#if you pick and choose with joy which companies you want to dominate the industry youve got some capitalist ideals idk what to tell you

[gogoakechi]

blocking any and all spotify defenders on that post even people who are like "yeah but THIS corporation is more important" shut the fuck up the destruction of the greatest evil will only create room for the lesser evil to take its place we must kill them all with equal fervor

[perfectirishgifts]

8 Leading Women In The Field Of AI

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/8-leading-women-in-the-field-of-ai/

8 Leading Women In The Field Of AI

These eight women are at the forefront of the field of artificial intelligence today. They hail from … [] academia, startups, large technology companies, venture capital and beyond.

It is a simple truth: the field of artificial intelligence is far too male-dominated. According to a 2018 study from Wired and Element AI, just 12% of AI researchers globally are female.

Artificial intelligence will reshape every corner of our lives in the coming years—from healthcare to finance, from education to government. It is therefore troubling that those building this technology do not fully represent the society they are poised to transform.

Yet there are many brilliant women at the forefront of AI today. As entrepreneurs, academic researchers, industry executives, venture capitalists and more, these women are shaping the future of artificial intelligence. They also serve as role models for the next generation of AI leaders, reflecting what a more inclusive AI community can and should look like.

Featured below are eight of the leading women in the field of artificial intelligence today.

Joy Buolamwini: Founder, Algorithmic Justice League

Joy Buolamwini has aptly been described as “the conscience of the A.I. revolution.”

Her pioneering work on algorithmic bias as a graduate student at MIT opened the world’s eyes to the racial and gender prejudices embedded in facial recognition systems. Amazon, Microsoft and IBM each suspended their facial recognition offerings this year as a result of Buolamwini’s research, acknowledging that the technology was not yet fit for public use. Buolamwini’s work is powerfully profiled in the new documentary Coded Bias.

Buolamwini stands at the forefront of a burgeoning movement to identify and address the social consequences of artificial intelligence technology, a movement she advances through her nonprofit Algorithmic Justice League.

Buolamwini on the battle against algorithmic bias: “When I started talking about this, in 2016, it was such a foreign concept. Today, I can’t go online without seeing some news article or story about a biased AI system. People are just now waking up to the fact that there is a problem. Awareness is good—and then that awareness needs to lead to action. That is the phase that we’re in.”

Claire Delaunay: VP Engineering, NVIDIA

From SRI to Google to Uber to NVIDIA, Claire Delaunay has held technical leadership roles at many of Silicon Valley’s most iconic organizations. She was also co-founder and engineering head at Otto, the pedigreed but ill-fated autonomous trucking startup helmed by Anthony Levandowski.

In her current role at NVIDIA, Delaunay is focused on building tools and platforms to enable the deployment of autonomous machines at scale.

Delaunay on the tradeoffs between working at a big company and a startup: “Some kinds of breakthroughs can only be accomplished at a big company, and other kinds of breakthroughs can only be accomplished at a startup. Startups are very good at deconstructing things and generating discontinuous big leaps forward. Big companies are very good at consolidating breakthroughs and building out robust technology foundations that enable future innovation.”

Rana el Kaliouby: CEO & Co-Founder, Affectiva

Rana el Kaliouby has dedicated her career to making AI more emotionally intelligent.

Kaliouby is credited with pioneering the field of Emotion AI. In 2009, she co-founded the startup Affectiva as a spinout from MIT to develop machine learning systems capable of understanding human emotions. Today, the company’s technology is used by 25% of the Fortune 500, including for media analytics, consumer behavioral research and automotive use cases.

Kaliouby on her big-picture vision: “My life’s work is about humanizing technology before it dehumanizes us.”

Daphne Koller: CEO & Founder, insitro

Daphne Koller’s wide-ranging career illustrates the symbiosis between academia and industry that is a defining characteristic of the field of artificial intelligence.

Koller has been a professor at Stanford since 1995, focused on machine learning. In 2012 she co-founded education technology startup Coursera with fellow Stanford professor and AI leader Andrew Ng. Coursera is today a $2.6 billion ed tech juggernaut.

Koller’s most recent undertaking may be her most ambitious yet. She is the founding CEO at insitro, a startup applying machine learning to transform pharmaceutical drug discovery and development. Insitro has raised roughly $250 million from Andreessen Horowitz and others and recently announced a major commercial partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb.

Koller on advice for those just starting out in the field of AI: “Pick an application of AI that really matters, that is really societally worthwhile—not all AI applications are—and then put in the hard work to truly understand that domain. I am able to build insitro today only because I spent 20 years learning biology. An area I might suggest to young people today is energy and the environment.”

Fei-Fei Li: Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University

Few individuals have left more of a mark on the world of AI in the twenty-first century than Fei-Fei Li.

As a young Princeton professor in 2007, Li conceived of and spearheaded the ImageNet project, a database of millions of labeled images that has changed the entire trajectory of AI. The prescient insight behind ImageNet was that massive datasets—more than particular algorithms—would be the key to unleashing AI’s potential. When Geoff Hinton and team debuted their neural network-based model trained on ImageNet at the 2012 ImageNet competition, the modern era of deep learning was born.

Li has since become a tenured professor at Stanford, served as Chief Scientist of AI/ML at Google Cloud, headed Stanford’s AI lab, joined the Board of Directors at Twitter, cofounded the prominent nonprofit AI4ALL, and launched Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute (HAI). Across her many leadership positions, Li has tirelessly advocated for a more inclusive, equitable and human approach to AI.

Li on why diversity in AI is so important: “Our technology is not independent of human values. It represents the values of the humans that are behind the design, development and application of the technology. So, if we’re worried about killer robots, we should really be worried about the creators of the technology. We want the creators of this technology to represent our values and represent our shared humanity.”

Anna Patterson: Founder & Managing Partner, Gradient Ventures

Anna Patterson has led a distinguished career developing and deploying AI products, both at large technology companies and at startups.

A long-time executive at Google, which she first joined in 2004, Patterson led artificial intelligence efforts for years as the company’s VP of Engineering. In 2017 she launched Google’s AI venture capital fund Gradient Ventures, where today she invests in early-stage AI startups.

Patterson serves on the board of a number of promising AI startups including Algorithmia, Labelbox and test.ai. She is also a board director at publicly-traded Square.

Patterson on one question she asks herself before investing in any AI startup: “Do I find myself constantly thinking about their vision and mission?”

Daniela Rus: Director, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL)

Daniela Rus is one of the world’s leading roboticists.

She is an MIT professor and the first female head of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), one of the largest and most prestigious AI research labs in the world. This makes her part of a storied lineage: previous directors of CSAIL (and its predecessor labs) over the decades have included AI legends Marvin Minsky, J.C.R. Licklider and Rodney Brooks.

Rus’ groundbreaking research has advanced the state of the art in networked collaborative robots (robots that can work together and communicate with one another), self-reconfigurable robots (robots that can autonomously change their structure to adapt to their environment), and soft robots (robots without rigid bodies).

Rus on a common misconception about AI: “It is important for people to understand that AI is nothing more than a tool. Like any other tool, it is neither intrinsically good nor bad. It is solely what we choose to do with it. I believe that we can do extraordinarily positive things with AI—but it is not a given that that will happen.”

