Elon Musk is one board approval away from another $2.1 billion in stock options | TechCrunch

July 22, 2020July 21, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tesla’s six-month average trailing market capitalization hit $150 billion on Tuesday after a four-month run up of the automaker’s share price that theoretically unlocks a multi-billion-dollar vesting option for CEO Elon Musk.

Once Tesla hit the six-month average trailing market cap of $150 billion, which Reuters first reported, Musk became eligible to access the second of 12 levels of options granted to him in an unprecedented pay package approved by shareholders in 2018. The board must still certify the milestone before the vesting option is triggered.

The milestone was met the day before Tesla is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Back to school or back to square one? | CNN

July 17, 2020July 15, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Even though the heat of mid-summer is still upon us and the coronvirus pandemic continues, back-to-school season is right around the corner. With the possible exception of mask-wearing, no topic is generating as much debate as the reopening of schools.

Everyone — leaders at all levels of government, public health experts, child welfare advocates, pediatricians, parents and teachers — has an opinion. As a doctor, a journalist and, perhaps most importantly, as a parent to three school-age children, it may come as no surprise that I’ve been thinking about this, too.

Google Accused Of Tracking App Users Who Opted Out | Digital Trends

July 16, 2020July 14, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A class-action lawsuit filed on Tuesday accuses Google of tracking user activity through various mobile apps — even if people opted out of sharing their data.

The suit was filed against the tech giant on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, as first reported by Reuters. The complaint accuses Google of logging users’ news apps, ride-sharing apps, and other types of apps even if people had the tracking turned off in their account settings.

Brexit: Get ready because this time it’s for real | BBC News

July 15, 2020July 13, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The government has warned that the outcome of ongoing Brexit negotiations will not alter significant changes to trade with EU that business needs to prepare for.

“Customs declarations are complicated”: That’s according to page 8 of a 208-page government guide to importing and exporting after the transition period ends at the end of this year.

The document is dense, detailed and presents a daunting checklist for firms looking to be prepared for the biggest change to doing business with our largest and closest partner.

Some Companies Can’t Hire Fast Enough. Study Their Business Models | Inc.com

July 15, 2020July 13, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

While many businesses–and, yes, entire industries even–have suffered as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, some companies have managed to thrive in this moment.

Based on an informal poll I conducted among HR people and other interested professionals, here’s a small sampling of some of the industries that can’t hire people fast enough:

Startups Weekly: The world is eating tech | TechCrunch

July 14, 2020July 12, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You could almost hear the internet cracking apart this week as international businesses pulled away from Hong Kong and the US considered a ban on TikTok. Software can no longer eat the entire world like it had attempted last decade. Startups across tech-focused industries face a new reality, where local markets and efforts are more protected and supported by national governments. Every company now has a smaller total addressable market, whether or not it succeeds in it.

Gensler upcycles an old warehouse into creative offices in Austin | Inhabitat

July 10, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

At the heart of East Austin, an old and uninviting warehouse has been transformed into a creative office building fittingly dubbed UPCycle after its site-sensitive design approach that includes the reuse of the entire building. Gensler led the renovation and updated the space with an additional 16,000 square feet of mezzanine area as well as energy-efficient improvements including new insulation and high-efficiency mechanical systems. The industrial character of the original building has been retained and celebrated as part of an overarching goal to preserve a piece of East Austin history.

Triangular Fish Farm Nets | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

July 10, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In recent years, fish farms have increasingly started using underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) for cleaning the nets that enclose their fish pens. A relatively new one, the StealthCleaner, has a unique triangular form factor.

Manufactured by Norwegian ROV company Kystdesign, the StealthCleaner is connected to a surface-located support vessel or shore-based control station via a power/communications umbilical cable.

Utilizing real-time feeds from four onboard cameras (which are assisted by LED spotlights), the operator starts by remotely piloting the ROV through the water, over to the pen. They then guide it back and forth, in successive passes along the net.

Source: Read More

Americans are using more plastic during the pandemic. He wants to change that | CNN

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, local governments and big companies quickly changed their tune on reducing single-use plastics. They started prohibiting cloth totes in grocery stores and rejecting reusable coffee mugs at cafes. They embraced disposables once again, seeing them as the safer, more hygienic option.

Maine delayed its plastic bag ban from April 2020 to January of next year. San Francisco in March instructed businesses to bar customers from using their own bags, mugs or other reusable items in order to promote social distancing. Meanwhile, Starbucks (SBUX) stopped allowing people to use their own mugs, and McDonald’s (MCD) decided to close self-serve soda fountains as it reopens its doors.

Vermont just banned food waste in trash. Here’s how it works | Fast Company

July 7, 2020July 6, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Vermonters can no longer simply toss their food into trash cans. Under a new law that went into effect at the start of the month, residents are now required to compost any unfinished food—including inedible scraps like peels, egg shells, and pits—in their yard or through a professional compost facility. While other states have taken steps to curb food waste, particularly at the business level, Vermont is the first to implement a statewide ban on food waste that also affects individuals.