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Heated Driveways Rid Homeowners of Winter Woes

As winter quickly approaches, homeowners are starting preparations to winterize their homes and prepare for the cold and snowy months ahead. Some of the to-do items on homeowners’ lists include replacing screens with storm windows, changing the direction of ceiling fans, taking shovels out of the basement and restocking on salt to help clear ice off sidewalks and driveways.

Once the snow finally arrives, alarm clocks need to be set about 15 minutes earlier, as well, to leave enough time to shovel the driveway. While some may view morning snow shoveling as their morning workout, most people dread having to throw on snow gear and head out early to clear their driveway of last night’s snowfall. Some people may elect to hire a plow service, or the kid down the street, to get rid of the snow, but if the plow or neighborhood shoveler doesn’t arrive on time, these people end up doing the work themselves anyway.

Wouldn’t it be great to wake up in the morning on your own time, knowing that no matter how much it snowed the night before, the driveway will be snow-free? Believe it or not, it can be done. Heated driveways are a great way to eliminate the need to shovel or hire a plow, and they also keep people safe from slipping on dangerous ice that often accumulates on the driveway.

Last year’s harsh winter that dumped heaping piles of snow across the country led to a drastic increase in heated driveway installations over the year, according to The Times Herald. With weather experts forecasting another harsh winter this year, a heated driveway doesn’t seem like a bad investment, especially since other types of driveways can take a beating during the winter.

While small-stone gravel driveways provide good traction, they can be ruined by plows and shovels. Regular concrete driveways can also be harmed in the winter from being overloaded with road salt. As salt melts the snow, excess moisture in the concrete can cause concrete driveways to crack. Heated driveways melt snow as soon as it touches the surface, and prevent ice patches from building up, as well.

Heated driveways can run on the pricier side, but what homeowners are really paying for is peace of mind, and can you put a price on that?

POS Systems at Jimmy John’s and 108 Other Restaurants Affected by Malware Breach

In a saga that seems to have no end, the sandwich restaurant chain Jimmy John’s is the most recent company to acknowledge a major point-of-sale system breach.

It’s a refrain that anyone who’s been following the POS breaches knows by heart: malware was once again used to steal customer credit card data, including card numbers, cardholder names, expiration dates and verification codes.

At least 216 of Jimmy John’s locations were affected, between June 16, 2014 and Sept. 5, 2014. The malware appears to have been installed on the company’s POS devices on July 1, 2014, and the bulk of it was discovered and removed between Aug. 3 and Aug. 5, 2014.

Jimmy John’s says that it doesn’t have access to the information that would allow them to contact affected customers, but customer can view a list of affected stores with dates of exposure online.

“Jimmy John’s has taken steps to prevent this type of event from occurring in the future,” the company said in a statement, “including installing encrypted swipe machines, implementing system enhancements, and reviewing its policies and procedures for its third party vendors.”

Unfortunately, this particular breach doesn’t end with Jimmy John’s. A total of 108 independent restaurant locations running POS equipment provided by Signature Systems have been affected as well, according to a statement released by the POS provider. POS systems allow retailers and restaurants to review daily sales reports and retain customer information. It’s the second feature that hackers are taking advantage of.

A full list of the affected restaurants can be viewed at http://www.pdqpos.com/notice.html.

“We have determined that an unauthorized person gained access to a user name and password that Signature Systems used to remotely access PoS systems,” Signature Systems announced in a statement. “The unauthorized person used that access to install malware designed to capture payment card data from cards that were swiped through terminals in certain restaurants.”

This statement echoes many statements released by companies in the last year. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning last month that over 1,000 American businesses had been affected by the infamous Backoff POS malware alone.

Consumers are advised to watch for any unusual charges on their accounts, and retailers are advised to upgrade and secure their POS systems.

Why Generation Y is in No Hurry To Say “I Do”

Here comes the bride, all dressed in whi– wait a minute, not so fast.

According to a recent report from Pew Research, it is predicted that more people under the age of 35 will be single forever. Forever? Yes, forever and ever.

