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  • The Advantages of Using Outlook for Collaboration and Teamwork

    The Advantages of Using Outlook for Collaboration and Teamwork

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    There’s no denying that collaboration and teamwork are two of the most important drivers of business success. Having a well-oiled machine where team members communicate efficiently and are always on the same page can make a huge difference when it comes to productivity since it means you are getting the most out of your human resources.

    On top of this, the rise of remote work has made collaboration and teamwork even more important in the modern workplace. With team members now spread out across the world and face-to-face interaction becoming less frequent, it can be difficult to keep everyone in sync.

    Fortunately, with Microsoft Outlook, businesses can leverage the power of collaboration and teamwork while still staying secure, no matter where team members are located. On that note, here are the main advantages of using Outlook for collaboration and teamwork:

    Increased Productivity

    One of the most significant advantages of using Outlook for collaboration is its ability to help teams stay productive and organized. By harnessing Outlook’s powerful tools such as shared calendars, task reminders, and automated scheduling services, team members can not only keep track of their assigned tasks but also stay on top of deadlines, follow up with colleagues, and ensure that all projects move along smoothly.

    Moreover, by integrating with Office 365 suites like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, team members can collaborate on projects in real-time without the need for cumbersome email chains or other slow-moving systems. This helps keep everyone in sync while still allowing teams to work remotely or from different offices around the globe.

    Improved Communication

    Outlook makes it incredibly easy for teams to stay connected in real-time without the need for lengthy in-person meetings. Through its chat and messaging features, team members can quickly share ideas, updates, and questions – helping them to stay cohesive while working apart.

    Additionally, Outlook’s voice calling feature lets users make calls directly within its interface – allowing them to get answers faster no matter where they may be. And with the ability to create a custom Outlook email signature, team members can maintain a professional image and streamline communication with clients and colleagues alike.

    And perhaps most importantly, Outlook helps create a people-centric environment by making it easier for everyone to interact with each other regularly. This fosters stronger relationships between colleagues which can help increase morale and productivity, leading to more successful collaborations all around!

    Streamlined Collaboration

    When collaborating on projects or reports within Outlook users can easily share comments with one another within a shared document or project which makes gathering feedback simpler than ever before. When changes have been made they are synced automatically so there’s no need to copy/paste files back and forth between team members anymore.

    Additionally, tasks assigned within this shared environment are tracked in real-time meaning that everyone knows who is responsible for what at any given moment – helping increase overall efficiency.

    Enhanced Security

    One of the biggest concerns in today’s modern workplace is security – especially when dealing with sensitive data exchanged over multiple devices.

    Fortunately, Microsoft has taken steps to ensure that Outlook remains secure at all times by implementing TLS encryption (Transport Layer Security) as well as two-factor authentication methods. This requires users to enter both a username/password combination as well as another form of identification such as an SMS code sent directly from their mobile device before being allowed access to their account.

    Flexible Scheduling Tools

    Outlook also provides incredibly useful scheduling tools that make it easier for remote teams to adequately manage their workloads even if they are spread out over multiple time zones. Shared calendars allow team members from across the globe to view upcoming tasks and events together so no one misses out – ensuring efficient workflow throughout all operations regardless of physical location.

    Additionally, task reminders help keep everyone informed about deadlines and upcoming assignments – further simplifying project management.

    Integrations With Popular Business Tools

    Finally, Outlook integrates with some of the most popular business tools available today, making it easier than ever to collaborate with the tools you already know and love. This includes applications such as:

    With the integration of these tools, users can stay up-to-date with projects and calendar events without having to switch between multiple applications or tabs. As an example, if you have an important meeting today, you can sync your Outlook calendar with Slack so that everyone on your team receives the event invitation in real time.

    Conclusion

    Outlook remains one of the most versatile platforms available today due to its capabilities around facilitating collaboration and communication while still maintaining a high level of security throughout operations. With helpful scheduling tools such as shared calendars and task reminders, those using Outlook can effectively work together regardless of location while staying organized and productive along the way – ultimately resulting in greater efficiency during all stages of any given project.

  • Tech Resources to Empower Those Dealing With Domestic Violence

    Tech Resources to Empower Those Dealing With Domestic Violence

    243 million women and girls typically experience intimate partner violence in a single year, but the U.S. has seen a growing number of domestic violence cases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, calls to helplines increased as much as five times amid the pandemic. 

    Domestic violence has spiked throughout the U.S. For example, Portland, Oregon saw a 22% increase in domestic violence arrests while domestic violence calls increased by 27% in Jefferson County, Alabama since 2020. More people have also downloaded spyware as at least 7% of Americans report having been the victim of cyberstalking. However, of those arrested for misdemeanor stalking, only 24% were convicted while 76% were not.

    For marginalized groups, rates of abuse have increased by 50% or more. These same groups were also affected in other ways by the pandemic, including higher likelihood of infection and higher unemployment.  

    What exactly caused the rise in abuse? Increased stressors such as concerns about security and health, unemployment and financial worries, and cramped living conditions amid lockdown are some of the contributing factors. Others include increased opportunities for isolation at home with abusers, restricted movement due to lockdown, and deserted public spaces. Fewer safeguards like less interactions between mandated reporters and families, inconsistent reporting procedures amid the pandemic, and the shift to telemedicine reducing access to safe screening have also led to the uptick in abuse. 

    Typically only 34% of people injured by an intimate partner receive medical care while 66% receive no medical care for their injuries. What’s more, nearly half of domestic violence incidents go unreported. Why exactly is domestic violence not being reported? 

