 Written by Blog Contributor: Lucy Reed of gigmine.co
Chances are that you know someone who struggles with mental health disorders. It’s possible that someone is you. Your workplace can play a major role in your well-being, so if your wellness is challenged by your working conditions, there is good news. The gig economy offers opportunities for improving your quality of life while still earning a living. Stresses and struggles. Even if you don’t start out with a mental health disorder, the stress and anxiety of some workplaces can bring one on. According to The Conversation, many workers must deal with excessive workloads, requirements to be more productive with fewer resources, poor managerial practices, conflicts with coworkers, and little choice in what they do and when. Issues such as these can be detrimental to your mental health. Mental health issues are costing employers as well, with some estimates as high as $100 billion annually in mental health-related expenses. Improve your situation. If those stressors sound all too familiar, engaging in the gig economy can be a boon to your well-being. Flexibility can be the biggest determining factor in improving mental health for workers, with some research showing productivity just as high for those embracing flexible employment options as for traditional workers. However, thanks to flex options such as telecommuting, workers report better health and happiness. The gig economy offers opportunities galore. Being able to adjust your schedule and workload to meet your other commitments in life can mean better satisfaction. Some studies show flexible employment options reduce stress and even make for better sleep habits. What’s more, you have the freedom and flexibility to match your schedule and workload with your energy levels. If you’re a morning person, you can get up and knock out duties at the crack of dawn. If you do best when you’re alone through certain days of the week, take on the bulk of your work during those times. So, what is the gig economy? The gig economy refers to what is essentially an internet-based employment platform through which people offering goods or services connect with people needing those goods or services. It’s the chance to be your own boss, set your own schedule, and plan your own future. You can elect to do short-term work, engage a variety of clients, or freelance individual, one-time sessions or products. And as Wired explains, it’s a rapidly-growing arena with a plethora of employment types and venues. You could drive people around, provide bookkeeping services, or sell your handmade crafts. Do you love animals? Some people become dog walkers or offer dog-boarding services. Can you sell ice to an eskimo? Some of the best business ideas right now for master salespeople include selling wireless earphones, HIIT workout equipment, and phone cases. No matter your skills, there’s a gig that can make you money! Downsides. Of course, it’s not all roses for gig workers. It’s important to understand that with the flexibility and freedom of leaving the traditional workplace, you also lose the benefits of a traditional workplace. There are no sick days or paid days off, and you don’t have an employer setting aside funds to pay your taxes or for your retirement. Those burdens fall to you. Even if bookkeeping isn’t your strength, as Forbes explains, this is all very doable. Track your expenses for a few months and establish a budget showing where your money is going. Aim to live on half of your income, set aside 30 percent toward flexible expenses, and then save the other 20 percent for things like your kids’ college tuition and your own IRA. Monitor your spending carefully to ensure you stay on track, and make sure you’re saving enough to pay your taxes on time. Stay healthy and happy. Mental health disorders can be challenged by poor working conditions. Thanks to the gig economy, you can embrace a more flexible worklife. If it’s time to raise your quality of life through a healthier work environment, the gig economy offers opportunities for change.
As published on csuitepodcast.com
"Produced in partnership with the European PR agency Tyto, in this episode, we Tyto’s Hype Report on the Internet of Things (IoT), hearing from a number of experts who contributed to it. For the main part of the show, Russell Goldsmith spoke to Practical Futurist, Andrew Grill and Abraham Joseph, Founder of IOT insights, plus Stephanie Atkinson, CEO of Compass Intelligence also joined the discussion in the studio via Skype from her offices in San Antonio in Texas. We also hear from two more IoT experts from the US, Dan Yarmoluk, Director of Business Development for IoT and Data Science at ATEK Access Technologies and Rich Rogers, who at the time of recording, was Senior Vice President for IoT Product & Engineering at Hitachi Vantara. Finally, Tyto’s Managing Partner Brendon Craigie explains why he put this report together. To download the full report, go to www.tytopr.com/iot To begin with, Brendon explained that this was the first in a series of reports that Tyto intend to publish, looking at the hottest technology, science and innovation trends. He said that they picked IoT first because it’s one of the top five technology discussions that’s been going on over the past five years. It’s at the top of the Gartner Hype Cycle, with around a quarter of a million articles in 2017 focused on IoT, which is more than double the 100,000 there were in 2015. Brendon added that IoT is very much a rising trend and the objective of Tyto’s reports is to cut beneath the hype to understand what’s really going on to understand the positive success stories as well as some of the barriers and challenges. 
