Coworking vs. Home Office: Why You Should Consider Renting Office Space | All Business

November 22, 2024November 21, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You, like me, may work from home. Maybe you’ve been doing it for decades (18 years over here!) or maybe COVID afforded you the opportunity to stop your daily commute. While there are a lot of benefits to working from home, it doesn’t bring guaranteed happiness on the job.

It recently occurred to me that I didn’t have to work from home. I’m fortunate in that I live in the south of Italy, where property is cheap. And so I’ve begun my hunt for office space outside of my home. Here’s why you might want to do the same.

6 reasons to rent an office or coworking space

1. Your home office is often sacrificed for home life

Maybe you’re fortunate enough to have a room completely dedicated to being your home office. Or maybe you work on a folding table shoved in your closet underneath your wife’s dresses. Homes weren’t designed to be offices, and that means that they often take second priority to all the things we need in our homes.

Snapchat Introduces New AR Lenses, Platform Features, and Spectacles Capabilities | Small Business Trends

November 20, 2024November 19, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Snapchat has unveiled a series of new Lenses, platform features, and tools aimed at enhancing augmented reality (AR) experiences for developers and users alike. The updates are part of the Snap OS v5.58 release, which introduces innovative capabilities for Spectacles, Snap’s AR-enabled smart glasses, along with expanded tools for developers to create and experiment with AR applications.

New Lenses: Piano Tutor and Ball Game

Snapchat’s new Lenses demonstrate the power of the Spectacles camera and SnapML, Snap’s machine learning technology.

Piano Tutor Lens: Designed to bring a personal piano instructor to users, this Lens uses custom machine learning models to identify and track a variety of pianos. It overlays notes onto the keys in real-time, helping users familiarize themselves with the keyboard layout and practice coordination. The Lens also evaluates performance, providing real-time feedback for continuous improvement.

SBA Encourages Shoppers to Support Local Businesses on Small Business Saturday with “Gift Big, Shop Local” Campaign | Small Business Trends

November 20, 2024November 19, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the kickoff of its Season of Small Business holiday campaign, beginning with the 15th annual Small Business Saturday on November 30, 2024. The event, founded by American Express, encourages consumers to support local small businesses during the holiday season. This year’s theme, “Gift Big, Shop Local,” emphasizes the importance of shopping small and supporting entrepreneurs nationwide.

“Small Business Saturday has become America’s call to action to support the backbone of our economy and heart of our communities – our small businesses,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “America’s incredible entrepreneurs create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen our communities, shaping the unique character of neighborhoods across America. This year, as we continue to enjoy an unprecedented Small Business Boom, I encourage everyone to Gift Big and Shop Local by supporting local businesses and the millions of hardworking Americans behind them.”

Watch this stunning aurora captured from space | Digital Trends

November 19, 2024November 18, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Stunning footage from the International Space Station (ISS) shows a glorious-looking aurora shimmering above our planet.

Captured last month and shared by the ISS on X over the weekend, the footage (below) begins with a faint green tinge on Earth’s horizon as seen from the space station some 257 miles up. But as the video continues, the green tinge develops into something far more spectacular, all against a gorgeous star-filled backdrop.

“The International Space Station soars above an aurora blanketing the Earth underneath a starry sky before orbiting into a sunrise 257 miles above Quebec, Canada, on October 30, 2024,” NASA said in a message accompanying the 60-second video.

Michael Polk Shares How Smaller Companies Can Offer Big Leadership Development Opportunities | The Startup Magazine

November 18, 2024November 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For experienced large company executive Michael Polk, the decision to serve as an executive of a smaller private company was a significant choice. Polk has decades of experience driving change and transformation at large public companies, with an illustrious career working at Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Newell Brands, where he was CEO from 2011 to 2019.

While Polk believes he grew tremendously as a leader and executive in his over 35 years in large public companies, he believes the growth one can get in smaller, private companies can be equally rewarding and the challenges test leaders in different ways earlier in one’s career.

Polk came out of retirement in 2020 to lead the transformation of Private Equity firm Berkshire Partners’ portfolio company, Implus LLC. Implus is a leading Fitness Accessories Portfolio company with 16 brands in the portfolio and a multi-national footprint.

Deloitte Announces its 50 Fastest Growing Technology Companies | The Startup Magazine

November 18, 2024November 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Deloitte announced this month its 50 Fastest Growing Technology Companies, placing a spotlight on a number of innovators.

Now in its 27th year, the organization’s Technology Fast 50™ program recognizes the world-class achievements of leading technology companies—highlighting their commitment to innovation, strong leadership, and rapid revenue growth.

Said a representative from Deloitte, “These remarkable companies have positioned themselves as growth leaders in their respective sectors, paving the way as catalysts and setting new benchmarks for success. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and recognize them as the driving force behind the country’s technological advancement and economic prosperity.”

Europe’s flying taxi dreams falter as cash runs short | BBC News

November 15, 2024November 14, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One of the innovations at this year’s Paris Olympics was supposed to be an electric flying taxi service.

Germany’s Volocopter promised its electric-powered, two-seater aircraft, the VoloCity, would be ferrying passengers around the city.

It never happened. Instead the company ran demonstration flights.

While missing that deadline was embarrassing, behind the scenes a more serious issue was playing out – Volocopter was urgently trying to raise fresh investment to keep the firm going.

Why Canada could become the next nuclear energy ‘superpower’ | BBC News

November 15, 2024November 14, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Uranium is making a comeback thanks to a renewed focus on nuclear energy as a climate crisis solution. Canada, rich with high-grade deposits, could become a nuclear “superpower”. But can its potential be realised?

Leigh Curyer had been working in uranium mining for nearly two decades when he noticed a striking shift.

In 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan badly damaged the world’s view of nuclear power, and the price for the heavy metal – a critical component for nuclear fuel – cratered.

Amazon’s telehealth platform adds low-cost plans for hair loss, skin care, and more | TechCrunch

November 14, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Amazon One Medical is expanding its telehealth services with the launch of upfront and low-cost treatment plans and medication delivery for several beauty and lifestyle concerns. Customers can get treatment plans and medication for men’s hair loss for as low as $16 per month, anti-aging skincare for $10 per month, and erectile dysfunction care for $19 per month.

Other treatment plans include medication for motion sickness and eyelash growth.

The move puts Amazon in direct competition with Hims & Hers, a direct-to-consumer telehealth company that offers treatment plans for a variety of health and wellness concerns like hair loss, erectile dysfunction, weight loss, and more for a monthly fee.