How People Actually Make Money From Cryptocurrencies | WIRED

March 14, 2022March 13, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

YOU SAW THE many cryptocurrency-related Super Bowl ads, and maybe you found them weird, or deeply dystopian, or just disturbingly familiar. Nevertheless, perhaps you believe the blockchain has financial rewards left to reap and want to jump in, or you’ve already got some of your money tied up in cryptocurrencies via companies like Coinbase and FTX that were advertising during the big game.

What now? Keeping track of the ups and downs of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto coins and actively trading on those fluctuations can be a full-time job. Day-trading, basically. And jumping into NFTs, the digital baubles you can mint, buy, or sell, is still daunting for many.

3 Ways to Set Freelancers Up for Success | Entrepreneur

March 11, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Freelancers are just like any other tool that you use to complete a task — their effectiveness depends on how you as the user operate them. You wouldn’t write with a dry pen and then blame the pen for not producing ink, would you?

Freelancers can be an excellent resource for your company. They can take a lot of work off your plate and offer a much-needed outsider’s perspective if you set them up for success.

So, here’s how to do that.

Empower them to make decisions

If you’re like me, you’re bringing freelancers on to complete work without the hassle of a full-time employee. This means giving them a longer leash than you would to a full-timer and empowering them to make decisions that most employees would try to leave up to you.

So don’t treat them as disposable — treat them as you would an employee who’s been with your company for a long time and knows what will earn your seal of approval and what won’t. Train them the same way you would a normal employee and take the time to fully explain how you want the job done and what standards they will be held to.

The ultimate guide to pricing your services | Getentrepreneurial.com

March 11, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If there is one thing that budding entrepreneurs struggle with the most, it is pricing their services. There are umpteen reasons behind this – all of which we will tackle through today’s article – but, ultimately, it can pose monumental, bottom-line problems. After all, if you’re not pricing yourself accurately, you’re faced with two situations. Firstly, you could bottom-out and not make sufficient profits. Or, if you go the other way, you won’t attract the clients. So, how do you start? Let’s dive into the best practices for pricing your products and services.

The spring-loaded screw could be a cheaper form of soundproofing | New Atlas

March 10, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Nobody likes hearing their neighbors’ music, TV shows or loud conversations. Soundproof wall materials, however, can be quite thick and expensive. Swedish scientists have developed a thinner, less costly alternative, in the form of a spring-loaded sound-damping screw.

Known as the Revolutionary Sound Absorbing Screw (or the Sound Screw for short), the device was created by a team at Malmö University, led by senior lecturer Håkan Wernersson. It consists of a threaded section at the bottom, a coil spring in the middle, and a section with a flat head at the top.

4D Printing | Cool Business Ideas

March 10, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It wasn’t so long ago that 3D printing was the new kid on the block. Now the term 4D printing is making headlines, stretching our ability to conceptualize once again. To understand 4D printing, it helps to have a better familiarity with 3D printing.

3D printing was originally developed in 1984 by Charles Hull. However, it was 2007 before anyone other than businesses and the one ultra-techie neighbor on the block gained access to 3D printers that used filament instead of ink. That’s because they finally became affordable for the house user around that time. Since then, like most technology, 3D printers have become smaller, faster, cheaper and more versatile.

The first 3D printers were slow, meticulously producing a single letter or a small figurine over a 12-hour window. Now we’re printing 3D houses, replacement parts, interior design pieces, furniture and so much more.

Instagram warns users who share Russian state media, hides following lists in Russia and Ukraine | TechCrunch

March 9, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Instagram announced Tuesday that it would implement steps to dampen Russian government propaganda and protect the privacy of users across Ukraine and Russia.

The company will begin downranking posts from Russian state-affiliated media, placing any stories from those outlets below other content from other sources. Users who go to share stories originating with any of these accounts will now see a pop-up message cautioning them against spreading “Russia state-controlled media.”

“Instagram believes the account that created this post may be partially or wholly under the editorial control of the Russian government,” the message reads.

Everything Apple Announced (March 2022): iPhone SE, Mac Studio, iPad Air | WIRED

March 9, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

ON TUESDAY, APPLE unveiled an array of new devices, including a new iPhone SE with 5G, a new version of the iPad Air, and Mac Studio, a whole new desktop PC with a powerful new processor. Apple made all these announcements in a prerecorded presentation that oddly did not reference the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, even though the company changed its policies last week in response to the conflict. Apple’s product shows are like Waffle House—no matter how many crises befall the world around them, they’ll keep on going.

Here’s everything that was announced.

Google Pixel users can now use live captions during calls | Mashable

March 8, 2022March 7, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google announced its latest accessibility update Monday — real-time phone call captions for Google Pixel users who cannot or prefer not to speak on the phone.

The Live Caption feature for phones will let users initiate two-way text-to-speech tools within a call, providing live captions of what the other person says in real time and letting users type a response that’s read out loud by Google’s text-to-speech voice during the call. Once initiated, the phone call converts into an easily navigable text chat exchange on the user’s side. It also alerts the caller on the other line that the person is using these services, making it easier for everyone involved.

A Russian cyberwar may not boost security stocks much further | CNN

March 8, 2022March 7, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tech stocks, like the rest of the broader market, have seen their fair share of ups and downs since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. But for one part of the technology sector — cybersecurity -— it’s been a roaring bull market for the past few weeks.

The ETFMG Prime Cyber Security (HACK) and First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity (CIBR) exchange-traded funds, which both own shares of top cybersecurity companies such as Zscaler (ZS), CrowdStrike (CRWD), Cloudflare (NET), Fortinet (FTNT) and Splunk (SPLK), have each surged about 10% since Russia attacked Ukraine.

The rally makes sense. After all, there are growing concerns about cyber warfare from Russia against the West in response to sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Who Invented the Bicycle? | Live Science

March 7, 2022March 7, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You might think that an invention as simple as the bicycle would have an uncomplicated past. But as it turns out, this highly popular invention has a history fraught with controversy and misinformation. While stories about who invented the bicycle often contradict one another, there’s one thing that’s certain: the very first bicycles were nothing like the ones you see cruising down the street today.

The first known iterations of a wheeled, human-powered vehicle were created long before the bicycle became a practical form of transportation. In 1418, an Italian engineer, Giovanni Fontana (or de la Fontana), constructed a human-powered device consisting of four wheels and a loop of rope connected by gears, according to the International Bicycle Fund (IBF).