A Robotic Machine for Laundry Folding

A Robotic Machine for Laundry Folding A Robotic Machine for Laundry Folding A Robotic Machine for Laundry FoldingWhat could be more fun than folding clothes? For most, pretty much anything. Gal Rozov doesnt like it either and, by his own admission, he wasnt good at it. Im the worlds worst folder, he laughs. Im not kidding when I say that.But he hopes his new invention will make consumers the ones who get the last laugh. His company is working on FoldiMate, a self-folding machine. Yes, it may not have just been a daydream you had when you worked your way through that laundry bin.The human beings involvement seemingly ends at the easy clipping part, clipping it on and letting the machine do its part. Pushed into the folded position, the clothing comes out completed through a chute.There are sensors within the robotic device, which needs to sense and adjust according to the item. There are minimum sensing capabilities that we need to identify the outer limits of each item. Its labor int ensive and can do many shirts and dresses but not, say, underwear a small item. It brings the item onto a folding surface, then treats it with the mechanism that allows us to define the crease linethe folding lineand we are moving it from side to side using rods. You can see it clearly in our video.A machine is taking over the tedious chore of folding clean laundry. renommee FoldiMateWhile youre feeding it, its already working on what youve given to the machine, says Rozov, CEO and founder of the company FoldiMate, which is based in Silicon Valley and has an RD lab in Israel.Prototype five is the first one where we had all the mechanisms, he says. Its now on easy clipping going into the machine, folding, unloading, and stacking built into one prototype. We had prototypes that did most of the work but this is the first time everything is together and works. We gave a sneak peek during CES and are hoping for a release in 2018.Theyre planning for a machine size that is two-thirds that of a normal washer or dryer soldin the U.S., and are currently envisioning a price of $850. The website touts a folding speed of two times as fast as folding yourself.Rozov says this experience was an evolution and has been a journey of many years to combine the technical fit mechanically, mechatronically, and robotically. We wanted to push ourselves, but you want to make it right and you have commitments, but its been a vision which goes back many years now, he says. Im excited to see it happen but I was willing to stay patient.More than 100,000 people have registered for the product, he says. Were very optimistic and are growing as we speak, he says. We keep hearing from people who would love to have one less household job to do. Make one thing a little easier and you make people a little happier.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.Its now on easy clipping going into the machine, folding, unloading, and stacking built into one prototype.Gal Rozov, CEO and Founder, FoldiMate

What To Do If A Company Ghosts You After An Interview

What To Do If A Company Ghosts You After An InterviewWhat To Do If A Company Ghosts You After An Interview We all (unfortunately) know what ghosting is when it comes to dating- but did you know that you can get ghosted during a job search as well? Thats right a potential employer could woo you over an in-person interview, only to never call you again.Ghosting is the absolute worst for job candidates, commiserates millennial career expert Jill Jacinto . The not knowing is frustrating- and similar to dating, youre left asking yourself, are they at all into you? But unlike in dating, you can get the answer to this perplexing question post-interview- and even better, you can take steps to prevent being ghosted in the first place, our career experts say. Heres how to deal. Before you leave the interview, ask the hiring manager if he or she has any concerns about moving you to the next step, suggests career coach Hallie Crawford . After all, once you leave, you may no t have the chance to assuage his or her concerns. Maybe a story wasnt clear, he or she doesnt think you qualify in a certain aspect, or they dont think you have the necessary experience, she says. By asking if they have questions of concerns now, youll have the opportunity to clear up any doubts and prevent them from ghosting you, Crawford points out.You also shouldnt leave the interview without knowing what those next steps might be, and who the point person will be for contact moving forward, says Jacinto. This will enaya you know their process and what to expect, she says. Youll also have the name and the number of the person who you should talk to after the interview. The first thing you should do after an interview, according to Crawford, is send a thank-you card. While a handwritten note or heartfelt email wont guarantee youll receive a callback, the gesture increases the chances youll get one- a lot. As Crawford explains, writing a thank-you card opens the door to further com munication with the hiring manager, and leaves a good last impression.3. Take the schritte and follow up. If the hiring manager seems to have vanished into thin air, dont give up quite yet, encourages Crawford. Instead, get in contact with them. If they dont email you back, dont be afraid to pick up the phone and call them directly. That may be a bold move- and one you wouldnt make if someone ghosted you after a date- but its totally reasonable in the workplace. The manager may just be so busy they havent had time to respond to an email but they would be willing to speak with you on the phone, Crawford explains. When you follow up, be persistent without being a pest, instructs Jacinto. Check in with your interview coordinator once a week and check offering new information the hiring manager might want to learn about you. That means, dont call or email empty-handed, so to speak. If youre reaching to check on the jobs status, be sure to give the hiring manager a reason to reconsider y ou, in case he or she has moved on. Send new additions to your portfolio, updating writing samples, new designs, and so on, suggests Jacinto. Just, try to keep up the flow of conversation, Jacinto says.

Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your Network

Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your NetworkTop 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your NetworkSocial networking is not just an opportunity to take its a powerful chance to make yourself useful to others who can help you down the road.If youre in the midst of a job search, you know that networks are important. Powerful. Essential. Most jobs are found through some kind of networking contact, so bolstering your relationships with all members of your network must be among your first priorities as you pursue your next role.Effective networking is all about giving. And although the holiday giving season is far behind us, when it comes to your network, giving is a year-long activity.One of the best gifts you can give to members of your network is help in building their personal brands. When we make others look good, we look good to them So consider these free or very low-cost, Web 2.0-focused personal-branding presents. Its time to demonstrate your personal-brand attribute of generosity and your knowledge of social media.Here are my top 10 tipsRecommend people on LinkedIn. Nothing says I care about you in a Web 2.0 world like a positive reference posted on your LinkedIn profile. To do this, just ensure they are in your network, then click on Recommend. You are helping make their LinkedIn profile more valuable and credible the best kind of personal branding.Add them to your Facebook friends. In the world of social networking, virtual popularity is even better than real-world popularity.Buy a personal domain name for them (i.e., www.williamarruda.com). For a year, it only costs about $9. You can search for and buy domain names at www.godaddy.com. Even if they arent ready for their own Web site, buying a domain name is like buying a plot of land You own it so that when you are ready, you can build on it.Write a blog post about them or reference them in a comment on a relevant blog. To find blogs around specific topics, enter your keywords at www.technorati.com. You can also link to their Web site or blog or put their blog in your blogroll. (We all know how much Google loves inbound links.)Discover their Google Quotient for them. Use the Online ID Calculator to help them understand how their personal brand shows up online. In the new world of work, if you dont show up in Google, you dont exist. So help them build their online profile by showing them how they currently show up on the World Wide Web. Use the calculator after Googling them, then e-mail them the results. www.onlineidcalculator.com. Its freeQuote or reference them in an article you are writing or a presentation you are delivering and make sure they know about the reference. Post the article or slides online.If you write a press release about your article or presentation, include their name iin all free press-release search engines like www.freepressrelease.com.Provide positive feedback. Rate their YouTube video and share their video with others in your netwo rk. Creating and uploading videos can be a lot of work, recognize their efforts. www.youtube.com. For your network contacts who are authors, write a review of their book or ebook and post it at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com.Create Google Alerts for your close professional contacts. Google Alerts allows you to stay on top of new content related to any person, company or topic. When you establish alerts for your network members, you will be notified each time they are mentioned in a blog or quoted in article. Then you can send them a congratulatory e-mail. www.google.com/alerts.And heres a Web 2.0 gift courtesy of my own company Give your contacts a link to 360Reach so they can perform a personal-branding assessment. Fifteen-day passwords to the newly launched version of 360Reach are free everyones favorite price www.reachcc.com/360v4register. You can also perform your own assessment and include them in your list of respondents. Asking them for feedback about you shows that you respect their opinion.Remember, networking is all about giving and during this recessionary period, helping people with their personal branding is a valuable and appreciated gift.