The number of Americans who have never been married, and are likely to never do so, is at an historic high, based on data from the report. This is in part due to the fact that many do not have jobs or feel financially secure enough, and also because traditional views on marriage have dramatically changed. Marriage isn’t as highly regarded as it was in past generations. Over the course of the last four years, the number of young singles who want to get married significantly decreased, as attitudes have shifted.

Based on census data and Pew’s own surveys, the report is the latest to project that marriage rates are sharply declining. Young people are saving marriage for later in life, choosing to focus on their education and establishing careers before walking down the aisle — if they decide to walk down the aisle at all. Nearly 20% of Americans older than 25 had never been married in 2012, up from 9% in 1960. The numbers are even starker in the black community, with 36% of black Americans older than 25 having never married, which is nearly four times the number from 50 years ago.

So why are so many people choosing not to get hitched anymore? According to the study, 30% of people have yet to find the right person, 27% did not feel financially ready or stable enough, and 22% are simply not ready to settle down. However, researchers aren’t quick to label this as the new normal just yet.

Some young people are putting off tying the knot, and while many are choosing instead to live together in long-term relationships, the number of couples moving in together in lieu of getting married is still lower than one might think. “Cohabitation is much less common than marriage and cohabiting relationships are much less stable than marriages,” says Kim Parker, co-author of the study. “It’s hard to imagine marriage being replaced any time soon.”

The Pew researchers also managed to squeeze out other reasons by asking participants what they wanted in a spouse. The majority of women are choosing practicality over romance, and want a husband with a stable job, followed closely by similar beliefs in raising children, which was the exact same quality men desired in a spouse.

In 1960, 93% of men between the ages of 25 and 34 were employed, compared to 82% in 2012. Young men who are employed now just aren’t bringing home as much bacon as they did at one time. Factoring in inflation, the median hourly wage of men ages 25 to 34 are up to a fifth less than what they were in 1980. Also, women are contributing to the labor force in much higher numbers, with some earning higher salaries than their counterparts. While there are more single and available men than women, there are substantially fewer employed men who are single than employed women.

However, postponing marriage may be smart, as divorce rates continue to increase across the United States. Perhaps after seeing their own parents’ marriages end in divorce, millennials are wary about rushing down the aisle. Several studies have indicated that marriages are more likely to be healthier, and therefore last longer, when people marry at an older age, have a higher education, and earn more money.

This doesn’t mean that marriage is falling out of favor, but instead illustrates how attitudes regarding the American dream have changed.

Top Social Media Platforms Slammed for Unclear Policies on Harassment of Women

Some of the most popular social media platforms have been slammed for their lack of attention to harassment of women on their sites.

The Association for Progressive Communications’ Women’s Rights Program took Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to task for each platform’s policy for reporting and resolving instances of harassment or violence against women, including online sexual harassment and direct violent threats.

Women outnumber men on almost every single social media platform, making them a force to be reckoned with. With 76% of online adult women on Facebook, and 30% of them accessing the site daily, that is a big audience for whose safety the platform has shown little regard.

On its Community Standards page, Facebook claims that safety is their top priority. They specifically address harassment, violent threats, and hate speech as acts that they will not tolerate, but go on to explain that “because of the diversity of our community, it’s possible that something could be disagreeable or disturbing to you without meeting the criteria for being removed or blocked.”

Facebook has been more upfront with its reporting process, and has safety teams numbering into the hundreds, handling complaints in over 20 languages. But still, they don’t publish their abuse numbers, an act which would truly make them accountable to their users.

By contrast, when a video is flagged on YouTube, it is sent to their team to review. Though it’s a 24-hour review team, the priority of a review is determined by an algorithm, so the victim has no way of knowing how long their review will take.

YouTube’s parent company, Google, says on their page about harassment and cyberbullying that they “will remove comments, videos or posts where the main aim is to maliciously harass or attack another user.” However, they make a point to emphasize their value of the freedom of expression, and explain that persons who post content violating the harassment policy will receive a “strike” against their YouTube account. There is no indications of how many strikes will result in the account being terminated.

This can be concerning news to businesses attempting to market themselves on social media. Businesses have to have their own social media pages nowadays in order to thrive by engaging consumers.

