What do musical instruments, car seats, and shoes have in common? Each item benefits from smart fabrics invented by Berkeley, Calif. company BeBop sensors. BeBop is the brainchild of musical instrument designer Keith McMillen who wanted to focus on novel measurements and charging methods. They believe that all musical instruments are essentially sensors with forms of acoustic processing attached. Read More>>
Monthly Archives: February 2015
People buy more stuff when they crave food
Shopping when hungry could be a bad idea as studies show that people buy far more stuff and spend more money when they’re hungry than when they’re full, and that extends to non-edible goods, too. The study is interestingly titled as a study of the association between our bellies and our belongings. Read More>>
Destroying your hard drive is the only way to stop this super-advanced malware
A cyberespionage group with a toolset similar to ones used by U.S. intelligence agencies has infiltrated key institutions in countries including Iran and Russia, utilizing a startlingly advanced form of malware that is impossible to remove once it’s infected your PC. Kaspersky has reported that countries hit the most by Equation include Iran, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and China. Targets in those countries included the military, telecommunications, embassies, government, research institutions and Islamic scholars. Read More>>
Life after ‘Shark Tank’ is pretty good for one Portland startup
Shark Tank, a show that sees entrepreneurs appear in front of a panel of potential investors where co-founders of Sseko Designs,Liz Forkin Bohannon and Ben Bohannon, did not make a deal with a “Shark” on Friday night. But the reality TV appearance of the duo was still a success.The night they aired there were more concurrent users on their site by 100x. The couple pitched the reality TV investors with the intent of raising $300,000 in exchange for 10 percent of the company and their video response has been well received. Read More>>
Startup success is, to a great extent, about good timing
While the preconceived notion that success and timing go with one another holds true, the prediction of which companies are likely to succeed is one of the toughest problems in business. The success lies in the timing. The earlier entrepreneurs got more time in a growth market, and were more likely to be successful. Their years of success attracted more people and made the early stages easier, but high potential means very little in a tough market. Read More>>
The truth about people and change — and what to do about it
Change management is becoming accepted in larger organizations as something we need to implement to get people to change. The bigger question is do most leaders and organizations really understand the basic tenets of changing behavior? As we help business to implement change more quickly and more effectively, there are important truths that must be acknowledged and addressed. Read More>>
Weekend Read: Startups Should (Almost) Never Discount Their Prices
Discounting is a slippery slope. Eliminating price reductions denies mediocre salespeople their favorite crutch, while encouraging creative salespeople to craft non-price incentives to spur purchases.Habitual discounting is self-defeating at a start-up — it reinforces customers’ proclivity to delay their purchases, which aggravates the issue in subsequent quarters. Read More>>
Cybersecurity Now Key Requirement For All Weapons: DoD Cyber Chief
Cybersecurity are not just for networks anymore. The trend towards what’s called “the Internet of Things” means targets can be anywhere. If there is a computer in something, it can be cyber-attacked and the necessary defense measures for the same needs to be taken, whether the computer is on a desk or in a medical device or in the engine of a jet airplane, that computer has to be designed to be as resistant to attack as possible. Read More>>
3D Robotics Opens Its Flight Control App For Drones To Developers
The largest U.S.-based drone manufacturer, 3D Robotics, announced the launch of its open-source Tower flight control app for drone copters and planes on Android phones and tablets. The app gives users a few new ways to talk to their drones, but far more importantly, it offers developers a new way to build new features for drones into the app without having to reinvent the wheel by starting from scratch. Read More>>
What Is Windowing?
Marketers need to consider a windowing tactic that provides exclusive, exciting content to viewers willing to pay for a subscription model or ad-free format. The concept of release windows is a controversial one. Distributors see the practice as a valid strategy for maximizing revenue around content, while fans view it mostly as an inconvenience, which sometime leads to piracy over legitimate outlets.Experts believe that it is time to re-examine what exactly we mean by “windowing.”. Read More>>
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