Thailand’s junta chief asked for a new TV backdrop—and the internet answered

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the military junta that seized power in Thailand in May, complained to reporters this week that Thais were not tuning in to his weekly televised address, “Returning Happiness to the People.”

According to the Thai newspaper Matichon, as translated by the news site Khaosod English, Prayuth instructed producers to change the backdrop for his TV address—currently an image of the Government House building and Thai national flag—to something “more attractive.”

And that’s when Thailand’s legion of Photoshop jokesters got to work:

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(Facebook / Change the Background)

You can see dozens of Prayuth backdrops at the Facebook page “Change the Backdrop.” Just don’t expect Prayuth to adopt any of the suggestions: When asked by a reporter about the Facebook page today, he said (video in Thai), “I’ve seen it. They are all disgusting,” Khaosod English reported.

Thailand’s junta chief asked for a new TV backdrop—and the internet answered

LinkedIn data show the US is losing out on the immigrants it covets most

The United States is still the world’s most popular destination for highly skilled professionals. But it doesn’t seem to have quite the allure it used to.

In fact, professional migration to the US has declined substantially since 2001, according to a new study (pdf) that used a massive dataset culled from LinkedIn career histories.

LinkedIn data scientists Bogdan State and Mario Rodriguez found that while 27% of migrating professionals chose the US in 2000, just 12% did in 2012. The drop for professionals in science, engineering, technology, and math fields was even steeper, from 37% to 15%. The trend holds across degree types (with the data based on the highest degree earned):

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You get similar results when you restrict the data to graduates of the world’s top 500 universities. The share that migrated to the US halved in 12 years, from 24% in 2000 to 12% in 2012.

The biggest new destination of migrants has been Asia, which saw its percentage of the migration pool grow from 10% to 26% from 2000 to 2012.

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The data came from aggregated and anonymized LinkedIn profile information on employment, location, and education, creating an extremely large and updated picture of international worker flows.

There likely are a number of contributors to this phenomenon. Tightened immigration rules after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks certainly played a role, and the financial crisis in 2008 made the US job market generally less appealing. But the biggest factor of all seems to be greater opportunity opening up elsewhere in the world.

LinkedIn data show the US is losing out on the immigrants it covets most

Maglev elevators are coming that can go up, down, and sideways

ThyssenKrupp, the German steel and engineering giant, has created what it calls “the holy grail” of the elevator industry: a system that isn’t dependent on ropes or steel cables.

If the technology, named Multi, does well in tests beginning in 2016, the elevators of the future could be powered by the same magnetic levitation (maglev) technology that floats the world’s fastest trains above their tracks.

The new elevators won’t travel as fast as maglev trains, obviously. But they do promise to increase the effective speed of vertical transit by having multiple elevators travel in a circular route within the same shaft, like a vertical subway train line, instead of today’s standard of one or two cars per shaft. The bottom line: Less waiting for the next elevator car.

Tall buildings and compact cities are better for the environment and will become increasingly important as the planet’s urban population swells. But elevators have evolved so slowly that they have become a major impediment to building taller and more compact structures. Traditional shafts can occupy 40% of a building’s total footprint, and the limits of current designs usually mean that taller buildings have longer waits for the next lift.

ThyssenKrupp promises its maglev elevators will not only enable such buildings (the footprint will be as little as half the size of a traditional elevator shafts), but also “futuristic buildings that previously could only be dreamed of,” as the company’s R&D head Patrick Bass told the Financial Times (paywall).

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Lovin’ an elevator.(ThyssenKrupp)

ThyssenKrupp also has some competition from Hitachi:

Maglev elevators are coming that can go up, down, and sideways

12 tools and resources that prove there’s never been a better time to start your own business

Selina Ife is living her dream working for a tech company in Melbourne, Australia. In recent years, she has focused on optimizing communication within teams spanning multiple timezones. She loves meeting and talking with interesting people, and is happily in a career where that can be put to good use. She also loves to travel, explore Melbourne, and take on overly ambitious craft projects. Dislikes inefficiency, particularly in cafes.

This coming year, make starting a business one New Year’s resolution you can keep.

Top-notch advice and high quality assets are important for any business, but employing specialists, designers, and developers can be costly. Fortunately, more apps, tools, and resources are being built specifically to help budding entrepreneurs overcome roadblocks. These are higher quality than ever and cover a wide variety of businesses.

Here are 12 fantastic tools and resources that could be what you need to make your latest great business idea a reality.

Freelance designers and developers

Envato Studio, Freelancer, and Elance-oDesk comprise various communities of talented freelancers who provide a host of services. Working with a freelancer online can pose communication challenges but will ultimately deliver quality goods at a fraction of the cost of hiring a designer directly.

