You’re Never Too Old to Start a Business, Even If That Business Is Winning $26 Million in the Lottery | Inc.com

December 30, 2020December 29, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Maybe you think you’re too old to start your business — especially your own successful business.

If so, you’re wrong: A study conducted by the Census Bureau and two MIT professors found:

A 50-year-old startup founder is 2.2 times more likely to found a successful startup than a 30-year-old.
A 50-year-old startup founder is 2.8 times more likely to found a successful startup than a 25-year-old founder.
A 60-year-old startup founder is 3 times as likely to found a successful startup as a 30-year-old startup founder — and is 1.7 times as likely to found a startup that lands in the top 0.1 percent of all companies.

Case in point: Jerry and Marge Selbee. After running a local convenience store in Evart, Michigan (population 1,900) for 17 years, Jerry and Marge sold the business and retired.

Not even 5G could rescue smartphone sales in 2020 | TechCrunch

December 29, 2020December 27, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This was going to be the year of 5G. It was going to be the year the next-generation wireless technology helped reverse some troubling macro trends for the industry — or at the very least helped stem the bleeding some.

But the best laid plans, and all that. With about a week left in the year, I think it’s pretty safe to say that 2020 didn’t wind up the way the vast majority of us had hoped. It’s a list that certainly includes the lion’s share of smartphone makers. Look no further than a recent report published by Gartner to answer the question of just how bad 2020 was for smartphone sales.

The Worst Hacks of 2020, a Surreal Pandemic Year | WIRED

December 29, 2020December 27, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

WHAT A WAY to kick off a new decade. 2020 showcased all of the digital risks and cybersecurity woes you’ve come to expect in the modern era, but this year was unique in the ways Covid-19 radically and tragically transformed life around the world. The pandemic also created unprecedented conditions in cyberspace, reshaping networks by pushing people to work from home en masse, creating a scramble to access vaccine research by any means, generating new fodder for criminals to launch extortion attempts and scams, and producing novel opportunities for nation-state espionage.

Here’s WIRED’s look back at this strange year and the breaches, data exposures, ransomware attacks, state-sponsored campaigns, and digital madness that shaped it. Stay safe out there in 2021.

10 Home Office Essentials for Less Than $50 That Can Seriously Spruce up Your Space | Entrepreneur

December 28, 2020December 27, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Most people transitioned to working from home in 2020, and many people can expect the work from home life to continue in 2021. If you haven’t gotten your home office in the shape you want it to be in, now’s a great time to do so.

We’ve rounded up some of the most useful home office accessories, all of which are on sale for an extra 20 percent off with promo code HOLIDAY20. That code brings everything down to less than $50! But act fast, these sales are live for a limited time only.

The Rise Of Disney Streaming | Getentrepreneurial.com

December 28, 2020December 27, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In 2021, the biggest US beneficiary of the streaming bonanza will be Disney. After a plethora of streaming competitors launched in 2020, Netflix still added a substantial number of subscribers. As impressive as Netflix’s sustained dominance was Disney+’s ability to quickly gain viewers. These developments show there’s room for multiple services to thrive in this fast-growing market.

But no other new US streaming service had a debut like Disney+ did—we estimate that it will reach 72.4 million US monthly viewers in 2020, its first full year in service. We forecast that more than one-fifth of the US population will use Disney+ this year, and in 2024, more than one-third will. So far, other streaming entrants suffered from distribution limitations, confusing branding, or a lack of quality programming. None of these problems have hampered Disney+, which will become the third most popular US streaming service by the end of 2024.

Tree-hugging luxury hideaway overlooks breathtaking Norwegian fjord | New Atlas

December 22, 2020December 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Helen & Hard has designed a particularly stunning treehouse in rural Norway. Named Woodnest, the forest dwelling is supported by a living pine tree that runs through its center, and it offers a well-stocked interior that sleeps up to four people.

The Woodnest shown is one of a pair of identical treehouses situated in a forest near the Hardangerfjord in Odda, Norway. It consists of a glulam (glued-laminated timber) frame that’s fastened to the trunk of a pine tree with a steel collar. The tree runs through the center of the interior, rather like Ethan Schlussler’s amazing treehouse, and exits through the ceiling. The firm told us that there’s a little extra space for the tree to expand in width as it continues to grow in height. The exterior is finished in timber shingles.

Carlo Ratti Associati designs “world’s first” fully compostable marker pen | Dezeen

December 22, 2020December 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) has designed a concept for a compostable marker pen comprising natural fibres and a water-based, edible ink that would break down within six months.

The Scribit Pen comprises a barrel made from a choice of either wood, bioplastic or anodised aluminium, which is designed for repeated use.

This holds a nib and cartridge made from natural fibres including sawdust, hemp fibres, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) – a polymer that is used to produce biodegradable plastic – and lignin.

Full self-driving is coming for all Tesla owners with a subscription | Mashable

December 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you want your Tesla to drive itself down some streets and on the highway (with you still at the wheel, paying attention, of course) you need to put down some serious cash for the Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode. But in 2021, there might be more options.

Instead of paying $10,000 to add FSD mode to the Tesla advanced driving system, called Autopilot, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Sunday about subscription access. That means anyone with a Tesla could pay month-to-month for the driving mode. It’s currently in beta with a select group of Tesla users and that’s it.

It’ll open up to more people at some point in 2021. Even though Musk had previously mentioned a rollout by the end of 2020.

Walmart one-ups Amazon: You don’t need to leave home to return packages for free | CNN

December 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Walmart is attempting to solve one of the biggest pain-points of online shopping — the dreaded return — with a new service.

The retailer announced Monday that it will pick up items shipped and sold by Walmart.com from customers’ homes through a new partnership with FedEx (FDX). Walmart said the “incredibly convenient” option is free and will remain in place beyond the busy holiday shopping season.

To use the new service, called “Carrier Pickup by FedEx,” customers have the initiate return process on Walmart’s website or app, schedule a date for pickup and print a label. Then it will be picked up by a FedEx employee.

Why do cats meow? | Live Science

December 18, 2020December 17, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every day your cat walks into your office, looks at you indignantly and utters a despondent “meooow.” You may not speak cat, but her meaning is clear: “You haven’t fed me yet, you monster!”

House cats are unique in the way they use their voices to communicate with their human companions — they rarely meow at one another. So what makes our feline friends so chatty with us?

The answer has to do with domestication, experts told Live Science.