The following is a European ad for full-service mobile bank Hello Bank. It features a full symphony orchestra playing with some rather non-traditional instruments. Without giving it away we'd just like to note that it's probably one of the more technologically advanced symphonies we've ever come across. The new mobile bank will be made available in Germany, Belgium, France and Italy. Genius way to brand!
With the global economy destabilizing and collapsing all over the place some digital engineers thought it'd be wise to create a digital form of currency that didn't rely so much on the faulty politics (and printing) of governments. The result is the Bitcoin, a form of algorithm-based currency that can be mined and exchanged digitally across The Internet. Sound too Sci-Fi to be true? Well just watch the following video and judge for yourself. Perhaps the future has indeed arrived...
With student loans in the United States accumulating to over $1 Trillion USD there's very little room left under the rug to hide the reality. The increasing cost of higher education coupled with the terrible job market has become the perfect storm condition that hass allowed student loan debt to rise higher than American credit card debt. That being said, Representative Hansen Clarke of Michigan has just introduced H.R. 4170, the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012, in the House of Representatives--legislation designed to lend a helping hand to those struggling under massive amounts of student loan debt. Folks interested in the bill and its details can check it out in its entirety here or visit SignOn.org to learn more about spreading the word.
Looks like there won't be a mass uprising for a raise of the American minimum wage soon. Why? Because Americans are just too busy working to afford the most basic of necessities--housing! According to an infographic based on statistics from the National Low Income Housing Coalition workers have to toil for up to hundreds of hours to afford decent housing (a 2-bedroom unit at fair market rent) under minimum wage. Some of the frightening numbers include 136 hours in New York, 130 hours in California and a whopping 175 hours in Hawaii! Keeping in mind that there are only 168 hours in a week, these statistics are pretty out of this world!
Click to enlarge:
The Mega Millions lottery jackpot has reached $540 Million USD (half a billion dollars) and folks are lining up for a chance to win the largest sum in U.S. lotto history! Just to put things into perspective an article in the San Francisco Chronicle breaks down the numbers. $540 Million translates into $389 Million after taxes, with about $23 Million going directly to the state of the winning ticket holder. Entertainment or funding during bad economic times? Do the math.
Presenting what may very well be the Maybach of shaving tools. The Zafirro Iridium is a $100,000.00 USD Sapphire-bladed razor meant to last a lifetime. Not to mention the 20 years of service included with the razor's purchase and you could say this thing is the Woodrow Wilson of men's accessories (see the 28th president of the United States baller bill below for reference). But after a bit of math and comparison to say, a Gillette Fusion Pro-Glide 4-Pack from Target department stores, we want to point out that not everything that's "iridium" is gold! Check out our makeshift breakdown:
You could shave everyday of the year with a brand-new top-of-the-line Fusion blade for $1623.33 (365 / 4 Razor Pack = 91.25 Packs x 17.79 / Per Pack) X 60 years = $97,399.80 USD or 21,900 blades and money left over for a vacation.
Think we're sticking with the consumer razors, at least for this fiscal year. Sorry Woodrow!
Marketing company, Braniacs From Mars, is offering home owners monthly stipends of $2000 USD for painting over your house and turning it into a billboard. Though we can't really comprehend why anyone would want to do this, we're not ruling out the necessity for extra household income, especially during this volatile job market with foreclosures running rampant. Interested home owners can submit a home billboard application here. Not a bad way to handle that pesky mortgage!
Fast Company recently published an article about America's new thriving class of employees, Generation Flux--pioneers in the new way business is being conducted. The intriguing report not only explains why these mavens are who they are, it also breaks down the systematic changes occurring in the outdated workforce by describing ideas like: which competitive advantages have staying power, what skills matter most, and how can you weigh risk and opportunity when the fundamentals of your business may change overnight? Check out the entire piece here and arm yourself. Knowledge is more than power in this volatile frontier. It's essential!
Our institutions are out of date; the long career is dead; any quest for solid rules is pointless, since we will be constantly rethinking them; you can't rely on an established business model or a corporate ladder to point your way; silos between industries are breaking down; anything settled is vulnerable.
Foreign Policy magazine recently published an eye-opening article about the economic value of an education abroad. What they did was compare the median cost of one year of an American undergraduate education ($9,000 USD) with that of an average international one ($4,000 USD). While money wasn't the only factor explored (there's also the question of quality, of course), the article does point out some rather startling examples, like how even though South Africa's University of Cape Town has a higher QS ranking than The University of Notre Dame, attending the latter is a whopping $32,000 USD more. Incredible! Check out the full piece here.
We were recently informed about a scam involving FedEx that's been making rounds and alerting watchdogs. The scheme involves getting a hold of a person's checking information and swiping $500 to open up a new FedEx account. Then there's another jux (possible supplement) that involves receiving an anonymous check for a large sum that's addressed to and from unkown parties. The goal is to entice the receiver to cash it so that it bounces and their account info gets snagged. Watch out for both!
