The Bitcoin Revolution is Coming | Getentrepreneurial.com

September 28, 2016September 28, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How can unrelated parties negotiate securely and transparently without having to rely on expensive intermediaries? Some programmers believe that bitcoin is the answer to that question and that it will revolutionize the way we do business.

What started as a nine page proposal in the white paper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” by Satoshi Nakamoto (whose true identity remains unknown), has now become the way that more than 200,000 transactions per day are done. The rising popularity of bitcoin has caused markets and financial institutions to invest in the development of products based on this revolutionizing technology.

To understand what the buzz over bitcoin is all about and how to make the most of it, we need to become familiar with the concepts of bitcoin and blockchain, the opportunities that they are creating, and the approach that regulators are taking.

FedEx Follows UPS in Announcing Shipping Rate Increases | Small Biz Trends

September 27, 2016September 26, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

FedEx Express, the popular express delivery and parcel shipping service, announced Monday it will increase shipping rates by an average of 3.9 percent for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import deliveries. FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery will also increase by an average of 4.9 percent. The new shipping rates will take effect January 2, 2017.

New FedEx Express Shipping Rates

In a nutshell, the recently announced FedEx rate changes include:

FedEx Express rates which will increase by an average of 3.9 percent for U.S. domestic, U.S. export, and U.S. import services,
FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery rates which will increase by an average of 4.9 percent, with FedEx SmartPost rates also changing,
FedEx Express and FedEx Ground U.S. domestic dimensional weight advisor which will change from 166 to 139, and
FedEx Freight rates which will increase by an average of 4.9 percent.

How Facebook’s last year shows dominance in mobile advertising — and what’s next | Mashable

September 27, 2016September 26, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s plenty of shiny toys to look at when it comes to Facebook — Oculus Rift, WhatsApp, Messenger and ambitious plans to bring the internet to every corner of the globe.

At its core, however, is good old advertising. Well, maybe not old.

“We’re going to pursue any avenue we can to help business owners, all within the bounds of privacy control,” said Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s vice president of ads and business platform. “Consumers need to feel comfortable if we ever creep anybody out we’ve done a poor job.”

Ahead of Advertising Week 2016 in New York, Mashable spoke with Bosworth to learn how Facebook has grown in digital and mobile advertising and what the team is creating next.

Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf fake-accounts scandal Mike Mayo CLSA | Business Insider

September 27, 2016September 26, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Wells Fargo has a lot of explaining to do.

The bank, once the largest bank in the US by market cap, and its CEO, John Stumpf, have been raked over the coals following the revelation that 2 million accounts were opened without customers’ knowledge from 2011 to 2015.

According to Mike Mayo, a banking analyst at CLSA, even after Stumpf’s testimony on Capitol Hill, there are still some important questions the bank has to answer.

This Redesigned Map Of U.S. Train Routes Might Make You Actually Want To Take Amtrak | Co.Exist

September 26, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If it’s hard to picture the U.S. with a high-speed rail network like China’s—with trains going 186 miles an hour, and rail trips more than 70% faster than they are today—a subway-like map makes it feel more realistic.

“The transit map metaphor, with its straight lines and evenly spaced stations seems to make this easier to imagine,” says designer Cameron Booth, who created the map.

With the redesigned map, it’s possible to imagine the train as a viable option for travel in the rest of the country—even if the stops it shows now are just along existing Amtrak routes.

Flybrix Turns Your Legos Into DIY Minidrone Masterpieces | WIRED

September 26, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

THE FLYBRIX TEAM didn’t set out to build an adorable DIY mini-drone out of Lego bricks. But as any road-tripper can tell you, sometimes the journey turns out to be more fun than the destination.

Amir Hirsch has a masters from MIT. Robb Walters has a PhD from Cal Tech. And Holly Kasun has a marketing background that spans from Nike to Nokia. Together, they set out to make small drones smarter, not STEM toys.

“What we were doing originally is going after autonomous flight for microdrones, using computer vision and some other technical milestones,” says Kasun. “While we were developing our product, we used Lego bricks to rapidly prototype our early drone designs.”

Here’s Why You’re Paying $200 to Rent a Clunky Set-Top Box | Bloomberg

September 26, 2016September 26, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Imagine watching TV without paying the cable company for the blinking set-top box, using a gadget of your choice that makes it easy to switch between cable channels, streaming programs and online shows.

The idea, simple in concept, is proving difficult in execution.

U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is pushing a plan to force cable companies to give up their control over set-top boxes, “unlocking” the marketplace as he puts it.

But he’s drawn opposition from lawmakers in both parties, not to mention some of the most active corporate lobbyists in Washington. Comcast Corp. and the cable industry — which stands to lose $20 billion a year in box rentals — say it’s unnecessary and are fighting it. So are Hollywood studios, DirecTV owner AT&T Inc., and CBS Corp. Even a fellow commission Democrat said Wheeler’s plan set for a Sept. 29 vote is flawed.

Can tech keep the world’s bees buzzing? | BBC News

September 23, 2016September 21, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The plight of the honey bee is a major cause of concern for the world’s scientists, environmentalists and the food industry, not to mention beekeepers.

Bees play a crucial role in the survival of many of the crops in our food chain – one in three mouthfuls of food depends on the pollinating insects, according to the British Beekeeping Association – but their numbers are significantly declining.

A recent US report said that American beekeepers lost 44.1% of their hives between March 2015 – April 2016 – the highest rate of decline since the annual study began six years ago.

How to Use Content to Create Trust With Users | Entrepreneur

September 23, 2016September 21, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Q: How can an online publication startup create trust with its users?

A: We’re creating more content than ever these days and with the rise of companies getting smart on content marketing the volume is just going to go up. There’s so much content out there from bloggers, companies and online publications, so how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you build an audience and how do you earn their trust?

These are some of the most common questions I get asked when it comes to content and the answer is always the same: be unique, entertaining and memorable.

This Is What Happens When You Drink Only Water For 30 Days | Life Hack

September 23, 2016September 21, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The body—each molecular cell, tissue, and organ—relies upon water to remain alive and workable. Water provides a kind of health therapy, along with sustaining your life. It greatly impacts specific body operations and the maintenance of good health.

When you only drink water as your primary beverage, outstanding things can happen. Undertaking a special water regimen is not easily achievable for some, but positive consequences are possible. Here’s what can happen when you drink only water for 30 days, without changing your diet or exercise routine.