    One of the big reasons is social pressure; many victims feel too embarrassed to report. People can feel pressured by family or friends to remain silent or live in smaller communities that lack privacy. Others might even fear they won’t be believed by others. 

    Knowing the Signs of Abuse

    Another reason for domestic violence going unreported is the psychological effects of abuse, which can also make it harder to leave. A “make-up” period strengthens the relationship, making victims believe the abuse will end. Abuse can also isolate victims from friends and family. Prolonged abuse can even reduce people’s confidence and self esteem.

    Strong dependence on the partner can also make it harder to leave an abusive relationship, especially if the other person provides financial support to pay bills and necessities. The loss of immigration status or deportation can definitely motivate someone to endure the abuse as well as the possibility of losing custody of their children. 

    Abusers sometimes use pets to control victims. 71% of women in domestic violence shelters had their abuser threaten, injure, or kill a pet as a means of control. Nearly half of victims actually stay in abusive situations rather than leave their pet. 52% of survivors in shelters had to leave their pet with their abuser while 25% of victims returned to their abuser because of their pets.

    How to Stop Domestic Violence

    Fortunately, there are ways you can help stop domestic violence. One is to learn how to spot early warning signs as domestic violence often doesn’t happen immediately. These could be jealousy arising from time spent with friends or away from your partner, threatening violence against you or the ones you love, and intentionally damaging your property among other signs. 

    In most cases of domestic violence, a friend or family member is aware of the abuse. 19% of people know a friend or family member who has been the victim of domestic violence while 17% know someone who has subjected another person to some form of domestic violence. If you suspect someone to be in immediate danger, call the police. It is also a good idea to make sure to document every incident of domestic violence you witness. 

    If someone confides in you for help, listen without judgment, ask how you can help, and check in regularly with the person. If someone you know is thinking about leaving, keep your phone with you and have gas in your car as well as establish a meeting place or escape plan in advance. You can also support local organizations by helping to raise awareness in your community, making donations to local shelters and organizations, and refusing to support content that glorifies violence. 

    In Conclusion

    It is important to know your local services as someone experiencing violence may not be able to research shelters and services. As fewer than one in 10 people who are victims of violence actually contact a victim service provider for support, you can provide aid by finding organizations, local hotlines, and shelters that are ready to help.

    Domestic Violence: How You Can Help

  • The US Government Still Uses Outdated Tech to Track Business Tax

    Tax season is now, and the people of the United States have until 18 April to complete their paperwork in order to avoid penalties and late fees. The United States Department of Justice has issued a communique stating that “U.S. taxpayers are subject to tax on worldwide income from all sources and must report all taxable income and pay taxes according to the Internal Revenue Code. Taxpayers found to be committing fraud may be subject to penalties including payment of taxes owed plus interest, fines, and jail time.”

    The United States Treasury Department uses a decades-old programming language called assembly language code. The coding is used for the maintenance of Individual Master Files, the data source for taxes, refunds, and other updates– the technology is being used to track business taxes as well.

    Updating Systems Technology

    Tax data for individual business income is tracked and recorded in the Treasury’s Business Master File, which is written in assembly language code—while operating on an IBM mainframe, a large computer that most likely has less power than most smartphones today. According to report notes, the code is both difficult to write and maintain.

    The United States Government Accountability office addressed the issue, stating that the IRS relies heavily on information technology for the processing of tax returns, collecting taxes, distributing tax refunds, and carrying out numerous other services for taxpayers. In the 2020 fiscal year, the IRS spent approximately $2.8 billion to maintain and improve its IT systems. The government also said that the IRS had taken steps to modernize IT systems to improve both internal processes and services to taxpayers.

    The IRS has reported that taxpayers should expect a more modern system that would “eventually provide real-time digital taxpayer interactions and rapid access to data for enhanced customer service. A 2030 retirement for the IMF means that taxpayers will have to wait until then to fully reap the benefits of a modern system, including faster service from the IRS.”

    Business Taxation in the United States

    The United States imposes a tax on the earnings of US resident businesses at a rate of 21 percent. A number that was reduced from 35 percent by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. However, corporate income tax rose by $230.2 billion in the 2019 fiscal year, accounting for 6.6 percent of all federal revenue, a decrease from 9 percent in 2017.However, in the case of an LLC, the taxation will defer. This is due to the business structure benefiting from pass-through taxation– meaning that there is no business taxation, and members will therefore only be taxed on their individual income. Since individual income tax is determined by each state, the amount of tax payable- if any- will depend on the location of incorporation. In California, for instance, income tax rates can range from 1% to 12.3%. The LLC California cost is also lower than forming a corporation in the state.

    Other costs that entrepreneurs should also pay attention to are:

    ●  Filing fees- Charge of filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State.

    ●  Statement of Information Fee- Cost of a biennial report with the Secretary of State.

    ●  Annual Taxation- Some states require all LLCs that do business in the state to pay an annual tax.

    ●  Initial Report Fee- Business owners may have to file an initial report with the Secretary of State, usually within 90 days from the date of registration.

    ●  Registered Agent Fee– Registered agents are required for all businesses in the U.S that have filed with the state.

    Final Thoughts

    With the surge of new businesses and tax season in full swing, the U.S government has its hands full. While the outdated technology might be functional and gets the job done, there needs to be an upgrade in order to keep up with the constant advancements in technology which will ideally streamline the filing processes. This will prove beneficial to both taxpayers and the government.

