Focus on Manufacturing

Connection and collaboration isn't limited to introducing great leaders to great innovators. It includes connecting those who provide services or technology that improves our own business or personal missions. This week we take a closer look at companies that solve problems. One in terms of manufacturing solutions and the other in identifying energy efficient solutions for a newly realized, energy consuming enterprise.

Limtronik provides contract manufacturing services and design engineering support for companies that need manufacturing. It's a way to outsource your manufacturing work, here in the United States. We talk with Scott Hitt, Director of Business Development and Joe Quintana, Production Manager for Limtronik, a company that started in 1970 in Limburg, Germany. Denver's Limtronik, USA is the company's only U.S. branch, just in time for what we think will be a manufacturing resurgence, as companies opt for local control and local outsourcing.

Next, we talk with Boulder Lamp Inc. (BLI) about their energy efficient CDL (ceramic discharge lamp) lighting which has the capacity to reduce power consumption in both retail spaces and large outdoor parking areas, to name a few by at least 50%. Our guests are Fazle Quazi, CEO of Boulder Lamp Inc. and Jake Elliott, Director of Sales, who share their knowledge of cost benefits of CDL lighting, which are currently demonstrated by the use of CDL grow lights in Colorado's expanding cannabis industry. Quazi explains his apprehension in providing resources for the marijuana industry, and his realization that his product can save an extraordinary amount of power usage from the energy grid in terms of lighting efficiency and reduction of cooling costs.

Listen Saturday at our new time... 1:00 PM on KNUS 710 –  Please let us know what you think of our program, either by commenting here or on Facebook at Connect & Collaborate with ICOSA or join the discussion on Twitter @ICOSAMagazine.

Elon Musk Donates To The Nikola Tesla Museum

This week marked inventor Nikola Tesla's 158th birthday. As promised to the Oatmeal, Elon Musk donated $1,000,000 to the Nikola Tesla Museum to be built at the Wardenclyffe lab site.

@Oatmeal I would be happy to help

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2014

$1 million from Elon Musk! And a supercharging station! Thank you, Mr. Musk!!!

— Tesla Science Center (@teslascience) July 10, 2014

Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla! And thank you, Elon Musk.

To learn more about the ongoing museum development, visit http://www.teslasciencecenter.org/

Colorado advocates say immigration reform not "a play for amnesty" By Jon Murray The Denver Post

Published by the Denver Post.

Pro-business groups in Colorado and nationally on Wednesday fired off their latest attempt to kick-start long-stalled immigration reform legislation.

They hope new poll results will revive the fractured debate, sometimes within party lines, over how much attention to devote to border security versus granting legal status, or even citizenship, to the millions of immigrants in the United States illegally.

The Colorado poll, conducted by a GOP firm that polled nationally and in more than two dozen states, found that 66 percent of likely voters, while split on whether to offer a path to citizenship, favored granting some sort of legal status to "undocumented immigrants." Large majorities held for Democrats, Republicans and independents.

Eighty percent think it's important for Congress to act on a reform bill this year.

And supermajorities — including nearly 69 percent of Republicans — said a distrust of President Barack Obama's administration on the issue was not a valid reason to hold off on fixing the immigration system.

"We need to put aside the fears that this is somehow a play for amnesty," said Jeff Wasden, president of the Colorado Business Roundtable, during a news conference at the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce office in Centennial.

The poll releases and news conferences across the country were part of a "day of action" backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of Manufacturers. It's not the first time business groups have mounted a polling effort to pressure Republicans into supporting immigration reform.

But the Denver-area news conference, along with two others in Colorado, came during a new flare-up of distrust between Obama and immigration hard-liners.

Obama this week asked Congress for $3.7 billion to deal with a surge of young migrants from Central America who have crossed over the Texas border.

Illustrating the larger hurdles facing reform bills, the migrant surge is a problem that some, including Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, blame squarely on Obama because they say he hasn't fully enforced the laws.

