Iris Scans to Replace Fingerprints | Live Science

July 18, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

FBI officials have scanned the irises of nearly 460,000 people in a pilot program that may soon replace fingerprints. While iris-scanning technology has been around for more than 25 years, it’s just now getting to where it’s fast, easy and relatively bug-free.

“It’s a powerful biometric,” said Patrick Grother, a computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., who has been developing algorithms and software for iris scanning. “It’s fast to process, it has discriminative power — my iris doesn’t look like your iris, and it has reasonable permanence.”

Why Disney Fired (Then Quickly Rehired) a Young Intern Over a Single Tweet | Inc.com

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s a small world after all.

At least on Twitter. That’s what the Walt Disney Co. realized recently after Shannon Sullivan, an intern working in Magic Kingdom restaurants, tweeted a photo of a sign instructing Disney World employees how to respond to inquiries about alligators in the area.

Both the public and Disney employees have been on increased alert regarding alligators since the death of 2-year-old Lane Graves, who was snatched by an alligator last month while playing in a lake at a Disney resort.

Why Retail-Minded Marketers Are Intrigued by Pokemon Go’s Forthcoming Ads | Adweek

July 15, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google Adwords, the digital giant’s paid search offering, has long been a go-to platform for ecommerce players looking to increase sales. More recently, it has represented a lucrative source for direct-marketing retailers trying to drive mobile consumers into their stores. Google charges brands on a cost-per-click basis for the ads, guaranteeing a website visit for their cash but not necessarily in-person patronage.

All of which makes Pokemon Go’s forthcoming sponsored-locations product intriguing, since it will reportedly be designed to only charge advertisers when consumers—glued to their smartphones playing the game—show up at their stores. Indeed, foot traffic, the lifeblood of old-school retail and the Holy Grail for brick-and-mortar shops that lean on digital.

Why Should SMEs Care About Equal Pay? | The Startup Magazine

July 15, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Equality, Diversity, Women on Boards, Gender Wage Gap, and Wage Gap Reporting – Its safe to say that that gender equality is high on the agenda. Actually, all equality and diversity issues are being addressed in a huge way, right across the globe.

And rightly so, its 2016 and to be politically correct, and as a society we are being pushed to acknowledge that ‘All Lives Matter’. This ethos has been creeping into the world of business for some time now. So surely, if all lives matter than we would all be treated entirely as equals? Especially in Great Britain; one of the most advanced countries in the world, with some of the globes most prestigious schools and an education system that is much sought after. A country that will now see its 2nd female prime minister in power.

The fact we have a female running the country shows just how far we have come in the last 100 years, The Parliamentary Qualification of Women Act was only passed in 1918, the same year that women were given the right to vote – previous to that we didn’t have a voice to speak of.

Pokémon Go continues its worldwide march, now live in the UK | TechCrunch

July 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One of the more interesting side effects from the explosion of new mobile AR game Pokémon Go is physical movement: a lot of people are finding themselves walking miles and miles (and miles) more than they normally would as they search for PokéStops, load up on PokéBalls, and (of course) track down more Pokémon. Now the game itself — which originally launched in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. — is doing a bit of travelling of its own: as of this morning, Pokémon Go is now live in the UK both on iOS and Android.

Apple Leak Reveals Massive iPhone 7 Upgrade | Forbes

July 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How does Apple head off accusations that the iPhone 7 will look dull and alienate people? Perhaps by giving prospective owners the one thing they all crave…

Continuing his prolific run, the ever reliable Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) of Nowhereelse.fr took to Twitter last night to announce a source close to him has revealed the iPhone 7 will receive the largest iPhone battery upgrade in the line’s history.

Hemmerstoffer says the iPhone 7’s battery capacity will jump over 14% compared to the iPhone 6S, an increase from 1715 mAh to 1960 mAh in real terms.

Entrepreneur Salaries: How Much Should You Pay Yourself? | Business News Daily

July 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When you’re thinking about your business expenses, one of the easiest items to overlook is your own salary.

According to the 2016 American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, just over half (51 percent) of business owners pay themselves a salary. But Alice Bredin, a B2B marketing entrepreneur and small business adviser for OPEN, emphasized the importance of including your own pay in the budget as soon as you can afford to do so.

Tesla reveals ‘cheaper’ Model X SUV | Money CNN

July 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tesla just put a cheaper version of its Model X SUV on the market. Don’t get too excited, though. The Model X is a luxury SUV and it still costs like one. Prices for the new Model X 60D start at $74,000.

That would be $66,500 after a $7,500 federal tax credit, which is how Tesla usually prefers to talk about its prices.

Tesla (TSLA) boasts on its website that it comes to just $768 a month after “estimated savings,” including the much lower cost of electricity compared to gasoline.

The 60D has a 60 kilowatt hour battery for an estimated driving range, on a full charge, of 200 miles. That’s compared to 237 miles for the $83,000 Model X 75D or 257 miles in the $95,500 90D.

8 Tips For Converting Blog Readers Into Customers | Getentrepreneurial

July 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to content marketing, getting visitors to your website is hailed as the ultimate goal.

So, what happens when you reach that goal? What happens when you publish a blog post for your business which goes viral overnight or your blog becomes a huge hit, reaching millions of people who then click and land on your website?

Do your phones starting ringing off the hook? Are you bombarded with sales, leads, orders, sign ups? Does your brand become a household name? Is your business front-page news?

Having created ‘viral content’ for businesses on a number of occasions, I can categorically (and unfortunately) say that the answer to all of those questions is no.