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Charge Up in 2 Minutes: New Ultra-Fast Battery Could Finally Get Us Away from the Wall

We’ve all seen it before. We’ve all been there ourselves.

You walk into a public setting like a library, a coffee shop, an airport or even McDonald’s and see people scurrying to find the closest outlet – not for their laptops but for their cellphones.

Some give up perfectly good seats to sit on the floor next to the device while others stand by their slowly charging phones as if their device was just admitted to the hospital in critical condition.

Well, new technology developed at Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) could finally get us off the wall and away from the outlets.

Scientists have developed a battery that charges up to 70 percent in a mere two minutes.

So while you still may find yourself looking for an outlet every now and then, you’ll only have to baby-sit your beloved cellphone for two minutes before you’re ready to return to your plans for the day.

In addition to being able to charge incredibly fast, the new battery is expected to have a lifespan far more impressive than the average battery that’s out right now.

According to Science Daily, this battery has the potential to be recharged and reused for up to 20 years – but who really keeps a phone for 20 years these days anyway?

What that longer lifespan will have a major impact on, however, will be electric cars.

That’s right. In addition to putting a halt to our desperate search for outlets, the battery could also drastically reduce our carbon footprint.

Science Daily reports that electric cars typically take about four hours to charge.

Scientists predict that the new battery means cars could charge 20 times faster than possible with the current technology on the market.

If the battery is successfully used in electric cars, people could be charging up their vehicles in only 15 minutes.

The sad news here is that the electric car industry seems much more interested in the battery than the mobile device industry – meaning it could still be quite some time before this technology is even utilized in cellphones and tablets.

Associate professor Chen Xiodong, the man responsible for the nanostructure that allows for ultra-fast charging, remains optimistic about when the battery will hit the market.

Chen believes the battery will at least make its way into electric cars in only two years.

There still may be one catch, however.

Despite a detailed press release about the battery’s functions and specifics, there was no mention of how long the battery will hold that two-minute charge.

In other words, it’s possible that the 70 percent charge could offer much less time between recharging and drivers may be forced to make more frequent stops to charge their electric vehicles.

If that’s the case, the great outlet race may not actually be coming to an end any time soon and our carbon footprint may not be on the brink of getting cut down to a more reasonable size.

 

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Could A Boost In Diversity Be The Solution to Filling Up Tech Jobs Over The Next Six Years

By the year 2020, a staggering 1.4 million job positions will be left unfilled, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The growing gap between the number of positions in the tech space and the number of qualified workers available to fill them has members of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field worried about what the future may hold.

As it turns out, however, the solution to a rather daunting problem could be to boost diversity within the field.

As Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants revealed earlier this year, minorities are struggling to find their way into the tech field. Some are finding it hard to find entry while others can’t seem to find interest.

If things continue the way they are, 70 percent of all STEM positions will be left unfilled in less than six years.

“There’s a huge pipeline problem,” Van Jones, the former special adviser for green jobs to the Obama administration, told The Guardian. “It’s across IT, Silicon Valley and yes, cleantech.”

Many entrepreneurs in the STEM field are taking action by reaching out to minorities in hopes that increasing diversity could also help close the STEM worker gap.

Jones launched #YesWeCode back in July along with Fission Strategy CEO Cheryl Contee. #YesWeCode reaches out to underprivileged youth and tries to spark their interest in STEM careers.

If the program is able to successfully complete its mission, it will create a pipeline of 100,000 children who will already have sufficient knowledge of coding and other skills that will make them ideal candidates for STEM careers.

Minorities are currently severely underrepresented in the tech business despite the fact that many reports suggest that minorities, particularly African-Americans, use technology more often than their white counterparts.

The cleantech industry presents an even more disappointing array of statistics simply because it has decided not to share its statistics at all.

While Google and Facebook have agreed to make commitments to addressing the diversity issues within their companies and being more transparent with the public, cleantech companies are keeping quiet on the matter.