The Republican, who's the easy favorite to replace U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner this year, supports increased border security along with an expanded, streamlined guest worker program — as long as there are identity verification protections. But Buck cited plenty of reason to distrust Obama.

"You can't pass a law and have a president act as a super-legislator ... because then the law fails," he said.

More broadly, though, Buck said Wednesday's poll "reflects the frustration of Americans about the failed policies of Republicans and Democrats for the last 30 years."

Gardner, who is running to unseat U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat, agreed: "I will continue to press my colleagues until we can pass meaningful legislation that will help Colorado families and businesses," he said through a spokeswoman. "It's far too important of an issue for us not to."

Meanwhile, at the South Metro Chamber news conference, Wasden and others said there was plenty at stake for businesses because of restrictive visa rules and laws that make immigrants without legal status afraid to come out of the shadows.

Colorado farmers, high-tech businesses and other companies represented by the business groups are seeking to streamline rules that make it difficult to hire immigrant workers, ranging from seasonal pickers to skilled engineers.

And Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler, a Republican, voiced concerns about how a lack of legal status makes many crime victims afraid to seek justice, letting perpetrators go free.

"I don't believe that the ... illegal immigrants that are here are asking or crying for citizenship," Wasden said. "They would like to have the opportunity to function, to work, to be a part of their family, without fear of being deported or separated from their family. That's a very different status that we're talking about."

Harper Polling of Harrisburg, Pa., conducted its poll of 582 likely voters in Colorado on June 22 and June 23. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.06 percentage points.

Harper was formed after the 2012 election as a "robo-polling" firm for Republicans on issues and elections as a counterweight to Public Policy Polling, an outfit that has conducted many polls for Democrats. Those two firms teamed up on polling about immigration reform last year.

Jon Murray: 303-954-1405, [email protected] or twitter.com/JonMurray

Convertible Park Benches Aid Homeless

If you live in any major city, or even smaller ones, you've surely seen a homeless person huddled up on a park bench for much needed sleep. Or someone settling in for the night under a shelter of newspapers on a bus bench. It's a sight no one loves to see, because it's an encounter with obvious struggle, and destitution. Some cities are so ashamed of their under-served homeless, that they try to herd the unsightly population out of town for major sporting events or the Olympics. While serving homeless populations certainly isn't easy, it is easy to be compassionate. In Vancouver, one advertising agency pointed out just how ridiculous it is that people have to sleep on park benches to begin with.  Rather than shoo the needy away, they came up with way to provide them the shelter they seek.

The Canadian firm, Spring Advertising, worked with a Vancouver's RainCity Housing and Support Society on an idea to modify bus stops and park benches to convert to shelter.

In 2013, Canadian firm Spring Advertising approached the RainCity Housing and Support Society, a local shelter and advocacy organization in Vancouver, with an idea for modifying bus stops and park benches. Instead of trying to discourage the homeless from sleeping on them, they’d welcome them to stay. The new design, allows the benches to fold out, providing a roof for the person sleeping on the bench.

The benches are printed with information about where to go for assistance. While it's not an encompassing solution for homelessness, it does address the immediate need, and direct them to additional resources.

Source:

Business Leaders Call for Immigration Reform

Today, business leaders from around the country are calling for action on immigration reform. Here in Colorado, a group of media professionals gathered at the South Metro Denver Chamber for a press conference.

“While politicians may be in a stalemate, business leaders are more convinced now than ever that something needs to be done,” said Jeff Wasden, President of the Colorado Business Roundtable. "It’s not just a security issue, but a workforce issue. We need to put aside the fears that this is somehow a play for amnesty."

Bob Goldman, the new CEO of the South Metro Denver Chamber, stated, "This issue of immigration reform is crucial to business in our area, as well as all over Colorado." Also interesting is the statistic that he shared, "40% of the Fortune 500 were started by an immigrant or the child of an immigrant."