Facebook and YouTube are two particularly of the more successful social media platforms.

YouTube is actually the number two search engine in the world. A study by OutBrain shows that search engines are the #1 driver of traffic to content websites. Videos increase people’s understanding of your product or service by 74%, according to recent studies. Including videos on your company website, or links to videos on YouTube, will prove more engaging than a simple text-based post.

With social media harassment and bullying a growing problem, if social media platforms don’t step up their anti-harassment policies and procedures, and in turn become forthcoming with the public about the specifics of who is being harassed and what the sites are doing to prevent it, it will make these platforms seem unprofessional and unreliable to users.

Apple is Monopolizing Shipping Carriers to Meet iPhone 6 Demand

Want to buy the new iPhone 6 this month? You’re in luck. But that’s about all that will be shipping out from China, as Apple may have booked every cargo flight from China to the U.S. on three major freight carriers for two weeks, to deliver enough iPhone 6 units to fulfill demand for the phone’s launch on Sept. 19.

Though it’s been reported that Apple will only have a limited supply of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus (10 million for the month of September), the company is said to be shipping up to 80 million combined units this year.

PCMag spoke to several smaller manufacturers and analysts at the CTIA Wireless Super Mobility Week trade show, who all told the same story.

This won’t affect big names like Samsung and LG, but the smaller manufacturers are frustrated about not being able to get their products into the U.S. during the iPhone shipping crush, simply because they don’t have the same preferential rates and reserved air cargo space.

Shipping is no small concern for electronics. The iPhone, for example, must be stored in temperatures between -4 degrees and 113 degrees F, (-20 to 45 degrees C). That may seem like quite a broad range, but shipping containers can easily reach extreme temperatures while traveling between point A and point B.

Climate controlled containers are an excellent choice for shipping cargo which absolutely requires protection against temperature extremes. They keep the electronics at the proper temperature, so they are ready and operational for the hungry consumers that await them.

Apple has played this game before. In 1997, Steve Jobs bought up all the holiday freight space for the new iMacs. In 2012, Apply took up enough capacity on DHL for shipping the third-generation iPad that DHL bumped up everyone else’s rate by 20%.

Because of all the hubbub, several smaller manufacturers, including American Network Solutions, Unnecto, and Blu, all said they have new phones launching in October, rather than September.

Wisconsin’s Costly Highway Projects Draw Criticism From Lawmakers, Environmental Group

For four of its highway expansion and renovation projects, the state of Wisconsin is expected to spend a whopping $3 billion.

It’s a price tag that is causing many of the state’s taxpayers to speak out — including two legislators and an environmental group that call the projects “unnecessary,” especially considering rising trends in alternative modes of transportation in cities like Milwaukee.

According to a September 9 Fox 6 Now article, the WISPIRG (Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group) Foundation is pressing Wisconsin’s legislation to spend these billions on repairing local roads and funding alternative transportation methods like bicycles and public transportation.

“Local transportation infrastructure is in disrepair,” a WISPIRG Foundation statement reads. “We could implement all the recommendations of the 2013 bi-partisan Transportation Policy and Finance Commission for local road repair, transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and the rehabilitation of state-owned roads, for the next 10 years, for just over $1 billion of those highway expansion funds.”

In addition to costing taxpayers literal billions, expanding highways like I-94 requires the use of large industrial construction equipment — and when this equipment is mostly stored in warehouses, there are a number of safety hazards that come along with it.

The forklift battery, which powers the machinery that transports this construction equipment in and out of warehouses, is especially notorious for the harmful chemicals it contains. If a warehouse doesn’t follow OSHA regulations for battery room ventilation, the gases that leak from a forklift battery during the watering or maintenance processes can be extremely hazardous to one’s health when inhaled.

All told, travel by car in Wisconsin reached its peak a decade ago, according to Fox 6 Now. More and more of its residents are choosing instead to travel by bike, public transit — even by foot. Considering this, it’s hard to think of reasons to support the state’s planned spending on highway repairs.