Shivon Zilis: Board Member, OpenAI; Project Director, Neuralink

Shivon Zilis has spent time on the leadership teams of several companies at AI’s bleeding edge: OpenAI, Neuralink, Tesla, Bloomberg Beta.

She is the youngest board member at OpenAI, the influential research lab behind breakthroughs like GPT-3. At Neuralink—Elon Musk’s mind-bending effort to meld the human brain with digital machines—Zilis works on high-priority strategic initiatives in the office of the CEO.

Zilis on her attitude toward new technology development: “I’m astounded by how often the concept of ‘building moats’ comes up. If you think the technology you’re building is good for the world, why not laser focus on expanding your tech tree as quickly as possible versus slowing down and dividing resources to impede the progress of others?”

From AI in Perfectirishgifts

[imagine-loki]

Packless Monsters

TITLE: Packless Monsters CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 47/? AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine you’re a werewolf who ends up in the company of Loki in the Avenger’s tower after saving Pepper’s life RATING: M NOTES/WARNINGS: Also on AO3 click here

     You reclaimed your position standing at the head of the table. Confident, though your outfit currently consisted of sexy lingerie and Loki’s cloak. Loki stood protectively behind you, a reassuring presence. He didn’t know what you were going to say, but he would support your decisions.

    You turned your attention to Samuel and Fenrir, though you addressed the room at large. “Though I killed Jareth, I have no intentions of taking over as Alpha myself,” you heard the sighs of relief from the others. While it was your right to take over the pack, and could definitely do it with Loki at your side and defend your position, you had no intentions of living in this hell or staying here a moment longer than you had to. “Samuel, will you make the announcement that anyone wishing to be considered to be the new Alpha is to meet in the courtyard in an hour’s time?” Samuel was technically in charge until the next Alpha was chosen. He had been sent here by Fenrir to watch over the pack while they decided if Jareth could be left in charge.

    “I will. Rachel and I have been staying in the Alpha’s house. You are welcome to make your preparations there,” Samuel replied. He really meant ‘please put on real clothes before your boyfriend kills us all for seeing a single centimeter more of your skin than he deems acceptable’

    You nodded and took Loki’s hand. “I will see you in an hour’s time,” you told the room. You turned, grabbed your combat boots from where they’d landed when you’d shifted forms.

    “Are you sure I should not just kill them, darling?” Loki asked mournfully, reminding the group at large that you were protected very well from moronic overgrown dogs.

    “I’m sure. The sooner I pick one of them, the sooner we can go home to our family,” you replied and kissed his cheek.

    “Your family is here bitch,” the third snarled. You whirled to face him, to face his accusation. “You’re the one who turned your back on us, on your duty to the pack. Now you come back here with this… false mate and claim rights to dictate our lives?” He was complaining you weren’t married to Loki too, but that wasn’t the part that pissed you off at the moment.

    “I turned my back on you?” you snarled at him in indignation. “I didn’t do my duty? You all have failed in your duty to those weaker than you. You have all failed as dominants. I left to escape blatant physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, which you all turned a blind eye to. My only crime to deserve that abuse, those correction as Ferris like to call them was not being able to give peace to the pack. You all know damn well that a tortured Omega has no peace to share and none of you did anything. I saved my life by leaving this hellhole and now you have the audacity to claim that I turned my back on you?” you growled.

    He opened his mouth to speak again, his eyes narrowed in challenge, when you realized his fatal error, and fatal it would be. He had questioned your relationship with Loki. He didn’t realize yet that he was a dead man. Loki turned calmly to you, tucked his cloak more firmly around you protectively and kissed your forehead. “One moment, my darling,” he told you warmly, but too courteously, too pleasantly. Before you could do anything, Loki had moved from your side and was holding the wolf by the throat against the wall. He didn’t even say anything to the terrified wolf, just killed him viciously, splattering his blood all over the walls. He dropped the body to the ground, disgusted.

    “You had all been warned,” he told the horrified wolves in the room as he returned to you and wrapped an arm around you, tucking you safely against his side. “Allow me to make the warning explicitly clear so no more mistakes are made. Y/N is mine. She is under my protection, under my care, and my love. Official marriage or no. She. Is. Mine,” he growled the words at the wolves with such deep malice in his words that you’d never heard before. “I have the power and training to kill you all without breaking a sweat and you all, Samuel and Fenrir excluded obviously, deserve it for your crimes against my lady. The only reason any of you are still breathing is because she believes your actions were due to a corrupt leader and has too big of a heart. I do not and I shall not allow insults upon my lady to go unchallenged. Do I make myself clear?” he demanded of the room at large.

    The wolves, dominants all of them, and all the strongest in the pack bowed their heads to him and muttered “Yes, sir,” like obedient puppies.

    You leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Come along, love, let’s let them get this mess cleaned up. We’ll see them and the others who wish to petition to be Alpha in an hour,” you told him warmly. Dominance challenges and displays of violence had been your life for 18 years. His display didn’t affect you.

    “As you wish, darling,” he replied and kissed the top of your head. His arm still around you, he walked out of the room with you. There was an audible sigh of relief from the occupants of the conference room as the tension and danger left the room. Loki stopped you a few steps outside of the room. He gestured to your outfit. “Allow me, little wolf,” you nodded and he kissed your forehead. You sneezed as his magic shimmered around you and you were dressed again in your outfit from earlier, including all of your daggers.

    “Thank you,” you told him warmly and kissed him.

    “Are you sure you would not like for me to just kill them for you?” he asked again.

    “Not yet. They get a chance,” you reminded him. He sighed and pouted.

    “Very well,” he grumbled.

    “C’mon, we have an hour. Let me show you around.” He didn’t want to see any more of this place than he had to, and you didn’t want to really show him either, but he needed to see the hell you grew up in.

    So you gave him the tour of the compound, showed him the cafeteria, the school which was empty at this time of day, training room, the bachelorette wing where the unwed females lived, and finally stopped in front of an apartment. You hesitated, staring at the familiar door. “What’s in here, love?” Loki asked softly. His anger and temper had been rising throughout the tour. He couldn’t believe that anyone had been raised here and he hated that you had.

    “The closest thing I had to home,” you finally said and raised a hand to knock on the door. You waited, fidgeting with nerves for the door to open. You relaxed and actually smiled when Dan opened the door.

    “Y/N!” he exclaimed and wrapped you in a hug. Loki stiffened behind you, but didn’t kill your brother on sight. “Come in! I heard you were back! Samuel told us you came for the Choosing. Hey, Loki!” he called over your shoulder. “Come in! You’re looking a lot better than last time I saw you. Knew sis could fix you up,” he grinned. Loki actually gave him a small smile, the first smile given to anyone besides you since he’d been here.

    You walked into your old home with Dan and realized how…small it was. You hadn’t noticed compared to a dorm room, but the apartment was tiny, dingy, old. Ethan came running in from their shared room and nearly tackled you in a hug. You grinned and returned the hug. “I missed you,” you told him. “You grew,” you accused. He laughed.

    “It’s been four years, sis, of course I did,” he teased.

    “I’m sorry I had to leave, kiddo,”

    He growled. “I’m not a kid anymore.” You rolled your eyes.

    “Sure you’re not,”

    “Dan said you had to leave, but…” his eyes were sad, haunted. You pulled him to you in a hug.

    “I did have to leave. Jareth was just going to keep hurting me if I didn’t,” you told him softly.

