Amazon to acquire Zappos. Wonder if the culture comes with it?
Tweet your energy usage (in Germany at least)
From Springwise:
German utility company Yello Strom is clearly into accessible tech: it manages its meters directly via households’ broadband connections, and offers access to Google's PowerMeter. Now, it's keeping its customers informed by enabling meters to tweet about energy use.
Each "Yello Sparzähler" smart meter (designed by IDEO) is allocated its own Twitter account, which is automatically updated with energy consumption data. The owner can follow the account to receive regular updates, leading to greater awareness and hopefully lower energy use. DIY power monitors such as Tweet-a-Watt are also capable of tweeting, but Yello Strom seems to be the first utility company to offer the service as an integral part of their smart meters.
While adding Twitter to their mix will undoubtedly give Yello Strom a PR-boost, the larger goal is to feed energy data into any tool customers may be using. As explained by Yello Executive Director Martin Vesper, "Our goal is to use as many different channels as possible to inform our customers about their energy consumption." (Related: Smart thermostat is always online — Home energy monitoring, delivered by Google.)
Virgin Money - cut the banks out of your startup equation
Whether you’re looking to finance your friend’s start-up, or expand your own business, use Virgin Money to manage your loan. We’ll provide the documents and support you need. So read up on our products, give us a buzz, or have us send you a guide. Now let’s get down to business, shall we?
Virgin Money manages business loans between relatives and friends. Using us means that the business of your loan—legal documents, transfer of payments, year-end reporting—will be taken care of. (Which we think will come in handy, because, really, you’ve got enough on your plate.)
Virgin Money business loans are flexible, fast and fit your financial needs. When you use us, grace periods and deferred payments are easy. It’s up to you and your partner. You pick the terms, we create the documents and manage repayment. Not sure about lending? Need advice on how to ask for a loan? We can help. Request a guide. Call one of our specialists. We try to please.
Our goal is pretty simple. We want to make friend and family financing a real alternative for startup and growing businesses. We offer a top-notch small business financing option, protecting both money and personal relationships. Hey, we didn’t say it was a small goal. But we like to aim high.
http://www.virginmoneyus.com/BusinessLoans/tabid/138/Default.aspx
Parking garages transformed by large-scale ads
Parking garages are notorious for being grim and grey affairs, unadorned by any significant form of decoration. That's due largely to fire code regulations, but a new, patented technology now allows large-scale ads to be created on the walls of such garages, essentially transforming them into immersive, branded environments.
Carspaze has created a new advertising platform for parking-garage walls centered on the ability to digitally print photo-quality images onto specially developed fire retardant materials. Developed three years ago, the process has undergone technical trials and improvements in Germany over the past two years. Now, focusing on garages near retail centers, Carspaze creates branded zones 10 to 20 parking spaces wide bearing advertising on the walls in front of parked cars. Only sustainable materials are used in the production of such advertising, including recycled panels and frames, wheel stops made from crushed rubber tires and lighting units made from recycled fiberglass and plastic. In addition to creating a more cheerful, safer-feeling parking place, the ads have been found both to give consumers a way to remember where they parked their cars and—no doubt as a direct result—to dramatically increase top-of-mind awareness for the brands advertised and boost purchase likelihood. Garage owners, meanwhile, receive revenue for each installation.
We're certainly not advocating the use of advertising on every available patch of public space, but there's no doubt a bright, unified splash of branding can be a welcome improvement over the dimly lit concrete of most garages. Luxembourg-based Carspaze launched in Europe in 2008. In the US, jetBlue is pioneering the concept with installations at two shopping malls (Century City in Los Angeles and Tysons Corner Center in Northern Virginia), and a roll-out in Asia is planned for later this year. Carspaze is actively seeking franchise partners—one to bring to unadorned garage walls near you...?
Website: www.carspaze.com
Contact: carspaze.4elbows.com/contact-us
How Large Is a Petabyte?
13.3 years of HDTV content. That's approximately 58,292 movies, which means an equal number of large pizzas. So one petabyte equals 52 tonnes of pepperoni pizza. Yes, my head has assploded. For other equivalents, click and zoom in.
Just ordered my new 1.0 petabyte drive today from NewEgg.
Light Up The World - promo video from STUDIOONE26
My wife and I were talking the other day about how our words and actions can have an incredible impact on others - whether it be positive or negative. This reminded me how easily our overall demeanor can effect others. A simple smile or an encouraging word can sometimes be all it takes for someone to see the light of day.
Well said, David.
