Cool like Apple and Nike? Nah….
We talked to more than a dozen designers, many of whom worked with Bezos on Amazon’s most important products, as he steps down as CEO.
— Read on www.fastcompany.com/90611088/the-complicated-design-legacy-of-jeff-bezos
Last week, I twice found myself standing at a gas pump, in single digit temperatures waiting for what must have been individual droplets of gasoline to drip into my car’s tank. The digits slowly ticked over and, as my hands grew colder, I thought about going into the car for my coat, maybe some gloves.
I thought about ending the transaction and trying another pump. But I waited. And I told myself I’d Google why this happens. Then, I got in my car and drove away without Googling a damn thing, just like I had every other time it happened.
— Read on jalopnik.com/i-finally-looked-up-why-gas-pumps-sometimes-run-slow-an-1846356588
You’ve probably spotted the signs around your neighborhood: “We buy houses,” “Cash for homes,” or “Sell us your home as/is!” You may have even groaned at how pervasive they’ve become.
If so, you’re not alone. These signs, which come from real estate investment groups that scoop up houses across the country — often paying 10% or more below the market value — are becoming more and more common in today’s hot real estate market.
The goal? Flip each house into a more expensive property, or turn it into a rental unit.
Real estate investors are offering cash for homes in just about any neighborhood in any part of the U.S. these days, no matter the condition of the property, says Nick Bailey, chief customer officer at RE/MAX. In January 2021, median existing home prices jumped to $303,900 — 14.1% higher than last year, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). For investors, who strive to purchase homes below the market value and sell for the highest price possible, “are getting more attention … because it’s easier to buy and flip when prices are going up,” Bailey says.
With home prices rising, homeowners might be tempted to sell their homes quickly, especially if they’ve lost their jobs or are under financial strain from COVID-19. And since most homeowners don’t realize how much their homes are worth, or that a few repairs could up its value for a relatively low cost, an information gap is adding fuel to the fire, according to Eric Sussman, an adjunct real estate professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
Is selling your home to an investment group always a bad idea? Not necessarily, real estate experts say. But you need to proceed with caution.
Sustainable deepwater fish farms could propel the fishing industry into a new direction and in an “environmentally responsible manner” by replenishing depleted wild stocks that have been affected by overfishing and pollution.
Marine biologist Neil Sims is helping to spearhead this initiative with Hawaii-based Ocean Era (formerly Kampachi Farms), a start-up that’s established offshore.
Ocean Era breeds “sushi-grade fish” in pens 230 feet and almost 4 miles (70 meters deep, 6 km) from the coast. Currently, aquaculture (the farming of fish, seafood and aquatic plants) already accounts for about half the fish eaten worldwide. However, these fish farms are typically located in coastal waters where the fecal waste produced by the fish, and chemicals used in the farming process potentially impacts the environment.
— Read on www.techthatmatters.com/these-sustainable-deepwater-fish-farms-breed-sushi-grade-fish-and-could-replenish-depleted-wild-stocks/
Given the unpredictability of COVID-19 and rising hotspots across the U.S., the CT Defense Mobile Medical Unit could lessen the constraint put on hospitals – and save more lives.
Created by CT Defense and distributed by Elavo, this state-of-the-art mobile hospital is a 12-bed mobile ICU that features HEPA filtered climate control, which prevents the spread of infectious diseases.
The unit stands out from the rest due to its advanced sanitization entrance/exit that protects health workers and the community. It has expandable sides that almost doubles the clinic space
— Read on www.techthatmatters.com/this-high-tech-expandable-mobile-hospital-has-a-covid-19-isolated-clinic-space/
This is the Colossus, a robust fire-fighting robot by Shark Robotics that was developed with Paris firemen, the Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers. This multi-purpose support robot for operations in high-risk areas helped extinguish the ferocious Notre Dame blaze that occurred on April 15, 2019.
While it may seem small in size, this fire-fighting beast lives up to its name. Considered to be “the most powerful electric robot in the world,” the Colossus is amazingly resistant to thermal radiation (up to 900 ° C). It can also run up to 12 hours in an operational situation and has a carrying capacity of up to 500 Kg.
Its integration is also impressive. In less than 30 seconds, the Colossus’ functions are interchangeable by a single operator without the use of tools. Super easy to use, the Colossus sets up quickly and is a low-maintenance robot that has proven to save lives as well as beloved historic structures.
— Read on www.techthatmatters.com/category/rescue/
This is the DroneGun Tactical made by Droneshield that provides a safe countermeasure against a wide array of drone models. The DroneGun takes down unwanted drones by shooting radio frequencies instead of bullets. It’s a one-man operated rifle used as a military defense that has an effective range of one mile.
The battery-powered, single-rifle DroneGun allows for controlled management of explosive-carrying drones without damaging common drone models or the surrounding environment.
— Read on www.techthatmatters.com/this-dronegun-takes-down-unwanted-drones-with-radio-frequencies-instead-of-bullets/
Brownie Bytes 