    He nodded against your shoulder. “That’s what Dan said. Mom… wasn’t as nice,”

    “She kept your room the way you left it,” Dan said, drawing your attention away from Ethan and painful memories. “She kept insisting you’d be back. If there’s anything you want to take with you…”

    “You’re not staying?” Ethan asked.

    You shook your head and pointed to the Avengers magazine on the coffee table. “You know I’m working with the Avengers. Loki and I can’t live here. We have a lot of things to do on the outside. And work for Fenrir too,” you told him. Plus, you couldn’t live in this hellhole again, but you wouldn’t tell Ethan that. For all that he was a teen now, he was still your kid brother and didn’t need to know about that. “So you can have my room,” you told him. He jumped for joy at that. You gave him a small smile and took Loki’s hand, leading him to your old room.

    “You lived here?” Loki asked, horrified still. You nodded. The room was smaller than your dorm room, the tiny window was barred, the walls undecorated gray concrete. The room was nearly barren besides the small bed and the belongings you’d left behind in your haste to leave.

    “Yep, this was home,” you told him sadly, looking around the small sad room that had been your refuge.

    “Never again,” he snarled, pulling you into his arms and holding you too tightly. “Never,” he growled. “Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do, you are never living like this ever again,” he swore, anger and sorrow in his tone.

    “I won’t ever have to,” you reminded him. “I’ll have earned my degree in a couple months. I have a good job with Stark Industries, a place in the Avengers, I have a place to live, and more importantly, family and home,” you reminded him. He relaxed and kissed the top of your head. He finally let you go and you gathered up a few belongings you’d had to leave behind the night you left, digging under your bed for trinkets and a couple old well-loved books. You’d chosen clothes over anything sentimental the night you left. You packed a small bag of sentimental things you’d had to leave behind. “Would you do me a favor?” you asked softly, hesitantly. He inclined his head. You handed him the bag. “Mind sending that home for me?” you didn’t want to carry it around the compound, didn’t want anything to happen to it.

    “Of course, love,” he replied and the bag vanished. You sighed in relief.

    “Thank you.” You hated asking him to use magic on your behalf and avoided it as much as possible. The fact that you had told him how much it had meant to you. You knew he appreciated that you didn’t use him for his abilities. “That’s everything in here,” you took his hand and dragged him from the room before he could blow it up out of anger that you’d lived here. “We need to get going to the Choosing,” you told Dan and Ethan when you left your room.

    “We’ll see you there,” Dan replied. You hugged them again, they shook hands with Loki, and you and Loki left the tiny apartment. You opened the door to leave the apartment anyway, and saw your mom about to open the door to come in. You stepped back into the living room, thinking optimistically that she’d want to see you.

    She looked shocked for an instant before she glared at you. “You dare show your face here after what you did?” she demanded, stepping into the room after you. She slapped you hard across the face. “You ruined all of our chances!” she shrieked. Loki swept between you and grabbed her wrist when she raised her hand to slap you again.

    “You get one pass because you’re Y/N’s mother,” he snarled at her, squeezing her wrist so the muscles creaked in protest and she cried out. “And that is only because she cares. You have never cared for her beyond using her as a pawn for your own schemes. You ignored her pain for years and I will not forgive you for that. She killed Jareth, yes, and he deserved it many times over. If you harm her in any way, shape, or form, again, I will kill you despite the fact that you are her mother. Are we clear?” he growled. She whimpered a protest. His hand squeezed on her wrist and you heard the bones shatter. Loki moved, turning so she was in the room and you were backed through the door. He pushed your mom toward Dan. “Do not let me catch sight of her again,” he told Dan, who nodded his agreement.

    Loki swept you both through the door in the next instant. He placed a cold hand against your cheek. “Are you alright?” he asked, using a touch of power to heal the bruise before it could even form.

    “I’m fine,” you told him with tears in your eyes. He snarled at your tears and took a step back toward the apartment to kill your mom. “Leave her be, Lo. She’s never going to change and I never have to see her again after today.” He growled, but kissed your forehead.

    “This is her only pass, love,” he told you softly.

    “I understand that. I’m sure Dan will press that information upon her too. We’ll never see her again,” you reassured him. He nodded and you took his hand to finish the tour. You showed him the Alpha’s house and Rachel greeted you both warmly. The Alpha’s house was basically a mansion in the middle of the compound, at the edge of the outdoor training yard/park that was in the middle of the compound, surrounded like the prison-like building. Loki’s temper was on edge again that the Alpha lived here while the pack was in the prison.

    “Children, come along. The dominates are going to be playing out here soon,” the pack nanny called across the park. You grinned and stepped away from the Alpha’s house into the park proper and howled a greeting to the pups.

    They howled back and ran over to you, swarming you and Loki in happy wagging tails. Some of them had been running in human form. “Mega! Omega!” they called happily. Most were boys of course, but there were a couple of girls in this puppy pack. You grinned and petted and greeted all of the puppies. Loki was right there beside you, happy around the children.

    One of the guard wolves announced the hour with a howl. Your time was up. “Puppies, go with Nanny now. We have to play with the dominates,” you told them kindly, but firmly. There were sad puppy noises, but they obeyed and ran over to the nanny. You waved to her and went to go face the applicants for the position of Alpha. You kept your hand in Loki’s. His temper was too volatile right now to be left to his own devices.

    You saw the assembled men waiting for you. Fenrir, Samuel, and most of the pack were there as well. They wanted to see who would be chosen for the new Alpha. Your brothers were there too, though thankfully no sign of your mom. You stepped up onto the platform set up for outdoor meetings. Loki followed, a threatening dominant presence. Plus you still weren’t letting him go to slaughter all of the wolves. The crowd in front of you silence at once. “You all know me. I am Y/N, Omega, formerly of this pack, now of the Alpha pack. Samuel has told you the tale, leading to why I’m standing in front of you on this day, but I retell it now. Hear the truth in my words. Jareth challenged me to a dominance battle. I won the challenge. Afterward, he attacked my mate in wolf form, and infected him against his will. As was my duty and right, I killed him for breaking our laws. Our laws are clear now. Either I must take up the mantle of Alpha myself, or choose someone worthy to rule the pack,” there were murmurs, surprise that a tiny Omega had won a dominance challenge against an Alpha, surprise he had even been dumb enough to challenge when it wouldn’t benefit him, surprise that you had killed him for hurting your mate. There were more whispers about old myths of the Omega’s rage. You raised a hand to silence them. “Would any who wish to be considered for the position of Alpha of this pack, please step forward now?”

    The men who had been in the conference room all stepped forward (besides the one Loki had killed of course), a couple other ambitions young men, and… Dan. You hadn’t expected Dan to submit himself for consideration, he wasn’t one of the most dominates, but… that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. You glanced over at Samuel, who nodded. Your decision was made, but you had to pretend to give them a fair shot. You leapt lightly down from the stage, waving to Loki to wait up there for you, and went to question each man on his motivations, intentions with the pack.

    You stepped back to the stage when you had finished. Loki reached a hand down and lifted you easily back up onto the stage. You kissed his cheek in thanks. “My decision is made,” you announced to the crowd. “The next Alpha will be under the guidance of Samuel and his mate Rachel, as they have agreed to remain here until he is trained and ready to rule on his own. He wants to lead the pack into a new era that aligns with Fenrir’s plans and goals for the wolves and is the best man for the job, caring not only for the pack as a whole and power, but also for her people. With that said, my decision is that the next Alpha is Daniel,” you gestured to your shocked brother.