George Brachler, the District Attorney of the 18th Judicial District, advocates a system that allows immigrants to report crimes without fear of deportation. "You and I are accountable under our laws, but they (undocumented immigrants) are not - and that's something that needs to change." He added,  "There is something that the community loses when laws are not predictable and consistently enforced." He added, “No economy can thrive in an environment where people don’t feel safe."

Jeff Wasden wrapped up the press conference. "So we're here today on a national Call for Action to encourage congress to take action. To immediately start to enforce our nation's laws. To control and secure our borders. To develop a verification system  that truly allows businesses to ensure the worker that are here are here legally. Jeff concluded, "Our members of congress need to hear from us and we need to get something done on this important issue. It's broken and it needs fixing today."

Other related news reports:

http://kdvr.com/2014/07/09/business-agriculture-leaders-press-obama-congress-for-immigration-reform/

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26116409/business-groups-tout-poll-showing-coloradans-back-immigration?source=JBarTicker

The Case for the Export-Import Bank

Press Release for Immediate Publication:

Too often, politics hamper the ability of business to expand and put Americans to work. What used to be an important bipartisan reauthorization of the Export-Import bank has now fallen firmly in the cross-hairs of some members of the GOP. Charges of crony capitalism and big governmental overreach flow freely from opposition tongues. "Let the private sector fill that space in the market. Those big companies don't need the Ex-Im Bank, they can get capital on their own," scream critics. While I can appreciate the basis for their argument, their facts on this issue are off base and in some cases, just flat out wrong.While numerous Presidents have lauded the successes of the Ex-Im Bank, I want to quote two former U.S. Presidents for context:President Ronald Reagan, January 30, 1984: "In order for the United States to maintain its strong position in foreign markets, it is important that the Congress pass the Export-Import Bank bill and avoid attaching unnecessary encumbrances."

President George W. Bush, June 14, 2002: "I have today signed into law S. 1372, the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2002. This legislation will ensure the continued effective operation of the Export-Import Bank, which helps advance U.S. trade policy, facilitate the sale of U.S. goods and services abroad, and create jobs here at home."

The Ex-Im Bank's primary mission is American jobs. By financing the export of American goods and services, the Ex-Im Bank has supported 1.2 million private-sector American jobs. 205,000 in 2013 alone. This April, the United States exported $193.3 billion of goods and services according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Commerce Department. Exports of goods and services over the last year totaled $2.3 trillion, which is 45.1 percent above the level of exports in 2009, and have been growing at an annualized rate of 9.0 percent when compared to the 2009 level.

In fiscal year 2013, Ex-Im Bank approved more than $27 billion in total authorizations. For the year, the Ex-Im Bank approved 3,413 transactions for small-business. Of the total number of transactions approved just last year, 89 percent were for small business, the backbone of American Main Street economies. While critics tend to overlook this important fact, the disparity in the total number of transactions for big and small business make the argument for reauthorization even stronger.

For those that do not understand the composition of the Ex-Im Bank, it is an independent, self-sustaining agency that fills in the gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. It is the official export credit agency of the U.S. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms including working-capital guarantees, export-credit insurance, and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services. In the past five years, the Bank has earned $2 billion more than the cost of its operations and after covering loan loss reserves. That is money that is put in the Treasury to help reduce the federal deficit.

The Ex-Im Bank does not compete against the private sector but acts as a complimentary player. While they work to fill in the gaps through loans, guarantees, and insurance programs, the private sector lenders are Ex-Im Bank partners. During the FY 2013, 98% of the Ex-Im Bank's transactions involved commercial banks.

How does Colorado benefit from the Ex-Im Bank? Since 2007, 93 Colorado exporters have use the Ex-Im. 68 of those exporters are small businesses. International trade (both exports and imports) supports 680,000 Colorado jobs. These jobs are related to both large and small companies from farms to factories to headquarters of Colorado's globally engaged firms. Colorado alone exports tens of billions of dollars in goods and services annually. Exports have been shipped to 210 countries with top countries like Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, China, and Mexico. Today, more than one in five jobs depend on international trade!

