Author: Harry Beck

The famous Danish toy-maker Lego has decided to modify its toy manufacturing scheme to produce environmentally sound toys. A massive investment worth $400m has already been made by the company to put the plans into action. The company aims to package its products in eco-friendly and biodegradable materials rather than using harmful polythene bags.  Different sustainable materials have been utilized to produce the prototypes which are then tested by the consumers. In addition to this, Lego has even downsized the packaging boxes approximately up to 14%. 

To achieve their target the Danish toy manufacturers claim to spend $150 million to employ around a hundred workers. It is being done to increase the workforce in the departments of research, production, and development. The staffers will team up to produce ideas that will be rational enough to replace the current manufacturing methods. Lego targets to make the big swing by the years 2025 to 2030. 

The first initiative of the “go green” movement was initially taken in 2018 when Lego introduced plant-shaped toys. They were not only molded in form of plants but were also manufactured completely from plant materials. From this onwards, the company declared to manufacture only biodegradable and sustainable Lego blocks.

 Although it has limited its services to selective regions, the staffers use a wide range of materials to produce them. An insider from the famous toy-making industry says that the chief material used in the production of Lego blocks is ABS. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene shortened as ABS is a copolymer of acrylonitrile and styrene produced in the presence of polybutadiene rubber. 

On account of this Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen owner of the firm has put forward the company’s idea of sustainability. He further adds that the firm’s research specialists are striving hard to find safer alternatives to plastic. Also, he intends of packaging toys in eco-friendly materials. This way Lego groups would establish a positive impact on the ecosystem globally. 

In the year 2014, the firm used approximately about 77,000 metric tons of feed materials to manufacture around 60 billion Lego toys. However, they never clarified that the materials used were whether environmentally sound or not. Also, there were speculations that the firm has switched onto some other polymer instead of ABS. One would think as to why the company suddenly wants to take such huge steps that can also be risky. 

Styrolution- styrenic polymer manufacturers are also one of the main ABS suppliers of the Lego Groups. The supplier company has refused to comment on Legos future Ventures. It said that the ABS used to make blocks is quite extraordinary and is made as per standard requirements. Therefore any polymer cannot be used for this purpose as the blocks must fit with each other firmly and detach when pulled. 

It is a remarkable initiative taken by one of the world’s well-established and renowned firms. It will certainly play a vital role in restoring the deteriorating biosphere. So a lot of chemists, research analysts, engineers, and marketing executives are being hired to make things functional. 

Today the working style has changed dramatically as completing day-to-day work is no longer sufficient to excel in your career. Now, along with office work, individuals have to socialize with their colleagues or partners to be fully aware of the latest trends. By having a strong, interlinked social network, a person can obtain information regarding job opportunities, ongoing business trends, etc. So, whether you’re a graduate seeking employment or a seasonal careerist, an expansive network would surely serve as a window of hope. 

Due to this, speed networking has been introduced to match the swiftness of this rapidly evolving corporate world. Speed networking or speed business meeting is a gathering or a seminar designed to promote and accelerate business relations. Participants of different occupational backgrounds get together on one platform to discuss corporate matters, exchange information, and share entrepreneurial ventures. 

Speed networking is typically referred to as a by-product of speed dating. It is because it exists in combination with business contacts and other trade links. Although the interactions are brief, if the interest is mutual, then a short meet-up turns into a date. Speed networking comprises of three basic arrangements that are as follows;

• Round Robin
• Station-based 
• Group-based 

Among the three formats, round-robin is typically applied to conduct speed networking events. In this modality, the participants are seated in a circular arrangement and, each round is commenced on bell dings. Participants are supposed to give a brief introduction about themselves and their occupation followed by a quick exchange of contacts. This way every individual present at the round-robin meeting partakes one by one. Later on, the members of the meeting are allowed to socialize openly with corporate professionals they didn’t had a chance to interact with. 

So here are the pros and cons of speed networking:

Pros:

• An individual can build cordial relations with people belonging to different sectors. This way one can have an insight regarding different trading formats. 
• It is an effective way of sharing business goals with people of the same interest as well as meeting new investors.
• Speed networking events taking place in colleges and universities serve as a career fair for young aspiring students. Through such events, they can set interviews with different companies and get internship or job opportunities. 
• The concept of “speed networking” is currently being used by numerous organizations to host events like trade shows and all. Career fairs, job dating, chambers of commerce are some other events based on the concept of speed business meetings.   

