Thursday, March 28

Month: January 2015

Video Marketing Likely to Be Fastest-Growing Aspect of Social Media Marketing in Year to Come
Business

Video Marketing Likely to Be Fastest-Growing Aspect of Social Media Marketing in Year to Come

The medium social media marketers will need to pay the most attention to in 2015 may be video, if updates to major social media platforms at the end of 2014 are any indication. “Every social network has begun to turn efforts towards the improvement of native video distribution and promotion services,” Juan Mendez wrote for Business2Community Jan. 21. Facebook, the platform probably on most marketers’ minds, will continue to prioritize video, with founder Mark Zuckerberg even commenting multiple times that he expects much of people’s newsfeeds to be filled with videos, rather than text or photos, in the near future. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, has also launched a 15-second video ad option. Twitter, too, added native promoted videos to feeds for the first time in 2014, and has ...
Mini-Bieber Austin Mahone Gets His Range Rover Wrapped Again
Lifestyle

Mini-Bieber Austin Mahone Gets His Range Rover Wrapped Again

When he's not dodging comparisons to fellow teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, opening up for Taylor Swift on tour, or featuring on decidedly mediocre collaborations with Pitbull, 18-year-old Austin Mahone loves customizing his Range Rover with vinyl car wraps. According to January 20 Auto Evolution article, Mahone has been wrapping his Range Rover in countless custom colors and designs since getting the car when he was just 16. So far, it's been wrapped bright red, with red-on-black rims to offset the look, and "a weird dinosaur-like look" created with black and white strips, the article reports, among several other color and pattern schemes. And Mahone is far from the only celebrity who loves custom-wrapping his car to his tastes. Chris Brown wrapped his Lamborghini in Tupac lyrics...
Why Men Just Can’t Stay Away From Camouflage
Fashion

Why Men Just Can’t Stay Away From Camouflage

Going far beyond a fad, fashionably macho camouflage prints and patterns have become a new must-have in menswear that shows no signs of retreating. Fashion designer Mark McNairy places camouflage prints in the same category of menswear as khaki twill and blue oxford shirting. "To me, it’s just become a given," McNairy said. "It’s a staple." While other fashion designers aren't so quick to embrace the military pattern quite as enthusiastically as McNairy, it seems that camouflage has become bulletproof as far as modern menswear is concerned. Camouflage has been seen up and down the runways, from the likes of noted designers such as Dries Van Noten, Valentino, Kenzo, and Comme des Garçons. The distinct print has become standard street fashion since the Americana heritage trend began a few ...
Thieves Target Boy Scout Troops’ Camping Gear
Lifestyle

Thieves Target Boy Scout Troops’ Camping Gear

Boy Scouts across America aren't going to be camping much until the summer, but some of them may not even have the equipment to do it. There has been an odd string of thefts of Boy Scout camping gear across the country in the last few weeks. One of the first thefts took place in North Richland Hills, TX. CBS affiliate DFW reported that Boy Scout Troop 179 discovered that a trailer with all of their camping gear inside had been stolen over New Year's weekend. The camping equipment belonging to a Boy Scout troop in Billings, MT has been stolen in a few different instances of theft over the last month, according to the Great Falls Tribune. A trailer with roughly $10,000 worth of camping gear and other equipment was stolen from its storage place at Billings Stake Center of the Church of Jesu...
Could the Electric Forklift Be Universal By 2020? This Study’s Findings Suggest So
Business

Could the Electric Forklift Be Universal By 2020? This Study’s Findings Suggest So

A new study has predicted that the electric forklift will achieve near-universal usage by 2020, overtaking the lead-acid forklift batteries and diesel forklifts that are widely used today and allowing for fewer emissions of greenhouse gases, heavy metals and other harmful chemicals. According to a recent Navigant Research study, electric forklift sales throughout North America are poised to reach levels exceeding $500 million per year by 2020, a significant increase from the $100 million in sales generated in 2013. AutoBlog reports that the massive jump in electric forklift sales will stem from falling prices of the lithium-ion batteries that these forklifts depend upon. Currently, lead-acid batteries are more commonly used because they cost just a third of what it costs to operate a lit...
Managed Services and Cloud Computing to Become Increasingly Intertwined
Business