    There were some surprised whispers, but the proper applause came. You leapt lightly from the stage again to hug Dan. “Congratulations,” you told him.

    “Just because I’m your brother?” he asked softly so the others wouldn’t hear.

    “You heard my speech. It’s because you’re the best man for the job. Do me one favor, though. Move Ethan into the Alpha’s house with you and not mom,”

    “Done,” he told you firmly.

    You kissed his cheek. “Then my work here is done.” You hugged Ethan, Samuel, Fenrir, and Rachel goodbye. Loki said his goodbyes as well and actually congratulated your brother. You took his hand to leave and escape this place for good.

    “I’ll invite you home once we get this place in proper order!” Dan called after you. You waved in reply.

    “So, where would you like to get ice cream from?” you asked Loki after you’d climbed back in Tony’s car.

    “The little place near the tower,” he replied automatically. You grinned and drove straight there. That shop knew you both and were no longer surprised when Loki turned Jotun while he ate his ice cream. They were polite and didn’t pressure you just because you were famous. You stopped in front of the ice cream place and told the car to drive itself home. You could walk back to the tower from here.

    “The usual dearies?” the lady behind the counter asked when you walked in.

    “How about the Bad Day Special instead?” you asked as you stepped up to the counter with the still emotionally compromised Loki. He kept a step back, his arm wrapped around you to reassure himself that you were ok.

    “Coming right up. Go find a table. I’ll bring it over to you,” the lady told you kindly. She would add it to your tab. You smiled, thanked her, and took Loki’s hand to lead him to your usual table. You frequented this place a lot.

    “Calm down, Lo. The pack business is over. We never have to go back there again,” you reminded him once you were both seated.

    “You were raised in a prison worse than the dungeons on Asgard, you were insulted by those…men, and your mother hit you, and you expect me to be calm?” he growled, frustrated, angry, sorrowed by your life before you’d escaped.

    “Yes, I was raised there. Yes it was awful. I ran away from that life. The man who insulted me is very much dead. I’ll never see the woman who birthed me again,” even you growled at that.

    “When I take you to Asgard, I’m sure Mother will adopt you as her own,” Loki said, a fond smile appearing when he thought of Frigga. “It’s what she does. She’s gentle and kind and loves everyone, and she will love you, my darling,”

    “I’d love to meet her someday,” you told him warmly. “I love my life now. I love every minute that I get to spend with you. I love my work, I love the team and the weird, crazy family we’ve built together. I love my life, but more importantly, I love you,” you told him firmly. He smiled truly then, relaxing since you were properly happy, safe, and out of that hell.

    He was still smiling when the ice cream lady brought you two overflowing bowls of the chocolatyest ice cream she had. Loki turned Jotun the second the ice cream touched his tongue, but no one commented on it. It embarrassed him, but if no one said anything, he could ignore it. Plus he loved ice cream, desserts in general, but most especially ice cream.

    “I love you as well, little wolf.”

[theoerasmus]

The art of business

The art of business.

Let’s start with a mea culpa.

I’ve spent most of my career helping companies sell stuff — as creative director and strategist in ad agencies, innovation shops and digital startups, all over the world. But despite this I’ve often felt companies have a greater responsibility than just getting people to buy their stuff. I believe they should not just satisfy our material needs, but especially given their dominance in modern American society, also some of our spiritual needs; our need for meaning, truth and beauty.

For many years, at least in the developed world, we have tied social status and happiness to consumerism. This has been particularly acute in America, where there’s a lot of effort and money spent on getting people to buy things.

Then there is another American trait — a relentless drive to efficiency. Getting workers to do more for less, has been a driving force in American business, especially since the 70s. In fact since the 1950s America has been in an ever accelerating drive for efficiency. Americans are now 400% more productive than in the 1950s.

So you’d think we’d work less, and have more leisure time to enrich ourselves in other ways. (Yes, I’m over-simplifying, but the trend is clear.) But we actually work more than ever according to a recent report by the ILO (International Labor Organization) - 137 hours more than the Japanese, who have a deserved reputation for hard work, and at least 500 hours more than the French, who don’t. Our life has become our work, and it hasn’t made us happy. In fact it’s had the opposite effect.

According to a 2017 Gallup Poll, about 80% of Americans say they’re stressed (the figure is even more alarming for teenagers). Many researchers consider it a symptom of a disconnected society where social bonds are frayed and trust has been eroded. And of course digital media and it’s invasive and persistant hijacking of our attention hasn’t helped. (Let’s not even go to politics.)

In the process, it seems to me, we have lost something precious. Our “souls”. Not in a religious sense, but in the sense of our most abundant humanity. But how do we get it back? How do we create more meaning? The answer I believe is art. Because in a world of efficiency; beauty is a revolutionary act. And the best vehicle for beauty is art, in all its splendid forms. Not art at the expense of business, but art and creativity that co-exist with business.

I’m part of the House of Beautiful Business, a global community that works to humanize business in an age of machines. We gather once a year in Lisbon to explore how business can be more beautiful. The gathering includes poets, philosophers, musicians, startups, industry heavyweights from the likes of Airbus, Airbnb and big consulting firms. We love business, but think business can do better.

I believe there are three ways in which this matters. Firstly by making the experience of work more meaningful, by infusing it with beauty and truth, so that it nourishes our souls, not just fatten our wallets. Art not just on the fringes of business culture, but at the heart of it. This usually start with an intent to treat people as whole human, soulful beings (not efficient machines) - whether it's having an "artist-in-residence", an art gallery, quiet spaces, gardens, a thoughtful working space, imaginative child care, fun, music, poetry (even just a poetic vision), or tapping in artists' deep well of creativity as part of business decision making.

Secondly there’s the real tangible value art can bring to businesses, because the competitive advantage is, more than ever, creativity and invention. Art provides this abundantly.

As Richard Branson said in Business Stripped Bare : “Business is creative. It’s like painting. You start with a blank canvas. You can paint anything – anything – and there, right there, is your first problem. For every good painting you might turn out, there are a zillion bad paintings just aching to drip off your brush. You pick a colour. The next colour you choose has to work with the first colour. The third colour has to work with the first and the second… People who bad-mouth businessmen and women in general are missing the point. People in business who succeed have swallowed their fear and have set out to create something special, something to make a difference to people’s lives.”

Thirdly, there’s “talent”. Talent in the modern, connected world go where the meaning is. They’re no longer content with just the security of a salary, they want much more. They want to create meaning, they want lives of balance and beauty.

This will become even more so, as many routine tasks will be done by machines, with AI becomes ever more sophisticated. Which will leave us with the question -  what would “human work” look like then?

I believe it will be the work of creativity and meaning, of craft and depth. Efficiency has pushed to become machine-like. But we’re made of flesh and blood and heart. Our true humanity is in what we feel, and what we create and what we love.

Perhaps rather than just chasing after the wonders of tech and the lure of tech start-ups, we should look at our art and makers’ community to create a truly unique business (and human) culture in Cincinnati.

Creative thinkers and makers give their communities joy, connection, inspiration, and spark though-provoking critique of our economic, political and social systems — stimulating debate and thinking in communities, spurring them to grapple with ideas, and become engines for social progress.