Cons:

The drawback of this event is that the interaction between the two parties is very limited and brief. Due to this people are unable to converse properly with individuals showing interest thus reducing the number of opportunities. Since the given time is precise, the so-called organized event gets chaotic due to excitement created by the over-enthusiastic crowd. So if you are new to this kind of situation then extracting “essential information and data” may become quite challenging for you.     

In our households, there is one thing that controls our lives to a large extent. This extremely significant thing is nothing but a Wi-Fi router. It is because, without its access, none of our gadgets will function properly. Moreover, it controls and checks all the inbound and outbound signals to ensure that nothing sensitive gets leaked.

Where a Wi-Fi system is so vital it is also highly sensitive as it can be corrupted easily through cyber intrusion. Once they get hacked, then compromising gadgets becomes a piece of cake for cybercriminals. Therefore it is essential to keep the Wi-Fi system safe and protected from such foreign interventions. There are numerous ways of maintaining the router system security that can be done effortlessly without any hindrance.  Some of these tips are as follows:

Change Your Wi-Fi Password Frequently:

Whether it is a social media account or just a wi-Fi router, it is recommended to change the passwords repeatedly. Once the password is modified, all the devices have to be re-connected to the Wi-Fi system. This way the, chances of internet hacking are diminished greatly. Also, you can check the number of devices connected to the router by going to the router settings panel. 

A common blunder made by most individuals is that they forget to change the password required to access the panel settings. So anybody who is well aware of these shortfalls can easily reconfigure the Wi-Fi router. Usually, the password settings are exhibited within the router settings panel. 

Keep The Router Software Updated:

Firmware is the software that typically controls every function of an internet router. It maintains the security standards of the Wi-Fi network and also monitors the devices connected to it. So to secure your home Wi-Fi system it is mandatory to keep the firmware up to date.

 The latest models of Wi-Fi devices can update the system spontaneously. By having the software updated the security barriers of your device get boosted and protect it from foreign intrusion. 

Make Use Of A Guest Network If Possible:

The term guest network means to provide Wi-Fi access to foreign devices without letting them consume the rest of the data. By giving individuals access to the guest network you will obstruct the unwanted intrusions which can jeopardize the device. The option of broadcasting the guest network is available in the latest versions of Wi-Fi routers. The Wi-Fi system must be able to hide the network name so that visitors unable to use your Wi-Fi connection. 

There are numerous ways through which your home Wi-Fi system can get disabled other than password or software hacking. Usually, any file from your smartphone can disrupt the functioning of the Wi-Fi device ultimately giving network access to foreign devices. 

So to overcome network security issues, nowadays Wi-Fi systems with an integrated security system are being manufactured. Apart from this make sure to keep the software up to date and put passwords that are extremely difficult to guess. 

2020 was a challenging year for everyone. Overall, this pandemic has had an overwhelming effect on the economy. Smaller and independent businesses had faced disastrous situations with the pandemic because of the lockdown. As businesses began to open slowly, several are still struggling to adapt to the desired changes. Some restaurants facilitated their customers with delivery services, pavement pick-up, or outdoor eating choices, just to make sure that their businesses are maintained. Some of them even delivered DIY food kits so that the customer can make the food themselves. Many businesses started selling their things online, so that the customers can receive their things right to their door, eliminating the requirement to depart their homes. 

Some were able to face this situation easily than others, however throughout this storm, some firms have been thriving owing to dramatic shifts in client’s behavior and some businesses got new opportunities opened for them in this pandemic. Here are some of them. 

Delivery Services

Yes, cravings got you right there. As many restaurants were closed, individuals had to stay at home. People were tired of having the same food, and they were looking for alternatives. Now, this was the turning point for the companies. It started offering delivery across the respective place. Grub Hub, Door Dash, and Uber eats enhanced their positions in the market, and it gained customers during the pandemic while delivering food across the country. 

Game Manufacturers

People started getting bored while watching the same season and sitting at the same place, so to stay busy and have fun; they started playing board games and video games. The game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare”, has sold additional copies after its release. Sales increased from $1.52 billion in the first quarter, up 21% compared with last year’s $1.26 billion. 

Virtual Conference Apps

Zoom, a video conferencing tool, became a video conferencing king, which has been the largest brand to stand out. According to CEO Eric Yaun, The Company hosts from 200 million to 300 million meeting participants per day. 

Online Marketing

Online retailers have earned so well throughout the pandemic. Amazon is one of the examples continuing its spectacular performance in past decades. It received an enormous boost from the pandemic as customers couldn’t visit stores to create purchases. 

Supermarkets

As supermarkets are a necessary business, they remained open throughout. It eventually upraised the food market business. This brought their business some additional sales than usual.

