For the last year, the media has been blaming the Semiconductor Chip shortage first on COVID and then on a supply chain nightmare. On January 25th2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report on its findings into the issue.
Technology And The Semiconductor Chip Shortage Read More »
 It’s not uncommon to hear the stories of vulnerable people falling for online scams. You’ve also probably had an email telling you that you’ve won the lottery in another country when you’ve never applied. And, of course, there is the legendary Nigerian Prince scam. On the surface, these scams sound amateurish, but these operations are much more complex than you might think with large-scale cooperation. There were 2.2 million reports of fraud in the United States in 2020. The actual number is likely to be much higher, but some people are too embarrassed to admit scammers tricked them. Money remittance operations are particularly at risk because the differences between financial systems between countries leave space for malicious actors to manipulate.
How Blockchain’s Unique Innovations Can Prevent Money Remittance Scams Read More »
Imagine being able to build all the walls of a whole house in just 12 hours! That is exactly what 3-D printed houses are promising. The house’s 3D printer process uses concrete in the construction which has many long-term benefits, including strength, and durability in addition to the rapid construction process. Walls are typically two or three layers thick with airspace in between which is then filled with an insulating material making the houses airtight, energy-efficient, and strong.
Are 3D Printed Houses the Trend of the Future? Read More »
Social Media has come a long way since the early days of Facebook and Twitter. But recent years saw some cracks developing in their monopoly on the Social Media scene. The fact that Twitter could censor the words of a sitting President offended First Amendment advocates who in turn tried to form alternatives like the Social Media platform Parler. However, because of the wide reach of established hosting platforms, they soon realized that what they thought they owned was really just rented, and their landlords at  Apple Cloud communications company Twilio could simply terminate service to Parler.
Will 2022 Be the Year of Massive Social Media Upheaval? Read More »
What Exactly is the Metaverse?
In October 2021, Facebook changed its parent company name to “Meta” to align the company with its ambitions to build the “metaverse.” NASDAQ.com believes that this rebranding will help boost the price of its stock in the same way that its name change to Alphabet boosted Google. By changing its name many believe that Facebook is signaling a change in corporate direction from a simple social media platform to a ‘meta-universe company’ i.e. one that combines virtual experiences with reality.
Is “metaverse” just the newest “Buzzword” or is “The Metaverse” like trying to explain the “The Internet” to someone in the 1970s? If you talk to CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg the metaverse is the future of the internet. But is this just hype or is it the fruition of the Sci-Fi dream of virtual reality and everything running via computers and holograms?
The term “metaverse” is said to have been coined back in 1992 by Sci-Fi author Neal Stephenson in his novel, “Snow Crash.” The idea was that virtual people aka. “Avatars” travel through imaginary worlds living out their dreams. In the book, Snow Crash Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc., in real life but in the Metaverse, he’s a warrior prince. By 2009, the idea of “avatars” was firmly embedded in the culture, and the movie Avatar had literal humans traveling to distant planets where they would virtually inhabit alternative bodies.
What are the implications of a shift toward the metaverse?
Metaverse vs. Multiverse- What are They? And Where are They Leading? Read More »
If you went to any thrift store in the country in the year 2000, and you would have found branded merch galore. In the 1980s, companies realized the benefit of getting customers to prominently promote their products, so they started distributing branded merchandise in huge numbers.Â
But back in the 1960’s it would have seemed crude or crass to be a walking billboard unless you were a professional athlete or NASCAR driver. In 1967 Adidas didn’t even have their famous logo on their shoes and new tracksuit and their name certainly wasn’t prominently displayed. At the time they were simply promoting the “3-stripes” design. Adidas introduced its Trefoil logo at the 1972 Olympics. But it wasn’t until much later that flashing the brand name on your clothes became fashionable.Â
Why Wearable Brand Merchandise is On Trend Read More »
Supply chain disruptions have been a major theme of the news cycle throughout 2021. It’s been blamed on a variety of causes, with warnings of “buy now before it gets worse”. But if everyone is “buying now” is that what’s making it worse? And actually, that has been part of the problem.
From Pandemic To 2021 Supply Chain Disruption Read More »
Florida and Texas researchers are developing a new type of battery that is cheaper, safer, and more environmentally friendly than typical Lithium-Ion Batteries. This new sea-water-based battery has a variety of advantages over traditional batteries.Â
Batteries: New Sea-Water Based Battery to Replace Lithium Read More »
One of the major hidden trends today is in the area of farming and agriculture. We think of farming as being large fields and big tractors, but behind the scenes, things are changing. The ideas of permaculture and organic farming are changing how crops are grown and the technology used to feed the billions of inhabitants on planet earth.
Farming: Discovering New Ways to Feed the Planet Read More »
Was gold in a Bubble? Does the recent correction mean anything? With the value of the dollar constantly changing it is hard to tell what it all means. After all, can you imagine trying to build a house if every day when the workers arrived you gave them a different size ruler?
With everything from lumber to bitcoins skyrocketing in price (or the dollar devaluing), is there any way to tell the real value of something? How much is anything really worth? Is Oil overpriced? How about Gold? Is it overpriced? Is it cheap now that the price has come down? Looking at these commodities in the standard way, it’s often difficult to tell.
Which is Over Priced? Oil or Gold? Read More »