A recent report by Dorchet Taylor, a University of Michigan professor, revealed that minorities only represent 16 percent of leadership or staff positions at environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), foundations and government agencies.

Despite their lack of representation in the cleantech workforce, minorities represent nearly 40 percent of the overall population.

“The creator class doesn’t reflect its consumers,” Contee told The Guardian. “That means that there are problems not getting solved.”

In addition to preparing young minorities for STEM careers and getting major companies to open their doors to a more diverse staff, it’s also key that minorities are encouraged to look into STEM careers.

Contee explained that STEM careers need to be portrayed in a way that will be “attractive” to minorities, especially when minority children are often not exposed to or educated about these types of careers.

“Nobody in a community of color will be motivated by the word ‘sustainability,’” he said. “Even the way we talk to communities of color has to be different.”

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas also pointed out that minorities are often the most impacted by environmental distress yet they are the “least capable to effect change.”

“We don’t just want to integrate the sustainable place, we want a diversity of ideas,” she said.

Preparing minority youths for STEM careers, sparking their interest in the field and getting major tech companies on board with increasing diversity may not be the sole solution to closing a 1.4 million STEM employee gap, but it’s certainly a powerful step in the right direction.

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Jamaican Tech Entrepreneur Seeks to Expand New Web-Based E-Learning App To More Caribbean Islands

Jamaican innovator Gordon Swaby is ready to take his Web-based e-learning app to Trinidad and Tobago after it has already led students in Jamaica to great academic success.

The app is called Edufocal and it gives students a less structured but still effective way to study so that learning can seem more fun.

Edufocal has already been a major success with Jamaican students at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) levels.

Swaby believes that the app has already been responsible for many students excelling on their Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

The test is Jamaica’s national high school entrance examination and a major milestone for students in grade school.

“Four out of five GSAT students were placed in their school of choice and all scored in the 90s,” Swaby told The Guardian. “Our top five CSEC students also received all their passes.”

More than 3,500 students have already used the virtual program and now Swaby is taking it to Trinidad and Tobago.

Swaby was recently in Trinidad and Tobago as a Jamaican delegate for the eighth Americas Competitiveness Forum in Port-of-Spain, The Guardian reported.

The program costs $15 a month per student or $42 for a three-month subscription.

While the virtual program is not free, it certainly seems to be quite effective and even allows students and parents to track their progress online.

“Students and parents can track their progress on Edufocal,” Swaby told The Guardian. “You can see the areas that you are lacking in, you can see the areas that you are progressing in. How much time you are spending on the program and the areas that you are spending the time on.”

It’s hard to believe that there is an app that can truly be effective while also making education fun, but if anyone were to accomplish such a feat it would be Swaby.

When he was only 15, Swaby created one of the largest gaming sites in the English-speaking Caribbean and was recognized as the top student entrepreneur by the University of Technology in 2012.

He was also a Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) 50 under 50 awardee, according to The Guardian.

 

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9 Contemporary Black Academics You Should Know

Ali Mazrui

Ali Mazrui, who passed away this past weekend, was a Kenyan academic, professor and political writer on African and Islamic studies and North-South relations. He was an Albert Schweitzer professor in the humanities and the director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York. Mazrui obtained his bachelor of arts with distinction from Manchester University, his master’s degree from Columbia University and his doctorate of philosophy from Oxford University. He previously taught at the University of Michigan, Binghamton University and the State University of New York.

Mazrui’s research interests included African politics, international political culture, political Islam and North-South relations. He is author or co-author of more than 20 books. Mazrui was widely consulted by heads of states and governments, international media and research institutions for political strategies and alternative thoughts.

 Henry_Louis_Gates_Jr

Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, cultural critic and institution builder. He is an Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Gates has authored 17 books and created 14 documentary films. His TV show Finding Your Roots, now in its second season on PBS, has featured several celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Chris Rock, tracing back their ancestral lineage. He is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online daily, The Root.