Rhetoric is tossed around. A few members of Congress have made "killing" the Ex-Im Bank one of their priorities, but I feel we must hold politicians to the same standard as they ask us to do as citizens- to look at the facts and make an informed decision. Money returned to the Treasury, supporting and growing U.S. jobs, helping manufacturing and other key industries remain viable in America and putting Americans to work. From companies big and small, from the rural farmlands to high rise corporate America, the Ex-Im Bank has been a vital and necessary tool for continued growth and prosperity. Why cut off one of the most efficient, low risk, successful programs that contributes to the "jobs, jobs, jobs" focus that is so important to both political parties?

Please let your member of Congress know that you support continued American prosperity, increased opportunities to promote and sell goods and services and a program that lets the world stage know that the U.S. is open for business. Your member of Congress can be found using this site:http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ By contacting Congress and letting them know you support the Export-Import Bank reauthorization, you can send a strong message that we support Colorado businesses.

This is one program that business of all sizes and citizens from differing political affiliations should stand together with locked arms and tout the ongoing success and viability of a program that has carved into the debt while at the same time supporting working families all across this great nation. Let's not say we are open for business and then shut down one of the tools that helps grow our economy. I urge all members of Congress to look at the proposed changes and to make the right choice for American business and reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.

Oculus Starts Using Facebook's Cash

Oculus VR, the crowd-funded virtual reality startup, has started making some big moves since it was picked up by Facebook. First off, the company said it would be acquiring Carbon Design Group - the Seattle based firm that helped Microsoft design Xbox's controller and the Xbox Kinect.  Today they're announcing the second acquisition: Raknet, a software-development engine for connecting games across an online network. The technology, which Oculus is now making available to developers open source, enables studios to quickly add voice chat, network patching, and secure connections to their product. While the original news of Facebook's acquisition was shocking to many including myself, it looks like the partnership is genuinely accelerating the development of virtual reality.

The company also just announced their first developer event. "Oculus Connect, a developer conference that brings together engineers, designers, and creatives from around the world to share and collaborate in the interest of creating the best virtual reality experiences possible."

In the last two years, we’ve seen more virtual reality content built than in the last two decades, and that’s a direct result of incredible work by the community. With virtual reality’s momentum at an all-time high, this is a unique moment for the developer community to come together to take the virtual reality to the next level.

Oculus Connect 2014 takes place Sept 19 – 20 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Attendee applications will be available on the Oculus Connect website, www.oculusvr.com/connect, starting on July 10th and attendance confirmations will go out the following week. We’ve reserved a block of discounted rooms at the Loews for registered guests.

Attendees will be the first to learn about upcoming Oculus technology, with sessions and workshops led by Oculus engineers and industry pioneers. Developers at the event will also have opportunities to receive design and engineering feedback directly from the Oculus team in hands-on labs.

Oculus Connect will also feature keynotes from Brendan Iribe (CEO), Palmer Luckey (Founder), John Carmack (CTO) and Michael Abrash (Chief Scientist) on Oculus, virtual reality, and the future of the medium. The full session list will be announced as we draw closer to the show.

You can get the full details on the official Oculus Connect website, www.oculusvr.com/connect. While the conference is open to the public, be aware this is a developer-centric event. Attendance is limited, but we’ll be livestreaming the keynotes for developers around the world who can’t make it to the show.

If you’re an Oculus developer interested in helping to build the future, we’re looking forward to meeting you in person Sept 19th!

Sources:

http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/announcing-oculus-connect-raknet-open-source-and-e3-2014-awards/

http://venturebeat.com/2014/07/07/with-zuckerbergs-wallet-oculus-vr-acquires-game-networking-engine-raknet-makes-it-open-source/

http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/07/oculus-debuts-oculus-connect-developer-conference-acquires-raknet-and-open-sources-its-tech

Bringing the World to Denver

Creating a culture of diversity starts by getting out of your comfort zone. To learn more about the world, we need to explore the world, or at minimum engage with people from other cultures. WorldDenver makes that mission easier than it sounds. As an international forum right here in Denver, the organization not only extends an invitation to foreign diplomats and visitors, but to everyone interested in our global society. As a member of WorldDenver, you are invited to engage in programming and events that bring the world to your door.

