Author: knjohn

SpaceX slams state broadband funding, wants satellite internet everywhere | Mashable

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

SpaceX is again battling states over internet funding, as the company pushes a satellite-first agenda amid a growing need for direct internet connections.

In a filing submitted to the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity on August 15, the company accused the state of wasting taxpayer money and succumbing to pressure from so-called “fiber lobbyists” by dedicating $400 million to state fiber installations and only $$7.7 million to Starlink deployment. SpaceX argues that it can connect “virtually all” in-need households for less than $100 million. Last week, SpaceX levied the same accusations against a Virginia funding proposal, which only gave $3.2 million to the telecom company.

Read More

Pixel 10 launch: Every Made by Google announcement | Mashable

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Maybe to avoid the jargon-heavy format of last year, Google decided to flip the script at its annual Made by Google showcase.

Instead of the usual California stage presentation with slides and specs, this year’s event went full late-night. Hosted in New York, it played out like a special, offbeat episode of The Tonight Show, with Jimmy Fallon chatting alongside celebrities and Google execs about the new Pixel lineup and smart devices. Think less keynote, more variety show — though the hardware news was still the real star of the night.

It wasn’t all hardware either. Google spent just as much time hyping up its Gemini AI integrations, which now thread across every new Pixel device. From smarter camera tools to real-time translation and live call assistance, AI is still at the forefront of Google’s smartphone ambitions.

Read More

Air Canada strike ends after airline and flight attendants reach tentative agreement | CNN Business

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Air Canada and a union representing the airline’s flight attendants have come to a tentative agreement, ending a days-long strike that canceled thousands of flights and stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers.

“Flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge have reached a tentative agreement, achieving transformational change for our industry after a historic fight to affirm our Charter rights,” said Hugh Pouliot, spokesman for the Canadian Union for Public Employees (CUPE), in a statement Tuesday. “Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power.”

Read More

Lawyer argues Meta can’t be held liable for gunmaker’s Instagram posts in Uvalde families’ lawsuit | CNN Business

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A lawsuit filed by families of the Uvalde school shooting victims alleging Instagram allowed gun manufacturers to promote firearms to minors should be thrown out, lawyers for Meta, Instagram’s parent company, argued Tuesday.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The families sued Meta in Los Angeles in May 2024, saying the social media platform failed to enforce its own rules forbidding firearms advertisements aimed at minors.

Read More

FDA issues warning over possible radioactive shrimp | Live Science

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Frozen shrimp imported to the U.S. from an Indonesian-based company may have been exposed to a radioactive substance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned Tuesday (Aug. 19).

The products were processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, also referred to as BMS Foods. The FDA launched an investigation after U.S. Customs officials detected cesium-137 (Cs-137) — a radioactive form of cesium — in shipping containers carrying the shrimp that were delivered to Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, Georgia, and Miami.

Analyses of the containers’ contents confirmed the presence of Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp. The containers that tested positive were not allowed to enter the U.S., and no products that tested positive have entered the food supply.

Read More

Full moons of 2025: When is the next full moon? | Live Science

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

September’s full moon, nicknamed the Corn Moon, rises on Sunday, Sept. 7. The moon turns full at precisely 2:09 p.m. EDT on Sunday. It will also appear bright and full on the days before and after the peak.

The September full moon gets its nickname from the corn that is commonly harvested this time of year in North America, according to Almanac. The name originated with native American tribes, but now enjoys widespread popularity.

The full Corn Moon will experience the year’s second and final total lunar eclipse. Beginning at 11:28 a.m. EDT (15:28 UTC), Earth’s shadow will pass over the moon for about five hours, totally blocking the sun’s light for 82 minutes and turning the lunar surface red. The eclipse will be visible from Asia, Australia, and most of Europe and Africa. It will not be visible from North or South America.

Source: Full moons of 2025: When is the next full moon? | Live Science

Why Your Small Business Needs Unemployment Insurance | Business News Daily

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In life, there are moments and roadblocks we would never have predicted. No one plans for staff furloughs and layoffs, and no business owner expects to shut down their company, even temporarily.

However, when a small business is forced to close, employees quickly become former employees. Fortunately, unemployment insurance gives your workers some financial security while they’re without income.

We’ll explore unemployment insurance and what workers and employers need to know.

Read More

Guide to Mileage Reimbursement Laws and Policies | Business News Daily

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you don’t have a fleet of company vehicles and employees are driving their own vehicles on your business’s behalf – making deliveries, inspecting workplaces, and gathering supplies – what are your obligations regarding fuel costs, maintenance, and vehicle depreciation?

There are both legal requirements and business considerations to keep in mind when determining whether you need a mileage reimbursement policy and what it should look like. This guide explains the basics of mileage reimbursement and how to devise a policy that reimburses your employees fairly and efficiently.

Read More

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit: 5 Science-Backed Steps That Actually Work | LifeHack

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You know that moment when you’re reaching for your phone at 2 AM, telling yourself it’s just to check the time, but suddenly you’re deep into social media scrolling? Or when you promise yourself this is the last time you’ll hit snooze, only to repeat the same dance tomorrow morning? We’ve all been there. These automatic behaviors feel like they’re running the show, and honestly, sometimes it feels like we’re just passengers in our own lives.

Here’s the thing about bad habits—they’re sneaky. What starts as an innocent stress-relief activity (hello, late-night snacking) or a quick dopamine hit (just one more TikTok video) gradually becomes a deeply ingrained pattern that seems impossible to shake. The frustrating part? You know exactly what you’re doing wrong. You’ve probably tried to quit multiple times. Yet somehow, despite your best intentions and New Year’s resolutions, you find yourself back in that familiar loop.

Read More

Cognitive Overload Symptoms: 15 Warning Signs & Solutions | Life Hack

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Picture this: You’re on a video call, nodding along while secretly checking emails, mentally calculating if you have enough pasta for dinner, and half-listening to your kids arguing about whose turn it is on the iPad. Sound familiar? You’re not alone and you’re not imagining that life feels more overwhelming than ever. These are classic cognitive overload symptoms that millions experience daily.

Here’s why: Back in 2008, researchers found Americans were already processing 34GB of information daily. Today? We’re swimming in an estimated 75-100GB of data every single day. That’s like downloading your entire brain’s storage capacity, twice. Our digital interactions have exploded from 298 daily touches in 2010 to a mind-boggling 4,909 expected by 2025. We’re consuming 105,000 words daily, roughly 23 words per second during every waking hour.

Read More