Thursday, April 25
GoTenna Offers Messaging Solution without WiFi or Cell Towers
Business

GoTenna Offers Messaging Solution without WiFi or Cell Towers

We live in an incredibly connected world of cell phones and wireless internet, but even those systems have their limits. Anyone who's tried to make a call in a cramped conference center or at the top of a hiking trail can confirm that.To get around this pervasive and frustrating problem, consumers can now look to a new product called GoTenna, but that doesn't mean they will. GoTenna is an incredible concept that still may not be practical enough to take off in the technology market.GoTenna consists of a small, low-power radio transceiver powered by a lithium-ion battery. It connects to any iOS or Android device via Bluetooth and allows you to create a separate, encrypted network for sending messages to other devices on the same network. Essentially, it turns your smartphone into a CB radio...
Google Says it Will Promote Encrypted Websites in Search Results
Business

Google Says it Will Promote Encrypted Websites in Search Results

Google currently has a 70% market share in the search engine optimization industry. As a result of being, by far, the biggest search engine out there, Google has the ability to throw its weight around in determining what websites people view. This week, it made the power of this influence clear by announcing that it would change its search formula to promote more secure websites, in a move to protect consumers using its services.Google's algorithm will now boost up in search rankings websites that automatically encrypt their services. When sites are secured, it is more difficult for hackers, the government, and other entities to steal personal data. Google says that, for the moment, it will only be a small factor in their overall algorithm -- however, over time, they may increase its impor...
New Study Shows PMMA in Collagen Effective For Clearing Acne Scars
Lifestyle

New Study Shows PMMA in Collagen Effective For Clearing Acne Scars

A recent double-blind study has shown that the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres in collagen are effective for treating atrophic facial acne scars. Acne scarring has long been a problem that plagues many current or former acne sufferers, and yet there is no foolproof treatment. Atrophic acne scars in particular are depressed or pitted scars caused by the loss of tissue. These scars are particularly difficult to cover superficially. Polymethylmethacrylate microspheres in collagen have been previously shown to be a beneficial treatment for nasolabial folds, so a study was conducted to examine other possible benefits. Collagen effects the strength, elasticity, and healing of the skin, so it's possible this same treatment could have a multitude of other benefits as well. In the ...
Home Surveillance Video Helps Nab FedEx Package Thief
Local

Home Surveillance Video Helps Nab FedEx Package Thief

This week, a home surveillance camera helped to identify a FedEx package thief, who was then arrested by Indianapolis police.Daniel Dillon, an Indianapolis homeowner, reported that a $325 pair of diamond earrings delivered in a FedEx package had been stolen from his home. Police had reason to suspect that the thief was a young local man. "We think he was following the FedEx truck," explains Detective Larry Craciunoiu. He says that, although police were aware that a crime had taken place, it wasn't until Dillon thought to check the home's security system that they realize it had recorded a direct shot of the thief's face. Dillon had installed the security system himself three years ago. "It was just something to add a little bit of peace of mind to protect us more than anything else," sa...
Window Displays or Works of Art?
Business

Window Displays or Works of Art?

People often base their first impression of a store on its window displays. Yet, they're so commonplace that most people tend to just walk by them, failing to even notice the business's window art or otherwise just blatantly ignoring the displays. While some might take this as a sign to stop working on window displays all together, many stores are going the opposite direction and investing even more time and effort into their window art, which makes complete sense. After all, an eye-catching window can increase a store's foot traffic, bring in more sales, and even attract some press for the company. "Window displays and graphics are important, especially in the retail industry, for a variety of reasons. Before the customer enters the store, the first thing they typically see are th...
Is Robotic Furniture the Future of Interior Design?
Lifestyle

Is Robotic Furniture the Future of Interior Design?

What if the couch in your living room could instantly turn into a bed when you have guests staying the night? Apparently, as CNN reports, the furniture of the future might be able to do just that. A new type of "robot furniture" is being developed and tested at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and this furniture may actually be able to change itself according to your changing needs.The furniture, called a "Roombot," consists multiple modules which each have a battery, three motors for pivoting, and a wireless connection so that the owner can send virtual instructions which dictate which piece of furniture is needed. Multiple modules would be connected to create one piece of furniture, and at 22 cm each, the designers of the Roombot say that about 10 modules would be needed to cre...
Fighting For Freedom: Protecting Veterans And Military Families From Fraud And Scams
Lifestyle

Fighting For Freedom: Protecting Veterans And Military Families From Fraud And Scams

Many service members, veterans, and military families are often targeted by con artists and become victims of a variety of scams. These fraudulent ventures can take on a number of different forms. Often, con artists who target military consumers will falsely imply they are associated with the government or the military in order to build credibility and gain trust. Recently, the FTC has taken action against a debt collector that allegedly made threats when attempting to collect debts from service members, veterans, and their families. This was brought to light after a military consumer filed a complaint regarding a debt collector who posed as a "military liaison" and threatened to disclose a debt to the military consumer's commanding officer. Additionally, they falsely informed the milit...
Accountant and Property Manager Plead Guilty to Defrauding Property Owner
Business

Accountant and Property Manager Plead Guilty to Defrauding Property Owner

An accountant in Trumbull, Connecticut pleaded guilty to a federal tax charge on Thursday, July 17, 2014 after being caught defrauding a property owner in nearby Bridgeport. The accountant, Thomas Ragonese, 55, is believed to have worked alongside a construction and property management company to steal thousands of dollars from their client. The property management company and its owner also pleaded guilty.While working for ACT Builders, owned by Anthony Testo, Ragonese reportedly prepared monthly rent rolls and provided other services for the company, which was contracted to manage an apartment and several other residential units. From January 2007 to August 2010, Ragonese assisted Testo and his company in defrauding the owner by submitting false rent rolls that listed certain occupied re...
New Gym Exclusively for Dogs Opens Up in Alexandria
Lifestyle

New Gym Exclusively for Dogs Opens Up in Alexandria

These days, humans aren't the only ones getting a workout. What happens when your four-legged friend hasn't been getting the cardiovascular exercise? Maybe it's time for a jog at the dog gym. In Alexandria, VA, one of the nation's first dog gyms has opened up. For $50 a month, canines of all sizes get unlimited access to the facility, which is air-conditioned, 6,000 square feet, and has a wide range of available training equipment including treadmills, hurdles, balance beams, and tunnels. The gym, called Frolick, has already welcomed several new members eager to test the waters. It's no secret that Americans love their pets, and Frolick's gym is aware of that. Americans spent $56 billion on their cats, dogs, and other animals last year, and the amount owners are willing to spend on t...
High Schoolers With a Knack for Graphic Design Compete in 2014 Adobe Certified Associate World Championship
Business

High Schoolers With a Knack for Graphic Design Compete in 2014 Adobe Certified Associate World Championship

Thirty-two high school and teenage graphic designers from 17 different countries recently descended upon Anaheim, Calif. tocompete in this year's Adobe Certified Associate World Championship. According to a July 29 Las Vegas Review-Journal article, graphic design software giant Adobe hosts the competition each year for graphic designers 22 years of age and younger. Of 117,000 entrants, only 1% were selected to compete at Anaheim -- the United States sent only three representatives. Competitors were required to design a promotional poster for Kiva, a real-world client, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Kiva is a nonprofit organization that works to alleviate poverty around the world by encouraging people to donate to entrepreneurs in developing nations, according to a KFOX 14...