Cincinnati has a uniquely vibrant art community and many brilliant designers, whose talents have often been used to sell people stuff — rather than for the edification of the human spirit. It’s obviously not an either/or situation. Art and business need each other.  But not as separate entities, as integrated systems for whole humans.

In expanding this conversation, I hope to highlight some of the companies, organizations and start-ups that pursue this ideal in the next few months.

After all, in a time when everything that can be done more efficiently will be done by machines, being human is the ultimate differentiator.

[poppedmusic]

SXSW 2019

8 – 17 March 2019

Words and Photos: Elena Katrina

I didn’t think that I would ever go to SXSW. It seemed far away and I’m not just talking about geography. I have the bug though – in both ways – the way in which I don’t want to ever miss it ever again and also the actual SXSW Flu. I’m so sick I’m not allowed to fly and I’m on some crazy American drugs from the doctors. So, I’m reflective and impassioned and delirious. It all seems a good combination to get going on the review for 2019… at least a start…

I’m not really sure where to start with this one, to be honest. I had some idea of the crazy time that was going to hit me when I arrived in Austin but not the exact pull I was going to feel toward some bands over others.

There was one clear winner who was going to dominate my efforts and I’m going to be open about this from the get-go. When you do something like this…. the blog thing…. you do it because you are passionate, passionate and have taken leave of your senses. When you take unpaid leave and spend every penny of your very small savings to go to a festival an 11-hour flight away, you can be damn sure you are entitled to spend some of your time doing what the hell you want. As long as it’s legal anyway! And for me that would be going to see the same act play more than once.

Step forward Sam Fender. Knowing that he was back, I was back and that it had to be done. I couldn’t choose between one showcase and another. I did set off with a list of 3 and decided on one. I did go to another showcase so that I wouldn’t see him twice in one day but as I sat on the floor between bands editing photos I had this overwhelming urge to leave. I’d made sure the showcase I was at was a good distance away but it didn’t matter… turns out I might not even run for a bus but run for an artist… yup, you guessed it. I didn’t go to see him alone… oh no, everywhere I went I encouraged other people to pick that show over another. I don’t think I’ve ever done this before either. Vevo House. My main base for the first 3 days was host to Sam’s first live show and one I allowed Island to see me in “fan mode”  – I couldn’t hold back the squeal of delight at the opening chords of Hypersonic Missiles. The British Music Embassy the next on the list several hours later – where Sam himself declared he was beyond exhausted “we’ve been up since 6am. Thanks for coming to watch us die” he said, arms stretched as if expecting a hug to be forthcoming. He may have looked tired but that man keeps surplus energy in his little fingers because he sounded on fire. I just feel utterly exhilarated whenever I see him. I almost had to get someone to carry me out of there…. turns out running really isn’t for me. Anyway, to not spend the whole review on him, I saw Sam four times, including at Fender House “I’ve come to get my share of the family business”… the guy just cracks me up. But anyway, OK. Judge if you will but my time, my money, my blog….my faves.

Now that that is out the way time to give love to everyone else. And there really is loads of that left to go around. I had a list of 26 bands I wanted to see – more than double from last year. I managed to see 13 of them plus another 8 acts I hadn’t planned on, which is always a good thing! From the non-listed, I have to admit that I don’t know how Orchards have not been higher on my radar. They’re exactly the kind of thing I love – and my god their energy live is something else. I forgot that it was the middle of the day, the venue was hot and sticky with sweat and excitement and the band were nothing short of hypnotic.

It wasn’t just unexpected Brits that I saw, oh no. What would an international festival be without seeing some … well… at least one international act. Signed to Heavenly Records, Netherlands’ band Pip Blom were a band I didn’t think I liked. That was until I rocked up at Abbie McCarthey’s Good Karma Club showcase to see them and happily delved right in. Their set was tight but not overly polished. It felt organic and the connection between band members was shown in open smiles and those looks across the stage where only those two people understand. Shimmering shoegaze grunge that caught the affections of the crowd. I even overheard Annabel Allum exclaim they were the best thing she’d seen all SXSW. Now that’s something. It was also on this same line up where I got to catch up with Popped faves Bad Sounds. If you’ve not seen these guys yet, you really want to get a wriggle on. They’re great no matter where you see them but the closer you get the more involved in the craziness you can be. And that really is something you want to be up in the face of as the pair bounce around the stage- loving and living life to the fullest. Me? Oh I danced like I’d been drinking all day (I’m a sober person).

It became evident when I picked up my pass that the best way forward with getting to see bands was going to be to pick some showcases and stay there ….. that and to let other people take me off and away. It’s almost impossible to make a schedule. Especially when there are unofficial showcases as well as the packed official schedule. I love to see the unofficial shows – ones where the general public come out to play and spend hours in line to catch bands.

Glasgow’s Fatherson, were one of the bands I managed to see play a few times. Firstly their official showcase for our pals at Killing Moon and then secondly a free show at a rooftop bar in glorious sunshine to a roar of applause. It was something else to see them play outside in the middle of the afternoon. Their chilled out alternative sounds brought both the calm and chaos. An absolute treat. Boy Azooga and Thyla also played open shows. Both of whom I saw play out at Lazarus Brewing for our new US friends Music For Listeners. Bringing his own personal ray of sunshine Boy Azooga was an act I’ve listened to at home but never seen live. I wasn’t prepared for the joy that was going to hit me. He delighted everyone around him with the upbeat tunes and quirky lyrics. In contrast, Thyla were cool calm and collected with a subtle rock goddess as their front person, it was hard not to feel somewhat intimidated as I watched on in awe. Now I’ve seen Thyla play before and I am always blown away by them. They manage to do this in a way that always leaves me feeling a little confused. They’re not in my face yet they capture my attention and every single time leave me wanting more.

Another band who leave me feeling exactly the same are Lucia. I saw them last year for the first time and thought Lucia herself was going to jump off the stage and rip my head off. That right there is one intense performer. I was so scared of her that when I was told she was just across the crowd from me I said “ok!” And tentatively waved across the room. The next thing I knew this Glaswegian Glamazon was stood next to me wanting to say hi. “Uh…ok”. Turns out, it’s all an act. PHEW! She means what she says though, don’t be getting me wrong, but I enjoyed every moment in Lucia’s company over the festival, it just so happens I turn into jelly when they’re on stage. Not to be messed with this lot. So enthralled by their performance I made a point to see them twice.

There was a great box of Brits out en mass for this year’s SXSW. Some bands such as Island, Fatherson and The Amazons who have all got albums under their belts and a solid touring schedule, and then there are the super newbies; the likes of Cassia, Larkins, Lucia and The Ninth Wave. All still relatively new to the UK crowds and without a debut album under their belt, but bringing their A-Game to SXSW. I’ll tell you something for nothing too, it didn’t matter newer to the game or not, not a single band gave a bad performance. Not a single band played like they’d never played here before. The Amazons delivered their first ever SXSW show as if it was just something they’d thought they’d do that day when they woke up, as did The Ninth Wave – who, incidentally terrified me so much with their performance that I ran straight to their booking agent (figuratively anyway). Their single Sometimes The Silence Is Sweeter definitely isn’t a sentiment I’ll agree with when it comes to seeing them, but live it’s a punchy

The Distiller and Scruff Of The Neck teams were out to play every day too, with shows all over the place as well as their own showcase – smartly advertised by way of the bags (I’m still repping mine today, eager to continue to spread the good word despite the party being very much over). Lit up like the batman sign in the night sky, on a rooftop somewhere in downtown Austin, I watched Larkins. A band I’d never seen before and a band I’m entirely convinced I’ll see again. Nothing to do with how they threw down the challenge to Cassia in our bean bag tournament – nope, just on the standard of show. Energetic and assured, these guys enjoyed the show as much as the crowd that gathered to witness. I count myself amounts the new fans they made. I’m hoping they’ll think that’s a good thing.

