Monthly Archives: June 2020

The modern mobile app needs a revamp | TechCrunch

Posted on June 30, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Apple’s App Store has had a controversial month with developers demanding changes to how apps are monetized, but as Apple detailed the next versions of its operating systems at WWDC, it’s clear they believe third-party apps themselves have room to be fundamentally revamped.

This week at WWDC, Apple debuted App Clips, a snappy new segment of third party experiences that scales down the idea of an app around just a single feature or two. A user can quickly call up an App Clip via a URL, NFC tag or visual code and download when the right context arises. In a lot of ways it’s just another notification type pinned to more limitations for devs, but the thinking behind it follows Apple’s continued interests to shove third-party integrations deeper inside the operating system itself.

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Tagged App Clips, App Store, Apple’s App Store, revamping apps

The Seed of an Idea: How Buckwheat, Hemp, Chia and Flax Are Taking Over | Entrepreneur

Posted on June 30, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

As consumers continue to turn their attention to organic, plant-based, and nutritionally dense foods, we’re beginning to see a rise in the growth of some unlikely and (literally) small products – namely, seeds. Products like buckwheat, hemp, flax, and chia were on the margins of the health food market just a few years ago, but the seed market will likely grow quite a bit in the near future.

Buckwheat, for example, is expected to reach a valuation of $1.8 billion globally by 2027, primarily due to increased demand in the food and beverage sector. Chia, once better known as a kitschy houseplant, is still selling fairly modestly ($66.5 million in 2018), but is growing even faster, at a rate of 5.8 percent. Flaxseed is growing even more rapidly, at a projected rate of 12.7 percent. And of course, hemp seeds have enjoyed a boost from the general growth of the cannabis product market and are expected to continue to grow to $480 million by 2024.

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Tagged Buckwheat, Chia, flax, Hemp

Skills To Master Before Launching A New Business | Getentrepreneurial.com

Posted on June 29, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Launching a business before you’ve done the legwork to determine your market and identify your challenges is nearly impossible. Similarly, if you’re becoming the head honcho without mastering some important skills first, you may find success harder to come by.

Here are some of the most important skills any entrepreneur should know, and where to learn them. All these courses are on sale for Memorial Day, so make the savvy business decision and take advantage.

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Posted in Tools and Information

Tagged A New Business, Launching A New Business, New Business skills, New Business skills to master

Snake skin-inspired shoe grips designed to save seniors | New Atlas

Posted on June 29, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

A couple of years ago, Harvard University scientists copied the structure of snake skin to create a soft-bodied robot that gripped the ground as it moved. Now, they’ve applied that same thinking to shoe grips that could help keep seniors from falling.

Developed in partnership with MIT, the grips take the form of thin, flexible steel sheets with a snake-scale-like pattern cut into them. As was the case with the soft robot, that pattern – consisting of dozens of interlocked “scales” – is based on a Japanese paper-cutting art known as kirigami.

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Tagged keep seniors from falling, Snake skin, Snake skin-inspired shoe

Disney Joins In Recycling Plastic For Shirts | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

Posted on June 26, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Creating clothing fibers from recycled plastic is nothing new, but when a name like Disney is involved, it’s hard not to have childlike enthusiasm over the efforts. Disney, a company that needs no further description, has partnered with Unifi, Inc., makers of REPREVE®, the leading recycled fiber, to produce a new retro-style Mickey & Co. collection that is sure to bring out the kid in all of us.

Unifi has been on this ride for a long time, turning plastic waste into material used by Chicobags, Ford, Patagonia, PrAna and many other companies. The ever-growing count meter on their website reports over 20 billion bottles have been recycled, with the resulting fibers being used for everything from totes to curtains.

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Tagged Disney, Recycling Plastic For Shirts, Unifi

Verizon decides Facebook doesn’t need its ad money after all | Mashable

Posted on June 26, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Mark Zuckerberg can definitely hear Verizon now.

The telecommunications giant announced Thursday that it is immediately ceasing all advertising on Facebook. So reports CNBC, which notes that Verizon is joining the likes of Patagonia, REI, and Ben & Jerry’s in financially distancing itself from the controversial social media platform.

In an emailed statement to Mashable, a Verizon spokesperson chalked the move up to vague displeasure with varying violations of unspecified policies.

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Tagged Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Verizon

McDonald’s is closing its Times Square location | CNN

Posted on June 25, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

McDonald’s has closed its iconic restaurant on 42nd Street in New York City’s Times Square.

The closure had been planned prior to the pandemic, the company said in a statement to CNN Business, noting that it “was a difficult decision.”

But McDonald’s (MCD) will still have a large presence in the area.

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Tagged 42nd Street, McDonald, Times Square

The world’s biggest dust bunny is crossing the Atlantic Ocean right now | Live Science

Posted on June 25, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

A “Godzilla dust cloud” from the Sahara Desert that’s heading toward the United States this week is the largest and most concentrated dust cloud of its kind in the past 50 years, according to news sources. As of

June 22, the dust cloud — which some experts have dubbed the “Godzilla dust cloud” — had reached the Caribbean, spiking air quality to “hazardous” levels, according to the AP. People along the Gulf Coast may be next to experience the dusty visitor.

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Tagged atlantic ocean, dust bunny, Sahara Desert, The world's biggest dust bunny

Tips for Handling Nonpaying Customers | Business News Daily

Posted on June 24, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

If your business operates on an invoicing system, you might be familiar with late payments and perhaps even nonpayment. There are many reasons why customers don’t pay invoices on time (or at all), from lost bills to unexpected additional expenses that customers realize they cannot afford. Many small business owners struggle with how to best ask for overdue payment without being rude. However, regardless of the circumstances, an unpaid invoice hurts your business. You need to act if you want to keep your cash flow healthy; being candid with customers and having some backup strategies at the ready is key.

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Posted in Tools and Information

Tagged business owners, invoices, Tips for Handling Nonpaying Customers

Why It’s Vital to Understand the Difference Between Goals and Objectives | Life Hack

Posted on June 24, 2020 by knjohn | Leave a comment

I’m sure you’ve heard many people talking about goals and objectives as if they’re the same thing. You may even believe this yourself.

However, if you want to unleash your productivity and take your accomplishments to a whole new level, then you’ll need to understand the clear differences between goals and objectives.

When you think of them as one thing, you’ll find yourself struggling to achieve your aims and dreams. But once you understand their differences — and their synergies — you’ll put yourself firmly on the road to success.

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Tagged Difference Between Goals and Objectives, goals, Objectives