Chinese government-supported payment card network, China UnionPay.
There are a growing numbers of people in China who are using the country’s state-backed bankcards to illegally smuggle billions of dollars abroad, according to a report by Reuters.
Continue reading… “How China’s official bankcard is used to smuggle money”
Demand outstrips supply in Colorado
Supply can’t keep up with demand in Colorado. Colorado is one of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use (the other being Washington), Colorado’s pot industry has ushered in a booming warehouse market–part of a greater cannabis cottage industry.
Continue reading… “Colorado’s soaring demand for marijuana ushers in weed cottage industry”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Throughout history, speed has been synonymous with greatness. In sports, those who ran the fastest were heroes. In times of war, those with the fastest chariots, ships, planes, and weapons had a significant advantage. In the business world, a company’s competitive edge has typically been formed around speed – quickest delivery, fastest transaction times, or speed of information.
Continue reading… “The Next Bold Step in Transportation: Personal Rapid Transit Systems”
The Sproutling
Wearables for babies, theatrical robots and 3D bio printers are some of the types of technologies that might be “out there,” but they show off key enabling technologies that are pushing the future of design forward. These types of technologies were highlighted at Bloomberg Business Week’s Design Conference in San Francisco this week.
Continue reading… “Top 5 technologies that are shaping the future of design”
Digital publishers are creating magazines to supplement their websites.
It seems like a really bad time to start a magazine with circulation numbers sinking and print ad rates dipping just as fast. But digital publishers like Politico, Pitchfork and Pando are doing just that: backwards-engineering their online publications for the physical page.
Continue reading… “Why today’s digital publishers are creating print magazines”
Millennials are detached from institutions, networked with friends.
The Millennial generation, now ranging in age from 18 to 33, is forging a distinctive path into adulthood. They are relatively unattached to organized politics and religion, linked by social media, burdened by debt, distrustful of people, in no rush to marry— and optimistic about the future.
Continue reading… “Pew Research – Lifestyles of the Young and Restless”
Watching TV and listening to the radio are the top two digital activities in the average American adult’s day.
Fifty-eight percent of American adults own smartphones. Pair that with the fact that digital culture permeates almost every aspect of our lives, and we can already assume the average person spends a lot of time with gadgets.
Continue reading… “Average U.S. adult spends 11 hours a day with electronic media”
Millennials are looking for ways to live bank-free in the future.
Scratch polled 10,000 millennials to find out which industry was most prime for disruption. The results from the poll found that banks make up four of their top 10 most hated brands, but millennials increasingly viewed these financial institutions as irrelevant.
Continue reading… “Millennials see financial institutions as irrelevant”
The wind energy industry started 2014 with a record 12GW of wind capacity under construction.
Wind power in the U.S. accounted for more than 4% of the energy on the grid last year. This is the first time this milestone has been breached. However, the distribution of wind power across states varied greatly, with some states well ahead of others.
Continue reading… “U.S. wind power accounts for 4% of energy for first time ever”
Companies are in need of Generalist individuals with new, agile skills that can see the big picture.
Most companies have specialist organizations that support its business priorities. For as long as we can remember, organizations such as finance, HR, IT, and marketing have been in existence. In most companies, domain expertise, efficiency and process execution dominate the agenda for these organizations. You get hired, promoted and measured based on your expertise and value-add in your particular specialization.
Continue reading… “The rise of the Generalist”
Breaking into graphic design without spending thousands on a degree.
There are some people in this world who know what they want to be when they grow up and they stick with it for their entire lives. But for the majority of us the path to contentment with our career is more winding. This week’s question tackles that tricky situation of itching for a career change when you are already saddled with college debt from a few false starts. Continue reading… “How to learn skills for a new field without going back to college”
In the past few years the impact of domestic oil and natural gas production has seen a significant uptick. The rush of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in “tight” shale plays around the country is largely responsible for a resurgence of U.S. oil and natural gas production.
Continue reading… “A look at the drilling boom in America”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.