Hand Sanitizers 

During this coronavirus outbreak, people were so scared that they started using hand sanitizers after every second. At the start of the pandemic, many of the supermarkets and pharmacies were out of some known branded company’s hand sanitizers.

Entertainment

Amid the pandemic, Netflix and TikTok talks are two companies that prospered a lot. Many content creators came forward and showed their talent on TikTok, which boosted the business that TikTok to become the most downloaded app of the year 2020. Netflix, intercalary nearly sixteen million new subscribers throughout the primary quarter of 2020, and its growth numbers over doubled what the corporate foreseen January.

Telehealth

Telehealth companies allow many people to consult their doctors online. This enhanced their business a lot, especially because of Covid-19 patients, who were quarantined to avoid contracting and exposing medical facilities.

Over the years, the technology sector has progressed extraordinarily with new devices and swift internet services being introduced. Today, our life has become dependent on the internet. Apart from academic institutions and corporate offices, even our home appliances require an internet connection to operate. But, what happens when there is some issue with the network connectivity or if the speed has become extremely slow. 

Sluggish internet speed or prolonged disconnection may cease loads of our work as it has impacted our lives profoundly. Numerous questions may arise in this situation for instance, is the battery of the laptop draining? or should we switch to another ISP. Therefore we must be able to figure out the problem so that we can resume our work immediately. Instead of jumping to conclusions, the first thing that we should do is to check internet health.  

So here are some frequently asked queries that would help you solve the issue;

How to Do an Internet Health Check?

The internet health check can be performed, by running a speed test. Through this test, we can quickly determine if there is a glitch with the internet service provider (ISP) or with the device. The speed is measured, in terms of mega bites per second abbreviated as Mbps. It demonstrates the velocity at which our internet server permits us to download or upload the documents. 

Now, to be more specific, the internet speed test can be conducted through numerous online websites that do it for free. As an alternative, you can install the application for the device you want to run the test. After the application has been installed, there are few basic steps that you have to perform to check the speed;

1. Click on the application icon on the screen.  
2. Make sure that the device has full access to the internet connection
3. Click the “start” button. 

After clicking the “start” option, the speed test gets initiated. So at first, the download speed is analyzed, followed by the upload speed. In a matter of seconds, the results are displayed on the screen. These results get saved in the app as well.

How Can We Get the Most Exact Internet Speed?

Although there are numerous options available to check the health of the internet but how to obtain accurate speed should be a concern. So, here are some ways through which we can get the most precise measurement of internet speed;

1. Make sure to stop the automatic downloading during the speed test. Certain apps update or download automatically utilizing the internet. If these files are not closed or turned off, then an inaccurate speed test reading will be obtained.
2. To get an accurate internet speed, no other device must have an internet connection. It may also produce an inexact reading due to the continuous usage of internet services.

It is also imperative that you should know how to interpret the speed test results before calling your internet service provider (ISP).    

While we are in college, we do not know the significance of the college alumni. It is usually considered as a group where you can socialize with students of different programs just to make yourself known. The truth strikes when you are about to graduate and, the only cause of concern is to find a suitable job. Here comes the role of college alumni, which is only possible if you have a cordial relationship with the former students. 

The assistant director of employer relations and recruiting at James Madison University, Denise Rudolph, has explained this in much simpler words. According to her, writing an email to an unknown individual and expecting that he will help you get a job is the wrong approach. No one would risk his position at the firm by hiring someone with whom he is not acquainted. Unfortunately, the majority of the fresh graduates follow this path and face a lot of difficulties. 

All the challenges and obstacles seem to diminish when you are familiar with the recruiter. It is only possible if you have developed friendly relations with your seniors during four years of college. In other words, by seeking knowledge from your seniors, you can decide which career is suitable for you. They may also help you find a job since they are familiar with your skills and capabilities. How to network with your college alumni network is one of the most common queries circulating among the majority of graduates. By following the steps mentioned below you can easily connect with the former students of your alma mater. 

Get An Early Start:

Whatever program you have got yourself enrolled in, the main question is in which area you want to specialize. Being confused and clueless about what line of work you want to go for is common among college students. Therefore to save yourself from this state of confusion it is better to begin early in knowing your college mates. It would not only save your time but will also focus your mind on specific goals. 

Connect With Right Individuals:

There are many ways of connecting with college alumni. For instance, in some colleges, students throw informal mixers in which the former and recent graduates are invited. This platform serves as a great opportunity to interact with the competent seniors of your college.

 In addition to this, websites like LinkedIn have proved to be a useful forum for this purpose. As on this website, you will be able to connect with your college alumni. 

