Now that the election is over, the real question facing tech investors is the same today as it was in January 2009 -- how to play the Jobless Recovery.
Clearly, the stats show a modest rebound -- weak progress on jobs that is just slightly ahead of population growth.
I still see a sluggish economy for the next few quarters. We haven't had any news out of Washington -- from either party -- to give employers the confidence they need to hire in a big way.
Now, with Obamacare kicking in along with new regulations on banks and finance companies, I believe that trend will continue.
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The Real Question Facing Tech Investors Is The Jobless Recovery
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This "Second Skin" Can Save a Soldier's Life
Before long, U.S. soldiers may be wearing what amounts to a "second skin" when in combat.
A team at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California is working on new a military uniform that repels chemical or biological agents. Team members say the material will change quickly and automatically, when it detects dangers, from a breathable state that lets heat out, to a protective surface that keeps harmful agents from getting in.
"The uniform will be like a smart second skin that responds to the environment," said team leader Francesco Fornasiero, adding it could be fielded in about a decade. He says the uniform of the future works "without the need of an external control system" so soldiers don't waste precious time turning on the barrier.
The suit is made of a unique fabric derived from carbon nanotubes (CNT). It took years to refine the process and make CNTs practical. Today, the nanotubes are used to reinforce carbon fiber products in everything from bicycles to parts of lightweight ships.
This shows you how fast things are moving in the Era of Radical Change. Scientists didn't even know carbon nanotubes existed until 1991, when a Japanese physicist discovered them in some soot.
In the near future, we may all be able to wear such cutting-edge clothes to protect us from a wide range of hazards.
And wait "til you see what else we just figured out.
A team at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California is working on new a military uniform that repels chemical or biological agents. Team members say the material will change quickly and automatically, when it detects dangers, from a breathable state that lets heat out, to a protective surface that keeps harmful agents from getting in.
"The uniform will be like a smart second skin that responds to the environment," said team leader Francesco Fornasiero, adding it could be fielded in about a decade. He says the uniform of the future works "without the need of an external control system" so soldiers don't waste precious time turning on the barrier.
The suit is made of a unique fabric derived from carbon nanotubes (CNT). It took years to refine the process and make CNTs practical. Today, the nanotubes are used to reinforce carbon fiber products in everything from bicycles to parts of lightweight ships.
This shows you how fast things are moving in the Era of Radical Change. Scientists didn't even know carbon nanotubes existed until 1991, when a Japanese physicist discovered them in some soot.
In the near future, we may all be able to wear such cutting-edge clothes to protect us from a wide range of hazards.
And wait "til you see what else we just figured out.
To continue reading, please click here...
When I Look at the Future of Tech, All I Can Say is-- “Wow!”
Can you imagine the home of the future?
It now appears that crews will be able to "print" out your home... in a single day... and hey, on Mars, no less, if that's where you want to go.
See, NASA is now funding a project in the fast-growing field of 3D printers.
These are devices that take blueprints and turn them into real objects. The "printer" has a nozzle that spits out special polymers. Once you add a binding agent, you can create everything from replica car parts to human jaws.
Back in March I wrote about these "desktop factories" in Money Morning. I predicted that, by the end of this decade, everyone from consumers to big businesses to solo inventors will be able to make their own unique products in just a couple of hours. (You can read that article right here.)
Now, with funding from NASA, USC engineering professor Behrokh Khoshnevis has devised a process he calls "contour crafting." The prof says the printed home of the future will have it all - wiring, plumbing, and air conditioning. He says this field has the "potential to build safe, reliable, and affordable lunar and Martian structures, habitats, laboratories, and other facilities before the arrival of human beings."
Wow...
Like I keep telling you, this is the Era of Radical Change. Soon, we will be traveling to other planets as a matter of course, as part of the New Space Race. So I wanted to keep you abreast of the latest breakthrough in this field.
And that was far from the only fascinating piece of cutting-edge tech I came across this month.
Take a look...
To continue reading, please click here...
It now appears that crews will be able to "print" out your home... in a single day... and hey, on Mars, no less, if that's where you want to go.
See, NASA is now funding a project in the fast-growing field of 3D printers.
These are devices that take blueprints and turn them into real objects. The "printer" has a nozzle that spits out special polymers. Once you add a binding agent, you can create everything from replica car parts to human jaws.
Back in March I wrote about these "desktop factories" in Money Morning. I predicted that, by the end of this decade, everyone from consumers to big businesses to solo inventors will be able to make their own unique products in just a couple of hours. (You can read that article right here.)
Now, with funding from NASA, USC engineering professor Behrokh Khoshnevis has devised a process he calls "contour crafting." The prof says the printed home of the future will have it all - wiring, plumbing, and air conditioning. He says this field has the "potential to build safe, reliable, and affordable lunar and Martian structures, habitats, laboratories, and other facilities before the arrival of human beings."
