You Want A Basic Income? Here’s How We Might Actually Do It | Co.Exist

July 25, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The idea of a universal basic income (UBI) potentially solves a lot of problems at once. By sending a regular payment to all citizens, we could end abject poverty, deal with technological unemployment, reduce the overall cost of government, give more autonomy to people, and gain support from across the ideological divide as we do it (in theory, anyway). In its long history, some form of UBI has been supported by everyone from Martin Luther King to the libertarian economist Milton Friedman, indicating its unusual appeal.

But, as yet, no government has ever introduced a UBI at significant scale, and, as such, there are a lot of unanswered questions. For example, how much would a UBI cost overall? Should everyone get it, or just people who really need it (then it’s not so universal)? How should it be distributed exactly? And, should people have to do anything in return to get it? While there are a lot of compelling reasons to implement UBI, there are obviously a lot of trade-offs to consider.

Dave Hakkens updates Precious Plastics recycling machines | Dezeen

July 22, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Dutch designer Dave Hakkens has updated his series of Precious Plastic machines, which anyone can build and use to make products by recycling the material (+ movie).

Blueprints for the new machines, which the designer described as “a solution to plastic pollution”, are now available online for anyone to download and build.

The devices are made using everyday materials and basic tools that Hakkens said are available all over the world.

Twitter Is Running Out of Time to Get Real About Fighting Abuse | WIRED

July 22, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER eruption of abuse on Twitter. This time, it was Breitbart writer and self-anointed “supervillain of the Internet” Milo Yiannopoulos, whom the company finally banned after he stoked his followers into flooding Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones with hateful and racist messages. Yiannopoulos went so far as to tweet out fake screenshots of things Jones supposedly but did not actually say on Twitter. In the end, Jones said she would leave Twitter altogether.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was apparently aware of the situation, tweeting at Jones as early as Monday evening. But Twitter still took another day to finally kick Yiannopolous off the platform after facing considerable public pressure. On Thursday afternoon, Jones posted a short tweet saying she was grateful for the public’s support. “People should be able to express diverse opinions and beliefs on Twitter,” Twitter said in a statement addressing the incident. “But no one deserves to be subjected to targeted abuse online, and our rules prohibit inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.”

Amazon to enter student loan business | BBC News

July 22, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

E-commerce giant Amazon has entered the student loan business, teaming up with US bank Wells Fargo to offer lower interest rates to subscribers of its “Prime Student” services.

For an annual fee “Prime Student” gives subscribers discounts, free delivery and access to Amazon’s video streaming.

Wells Fargo is one of the largest providers of student loans in the US.

The deal should help the bank promote products and Amazon attract students.

“Prime Student” subscribers will be eligible for a 0.5% discount on Wells Fargo student loans.

In a statement, Wells Fargo’s head of personal lending John Rasmussen said: “We are focused on innovation and meeting our customers where they are – and increasingly that is in the digital space”.

Will a Camera on Every Cop Make Everyone Safer? Taser Thinks So | Bloomberg

July 21, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On Aug. 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo., a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown. Several witnesses described the shooting—which wasn’t captured on video—as unprovoked. In the national furor over police violence that followed, one remedy found common support across much of the political spectrum: outfitting more cops with body-mounted cameras to deter misconduct and create a record of tragic encounters. When a grand jury decided that November not to charge the officer in Ferguson, the victim’s family pushed “to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera.” The White House proposed $75 million in matching funds for state and local police to buy the devices.

A few months later, in January 2015, employees of Taser International, the maker of stun guns, gathered for a sales meeting at the company’s futuristic headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. They filled the ground floor and lined the catwalks that crisscross the three-story atrium, a space where a lightsaber duel wouldn’t seem out of place. Shades blocked out the desert sun, and in the darkness, low, long trumpet sounds blared—the famous Richard Strauss theme used in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Don’t Overlook Wellness When Building Your Business | Entrepreneur

July 21, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Studies show that 93 percent of small businesses believe employee health is good for their bottom line. And they’re right. A strategic focus on employee health can help businesses grow.

So why do only 22 percent of small businesses actually have wellness programs? Maybe these programs (and the buzz about crazy-expensive wellness perks) seem like they’re just for big companies with lots of people on the payroll.

Even for the smallest of companies, though, employee wellness programs can improve productivity, help with talent acquisition and retention and increase brand recognition – all of which support business growth and can help small businesses get ahead without sinking too much money into a new initiative.

How To Be Smarter In The Age Of Information Overload | Lifehack

July 20, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We live in the digital age, where we can access huge swathes of information with the single click of a button. Given the fact that access to these data-sets is unrestricted, however, we are often exposed to an information overload whenever we research a specific subject or search query online. This can not only be mentally exhausting, but it also confuses and fragments our thinking over time.

To negate this, you will need to digital age an overload of information and adopt skills that will enable you to think with greater purpose and clarity.

Creative Expert Danny Schuman on Generating Great Ideas Daily | Blinkist

July 20, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Anyone who’s ever spent an age agonizing over the perfect witty comment in a greeting card will know that being creative is not easy. But what about those whose job it is to be creative all the time? How do you prime yourself for Eureka moments day after day after day? To help find an answer we asked Danny Schuman, someone in this exact predicament. Danny, who founded Twist, a Chicago-based brand marketing consultancy which has helped brands like PepsiCo, Allstate and MillerCoors, has spent his life generating great ideas that meet difficult challenges. Here’s a glimpse into how he primes himself to stay creative.

Are Online Business Loans Safe? | All Business

July 20, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you run a small business, the ability to evaluate commercial or business financing options is essential. At some point your business will probably reach a critical juncture when it will need a cash infusion–whether it’s to help cover operations during a lean period or to fund a growth initiative to take your business to the next level. When borrowing money is the only choice, startups and fledgling businesses, unfortunately, have historically been left with few options.

Thanks to the advent of online lending, small businesses today have an alternative for borrowing money that is convenient and quick. However, before doing business with an online lender, it’s important to ascertain whether the lender is legitimate and if your business’s identity will be in safe hands.

Russia should be banned from Rio Olympics, WADA says | NBC Sports News

July 18, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s executive board wants the IOC to ban all Russian teams from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

WADA issued a seven-point list of requests after it published a report which confirmed claims of state-backed Russian cheating at the Sochi Olympics and beyond.

WADA also wants Russian government officials to be denied access to international competitions, including the upcoming Olympics.