Apple finally kills off 16GB iPhone SE, now you get 32GB for $399 | TechCrunch

March 21, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Rejoice lovers of petite-sized iPhones, for Apple is granting additional storage bounty — announcing today it’s doubling the current storage capacity of the iPhone SE.

The new four-inch display iPhone comes with either 32GB or 128GB on board storage, replacing the prior 16GB and 64GB models — but with only a small price-tag bump for the more capacious model (+ $50, to $499), and no price change for the $399 starter model.

As with all iOS devices there’s no ability for users to expand storage capacity themselves via a removable memory card. You get what you’re given on the storage front — so being given more is very welcome.

Create a Referral Engine That Works Every Day in Your Business | Duct Tape Marketing

March 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’ve written about this topic many times, but it just never get’s old! (Check out the referral marketing archive on Duct Tape Marketing) The fact is, although I’ve been writing about the idea of referral generation for years, it always remains relevant, no matter what marketing trends and technologies come and go.

Getting referrals can often seem like a daunting task for marketers, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve put together a list of recommendations you can use to teach your clients how to build referrals (not to mention teach yourself a thing or two).

Should you install solar panels on your roof? Ask Google | Mashable

March 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In 2015, Google launched Project Sunroof, a map that shows which houses have enough sun exposure for solar panels to be a viable energy source. However, the original map was very limited, covering only the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno, California and Boston.

Now, Google has greatly expanded the project to cover all 50 U.S. states, with a total of 60 million buildings in the database.

The Lawsuits Keep Coming for Johnson and Johnson | Bloomberg

March 20, 2017March 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Johnson & Johnson was hit with six of the seven largest product-defect verdicts of 2016, and 2017 could also wind up costing the company hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more.

The company is facing at least 17 trials in state and federal courts this year in cases blaming five J&J products for injuries and death. They follow trial losses on some of those products, including a $1 billion verdict against the company in December over hip implants and an earlier $72 million verdict over claims its talcum powder causes ovarian cancer.

How This Bedsheets Startup Figured Out The Right Way To Disrupt Sleep Patterns | Fast Company

March 17, 2017March 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There was a time not that long ago when buying high-quality bedsheets was a major investment. Walk into Nordstrom or Barneys, and you could easily drop $750 or more on sheets from Frette, Sferra, or Loro Piana. But over the last three years, a transformation has begun to democratize the process. Brands like Brooklinen, Parachute, and Boll & Branch are using clever direct-to-consumer business models that bring high-threadcount, long-staple cotton sheets to consumers at prices that start at under $100.

This new flock of bedsheets startups has been growing fast—expanding their product ranges and generating millions of dollars in revenue—and none has seen more impressive stats than Brooklyn-based Brooklinen. On the eve of its third anniversary, the company is only just now taking on its first external funding, a $10 million Series A round led by FirstMark Capital. The brand first came to the market in April 2014 with a Kickstarter campaign that raised $237,000, but after that point, its wife-and-husband cofounders say they were committed to bootstrapping the company.

How Rachael Ray Grew Her Brand Way Beyond the Kitchen | Entrepreneur

March 17, 2017March 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Even if you’re not a foodie or a fan of talk shows, chances are you’ve heard of Rachael Ray. The everyday cook started promoting her 30-minute meal idea locally at a store in upstate New York. Someone from the Today show happened to stumble upon her work, and as the story goes, a few guest segments on the morning show later, she was offered her own show.

Though adamant she’s not a chef, she’s clearly an expert, and coming up with over 5,000 recipes gave Ray unique insights into tools and products that were missing. This lead to the invention of multiple products, such as the Moppine and the oval Pasta Pot. She now has over 365 SKUs of cookware on the market in partnership with the Meyer Corporation.

Most impressive, though, is how far she has extended her reach outside the kitchen.

What If There Was A Way To Change How You Looked On Google? | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

March 17, 2017March 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Negative perception from consumers often results in poorer sales and margins just because of negative search results. The role of online reputation management in today’s business and media landscape is of paramount importance in today’s digital age. Finally there is a cool business that has solved the issue of unfair and biased search results from “Fake News” and the media. The Reputation Management Company has developed programs that can delete unfavorable results and replace them with relevant and real results.

Despite how huge your company is, be it a small medium sized company or a large multi-national company, customers, prospects and potentially everyone are talking about you. They will tweet how much they like about your product or how undesirable your service is on Facebook. Customer experiences are always shared through word of mouth and increasingly on the social media.

This is why it’s crucial for brands to have a professional team of search engine reputation management experts who can identify negative results and get them removed from the web before they cause any damage.

To Persuade People, The Key Is To Make Them Feel Good | Life Hack

March 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever felt it hard to get someone to believe you, or do something that you want them to do? Whether in selling something or just winning friendships, we all need to have skills to persuade another person. You could use it in little things, such as in getting a discount from the market, or landing a major business deal. Follow the three tips below and you will surely be more persuasive.

The First On-Site House Has Been Printed in Russia | Apis Cor.

March 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In December 2016, the Apis Cor company in cooperation with PIK proceeded to print the building using a mobile 3D printer. Construction took place at the Apis Cor company’s test facility in the town of Stupino, on the territory of the Stupino aerated concrete factory. Printing of self-bearing walls, partitions and building envelope were done in less than a day: pure machine time of printing amounted to 24 hours.

After completing the wall structures, the printer was removed from the building with a crane-manipulator.

The area of the printed building is 38 m².

For the first time in the Russian construction practice a house was printed as a whole, rather than assembled from pre-printed panels.

Goodyear Blimp Deflates, Newer ‘Wingfoot Two’ Takes Over | Fortune.com

March 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Goodyear Blimp, Florida (Photo by Hoberman Collection/UIG via Getty Images)

Goodyear will keep flying its iconic blue and yellow aircrafts high in the sky despite deflating its last blimp on Tuesday.

“There were a couple tears because they’ve been working with blimps for so long,” company airship historian Eddie Ogden told the Associated Press of the deflating ceremony. “But the program has always changed over the decades and this is a step forward.

The new model is incredible to watch fly.” The newer Wingfoot Two, which will replace the iconic “Spirit of Innovation” blimp, will have the same color pattern as its iconic predecessor and will still be used to capture aerial footage of live sporting events.