Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Citigroup Testing Eye-Scanning ATM
October 27th, 2015Via: NBC: No card reader, no PIN pad, no touch-screen display — how you bank at your ATM could drastically change in the not-so-distant future. Citigroup is testing an automated teller machine made by Canton, Ohio-based Diebold that relies on your smartphone and perhaps an eye scan to dispense your cash.
Recovery: People Line Up to Sell Blood Plasma
October 26th, 2015Or is it, “Green shoots”? Via: LA Times: The going rate for plasma donation, which can take a couple of hours, is about $25 or $30. But Octapharma is offering $50 for the first five visits, and a poster in the lobby says: “Donate 10X by the end of October for a chance to win […]
Saudi Price Arrested, Two Tons of Amphetamines Found on His Private Jet
October 26th, 2015Two. Tons. Via: Telegraph: A Saudi prince has been detained at Beirut airport in Lebanon after two tons of an amphetamine drug popular with Syrian rebels was found on a private jet. Prince Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz and four other men were held after what was described as the biggest ever drugs bust […]
Wal-Mart Seeks to Test Drones for Home Delivery, Pickup
October 26th, 2015Via: Reuters: Wal-Mart Stores Inc applied Monday to U.S. regulators for permission to test drones for home delivery, curbside pickup and checking warehouse inventories, a sign it plans to go head-to-head with Amazon in using drones to fill and deliver online orders. The world’s largest retailer by revenue has for several months been conducting indoor […]
Morocco Poised to Become a Solar Superpower with Launch of Desert Mega-Project
October 26th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — Via: Guardian: When the full complex is complete, it will be the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world , and the first phase, called Noor 1, will go live next month. The mirror technology it uses is less widespread and more expensive […]
Robot Builder Designed for Construction Sites
October 22nd, 2015Via: Reuters: Zurich-based architects and roboticists have created the In-situ Fabricator, an autonomous construction robot capable of laying bricks into pre-programmed structures. Designers at the Swiss National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication laboratory believe a future generation of the robot could be used widely on building sites.
Yet Another Costly F-35 Glitch: Ejection Seat Could Kill Pilots
October 22nd, 2015Via: Fiscal Times: The Defense Department’s multi-billion dollar F-35 Joint Strike Fighter effort has hit a new snag, and it’s one that could take anywhere from a year to 18 months to fix, according to the program’s chief. Earlier this month Defense News reported the Pentagon had learned the fifth-generation airplane’s ejection seat could cause […]
In Nigeria, Solar-Powered Fridges at Outdoor Markets Save Food From Spoiling
October 20th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — Via: Gizmodo: In developing countries, an unbelievable 45% of food goes bad because of a lack of cold storage. It’s an especially big problem during transportation from farms to outdoor markets, where food sits in the scorching sun for hours on end. But one startup […]
Government of South Korea and Samsung Developing Robots to Manufacture Consumer Electronics
October 19th, 2015Via: The Korea Herald: South Korea’s government said Monday that it will join forces with Samsung Electronics Co. to develop precision manufacturing robots that could open new horizons for the local manufacturing sector. The plan calls for 16.75 billion won ($14.8 million) worth of taxpayers’ money to be invested in the next three years to […]
Social Skills Are Last Line of Defense for Humans Seeking Work
October 19th, 2015Via: Bloomberg: David Deming, an associate professor of education and economics at Harvard University, has found that jobs requiring social interaction are growing relative to work that doesn’t, and such skills may offer some protection from robotic takeover. Certain high-level professions that demand technical expertise and low-skill work that can be done by a greater […]
