Monthly Archives: July 2015

Standing Between You And All The Benefits Of Telemedicine

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“The same organization that thinks you shouldn’t be able to get a prescription from a Teladoc doctor you have never met, thinks it’s perfectly okay for you to get a prescription from an ‘on call’ doctor who you have also never met, who is subbing in for your regular doctor and who probably isn’t looking at your medical records when he orders the prescription.  Today, as in the past, organized medicine acts as a cartel agent for the doctors.  Another opponent is Medicare. In general, the federal government won’t pay for telemedicine except under special circumstances.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoodman/2015/07/09/standing-between-you-and-all-the-benefits-of-telemedicine-the-ama-and-the-federal-government/

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Get a Room (But Only if it is Government-Approved)

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“Before we assume that the government crackdown on Airbnb comes from genuine concern about safety, we should consider some other, less benevolent motives.  First, many state and local governments have turned to hotel taxes to pad their budgets. Travelers can pay a tax up to 17 percent of the cost of their hotel room.  Second, and not surprisingly, many hotels staunchly oppose Airbnb. The threat is significant. Last year The Economist magazine stated that Airbnb could reduce hotel revenues as much as 10 percent. The American Hotel & Lodging Association spent over $1 million in lobbying last year, including a variety of attempts to legally disrupt or dismantle Airbnb’s business.”

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=7438

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Lawyer suing Uber, Lyft has a new target: Home-cleaning startup Handy

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“Shannon Liss-Riordan, the Boston attorney who has launched lawsuits against well-funded transit startups Uber and Lyft over their use of independent contractors, is now suing venture-backed home-cleaning startup Handy.  The New York-based startup connects users looking for household services with independent contractors offering everything from cleaning to handyman services.  The class-action lawsuit was filed in a Massachusetts federal court on Tuesday and seeks reimbursement of expenses and minimum wages for Handy workers, according to Business Insider.  Liss-Riordan has pending lawsuits against Postmates, Caviar, Homejoy and other companies.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2015/07/lawyer-suing-uber-lyft-has-a-new-target.html

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Gov.-recommended automatic braking systems are braking at the wrong time

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“This is far from the first time automatic braking systems have come under scrutiny, with the Wall Street Journal noting that Honda, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors vehicles have all been the subject of similar complaints. These complaints are relatively uncommon considering that around 630,000 vehicles sold in the US this year are thought to have automatic braking systems. This number, produced by market analysts Navigant Research and reported by the WSJ, is expected to rise to 10 million by the year 2020. The NHTSA also apparently has faith in the technology, and this year added automatic braking systems to its list of recommended safety features.”

http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/19/8811435/automatic-braking-complaints-accidents

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Giant walking hexapod machine set for TV and film stardom

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“The Mantis, a two-tonne turbo diesel-powered hexapod walking machine, brings together art and engineering, and will feature on Channel 4’s Gadget Man on 22 June.  Matt, founder of Micro Magic Systems, has 20 years’ experience primarily within creature effects departments on sci-fi and fantasy films, such as the Harry Potter series and Prometheus. The inventor was inspired to create robots, in particular six-legged walking machines, having been a huge fan of sci-fi movies from a very early age. He honed his skills in electronics and computer software during his years of working in film and made his first small hexapod robot in 2001.”

http://www.pandct.com/media/shownews.asp?ID=43761

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Mises on the Robotics Revolution

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portallogo3

“We customers are the source of the constant innovation in robotics. We keep asking suppliers to sell us what we want to buy cheaper. If those who sell to us do not comply with our demand, and some of their competitors do, then they will find themselves out of work. We should not blame the robots. We should not blame the stars. We should not blame greedy capitalists. We should blame ourselves. We are the greedy people who want cheaper goods, better goods, and goods delivered more rapidly. Those companies that are switching to robots are not doing this out of their fear of robotics. They are doing this out of this fear: fear of their customers.”

http://www.garynorth.com/public/13953.cfm

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Autonomous Mowing: The Death of Lawn Maintenance Employment

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“Expect golf course mowing positions to vanish within a few years. Many yard work service positions will vanish as well.  Zero-degree mowers are in widespread use. It will not take much to equip them with self-mowing capability.  So instead of a homeowner farming out mowing (or mowing himself), envision a system where the homeowner maps the perimeters of the lawn and the perimeters of any flower beds that need to be avoided, and the mower does the rest.  Rather than pay someone to mow the lawn twice a week, a fully autonomous mower would pay for itself in a year or two most likely. And the higher the minimum wage, the faster the payback of purchasing such equipment.”

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/04/autonomous-golf-greens-and-death-of.html

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Clinton’s Big Speech Leaves Uber and Airbnb’s Future in Limbo

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“Clinton said she ‘vows to crack down on employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors.’ She also noted that the ‘so-called gig economy offers exciting opportunities but raises hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like in the future’.  Clinton didn’t offer specifics, so we can’t say whether she’ll be a friend or foe to the sharing economy. But, her ambiguous statements make it hard for startups to plan for the future. Investors may be scared to bet on sharing economy businesses if their planned model gets met with resistance at the presidential level.”

http://tech.co/clintons-big-speech-uber-airbnbs-2015-07

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496 Uber cars seized by NYC taxi police amid crackdown

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“Hundreds of Uber cars were taken off the streets this spring as part of a larger city crackdown on illegal activity by black and livery cars, new data reveals.  The Taxi and Limousine Commission seized 496 cars currently affiliated with Uber’s bases between April 29 and June 15 for picking up illegal street hails, records show.  Black and livery car drivers are only allowed to do pre-arranged trips, whether it is through a smartphone app or a base dispatch.  Many of the Uber drivers who had their cars seized were doing illegal pickups at JFK Airport. The New York Taxiworkers Alliance said business has worsened for them because there is no cap on the number of Uber drivers.”

http://nypost.com/2015/06/16/hundreds-of-uber-cars-seized-for-illegal-pickups/

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China’s Tsinghua prepares $23 billion bid for U.S. chip maker Micron

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“China’s state-backed Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd is preparing a $23 billion bid for U.S. memory chip maker Micron Technology Inc (MU.O), in what would be the biggest Chinese takeover of a U.S. company, people familiar with the matter said.  A successful bid would consolidate Tsinghua Unigroup’s position as a champion for China’s technology development, after it struck deals and research partnerships with international firms in the semiconductor industry.  The company is controlled by Tsinghua University in Beijing, which counts President Xi Jinping among its alumni, and is backed by China’s central government.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/14/us-micron-tech-m-a-tsinghuaunigroup-idUSKCN0PO02B20150714

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