  • 3 Tech Startups Making it Big in Texas

    3 Tech Startups Making it Big in Texas

    The purpose of a tech startup is to revolutionize and innovate on technological products or services. Startups can be a slow-burn type of business and might not see success for a long time, making many entrepreneurs and consumers wary. But, states such as Texas provide benefits and opportunities for startups, as Austin has been ranked as one of the best cities in the world for startups in the tech industry. 

    With so much potential in Texas, many entrepreneurs have made the move there to try to enter the market and contribute to the growing economy and technological industry. The success of many of these tech startups is inspiring and creates a chain reaction, as countless other small tech-based businesses are being formed in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of those who have seen success. 

    As there are many promising and successful tech startups to talk about, here is a breakdown of the 3 most notable tech startups that are making it big in Texas, with exciting ideas and great execution. 

    Molecula 

    Since the day the startup was established in 2017, Molecula has specialized in analytics and artificial intelligence, combining the two to create something that is useful when it comes to data analysis for businesses. 

    One of Molecula’s most well-known products is FeatureBase, a feature that allows businesses to have a single access point for all of their data, allowing accessibility and reusability. Even if a business’s data is scattered throughout different sections, FeatureBase manages to extract all of the data into one space. 

    Data analytics and extraction can be a pain for many businesses, Molecula saw this as an opportunity to create something that eases the process of data collection and creates a sense of organization for many businesses, which is why they are still growing to this day. Data will always be a part of any business, especially in the digital age where all data is stored online. Molecula will always have a reason to operate. 

    Workrise 

    As Texas is seeing massive growth with regards to job opportunities, finding a job in the right industry and hiring the right worker can be overwhelming. Workrise saw this as an opportunity, and so with the help of technology, they have created a system that helps people find jobs and helps businesses hire the right people in industries related to construction, solar, defense, and more. 

    Focusing on both workers and businesses looking to hire, Workrise ensures that people will find the perfect opportunity best suited to their skills, with beneficial pay terms and agreements. Likewise, they help businesses find people with the best skills to complete projects and administrative tasks. 

    Workrise’s system manages to match projects with the best-suited talent. Their system also streamlines cumbersome management processes such as time sheet management, invoicing, and payments. Operating for almost 8 years now, Workrise is a startup that has made working in Texas that much easier. 

    Everlywell

    Getting medical tests can be a stressful process and fairly time-consuming depending on where one needs to go. This is where Everywell comes into play. This tech startup entered the market to provide health information to customers from the comfort of their homes. 

    By sending test kits related to food sensitivity, metabolism, women’s health, and  more to customers’ houses, Everywell ensures that people can get important tests at home without needing to go to a hospital or any medical institution, which is especially useful during the pandemic. 

    These accurate tests are mailed to certified labs where professional physicians will examine them and produce results in no time. Everlywell was designed with efficiency in mind, and this tech startup is one that will continue to age well as time goes on.  

    How Are Tech Startups Established?

    These 3 are just a few examples of the many successful tech startups that have been established in the state of Texas. In this day and age, there are so many ways for entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. 

    Limited liability corporations (LLCs) have become increasingly popular in the United States, especially in Texas. This type of business entity is easy to establish and provides benefits associated with personal asset protection, privacy, and flexibility. 

    This is one of the best ways for entrepreneurs to establish their very own tech startups. Companies such as TRUiC provide useful information and aid when it comes to LLC establishment, as seen with this suggested resource. 

  • Volkswagen Emissions Scandal Exacerbated by Lack of Women Engineers, Says Google Exec

    According to a Google exec, the Volkswagen emissions scandal could have been avoided or at least mitigated if there were more female engineers working for Volkswagen.

    Managing Director and VP Sales & Operations for Google UK and Ireland Eileen Naughton was speaking at the Geena Davis Institute’s symposium on Gender in Media in London when she made the comments.

    Here’s what she said, according to the Telegraph:

    “Imagine a woman engineer actually knowingly and willingly tricking that technology, when she might be thinking of the allergens put into the environment and the eyes of the child that might get irritated by 40 times the legal output of diesel – particularly when it’s not allowable by law.”

    “We look at systems like that that go awry and realize 85 percent of that population [of engineers] is male. There’s evolutionary biology that suggests there are [certain male] behaviors and that when you have more equal representation of women in work groups, you mitigate those behaviors and get better outcomes – better outcomes for the climate, better outcomes for the work group.”

    The scandal that rocked the auto industry saw Volkswagen admit to fitting its diesel vehicles with software so they could beat emissions tests.

    The software, known as a ‘defeat device’, allowed the cars to beat lab tests, but it was revealed that the cars emitted 40 times what they tested at when driving around in the wild.

    The scandal caused Volkswagen’s stock price to plummet and the company’s CEO Martin Winterkorn was forced to resign. Volkswagen has publicly announced plans to spend at least $7.3 billion on fixing the emissions issues, and the company’s U.S. CEO Michael Horn was recently grilled by Congress about said plans.

    The scandal recently claimed its fifth executive, as the company suspended its top quality-control executive on Tuesday.

    Apparently, this hasn’t really harmed the company’s reputation in its home country of Germany.

    So, what do you think? More women, less tomfoolery? Did Volkswagen pull one over on regulators because there were no women around to make the no pollution in kids’ eyes argument?

    Image via Volkswagen

  • Silicon Valley’s VC World Is Even Less Diverse Than the Non-Diverse Companies It Funds

    There’s a striking lack of diversity in the tech world, and this is a well-documented fact. The biggest names in the business – Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc. – have all put out diversity reports over the past few years that show this, and all have made pledges to do better.

