IT Training Today: Top Tips for Finding the Right Computer Certification for You | Getentrepreneurial.com

October 20, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you are looking for an exciting career and a job you want to get up for every morning, IT is one area where you can enjoy all of that and more.

To get a good job in the IT sector, you can’t just jump into it. You will need the right set of skills, and that means you will have to look into training opportunities.

The type of certification you require will depend on the skills you already possess, along with your specific career goals.

Here are a few tips for finding the most suitable certification for you, starting with some entry-level certifications and moving onto some more specific areas where you can become certified.

What is a Hashtag? And What Do You Do With Hashtags? | Small Biz Trends

October 20, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A little while back, someone named Dr. C commented here at Small Business Trends saying: “I’m still not sure how hashtags are being used, or how to use them, or when to use them, or what the significance is in using them… totally confused ….” We hear you, Dr. C — hashtags are baffling to those who do not spend a lot of time online or who are new at social media.

So today we’re going to tackle the question “What is a hashtag?” in plain language. We will also address the business significance of hashtags, and how hashtags can help you in marketing.

What is a Hashtag?

A hashtag is a label for content. It helps others who are interested in a certain topic, quickly find content on that same topic.

A hashtag looks something like this: #MarathonBombings or #SmallBizQuote.

Hashtags are used mostly on social media sites. They rocketed to fame on Twitter. But now you can use hashtags on other social platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+.

DIY lamps made from plastic bottles are helping solve the world’s electricity woes | Mashable

October 20, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A project called ‘Liter of Light’ is hoping to bring light to places that need it most, by using DIY lamps made from plastic bottles. Mashable caught up with the founder of the project to hear how it works and find out who can benefit.

One of the immediate impacts of a natural disaster, like the hurricane that recently wreaked havoc in Haiti, is that it’s often followed by darkness. It takes months for aid, and in this case light, to reach the most remote places.

On a daily basis, more than 1.5 billion people face similar darkness, or at best the dim glow of candlelights or kerosene lamps, whose fumes are poisonous.

Some of these communities are extremely remote and have no access to electricity. Others have access to electricity, but opt out of using it because it’s so expensive.

The problem goes far beyond the lack of light. It extends to long-term issues about security, independence, health and access to education.

An open source project called ‘Liter of Light’ is trying to change this by using plastic bottles to make simple solar-powered lights.

Lawsuit: Most Apple chargers, cables, and adapters on Amazon are fake | Business Insider

October 19, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It looks as though 90% of the Apple power accessories sold on Amazon, such as chargers and cables, are fake, according to a legal document from Apple obtained by Patently Apple. In the document, Apple claims it bought “well over 100 iPhone devices, Apple power products, and Lightning cables” from Amazon and found that nearly 90% of the accessories were fake.

Apart from potentially not working as well as genuine Apple products, Apple also claims that counterfeit Apple power accessories can cause property damage and even bodily harm. The company says in the document that counterfeit accessories are often poorly built with “inferior” — and even missing — parts, and they don’t go through industry-standard safety tests. As a result, they risk catching fire or sending “deadly” electric shocks to users during normal usage.

How New York City Is Working To Merge Government With Innovation | Co.Exist

October 19, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

With a budget that is many millions of dollars in the red, the New York City Housing Authority—North America’s largest low-income landlord—doesn’t have a lot of cash to spare. So it’s not ideal that the electricity and heating bills for its more than 2,000 buildings are much higher than they should be. The agency, abbreviated NYCHA, estimates its spends more than 40% more on energy than a typical apartment building in the city. But tackling such a large and sprawling problem and encouraging energy conservation—especially when, in many NYCHA buildings, residents don’t pay their own electric bills—isn’t straightforward. “When you’ve been doing something one way for a decade, it’s really hard to step back and see the opportunities in a different light.”

So the agency approached Mayor de Blasio’s Office of Tech and Innovation with the problem, and out of that came two new open innovation challenges launched on Tuesday. Their aim is to ferret out ideas, from the private sector, for reducing electric bills without taking away residents’ control of their own apartments and, in a smaller number of buildings, reduce steam heating bills.

How Banks Are Losing Clients to Their Own Employees | Bloomberg

October 18, 2016October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Morgan Stanley could do little but watch as a team of advisers overseeing $2.2 billion in assets quit last month to start their own shop, the latest in a string of departures that have shifted billions of dollars in assets away from big Wall Street banks.

After months of secret and meticulous planning, 13 employees in Wichita, Kansas, left on a Friday with phone numbers and e-mail addresses for 800 clients, and then spent a frantic weekend on the phone trying to get them to switch to their upstart. It all depended on a gift from Morgan Stanley: Years earlier, the bank had signed away its right to sue.

Here’s How Much a Millennial Needs to Save Each Month to Retire With $5 Million | Entrepreneur

October 18, 2016October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How much will you need to retire?

Well, in 2014, Matthew Illian, a member of the Investment Committee at Marotta Wealth Management, Inc., wrote that “Someone retiring now in 2014 with $1 million at age 65 can safely withdraw $43,600 a year. However, [because of inflation], today’s 20-year-olds will need over $7 million to have that same lifestyle when they retire. In 1970, they would only have needed $166,000 in retirement to have a similar purchasing power for the rest of their life.”

Immigrants Fuel Innovation. America Should Not Waste Their Potential | WIRED

October 18, 2016October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

NOE ARRIVED IN the United States after a treacherous two-month journey to flee El Salvador. He hiked through the jungle, rode on top of trains, slept on the streets of Mexico City, and trekked through the desert. Eventually he made it to San Francisco.

When Noe enrolled in high school, he discovered a passion—and a valuable talent—for chemistry and calculus. I met Noe at College Track, an organization that supports underserved youth through high school and college, where I’m a counselor and mentor. Noe graduated with a 4.2 GPA and was accepted to UC Berkeley. He graduated from there a year ago with a degree in architecture and economic policy, having benefited from California’s commitment to provide undocumented students with access to financial aid. But instead of beginning his career as an architect, he is working as an apartment manager in exchange for rent—because his undocumented status bars him from putting that world-class education to work for his community.

Addicted to Spending? Here’s How to Become a ‘Recovering Spender’ | The Simple Dollar

October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Imagine waking up every day with an insatiable urge to shop. The second you get a chance, you check the racks and sales, desperate for the perfect gift, the perfect blouse, or anything to make your shopping trip worthwhile.

As you leave the store with a bag full of stuff, you’re over the moon with familiar feelings of euphoria and accomplishment. Unfortunately, this feeling is rather short-lived; soon, you’ll need to buy something else – something better – to maintain your glow.

For a lot of people, this is what addictive and compulsive spending looks like. Instead of getting high on drugs, addicted shoppers get high on the thrill of the chase and the excitement of buying something new.

Tesla told to dump Autopilot brand in Germany | BBC News

October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tesla has been told to drop the Autopilot brand name, which it uses to promote its driver-assistance software, in Germany.

The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) confirmed it had told Tesla to scrap the “misleading” term.

It said the term gave customers “incorrect expectations” that they could stop concentrating on the road and let Autopilot take over completely.

Tesla said it had always told drivers to keep their hands on the wheel.