Anteros were rightfully excited to be at this year’s SXSW – with just shy of two weeks to go until their debut album dropped, it was the perfect opportunity to show the world just what they were made of and why the likes of us have been shouting about them for years. Their live set is polished to perfection, it shines just as much as any glittery outfit Laura can find. And she can find them. Their set at The British Music Embassy was packed with music fans and industry (sometimes we are even the same thing) and you could see there were nerves but by the time Laura was grabbing at the hands of the female audience members to get them up on stage, you just knew there was more to this than just doing a good show.

An unexpected highlight of my week was an incredibly emotional set from Grace Carter. Not only does she command the stage like she was born to be on it but she has a tone of vocal that really hits me. She has some range on her too, I tell you that for nothing. While she might be more on the urban side of new music for us I will wholeheartedly tell you to check her out. Her single Why Her Not Me came with an explanation that you could see was hard and I caught her eye during a moment and all of a sudden tears just streamed down her face but she carried on, pausing for a big breath to control and control she did – delivering what was one of the single most emotional performances I’ve seen, ever.. not just at SXSW, but in over twenty years of going to shows.

Now I want to talk to you about a serious hidden gem that really is worth uncovering and in my opinion one of the UK’s most underrated talents; Eliza Shaddad. Watching her live is always a pleasurable experience. It had been a long time since I saw her play solo but bringing a band along to international showcases is an expensive business so for some shows she played solo and others she borrowed label brother’s Island. This tiny and unassuming person steps onto the stage and somehow just grows. Like a small bud, she nurtures the song and before your eyes and ears, everything just blooms. I can’t for the life of me understand why more people aren’t shouting about Eliza.

Island are a band I’ve been somewhat passionate about for a good few years; their music makes me sooo incredibly happy so you can imagine the grin on my face when they boarded my flight to Austin. It was a pretty stupid grin again as I watched their gear go round and round at the airport. I did let them travel in peace though – I waited until they were drunk on free margaritas before deciding I should interview them. With a host of shows to chose from it was a midnight show for Killing Moon that I plumped for, knowing the venue was reasonably intimate and moody. I get the distinct feeling that seeing this band in smaller venues is very soon to be a thing of the past. They certainly have the talent and the set to bring in much larger crowds. For a band who make pretty melodic laid-back vibes, to watch them is something else. The energy is that of a much heavier band – they bounce around the stage feeling every beat. Newer songs like She sit happily alongside older tracks and although before they went on I felt like I needed toothpicks to keep my eyes open (jet lag), I felt entirely (if only momentarily) rejuvenated.

The craziest night I had was all thanks to End Of The Trail who amongst their lineup had managed to bag both Avalanche Party and The Blinders. Nestled in the back of a dark and dank dive bar was where I found myself surrounded by people hidden in the shadows, it really was a throng of people but it was so dark you could struggle to see the whites of peoples eyes unless they were stood right by you. I was kindly taken side of the stage so I could try and shoot but as any gig photog knows; red light and nothing but red light is never going to turn out well. It can be forgiven though because really the show was so electric it was hard to want to take photos. For those of you who like Your music to have a garage-punk rock out then, you need to get onto Avalanche Party. They do not stop, it’s fast, furious and sweaty as hell. Their lead singer has a presence that belies any kind of self-confidence issues and he roams the stage, he’s up, he’s down, he’s on the stage, off the stage. My camera could hardly get a focus on him. It was a sweaty ride and seemed to be over in a flash. The crowd wanted to get closer and I was glad I was safe at the side not being battered like everyone else.

  After just enough time for me to catch my breath, The Blinders took to the stage. There was a whole other feel to this show than the last time I saw them (Kendal Calling’s NYE party – Victoria Warehouse) – there’s always going to be a slightly different presentation of music in a smaller venue and for me The Blinders are lucky in that they work both ways. Here there was a real tension in the air, it was thick and heavy and as their set went on the crowd and band felt as though they were one. I can’t say I know what happened toward the end of the set but as Tom climbed a speaker stack all of a sudden things started to go a little bit wrong – the lights went, the mic went… all hell let loose. The thing is, for some bands this would be a problem (don’t get me wrong there was some slight panic going on) but here it felt like it made the show – the darkness, the chaos all fed into the rawness of their set. The music never stopped by the way – the drums kept a pounding, the bass kept a thudding. It wasn’t until I stepped out into the street that I realised that The Blinders‘ weren’t even the headline act. They were mine that’s for sure – they delivered as though they were.

All in all it was an incredible year for the Brits at this year’s SXSW and one I’ll never forget – as I’m sure neither will everyone else who went. I went feeling sure I wasn’t going to go again next year and so make the most of it…. and now I’m already thinking… hmmm SXSW 2020 has a certain ring to it… so watch this space!

Catch up with our SXSW insta stories here.

Check out our photo diary here:

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This review is dedicated to HER’S. RIP.

      Festival Review: SXSW 2019 SXSW 2019 8 - 17 March 2019 Words and Photos: Elena Katrina I didn’t think that I would ever go to…

[googlenewson]

I don’t have any algorithms to tell me what you enjoy reading, but here’s a story you may like: It used to be a joy to read magazines.

If you subscribed, they’d arrive at your home, distracting you from the more serious mail that darkened your doorstep. Or picked up at a newsstand, magazines would make for delightful lunch dates or travel companions. Sure, they killed trees and caused clutter, but their mere physical existence--not to mention their delights inside--was reassuring and enlightening.

“A magazine,” Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner once said, “is an old friend.”

If you value that romantic notion of reading, please stop reading this review right now and subscribe to some new magazines the old fashioned way. But if you’re wondering if you should subscribe to Apple News Plus to gain access to its more than 300 titles for just $9.99 per month, well, prepare to be disappointed in your “friends.”

Announced in a flurry of fanfare at a star-studded Apple event last month, Apple News Plus is the iPhone maker’s newest plan for monetizing the publishing industry.

The offspring of Apple News (launched in 2015 as the company’s answer to Flipboard) and Texture (a Netflix-for-magazines startup that Apple bought in March 2018), Apple News Plus is also a paid service that exists inside Apple’s free-to-use news app and gives subscribers access to scores of magazines as well as newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.

With the value proposition of all-you-can-read news, Apple News Plus is a winner. Texture, which I had subscribed to since its launch as Next Issue in 2012, was a great service for magazine readers. However, brought into the fold of Apple News, its new incarnation is an inconsistent, unsightly mess. It feels like a beta project, despite that Apple’s subscription magazine efforts date back to 2011.

Apple News Plus is available on the Apple News app on both iOS and Mac OS, which means readers can enjoy its firehose of news on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Yet while Apple typically excels at syncing its data between devices via iCloud, this new product seems to shun syncing.