    Silicon Valley is pretty white, and pretty male – especially when it comes to leadership roles.

    And not that this should come as a huge surprise, but the same goes for those taking the money and those dishing it out.

    The Information has published a study into the racial and gender makeup of some of the top Venture Capital firms, and the results aren’t promising (if diversity is something you value).

    From The Information:

    Less than one percent of senior VCs involved in investment decision are Black—four of 551 people. And only 1.3% are Hispanic…

    Ninety two percent of the senior investment teams at top-tier venture capital firms are male and 78% are white. Nearly a quarter have all-white male managers. These results are way worse than the diversity breakdown at major tech companies, where 23% of leadership teams are female and 77% male.

    Here’s a detailed chart, courtesy TechCrunch:

    Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 9.32.13 AM

    Twitter – which just made a promise to have a workforce that is 35% women overall, 16% women in tech roles, 25% women in leadership roles, and 11% underrepresented minorities by next year – is 70% male overall, 90% male in tech roles, and 79% male in leadership roles.

    Facebook – which just built and published its own diversity training course so others can use it as a framework – is 55% white and 68% male. A year ago, when Facebook reported its first diversity data, those numbers were 57% and 69%, respectively. In terms of Facebook’s senior leadership, it’s 77% and 73%, respectively.

    Tech companies clearly have a ways to go, but it looks like those slinging out the money in the Valley have an even tougher road to true diversity.

  • Facebook’s Facial Recognition Is Getting So Good It Doesn’t Need Faces

    Facial recognition technology, when deployed on a site like Facebook, is both convenient and disconcerting. Amazing but creepy. If you upload a lot of photos, Facebook’s facial recognition technology is great. Ain’t nobody got time to tag.

    As it stands, Facebook’s facial recognition tech is pretty good. Apparently, it’s about to get scary good.

    New Scientist reports on a new Facebook facial recognition algorithm that doesn’t even need to see your face. I guess it’s more like a person recognition algorithm.

    According to Facebook’s head of Artificial Intelligence, this new algorithm can identify people in photos based on their hair, clothes, body type, and even the way they’re standing.

    “There are a lot of cues we use. People have characteristic aspects, even if you look at them from the back,” Facebook head of AI Yann LeCun told New Scientist. “For example, you can recognize Mark Zuckerberg very easily, because he always wears a gray T-shirt.”

    And it reportedly works 83 percent of the time.

    Impressive. And creepy.

    Facial recognition isn’t as much of a hot-button issue in the States (though some are concerned), but overseas it is the worry of many a privacy group. Facebook’s recently-launched Moments photo sharing app is not launching in Europe due to concerns over facial recognition.

    So, if you think you can hide from Facebook’s robot people-spotting tech by covering your face, well, you probably can’t. I guess you could just stop wearing that one hoodie all the time.

  • Uber’s Self-Driving Research Car Spotted in the Wild

    Uber’s Self-Driving Research Car Spotted in the Wild

    Uber is in the early stages of developing “mapping, safety, and autonomy” systems, and its first vehicles tasked with doing so have just hit the road.

    Where? In Pittsburgh, where the Pittsburgh Business Times spotted a black Ford with a rather conspicuous set of tech on its roof – a LIDAR system that looks quite similar to the one sported by Google’s self-driving cars.

    The side of the car reads “Uber: Advanced Technologies Center.”

    So, is Uber developing self-driving cars? Absolutely. Is this one of them? Not quite.

    “This is not a self-driving test car,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. “This vehicle is part of our early research efforts regarding mapping, safety and autonomy systems.”

    But Uber hasn’t been shy about its intentions. Earlier this year, Uber announced a “strategic partnership” with Carnegie Mellon University that saw the creation of the “Uber Advanced Technologies Center” near the school’s campus.

    “The center will focus on the development of key long-term technologies that advance Uber’s mission of bringing safe, reliable transportation to everyone, everywhere,” said Uber. More specifically, “mapping and vehicle safety and autonomy technology.”

    “We are excited to join the community of Pittsburgh and partner with the experts at CMU, whose breadth and depth of technical expertise, particularly in robotics, are unmatched. As a global leader in urban transportation, we have the unique opportunity to invest in leading edge technologies to enable the safe and efficient movement of people and things at giant scale. This collaboration and the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center represent an important investment in building for the long term of Uber,” said Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden in February.

    Uber’s long term goals most definitely include autonomous vehicles.

  • Obama Urged to Reject Encryption Backdoors in Tech-Backed Letter

    President Obama is about to receive a letter signed by dozens upon dozens of companies and organizations, urging him to resist giving government agencies access to citizens’ personal data via backdoors in encrypted devices.

    “We urge you to reject any proposal that U.S. companies deliberately weaken the security of their products. We request that the White House instead focus on developing policies that will promote rather than undermine the wide adoption of strong encryption technology. Such policies will in turn help to promote and protect cybersecurity, economic growth, and human rights, both here and abroad,” says the letter.

    “We are writing today to respond to recent statements by some Administration officials regarding the deployment of strong encryption technology in the devices and services offered by the U.S. technology industry. Those officials have suggested that American companies should refrain from providing any products that are secured by encryption, unless those companies also weaken their security in order to maintain the capability to decrypt their customers’ data at the government’s request. Some officials have gone so far as to suggest that Congress should act to ban such products or mandate such capabilities.”

    The idea that devices should be encrypted but not that encrypted is one that’s been gloated around as of late by officials like U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson.