Data Collection
Given that making sense of data is a key part of Stephanie’s business, we went to her with the first question on whether we are set up to cope with all of the data that’s about to be thrown at us? Stephanie had written in the report that “connected devices and assets alone are not what is revolutionary but what we can do with the information data and analysis of things that are connected is where we expect progress” and in fact, a lot of the comments made in the report naturally talked about the amount of data that’s being generated, which course is the bedrock of which IoT is built. Also, according to IHS Markit, a global business research analytics provider, there will be more than 31 billion IoT connected devices in 2018 and just looking at the Automotive Industry as one example, Intel had previously put out a stat that said just one autonomous car will create 4000 gigabytes of data a day. Stephanie said that one of the big things that we have to think about is that we can’t be in a position just to collect all of this data and it really not do anything, so that definitely is an issue from a carrier perspective as we have too much data being collected. She added that we have to really think about this systematically – we have to look through each and every component. First of all, how often are we collecting the data, is it monthly, is it weekly, is it hourly, is it ongoing? We also have to think about the priority, is this something that could take down our network? Is this something that could take down our supply chain, our business operations? Will this affect our customers? So those are other things that Stephanie said you have to think about. And the last piece, she said, is, as we start to look through the data, some data might need to be combined with other pieces of information to really bring that level of intelligence to the business and really make it actionable. So, all these things are what’s really driving the data collection piece. But right now there’s a concern in the industry because we can’t be in a position where we’re collecting everything, we have to think about this in a systematic approach." READ MORE Listen to the podcast: http://www.csuitepodcast.com/podcasts/show-71-internet-of-things-2018/ or https://soundcloud.com/thecsuitepodcasts/show-71-internet-of-things-2018  Today, Sprint and Ericsson announce a very big move in connecting and scaling IoT. Sprint announces a, "Fully dedicated, distributed and virtualized IoT core network works in tandem with the operating system to turn sensor data into immediate intelligence at the network edge; 5G-ready and primed for AI, robotics and more." This is a distributed and virtualized core IoT network and brings with it many benefits to the enterprise based on an overall Compass Intelligence view:
Full release: http://newsroom.sprint.com/sprint-and-ericsson-reveal-ground-breaking-iot-dedicated-core-and-operating-system.htm Samsung held their annual #SamsungUnpacked event today in Brooklyn, New York in front of three-thousand media, analysts, partners, and Galaxy Note users. In this blog, I will share the highlights and my take or opinion on the impact to consumers and businesses. DJ Koh took to the stage with a focus around doing more, providing creators with more power, discussing the building blocks of AR, AI, and IoT, and mentioned a focus on disrupting customer experiences. The theme centered around seamless experiences with Koh stating Samsung is committed to meaningful innovation putting the consumer first, amplifying creativity and creating seamless experiences that span across devices, locations, platforms, and brands. 5 Announcements Made at Samsung Unpacked
Below I highlight Number 1-3 just a bit further... 1. Samsung #GalaxyNote9 unveiled (emphasis on power, storage, S pen)With the emphasis on intelligent experiences, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 9 available for pre-order Aug 10th, and available August 24th in stores and online. Carrier deals include...AT&T (buy one get one free with new line), T-Mobile (50% off with approved trade-in), Sprint (50% off with lease)Here are the key notes of importance:
 2. Samsung #GalaxyHome Unveiled (smart speaker with Bixby)A little late in the game, but very relevant to consumers today, Samsung also unveiled its smart speaker called the Galaxy Home. It has a stemless wine-shaped top with a tripod looking stand. This smart speaker incorporates Bixby voice-recognition and intelligence features all in an AKG (Harman) branded speaker. The form factor is a bit off, but the noted features are pretty cool:
 3. Samsung #GalaxyWatch Unveiled (rebranded, stand-along LTE enabled)It looks like the "Galaxy Gear" brand is now "Galaxy Watch." Samsung unveiled its latest smartwatch called the Galaxy Watch and they look like traditional watches (nice). There are 3 primary focus areas for the new watch including: 1-stress mgmt-monitor heart rate, 2-Stay fit-39 exercises, detects six exercises automatically, 3-getting good rest-tracks sleep patterns - syncs with calendar.