New Lexus Ad Angers Electric Car Enthusiasts Who Accuse Them of Using Scare Tactics

A new Lexus advertisement has created quite a stir — and anger — among electric vehicle enthusiasts. According toInternational Business Times, people believe the new ad “stokes fear” in the hearts of people who are considering buying an electric car.

The ad features an image of an electric car charging station with the caption “Reserved for someone with four hours to kill,” suggesting that charging an electric battery takes a long time, especially in comparison to the regenerative braking capabilities of hybrid cars.

Lexus, which is owned by Japanese auto maker Toyota, seems to imply that recharging electric cars is prohibitively inconvenient, perhaps in an effort to promote the image of their own hybrid vehicle technology.

Something has been stagnating the sales of hybrid and electric cars. Though auto sales in general are higher than ever since the Great Recession, electric and hybrid sales are not quite keeping up.

Why? According to Time magazine, relatively low and stable gas prices and loss of the novelty feel in the marketplace, both likely contribute to waning sales.

But Lexus’s scare tactics and declining numbers don’t mean that Americans aren’t buying them at all. Hybrid Carsreports that Americans made their 250,000th plug-in vehicle purchase last month. This number includes both battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids (37,820 and 40,789, respectively).

Aside from unrivaled fuel economy and a more environmentally friendly option, hybrid and electric cars offer another attractive incentive. In the United States, purchasing a hybrid vehicle can have tax incentives worth up to $3,400, and according to Time, federal tax credits for electric vehicle purchases can potentially amount to $7,500.

So while Lexus implements fear-inducing ads, and prices at the pump aren’t putting Americans into hybrid vehicles as quickly as one would think, they’re still buying them even if the rate isn’t in tune with the rate of traditional vehicles — maybe partly due to those sweet tax incentives.

Worker Wins Workers Comp Appeal After Being Injured Shortly After Quitting

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth court ordered a Pennsylvania health care firm to pay workers compensation benefits to a former employee who was injured just moments after resigning from his position as a driver technician.According to court filings, Paul Marazas arrived to work to receive his daily itinerary after having been on-call the previous weekend. After realizing the number of stops on the list would take him until midnight to complete, Marazas asked his manager to remove stops, as he was still tired from having been on-call.

When the manager refused Marazas’ request, Marazas informed his manager that he was unable to work under such conditions, according to records. He then proceeded to resign by turning in his keys and company phone. The manager then told Maraza she would escort him to remove his personal belongings from his company truck.

Shortly after removing items from the truck, Maraza tripped over a pallet jack located on the company’s premises. The manager involved in the case, witnessed Maraza fall and injure his left side. Records show that when Maraza called the manager a few days after the incident in order to request a physician referral, he was told that the company only provides physicians for active employs. Maraza then filed a civil suit, seeking liability for his fall.

The company argued that Marazas was working at the time of fall, and therefore workers compensation was the only option for his injuries, filings shows. Marazas then withdrew his lawsuit and filed a workers compensation claim for injuries to the left side of his body, including his ankle, knee, and back.

“A Worker can still prevail on getting his Worker’s compensation benefits even after, he or she has been fired,” says Craig L. Cook,Attorney at Law. “It does not cost anything to file a claim for the worker.”

Worker’s compensation benefits were awarded to Marazas for a period of time based largely on the fact that the manager witnessed the fall, however, the company later appealed this decision, arguing that Marazas’ injuries occurred after he had already terminated his employment.What followed was a series of back and forth appeals made by both Marazas and his former employer. Ultimately, a three judge panel of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court unanimously ruled that Marazas is entitled to workers compensation benefits. In its decision, the court claimed that Marazas was presented with inconsistent arguments from the company when they advised Marazas that workers compensation claim was his best option while he was under his civil suit, but then later claimed Marazas’ resignation prevented him from being considered an employee for workers compensation benefit purposes.

The court also found that employment termination doesn’t bar workers compensation benefits when a worker is still acting under an employer’s direction on the employer’s premises. The ruling states that although Marazas resigned prior to being injured, he was still under the scope of employment because he was acting under the company’s direction and therefore furthering their interests.

Worker’s in a similar situation, or those who have questions regarding their eligibility to receive workers compensation benefits are encouraged to speak with an attorney who has experience dealing with workers compensation claims. Choosing a lawyer who understands the nuances of worker’s compensation laws and practices is imperative.

