Can this startup cool NYC’s sweltering subway stations? | Fast Company

July 24, 2026July 23, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On a hot summer day in New York City, walking into a subway station can feel like descending into a sauna, improbably even hotter and muggier than the air outside. Unlike more modern subway stations around the world, New York’s century-old stations lack air conditioning—with staircases open to the outside air, AC would be inefficient and ineffective. And while you can blissfully cool off on the air-conditioned trains, they’re also making the problem worse: Cooling the cars means constantly pumping hot air into the tunnels and stations.

At the East Broadway station on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is launching a pilot to test a potential new solution. Tucked into arches in the ceiling and hidden behind grates, a radiant cooling system will passively pull heat from the air to cool the station with minimal energy use. In the future, the same type of system could send the heat that’s captured to nearby buildings to heat hot water, saving even more energy.

Inside PepsiCo’s digital twin revolution | Fast Company

July 24, 2026July 23, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Reconfiguring a factory used to mean shutting it down, making costly bets, and hoping the design worked in the real world. PepsiCo found a way around that. Rather than rely on engineering blueprints to solve the problem, the company used a specialized laser to scan the facility and create a digital representation that was accurate to within a millimeter. It then used this 3D model to simulate the current manufacturing process and identify production bottlenecks. This exercise gave engineers a blank canvas to experiment with new layouts that would help expand and speed up production—all before touching a single machine.

“What you’re trying to do is optimize every part of the space, from the hardware and the software to how people navigate through the space,” says Athina Kanioura, PepsiCo’s CEO, Latin America, and global chief strategy and transformation officer. “We’re taking every data point within the design of the physical infrastructure to create millions and millions of simulations to design the perfect building.”

What Italy Can Teach Us About Work/Life Balance | AllBusiness.com

July 23, 2026July 22, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As an American expat who has been living in the south of Italy for the past three years, I’ve picked up on several differences in the way Italians value work compared to the American point of view.

You’ve already heard of la dolce vita…it turns out it’s a part of the culture that Americans could stand to emulate. Here are a few of the practices and mindsets I’m working to adopt in my new home.1. You Are Not Defined by What You Do

Go to a cocktail party in the U.S. and inevitably, one of the first things a stranger will ask you is: “So, what do you do?”

We’re obsessed with our jobs, and we wear them as masks that define us. Italians, on the other hand, don’t identify themselves by the work they perform. In fact, it’s rare that I talk about work with friends here.

Italians, instead, are more keen to talk about what they’re into. Often, this means what they ate or what they’re planning to eat! They also talk about the animals they’re raising, the weather, and the latest gossip.

I think Americans could stand to dissociate a bit from their work. After all, we are comprised of many things, and work is but one component!

10 Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Names | AllBusiness.com

July 23, 2026July 22, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The choice of domain name is one of the most important decisions a business owner will make in establishing an online presence. Whether you are launching a new business or re-evaluating your digital strategy, understanding the fundamentals of domain names is essential. Below are ten of the most frequently asked questions about domain names, drawing on articles from http://www.allbusiness.com and research assistance from AI.

1. What Is a Domain Name?

A domain name is the human-readable address used to identify a website on the internet. Every computer on the internet has an Internet Protocol (IP) address—a unique string of numbers such as 165.166.0.2. Because remembering numerical IP addresses would be nearly impossible, computer scientists created the Domain Name System (DNS) to assign a readable name to each numeric address. The result is that instead of typing a string of numbers, users simply type a name like “Amazon.com” to reach a website.

Every domain name consists of two main elements: the actual name (such as “Amazon”) and a top-level domain (TLD) such as “.com,” “.org,” or “.net.” Together, these form the complete web address.

Visa Unveils AI Financial Assistant to Elevate Customer Banking Experience | Small Biz Trends

July 22, 2026July 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a transformative leap for the banking sector, Visa has unveiled its AI Financial Assistant, a value-added service designed to integrate artificial intelligence into mobile banking apps. This innovation not only enhances consumer trust but also aims to empower small businesses with direct access to actionable financial insights.

