Is Silicon Valley really losing its crown? | TechCrunch

September 28, 2022September 27, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Where is the heart of the technology industry?

The simple answer is “Silicon Valley,” a term that now generally means the San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland area of California. There are other options: The two largest public cloud providers, Microsoft and Amazon, are based in the state of Washington. Europe’s tech scene has been busy in recent years, meaning that it can’t be ignored in any such conversation. And the combined tech industries of China and India form a bloc that carries material heft.

So there are contenders. But Silicon Valley has historical centrality in the tech industry — it’s a hub of startup and major corporate technology activity stretching back decades, one that has been able to create a venture capital flywheel of investment and reinvestment that other markets work to mimic. Now, the question is perhaps better phrased as not “where is the new center of tech,” but has the technology industry become so broad-based that it has no real gravitic nexus?

Apple iPhone 14 Review: Iterative Upgrades | WIRED

September 28, 2022September 27, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AS I WAS getting a haircut last week, my hairdresser asked if I’d seen the new iPhone. She didn’t know my occupation but saw my Apple Watch and, as is obligatory in that line of work, was making small talk. “Does it look any different?” was the main query. I reached into my back pocket and with a flourish handed her the iPhone 14. A surprised smile quickly gave way to disappointment. “It’s exactly the same as my iPhone 11,” she said.

This is the problem for Apple. The few elements the public might recognize as new have gone to the iPhone 14 Pro models, such as the Always-On display and Dynamic Island. The Pros also have new 48-megapixel sensors for the primary rear camera, something Apple hasn’t fiddled with since 2015. This means the phones capture more detail so you can print your pics large, for example, and it allows for more editing options. But be honest—how many people do you know who print poster-sized photos or delve into RAW settings on their handset?

Meta Imposes Strict New Policy for Restructuring Workers | Entrepreneur

September 27, 2022September 25, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new report by the Wall Street Journal claims that Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, has told certain employees they must find another job within the company within a 30-day time limit or face termination during the company’s restructuring. Employees set to be terminated if they don’t find a new position internally have reporedtly been put on a “30-day list.”

The harsh push comes as the social media behemoth attempts to cut costs by 10%. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to WSJ that reports of the attempt to move around employees are accurate.

“We’ve been public about the need for our teams to shift to meet … challenges,” Tracy Clayton, spokesperson for Meta platforms, told the outlet.

Color Theory and How It’s Applied In Architecture | Cool Business Ideas

September 27, 2022September 25, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The science and art of color theory is divided by a wheel or chart into three main categories: primary, secondary and tertiary. Color is something we perceive through a combination of wavelengths produced by how light reflects off an object. So how does color in architecture affect us? While color is subjective, it is one of the oldest design elements of architecture and deeply affects how people respond to their surroundings.

Color can be used for more than just decorative purposes. It can also be an indicator of how a building will be used, the emotions it intends to invoke and how it can convey meaning. We see many examples of how influential color is in the world where architecture and sustainability meet.

Meta hit with lawsuits claiming Facebook uses loophole to get around Apple privacy rules, still tracks iPhone users | Mashable

September 26, 2022September 25, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Facebook and Instagram are using a sneaky loophole to collect Apple iPhone users’ data, according to two new class action lawsuits filed against the social network’s parent company, Meta.

According to the lawsuits, Meta has been injecting javascript tracking code into websites that users visit via the in-app browsers in Facebook and Instagram for iOS, but without user permission.

Walmart and Target push to lower credit card fees | CNN

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Frustrated by extra credit card fees when you shop?

A pair of bipartisan bills in Congress aim to lower the swipe fees, also known as interchange fees, that retailers pay every time a customer makes a purchase with their card. The effort is backed by retail giants including Walmart, (WMT) Target (TGT), and Kroger (KR), as well as convenience stores and independent grocers.

“Swipe fees for credit cards are higher in the United States than anywhere else in the industrialized world — more than seven times as high as Europe,” a coalition of businesses wrote in a letter to lawmakers last week. “They are an inflation multiplier.”

NASA will smash its DART spacecraft into an asteroid on Monday. Here’s how to watch. | Live Science

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft is set to slam into an asteroid on Monday (Sept. 26), in the first ever test of humanity’s ability to deflect life-threatening space rocks before they collide with Earth.

The 1,210-pound (550 kilograms) DART craft, a squat cube-shaped probe consisting of sensors, an antenna, an ion thruster and two 28-foot-long (8.5 meters) solar arrays, will smash into the asteroid Dimorphos while traveling at roughly 13,420 mph (21,160 km/h).

Cold Calling Scripts and Tips | businessnewsdaily.com

September 22, 2022September 20, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Cold calling is the act of contacting potential customers you haven’t connected with before.
Strengthening your marketing and improving your sales pitch are some benefits of cold calling.
There are also several downsides to cold calling, such as it being easy to ignore and potentially impacting a company’s reputation negatively.
This article is for business owners and salespeople who want to learn how cold calling works.

Among many methods to engage potential customers, cold calling is a popular and viable option. However, cold calling isn’t necessarily what many think of it as. The practice has evolved in the last few decades and isn’t as impersonal as it once was. Generally, instead of placing random calls, salespeople have found more success by targeting the right individuals and companies.

Much has been written about whether cold calling is effective. While the answer will likely depend on your business and the services or products you sell, many businesses believe that cold calling certainly has a place within the sales funnel.

7 Unnecessary Expenses for New Businesses | AllBusiness.com

September 22, 2022September 20, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

What is one business item that startups should put aside until the business actually starts to make money? We posed this question to successful startup founders and CEOs. From not issuing credit cards to employees to holding off hiring a public relations team, here are seven unnecessary expenses for new businesses. You’ll want to avoid these until your business starts making a profit. 7 unnecessary expenses for new businesses