Communicate With the Alumni Prudently:

It is advised to communicate with the alumni sensibly and properly. Your introduction must consist of your name, year of college, and subject in which you are majoring in. Try to ask questions that would help in your career development. For instance, what helped him decide his major or how does his firm works or what is the criteria of recruitment etc.  

There are many ways through which you can learn to connect with your college alumni but the ones mentioned above are most effective. 

With the way the world is advancing in terms of technology, there is no denying that every sector is highly impacted by it. The corporate sector has deemed to be on the pathway of producing more innovative products with the help of technology. You will find a range of business sectors that have been actively making use of technology to improve their processes and become more efficient than ever.

What is Corporate Innovation?

Corporate innovation refers to making use of what new methodologies that the world has to offer and incorporate them in business models. While startups are taking the lead when it comes to innovation, other established businesses have teams working on innovative solutions for their work. 

One of the core aims of implementing corporate innovation is to make use of what the latest technology has to offer. With newer, more robust solutions offered through technology, there is no denying that corporate innovation has taken a step forward for the best. One of the most astounding sectors to be resulting from a massive advancement is the field  of technology itself. You will find that there are many things happening that will blow your mind when it comes to this. 

Why is Corporate Innovation Important?

Before getting into what comprises of corporate innovation in the field of technology, we must understand the need for it. One of the more obvious reasons why corporate innovation is essential is the fact that it boosts the existing business models. There are better, more advanced methodologies at play that allow businesses to work efficiently. 

By implementing corporate innovation, businesses enable themselves to achieve growth and seek various opportunities to expand. When it comes to the field of technology, using corporate innovation has proven to be the most beneficial element. It has allowed the industry to grow in ways that weren’t possible before. 

What Comprises Corporate Innovation In The Field Of Technology?

You must be wondering what is corporate innovation in the field of technology. Well, you should know that there are various tech-based businesses that are thriving because of the aspect of corporate innovation. There are better solutions for them to work on and offer to their consumers. Essentially, corporate innovation in technology has proven to be quite beneficial for the world. 

For instance, cybersecurity is one prime example for corporate innovation in technology. There are other examples prevailing in the industry as well. These include the infamous eCommerce sector that thrives on the advancements of technology. There are also other aspects to this, such as the use of technology in innovating the healthcare sector, customer engagement, and more. There is so much that the world has to offer businesses when it comes to innovation.

All in all, corporate innovation is essential to move forward. When talking about the technology sector, it is on the way to achieve maximum efficiency with the advent of enhanced technologies. More than that, it is helping other sectors to achieve the same as well since technology is sought after by almost every other sector. In essence, corporate innovation in technology is integral for the future.

Sending a follow-up email to someone you networked with can be quite daunting. You can never know the kind of response you might get or whether you will even get one at all. But worry not! Here, you get to understand how to follow up the right way after networking. You want to persuade the person subtly. For this, you need to have the proper method in place. Let’s look at how to follow up through email after a networking event. 

Follow Up Within 24 Hours

Don’t take too long with the follow-up. It is common for other people to forget who they talked to, mostly if they are highly demanded. You want to send them a follow up as soon as possible. For this to be effective, you should know how to send a follow up email after networking. The first thing you need to understand is that you need to have time on your hand. As soon as you get back from the event, start drafting your follow-up email for the best response. 

Mention A Conversation

While drafting your follow-up email, you want to make sure that you add some relevant details to it. This would include mentions of any particular conversation you had with the person that they would remember. By doing so, you set a good pace for yourself in the introduction. This way, the other person will remember you and recall the conversation pretty quickly. So, you’re bound to have a better chance of getting a positive response. 

Explain What You Have To Offer

In your follow up email, you want to sell yourself and explain how whatever you’re in search of will benefit both of you. By putting out a clear explanation and adding in the correct details, you will be able to get yourself a reply in no time. All it takes for you is to make sure you are compelling enough in your email. The right kind of persuasion can take you very far when it comes to networking. 

Arrange Meeting

Once everything is all set, you can also suggest a location to meet at. If you live in a similar area, this will be an ideal situation for you to do so. Mention how you would love to have a cup of coffee or something similar with them. You could get a highly positive reply from this, so see how this works for you. Hinting at how you would love to meet up and continue the conversation you left off at the event would surely pique their interest. 

Bonus: Proofread Multiple Times 

Lastly, and perhaps the most important of them all, you will need to proofread your email a few times to get it right. You can also ask a third person to read your email to see if it goes in a flow and is understandable. By proofreading, you will see all of the mistakes that you made along the way. Do not send in the email without carefully analyzing it first- it is a must. 