 Michael_Eric_Dyson

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson is an academic, author and radio host. He is a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. Dyson received his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Carson–Newman College in 1985. He obtained his master’s and Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. He hosted The Michael Eric Dyson Show from 2009 to 2011. He’s currently a political analyst for MSNBC and has published 17 books about subjects that run the gamut from hip-hop to Hurricane Katrina.

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In Upcoming Season, Changes in Store for ‘Archer’ Fans

The entire cast of Adam Reed’s Archer came together at New York Comic Con to discuss the major changes fans can expect from the FX show’s new season.

Less cocaine, less country, more Barry, new parents and the same twisted comedy.

While that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what the new season will hold, it certainly brings up some serious points of interest.

As the animated series prepares to dive into its sixth season, the cast members opened up about what fans should expect.

Perhaps the biggest new change will be the fact that the new season will be largely focusing on Archer and Lana as new parents.

The pair will be raising their daughter Abijean the best way they can, but that still seems to fall well below the standards of most parents.

The cast hinted that all the inappropriate jokes will still remain in the show with many of them happening in front of the newborn baby.

There will also be a change of scenery for the animated characters. The team will be moving back to their old office after spending an entire season in Cheryl’s mansion.

The office will boast a new name, however, after Reed decided to drop the name ISIS for very good reason.

In the show, ISIS stood for International Secret Intelligence Service. It was the name given to the underground, non-government approved spy organization based in New York.

In the real world, however, ISIS is the acronym used by an active Islamic militant group.

Reed decided he didn’t want any association to be formed with the group and he made the decision to have the name dropped completely.

The premiere episode will even show movers rolling a large circular blue sign out of the office, suggesting that they are doing away with the ISIS signage for good.

In addition to a big name change, there will also be a surprising career change in the new season as well.

Cast members hinted that Cheryl might be walking away from her country career in the upcoming season.

The good news is that many fan favorites will be making their way back to the show.

Crave Online reported that Pam will ditch the cocaine in the new season and go back to being “her old self.”

Meanwhile, Ron Cadillac and Archer’s rival Cyborg Barry will also be returning to the show.

The sixth season premiere episode will forever leave a special mark in Archer history as the first premiere episode to show Ray Gillette out of his wheelchair.

Of course, the cast also made it clear that there are even more surprises in store that they didn’t even begin to touch on.

Season 6 of Archer will air on FX in January.

 

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FIFA-Obsessed YouTube Star Earns Millions Playing Video Games

KSI, Fifa gamer

At the age of 21, Olajide Olatunji is living a life that most young men only dream about – playing video games all day and getting paid substantial amounts of money for it.

Olatunji is better known by over 9 million YouTube subscribers as KSIOlajidebt. Many refer to him as KSI for short.

The United Kingdom teen’s name is yet another one to add to the list of school dropouts-turned-millionaires, and it’s all a result of his obsession with video games.

His YouTube channel is full of videos of him playing FIFA and a few other popular games, but FIFA is certainly the foundation of his viral success.

“FIFA is my baby,” Olatunji told The Telegraph. “I have to pinch myself sometimes … I am living a lifestyle most guys my age would love to lead, playing computer games and earning good money.”

He uploads roughly 30 videos every month; sometimes, he has managed to post more than 40. Each video typically earns about 2 million views.

So how is a young man raking in so much money by simply playing video games?

He has tapped into a relatively new market that wouldn’t be in existence without YouTube.

Users from all over the world have garnered much success posting these videos of themselves playing video games.

Some videos are impressive merely because the gamer is skilled and seems unbeatable. Other gamers focus on showing different tips and tricks that other gamers can utilize. Others play lengthy adventure games and time how long it takes them to complete it.

KSI simply plays FIFA, and it just so happens that he’s pretty good at it.

“I would say in a year I spend maybe half of that playing FIFA,” he told The Telegraph. “I love it that much. I think I must have spent 200 hours on the new game already.”

With millions of people clicking and watching his videos, he earns cash rewards through YouTube’s partnership program, which splits revenue from pre-roll advertisements.

