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

October 13, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

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.

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

October 13, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

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.

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

October 10, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

“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.

e-Edge Newsletter | LAEDC.org

October 8, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

v.18 n. 39 – Released October 7, 2014

This Week’s Headlines:

The U.S. Economy Adds 248,000 Jobs in September
U.S. Trade Deficit Moves Sideways in August
Stronger Consumer Spending in August
U.S. Car and Light Truck Sales in September
California State Tax Revenues Up by 3.7% in 2Q14
Events of Interest
- October 8, 2014: LAEDC Economic Forecast
- October 9-10, 2014: Southern California Energy Summit
- October 30, 2014: 26th Annual Southern California Visitor Industry Outlook Conference
- November 13, 2014: 19th Annual Eddy Awards Gala

California Makes Strides in Energy Use Awareness | greenpacks.org

October 7, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Nationwide, we are seeking alternative energy sources in any means possible. Every state is seeking alternative sources of collecting energy, whether that be wind, solar, hydroelectric, biofuel, or any other means available. As a country, we are well aware that fossil fuels are depleting and if action isn’t taken to find other fuel sources immediately, we will face various problems in the near future.

While many states have instituted environmentally friendly programs for new construction, building rehabilitation, and general energy consumption, these programs are most effective on a homeowner consumer level. This isn’t to devalue these programs, as they have effectively impacted decisions for these consumers, however California is thinking on a larger scale.

Facebook Won’t Stop Experimenting on You. It’s Just Too Lucrative | WIRED

October 3, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Did you hear the one about Facebook charging $2.99 per month for access?

Recently, the Facebook fee hoax started circulating on, yes, Facebook, and you didn’t have to be an investigative journalist to debunk the thing. You just had to look at the company’s revenue numbers. Facebook’s 1.3 billion users are so valuable as advertising targets, the company would never run the risk of cutting any of them off with a paywall.

But, as it turns out, Facebook is willing to risk alienating its users in other ways. It also sees tremendous value in using its social network to experiment on those 1.3 billion souls—so much value that it’s still worth losing a few here and there.

If anything in recent memory comes close to validating off-repeated conspiracy theories about the motives of Facebook, it was the company’s now infamous “emotional contagion” study published over the summer. In the study, Facebook researchers tweaked the News Feeds of nearly 700,000 users—without their knowledge—to see if more positive or negative updates from friends induced the same emotions in the users themselves. The outcry was swift and loud, and now, several months later, Facebook says it’s being more careful in how it conducts its research. But there’s no sign that it’s stopping.

It’s like TurboTax — for immigrant visas | Money.cnn.com

October 3, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Bridge US, an immigration software platform, launched a new service called Bridge US for Business on Thursday.

The application process for work visas and green cards is known to be cumbersome and costly for companies. Recognizing this, Bridge US’s new product is designed to streamline the process.

Founded by Harvard Business School Graduate Romish Badani in 2012, Bridge US offers what it refers to as a “TurboTax”-like solution for visa processing. Essentially, it’s a software that automates the immigration processes.

Based in San Francisco, the company already offers products for individual immigration needs like naturalization and family green cards. Now, it will add business offerings to its platform, including work visas and green cards.

Why the Perfect Modern Creative Is Fierce, Fearless and Female | Adweek

October 2, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The perfect modern creative is a woman.

Because we have enough men, and men like it the way it is right now.

She will seek change.

And her finest qualities will be frustration and discontent.

The perfect creative presumes that the people around her are talented and want to contribute. And accepts that without meaning to, the company, the process and even she is stifling the work and its ability to be brilliant in some way.

She won’t have come from a school that teaches advertising, and she certainly won’t understand why we structure companies like we do.

Everyone’s a Freelancer Now at Least for Health Care Benefits | Businessweek

October 2, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For much of its existence, the Freelancers Union’s reason for being was to get workers who weren’t in full-time jobs access to health insurance. In 2001, the Brooklyn-based nonprofit started brokering group-rate health coverage to its membership of graphic designers, strategy consultants, and others who work job-to-job. Later, it launched its own insurance company that would sell you coverage if you could prove that you made your income from contract work.

Now the group is trading in its insurance business to provide medical care directly. The 25,000 members in New York covered by Freelancers Insurance Co. will in 2014 be rolled into plans provided by Empire BlueCross BlueShield. Freelancers Union will open 15 primary care clinics around the country in the next five years, says Sara Horowitz, the group’s executive director. It already has two clinics in New York, where workers who buy plans from its insurance arm get primary care with no co-pays and with access to other services. Tai chi classes, anyone?

Microsoft Announces Windows 10 | TechCrunch

October 1, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This morning at an event in San Francisco, Microsoft announced the next version of its Windows operating system: Windows 10.The name is definitely not in line with expectations, but also comes on the heels of rumor talk that it could pick up another title. Happily, the last 943 people to cover the operating system got the name wrong. I am among them.

Starting tomorrow, Microsoft will launch a Windows Insider Program that will give users who are comfortable with running very early beta software access to Windows 10. This first preview will be available for laptops and desktops. A build for servers will follow later. Microsoft says it is opening up this beta process to get more feedback from more users early on, but also noted that this will be a learning experience for the company and that some experiments users will get in new builds may not make it into the final version.