Author: knjohn

Wacaco saves the workday with hand-powered portable espresso machine | Designboom.com

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The workplace of is filled with employees that are powered by warm brews of coffee throughout the day. in order to get their fix, they escape, just for a couple minutes, to the nearest shop around the corner or walk down the thin pathways between cubicles towards the break room. once a cup has been poured, every sip is a hybrid of rejuvenation and relaxation so they can focus on the tasks ahead. but getting a dose of caffeine isn’t always easy. there can be long lines served by overwhelmed baristas or unclean, burnt pots left in the office from the day before. taking away the stress that can consume a person during this sequence of events, wacaco has developed ‘minipresso’, a device that helps you prepare shots with the quality of a traditional machine.

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Airplane Seats Are About to Get Smaller and Even More Uncomfortable | Mashable.com

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While luxury airlines unveil multi-room apartments in the sky, the future of economy seating for the rest of us is looking smaller and even less comfortable.

In a recent patent filing, plane manufacturer Airbus included diagrams for new standing seats.Without the context of the filing, you could be forgiven for not recognizing the diagram as airline seating.

The design is meant to fit even more passengers on flights, specifically on short-haul trips where the added discomfort could be more tolerable, at least in Airbus’ estimation.

“If you squint, the thing looks more like a medieval torture device than lounging equipment,” Brian Fung wrote about the design in the Washington Post.

Airbus spokeswoman Mary Anne Greczyn said the patent diagrams are only a concept, and will not necessarily be used.

“Many, if not most, of these concepts will never be developed, but in case the future of commercial aviation makes one of our patents relevant, our work is protected,” said Greczyn.

Even though the Airbus plan is still just a concept, there is no question air carriers want to fit more economy passengers on each plane.

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There’s Something Going On In L.A. | TechCrunch

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la_beach“There’s something going on in L.A.”

It’s the new refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. I hear it right after people decide to come by for a few days to “check out what all the fuss is about.” I hear it when I visit LPs all across the country: “Yeah, I haven’t been out there for a few years but I keep hearing that something is going on there.”

So what is actually going on in L.A.? Is it true that the ecosystem has changed? Has it begun to mature or is it just better marketed than in was, say, five years ago? These are the questions I set out to answer with our master of analysis at Upfront Ventures, Glenn Poppe who deserves the bulk of the credit for our work.

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The 3 Most Important Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer | Entrepreneur.com

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1409688781-3-most-important-questions-every-entrepreneur-must-answer-2The ultimate goal of every entrepreneur is to succeed – and to be happy doing it. But not every entrepreneur gets to achieve it. Indeed, hundreds of new businesses are launched every year but success eludes most of them.

One reason is that entrepreneurs are faced with some of the most difficult questions on a daily basis – and how they answer them could depend on if the startup sinks or swims.

To ensure success, here are the three most important questions entrepreneurs must answer.

1. What are my goals as an entrepreneur? Most entrepreneurs find it difficult to separate their personal goals from their business goals. And that makes sense. Think about it, entrepreneurs are often trying to turn their personal passion into a business – and just need to find others to help achieve their goals. While I get that sometimes they are linked, the ability to separate your goals can help you focus your personal growth and the success of your business at the same time. So set goals.

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Saving Money in Your Startup | The Simple Dollar

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saving moneyWe get it. You’re starting a new businesses and you’re strapped for cash. There are a million questions going through your head. We empathize with bootstrapping entrepreneurs and small-business owners everywhere, and today we explore meaningful ways that add up where your business can save money in the early phases. That said, every small-business owner and entrepreneur has a unique set of circumstances that pertains to their business, industry, strategy, and execution. Here we will outline some of the key choices, some obvious, some less obvious, on ways you and your small business can save money.

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 How To Make The Transition To Online Ordering Work For Your Customers | Getentrepreneurial.com

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My cranberry experience was one of the worst online shopping experiences I have had this year! And it did make me realize that it’s a big step for any business, and perhaps an even bigger step for their customers, to make online shopping the only option. The question arises; should e-commerce be the only option? And what about the customers who don’t use computers; yes, they still exist; do they just fall by the wayside? How is your cranberry customer experience? This is a real life story:

The company which sells the best dried cranberries is Davis Lewis Orchards. The customer was my neighbor Mary Anne, who though she inherited her partner’s MacBook, only reads the news, and surfs modestly, and even today does not do email or any online ordering! She insists on a live person and telephone contact, and when asked for her email, smiles and says “Hello?” There is a segment of the population, usually over “a certain age” that does not use computers as we do. I’ve been doing email for close to 20 years and e-commerce for almost as long; in fact I tested some of the first e-commerce websites as a beta customer!

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Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest | Forbes.com

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You’ve likely heard that multitasking is problematic, but new studies show that it kills your performance and may even damage your brain. Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers also found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.

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A 401k Conundrum: Can You Make Cash Pile Last for Life? | Bloomberg

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Even if you’ve socked plenty of money away in your 401k plan and invested it carefully, some of your toughest decisions lie ahead. And don’t expect much help or clarity from the government or your employer. Strategies for drawing down lump-sum accounts in retirement — more important than ever in the 401k era — have received little attention from policy makers. For retirees, choices about how to spend a life’s worth of savings are fraught with tricky calculations about financial risk, taxes and death.

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e-Edge Newsletter | LAEDC.org

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v.18 n. 39 – Released October 7, 2014

This Week’s Headlines:

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