As more consumers turn to AI for financial guidance—over 66% according to recent surveys—banks remain the most trusted institutions for managing personal data. Michele Herron, Visa’s Senior Vice President, noted, “Consumers are already turning to AI for financial advice—but banks have the full financial picture.” By utilizing AI Financial Assistant, banks can elevate their roles from mere transaction facilitators to dynamic financial hubs.

How does this impact small business owners? Here are the key benefits that small businesses can leverage from this new service.

Cushing Crude Oil Inventories Dip, Impacting Prices and Storage Capacity | Small Biz Trends

July 22, 2026July 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Amid fluctuating oil prices and recent data indicating a significant decrease in crude oil inventories in Cushing, Oklahoma, small business owners may want to keep a close eye on how these developments could impact operational costs. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), storage facilities at Cushing fell below 20 million barrels recently, raising some concerns about supply levels and pricing dynamics.

Crude oil storage is critical for maintaining the balance of supply and demand in the market. Facilities depend on nuanced operational standards that dictate what constitutes effective storage. “Storage facilities require a minimum volume of product to remain operational, which can vary between different facilities,” explains the EIA. If levels dip below the threshold—a point referred to as “tank bottoms”—facilities cannot effectively function, which could lead to market instability.

501(c) Organizations: Common Types & How to Launch 501(c)(3) | Business.com

July 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

What is a 501(c) organization? A 501(c) organization is one of 29 different kinds of nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation. Under the law, such organizations are “organized for the exclusive purpose of holding title to property, collecting income therefrom, and turning over the entire amount thereof, less expenses, to an organization which itself is exempt.”

Typically, when an organization solicits and receives monetary donations, the IRS gets a cut of the proceeds. The IRS views donations as taxable income unless those donations meet certain criteria. One criterion is that the donation was made to an eligible 501(c) charitable organization, making it tax-exempt.

Organizations that may fall under this regulation include any “community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary or educational purposes.” Other organizations that can be considered a 501(c) are those that foster national or international amateur sports and those that prevent cruelty to children or animals.

Starting a Business: Everything to Do Before Opening | Business.com

July 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

1. Develop a business idea.

Every successful business starts with an idea. Whether you have a clear vision or you’re still in the brainstorming phase, shaping that initial concept into something workable is an essential first step.

“Before diving into logistics, ensure your business idea solves a real problem or fulfills a market need,” advised Grzegorz Kowalski, founder and CEO of Tripoffice.com.

Kowalski advises getting feedback early from your intended target audience. Informal conversations, quick polls or a small focus group can help you spot weak points and refine your idea before you invest too much time or money.

This open-source Mac app finds the junk files your deleted apps leave behind | Digital Trends

July 10, 2026July 9, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Uninstalling apps on macOS is usually very easy. You drag an app to the Trash, empty it, and move on. The annoying part is that many apps still leave residue behind, including support files, caches, preferences, containers, and logs. I have always found that frustrating, especially when old app data keeps sitting around long after the app itself is gone.

AppCleaner by FreeMacSoft has been the popular go-to option for this for years, and it still does the job well. But I recently came across a new open-source alternative called Uninstally by Codenta, which solves the same basic problem. It removes Mac apps along with the support files, caches, preferences, containers, logs, and other leftovers they usually leave behind.

Sony returns to the professional IEM market with the IER-M500 | Digital Trends

July 10, 2026July 9, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Sony is officially back in the professional in-ear monitor (IEM) space. The company has announced the IER-M500, a new pair of stage-focused earphones designed for everyone from aspiring musicians to seasoned performers. Rather than chasing features like active noise cancellation or spatial audio for casual listening, the IER-M500 is built with one goal in mind: helping artists hear themselves clearly during live performances.

Built for the stage, not the daily commute

At the heart of the IER-M500 is a newly developed dynamic driver paired with a large acoustic chamber and an optimized internal acoustic structure. Sony says this combination delivers deep, controlled bass alongside crisp high-frequency detail, helping performers accurately monitor vocals and instruments even in loud environments. The earphones are also Hi-Res Audio compatible, covering a wide frequency range for more detailed sound reproduction.