So, if you add a magazine on your iPad, the publication curiously does not show up in your feed on your iPhone. If you’re the type of reader that likes to get news on your phone but relax with your iPad, this a feature. (You may want to stay current with Bloomberg Businessweek on your phone during your commute, but kick back on the weekend with Bon App?tit on your iPad, for example.) But not having the option to choose syncing, seems like a pretty glaring flaw.

Another step back for Apple News Plus is how it renders magazines. In Texture and Next Issue, magazines were in PDF formats, with scroll bars across the bottom of the screen that allowed you to effectively “thumb” through an issue. However, that’s not so much the case with Apple News Plus. At least not in every magazine.

Instead, many magazines seem to be completely re-designed for the Apple News app, coded using some sort of tool that allows publishers to extract the content and send it off to Apple for importing into the app. No doubt generating smaller-sized files than large, image-intensive PDFs, this method of magazine production makes it quick and easy for readers to download issues in Apple News Plus. But it also strips the publications of much of the pain-staking design that makes magazines true works of art.

Take, for instance, Entertainment Weekly‘s regular back page fixture “The Bullseye.” With a target on the worst in pop culture each week, this page is typically rich in stock images of celebrities struck by arrows while doing dumb things. The silhouetted photos are all set in concentric circles made to look like--you guessed it--a bullseye.

Well, that’s the way it looks in the print magazine. It even looks like that on Texture, which Apple hasn’t shuttered yet. On Apple News Plus, “The Bullseye” is laid out like an Instagram feed, requiring readers to scroll down to read each bite-size, snarky celeb shout-out. It’s a perfect example of how off-target is Apple’s repackaging of the news.

“Packaging” is a regular topic among magazine editors. Typically it describes how editorial and art departments work together on disparate elements to create the whole story. A feature package could be a 5,000-word story that contains multiple sidebars, original photos, illustrations, and layouts to help tell a complex story, for instance.

In Apple News Plus--at least in its early stages--those rich elements feel flattened into a long, boring scroll similar to a social media news feed. The difference between these two approaches to packaging is equivalent to sitting with an “old friend” who tells you a story (that would be a print or PDF magazine) or reading it on her Facebook feed (Apple News Plus’s way). Sure, ultimately you get the same story, but it’s hardly as rich as it should be.

And magazines are more than a stack of packages. Each issue is a collection of pieces that interplay with each other. There are smaller stories next to longer ones, Q&As interspersed with profiles, experiential articles opposite opinion pieces, a front-of-book, and back-of-book sandwiching the feature well.

All these pieces hopefully construct an enjoyable reading experience optimized by experienced, professional, human editors. (That word is italicized because it seems to be a feature tech companies, including Apple, have been promoting lately. Dear reader, magazines have had humans on staff for hundreds of years. Why do tech companies’ editors need to edit magazines’ editors? Trust us--we can handle this.)

Still, Apple News Plus does let readers “flip” (or swipe) right-to-left through magazines to see all this effort, but it’s not the same. Apple’s persistent march away from skeuomorphic design has robbed the Apple News Plus readers of utility; the sharp headline on a short front-of-book piece won’t grab your attention if you don’t see it while you’re being spring-boarded to the story Apple News promoted on its “Today” tab. Your interests won’t expand. You won’t grow and learn something new and surprising. In essence, you won’t really enjoy the magazine as you should.

That’s because, at the heart of the Apple News app, there’s a single story mentality, similar to how Apple began dominating music by selling 99-cent tracks. But instead of making readers pay per-story (something publishers never figured out), online news is starting to make the jump from free to paid. Paywalls are emerging, and ahead of that, Apple News Plus is disassembling magazines, in its attempt to turn journalism into the next music industry.

Remember when recording artists used to put out great albums? They now hustle for smashes on the singles charts. Likewise with Apple News, publishers are being pushed into a quick-hit market.

Still, Apple’s disaggregation of the news does serve a purpose for readers. The free-to-read Apple News app lets users follow "Channels & Topics" (why it’s not “Publications & Topics” eludes me), which means in addition to subscribing to newspapers and magazines, you can also read across the media on subjects as diverse as AARP and ZZ Top.

While this is a great service to readers, it’s also indiscriminate, chopping up newspapers and magazines for parts.

For instance, when you tap on the News+ tab and select a story about smart home gear, it will pull you right into the middle of an issue of WIRED--only showing you a small version of the magazine’s cover, and ignoring all the other stories that would have otherwise appeared around it. Then, when you’re finished with reading that story, there’s nowhere to go. It’s back into the sidebar full of all the other subjects and publications that may interest you.

Equating it to iTunes, the song is over.

If, as Hefner said, a magazine is truly an old friend, what does that make Apple News Plus? For publishers and readers hoping to rekindle their relationships, it seems to be some matchmaker. But it’s got to make better connections than this.

from Fortune http://bit.ly/2UiQ0XO

[metricsolar-blog]

Solar Lead Generation Options

So I'm retired now, and I have decided it's time to go solar. What does one thing need to do with the other, well, I wish I had something more noble to say but actually I just want to save money on my electricity invoice, I want to add worth to my home, and I have enough time on my arms now to actually get it get it carried out. Fortuitously in life I've learned easy methods to preserve a position by which I generally is a choosy about what I want and normally get it (often). In terms of installing solar panels I had no idea what I used to be getting myself into, so I had to plow through some analysis and pray that might discover a solar company that would meet all of my calls for. I needed the easiest expertise installed on my home, I needed it to be made by a deep pocketed reputable company in the U.S.A, and I wished a long run guarantee.

Initially from New York, I relocated to Tucson about 12 years in the past to flee the cold climate. People complain, we get a yearly common 300 plus sunny days here, however regardless of how hot it will get, I would take each and everyone of them over one bone chilling New York day. To not mention that instead I sold a shoebox sized condominium and had greater than sufficient cash to buy my 24,000 sq. foot 4 bedroom home is situated in a quiet suburban neighborhood. There are a number of previous people like me that dwell round right here, I meet each week with a bunch of women on the neighborhood membership home and play playing cards. Janet, one of the gals, has solar panels on her home. She said her electricity invoice for the whole yr was $16.eighty. I wasn't sure if I believed her, but she sparked my curiosity, so I decided to do a little analysis.

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The last firm I referred to as was Photo voltaic World. I spoke with a very vibrant and pleasant man named Pete DeNapoli for over half-hour. Pete has labored with photo voltaic world for over 25 years and he gave me the complete historical past of Photo voltaic technology, an update on the present state of the photo voltaic financial system, and he instructed me more details about his product than I may ever bear in mind in one sitting. I do keep in mind Photo voltaic World has been making solar expertise within the U.S. for 33 years and so they grow all of their materials and manufacture the entire photo voltaic panel right right here within the U.S..

Solar World boast about their 25 12 months linear warranty, Pete claims is the most effective within the trade as a result of they guarantee that the precise energy of a brand new module can not deviate from the desired rated energy by more than three% in the course of the first 12 months; and afterward, the ability won't decrease by more than zero.7 % of the rated power per year. So at year 10, capacity is assured to be not less than ninety% of the nameplate as opposed to the business customary assure of 80% (I took notes during our talk). Based on an impartial take a look at performed by the German firm Picture International Module Check, Evergreen, Kyocera, BP Photo voltaic, and Solar World were compared for quality in a multi-yr vitality output take a look at, and Photo voltaic World gained. Though I was leaning in direction of Photo voltaic World I still had one concern, each company I researched claimed to have the most effective technology, and I knew that one of them needed to be higher than the other.

