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The future impact of the Internet of Things can’t be underestimated

iot

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a hot new buzzword. Its purpose and definition are grossly misunderstood. When some people hear the term IoT they immediately associate it with a refrigerator reminding us to order milk or our Fitbit wearable device tweeting how we just ran 4 miles. Neither of those uses are very compelling to most of us which makes it hard to fathom how experts can predict that by 2020 there will be greater than a one trillion dollar market that vendors will be trying to claim a piece of.

 

 

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New LED light technology sheds light on the future of food

led lights

LED growing lights, delivering sunlight whatever the weather.

This century, the challenges of growing enough food to feed the world have grown more severe. We need to feed more people with limited agricultural land and resources. We need to make better use of land, light and logistics for an increasingly urban population. And we need to incorporate zero-waste and low-energy technologies into the task of food production. (Video)

 

 

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‘Uncanniest valley’ – when robots know us better than we know ourselves

robot

Robots don’t judge. Humans do.

Japanese roboticist Mashahiro Mori coined the term “uncanny valley” in 1970 to describe the strange fact that, as robots become more human-like, we relate to them better—but only to a point. The ”uncanny valley” is this point.

 

 

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Job growth is faster in states that raised minimum wage

minimum wage

The 13 states that raised their minimum wages on Jan. 1 have added jobs at a faster pace than those that did not.

The Department of Labor released new data that suggests that raising the minimum wage in some states might have spurred job growth, contrary to what critics said would happen.

 

 

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When Everyone Becomes Blackmailable

When-Everyone-Becomes-Blackmailable-2

Futurist Thomas Frey: On a recent driving trip, my wife and I became immersed in the audio version of one of Tom Clancy’s last novels titled, “Threat Vector.” Without giving away too much of the plot, a Chinese super-geek villain has hatched a plan to hack into our most secure networks and blackmail people with their darkest secrets to subversively cause chaos and disruption for the American government.

 

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Blue Cross makes a $65B bet on value-based medical care

value based care

The traditional fee-for-service approach to medicine that can lead to overtreatment and unnecessary medical tests and procedures.

The country’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans say they are spending more than $65 billion annually, about 20 percent of the medical claim dollars they pay, on “value-based” care that rewards better outcomes and keeps patients healthy. This is the latest blow to fee-for-service medicine.

 

 

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Imprint Energy is developing flexible, printed batteries for wearable devices

zinc.poly battery

Ultrathin zinc-polymer battery.

Imprint Energy is developing flexible, rechargeable batteries that can be printed cheaply on commonly used industrial screen printers. The California startup has been testing its ultrathin zinc-polymer batteries in wrist-worn devices and hopes to sell them to manufacturers of wearable electronics, medical devices, smart labels, and environmental sensors.

 

 

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Mcor Technologies improves their paper-based, full-color 3D printer

mcor-iris

Mcor Iris 3D Printer

Most people think 3D printing involves a machine that either extrudes molten plastic, in a way similar to how a hot glue gun works, or think of one of the larger industrial level 3D printers manufactured by 3D systems or Stratasys. These huge machines print objects in a variety of materials, but come with price tags that are only affordable for a select few.

 

 

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Growing trend among young singles who treat pets like girlfriends and boyfriends

Lucy, a 1 year old Burmese Mountain dog and her owner Alfred Pretrone.

There’s “something special” about Lucy, says Alfred Pretrone about his female companion. She’s good-looking, “chill” and she makes the stress melt away at the end of a long day. But Lucy isn’t Mr. Petrone’s girlfriend. She’s his dog.

 

 

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.