Some YouTube celebrities struggled to bring in more than $5 every day, but WorthOfWeb.com predicts that KSI could be bringing in around $170 every day and more than $5,000 every month.

That wealth doesn’t include paid appearances and his many sponsorship deals.

In addition to earning wealth, the YouTube star has earned an incredible amount of influence and celebrity.

He is ranked among the most-viewed UK YouTube Channels of August 2014, just under One Direction’s official Vevo.

According to a survey by Variety, he is the fourth-most influential figure among American teenagers — ranking him above pop star Katy Perry, Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio and Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence.

In all honesty, Olatunji explains he didn’t expect things to become as big as they have and it wasn’t even what he wanted.

“I didn’t really want to become huge, I never saw myself as being a big celebrity,” he explained to The Telegraph. “I just wanted to do videos because I enjoyed doing it, and I saw people were making a bit of money.”

The path to stardom wasn’t easy either. It has been wrapped in controversy.

Olatunji was only 18 when he started grasping fame through the videos, and his immature antics didn’t rub his fan base the right way.

He made videos about something he deemed the “rape face” and was banned from attending Eurogamer Expo events in 2012 for inappropriate behavior toward women there.

He was also dropped by one of his biggest sponsors, Microsoft, due to all the sexist allegations that plagued his reputation.

 

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Wage Gap Between Whites, Minorities Continues to Plague Tech Industry

Recent findings have revealed that the wage gap between minorities and whites in the tech industry is still a major problem, with many minorities earning thousands less than their white counterparts.

It has already been revealed that there is a shortage of minority employees in the high-tech industry, especially Blacks and Hispanics.

Now it turns out that the ones who have managed to break into the field are getting paid at substantially lower rates for the same job positions and same performance as white employees.

According to a study conducted by senior research analyst Nicole Kreisberg, Hispanics are suffering the most from the wage gap.

Hispanics are earning $16,353 a year less on average compared to non-Hispanic employees.

Blacks earn roughly $3,656 less than whites, and Asians make a surprising $8,146 less than whites.

The reason researchers found the wage gap for Asians to be rather surprising is the fact that Asians have not faced the same barriers to entry as African-Americans and Hispanics have when it comes to the tech industry.

Asians are generally represented very well in sheer quantity and often earn leadership positions.

According to Laura Weidman Powers, co-founder and CEO of Code2040, the wage gap that minorities are facing needs to be brought to the forefront of discussions about salaries in the workplace, along with discussions about the gender wage gap.

“There’s this big narrative in the women’s movement: 78 cents on the dollar,” she said, according to USA Today. “Everyone knows what that means. It’s less talked about when it comes to race.

Powers knows a lot about the disadvantages that minorities face in this field.

Code2040 is a nonprofit organization that aims to nurture Black and Hispanic talents in the tech field.

“It’s a question of value and seeing value in these populations,” she added. “And when it comes to hiring and paying people, value translates into dollars.”

Kreisberg shared the same sentiments.

While tackling the issue of hiring minorities is also a major issue, that’s not where the push for diversity and inclusivity stops. It has to carry on to ensure equal pay for equal work as well.

“What this tells us is that race and ethnicity matter, and they matter a lot,” Kreisberg told USA Today. “Simply increasing diversity is not enough. We also have to talk about money.”

Freada Kapor Klein, co-chair of the Kapor Center for Social Impact, believes the wage gap exists largely in part due to unconscious racial bias.

“At every point in the hiring process, hidden bias trickles in,” Klein said. “A drop at the stage of reviewing names on resumes, a few more drops at the stage of different gender and race styles of presentation during interviews and a steadier stream when it comes to who is expected to negotiate their salary and who isn’t.”

According to an associate professor of management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Emilio Castilla, implementing a solution may not be as difficult as one might assume.

Castilla’s recent research found that one company’s merit-based system seemed skewed, causing greater bias in favor of men over women.

