Author: knjohn

Can Decentralization Solve Businesses’ Trust Problems? | Business

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As the internet has evolved, so have problems in general. In recent years, we’ve woken up to the fact that our personal data is one of the most valuable assets in the world right now. It’s also increasingly apparent that we don’t control that data.

Edward Snowden may be a controversial figure, but he was among the first to expose the stark reality of this problem back in 2014. When we discovered that the NSA had been using Google data to spy on citizens in the name of national security, it seemed like it could be a watershed moment.

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The Oral-B Genius X is an AI-Powered Toothbrush With a High Price Tag | Digital Trends

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Brushing your teeth is one of the most important things you do every day. There’s nothing like cleaning the gunk off your teeth after a long night of particularly deep sleep, but studies indicate that many people don’t use proper technique when it comes to brushing. If you don’t brush long enough or skimp on certain areas, it can cause serious problems down the line. Oral-B’s new Geniux X electric toothbrush can help combat negligent oral hygiene with the help of onboard A.I.

It sounds complicated, but its operation is simple. The toothbrush connects to your phone via Bluetooth and activates a timer when you start brushing. It reminds you when to change positions and suggests where you should brush next. An array of sensors warn you if you’re using too much pressure and then awards an overall rating for how well you brushed.

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Surviving an IRS Audit: What You Need to Know | The Startup Magazine

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Finding out that you are going to be audited by the IRS can be a little bit scary. However, with the right preparation, anyone can get through it. Here’s what you need to know to survive your IRS audit.

Don’t Ignore The Notice

Once you receive your IRS audit notice, you will usually have 30 days to respond to it; the precise time period will be specified in the notice. You should never ignore any correspondence from the IRS, claiming to not have received the letter won’t hold water in a courtroom. You can’t simply feign ignorance on the basis of not having received the letter.

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Why Thousands of Companies Are Turning Their Backs on a Business Doctrine That’s Been Accepted for Decades | Inc.com

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At the B Lab Champions Retreat in Los Angeles in September, nearly 700 attendees representing the B’s–the tip of a global movement numbering 60,000 companies–are gathered to honor great performers. And to declare victory.

The B’s are B Corporations, companies that have been certified by B Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to the concept that business must be a force for good, rather than profit alone, and allies working toward that goal. That concept had clearly become mainstream when, in August, the Business Roundtable, which represents the nation’s leading corporations, rejected “shareholder primacy” as the sole purpose of business in favor of stakeholder considerations. By doing so, the business titans at the very least acknowledged that business must have a purpose beyond making money–that companies must serve their customers, their employees, and their communities as well as their investors.

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Daily Crunch: Twitter is banning political ads | TechCrunch

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1. Jack Dorsey says Twitter will ban all political ads

Arguing that “internet political ads present entirely new challenges to civic discourse,” CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Twitter will be banning all political advertising — albeit with “a few exceptions” like voter registration. Not only is this a decisive move by Twitter, but it also could increase pressure on Facebook to follow suit, or at least take steps in this direction.

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Scientists Now Know How Sleep Cleans Toxins From the Brain | WIRED

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Laura Lewis and her team of researchers have been putting in late nights in their Boston University lab. Lewis ran tests until around 3:00 in the morning, then ended up sleeping in the next day. It was like she had jet lag, she says, without changing time zones. It’s not that Lewis doesn’t appreciate the merits of a good night’s sleep. She does. But when you’re trying to map what’s happening in a slumbering human’s brain, you end up making some sacrifices. “It’s this great irony of sleep research,” she says. “You’re constrained by when people sleep.”

Her results, published today in the journal Science, show how our bodies clear toxins out of our brains while we sleep and could open new avenues for treating and preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

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How Eating Slow Can Transform Your Health and Make You More Productive | Entrepreneur

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When you are hovered over your computer, do you think about what you’re eating or do you just shove it in your mouth? Likely the latter. And how long does it take you to eat a meal at work? Probably less than 20 minutes. And do you stop eating when you feel satisfied or do you finish everything on the plate, in the tupperware or whatever was wrapped up “to go” in paper for you? Not surprisingly, you probably finish it off, mindlessly unaware of portion size, so you can get to that call, meeting, errand or just keep up with the increasingly fast pace that we are working at.

Personally, multi-tasking and slowing down is a work in progress for me, and I suffer from digestion issues if I eat too quickly or on-the-go. I have a European heritage, and I think about how Europeans tend to not eat and drink on-the-go or at their desks like Americans do. Rather, they sit down to enjoy their coffee or meals, so much that the only reason they have “to-go” cups at European cafes seems to be for the American tourists.

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Facebook Bringing Portal Video Chat Devices To Workplaces | Getentrepreneurial.com

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Facebook is bringing its Portal devices to the workplace for people to make voice and video calls. Workplace by Facebook delivered a number of upgrades as part of its Flow by Workplace conference being held today in Menlo Park, including the fact that Workplace now has 3 million paid users, up from 2 million in February. The 8-inch Portal Mini and 10-inch redesigned Portal smart displaycome out next week. Portal devices will be able to speak with up to 50 participants in each video call, a company spokesperson told VentureBeat in an email.

As the split screen image above appears to illustrate, Workplace video calls will supply a shared work space, perhaps drawing on the same tech that will allow people to watch videos together with the Portal TV device due out next month. At launch, Workplace voice and video calls will not work with Portal TV.

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Portable Ovens | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

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There’s quite a demand for innovative grills and ovens that take campsite cuisine to new levels, but few claim to pack as much punch as the new wood-fired oven from Ooni. The company’s latest pizza cooker is designed with a real emphasis on cranking up the heat, so much so it can apparently cook an authentic pizza in just 60 seconds.

Ooni has been making outdoor ovens powered by gas and wood since 2012, with a focus on allowing people to enjoy the scenery between bites of perfectly cooked pizza pie. The newly launched Ooni Karu can accommodate wood, charcoal and gas as fuel sources, allowing for some real flexibility when meal time hits.

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