Thursday, December 31, 2015

NAS Provider, Thecus, Unveils 64-Bit ThecusOS 7.0 Beta

Network Attached Storage continues to be a hot commodity as enterprise and personal users alike amass more and more digital content and data. And making network attached storage easier to configure and access continues to be a key area of focus for NAS providers. A long time player in the space, Thecus, targets a wide range of potential NAS users, from end users to sys-admins, and the company recently announced a new operating system for many of its devices designed to maximize performance and accessibility, while at the same time simplifying setup and administration.

The Tell: These 12 market calls of 2015 have one lesson for investors

A look at how some of the most notable market calls from 2015 played out: Playing it safe didn’t necessarily pay off.

Ten Customer Service Resolutions For A Great 2016

Here are ten (or so) customer service improvement resolutions to help you get 2016 off to a great start–for your business, your employees, and your customers.

The Top 10 Security Breaches Of 2015

What are the top 10 Cyber security breaches of 2015? This question was originally answered on Quora by Sai Ramanan.

12 Habits You Can Immediately Adopt to Create Explosive Growth

How to kick off the year with a boost to your business and your productivity.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

5 Predictions For Social Media And Communications Compliance In 2016

The "authentic voice" on social media, challenges of allowing multiple communication channels, cybersecurity and whistleblowers are compliance themes to expect for the enterprise in 2016.

The Wall Street Journal: Microsoft to warn users of suspected hacks by governments

Microsoft Corp. said it plans to begin informing users of its online email and file-storage services if it suspects attackers associated with government agencies have tried to break into their accounts.

HP's Alternative To The Surface Pro, The Intel Core m-Powered Spectre X2

I recently had the chance to spend some time with the HP Spectre X2 and believe it is an excellent alternative to the Microsoft Surface Pro, with one major caveat.

Legal Briefing: Make The Right Call On On-Call Shifts

Retailers or other employers using the practice of on-call shifts should carefully review each state’s laws where they do ...

Renault Booked $170 Million Loss On F1 Team

French auto giant Renault booked a $169.1 million loss on the sale of its championship-winning Formula One team in 2009 according to company documents which have come to light as a result of the motor manufacturer buying the outfit back.

How to Travel to Improve Your Productivity

Turns out, having a travel agent will get you a one way ticket to unlocking your creative genius

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Be Prepared for an ‘Ambush’

A new NLRB rule shortens the time between a union petition and an election, but employers can gain advantages.

Quality of Hire Top Metric for 2016

The quality of hire measurement is the most valuable metric employers use to track their recruiting function, finds new research from LinkedIn.

World Class Rider Does Not Insure Allowable Tax Losses In Horse Case

One of the joys of reading Tax Court decisions is the Monday morning quarterbacking aspect. I can't fault the advice that Michael and Sally Judah followed that led them to a Tax Court battle with the IRS about losses from their horse activities, but with the benefit of hindsight, I can dream up other approaches, that might have worked - or not.

The Longest-Ever Study Of Happiness Reveals The Big Secret

Is it money? Is it fame? Is it a combination of the two? A 75-year study at Harvard unveils the truth.

TSA Challenges Airport Body Scan Lawsuit

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today filed an opposition to an emergency lawsuit lodged against it last week over TSA's new policy requiring body scans at airport security check points. TSA appears to be digging in its heels for another round in the years-long battle over its body scan policies.

Sidecar to shut down, winnowing field of Uber, Lyft competitors

Sidecar Technologies Inc., a smaller rival to Uber whose investors include Google Inc.’s venture-capital arm and British billionaire Richard Branson, said in a blog post Tuesday it is shutting down its ride-sharing and delivery services and putting its team to work on new projects.

The On-Demand Roadside Assistance Service Building Its Empire From India

With humble beginnings in Pittsburgh, on-demand road assistance service provider RoadZen has taken to India to launch its empire, in an unusual twist of reverse colonization - startups usually prefer to launch in their home country.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Use Netflix on New Year’s Eve to trick your kids into going to bed early

Thanks to Netflix, parents can show a countdown to midnight at any hour. 9 p.m. is the most popular.

NASA Needs Lander To Find Life On Ceres

Ceres --- the dwarf planet that has kept the world on tenterhooks with each new image from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft --- is still an odds-on favorite to harbor past or even present microbial life, says the mission’s principle investigator.

‘50/50’ Visa Filing Fees Reinstated, Doubled

Expired visa filing fees for employers designated as heavy users of H-1B and L-1 visas for high-skilled guest workers are back—and have doubled in size.

Zappos And Holacracy: Why They Did It, What They Learned, And What's Next

Today my guest for The Future of Work Podcast is Alexis Gonzales-Black. Alexis is the former organizational design lead for Zappos, and is currently the co-founder of Thoughtful Org Partners. Previously, I spoke with Brian J. Robertson, the creator of the concept of Holacracy which received lots of media attention thanks to Zappos and their decision to transition to this new organizational model. Alexis is one of the people who helped lead the entire Holacracy transition there.