“The lesson is not that companies shouldn’t adopt merit-based practices but that the pursuit of meritocracy is more difficult than it first appears,” he explained. “If not designed and implemented carefully, merit-based practices may trigger bias against women and ethnic minorities.”

Castilla was able to work with the company to put new practices in place, which will increase accountability and transparency in their merit-based system.

While the new practices have not completely closed the wage gap just yet, it certainly proved to be a step in the right direction.

 

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9 Black People Who Made an Impact in Physics

As the focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) grows and Black people are more encouraged to take on STEM studies and careers, this article pays homage to Black men and women who were pioneers in the realm of physics, according to Physics Buzz and Buffalo University’s Physicists of the African Diaspora.

Edward Bouchet was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. from a university in the United States. He received his doctorate in 1876 from Yale after studying optics, but he had trouble finding a teaching position afterwards because of his race. He took a position teaching physics and chemistry at the Institute of Colored Youth in Pennsylvania for 26 years, then moved around to several different colleges and high schools at the end of his career.

 Imes_samuel

Elmer Imes was the second African-American to receive a physics doctorate, and the first to publish research. His work, published in 1920, on molecular infrared spectroscopy provided one of the earliest tests of quantum theory. Despite his scientific achievements, he also had trouble finding employment at a university or college and spent the next 10 years of his life at different industrial labs. In 1930, he became the chairman of the physics department at Fisk University.

willie-hobbs-moore

Willie Hobbs Moore was the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan in 1972 on vibrational analysis of secondary chlorides. While at Michigan, Moore worked for Datamax. She also held engineering positions at Bendix Aerospace Systems, Barnes Engineering and Sensor Dynamics, where she was responsible for the theoretical analysis.

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Neil deGrasse Tyson Helps Bring Science and Art Together in Stunning Fashion Film

Neil deGrasse Tyson may not be the first person to pop into your mind when it comes to fashion, but the famed astrophysicist has turned out to have quite the artistic side.

Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna Couture set out to create a one-of-a-kind fashion film to play in the background for its Fall/Winter 2015 fashion show.

In order to pull off the complex project, they called on the help of the Cosmos host himself.

The short film is only 11 minutes long and goes back and forth between intriguing shots of outer space and the bustling images of major cities like New York, Shanghai and Milan.

So how did Tyson help bring the fashion film together?

Tyson teamed up with Ermenegildo Zegna Couture creative director Stefano Pilati and Florida International University astronomy professor Fiorella Terenzi to help plan “the film’s precise, earthbound astral journey,” according to Wallpaper.

In other words, the film remains scientifically accurate as it takes you on your journey through space.

The short video serves as a stunning reminder that art and science can mesh together, and they often come together quite beautifully.

Just look at Tyson’s wardrobe.

Back in May he told the New York Post that he has roughly 100 custom-made ties and vests that were all inspired by celestial images.

Meanwhile, the video will be on display for much longer than just one fashion show. The galactic journey can also be witnessed over and over again at Harrods, a famous department store in London.

The store will have the video displayed as a special window project up until Oct. 19.

 

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What Is Your Personal Legend? Two Things I Learned From the Book, ‘The Alchemist’

I recently finished listening to the audio book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I know, I know, I’m a little late to The Alchemist party, as it’s been an incredibly popular book for a long time.

The book introduces the idea of one’s Personal Legend, so I started thinking about my own Personal Legend. And as I got to the end of the book and saw all the sacrifices the main character was willing to make in order to accomplish his own Personal Legend, I began to reflect on my entrepreneurial journey and wondered about the journeys of other entrepreneurs.

What Is Your Personal Legend?

A Personal Legend, as it’s referred to in The Alchemist, is one’s destiny in life. It’s identifying one’s purpose in life and pursuing it. My Personal Legend is to be a successful entrepreneur and inspire others to do the same.

I’ve known what my life’s purpose was since high school, but I wasted a lot of time working for other people instead of being an entrepreneur. Yeah, living a life as you believe it was intended to be can be challenging, but this is the first time in my life I truly believe I am living on purpose. And there has got to be power in that, right?

