Stretch Sensing Tech | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

August 2, 2019August 1, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Getting real, physical movements accurately depicted in the digital world remains a challenge for programmers and engineers, but a newly developed glove promises to advance the tech significantly. It’s able to capture hand movements with much more detail and nuance than most existing solutions.

To achieve this, the researchers behind the glove created a silicone compound holding 44 embedded stretch sensors, combining it with a soft fabric layer. The input device requires very little training, and uses a special constructed set of algorithms to process the sensor data coming through from the gloved hand.

5 Common Mistakes Startups Make in Product Prototyping | The Startup Magazine

August 2, 2019August 1, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Prototyping is that critical step between concept and mass production. Your product prototype is what will often be used to sell the product to retailers. It is also regularly used to promote your business to investors since it is easier to imagine consumer interest in the item you’re currently holding. The lessons you learn from the prototype shape the processes you use to mass produce it. This is why it is essential to create prototypes and make sure that they’re done right. Here are five common mistakes startups make in the prototyping stage.

Making It Overly Complicated

There are several reasons why an overly complicated prototype or first run product is a mistake. First, the more complex the structure, the harder it is to make. Secondly, the product prototype and your first production runs will cost more at the point when you’re likely strapped for cash. Choose a design that is as simple as possible for your prototype so that you get a working prototype faster and can get a good quality product out at a reasonable price. Once you have the cash flow, you can design a more complex structure and experiment with extra features

A Mental Toolbox for Avoiding Unnecessary Purchases | The Simple Dollar

July 31, 2019July 30, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

First, let’s start with looking in detail at how I handle non-essential purchases (things I don’t strictly need).

If I don’t need something and I’m considering buying it, I put it on a list that I keep on my phone. I just type in what it is and add an online link if there’s one available.

Sometimes, if an item isn’t too expensive and I haven’t spent much of my incidental/hobby money for the month, I might just go ahead and buy the item spontaneously. I budget a certain amount for my hobbies and for such purchases each month and so some smaller purchases will come out of that money in a spontaneous way, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. An example of this: recently, I bought a couple bottles of seasoning at Trader Joe’s that we really didn’t need. I just wanted to try them out and they weren’t too expensive. I didn’t add them to any list – I just bought them.

Self-Parking Garages, Robovans, and More Car News This Week | WIRED

July 30, 2019July 28, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

TAKE IT FROM us, the experts at WIRED Transportation: When you’re trying to get from A to B, navigational prowess is just as vital as power, speed, or efficiency, if not more so. And this week, we’ve got a lot of stories about folks (and machines) finding their way, whether they’re autonomous cars in parking lots, internet-slinging balloons in the stratosphere, robo-vans moving between Walmart stores, or automakers and California regulators striking a compromise on emissions and electric cars.

Speaking of electrics, we watched Ford’s prototype battery-powered Ford F-150 haul a train, saw Cruise delay its plans to launch a robo-taxi service in San Francisco, and inspected financials from Tesla showing that while deliveries are up, so are losses. It’s been a week—let’s get you caught up.

The Power of Asking Dumb Questions | Entrepreneur

July 30, 2019July 28, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The people who work within my organization, Scribe Media, are called Tribe Members. And one day, a new Tribe Member stood in front of our co-founder and dropped two black trash bags on the ground.

Our co-founder looked at the Tribe Member, then down to the trash bags.

“What the hell is this?”

“These are the binders for the Guided Author workshop,” the Tribe Member said. “You asked me to bring them.”

“In trash bags? What are you doing to me?!” These were going to be handed out to workshop attendees. Garbage bags was not the look we were going for.

The Tale of the Vegan Plumber (and Other Successful Multi-Passionate Entrepreneurs) by Getentrepreneurial.com

July 29, 2019July 28, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Got a lot of ideas? Hate the idea of being put in a box? Horrified by the idea of being stuck doing just one thing forever?

Congratulations! You’re a creative person.

And you’re not alone. I’ve spent years working with tens of thousands of creatives, helping them to embrace their unique personalities to find success.

To help you do the same, let’s take a look at the following three areas:

Bloomengine automates the growing of delicate plants | New Atlas

July 29, 2019July 28, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It can be challenging, growing delicate plants from seeds. A group of Korean entrepreneurs is out to make the process easier – and techier – with the Wi-Fi-connected, water-pump-equipped and smartphone-controlled Bloomengine.

Users start by placing an included disc-shaped peat pellet in water, and allowing it to expand. That expanded pellet is then put in the bottom section of the Bloomengine, and a seed of the user’s choice is added to the peat. Next, water and an included liquid fertilizer are poured into the device’s built-in 40-oz (1.2-l) reservoir.

Put these keywords in your YouTube video title if you want more views | Mashable

July 26, 2019July 25, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A recent study from the Pew Research Center takes a deep dive into some of YouTube’s most popular channels and provides some interesting findings.

According to the study, YouTube videos that mentioned keywords such as “Fortnite” or “prank” in their titles received more than five times as many median views than videos with titles that did not.

Videos that mentioned the video game “Fortnite,” in particular, were found to have the biggest increase in views when compared to others. In fact, 15 percent of all video game uploads from the popular YouTube channels in the study had the word “Fortnite” in its title.

Is swearing at work really ok? | CNN

July 25, 2019July 22, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

S*!t happens.

Your computer crashes taking the document you’ve worked hours on with it. You lose one of your biggest clients. You slam your finger in a drawer.

Bad words are bound to slip out of your mouth at the office. As profanity becomes more common in every day speech, it becomes more difficult to control, said Richard Alaniz, a labor and employment attorney.

But that doesn’t mean it should be a welcome or pervasive part of the office culture.

Crocodiles Are Breeding Near a Nuclear Power Plant (No, They’re Not Radioactive) | Live Science

July 25, 2019July 22, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Hundreds of crocodiles make their home in a network of canals in southern Florida. These channels also happen to carry water that cools a nearby nuclear power plant.

But don’t worry — these crocodiles aren’t mutants, monstrous or radioactive. In fact, the reptiles are thriving in these waters. American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) were formerly edging toward extinction, but their numbers have multiplied enough to elevate their federal status from “endangered” to “threatened” in 2007.