    The “current course [the technology industry is on], toward deeper and deeper encryption in response to the demands of the marketplace, is one that presents real challenges for those in law enforcement and national security,” said Johnson recently. “Encryption is making it harder for your government to find criminal activity and potential terrorist activity.”

    The consortium argues against backdoors (or front doors or whatever you want to call them) that would allow access to encrypted devices.

    “Encryption thereby protects us from innumerable criminal and national security threats. This protection would be undermined by the mandatory insertion of any new vulnerabilities into encrypted devices and services. Whether you call them ‘front doors’ or ‘back doors’, introducing intentional vulnerabilities into secure products for the government’s use will make those products less secure against other attackers. Every computer security expert that has spoken publicly on this issue agrees on this point, including the government’s own experts,” says the letter.

    The letter is signed by companies like Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Twitter, and Yahoo – as well as privacy organizations like the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and over 50 security and policy experts.

    According to the Washington Post, the letter is also signed by “three of the five members of a presidential review group appointed by Obama in 2013 to assess technology policies in the wake of leaks by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.”

    “The Administration faces a critical choice: will it adopt policies that foster a global digital ecosystem that is more secure, or less? That choice may well define the future of the Internet in the 21st century,” they say.

    Image via White House, Twitter

  • Elon Musk Isn’t Against Flying Cars, He’s Just Worried About Them Falling on Your Head

    Elon Musk Isn’t Against Flying Cars, He’s Just Worried About Them Falling on Your Head

    The everyday futurology musings of Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk continue to entertain. See: thoughts on self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.

    This time he’s talking flying cars.

    Speaking with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on his StarTalk show, Musk outlined some of his concerns with the idea of flying cars (via Inc).

    “If there are flying cars, then well obviously you have added this additional dimension where a car could potentially fall on your head and would be susceptible to weather. And of course you’d have to have a flying car [that operates by] autopilot because otherwise, forget it,” he said.

    “Even in autopilot, and even if you’ve got redundant motors and blades, you’ve still gone from near-zero chance of something falling on your head to something greater than that,”

    Flying cars would be potentially dangerous, noisy, and completely dependent upon weather conditions, says Musk. So, what’s the alternative?

    Tunnels. Or at least a combination of both. Musk clarified his StarTalk comments on Twitter:

    So, what do you think? Team Flying Cars? Team Tunnels? Both?

    Image via Elon Musk, Twitter

  • Google Glass Is Far from Dead, Says Eric Schmidt

    Google Glass Is Far from Dead, Says Eric Schmidt

    If you think Google Glass is dead, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt would like to tell you you’re wrong.

    “It is a big and very fundamental platform for Google,” Schmidt recently told the Wall Street Journal. “We ended the Explorer program and the press conflated this into us canceling the whole project, which isn’t true. Google is about taking risks and there’s nothing about adjusting Glass that suggests we’re ending it.”

    “That’s like saying the self-driving car is a disappointment because it’s not driving me around now, These things take time.”

    He added that Google Glass is being “made ready for users.”

    When Google made the decision to pull Glass off the market most realized that Google wasn’t going to can the whole thing. Google said that the whole program was being restructured. It moved out of the Google X “moonshot” lab and became its own department, led by Ivy Ross. The chain of command doesn’t end there, however, as the whole Glass unit reports to Nest CEO Tony Fadell.

    Glass as we knew it could be dead, but it’s clear Google has no intentions of abandoning the project.

    In fact, Glass will probably hit the market again when it’s perfect. And not a day before that.

    This is from a New York Times piece on Glass from last month:

    “Early Glass efforts have broken ground and allowed us to learn what’s important to consumers and enterprises alike,” Mr. Fadell said in a statement. “I’m excited to be working with Ivy to provide direction and support as she leads the team and we work together to integrate those learnings into future products.”

    Several people with knowledge of Mr. Fadell’s plans for Glass said he was going to redesign the product from scratch and would not release it until it was complete. “There will be no public experimentation,” one adviser to Mr. Fadell said. “Tony is a product guy and he’s not going to release something until it’s perfect.”

    Google X exec Astro Teller recently blamed Google Glass’ early failure on bad marketing – specifically inviting too much attention to a device that was pretty much still at prototype phase.

    Image via Google

  • Watch a Guy Watch His Son’s Birth Live in Virtual Reality

    Watch a Guy Watch His Son’s Birth Live in Virtual Reality

    If you don’t pay attention to the incredibly odd promo image above, Samsung has done something pretty cool – for the first time (it’s claiming), someone has watched a birth live-stream in virtual reality.

    Make no mistake, this is a six minute ad for Samsung’s Gear VR. But it is a neat use of the technology. It might pull at your heartstrings a little bit – if you’re inclined to have those tugged on occasion.

    The story goes like this: Jason and Alison were about to welcome their third child, but Jason’s work took him all the way across Australia and made it impossible for him to be there at the birth. This was terrible and depressing, naturally. Then, Samsung swooped in and saved the day by setting up multi-directional cameras in the delivery room and giving Jason a Gear VR headset.

    “Sometimes barriers like distance keep people from being part of experiences that no one wants to miss. So we decided to help two people come together in a completely new way to let them share one of life’s most profound moments. Welcome to the world’s first live virtual reality birth using the Samsung Gear VR,” says Samsung.

    You can watch a father watch the birth of his son in virtual reality below:

    Image via Samsung

  • Apple Donates $50M to Further Racial & Gender Diversity in Tech

    Fresh off its big smartwatch event, Apple is donating more than $50 million to groups that help promote diversity in the workplace.