Managed Services and Cloud Computing to Become Increasingly Intertwined

In just a five-year span, cloud computing has transformed from a niche tech solution to something used nearly ubiquitously in every corner of society. Given the incredible growth of the cloud computing industry, it's only natural to predict what's next -- an increased integration with another rapidly-expanding tech solution, IT managed services. According to a January 14 Forbes article, the cloud is still heavily underutilized by most businesses. Because of this, managed services, or a third party's proactive management of a business's information technology, is a key sector into which the cloud can expand. Already, many mid-sized enterprises are able to monitor their data collection, analytics and security with the help of cloud-based mobile apps; these are just a fraction of the thing...
New Prosthetic Eye for One-Eyed Copper Rockfish in Vancouver Aquarium Puts an End to the Fish-on-Fish Bullying
World

New Prosthetic Eye for One-Eyed Copper Rockfish in Vancouver Aquarium Puts an End to the Fish-on-Fish Bullying

It may sound like the plot of a children’s educational cartoon, but one little copper rockfish in the Vancouver Aquarium was dealing with some pretty rough bullying from his fishy peers after he lost one of his eyes -- that is, until veterinary experts at the aquarium decided to give him a new, non-functional prosthetic eye. Even though the eye is merely aesthetic and can’t provide vision for the fish, it appears that the new eye has already begun serving its purpose. After veterinarians found and removed cataracts in the rockfish’s eyes two years ago, one of the eyes failed to heal properly and had to be removed. Although the rockfish fully recovered and was capable of living happily in the aquarium with just one eye, it didn’t take long for his fellow fish to notice that something was ...
Obama’s myRA Expected to Help More Americans Prepare for Retirement
Business

Obama’s myRA Expected to Help More Americans Prepare for Retirement

A year after President Obama announced his plan for myRA retirement savings accounts, they are finally a reality. According to CNN Money, the accounts are geared toward middle- and low-income Americans who may not have access to a retirement plan otherwise. Between the years 2000 and 2010, the number of employers that offer retirement fund options for their employees dropped by 20%. Retirement is the storied conclusion of the American dream, but that future is not as dependable as it used to be. One in four Americans these days believes that they will have to work until the age of 80 to be able to retire comfortably, and 2% of retired Americans are actively seeking employment. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that sign-ups for the myRA (my retirement account) had begun, but t...
Area Rugs Featuring Color of the Year Will Debut Next Month
Lifestyle

Area Rugs Featuring Color of the Year Will Debut Next Month

Interior designers and anyone with a penchant for interior decorating can rejoice this January, when new area rugs will feature the 2015 Color of the Year. According to Home Accents Today, Oriental Weavers, an area rug manufacturer, has a partnership with color institute Pantone. The partnership allows Oriental Weavers to design and manufacture area rugs featuring the Color of the Year months before the official announcement of what the color is. The two companies have partnered since 2013. The Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. Pantone describes Marsala as a "naturally robust and earthy wine red" which compliments many skin tones, is appealing to both men and women, and is the right balance of dramatic and grounding. “We are extremely proud of our new Pantone Universe rugs fe...
Pittsburgh Unveils Citywide Snow-Plow Monitoring System
Local

Pittsburgh Unveils Citywide Snow-Plow Monitoring System

No longer will residents of Pittsburgh need to keep their eyes and ears out to know when a public snow plow is headed their way. On Jan. 16, Mayor Bill Peduto unveiled an online service that will allow the public to track the locations of snow plows and salt spreaders. “Every year in Pittsburgh you can hear the chants coming from the valleys and the hilltops: Where’s my plow at?” Peduto joked at a news conference, adding that now, residents will know the answer. The mapping system will allow the public to locate snow removal vehicles in real time, as well as view a history for each vehicle. Streets that have already been serviced will be highlighted on the map in green. All 114 of the public works vehicles have been outfitted with GPS devices. Drivers cannot turn the systems off, but tra...