The Autopilot Tech That Could Be a Total Game-Changer for Drones | WIRED

January 9, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Intel invented a new sport on stage at the Consumer Electronics Show this year: drone pong.

To play, four men stood around around a drone hovering in place. As each one approached the drone, it would float away from him, much like the digital ball in the classic video game Pong, and drift toward another person. He could then “pass” it to the next person by approaching the drone.

It’s a simple game, but it was one of the most talked about demos at CES this year because the technology that makes it work is quite complex. The drone had no remote control operator; instead it could “see” people approaching and and move away from them thanks to an autopilot system built by German company Ascending Technologies based in part on Intel’s RealSense 3D cameras.

This was more than a flashy demo. The AscTec Firefly pong drones are a real product from Ascending Technologies, and they will ship with the new autopilot technology later this year. Intel likes them so much, the chipmaker has bought a minority stake in Ascending.

9 Tips For Improving Your Bookkeeping in the New Year | Business News Daily

January 8, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Doing a less than stellar job keeping track of your business finances? Maybe your New Year’s resolutions should be to get your financial house in order.

To help, Greg Jones, CEO of Bookkeeping Express, a franchise bookkeeping services offers the following financial tips for business owners to financially prepare for the New Year.

Review bank statements and credit card statements

These statements should always come to the business owner or card holder unopened. Review them thoroughly before passing them to the bookkeeper or other employee, thereby preventing unauthorized checks or credit card usage. These are the biggest losses within a small business.

Weekly Economic Report | LAEDC

January 8, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

v.18 n. 52 – Released January 6, 2015

This Week’s Headlines:

U.S. Car and Light Truck Sales in December
Events of Interest
- February 18, 2015: LAEDC Economic Forecast Event Featuring Tourism and Hospitality

The SBA and Serendipity | Jim Ely

January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ 2 Comments

Serendipity

(ser-uhn-DIP-i-tee)

Luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for

Coined by novelist Horace Walpole based on the fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip. The Princes were supposedly making these happy discoveries they were not looking for.

_____________________________________________

TIP OF THE WEEK

Serendipity comes with SBA 7(a) loans.

The IRS has issued a new Form 4506-T and all SBA 7(a) and 504 related requests for IRS tax transcripts must be submitted to IRS Service Centers using the new IRS Form 4506-T (Rev. August 2014).

Continue reading “The SBA and Serendipity | Jim Ely” →

18 Google Maps Tricks You Need to Try| PCMag.com

January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Regardless of how you feel about it, Google Maps (and its cousin Google Earth) remain powerful and versatile tools—and most of us are only scratching at the surface of what they have to offer. (And we’re just talking about the Web version, the mobile incarnations are a whole other bag of magic.) Here, we present 18 cool things you didn’t know Google Maps could do. Click on through and experience just a little bit of the power of the everyday.

How Waking Up Can Change Your Life | Care 2

January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Perhaps the most common complaint is the number of hours in a day. We use it as an excuse for why we don’t exercise enough (there’s just never enough time) and it’s also a go-to excuse for why we can’t seem to get ahead in life or in work.

Become a Morning Person and Change Your Life

However, it really is just an excuse. And it’s one that many successful people have completely overcome. They are the ones who do find time to hit the gym, who feel healthy and refreshed, and who get their work done. The secret to their success?

Verizon Has Approached AOL for Possible Takeover or Joint Venture | Bloomberg

January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Verizon Communications Inc. has approached AOL Inc. (AOL) about a potential acquisition or joint venture with the Internet company to expand its mobile-video offerings, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The wireless carrier hasn’t made a formal proposal to AOL, and no agreement is imminent, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Speaking at a conference today, Verizon Chief Executive Lowell McAdam said the company isn’t having “significant acquisition discussions” and is more interested in partnerships with media companies and content providers, rather than buying them.

New Fitness Tracker from Withings Doesn’t Scream ‘Tech Geek’ | Live Science

January 5, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new fitness tracker from Withings may appeal to those with an eye for fashion who don’t want to break the bank.

The new tracker, called Activité Pop, has a sophisticated clock-face design, but costs only $150 — much less than the company’s previous fashion-forward tracker, Activité, which costs $450.

Like the Activité, the Activité Pop has two hand dials: one that shows the time of day and a smaller dial that shows users’ progress toward their activity goals (such as how close they are to achieving 10,000 steps), according to Withings.

Reinventing The Pizza | Forbes

January 5, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Who is crazy enough to start yet another pizza chain? Especially after ambitious chefs have piled on every conceivable topping (peanut butter and jelly, kangaroo meat), injected cheese into every last nook and cranny of dough and committed unholy cross-branding (Pizza Hut’s Doritos crust)? Samit Varma, 38, and Ron Biskin, 62–that’s who.

The odd-couple cofounders and co-CEOs of Pizza Studio of Calabasas, Calif. have brought together Varma’s experience in the military and startup world and Biskin’s long history in fast-casual restaurants to create something fresh. They’re adapting the quick and made-to-order model, championed by Chipotle and Subway , to pizza. “It’s all about execution,” Varma says.