Good Stuff Happens When You Have an HR Department of 1 | Entrepreneur

May 9, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many startups begin without a human resources department. The company is small, and hiring someone to manage just a few employees isn’t the priority. But, as the company grows, things start to get complicated: The business needs HR.

And, oftentimes, that starts with “an HR department of one.”

That’s right. Growing businesses don’t need an enormous HR team; even just one person can get the job done. Eventually, when the organization gets big enough, a larger HR department will be a necessity. But until a full team becomes necessary, a one-person HR department can be an amazing force.

Here are three issues that even an HR department of one can help you solve:

10 Crazy Contraceptives from History | HowStuffWorks

May 6, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Silphium sounds like one of the coolest contraceptive options from the annals of history. It’s basically a giant fennel plant, but this fennel was more popular in a liquid state as a form of contraception than, say, shaved in a salad — at least for the ancient Greeks and Romans who relied on it to prevent conception and end pregnancy. In fact, they liked it so much as an effective population control method that they used the rare plant into extinction.

But what about the contraceptives in history that weren’t so successful — or were sometimes successful in spite of themselves? Let’s begin. And please, don’t try any of these.

Get Inside Your Customers’ Heads—Here’s How to Conduct a Focus Group | All Business

May 6, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you’re putting together a marketing plan for your business and you need market research, consider conducting a focus group. Focus groups can help a company learn valuable information about customer attitudes and their perceptions about the business and its products or services.

Once only utilized by large companies, focus groups are now used by an increasing number of small businesses. They can help you determine how to target specific demographic groups, and their needs and desires.

Inside the Gigafactory That Will Decide Tesla’s Fate | Bloomberg

May 6, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

To get to Tesla’s Gigafactory, you drive east from Reno, Nevada, turn into a sprawling industrial center, and make a left on Electric Avenue. The high desert landscape dwarfs everything, even the vast white building with the red stripe along the top. As you reach the gate with the security guard, the breadth of Tesla’s ambitions becomes clear. Even the name itself suggests more to come: Gigafactory 1.

The lobby décor is classic Tesla: large windows, high ceilings, gleaming white floors, black leather chairs. One of the Powerwall home batteries made at the factory hangs like a piece of modern art. Guests receive hard hats, reflective vests, and safety glasses along with the complimentary bottled water and coffee.

7 Password Experts on How to Lock Down Your Online Security | WIRED

May 5, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AS FAR AS made-up holidays go, “World Password Day” doesn’t quite have the same cachet as, say, Father’s Day, or even National Pancake Day (March 8th). Still, it’s as good an excuse as any to fix your bad passwords. Or better yet, to finally realize that the password you thought was good still needs some work.

By now you know the basics of password security. Don’t write them down, get a password manager, use two-factor authentication whenever possible, and don’t use anything that’s easily guessable. (Looking at you, “111111” crowd).

Why Do Birds Sing the Same Song Over and Over? | Live Science

May 5, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The twittering of birds can fill any spring or summer day with music: All you have to do is open your window to hear crows “caw,” killdears call “kill-deah! kill-deah!” and chickadees sing “chickadee-dee-dee.”

But come back an hour later, and you’ll still hear them singing the same song, repeatedly. That’s because they’re hard at work. These avian singers tend to be male, and are crooning their hearts out to guard their territory and attract a mate, said Gail Buhl, education program manager at the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.

On the territorial front, the melody says, “This is my area and I’m letting everyone else, especially every other male in the area, know that this is my space,” Buhl told Live Science.

US announces ban on e-cigarettes for under 18s | BBC News

May 5, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US government has unveiled new federal rules that include a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to people aged under 18.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will also require manufacturers to submit products to the agency for review.

Cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco are also subject to the new rules.

On Wednesday, California introduced new anti-smoking legislation that also regulates e-cigarettes.

There’s A 30% Chance You Don’t Need That Antibiotic | Forbes

May 4, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The last time I needed antibiotics, I toughed it out for days before seeing a doctor, by which point my pain had gotten so bad I couldn’t sleep through the night. The reason? I didn’t want to be a vector for the next superbug. By the time I did get medical help, the doctor reassured me in the worst way possible: “Honey, it’s too late for that,” she said. “You are not going to be the reason for the next superbug.”

The cause of the next superbug will probably not be a single individual trying desperately to avoid that outcome. It’ll be our whole antibiotic-loving healthcare system: According to a new report, around 30% of antibiotics prescribed are actually unnecessary and just make the whole situation worse.

Hulu CEO confirms plans for a live TV streaming service in 2017 | TechCrunch

May 4, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This morning at the Hulu Upfronts in New York, Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins confirmed the recent report from The Wall St. Journal which indicated that the company was developing a live television streaming service to complement its current on-demand offering. While Hopkins was light on details like pricing, content, channel selection, and product, he did say that the new service would arrive in 2017.

The service will offer a combination of feeds from broadcast television and cable TV, the CEO said.