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”.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Private spaceflight trade group rebrands itself to look more like NASA | Mashable

July 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Space is sexy and badass — and it doesn’t necessarily take a government agency to get you there.

That’s the central theme of a brand overhaul unveiled this week at the Commercial Spaceflight Foundation, a trade group for the dozens of startups in the nascent private space travel industry.

The group is hoping that the new look and a more active approach to promoting itself will attract more public attention and allow it to tap into the same awestruck regard that people tend to have for NASA.

“We want to make that that sexy, badass persona that NASA has established in the government space exploration realm is carried forward into the private commercial space industry,” says David Moritz, founder and CEO of Viceroy Creative, the ad agency behind the rebrand.

Theresa May is next British prime minister; Leadsom quits Conservative race | Business Insider

July 11, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Theresa May will become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening.

Current Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Monday afternoon that he intends to resign by Wednesday evening, paving the way for the Home Secretary to take over much earlier than initially expected.

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, Cameron said he was “delighted” May was going to be his successor and lauded her as a “strong” politician.

Conservative party official Graham Brady confirmed earlier in the day that he was set to formally appoint May as the party’s new leader after her only challenger, Andrea Leadsom, pulled out at about noon in the UK.

What You Must Know About New Overtime Rules: 9 Point Checklist | Small Biz Trends

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On May 18, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced final updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “white collar” overtime exemptions.

The new overtime rules (known as the “final rule”) increase the salary threshold needed to qualify for overtime exemption from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to $913 per week ($47,476 per year.) and affect 4.2 million workers.

Also, the total annual compensation requirement needed to meet the highly compensated employee (HCE) exemption will increase from $100,000 per year to $134,004.

Any business that employs workers with salaries under the new threshold will need to consider their best course of action or face paying thousands in higher wages. They could also be subject to employee lawsuits for failure to comply with the rule. No business is exempt, regardless of size.

Comcast’s Netflix Deal Could Open a New Front in Net Neutrality War | WIRED

July 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Watching Netflix using Comcast is about to get a little easier.

The longtime rivals recently confirmed that Comcast’s X1 interactive television box will offer Netflix, obviating the need for a smart TV or third-party device like a Roku or Chromecast. The two companies said little more than the combination arrives “later this year,” and it remains to be seen whether you’ll pay a separate fee to use Netflix. The answer almost certainly is yes. The bigger question is whether you’ll also need Comcast Internet service to watch Netflix over X1—and, if so, whether watching Netflix will eat into your Internet data plan.