 Written by: Stephanie Atkinson
@stephatkins  With approximately 55 million Americans working as freelancers, the gig economy is at a record high. Not only are more people craving freedom and flexibility, but employers are also relying on this system to save money while running a more efficient operation. According to industry experts, the gig economy is the new version of entrepreneurialism, as the hustle is a lot like building a business from the ground up and comes with no guarantees for success. However, if you have passion, are self-motivated, disciplined, aren’t afraid to take risks, know how to network, and can manage your money, then you just may want to shake up your career by becoming an independent worker. Here’s how to get started.
Choose a Path Obviously, you’re going to want to get involved with something you’re both interested in and good at; otherwise, you won’t be able to make it for the long term. For example, perhaps you worked for a big accounting firm and now want to handle clients on your own. Or, maybe you simply love animals and want to work for a pet-sitting or dog-walking company. Whether you choose to work for one company or several is up to you, but there are many online platforms and apps to help you explore work opportunities. In an effort to market yourself and stand out from the competition, put some effort into jazzing up your social profiles and use a free website service to build a simple site that showcases your talent and work history. Get a Hold of Your Financial Situation Don’t quit your day job until you have a few months worth of bills covered and a substantial emergency fund started. It can take a while to start generating regular income, and you’ll undoubtedly have good months and challenging ones in terms of workflow. In order to determine how much money you need to make each month, tally up all of your expenses, including financial obligations (from gas to groceries to household expenses), an entertainment budget, and money to cover any vacation you wish to take (remember, you no longer get a paid vacation). Set aside at least 15 percent each month for your retirement so you don’t lose sight of the future. Remember that you’ll also have to regularly stash money away to cover taxes so you aren’t in a pickle when it comes time to pay the piper. It’s critical that you establish and maintain an organized system for any expenses you incur. There are several you can write off as a freelancer, including a home office, providing you follow the proper regulations. Once you have a grasp on monthly expenses, it will likely make sense to open a business credit card to keep business expenses separate from personal, which you’ll be especially grateful for come tax time. Stay Organized Staying organized is key when running your own gig economy business, and this includes your home office. To maximize your productivity, you’ll want to locate this space away from busy areas in your home where there are likely to be distractions. Also make sure you have a comfortable chair and desk. And you’ll want your workspace to be clutter-free so you can manage your finances and keep track of invoices and projects. If you really become comfortable with being independent and want to expand your business, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to be successful. Make it easier for freelancers to work with you and always pay on time — you know how important both of these things are already. Also, let anyone you hire work remotely. Not only will this make for a happier contractor, but it also enables you to open up your network globally. Lastly, even though everyone is working from different places, they are working for you, so try to create a sense of virtual camaraderie. The market is changing so rapidly that even the savviest CIOs and CTOs may miss some of the upcoming trends that will impact industries across the globe.  Mobile and Remote Workforces will be Necessary to Access Global Talent.The overall tech industry is already seeing talent gaps, especially when it comes to data scientists and data engineers. These advanced professionals go above and beyond programming, coding, and running analytics software but maintain strategic experience and expertise to evaluate overall business processes and operations, and know how to use the right tools, collate the most relevant data, elevate data for applications and response, and understand the ability to integrate with common business software and systems. Because we are already in a severe overall talent pool decline, companies will need to embrace the remote and global workforce like never before. This means the tools this new workforce uses will require enterprise chat, collaboration, any and mobile device access to business essentials, video conferencing, remote document management, and much more. READ MORE Compass Intelligence 2018 Tech Trends: A Review of Major Tech Trends and Highlights of the Annual Awards Get the full Report HERE!   