Mobile Ads Skyrocketed 76% in 2014, Making Digital Advertising a $50 Billion Business | Adweek

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The digital advertising space grew 16 percent last year compared to 2013 and totaled $49.5 billion in sales, according to an Interactive Advertising Bureau report released today.

A key driver in that growth was the burgeoning mobile space, which the IAB found to have skyrocketed by 76 percent—from $7.1 billion in 2013 to $12.5 billion last year.

“High double-digit growth in mobile advertising is a reflection of the continued shift in consumer behavior away from desktop and towards mobile devices,” stated David Silverman, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers U.S., which prepared the data for the IAB

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Saving on Sustainability | IBIS World

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While many US companies are making swift moves toward eco-friendliness to boost their corporate images or because they truly care, many others simply have to because of the nature of their businesses or ever-stricter environmental regulation. For instance, the daily operations of energy and manufacturing companies’ already necessitate monitoring of output and waste. Meanwhile, EPA legislation revisions planned this year are expected to expand the pool of companies at risk of costly noncompliance fines if they don’t implement more sustainable practices.

Already taking those steps are behemoths like Bank of America and its internal recycling program, Hewlett Packard and its e-waste initiative and Walmart and its use of energy-efficient lighting. While these corporate giants may have the necessary funds and resources to make drastic investments in sustainability, there are many steps businesses of all sizes can take to lessen their negative impact on the environment or simply stay compliant as regulation tightens. And with the right purchasing strategies, businesses can avoid taking an axe to their bottom line. IBISWorld has identified some key products and services that can help companies achieve their sustainability goals, as well as the strategies to do so for the best price.

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Google, Microsoft Join Obama to Fight Climate Health Woes | Bloomberg

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download (1)President Barack Obama is warning that climate change will start affecting Americans’ health in the near future and he’s recruiting top technology companies to help prepare the nation’s health systems.

The administration unveiled a series of initiatives Tuesday to help moderate the effects it says a warming planet will have on increasing smog, lengthening allergy seasons and increasing risks of extreme weather-related injuries.

“The challenges we face are real, and they are clear and present in people’s daily lives,” said senior presidential adviser Brian Deese in a telephone conference call with reporters on Tuesday. Seven in 10 doctors are seeing effects on their patients’ health from climate change that is “posing a threat to more people in more places,” Deese said.

The White House plans meetings this week with medical professionals, academics and other stakeholders. Later this spring, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will host a climate change and

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IS TECHNOLOGY SLOWING US DOWN? | BusinessTips.com

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downloadWays That Technology Might Be Inhibiting Our Efficiency and Solutions to Maximizing its Benefits

Welcome to the Digital Age. Gone are the days of typewriters, Polaroid cameras and rotary phones. Computers, digital cameras and smart phones have not only replaced their prehistoric counterparts in our ever-advancing technological world, but they are seemingly as much a necessity to one’s survival as food and clothing. Why? Simply put, they are the normal means of communication, productivity and solutions in both the corporate world and our personal lives. As technology continues to advance, however so must our understanding of how it all works and how to use it correctly. Failure to utilise technology correctly can negatively impact communication and efficiency. Here are three signs that the technology you are using may actually be slowing you down, and solutions for improvement and maximizing its benefits.

1. Despite the use of technology, your tasks are taking you the same amount of time or sometimes longer to complete.

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Beehive raises a record-breaking $10 million | CNN Money

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150311152222-cedar-anderson-honey-780x439Turns out, lots of people want honey on tap. Nearly 30,000 people have contributed to the Indiegogo campaign for the Flow Hive, making it the most successful crowdfunding operation in the site’s history.

Flow Hive has raised just over $10 million, with six days still left to go. The founders were originally trying for $70,000, which it reached in 477 seconds. More than 6,100 people paid $600 for the full hive, which is expected to start shipping in December.

Cedar Anderson and his dad Stuart worked on the concept for the last decade. The family has been keeping bees for generations, and Cedar started his first hive when he was just six years old.

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Keep your inbox empty with one of these four strategies | Mashable

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No matter how much time we spend trying to optimize our inbox — from batch checking messages to adding bells and whistles — email takes over our lives. Looking at my stats from last month, I received and processed over 10,000 emails (eek!), so finding the right way to manage all this online correspondence has been critical for my day-to-day sanity.

Turns out, though, the “right way” to manage email depends a lot on your own personal style. I’ve rounded up some of the most popular and successful strategies so that you can decide which one is best for you:

1. LIFO: Last In First Out

This technique is predicated on letting the old stuff deal with itself. It’s the most common way that people deal with their inbox, reading through email top-down (a.k.a., starting with the most recent email received).

This is highly convenient and intuitive, but there are two primary risks of this strategy. The first risk is that you’ll likely end up with inconsistent responsiveness. On days that you have a lot of time to spend on email, you’ll reply to contacts lightning-fast. On days that you’re busy and in meetings, you’ll have messages pile up and get buried under newer emails.

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Google shaking up search results on smartphones | LA Times

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downloadGoogle is about to change the way its influential search engine recommends websites on smartphones in a shift that’s expected to sway where millions of people shop, eat and find information.

The revised formula, scheduled to be released Tuesday, will favor websites that Google defines as “mobile-friendly.” Websites that don’t fit the description will be demoted in Google’s search results on smartphones while those meeting the criteria will be more likely to appear at the top of the rankings — a prized position that can translate into more visitors and money.

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Most 20-Somethings Can’t Answer These 3 Financial Questions. Can You? |Time Money

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A new study finds that young Americans could use some help when it comes to managing their money.

Just in time for financial literacy month, a new San Diego State University study of young Americans has found that they are lacking when it comes to financial knowledge and behavior.

Out of these three questions measuring basic financial knowledge, the average respondent could answer only 1.8 correctly—and only a quarter got all three right. (Answers are at the bottom of this story.)

(1) Do you think that the following statement is true or false? Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.

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Until We Meet Again part 1 | Peter Mehit

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downloadWe all do meetings. We meet to status tasks. We meet to discuss strategy. We meet to make a decision. We meet to avoid making decisions. We…what? Meet to avoid making decisions? Yes, we do that, but that’s a different topic.

Meetings are part of business. They are among the most expensive activities a company can do, yet they aren’t viewed that way. Some simple math may convince you:

Weekly status meeting, 1 hour:

Position                                               Salary with benefits

President                                             $75/hour

V.P. of Operations                              $55/hour

Operations Manager                            $45/hour

Team Lead                                          $28/hour

Buyer                                                  $25/hour

Cost for one hour meeting:                 $228/hour

Continue reading “Until We Meet Again part 1 | Peter Mehit” →