Why You Should Make an Already-Done List Right Now

We know you're focused on your goals. But take a moment to think about what you've achieved.

Voter Data: What's Public, What's Private.

Reports of discovery of a database, accessible on the internet, containing voter records of 191 million Americans, has alarmed many privacy advocates and concerned citizens. Yet the most remarkable thing about this database is simply that it’s in a convenient form, or at least convenient for those with just the right technical skills to find and use it.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Samsung Galaxy S7 Release Date Leaked By World's Largest Telecommunications Provider

According to an image apparently leaked from China Mobile the highly-anticipated Galaxy S7 smartphone will hit the market in February.

5 Tips To Help Entrepreneurs Rest This Week

As you wind down the year, the best preparation you can make for 2016 is to create space for intentional rest time to recharge and start the new year off strong.

The Wall Street Journal: China OKs controversial law requiring tech firms to help decrypt data

China passed a new anti-terrorism law that requires technology firms to help security agencies in the decryption of electronic data, but dropped an earlier proposal that would have required telecoms and Internet service providers to hand over encryption codes to Chinese authorities.

Roundup Of Internet of Things Forecasts and Market Estimates, 2015

Cisco predicts the global IoT market will be $14.4T by 2022. IC Insights predicts revenue from Industrial Internet IoT spending will increase from $6.4B in 2012 to $12.4B in 2015. IoT in manufacturing market size is estimated to grow from $4.11B in 2015 to $13.49B by 2020, attaining a CAGR of 26.9%.

Why Trump Is Winning: The Strange Case of America's Russian-Made Rocket Engines

Donald Trump may ruffle a lot of feathers but the central message of his campaign is sound. That's why he is winning.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Holiday Bonuses Shrink as Variable Pay Gets More Dollars

Some employees got a little something extra at work by way of a holiday bonus or gift this year. But fewer did so than in years past, as employers continue to allocate most of their pay budgets toward variable pay programs.

Top 5 E-Commerce Platforms in 2016

There is no single 'one-size-fits-all' e-commerce platform solution that will work for every business. Be realistic with your specific 2016 online storefront needs, and one of these five will likely be the best fit for you.

Hometown Holdouts: Nueske's, The Wisconsin Bacon On Everybody's Lips

Tanya Nueske likes to joke that she was smoked from birth. She's certainly been around bacon all her life.

Apple Loop: New iPhone Launch Date Leaks, Surface Pro 4 Vs. iPad Pro, Apple Abandons Headphone Jack

This week?s Apple Loop includes the leaked release date of the iPhone Mini, a review of the new MacBook, thoughts on Apple dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack, why the Surface Pro 4 beats the iPad Pro, Tim Cook's warning to the UK's Government, support for Live Photos in Facebook and Tumblr, a transcription of Apple's '60 Minutes' appearance on CBS, and a curious tip to save battery life in OSX.

ESA Makes Last-Ditch Effort To Recontact Comet Lander

More than a year after the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Philae spacecraft made history with the first-ever successful touchdown on the surface of a comet --- 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko; its Rosetta spacecraft is still trying to re-establish contact with its now-silent lander.

Friday, December 25, 2015

ESA Makes Last Ditch Effort To Recontact Comet Lander

More than a year after the European Space Agency?s (ESA) Philae spacecraft made history with the first-ever successful touchdown on the surface of a comet --- 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko; its Rosetta spacecraft is still trying to re-establish contact with its now-silent lander.

How Much Energy Does Your iPhone (And Other Devices) Really Use?

How Much Energy Does Your iPhone (And Other Devices) Really Use?

Through Well and Hell

Bill Baun is the wellness officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has been working in ...

Learn The COMMUNITY Formula For Successful Public Relations (No Agency Required)

The COMMUNITY process has been successful in building and grow multimillion-dollar retail and service businesses throughout the US, Canada, UK and Australia across a variety of industries.

How a Business Trip to Orlando Became a Voyage of Discovery

Who knew Orlando had two airports?

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Caring for the Caregiver

The stress of caregiving is not something employees can leave at the door. Employers need to provide resources and ...

Learning To Embrace The Power of The Crowd

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to the Holidays, I’m a last-minute shopper. My procrastination in the gift purchasing department is never intentional. It’s just that between raising a young family, running a growing business, and writing for publications like Forbes, I just don’t have much time to spare. So, it seems like every Christmas Eve I find myself part of the frenzied crowd of other last-minute shoppers, scrambling to get everything done in time. This year, however, instead of getting frustrated with the crowds, I looked to them for overall inspiration. As I made my way through the throngs of people, I couldn’t help but think of the power of the crowd, particularly when it comes to crowdsourcing.