Apartment Rentals Become Popular Alternative To Buying, Landlords See Increase In Profit

According to a recent report by real estate website Zillow.com, South Florida “Mom-and-Pop” landlords are cashing in on a recovering and hot rental market, and making substantial returns on their rental properties. “Mom-and-Pop” landlords are considered property owners who own just one property, and renting is not their primary or full-time business.

This comes at time when the rental market is beginning to not only improve, but thrive, following the subprime mortgage crisis and economic downturn between 2007 and 2009. At that time, thousands of South Florida homeowners became landlords, and they are now beginning to reap the benefits. Many are in a better financial position than they originally thought possible.

This reflects a shift in the American housing and rental markets. Demand for rentals has significantly increased post recession, as many are attracted to the benefits and conveniences of renting, including flexibility. For example, most tenants sign a lease — a legal,binding contract that means the tenant is responsible for paying rent for an apartment for a certain amount of time, typically six months, one year, or even month-to-month. This is especially appealing to those who are relocating, or those who aren’t quite ready to commit to the longevity of a mortgage.

Many people find renting to be more cost-effective for their financial needs. Some have even sold their homes in favor of renting an apartment following the housing market collapse. Additionally, renting allows tenants to enjoy all the benefits and comfort of living in a home, without the responsibilities of owning a property, which makes rentals especially appealing to both workers and retirees alike.

Property managers and developers are also feeling the positive effects of a recovering housing and rental market, as more and more young professionals are leaving the nest. The construction boom is mostly taking place in metropolitan areas across the country, where renting is commonplace.

Home ownership, along with a white picket fence, has long been synonymous with achieving the fabled “American Dream”, however, this ideal is fading as home ownership rates are declining nationally. In fact, the percent of homeowners in the first quarter of this year was nearly 65%, the lowest it’s been since 1995, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

In lieu of declining home ownership rates, perhaps it’s time for Americans to reinvent and redefine the American Dream, as well was what makes a home. It’s often said that home is where the heart is. Perhaps The Jeffersons had it right, and home just might be that deluxe apartment in the sky.

The Sun is Shining Bright on the Future of the Solar Carport Industry

Earlier this year, websites were blowing up with the news that researchers were experimenting with solar roadways — roads that could be used as energy systems for entire cities, potentially.

The popularity of this idea may have taken some industry analysts by surprise. Though solar power has experienced consistent market growth — experiencing a 41% growth in solar installations in 2013 alone — it has, in many ways, been operating in the background of energy discussions. People have known about it, but haven’t looked into it much.

Now, though, other industries are thinking about ways they can incorporate solar energy into their products or services. Not only is it better for the environment, but it can serve as a powerful additional incentive for a customer to choose one company over many similar options out on the market. One example of this opening solar industry is carports.

Carports, not surprisingly, are used to cover cars — they offer a roof that shields the automobile from sunlight, rain, snow and more. They are affordable, and popular with public and private business parking garages, as well as in residential areas where people might not want to invest in another garage, but want a way to partially shelter their automobiles or boats from some of the elements. According to Green Tech Media (GTM), there are multiple reasons that developers should be excited about the future of the U.S. solar carport market.

They point out that since 2010, the price of solar carports have fallen 51%, and that state-level incentives given for solar energy have been favorable for nonprofit organizations, government entities, and schools. It’s also worth noting that, while the market for carports in 2014 was largely stagnant, the solar carport market segment continued to experience consistent growth. It currently has about a 12% share of the non-residential carport market.

Why else should developers be excited? Thanks to changes in legislation, it is now easier for companies and organizations to invest in solar carports without requiring extensive paperwork or liability acceptance. This means that the customer base for the product is still expanding. Most sales have so far been based in California; as awareness of the technology grows, and states across the country begin offering similar incentives that California does for energy conservation, so too will the market likely grow along with it.

How much will the solar carport market grow within the next several years? According to a report by GTM titled “U.S. Solar Carport Market, 2010-2018,” the industry is expected to hit a high of $843 million in value by 2016.