I decided to go to my trusty supply for all things true and factual, Wikipedia to search out out as soon as and for all who the very best photo voltaic firm is. "The current market chief in photo voltaic panel effectivity (measured by power conversion ratio) isSunPower aSan Jose (California) based mostly firm. Sunpower's cells have a conversion ratio of 24.2%, well above the market average of 12-18%." The one other photo voltaic panels that are extra efficient will not be yet manufactured for residential use.

I was curious; why did not the third party websites I had reviewed for information about competing solar corporations point out SunPower? Naturally I had to examine additional. Come to search out out, SunPower is dominating the solar expertise world because they've a superior know-how and their design is patented, which retains the other corporations from being able to compete with them. Their panels are as much as 50% extra efficient. It made sense that the photo voltaic industry would draw back from promoting SunPower as a result of SunPower has an upper hand on all the opposite companies thus far. SunPower an American owned photo voltaic producer with a 25 yr guarantee, deep pockets, and superior know-how still had one draw back; it's costlier than Photo voltaic World.

Oh how I like to save a greenback! I hate to harp on my age, but saving a dollar is among the last joys that I've left. Then again, the superior know-how issue was an actual promoting point too as a result of my daughter will inherit my dwelling and I need to make sure that any addition I put money into will add long lasting worth. Now's determination time for me. Both Photo voltaic World and SunPower provided me nearly every thing that I need, so I set up a meeting with their installers. I'll have them walk me via their procedures after which I'll choose a company to go together with, because after all the research generally it simply comes all the way down to trying them in the eye and going with your intestine.

Scottsdale Photo voltaic is without doubt one of the most outstanding photo voltaic corporations Arizona [http://www.scottsdalesolarsystems.com] supports. Scottsdale Photo voltaic is a Solar Provider specializing in Photovoltaic (Solar-Electrical) vitality methods for industrial and residential functions. Investing in solar vitality means investing in the long-time period health of the setting. At Scottsdale Solar they begin with an academic system design course of, work with customers on defining expectations, adapting to challenges, discussing the details and offering profitable solar installations. They customized-design each system and supply lifetime help.

With the rising prices of electrical energy, many dwelling and enterprise house owners are shifting towards alternative sources of power to energy their properties, companies, and automobiles. Final year, the average monthly Bay Area electrical energy bill was $250 per dwelling. Over the subsequent 25 years that adds up to nearly $one hundred fifty,000 for electrical energy alone. To ensure that going solar will result in actual value savings, the standard of the solar installer and equipment selected must be considered fastidiously, as a result of the system's reliability will directly affect long-time period financial savings. Here are 5 tips on tips on how to pick the very best solar company for your dwelling or business.

Do Your Homework

Nearly 209,000 Individuals work within the photo voltaic trade - that's greater than double the number in 2010. By 2021, that quantity is expected to increase to more than 360,000 staff, meaning that many solar companies and employers shall be new to trade and short on experience. Make sure you take time to rigorously overview each solar firm's website and read online critiques to confirm that they've a consistently optimistic track file and again it up with a great warranty. While nearly every solar installer gives a ten 12 months workmanship guarantee these days, it is only nearly as good as the corporate behind it.

Do not Be Pressured

If the photo voltaic supplier tries to pressure you right into a system, they are not an excellent photo voltaic accomplice. Solar techniques are lengthy-term investments that require info gathering, cautious consideration, and actual financial commitment. If the photo voltaic installer says that the value will go up tomorrow, then it is time to search for another useful resource.

Meet Them First

Never e-sign a contract with a solar company before you meet the photo voltaic installer in particular person. Ensure they've stable credentials and correct documentation. At all times ask for a copy of the solar contractor's and subcontractor's license, insurance, and staff' comp coverage to ensure you're not responsible for any harm or injuries throughout installation.

The Greatest Gear

To maximise the quantity of power you obtain from each drop of sunshine it's imperative to choose a solar company that has the most effective panel technology obtainable. All photo voltaic merchandise are not equal and choosing a photo voltaic company with inferior panels will lead to your paying extra out-of-pocket for electricity on account of less efficient panels, and extra for panel upkeep, on account of inferior high quality development. Ask your photo voltaic associate in regards to the panel design, reliability, warrant and efficiency, after which evaluate those with other solar companies in your space before choosing the right supplier to your set up.

Solar Financing

Finally, at all times pick a company who will help guide you through the variety of photo voltaic financing options out there to you. An excellent solar accomplice will work intently with you to determine the fitting possibility for you, whether or not money purchase, solar lease, solar loan, or even a PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program. It doesn't matter what your funds or credit historical past you can start saving with photo voltaic for those who're working with the right company.

Hawaii has always been a spot identified for surf, spam and sunshine. With weather like no other, the Hawaii solar industry is in a perfect place to assist educate the public in regards to the significance of solar. With the tax credit accessible from the State (35%) and Federal (30%), not to point out a Hawaii photo voltaic rebate ($750) from Hawaii Energy to qualified owners, there is no cause why a house/enterprise proprietor should take advantage of harnessing the sun's vitality to help reduce their electricity invoice.

Based on sunpluggers.com Hawaii is the fastest growing state with the quickest development charge for photo voltaic adoption in 2009, when it added 10.8 watts per resident. That could be a large bounce contemplating that there have been extra photovoltaic installations in Hawaii 2008 than the 7 earlier years mixed. Every day an increasing number of homes and companies are making the switch to free renewable power.

Hawaii solar consultants are predicting the industry will not be slowing down anytime soon. The rationale....excessive electrical energy charges! Hovering at around 25 cents per kilowatt and likely to go even increased, now is the appropriate time for customers to start out considering of advantages solar has to supply. The advice I tell my prospects are "There's one strategy to offset high cost of living in Hawaii without hurting their pockets....PHOTO VOLTAIC". Advantages of photo voltaic are countless.

Limitless sunshine

Tax credits

Enhance fairness tesla powerwall installer

Create new jobs

Save money

Being a Hawaii solar firm consultant for over 5 years, the number one concern I get from homeowners is "I don't have the money". Many assume a payment in full or an enormous down fee which automatically turns them away from the topic of buying a solar system. With a down financial system it could be straightforward to grasp being frugal could be the fitting factor to do. The beauty of solar is, it is an funding that may pay for itself. With financing options out there, getting a system put in is simple to do.

A mean homeowner spends around $200 a month in electrical energy. A photo voltaic water heating system or startup photovoltaic system will save a median house around $50-$60 a month which is equivalent to a 25-30 p.c savings.

With the new regulation in impact that every one new houses must require solar water heating, the timing could haven't gotten any higher. It's our probability to help Hawaii much less dependent on imported fossil fuel and reach its goal of being 70 percent powered using clean energy by 2030. In my view, with more Hawaii solar corporations being established in simply the last couple years, Hawaii might attain its purpose manner ahead of anticipated...which is a good thing.

The perfect complement as a consultant is after I'm at the seaside consuming a musubi, testing the surf and I come across a Hawaii photo voltaic firm customer in the water and I get reminded of how a lot they love their solar system.