Westar Energy says the increasing use of drones is helping it work faster, save money and improve safety for its employees. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the company sends drones to inspect equipment, navigate remote areas and manage some emergency situations.
Now You Can Order a Rocket Launch Online
SpaceX is amazing.Not only has Elon Musk’s space start-up shaken up the industry by proving that rockets can launch from Earth, and then land back on Earth — and even on a boat . Not only has it cut the price of such rocket launches enormously — and forced its rivals at Boeing United Launch Alliance to do the same .
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How much are your old prescriptions worth? Maybe not much to you. But for some companies, your medications, test results and hospital records are the building blocks of a multinational business.
College Worries Trump Retirement for Parents, Data Says
Many parents worry about paying for college, but apparently, it really keeps some folks up at night. Gallup conducted interviews between 2001 and 2015 asking participants to rank their chief financial fears and then divided that data into different subgroups.
Biotech Stocks: What to Watch in 2017
You probably didn’t like 2016 very much if you owned biotech stocks. Many biotech stocks, including some solid ones, performed dismally.
Sorry, Baby Boomers: You’re Never Going to Retire
The oldest members of the baby boom generation have turned 70, and thousands more are reaching standard retirement age every day. Yet even as baby boomers approach their golden years, they’re doing so with an unprecedented level of pessimism about their financial future.
a oeYoua re Welcome.a Little Words Can Make a Big Difference to Your Clients
By Bill Acheson via Iris.xyz “You’re welcome.” It’s a phrase that every one of us learned to say when we were young.
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For Europe in 2017, the big question is whether fragile economic growth and unprecedented central-bank stimulus will be overtaken by populist politics. European equities could have a strong year if the antieuro populist candidates that have gained traction over 2016 fail to win elections, as polling suggests.
Expelled Russian Diplomats Leave United States
Russian diplomats who were expelled by order of U.S. President Barack Obama left Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, citing Russia’s embassy. Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over the hacking of U.S. political groups during the 2016 presidential election.
10 Ways Bank of America Has Changed in the Past Decade
Is it the same bank that it was going into the financial crisis ? Or is it something entirely different? And if it has changed, how would one go about quantifying the difference? Questions like these may seem easy to answer. But as soon as you start digging into the specifics, it quickly becomes clear how complicated it actually is.
1 Big Solar Trend to Watch in 2017
Efficiency is now the name of the game in the solar industry and leading manufacturers will spend the next few years moving beyond commodity silicon solar panels to higher-efficiency technology. SunPower Corporation has long led the industry in efficiency and with its X-Series product exceeding 23% efficiency that leadership position won’t end soon.
The story of how Steve Jobs saved Apple from disaster and led…
Nowadays, Apple is the most valuable company in the world, thanks in huge part to the vision of the company’s late cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs. Once upon a time, Apple was a disaster, chewing through CEOs and delivering one bad quarter of financial results after another.
People shared their biggest regrets in life, and some of their…
But for many of us, looking back on our lives can lead to lingering on one poignant moment or period when we wish we had done things differently That nagging question, “What if …?,” plays on repeat in our heads. “This may sound a little melodramatic, but no matter how happy you are, at my age your regrets are countless,” writes Quora user Gary Teal .
7 Starbucks items that failed spectacularly
Starbucks is constantly coming out with new drinks and products to keep customers coming back again and again for a fresh twist on their caffeine fix. We rounded up some of Starbucks’ biggest fails with the help of Melody Overton, a Seattle attorney who runs the blog StarbucksMelody.com .
Happy New Year, Fast Food Industry! So Starts the Era of Even Fatter Minimum Wages
Fast-food executives have little reason to pop the bubbly on New Year’s Day as minimum wage increases go into effect in a record 20 states. Some of the largest increases, many of which mark a beginning of gradual hikes extending to 2021, will come in Washington , Arizona and Washington, D.C. .
7 Low-Priced Stocks to Watch in 2017
The problem with lists of top picks for the year ahead is that they are just a starting point. If you have an effective trading approach, then you can still outperform others even if your stock picks are suboptimal.
Trump Tweets Against Lockheed’s F-35: Here Are the Facts
By now you’ve all heard about President-elect Donald Trump and his government-by-tweet initiatives to get Boeing BOEING’S F/A-18 fighter jet. Is it really comparable to Lockheed Martin’s F-35? IMAGE SOURCE: U.S. NAVY .
The S&P 500’s Worst Day in 2016
Yet there were times during the year when it looked like stocks might be poised to fall sharply. Although turbulent periods in the markets abounded during 2016, including in January and in the weeks surrounding the presidential election, the worst one-day performance for the S&P 500 came on June 24, when the index fell by 76 points, or more than 3.5%.
Saving a little extra makes a big difference to retirement
It’s a brand new year and a chance to do things right. As such, some resolutions tend to show up again and again on lists, such as save more, spend less and lose weight.
Humans v. Robots: Who (or What) Is to Blame for Manufacturing Job Loss?
By Levi Roethler via Iris.xyz Much has been discussed about the struggling manufacturing sector here in the United States, as several thousands are laid-off each year due to companies making fundamental changes to their operations. The recent Presidential election highlighted much of these concerns in the states that are heavily dependent on the industrial sector.
General Electric’s Top 3 Moves of 2016
The company made progress toward its goals… and also managed to put some of its past behind it. Here are its three biggest moves of the year, and why they’re so important to the future of the company.