Our guests this week are Karen de Bartholomé, Executive Director of WorldDenver and Norma Mozeé, a WorldDenver Board Member. Together they share with us the experience of worldly players from the comfort of Denver.

WorldDenver is globally-focused, with programs that encourage their members to be curious and open-minded. Their membership is the core of the organization, which works to advance members in citizen diplomacy.

Learn more about WorldDenver and how to get involved by visiting their website and by listening to our full interview Saturday at 10:00 AM on KNUS 710 –  Please let us know what you think of our program, either by commenting here or on Facebook at Connect & Collaborate with ICOSA or join the discussion on Twitter @ICOSAMagazine.

Europe Censors Google

Recently, the European Union passed controversial legislation that grants people the "right to be forgotten," which forces Google to remove links if requested. While good intentions may have gone into the arguments for this new law, it appears there can be serious unintended consequences as some critics have vocally predicted. Legitimate, honest journalism can be removed from Google's search results and practically struck from the public record. This history-erasing link removal amounts to internet censorship. Many people are finding this disturbing.  There's already an example of potential abuse; Google had to stop displaying links in Europe to this BBC article about former Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O'Neal.  The article is a factual piece of journalism from a respected organization, not unfounded libel. Business Insider notes, "O'Neal led the bank in the mid-2000s, a period when it became dangerously over-exposed to the looming mortgage crisis. When the crisis hit, Merrill's losses were so great the bank had to be sold to Bank of America. O'Neal lost his job, but he exited with a $161.5 million golden parachute."

Robert Peston, the BBC Economics Editor, says, "There is an argument that in removing the blog, Google is confirming the fears of many in the industry that the 'right to be forgotten' will be abused to curb freedom of expression and to suppress legitimate journalism that is in the public interest."  

It appears O'Neal himself did not request the link to be removed, but rather someone who had simply commented on the post.  Business Insider concludes their piece on the story with, "Right now, thousands of people probably think that Stan O'Neal is on some quixotic quest to make people forget that he was at the wheel when Merrill drove off a cliff. And there is no evidence that that's the case. But because the law exists, we have no idea what the truth is. That ought to worry everyone."

To be fair, while the Google is complying with the law, it had fought against its passage. First it happened in China, and now Europe is censoring Google.  God Bless the USA, home of the free! Right? RIGHT??

2014 Cherry Creek Arts Festival!

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is recognized as Colorado’s signature cultural event during the Fourth of July weekend, the Arts Festival enjoys an annual attendance of 350,000 visitors. With a theme of “Art Lives Here,” the 2014 Cherry Creek Arts Festival brings together 250 juried visual artists, over 20 culinary vendors, and live entertainment in a unique celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts. Most importantly, it remains a FREE venue where families can spend quality time together. During three days every year, art comes alive on the streets of Cherry Creek North through the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. With hundreds of artists bringing unique expressions of self to the Festival site, our patrons benefit from engaging cultural and arts education experiences. While the three-­‐day experience may be fleeting, the impact of the art lives on in our patrons, partners and the community 365 days of the year

10 Skills You Must Have in 2020

The Institute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit strategic research group with more than 40 years of forecasting experience. IFTF has come up with six drivers of changes, which are extreme longevity, rise of smart machines and systems, computational world, new media ecology, superstructured organizations and globally connected world. These six drivers of changes mean there are 10 skills the future workforce will need to be successful. The 10 skills are sense making, social intelligence, novel and adaptive thinking, cross cultural competency, computational thinking, new media literacy, transdisciplinarity, design mindset, cognitive load management and virtual collaboration.