Harassment is a serious issue that prevails around the world. We all must work together to reduce the number of cases that are brought forward. Take the first step; start at home or your workplace. Overlooking harassment is not the way to deal with the situation. It is essential to take the steps needed to prevent, stop, and raise awareness about it. 

It would be best if you were thinking about the different ways about how to prevent harassment in the workplace. If you’re unsure of the right procedure to follow, here are some things that you can start with.  

Update Harassment Policies

Usually, workplaces have harassment policies in place that are long forgotten about. It is up to you to frequently go over them and see whether they ensure fair and just treatment for the people in the workplace. The policies should be free of discrimination and should not have any influence or power. By referring to them frequently, you ensure that you’re on the right track. 

Regular Training On Harassment

At your workplace, you must ensure to keep regular training on harassment. This will help people understand what constitutes as harassment. In most cases, people are unaware of the kinds of behaviors that come under this. By showing people in the workplace the details of what harassment is and the steps that follow, there will be a better understanding of the situation. 

Work On Reporting Procedures 

Often, the person who gets harassed is unaware of how to go about filing a case against the assailant. Having a clearly drafted policy instructing the victim about the procedure can help them greatly. This way, they will know exactly who to reach out to in case of an emergency. Having a proper system is essential to prevent any kind of harassment indirectly. People will be less keen on attempting any sort of harassment because of the strict law and order in the workplace. 

Respond And Investigate Complaints Promptly

Overlooking harassment issues is not the way to go to prevent it from happening. It is necessary to make sure to hear out the person who got harassed. Respond in an unbiased and just manner while ensuring that the victim’s complaint is taken seriously through the proper procedures. With this in place, harassers will think twice before heading on to do anything. 

Instill Responsibility To Stop And Prevent Harassment

The top management needs to have an understanding of how to prevent and stop harassment in the workplace. By showcasing a negative stance towards individuals who showcase discriminatory behavior and taking strict action against harassers, it is possible to prevent future harassment in the workplace. 

Raise Awareness

Lastly, it is crucial to understand that raising awareness about the issue is essential. By explaining what harassment is, why it is necessary to prevent it, and how to manage the after-effects of it, people understand the situation better. 

All in all, it is impertinent to ensure that there are policies put in place regarding harassment in the workplace. Regular awareness and practical implementation of such policies will help prevent harassment in the workplace better. 

The year 2020 reshaped our outlook on life more drastically than anyone expected. COVID-19 hastened innovation while changing technology trends, and the general digital ecosystem. It is undeniable, as businesses compete to be on top, that 2021 will be filled with unexpected discoveries and advancements in technology. Let’s check out some of the anticipated technological trends in 2021.

Expansion of remote working

One of the digital areas that has had the most rapid growth during COVID-19 and will probably continue growing. For instance, zoom which initially started back in 2011, has continued to grow and flourish during the previous year, becoming one of the most commonly used online platforms for video conferencing. Digital development is currently taking place to further promote remote working across the globe and improve user experiences especially employee experiences. Chances are further into 2021 physical office working will be left behind and will be replaced by remote work entirely as companies work to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world.

Healthcare development

After the major success of developing the mRNA COVID vaccine, further development and experimentation of new drugs and treatments is highly likely. At the rapid pace of progress and distribution, cost-effectiveness will be a significant factor so the majority of the world population can stay healthy.

Furthermore, to limit the exposure of COVID-19 from patients to health care workers, many places are offering digital healthcare services such as online doctor consultations and a procedure that has no direct contact for the delivery of medication. It is predicted that we will see a surge in healthcare-related advancements in biotech and A.I as well.

Advancements in A.I

This year, due to a huge increase in demand, we expect to see further development and experimentation towards artificial intelligence (A.I). Automation will be a key factor in effectively operating manufacturing if manpower availability becomes a serious issue. Chances are within a year or two, A.I will become mainstream as it has become a useful tool in digital-based learning as well, with many A.I powered platforms and personalized tools entering the market.

Extended development of 5G infrastructure

Development of 5G was on the fast track even before we shifted to a majorly digitally-based world, with a higher demand for faster internet and smart cities there is no doubt we will see a rapid advancement towards 5G-6G internet technology. We hope to see more refined infrastructure and programming and application development from all innovation-centric businesses and companies.

What will 2021 look like?

The technology of the world is developing at an unfathomably rapid pace, with self-driving cars and advanced A.I, the world will certainly look much different by the end of 2021.

Although there will be more challenges ahead and many new behaviorisms will evolve as we continue to learn to live with the influence of COVID-19, with the help of advancing technological innovations and a year full of potential and hidden opportunities, there will be many things to look forward to in 2021.