Wow...
Like I keep telling you, this is the Era of Radical Change. Soon, we will be traveling to other planets as a matter of course, as part of the New Space Race. So I wanted to keep you abreast of the latest breakthrough in this field.
And that was far from the only fascinating piece of cutting-edge tech I came across this month.
Take a look...
To continue reading, please click here...
Liquid Robotics is About to Grab a Big Piece of a Gigantic But Little-Known Market
Technology investors should keep an eye on Bill Vass. He's making a big splash in robotics.
You may not have heard of him but he used to run a $1.4 billion unit for Sun Microsystems that dealt with federal contracts. When Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq:ORCL) later acquired Sun, Vass' work there played a major role.
Before that, Vass served as an information technology (IT) honcho at the Pentagon. He had major input into some 6,800 defense IT systems with a budget of more than $35.5 billion.
As one of the nation's most senior high-tech experts, Vass now serves as CEO of a small but well-funded startup.
It's called Liquid Robotics.
And its self-propelled water bots can travel from California to Hawaii without using a single drop of fuel.
But here's where the big payoff comes in for investors: each bot is packed with sensors that can gather a wide range of critical data about the world's oceans.
Believe it or not, that opens up a gigantic but little-known opportunity.
According to Vass, that potentially puts Liquid Robotics at the forefront of a $40 billion market.
And from what I can see, Vass is making all the right moves.
Meanwhile, just a few weeks earlier, Liquid Robotics snared both a contract and an investment from Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:SLB), the oil services giant with a market cap of about $100 billion.
As I see it, that means Liquid Robotics is now on a clear path to issuing shares to the public in as little as three years.
Along the way, Vass is making quite a name for himself and his firm.
For investors that's a good thing, since it helps build the brand, keeping potential competitors at bay while adding value to any IPO down the road.
Turns out, Vass is in high demand these days.
While I was on the phone with one of his reps to arrange a chat with Vass, Liquid Robotics was juggling the details of a special about tracking great white sharks that ran on the Discovery Channel.
The TV show featured the firm's Wave Glider, the wave-powered marine robot that looks like a high-tech surfboard. The autonomous device has already set world records by covering some 13,000 nautical miles on the high seas.
His PR rep also was working out the details of an interview with Time magazine. All of this follows recent stories in both The New York Times and Forbes.
So, I'm glad to report that Vass was able to fit me in to his crowded schedule.
After all, Liquid Robotics is one of those startups you need to know about as a key player in what I call the Era of Radical Change.
You may not have heard of him but he used to run a $1.4 billion unit for Sun Microsystems that dealt with federal contracts. When Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq:ORCL) later acquired Sun, Vass' work there played a major role.
Before that, Vass served as an information technology (IT) honcho at the Pentagon. He had major input into some 6,800 defense IT systems with a budget of more than $35.5 billion.
As one of the nation's most senior high-tech experts, Vass now serves as CEO of a small but well-funded startup.
It's called Liquid Robotics.
And its self-propelled water bots can travel from California to Hawaii without using a single drop of fuel.
But here's where the big payoff comes in for investors: each bot is packed with sensors that can gather a wide range of critical data about the world's oceans.
Believe it or not, that opens up a gigantic but little-known opportunity.
According to Vass, that potentially puts Liquid Robotics at the forefront of a $40 billion market.
And from what I can see, Vass is making all the right moves.
One to Keep an Eye On
In fact, Vass recently launched a new unit that will target the Pentagon for sales at a time when the Navy desperately needs cheaper sources of data.Meanwhile, just a few weeks earlier, Liquid Robotics snared both a contract and an investment from Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:SLB), the oil services giant with a market cap of about $100 billion.
As I see it, that means Liquid Robotics is now on a clear path to issuing shares to the public in as little as three years.
Along the way, Vass is making quite a name for himself and his firm.
For investors that's a good thing, since it helps build the brand, keeping potential competitors at bay while adding value to any IPO down the road.
Turns out, Vass is in high demand these days.
While I was on the phone with one of his reps to arrange a chat with Vass, Liquid Robotics was juggling the details of a special about tracking great white sharks that ran on the Discovery Channel.
The TV show featured the firm's Wave Glider, the wave-powered marine robot that looks like a high-tech surfboard. The autonomous device has already set world records by covering some 13,000 nautical miles on the high seas.
His PR rep also was working out the details of an interview with Time magazine. All of this follows recent stories in both The New York Times and Forbes.
So, I'm glad to report that Vass was able to fit me in to his crowded schedule.
After all, Liquid Robotics is one of those startups you need to know about as a key player in what I call the Era of Radical Change.
To continue reading, please click here...