This information is best understood in an infographic developed by NOWSOURCING.

Guess What - Binge Watching is Bad

Who watches TV anymore? With Netflix, Hulu, and other video on demand applications - television is history. Why sit through commercials when you can stream multiple episodes of your current binge show in a row, without interruptions? Ah yes, it's come to this. Binge TV. And yes, it's really really bad for you.

According to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, adults who watch TV for three hours or more each day, double their risk of premature death compared to those who watch less.

Researchers studied more than thirteen thousand young people to determine the association between, and risk of death from three sedentary behaviors: television viewing time, computer time and driving time. They followed the subjects for about eight years, and found that out of 97 deaths, the risk of death was doubled for those who watched three or more hours of TV a day compared to those watching one hour or fewer.  That risk was also evident in consideration of a wide array of variables.

The researchers didn't find a significant link between similar sedentary activity, like using a computer or driving a vehicle. Maybe because when driving a vehicle, one is still alert and engaged.

Apparently, the inactive or comatose state of sitting there staring at a screen is so detrimental that we might die younger. No doubt it curbs our social interactions as well, which has been found to simulate our brains and likely our hearts.

In conclusion, laying slumped on the couch with an iPad balanced on your stomach, letting Breaking Bad autoplay one show after another, does nothing for your health. (not that I would know anything about that description) So go text a buddy and go for a hike. Even meeting up for a glass of wine will do more for your well-being than binge watching.

You're welcome.

Source: American Heart Association

Use Ecosia, Plant Trees For Free

22,600 tons of carbon dioxide are released every year to power online search engines and an astonishing 300 million tons powering the entire internet. The best solution for balancing out the increase in carbon emissions from computer servers is to plant trees (trees use CO2 as a natural input for the photosynthesis process).  

"A new breed of internet startup is taking on the big guns of the tech world."

 

Ecosia.org is a clever startup that is reimagining online search. Most search engines make money through displaying online ads, however, Ecosia uses 80% of its income to fund The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees project.  Brazil's Atlantic coast is extremely important ecologically because of the high level of biodiversity found there and the intense pressure from previous deforestation.  Strategically, it's a highly effective place on planet earth to plant trees.

The search engine recently got an upgrade; it now combines Yahoo! and Google results to better display maps, news, pictures, and even biographies. It has never been easier to help the environment while searching the internet. You can make a difference by 1.) Visiting Ecosia.org for your online searches  2.) Installing the browser extension and 3.) Telling your friends!

How to Draw a Phish Song

Arts Beat, the Culture Lounge posted a video today that is a unique perspective on music, “How to Draw a Phish Song.” Ben Ratliff interviewed Mike Hamad, the "diagramist" artist that creates visual charts of music to describe what he hears. Last July, Hamad missed out on attending a Phish concert, but was able to listen live to an open-ended version of “Tweezer,” which is now known as a career highlight for Phish. His diagram or song map picked up popularity after he tweeted a picture of it. A year later he has now created about 100 song maps. Hamad has a Ph.D. in musicology, so he knows a thing a two about music.

ArtsBeat: Video: How to Draw a Phish Song http://nyti.ms/1nZBvgB

Take a look at Mike Hamad’s schematics with links to listen to the songs that inspired the song map; http://setlistschematics.tumblr.com/

How Social Media Drives Consumerism

It started with online shopping, and the ability to find goods and in many cases, sizes, that you may not find in your local stores. It seemed it was enough to be tempted by the endless bounty of beautiful things, amazing gadgets and more books than you could ever read. That was when most of us were intentionally shopping for what we need or desire. Today, retailers have new methods to show us what we're missing. There's Pintrest, where we can see all the lovely things everyone else is buying or hopes to buy. And flash sale sites, like Joss & Main, Wayfair, which present curated collections and a limited time to purchase. Now shopping applications like Keep and Wanelo (short for Want, Need, Love) host a steady stream of goodies that you never knew existed and didn't know you wanted.

