As a middle-class citizen in Southern California, I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a world where technology is increasingly utilized to make life easier and more comfortable. However, as someone with little to no inclination to pursue a career in the various fields of technological innovation, I feel as though it has been appallingly easy to take it all for granted. For example, I never once stared at my fridge, or a traffic light, or a churro machine and considered how life would be without them. In other words, I never once stopped to thank and appreciate the people responsible for bringing them into the world. And yet, I cannot help but benefit from these devices every day. Well, except for the churro machine; unfortunately, that’s still a work in progress. The point is, the developed, western world is built atop a foundation of technological aid. Every day, this very moment in fact, there are people pacing rooms, racking brains, and pouring coffee in an effort to keep that foundation up to date, and make our lives easier and more comfortable in the process. These people, the secret heroes of modern society, they stand as a representation of the core reasons for our success as a species: our ability to work together and for one another. It seems only inevitable then that a reality television show would someday come along and capture this process for the world to see and feel good about. Well, the wait is over; the day has come. That “day” being last Tuesday, marked by the initial airing of TBS’s latest reality show, America’s Greatest Makers (Tues @ 9/8pm c). The pilot introduced several eclectic groups of inventors / aspiring world changers and their respective inventions. And among these intellectual individuals is none other than a certain Nicole Mendoza, with whom I had the pleasure of conversing about the show, her interests, and what makes her one of America’s greatest makers. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Technology
CEO of Irvine’s eGumball travels to India and visits students and orphans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/10/15
Irvine, CA: At the end of last year, eGumball, Inc. CEO John Bauer, Days of Our Lives actor Brandon Beemer, and photojournalist Gregory Schell traveled to Agra, India where they were able to connect with the community and experience the culture.
During the trip, all three spoke at an Indian middle school in Agra to inform the students how advancements in technology and education are providing opportunities for them to become successful in the future. They also encouraged them by explaining how the impact of globalization is strong enough to create equal opportunities for everyone, including those who are less fortunate and in unfavorable situations. Continue reading
Irvine Ranch Water District to take payments using a new smartphone app
Irvine Ranch Water District customers can pay their water bills using smartphones with Check’s mobile app
PALO ALTO, Calif. – August 18, 2013 – Check has partnered with Irvine Ranch Water District to provide IRWD customers with the ability to pay and track their bills using their smartphones with Check’s mobile app.
Serving more than 350,000 customers throughout Irvine and parts of Tustin, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Costa Mesa and some unincorporated areas of Orange County, IRWD has been on a mission to offer technology to its customers. One such advance has been IRWD’s decision to deliver Check’s mobile bill payment service to its customers. With Check, IRWD customers can pay any bill (including their IRWD water bill) anytime, anywhere and using a wide variety of payment methods. For IRWD bills, bank payments are free, and credit card payments are subject to a $3.25 processing fee per transaction. Continue reading
O.C. software firm raises $20.5 million
By By JAN NORMAN Kareo Inc., an Irvine software provider, has raised $20.5 million in equity investment from a group led by Stripes Group and including existing investor Western Technology Investments. Kareo raised $8 million in 2010 and $10 million in 2011. The…
Source: O.C. Register, Irvine News