How the Internet Saved Christmas for Me

The Internet gets a bad rap sometimes, but for me it's turned the holidays from a chore into a truly joyful occasion.

TSA Body Scan? Just Say 'No', Leading Expert Says

Passengers required by the TSA to submit to a body scan can legally refuse, says expert Marc Rotenberg, President of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).

Currencies: Dollar retreats against euro, yen

The dollar continued along its downward trajectory this week as investors cashed in on the U.S. currency’s gains in 2015 and few added significant positions ahead of the holiday break.

2016 Software Industry Predictions... And Anti-Predictions

By golly doesn’t the technology industry love a predictions story at the end of the year? Didn’t Albert Einstein teach us something like time is an abstract illusion of a distinction between the past, present and future? He also said that it was a “stubbornly persistent illusion”; so existential reasoning notwithstanding, we had better realize that now is a good time to look forward.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

2016 Could See Google Challenge WhatsApp With Chat Bots

Google is the latest company that wants to reinvent the idea of a messaging service, as one that connects humans and computers.

The Wall Street Journal: Palantir raises another $200 million in funding

Highflying big-data company Palantir Technologies Inc. on Wednesday disclosed $200 million in new funding, bringing the total amount from its latest round to $880 million.

Illinois Attorney General: Daily Fantasy Sports Violate State Law; Aren't Feats Of Strength Or Skill

(Disclosure: The author consults for a fantasy sports provider that is in current litigation against DraftKings)

Insurers Connecting to Telemedicine

Many workers say they’d be willing to give virtual visits a try.

Nike's Reversal: An Omen For Wall Street?

Disclosure: I own shares of NKE Another quarter, another pleasant surprise for Nike stockholders. After the market closed on Tuesday, the company reported strong results across all its major product segments. Wall Street took notice, sending Nike’s stock sharply higher in early market trade on Wednesday. Nike’s Key Financial Metrics as of December 23, 2015

4 Scientifically Proven Reasons Why You Shouldn't Spend the Holidays Alone

Feeling isolated can literally shorten your life. Here's how.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

New Contraception Case Makes Headlines

But few companies likely to be affected by pending decision.

Implementing LMS

In this HR IQ exclusive video interview, Delaware North Chief Human Resources Officer discuss implementing a new LMS, celebrating 100 years in business and priorities for 2016-2017.

The Wall Street Journal: Disney may ditch Fusion network experiment

Disney said to be seeking a way out of millennial-focused joint venture with Univision

Pros And Cons Of Using A Robot Vacuum

I watched The Jetson’s a lot when I was growing up—so I’ve long anticipated the glorious future when a robot named Rosie will act as maid, nanny, and pet sitter for my family. We’ve made some progress, but we’re nowhere near the level of AI necessary for a housecleaning robot with Rosie’s capabilities. We do, however, have a diverse selection of robot vacuums to choose from. Baby steps.

Hello? Barbie Made The Naughty List? Brace Yourself For The Internet Of Toys

Notre Dame’s Reilly Center For Science, Technology & Values released its annual list of Top 10 Ethical Dilemmas for 2015 – “Hello Barbie” made the list along with head transplants and lethal cyber weapons. Will Barbie become cool or creepy?

‘Job Leveling’ Helps to Grade a Position’s Value

Job leveling (or job grading) is a systemic method of assigning value to individual positions within an organization. That matters, because inaccurately evaluated jobs lead to pay dissatisfaction and wasted payroll dollars.

Hiring Process Getting Longer, Recruiters Say

Longer time-to-hire coupled with growing competition for skilled candidates is holding companies back from filling needed roles, according to a recent survey of talent acquisition professionals.

Nutanix To Go Public In 2016, Files S-1 With SEC

Nutanix files S-1 in preparation for IPO early in 2016.

Why You Should Love Google's No-Password Experiment

Tech giants let users sign in by tapping a smartphone app.

Monday, December 21, 2015

From Hello Kitty To Major League Baseball, Companies Are Leaking Kids' Data All Over The Web

A site for Hello Kitty fans, a celeb tracking app and a Major League Baseball site for Little League players are all caught leaking data. As many as 3.5 million accounts are in the spilled databases, many of which likely belong to kids.

The Magical Smartwatch That Lasts A Month

When your typical smartwatch in 2015 struggles to make it past twenty-four hours, and battery life continues to be highlighted as an issue in reviews, anything you can do to lengthen that recharging cycle will help. Vector's smartwatch comes with a simple marketing message that everyone can understand. 'The smartwatch with a thirty-day battery life'

Tim Cook oversimplifies U.S. ‘skill’ problem

The real problem is that it is so difficult for tool and die makers to turn a profit, says Phil van Doorn.