If they make it through regulatory approvals and meet financial projections, the new satellites will create new industries
A new era of global communications is on the launch pad. Eleven companies have applied to the Federal Communications Commission and other telecom regulators to beam broadband internet from clouds of more than 15,000 new satellites. Not since the telegraph replaced the Pony Express has communication technology seen such a leap in capacity and promise.
Health and Commerce
Since its debut six years ago, Redwood City-based startup Auris Health has quietly raised $500 million to develop a series of tools designed to innovate surgical robotics technology.
The company’s latest product, Monarch, is a controller-operated robotic camera that allows physicians to visualize the inside of the human body.
The technology, which was approved by the FDA earlier this month, could become a key tool in helping physicians diagnose lung cancer early on.
Over the past few months, Starbucks, CVS, and Walmart announced higher wages and a range of other benefits like paid parental leave and stock options. Despite what the brands say in their press releases, the changes probably had little to do with the Republican corporate tax cuts, but they do reflect a broader economic prosperity, complete with a tightening a labor market. In the past couple of years, real wages hit their highest levels ever, and even the lowest-paid workers started getting raises. As Matt Yglesias wrote at Vox, “for the first time in a long time, the underlying labor market is really healthy.”
Continue reading… “Seeking a roadmap for the new American Middle Class”
It seems Mastercard is gradually softening its stance on cryptocurrency, after CEO Ajay Banga downplayed non-government mandated digital currencies as “junk” back in October last year.
In a conversation with Financial Times, Ari Sarkar, Mastercard co-president for the Asia-Pacific region, said the company is open to explore cryptocurrencies created and backed by governments.
In towns where workers are scarce, employers are boosting pay and perks and stepping up recruiting—all while trying to avoid raising prices.
What will happen when the U.S. unemployment rate falls below 4 percent, which is expected to occur by this summer? One way to tell is to look at cities where joblessness is already lower than that. Bloomberg News reporters traveled to Iowa, Georgia, and Maine. What they saw there is encouraging. They discovered that employers have found ways to cope with tight labor markets and still make money. Businesses have pulled in workers from the sidelines—including retirees, immigrants, and the homeless—and retooled processes to use less labor. Some have raised pay considerably for certain jobs, but so far there are no signs of an overall wage explosion. That should embolden those at the Federal Reserve who want to raise interest rates slowly to give growth a chance.
Continue reading… “This Is What Record-Low Unemployment Looks Like in America”
Cryptocurrency exchanges are charging between $50,000 and $1 million to list initial coin offerings, according to a Business Insider investigation.
“The exchanges are where the liquidity is — it’s where the money is — so that’s where the power is just at the moment,” Michael Jackson, a partner at venture capital firm Mangrove Partners, told BI.
Exchanges are dominant now but that may change with tougher regulations and more standardised business models.
10 highest-paying fields — with lots of growth — for gig workers
This is one hell of a gig.
Millions of workers now participate in the gig economy — loosely defined as the workers who work a series of freelance or temporary jobs rather than one full-time job. Indeed, about one in four Americans now participates in the digital gig economy, using apps or websites like Airbnb or Uber to earn some extra cash.
Continue reading… “The secret to making $115 an hour in the gig economy”
Add the Orbike to Musk’s Boring Company program and you’ve literally got a city that’s perfect for any commuter. Sitting half above and half below the surface of the road, the Orbike is a donut-shaped vending machine that allows people to rent bicycles and bike-related equipment. Designed to be efficient, but more to grab attention, the Orbike rotates inside its transparent shell, allowing you to literally cycle through products before choosing what to buy/rent.
Should governments start taxing robots as a way to prepare for a future of mass unemployment brought on by technology?
Continue reading… “Preparing for the economic impact of artificial intelligence”
Employment models are under strain like never before. There’s an increasing disconnect between employees and the traditional company hierarchy, piling pressure on HR to create more agile and productive working environments.
It could transform how we track nearly every transaction.
You may have heard the term “blockchain” used when people talk about cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. If you’re unsure of what it means, think of blockchains as ledgers that keep track of transactions. In the case of bitcoin, the blockchain is a record of financial transactions between parties. The blockchain is decentralized, meaning that no one is in charge of it, and the data isn’t owned or stored by any one company, but rather dispersed across many computers.
Continue reading… “7 facts you didn’t know about blockchain”
Leaders in the learning and talent development space discuss trends affecting the future of corporate training.