What's more, retailers want to get in on the action by streaming images of all this consumer driven drivel in front of your face while you're shopping!

According to Business Insider, Nordstrom recently announced that they'll install video screens throughout more than one hundred stores, to allow customers to see which of the retailer's products are being featured on Wanelo. They believe it will help promote a good customer experience.

Other retailers, like Lululemon and Sephora use those shopping apps to keep track of what their customers are buying.

So it has come to this. Social media is influencing sales. But we knew that already, once mommy bloggers started getting kickbacks for recommending their favorite stroller or baby carrier. It takes "keeping up with the Jones'" to a new level where we have to keep up with not just our friends, but everyone on the internet. And there's no question that women are influenced most by social media when it comes to what they intend to purchase.

Here is one fascinating graph from the Business Insider article:

Getting to We

Often in business deals, the focus is on getting the most you can, for the least amount of sacrifice. Allegiances and goodwill are usually victims in that strategy, even when both parties work to meet in the middle. What is needed is a completely different view on negotiation to do better. Jeanette Nyden calls it a new negotiation paradigm. In her book, Getting to We - Negotiating Agreements for Highly Collaborative Relationships, which she co-authored with Kate Vitasek and David Frydlinger, Nyden referrs to a five-step process to negotiation, all at the heart of WIIFWe (What's In It For We).

Rather than looking at each deal individually, as in "this time", Getting to We encourages building a relationship with those with whom you do business. No contract is a one time deal, you should be planning to work together, to facilitate the sort of agreements where there is not one clear winner, but both parties meeting on the same line, willingly.

Jeanette is a captivating speaker and an absolute delight to interview. We have a lot of fun on this week's program, so tune in to learn the new art of negotiation - and enter to win a copy of her book!

Connect & Collaborate with ICOSA is giving away twenty copies of Getting to We.  Just submit your name in our entry form below, LIKE our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ICOSARadio, and share the contest with your friends. On Monday morning we'll draw twenty winners from the entries and let you know if you won. Listen to the podcast of this program by clicking below. You can play right here, or download our iPhone app at connectcollaborate.podbean.com/mobile/

Drone Delivery Knocked Down

If you're expecting an Amazon order to come directly to your door via drone, it's time to lower your expectations. The FAA shot down approval for drone delivery, in a DOT request for comment document. While Amazon Prime Air isn't mentioned specifically in the document, the decision clearly limits drone use for hobby and recreation.

"Clearly, commercial operations would not be hobby or recreation flights," said the FAA report. "Likewise, flights that are in furtherance of a business, or incidental to a person’s business, would not be a hobby or recreation flight."

The wording would seem to knock down drone use for other commercial purposes as well, including aerial photography for real estate or other commercial production.

This may not be the final word on the issue. The notice of interpretation with request for comment opens the issue to a period of public consideration. The FAA will receive comments from interested parties on this decision before procedding. If you would like to add your comments, you'll find guidelines for doing so within the report linked here.

Dumb Ways to Die

Have you ever seen a news report on an accidental death and simply thought, "Whoa. What a dumb way to die!" Perhaps it's not the most sympathetic reaction. But don't we all have a threshold for stupidity? Mine is people who don't follow the basic rules of the road. I'm truly aggravated when an ambulance is trying to get through traffic and none of the drivers seem to know to get over and let them through. "Move Right for Sirens and Lights!" ring a bell? Or the dozens (or more) videos on YouTube featuring someone with their clothes on fire and their friends stupidly fanning the flames. "Stop Drop and Roll" much?  Last winter, a video of a series of would-be-rescuers crashing through the ice made the rounds on national and local news. Apparently, few people know that you shouldn't put all your weight in one spot on weak ice. There's not a catching saying for that one. Maybe, "Distribute your weight so the ice doesn't break" could catch on.

