Why You Should Never Borrow Someone Else’s Charging Cable | Forbes

August 22, 2019August 19, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We’ve all been there. Your smartphone or tablet is low on power and you’ve left your charging cable at home. There’s no harm in borrowing one from a fellow passenger in the airport departure lounge or from your hotel’s front desk clerk, right?

In 2019, that would be a huge mistake, say cybersecurity experts.

“There are certain things in life that you just don’t borrow,” says Charles Henderson, Global Managing Partner and Head of X-Force Red at IBM Security. “If you were on a trip and realized you forgot to pack underwear, you wouldn’t ask all your co-travelers if you could borrow their underwear. You’d go to a store and buy newma underwear.”

How Self-Employment Affects Your Personal Finances | AllBusiness.com

August 21, 2019August 19, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are self-employed people better off financially? Four out of five self-employed people surveyed in the QuickBooks Self-Employed 2019 Personal Finance Survey say they were “financially motivated” to become an entrepreneur. But is the financial side of self-employment all it’s cracked up to be? Find out how self-employment affects your personal finances. Here’s what the survey found.

HIPAA Violation Penalties Could Have Major Financial Impact on SMBs | Small Business Trends

August 21, 2019August 19, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One of the most personal types of data is medical information. And when it comes to protecting this information, the government doesn’t give anyone wiggle room to make excuses.

Armed with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has settled millions of dollars against violators.

The financial impact of HIPAA violations is especially burdensome on small businesses. This is why small firms have to take increased precaution to ensure they are not violating any HIPPA regulations. Whether you’re providing healthcare directly or support services, you are equally liable under HIPAA.

Niche: Required or Overblown for Your Consulting Firm? | David A. Fields

August 20, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You’ve undoubtedly received plenty of advice to position your consulting firm in a narrow niche. Of course, you’ve also been advised to coat your daily diet with chocolate. (Maybe the latter advice was only from me, but it still counts.)

Niche, chocolate. Is either one really necessary?

Absolutely! Let’s look at some examples, a few benefits, and a very rough rule of thumb for consulting firm niches.

Influencer Marketing May Be Losing Its Influence | Business

August 20, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

“How to take a pic worthy of an Instagram influencer,” OnMilwaukee reported last week. “We asked Dallas influencers to explain what or whom they are influencing,” posted the Dallas Observer the same day. A few days later, Olivia Jade, beneficiary of the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, announced she’d be leaving the University of Southern California to become a full-time influencer.

At this point, it’s safe to say that influencer marketing is no longer the secret sauce it once was. There’s also some indication that the power of influencer marketing has peaked.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus Review: A Weekend With A Giant | Digital Trends

August 19, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is in my hands. That’s hands — plural — because this is a hulking beast of a phone. Not just in size, but also in features.

I’ve only been using Samsung’s latest for a little more than two days, so consider this review a work-in-progress. I’ll be adding to it as the week goes on, and will have a final verdict as the August 23 launch date draws near. Until then, here are my thoughts so far.

3 Small Business Expenses That Add up Quickly | The Startup Magazine

August 19, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As a small business owner, you know that it takes money to make money—and unfortunately, sometimes it takes more money than you’d think. From paying your employees to managing your utility bill, there are a lot of small business expenses that can quickly eat away at your take-home revenue if you’re not being proactive about it.

If you’re not sure how to evaluate your small business expenses or optimize them, look no further. In this article, we’re going to call out those expenses that tend to add up quickly and give you tips to help you regain financial control of your small business.

YouTube: LGBT video-makers sue claiming discrimination | BBC News

August 16, 2019August 15, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A group of YouTube video-makers is suing it and parent company Google, claiming both discriminate against LGBT-themed videos and their creators.

The group claims YouTube restricts advertising on LGBT videos and limits their reach and discoverability.

But YouTube said sexual orientation and gender identity played no role in deciding whether videos could earn ad revenue or appear in search results.

A group is hoping a jury will hear its case in California.

ZeroAvia Is on a Mission to Cut Pollution by Fueling the Worst-Polluting Planes in the Sky With Hydrogen | Inc.com

August 16, 2019August 15, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As a champion of clean energy, Valery Miftakhov found himself on a self-inflicted guilt trip when he was piloting small planes and helicopters. The Siberian-born, Princeton- and Stanford- educated physicist became fascinated with clean transportation and clean fuel while living in Silicon Valley and witnessing the emergence of Tesla and a technical focus on decarbonization.

Having already created a company that made electric vehicles more efficient to charge–and landed a spot on Inc.’s annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. in 2017–he’s turning his eyes to the skies with another startup, ZeroAvia. “With land transport rapidly decarbonizing, air transport is quickly becoming the leading emission source, so we must find ways to make aviation more sustainable,” says Miftakhov, who will serve as ZeroAvia’s CEO.

Venmo launches instant transfers to bank accounts | TechCrunch

August 15, 2019August 12, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

PayPal -owned payments app Venmo today announced support for instant transfers to U.S. bank accounts. The feature is an optional alternative to Venmo’s standard bank transfer service, which typically takes one to three business days to process transactions. With Instant Transfer, however, funds from your Venmo account can hit your bank account within minutes.

As of January 2018, Venmo has offered Instant Transfers to eligible Visa and Mastercard debit cards for a small fee. At launch, the fee was a flat $0.25, but Venmo bumped it up to 1% of the transferred amount last October. Now, the minimum fee is $0.25 and the maximum fee is $10. Of course, users can still choose the standard transfer option if they don’t want to pay for the convenience of instant payments.