You Gotta Be Willing to Get Your A** Kicked to Get What You Want

This is lesson No. 1.

I’ve learned that while pursuing your Personal Legend, there will be difficult times. I recognize this is different for everyone, but anyone I know who has chased their dreams has had lots of obstacles to overcome.

I’ve realized sometimes you gotta be willing to get your ass kicked to get what you want in life. This realization was supported in the book, The Alchemist, in which the main character, after making tremendous sacrifices to fulfill his Personal Legend, was beaten to within an inch of his life and then “randomly” got an important piece of information that helped him realize his dream.

This blog is littered with my personal stories of obstacles and sacrifices. So, I wanted to reach out to a few entrepreneurs to get their take on challenges during their entrepreneurial journeys. Below is what they said.

Mario Armstrong, Digital Lifestyle Expert and Today show correspondent, in my video interview with him:

In 2007, my wife and I were working on a huge deal with AOL, which we were certain was going to close. Then we got the call that the deal was not going to happen.

The recession hit in 2008 and everything dried up. We were willing to do anything except lose the house and change my son’s quality of life [to realize our dream].

We cashed out our 401(k)s and all four bank accounts went negative. Credit cards were maxed out. I had to pack up loose change to go to the Coinstar machine to get gas money. This was the roughest, toughest, humbling, most deprecating experience ever.

Not knowing how we were going to make our mortgage payment every month was the most unsettling thing.

Bronson Taylor, parent of twins, and founder of Growth Hacker TV, an educational resource for founders and entrepreneurs who are trying to grow a startup:

Nothing has been easy.

I grew up in a rural Kentucky town with almost no opportunities. My parents divorced when I was 10, and my mother married 5+ times. The Internet was the only thing that made me feel alive, and I knew it was going to change every aspect of my existence.

Others stayed in Kentucky. I packed up a U-Haul at age 18 and never looked back.

Others worked 9-5. I started multiple companies until something worked.

Others think I’ve reached my potential. I haven’t even begun.
Life is a fight.

You Better Get Yourself a Woman (or Man) of the Desert

This is lesson No. 2.

In The Alchemist, there is a woman of the desert. And she is a woman who accepts life as it comes, and she waits for her man who has gone out into the desert to return (from pursuing his dream).

A woman of the desert knows that her man must complete his destined dream (or Personal Legend) or else he will come to resent her for not allowing him to do so. Once her man completes his sacred purpose, she trusts that he will return to her and she will wait for him no matter how long it takes.

What an incredibly powerful metaphor.

I am super-blessed to absolutely have a woman of the desert in my wife, Ayana. I’ve written about how important her support has been during my entrepreneurial journey the last three years, and she constantly amazes me with her level of belief in me and WeMontage.

If you’re an entrepreneur, or anyone willing to pursue one’s life purpose, you better have a spouse/significant other who will support your efforts. I’ve heard too many stories from friends who were in relationships/marriages in which their significant other/spouse did not believe in their dream, or their ability to accomplish it, which led to resentment, breakups and, in some cases, divorce.

It might be hard to figure out on the front-end if your partner is a woman/man of the desert. But if you are inclined to fulfill your Personal Legend, it’s a good idea to try and somehow get a sense of this up front because you will absolutely need their support along your journey. How do you figure this out? I don’t know. I got lucky. And I only have questions, not answers. Sorry.

What is your Personal Legend and what has it been like working to fulfill it? Has your partner/spouse been supportive in the process? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

James Oliver, Jr. is a husband to an amazing wife, Ayana, and co-founder of the world’s cutest twins, Thaddeus and Zoe. James is a tech entrepreneur who successfully raised private investment capital for his startup, WeMontage, the world’s only website that lets you turn your photos into large collages on removable wallpaper. James graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse Collage and has an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. Follow @jamesoliverjr on twitter and via treplifedad on Facebook and G+. You can connect with James via his lifestyle blog for parent entrepreneurs: www.treplifedad.com.