Week Ahead: Wall Street Kicks Off New Year With Last Jobs Report of 2016
Prepare for a lot of economic data in the coming week as investors look for direction on how markets will fare in 2017. The start of 2017 will be interesting as investors adjust to new policies and decisions from President-elect Donald Trump and anticipate the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates.
Income and Happiness a ” Where Do You Stand?
By Rick Kahler via Iris.xyz I have written previously about the plethora of research that shows a link between income and happiness. Most of those studies find that the more money people bring in, the happier they are-until earnings exceed $75,000, at which time the correlation declines.
How Will You Be Better in 2017?
By Levi Roethler via Iris.xyz Just one question should be dominating practitioners minds at this stage of the year: How will next year be better? HOW is the critical word here. Professionals are great at setting goals and targets.
USTA hopes Orlando campus can ignite youths’ tennis interest
Technology is the kind of perk the tennis industry hopes will help stoke interest as the U.S. Tennis Association opens its 64-acre national campus this week in southeast Orlando’s burgeoning Lake Nona development. With five cameras perched over each of dozens of courts, players at the nation’s largest tennis training center can instantly post footage of their best drop shot to Snapchat and Twitter.
3 Frequently Asked Reverse Mortgage Questions
Home equity has served as a very important source of cash for millions of retirees over the generations. One method to access that money without having to sell the property is with a reverse mortgage — something that makes sense for a lot of older Americans who need extra money to make ends meet but also want to stay in their current home.
Republican Efforts to Reform Social Security Could Financially Cripple Most Seniors
Just how important is Social Security? According to the Social Security Administration , better than 6 in 10 seniors are currently reliant on their benefits to make up at least half of their monthly income. A recent poll from Gallup also found that more than 8 in 10 pre-retirees will rely, to some degree, on Social Security income during retirement.
Four Out-Of-This-World Predictions For The Space Industry In 2017
Big things are happening in space travel and tech, with new startups mushrooming every day. Here are four trends to watch.
AT&T Intros Tool To Stop Spam Calls
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New rules for investment fees provide clarity, but won’t fix all complaints
Norm Massie lost more than $44,000 to hidden investment fees before fighting to have those charges reimbursed. As a former RCMP officer, Norm Massie spent years dealing with shady characters.
US states, leery of Russia malware, re-examine cybersecurity
Several states around the country on Saturday asked cybersecurity experts to re-examine state and utility networks after a Vermont utility’s laptop was found to contain malware U.S. officials say is linked to Russian hackers. The Burlington Electric Department, one of Vermont’s two largest electric utilities, confirmed Friday it had found on one of its laptops the malware code used in Grizzly Steppe, the name the U.S. government has given to malicious cyber activity by Russian civilian and military intelligence services.
Taiwanese Leader Tsai Says Beijing Reverting to Coercive Tactics
Relations with China are becoming more fraught as Beijing increasingly reverts to threatening and intimidating its neighbor, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said while vowing not to return to “the old path of confrontation.” Tsai’s frank comments during a New Year’s Eve address in Taipei come at a sensitive time, weeks after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump angered Beijing by accepting a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president.
Hedge Funds Bet the Commodity Revival Will Keep Going in 2017
Commodities had a resurgence in 2016, with the first annual advance since 2010. The gains will continue next year for many of the markets, at least that’s what hedge funds are signaling.
California aims to take lead in giving marijuana industry access to financial services
In this Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 photo, Rolie Gonzalez III displays a branch of marijuana buds taken for a plant on the farm of grower Laura Costa, near Garberville. California hopes to take the lead in giving the cannabis industry access to banking services in 2017, with a new working group focused on finding a solution to ongoing conflicts between state and federal laws that force marijuana businesses to operate largely in cash.
No. 1 Alabama Whips Washington To Advance To College Football Championship
The No. 1 ranked and undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide beat the No. 4 Washington Huskies 24-7 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Saturday, earning a berth in college football’s championship game on Jan. 9. Alabama, seeking its second straight title, will play the winner of the matchup between No.
Whitney Shefte
Whitney Shefte is a Peabody, Emmy and Pictures of the Year International Award-winning senior video journalist at The Washington Post, where she has worked since 2006. Whitney is also visuals editor for Storyline.
Investors Are Betting Big Against Fitbit Inc. — Are They Right?
But investors seem to think that the stock could continue falling — over 30% of its outstanding shares were still being shorted as of Dec. 27. Let’s take a closer look at Fitbit’s headwinds and tailwinds to see if those bearish bets are justified. The bears believe that since fitness trackers are cheap to manufacture, Fitbit’s core market will be commoditized and its brand will lose its premium appeal.
Tesla Rolling Out Autopilot Software Updates to 1,000 Cars
Tesla Motors Inc. began rolling out software updates to customers with newer cars, bringing them to parity with owners who have what’s known as “Autopilot 1” and setting the stage to ultimately unleash full self-driving capability. “HW2 Autopilot software uploading to 1,000 cars this eve.
President Obama’s $2.7 Trillion Lease Ban Has Big Oil Fuming
While outer space is humanity’s final frontier, the Arctic is the final frontier for oil and gas drilling. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 22% of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and gas resources lie underneath the Arctic’s layers of ice.
Saying ‘thank you’ can save your tired relationship
Former Parade Editor-in-Chief and author Janice Kaplan spent a year practicing gratitude every day and wrote about the positive effects it had on her career, marriage, and health. Here she talks about the positive effects in can have on your marriage and relationships in general.