    Specifically, Apple is donating to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a non-profit that aims to help students at HBCUs, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The fund’s mission is to “partner with our member-schools to increase access, retention and graduation rates of students, identify and prepare students attending member-schools who have significant leadership potential, and create a pipeline for employers to highly-qualified member-school students and alumni”

    The company is also partnering with the National Center for Women and Information Technology, “a non-profit community of more than 600 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase women’s participation in computing and technology.”

    According to Fortune, the majority ($40 million) will be headed to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

    Everyone knows the state of diversity in tech is far from ideal. Apple’s last diversity report revealed that 70 percent of its employees are male and 55 percent are white. When it comes to leadership, those number increase to 72 percent and 64 percent, respectively.

    Apple is far from the only Silicon Valley leader with this sort of skew.

    CEO Tim Cook has publicly stated his dissatisfaction with this.

    “Apple is committed to transparency, which is why we are publishing statistics about the race and gender makeup of our company. Let me say up front: As CEO, I’m not satisfied with the numbers on this page. They’re not new to us, and we’ve been working hard for quite some time to improve them. We are making progress, and we’re committed to being as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing our products,” he said.

    Image via Rob DiCaterino, Wikimedia Commons

  • Gigaom Shuts Down, “Unable to Pay Its Creditors”

    Prominent tech blog Gigaom is shutting down, after it revealed it “recently became unable to pay its creditors”.

    Here’s what Gigaom management had to say Monday evening:

    Gigaom recently became unable to pay its creditors in full at this time. As a result, the company is working with its creditors that have rights to all of the company’s assets as their collateral. All operations have ceased. We do not know at this time what the lenders intend to do with the assets or if there will be any future operations using those assets. The company does not currently intend to file bankruptcy. We would like to take a moment and thank our readers and our community for supporting us all along.

    The site’s founder, Om Malik, says that his company “is winding down” and that its assets are controlled by the company’s lenders at this point.

    “It is not how you want the story of a company you founded to end,” he writes in a blog post.

    “There will be time for postmortems, but not today. Today, I want to thank all the people who make (and have helped make) Gigaom. Their role in this journey was what really made it all worth it. They are great people and they will all do great work wherever they go. I want to thank our investors who believed in the business long before it became fashionable. And most importantly, I want to thank you dear readers for coming along on this trip of a lifetime,” he says.

    Om Malik launched Gigaom in 2006. He left day-to-day operations at Gigaom in February of 2014.

    Image via Olivier Ezratty, Wikimedia Commons

  • Marriage Equality Is Good for Business, Facebook, Apple, Google, and More Tell Supreme Court

    Bans on same-sex marriage are bad for business.

    That’s the message of a new amicus brief filed in the US Supreme Court. The brief is signed by many major tech companies – as well as companies from industries all across the spectrum. It includes 379 supporters in all.

    The Supreme Court will hear arguments in multiple cases involving same-sex marriage in April, and are expected to make a final ruling by June. The main question that the justices will consider this time around is whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, or if certain states can continue to ban it (and the recognition of it) inside their borders. This specific brief was filed on behalf of the Obergefell v. Hodges case.

    “Some of the states in which amici do business make marriage equally available to all of our employees and colleagues; others prohibit marriages between couples of the same sex and refuse to recognize existing same-sex marriages. This dual regime burdens amici,” reads the brief.

    “It creates legal uncertainty and imposes unnecessary costs and administrative complexities on employers, and requires differential employer treatment of employees who are similarly situated save for the state where they reside … State laws that prohibit or decline to recognize marriages between same-sex couples hamper employer efforts to recruit and retain the most talented workforce possible in those states. Our successes depend upon the welfare and morale of all employees, without distinction. The burden imposed by inconsistent and discriminatory state laws of having to administer complicated schemes to account for differential treatment of similarly situated employees breeds unnecessary confusion, tension, and diminished employee morale.”

    Basically, equality breeds better business.

    Companies signing on include Amazon, American Express, Apple, AT&T, Barnes & Noble, CBS, Cisco, Comcast, Dropbox, eBay, Facebook, Google, Groupon, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Pandora, Starbucks, Twitter, Verizon, Visa, Disney, Xerox, Zynga, and many, many more.

    “The competition for top talent crosses state and even national borders. State laws that prohibit same-sex marriage make it harder for businesses to recruit and retain talented employees,” said Susan Baker Manning of Morgan Lewis, counsel of record on the brief. “The patchwork of inconsistent state marriage laws makes it challenging and more costly for employers to administer benefits systems when some employees are unable to marry, and other employees’ marriages are not recognized by the state. This burdens businesses by costing them both time and money.”

    In 2013, when the Supreme Court was looking at the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, most of these same companies filed a brief asking the court to support gay marriage.

    Image via Facebook Diversity

  • Google, Uber Moving in on Each Other’s Turf?

    Google, Uber Moving in on Each Other’s Turf?

    It’s possible that Google and Uber, two companies which, at least historically, have been friendly, are developing a bit of a rivalry.

    Uber has announced a “strategic partnership” with Carnegie Mellon University that will see the creation of the “Uber Advanced Technologies Center” near the school’s campus.

    “The center will focus on the development of key long-term technologies that advance Uber’s mission of bringing safe, reliable transportation to everyone, everywhere,” says Uber. More specifically, “mapping and vehicle safety and autonomy technology”.