We can try to be tactful to teach people, but it seems mocking them is more effective. Although that wasn't actually the intent when the Australian Suburban Railway Network created a public service announcement to prevent accidental injuries on and around train tracks. The video features some darling animated characters meeting untimely death due to stupid behavior. Poking a grizzly bear, sticking a fork in a toaster... you name it. It ends with animated deaths that hit a little too close to reality, around a train station. The ad was criticized for making light of serious injuries, but it got 2.5 million views on YouTube in the first 48 hours. When the jiggle was released to iTunes, it jumped to the top ten in the first 24 hours. Three days later it was the sixth most popluar song globally.

Did it have the desired result? According to Wikipedia, Metro Trains reported a more than 30% reduction in "near-miss" accidents, from 13.29 near-misses per million kilometers in November 2011 – January 2012, to 9.17 near-misses per million kilometres in November 2012 – January 2013. However, a Victoria employee roundly dismisses those figures citing reduction in risky behavior as being "social media bullshit".

I can't dispute the figures, but I'd say you can make common sense as memorable as possible, and most people will still be injured needlessly. Perhaps the necessary information just doesn't come to mind when they specifically need it. I mean, why else would a teenager try to shake a fire out of her dress, giving the flames more oxygen? (see clothes on fire video by clicking the link.)

The Music of Collaboration

Few things represent collaboration better than music. Whether it's an orchestra playing hundreds of instruments for one composition, or simply a singer and his guitar... music is about combining sounds to create more than is there physically. It's the same with Connect & Collaborate with ICOSA. Our focus is on collaboration with the intent of combining everyone's talents and strengths to accomplish more than we can do alone.

This week, our guests are Jim Salestrom, an internationally known, Emmy Award-winning musician who uses his gifts to bring people together, share talents and motivate everyone to be their best - and - Jeff Wasden, a Denver businessman and President of the Colorado Business Roundtable. Jeff has an incredible talent for gathering people together, identifying their strengths and encouraging everyone to work together. Each of them will be contributing editors here on ICOSAMedia.com. Jim Salestrom will contribute stories about music and entertainment and Jeff Wasden will share stories related to business and politics. Look for their stories here weekly.

Additionally, Jim and Jeff are working together to further the mission of the Colorado Business Roundtable, to bring business leaders together to accomplish more for the state of Colorado and for business enterprise.

Just as Jim's musical talent brings people together, and provides a shared experience, the Colorado Business Roundtable seeks to bring people together for a shared purpose and to enrich each person's, each business, each enterprises experience.

Tune in Saturday at 10:00 AM on KNUS 710 - to learn more about the Colorado Business Roundtable.

Please let us know what you think of our program, either by commenting here or on Facebook at Connect & Collaborate with ICOSA or join the discussion on Twitter @ICOSAMagazine.

2014 Adobe Creative Cloud Launched Today

Today Adobe announced the 2014 Creative Cloud, which included faster production options and new tools, such as the Creative Cloud pen. Technology has changed the face of art. The computer as a tool opens up where, who and how you work. Experimenting with new software allows you to do that. To see what you missed in the keynote address click here.

Adobe CEO, Shantanu Narayen spoke today in NYC. He is most excited about, “all the cool innovation that is worked on all around the world every day.” Adobe aimed to re-imagine how creatives will work with CC in the future. CC is updated every 12 to 18 months, with that product lifecycle Adobe is showing constant engagement with their customers.

Digital Media SVP David Wadhwani has spent 12 years at Adobe, and was super excited to walk through new products today. The next frontier for Adobe is experience. Wadhwani says ¾ of creative are working beyond one medium. Optimism is one thing Adobe says they see as a trend in creatives; however work is expected to be completed faster and is more complex. Adobe wants to help creative meet those demands.

The Creative Cloud Pen lets you draw without needing to carry several colors and pencil sizes. It also links to the Creative Cloud, lets you bring in your settings, keep a clipboard and share work with your network. Sketch, Ink, Line, and Slide are tools to use with the pen. Ink and Slide are available today on adobe.com. The pen sells for $199.99, and is sold by Adobe’s partner Adonit.