (you can, and there are ways to do that legally), but in general, your default should be to believe and try to accommodate a good employee with a health issue. Want to submit a question of your own? Send it to alison@askamanager.org.By Alison Green This article originally appeared on Fast Companys sister site, Inc.com. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
Category:
E-Commerce
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