    In other words, Uber is jumping in the self-driving car ring – an arena currently dominated by the folks at Google.

    “We are excited to join the community of Pittsburgh and partner with the experts at CMU, whose breadth and depth of technical expertise, particularly in robotics, are unmatched. As a global leader in urban transportation, we have the unique opportunity to invest in leading edge technologies to enable the safe and efficient movement of people and things at giant scale. This collaboration and the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center represent an important investment in building for the long term of Uber,” said Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden.

    So, it appears that adding autonomous vehicles to its fleet is part of Uber’s “long-term” goal.

    Around the same time Uber was making this announcement, Bloomberg published an exclusive report citing Google’s intentions to take a direct shot at Uber with the formation of its own on-demand car service.

    From Bloomberg:

    Google is preparing to offer its own ride-hailing service, most likely in conjunction with its long-in-development driverless car project. [Google CFO David] Drummond has informed Uber’s board of this possibility, according to a person close to the Uber board, and Uber executives have seen screenshots of what appears to be a Google ride-sharing app that is currently being used by Google employees. This person, who requested not to be named because the talks are private, said the Uber board is now weighing whether to ask Drummond to resign his position as an Uber board member.

    Drummond currently sits on Uber’s board, and Google Ventures has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Uber in the past. Uber relies on Google Maps. The two are definitely intertwined, and Bloomberg points out that most feel that Google and Uber are obvious partners for a wide range of future endeavors. At least, until now.

    Google did provide this somewhat cryptic statement on Twitter, pointed directly at Bloomberg.

    The Wall Street Journal has put a bit of a wrinkle in the story, however. According to multiple sources cited by the paper, Google’s not really working on an Uber competitor and the whole thing has been “blown out of proportion”.

    From the WSJ:

    But a person familiar with the matter said news that Google is developing an app to rival Uber has been blown out of proportion. The person said a Google engineer has been testing an internal app that helps Google employees carpool to work, and the app isn’t associated with the company’s driverless cars program.

    Two people familiar with the matter said they weren’t aware that Drummond had been asked by anyone to step down and believe he would do so of his own volition if he sees a potential conflict.

    Google recently unveiled what it called the “first real build” of its self-driving vehicle prototype.

    Image via Google+

  • Magic Johnson Offers His Expertise To Improve Diversity In Silicon Valley

    The lack of diversity in Silicon Valley recently made headlines as statistics on their racial and gender make-up were revealed, showing a largely white and Asian workforce. Former basketball player turned businessman Magic Johnson is now offering his expertise to companies like Google and Apple in order to help them increase their employment of African-Americans and Hispanics.

    Johnson is an entrepreneur who has worked in minority markets, focusing on investing in inner-city neighborhoods, and he believes his experiences can connect Silicon Valley to the right talent to diversify its workforce. “I’ve been doing this for over 35 years. I’ve done this for other big corporations as well: Best Buy, Aetna, on and on. I know how to do it. They just need to give me a call. If they’re looking for talent, give me a call. If they are looking for companies to partner with, give me a call,” said Johnson in an interview with USA Today.

    Statistics of the US workforce of companies like Intuit, Google and Facebook have reached as low as two percent for African-American employees and six percent for Hispanics. As a result, Silicon Valley has promised to change its workforce to better reflect the markets they serve, but companies are apparently finding it hard to look for qualified talent.

    Johnson says he believes that his Beverly Hills-based company, Magic Johnson Enterprises, could be up to the task of connecting Silicon Valley companies with minority engineers.

    Johnson also recently shared his business savvy with attendees of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues’ REACH conference at the JW Marriott in the L.A. Live entertainment complex. One of the stories he shared was how successfully he brought Starbucks into urban areas by making minor changes to the menu and updating the music playlist to reflect the tastes of the market. The experience reportedly showed the importance of knowing the market and making adjustments accordingly.

    “Today it’s not enough to deliver. Today, you have to over-deliver. And not just sometimes. All the time,” Johnson advised the audience of the conference.

  • Wireless Birth Control Could Hit the Market by 2018, Thanks to Bill Gates

    The concept of implanting birth control that lasts for years is nothing new, but the idea of implanting remote-controlled birth control that can work for a decade and a half sure is.

    But if things go according to plan, that kind of technology could be on the market in the next few years.

    The MIT Technology Review reports on MicroCHIPS, a Lexington, Massachusetts company that has designed a wireless contraceptive chip that is meant to be implanted in the arm, abdomen, or buttocks and dispense 30 micrograms of levonorgestrel a day. The tiny chip is 20x20x7 millimeters and can be controlled wirelessly.

    Yep, remote-controlled birth control. The device supposedly works for up to 16 years (most implanatables last for only a few years), and can be turned off when a woman wishes to conceive.

    Apparently, the whole idea come from Bill Gates. Check out this from the MIT Technology Review:

    The idea for the device originated two years ago in a visit by Bill Gates and his colleagues to Robert Langer’s MIT lab. Gates and his colleagues asked Langer if it were feasible to create birth control that a woman could turn on and off and use for many years. Langer thought the controlled release microchip technology he invented with colleagues Michael Cima and John Santini in the 1990s and licensed to MicroCHIPS might offer a solution.

    You may know Gates as that Microsoft dude or as the man who’s trying to make a next-gen condom. MicroCHIPS is one of the many companies that have received backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. That Bill Gates is sure on the cusp of some sort of sexual technology breakthrough.