DIY graphic design

Canva is an Australia-based start-up that aims to put design into the hands of everyday people. It’s easy to use and affordable. However, those without an eye for aesthetics might have better results going with a hired professional.

Marketing and social media

Social Media Examiner offers tips and explanations for business owners and marketers looking to get the most out of social media. Not all of the advice will be relevant for all businesses, but it’s a good resource for those looking to keep up to date on trends.

Social media management

Apps like Buffer allow users to schedule social media posts around the clock, which is particularly useful if your business has customers or community members across time zones. This is great to maintain visibility, but unless your social media team works 24/7, some of your responses may be delayed until you wake up.

Email marketing

For flexible and customizable email marketing MailChimp provides easy to use tools as well as analytics and reporting. Those lacking design skills may want to use a pre-made newsletter template.

Business apps

Google Business Apps are a one-stop-shop for email, calendar and video calls, with the added functionality of Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides and Sites, all stored in the cloud-based Google Drive. Google makes collaboration on shared documents easy, but you may miss some of the more complex functionality of the traditional Microsoft suite.

Team communication

For a team spread across geographic locations, Slack is designed to make communication easy with private and public groups as well as one-to-one chat. While no communication tool will truly beat face-to-face, customizable notification settings and a slick mobile app make it a great way to keep your team talking.

Legal advice

Lawyer Ryan Roberts represents a number of start-ups and entrepreneurs. His blog, Start-up Lawyer, provides useful information and advice for others. While good for general legal knowledge, as his disclaimer points out, it is no substitute for tailored legal advice.

Accounting and Payroll software

Xero is cloud-based software that aims to make accounting and payroll easy. That way you can do all your billing and invoicing yourself and use the software to track hours, too. It’s not the same as hiring a tax accountant to do your books, but it’s a great lower budget option to keep track of your business expenses without extra headcount to worry about.

Customer Relationship Management

To improve sales productivity Base offers a desktop and mobile app designed to help your team improve sales processes and hit targets. Not suitable for all business types but something to consider for those who want to build a winning sales team.

Project management

With Trello your team can keep track of projects via cards, listed and organized as you please. Cards can be assigned to team members and can include lists, due dates, checklists, notes and comments. Provided the team keeps everything up to date, Trello makes it easy to see all your projects at a glance.

Upskilling

For those who wish to learn new skills like coding, design or general business skills, Tuts+ contains over 18,000 free tutorials and hundreds of video courses. You won’t get official certification in your chosen field of study, but with a monthly subscription starting from $15, this is an affordable and flexible way to learn.

This post 12 tools and resources that prove there’s never been a better time to start your own business appeared first on Tech in Asia.

12 tools and resources that prove there’s never been a better time to start your own business

Map: Nearly half the world can now visit India without queuing at an embassy

The notoriously difficult Indian visa application process is now apparently a thing of the past.

The Narendra Modi government on Thursday launched a “tourist visa on arrival” scheme for nationals of 43 countries traveling to India for 30 days or less—and only for “recreation, sightseeing, short duration medical treatment, casual business visit, casual visit to meet friends or relatives.”

But it’s not exactly a visa on arrival system. Applications must be made online at least four days before arrival, complete with a photograph, a scan of a passport’s photo page and a $60 fee. Subsequently, an Electronic Travel Authorisation will be issued, which is valid for entry through only nine airports in India. Only two such visas will be granted in a calendar year.

Here’s a map of all the countries that are now eligible for India’s new electronic visa scheme.

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This article is a part of Quartz India. For more, follow this link.

Map: Nearly half the world can now visit India without queuing at an embassy

Quartz Daily Brief—Europe edition—Cameron’s migrant crackdown, Ferguson Thanksgiving protests, OPEC cuts blocked, Sriracha beer

What to watch for today

David Cameron tests the EU’s limits. The UK prime minister wants to make EU migrants ineligible for welfare and housing benefits for their first four years in the UK. The proposed legislation, introduced as the anti-immigration UK Independence Party attracts more popular support, may threaten the UK’s position within the EU.

Egypt braces for massive Islamist protests. The ultraconservative Salafi Front has called for a “Muslim youth uprising” after dawn prayers on Friday. Government is deploying security forces in riot gear and armored vehicles.

Black Friday goes global… The holiday shopping frenzy that has traditionally started the day after Thanksgiving in the US is now catching on around the world, from Costa Rica to the UK. In France, retailers are offering promotions and discounts for “Le Black Friday.”

…As civil rights activists urge a shopping boycott. Using the hashtags such as #BlackOutBlackFriday and #NotOneDime, protesters have taken to  Twitter to express their outrage over a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager earlier this year.

Star Wars fans queue up for a trailer. Thousands are expected to flock to the 30 theaters that will run a clip of Walt Disney’s Stars Wars: The Force Awakens over the long holiday weekend. Director J.J. Abrams alerted fans to the planned release on Twitter earlier this week.

