Societal health can be assessed by a handful of factors: economic mobility (is the current generation earning more than their parents did?), upward mobility (the rate of which an individual can improve their own socioeconomic status), productivity (how efficiently one can earn income) and lastly, whether they have sufficient access to the resources and tools required to advance one’s… Read More
In one of its first public statements since its launch, the Obama Foundation is issuing a call to examine the concept of digital citizenship. Digital engagement and being a good digital citizen were focal points of the Obama Administration — and it appears to be one of the early centers of interest for the former president in his private function as a global citizen. Speaking earlier… Read More
The walk sprint from your arrival gate to customs is no fun. As a traveler you usually have no idea how long the customs line is going to be, and you could end up being stuck waiting for hours depending on the airport and time of day. But now there’s an (easily accessible) solution. Meet Solve, the startup that finds you a concierge to meet you at your arrival gate and escort you… Read More
MIT researchers have developed a new 3D chip fabrication method that uses carbon nanotubes and resistive random-access memory (RRAM) cells together to create a combined nanoelectronic processor design that supports complex, 3D architecture – where traditional silicon-based chip fabrication works with 2D structures only. The 3D design is possible because these carbon nanotube circuits… Read More
You might be familiar with the industry-standard green man MoCap suit many Hollywood studios use to capture the movement of objects or people for movies and games. Rokoko’s new Smartsuit Pro produces the same quality animations but sells for a fraction of the price, at $2,500, enabling indie filmmakers to get the same high-quality results. Read More
Virgin Galactic is resuming powered tests of its spaceplane after a tragic accident with its test vehicle SpaceShipTwo resulted in the death of co-pilot Michael Alsbury in 2014. The news comes via Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, who shared the news speaking to Bloomberg. After current glide-only tests wrap up, powered tests will begin at a pace of one every three weeks, reaching… Read More
The BBC today released a new mobile application that will allow it to experiment with transforming BBC content into VR experiences. The app, called BBC Taster VR, comes from the broadcaster’s testing ground for new ideas, Taster, and uses technology from EEVO to publish videos in a VR format. Initially, Taster VR only offers a couple of projects, one of which is 360 video from the… Read More
Lyft, which is only available in the U.S., just announced it’s hit one million rides a day. Uber announced one million rides worldwide in December 2014. As of July 2016, Uber was completing an average of 5.5 million rides a day. Last week, Uber hit 5 billion total completed trips.
So, one million rides a day is cool for Lyft, but it’s still nowhere near the number of rides Uber… Read More
Snapchat is breaking its long-standing “no links” rule today while also providing some novel new creative tools to keep it one step ahead of Instagram. The new features are rolling out globally on iOS and Android thanks to an update today, Snap Inc. tells TechCrunch. Read More
Microsoft has long held that the Microsoft Graph — the data it collects as a byproduct of people simply using their online tools — provides a wealth of information that companies can use to understand their workers better. Today, the company announced general availability of Workplace Analytics, which has been designed to give managers and executives a broad understanding of… Read More
Netflix is continuing to dominate streaming services in the U.S., not only in terms of penetration in cord cutters’ homes, as reported in April, but also in time spent watching. According to data from comScore, cord cutters are watching more Netflix each month than YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Video combined. But Hulu users are more engaged with the service on a daily basis, the study… Read More
UVeye, an Israeli startup that is building computer vision and machine learning technology to be used to help detect security threats by scanning the underside of passing vehicles, has raised $4.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Ahaka Capital, with participation from angel network SeedIL. Read More
Baidu and Nvidia announced a far-reaching agreement to work together on artificial intelligence today, spanning applications in cloud computing, autonomous driving, education and research, and domestic uses via consumer devices. It may be the most comprehensive partnership yet for Nvidia in its bourgeoning artificial intelligence business, and it’s likely to provide a big boost for… Read More
Amazon is again pushing Alexa’s voice shopping capabilities with today’s announcement of Prime Day deals. Prime Day, Amazon’s own version of a Black Friday sale – but only for Prime members – officially takes place on July 11th, with some deals arriving the night before. But voice shoppers will get an even bigger jump in line, Amazon says. Those who shop from… Read More
BMW’s i3 high-capacity batteries, which it uses in its i3 compact electric vehicle, has applications beyond BMW’s own – case in point, the car maker is now supplying German boat propulsion system company Torqeedo with i3 batteries for its Deep Blue aquatic electric drive systems. The Torqeedo systems provide motorboats with hybrid and electric propulsion ranging from 1 to 160… Read More
The Nest Cam IQ is the latest product from Alphabet-owned smart home company Nest, an HD security camera with a 4K sensor it uses to do things like intelligently track faces and people at higher resolution. I’ve been testing the $299 Nest Cam IQ for a while now, and it’s an improvement over other smart home security cameras – but its IQ still leaves a lot to be desired.… Read More
By now you’ve probably heard of ICOs. The alternative fundraising option has been used to raise more than $500 million in funding this year alone, but it has gotten a reputation for unfinished products and untested teams raising gargantuan sums. One company may have just shown that there is a responsible way to handle an ICO. Omise, a fintech startup based in Thailand, has closed $25… Read More
With a name like GRAVITYMASTER the Casio GPW-2000-1A had better make you fly. Sadly, it doesn’t. However, it can help you while you jet from spot to spot. The $800 GPW-2000-1A is specifically designed for pilots and travelers. It connects to your phone or the local GPS positioning satellites to set the time at your current location and a second timezone. Further, it has a clever Flight… Read More
A day after payments company Worldpay confirmed that it had been approached by Vantiv and JPMorgan for a possible acquisition, today the company confirmed that it has agreed to the terms of an offer from one of them, Vantiv. The US payments company is offering £3.85 per share, working out to around £7.7 billion (or just under $10 billion) for the company, which competes with Verifone,… Read More