    This isn’t entirely new ground for MicroCHIPS, who in 2012 announced clinical results from their first successful human trial of an implantable, wireless drug delivery device. That trial dealt with post-menopausal women and the device delivered a daily dose of an osteoporosis drug – but the wireless technology was similar to what they’re envisioning with the implantable birth control.

    “This trial demonstrates how drug can be delivered through an implantable device that can be monitored and controlled remotely, providing new opportunities to improve treatment for patients and to realize the potential of telemedicine,” said Robert Langer, cofounder of MicroCHIPS, at the time of that trial.

    Although the chip will have to undergo encryption to prevent tampering (nobody wants hacked birth control), the device is hoping to start testing in the US as soon as 2015 – and it could hit the market by 2018.

    Image via MicroCHIPS
    h/t Gizmodo

  • Selfie, Hashtag, and More Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

    If you’re set to have a kid anytime after today, you should quietly weep for it–it’ll never grow up in a world where the word “selfie” isn’t in the official Merriam-Webster dictionary.

    The famous Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary is adding over 150 news words this year, and they’ve just announced a handful of them. The list of new words includes some trendy food words, but mostly tech and social media-related terms, which says a lot about the changing landscape of our society.

    Or something like that.

    Joining “selfie” (Oxford dictionary’s ‘Word of the Year’ last year) are the words “catfish,” “hashtag,” “tweep,” “crowdfunding,” “gamification,” and plain old “social networking.”

    Some example definitions:

    selfie, noun: an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks

    catfish, noun: a person who sets up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes

    crowdfunding, noun: the practice of soliciting financial contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community

    gamification, noun: the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (as a task) so as to encourage participation

    hashtag, noun: a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet)

    Strangely enough, “selfie” or “hashtag” isn’t the most interesting word added in 2014. That would go to “turducken,” which Merriam-Webster has finally added after being in existence for over 30 years. They describe it as “a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey.” Yep.

    Merriam-Webster is no stranger to updating their dictionaries to reflect the kidz speak. In the past, they’ve added words like “F-bomb” and “sexting” to their reference tomes.

    Merriam-Webster is asking people to converse about all the new words by using the #MW2014NewWords hashtag on Twitter. Do you think they want us to using the #hashtag hashtag when discussing that specific addition?

    Image via Miley Cyrus, Instagram

  • Steve Jobs Tops CNBC’s ‘First 25’ List, As He Could Really Rock a Turtleneck

    CNBC has been around for 25 years now, and in honor of that, decided to come up with what they call the “First 25,” or the 25 people “to have had the most profound impact on business and finance since 1989.”

    In other words (CNBC’s words), “the 25 most transformative leaders, icons and rebels of the past-quarter century.”

    And due to his “vision [which] spurred changes far beyond his industry and put an indelible stamp on the wider culture,” Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sits at number one on the list.

    He sits ahead of Bill Gates (#2), Sergey Brin‚ Larry Page & Eric Schmidt (all lumped together at #4) and Jeff Bezos (#5). Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg comes in at number eight.

    You can check out CNBC’s full profile on Steve Jobs and why they chose him here. When I say “they,” I mean CNBC, “augmented by their advisory board,” with some consideration to audience votes.

    CNBC knows that most people will hate this list.

    In fact, CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen argues why Steve Jobs at #1 sound ludicrous to some:

    But let’s talk about Jobs for a minute. The Apple OS never had more than a few points of market share on the desktop and laptop. Jobs didn’t put the smart in smartphones. Mike Lazaridis of BlackBerry did. And the iPod wasn’t the first portable music player.Sony’s Walkman was, and it had a radio. Philanthropy? Jobs didn’t come close to Gates. Fair enough, but he could rock a turtleneck—as well as everything from PCs, to music and movies, to smartphones—with style.

    You get the point.

    But then again, he says, this is only meant to spur debate.

    Everyone on our First 25, and every ranking in it, can be argued for and against. And that, folks, is the point. A ranking like this one is meant to spur discussion as well as celebrate exceptional achievement. And, let me tell you, the debates among the members of our advisory panel were every bit as heated as those sure to take place now that the list has been published.

    Ok, guys–let’s debate then!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Apple’s Original Macintosh Computer Turns 30

    A couple of days ago, we reflected on the 30th anniversary of Apple’s famous “1984” ad – you know, the creepy one that aired during the Super Bowl and was directed by Ridley Scott. That ad’s purpose was to usher in a new age in personal computing, at least according to Apple. The subject of that famous ad was the Macintosh computer, later referred to as the Macintosh 128K – and today, Apple has dedicated their site to saying happy birthday to the iconic machine.

    On January 24th, 1984, the first Macintosh was released to the public. Its cost was $2,495, and it had strong sales from the get-go. The Macintosh 128K is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface.

    Apple waxes nostalgic about the first Macintosh:

    The one that started it all – the original Macintosh – wasn’t just a computer. It was a declaration that the power of the computer now belonged to everyone. At the time, most people didn’t even know how to use one. But thanks to the simple graphical interface of the Macintosh, they didn’t have to. It was approachable and friendly, starting with the smiley face that greeted you. There were folders that looked like file folders and a trash can for throwing things away. And with the click of a mouse, you could suddenly do the unimaginable. You could move things around on the screen, change the way they looked, combine words with images and sounds, and create like never before. A new era had begun.

    Apple has set up a dedicated page to celebrate the history of the Mac, accessible here. There, you can take a trip through a timeline, see data on how people used the very first Macs, and also tell your own, personal “Mac story.”

    What’s your favorite Mac memory?

    Images via Apple, Wikimedia Commons