BVNN Stories
With the BusinessVoice News Network (BVNN), your callers on hold will hear news and lifestyle stories mixed in with your existing On Hold Marketing. We upload three new BVNN stories each weekday. And with the no-touch system we provide, your staff doesn't have to do a thing.
To read past BVNN content take a look below. For more details, contact your BusinessVoice Account Manager or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at +1 800.473.9005.
When spring cleaning is on your to-do list, be sure to make it safe for everyone. Experts say you should keep your cleaning products in the original bottles or containers and away from small children. Don’t sniff a container to see what’s inside, and never mix products together, because doing so could create a dangerous gas. Source Link
The government is planning to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. But the FDA proposal would not restrict flavored products, online sales or advertising, which public health advocates say are attracting children to e-cigarettes. The measure could take several years to become fully effective. Source Link
There’s a new gadget to help you keep an eye on Fido’s fitness. The Whistle tracker for dogs is worn on the collar and records how much exercise or sleep your four-legged friend is getting. The tracker syncs with a smartphone app that can encourage you to get your pet up and moving more. Source Link
If you’re in the market for a used car, it’ll soon be a great time to buy. Analysts say millions of cars that were leased after the Great Recession are coming onto dealer lots and that will raise inventories and lower prices. And because most autos today have longer life spans, the used car market should favor buyers for years to come. Source Link
Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are prompting more people to cut out the cable bill. New figures show subscribers to Internet video are three times as likely to cancel their cable TV service. And more young adults are never becoming cable subscribers, opting instead to get their video fix exclusively online. Source Link
Your smartphone could become a high-tech tool in the medicine cabinet. The $25 Kinsa Smart Thermometer plugs into your Android or iPhone to take a temperature in just 10 seconds. A data sharing feature lets parents create groups to track illnesses among children’s classmates or others. Source Link
You can dial-up a clearer mind when you set the thermostat at home. A study found that you think best when the room is at an air temperature that makes you feel the most comfortable. Researchers believe that working in a comfortable temperature slows the use of energy required to do mental tasks. Source Link
Young adults with private student loans may want to keep a close eye on the physical and financial health of their co-signers. Officials say lenders will often require the entire loan to be paid immediately if a co-signer dies or declares bankruptcy. The so-called auto-defaults can occur even if the borrower has been keeping up with payments. Source Link
Baby Boomers and older are all-in when it comes to the smartphone. A majority of Americans over age 55 now own smartphones, according to a new survey. It’s the last age group to ditch the feature phone in favor of the smartphone, which is now the choice of 85 percent of people who are shopping to replace their cellphone. Source Link
Teens who don’t get enough sleep are at-risk for more than just poor grades. A study found that teenagers who skimp on sleep are more likely to report feeling hopeless, and to smoke, drink alcohol and use marijuana. The typical teen in the study slept only six hours a night. Source Link
If you like your Netflix fix, the price for the streaming video service is going up. The company says it will soon raise the price by one or two dollars a month for new subscribers. Current Netflix subscribers who pay $7.99 a month won’t see the price increase until sometime next year. Source Link
Religious music can bring real peace of mind to older Christians. In a new study, researchers said listening to religious music, especially gospel music, decreased anxiety about death and increased a sense of control. The findings were the same regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status. Source Link
Could Man’s Best Friend also be the best addition to a family with an autistic child? A study found that children with autism may find the unconditional love of the family dog a real help. The advantages of having a dog include companionship, stress relief and giving children with autism opportunities to learn responsibility and helping to interact with others. Source Link
Alternative medicine means different things to different people in America, often depending on where they live. A new government report says people on the West Coast are faithful followers of yoga and meditation, while Midwesterners turn to chiropractors for their aches and pains. And one in five people uses herbal supplements for medicinal purposes. Source Link
Some say it’s the biggest legal battle over the future of television viewing since the dawn of the VCR. The U.S. Supreme Court has heard arguments over whether the Aereo online service should continue. Aereo uses tiny antennas to bring over-air TV channels to subscribers. TV stations say it’s an illegal use of their signal and could spell the end of free broadcasting. Source Link
When it comes to wearable tech, some day it may be, “so long Google Glass” and “hello Google Contact Lens.” The company has patented a design for a contact lens that includes a microcamera. Unlike the Google Glass web device that runs by way of voice commands, the Google contact lens system would take its commands through a series of eye blinks. Source Link
Just like there’s no free lunch, you may not save with those free samples from the doctor’s office. A study found that patients who took free samples of brand-name drugs went on to pay more than twice as much for their prescriptions, compared to people who didn’t get free samples and used generic drugs instead. Source Link
A little crunch in your food may make a difference in how that meal looks on your waist. A study found that foods with a crunchy texture were thought to be higher in calories and people ate less. When eating soft foods, people were less concerned about the calorie count and ate more. Source Link