Most of the smartphone reviews out on the web today are based on the consumer perspective, that is why I wanted to provide a B2B or business smartphone review of the Samsung Galaxy S9. While Android and iOS operating systems dominate, this is also the case for business smartphones, and Samsung continues to improve the Galaxy smartphone series of devices to better meet business use and application needs. Below is a summary of my review of the Galaxy S9 based on a few months of use: Battery Life and Charging: I often have a number of apps running in the background like (Crowdfire, Twitter, Outlook Email and others) and generally do not have to charge my device until late in the evening, this gives me between 13 and 15 hours of business use daily before needing to charge. Now the exception is when I travel and when I am at a conference, since I tend to use the smartphone exclusively and use many more apps when I do not have my Samsung laptop open. Since business users, especially analysts, make many business calls throughout the day it is very hard to have poor battery life as conference calls, webinars, client calls are very vital to the operations of the business. Now, what makes the Samsung Galaxy S9 superior is that when you do plug in to charge, the fast charging process is extremely fast and allows you to get up and running very quickly.  Security: With a business device it is important to place extra measure on the device to log-in. This helps with security, hacking, and even if your device is stolen. I personally set up both a 6 digit code and use my fingerprint to login to my phone. The fingerprint scanner is not 100%, but works most of the time and makes it easy for quick access and responding to communications in a timely manner. There are many options for logging into apps, and the device also gives you the option to use your biometrics (fingerprint scanning) to open up financial apps like Amex, Capital One, Citi Cards, and others. Those are just a few examples, but this feature make it very secure to open up banking and financial applications. I always recommend putting on extra security on your smartphone device such as Lookout or McAfee or others. Usability and uX: There are a few tricks that make it very easy to opening and responding to texts, alerts, notifications, and other pop-ups. If you are in one app, and a notification pops-up, instead of hitting the home screen and finding the app or toggling between open apps, Samsung has made it easy to just swipe the notification down for quick response and it opens up a text for example in a mini-screen within the app you are in, so you can quickly respond and close the box and go back to your business email or business application that you are in. This is just one trick that make it super easy to get work done. There are several apps I also use for voice recognition, including Bixby and Google Assistant. These apps make it easy for me to respond to texts and emails when my hands are busy with something else, aka driving, and for many professionals voice automation is essential to multi-tasking. Bixby can be a bit quirky at times, so I tend to use Google Assistant a bit more. In addition, the ability top have multiple screens open at the same time is very time consuming for busy professionals. Also, since I am always multi-tasking, I love the ability to put my call on speakerphone and hit the home button and do other things while listening to calls, including tweeting, checking emails, and researching on the Internet based on what the client is discussing. The setup was also part of the business friendly user experience (uX) that was easy. I was able to easily connect my S8 to my S9 (tools, cord, and adapter included in box) and move my settings, downloads, files, and applications over. Onboarding can be done directly from an employees' home with a few bulleted instructions.  Business Applications: Upon setting up, there are some common business applications or apps I use for business that make my analyst work and running Compass Intelligence seamless. Email is easy to set up whether you are using Office 365, Outlook, or prefer to set up your company email using your IT departments instructions. I personally use Office 365 and Outlook, and while I do not use all Microsoft applications on my mobile device, I like having the option so I can open up files and review them. Most of my editing is still performed on a laptop. Some of the business applications I use include:
Form Factor: Since I have very small hands, I prefer the S9 over the Note so I can occasionally use my smartphone with just 1 hand. The edge feature on the screen is also nice, although I tend to not use the edge side panel to access apps, as it is just as easy to toggle or go to the home screen. The ability to drag and drop your favorite apps to the homescreen and subsequent screens (when swiping from the homescreen) make it easy to access your favorite business apps and tools. For my S8, I did not use a case or screen protector, and I did crack the screen after about 100 drops. For the S9, I did purchase a very lightweight case to further protect my device, especially during business travel, which is when I am more likely to crack my phone. The buttons on the side of the device are multi-faceted, and I use the camera app by double pressing my startup button on the right side of my device. This makes it very easy to take a quick picture of a slide or executive during conference sessions and meetings. Camera: The camera is so robust, that I am certain I will not get to the point where I will ever use all of the features. I often use my camera for business purposes for things like taking screenshots, taking pictures while at events, selfies with my favorite colleagues during business travel, and for editing snapshots and photos I may use for social media sharing. The camera takes very clear pictures with vibrant colors and in low light settings (often at conferences where they dim the lights) the picture is brightened automatically. Today I also noticed a "Stories" section on the Camera section of the Galaxy S9 that I might have to try out for my next business trip. Overall, I love the Samsung Galaxy S9 for business purposes. The combination of how fast it is to navigate, the robust user experience, and the integration with business tools I use daily make it a great choice for business mobile communications. Source: Stephanie Atkinson @stephatkins satkinson@compassintelligence.com 210-378-0651 Adopting innovative and smart infrastructure will enable businesses and government to enhance asset, infrastructure, and building performance. These physical structures are transforming into intelligence, cognitive, and predictive assets through existing and emerging technologies including Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics, and deep learning. This spring’s, “Advancing Smart Infrastructure and IoT” IoT6 Exchange Summit brought together thought leaders, executives, advisory board members, and vendors to explore, learn, exchange best-in-class ideas, technology, solutions, and solve real issues around smart infrastructure. From retrofitting legacy assets and infrastructure to building smart and intelligence infrastructure from the ground up, this event presented hard hitting and actionable best-in-class learnings, and brought smart infrastructure ideas, projects, and use cases to life. The event enlightened our attendees by capturing all the technology and innovation elements as the industry transition from unintelligent, static physical structures and assets to intelligence, learning, and digital structures and assets. DOWNLOAD THE FULL SUMMARY HERE.  Big news over the weekend for the wireless communications industry, as T-Mobile and Sprint announce a decision to merge but essentially T-Mobile is buying Sprint. The announcement came just before earnings calls for both companies, and was enlightened by joint CEOs taking to YouTube and social media channels to share the news and push the overall message of a bigger and better company leading the charge with 5G. A few details that we have gathered are shared below:
Based on Compass Intelligence tracker research, if we just look at the end of 2017 numbers and stats we collect and forecast, this will get T-Mobile to a combined 127M in connections which is 17M less than Verizon and 14M less than AT&T. What is substantial for the combined company is this...
From a 2017 revenue perspective, overall revenue is estimated to be about $1B less than AT&T and $2.5B less than Verizon. This new energy and push to take customers away from Verizon and AT&T will be invigorated with the new entity and Compass Intelligence expects for T-Mobile to place a heavy bet on pushing up the SMB market to take market share away on the B2B wireless side, and will continue to sway consumers to switch as the combined entity will have a larger footprint for the Un-Carrier strategy that has been extremely successful in the consumer sector. Some of the positive things the NEW T-Mobile can take from Sprint might include their go-to-market strategy on the B2B side and vertical segmentation expertise, as well as leveraging spectrum assets to lead in the industry. In addition, Sprint has a legacy knowledge base in prepaid and MVNO brands, public sector (public safety), and also youth and underserved consumers. For more information regarding Compass Intelligence wireless tracking market data (both quarterly and annually), please click HERE to learn more or contact info@compassintelligence.com.   While IoT6 "Advancing Smart Infrastructure and IoT" Exchange Summit is fresh on the mind, we wanted to share a few highlights of the 2 day event in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
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