While you were sleeping

The Saudis kiboshed oil production cuts. OPEC members Iran and Venezuela wanted to pump less oil in order to reverse a steep decline in prices, but Saudi Arabia and the wealthy Gulf states—who are able to ride out the weak prices—blocked the move. “It was a great decision,” said Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, as oil prices fell even further.

Ferguson protestors tried to disrupt Thanksgiving. At least seven demonstrators were detained in New York City after they knocked down  barriers near the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and tried to obstruct the parade route. Between 50 and 100 protestors gathered peacefully early in the day to protest police brutality in both Ferguson and New York.

A Nigerian bomb attack killed at least 40. No group has taken responsibility for targeting a village bus station near the city of Mubi, but the area has been regularly singled out by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. The Nigerian army and the militants have been battling for control of the area for several weeks.

Mexico’s president vowed to reform the police. Enrique Pena Nieto said all local police forces would come under federal control, in response to the disappearance of 43 students, which were allegedly killed by police forces working with gang members. The reforms also grant Congress the power to dissolve local governments infiltrated by drugs cartels.

Shinzo Abe failed to deliver on Japan’s core metrics. Retail sales fell 1.4% in October, worse than a predicted fall of 0.5%, while inflation—minus the effect of April’s tax rise—grew at its slowest pace in 13 months (paywall). Japan’s prime minister Abe made increasing inflation a central goal, but he is struggling to achieve results ahead of a snap election in December.

The Netherlands took 122 tons (111 tonnes) of gold out of the United States. The Dutch central bank said the transfer of the precious metal worth about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) may have a “positive confidence effect with the public.”

Quartz obsession interlude

Steve Levine on the flailing of countries in the OPEC cartel. “In a way, the message of OPEC’s inaction today—deciding not to cut supply—is analogous to the challenge that confronted GM and Microsoft in recent years: if it wants to remain relevant in a world it once dominated, and at times made tremble, it needs to change its game.” Read more here.

Matters of debate

Social media stars aren’t “regular folks.” Everything you see is heavily scripted.

US policemen should listen to USAID. The US agency that preaches about responsible policing abroad is sorely needed at home.

“Eating local” misses the point. Instead, buy food that’s raised sustainably and ethically, wherever on Earth it comes from.

Bill Cosby is no laughing matter. This is no time to make jokes about the comedian—even if you’re a comedian.

Surprising discoveries

The word “apron” used to be “napron.” People misheard “an apron,” and the new name stuck.

Thanksgiving dinner in space took 18 months to prepare. The turkey was irradiated, and the yams were thermostabilized.

A Chinese clothing store banned Chinese customers. An employee at the Beijing shop said they were “too annoying.”

Now is the time to buy your Christmas tree. Timing matters.

Sriracha beer will soon be a thing. Maybe even in time for Christmas.

Click here for more surprising discoveries on Quartz.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, space turkey, and hot-sauce beer to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief here, tailored for morning delivery in Asia, Europe & Africa, and the Americas.

Quartz Daily Brief—Europe edition—Cameron’s migrant crackdown, Ferguson Thanksgiving protests, OPEC cuts blocked, Sriracha beer

Xiaomi founder Lei Jun invests in huge housing project for young startups

Xiaomi founder Lei Jun is investing an RMB 100 million (US$16.3 million) series A round of funding into You+ International Youth Apartments. According to Techweb, the investment was completed in August.

You+, an apartment project aimed at entrepreneurs, was co-founded by Su Di, the founder of Beijing’s iconic Garage Cafe, a popular coworking space in the Zhongguancun tech and startup district of the city. Seeing that Chinese startups often cluster together in small areas, he wanted to create the housing project as a utopia for entrepreneurs.

The two eight-story complexes being renovated in Guangzhou are aimed at single people below the age of 45. Each contains 100 housing units. They will be set up to encourage a close-knit community atmosphere and strong communication among the residents.

Essentially, they are dormitories set up as startup living spaces. 20-square meter four-person bedrooms each have a bathroom but no kitchen, according to Netease Tech. Residents can cook in the cafeteria or communal kitchens. Each building has a gym, billiards room, bar, game room, and open areas for meetups.

Monthly rent will range from RMB 2,000 to 3,000 (US$320 to $480) for a room, or about RMB 800 (US$130) per person.

Su Di disclosed You+ plans to renovate 10 buildings north of Guangzhou by the end of the year and open them to tenants by February. Three of them will specifically be for entrepreneurs.

(Source: Techweb)

This post Xiaomi founder Lei Jun invests in huge housing project for young startups appeared first on Tech in Asia.

Xiaomi founder Lei Jun invests in huge housing project for young startups