TREND REPORTS
Despite Hype, VR Investment Fades In Q1 2017
[Investing]
2017/04/24 10:08
After years of buzz and modest consumer uptake, it was supposed to be the time when virtual and augmented reality came into its own.VR startup funding hit new highs in 2016, with both newcomers and established players raising investment for hardware and VR-enabled content. New product offerings from Oculus, Google, and others hit the market in 2016, while the smash hit Pokemon Go proved consume...
MakeSpace Raises $30M to Store Your Belongings
[Investing]
2017/04/24 10:06
If you live in New York, you’ve seen the subway ads. MakeSpace wants to free your apartment of clutter. And now the self-storage startup is getting $30 million to execute on their vision. This follows another $17.5 million raised last year.Venture capitalists from 8VC, Upfront Ventures, Harmony Partners and Summit Action believe that there’s a $30 billion market opportunity for clothing and f...
(Video) IBM Watson’s New Job as Art Museum Guide Could Hint at Lots of Future Roles With Brands
[Business]
2017/04/24 10:05
Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of Brazilians have never been inside a museum, according to a 2010 study from the Brazilian Institute of Economic Research. There are probably many reasons for this, but among them is the feeling that art can seem inaccessible unless you’ve studied it.So, how do you get art to speak to you specifically? By getting it to speak, period.For the launch of IBM Wat...
(Video) ‘Nubrella’ : Hands-Free Umbrella Keeps Your Camera Safe From The Rain
[Product]
2017/04/24 10:04
Recently, Shark Tank contestant Rick Pescovitz introduced the ‘Photo Pod’, an umbrella-tent hybrid that will save your photo shoots come rain or shine. If that isn’t enough to convince you to head out with your camera, check out this other umbrella that’s taking the photography world by storm. Designed by Shark Tank alumnus Alan Kaufman and his team, the hands-free ‘Nubrella’ turns you in...
Programmatic Digital Display Ads Now Account for Nearly 80% ($33 Billion) of US Display Spending
[Business]
2017/04/24 10:04
By 2019, that number will rise to 85%. Almost 80% of U.S. mobile digital display ads are purchased programmatically.Despite the risks, as YouTube and Google have shown, programmatic advertising has continued to rise in popularity; eMarketer also forecasts that spending will reach over $45 billion by 2019.Although placing ads programmatically can surprise advertisers by where their ads show up,...
The 'Amphi' Induction Range Adjusts to Different Cooking Vessels
[Design]
2017/04/24 10:03
Cooking with a wok or other differently shaped piece of equipment on a traditional cooktop will result in an uneven experience, so the 'Amphi' induction range aims to change this. Featuring a shape-shifting design, the 'Amphi' has adjustable rings on the cooking element that can shift to accommodate a wok or any other cooking vessel more evenly. This will help to ensure that the heating is done...
(Patent) Amazon Has Patented an Automated On-Demand Clothing Factory
[Tech]
2017/04/23 10:10
Amazon won a patent for an on-demand clothing manufacturing warehouse.Standard operating procedure in the apparel industry goes like this: Make clothes, and then sell them. It can take weeks, if not months, to manufacture clothes, so that step has to come first. It can be a costly upfront investment, and items that don’t sell get discounted, eating into margins.But Amazon, the ecommerce giant...
Italian Eyewear Startup Offers Paper Glasses As A Try-On Service - Quattrocento
[Business]
2017/04/23 10:09
Eyewear retailers have been sending frames to try on for years, but Quattrocento's paper concept makes the whole process cheaper and fasterThe Italian eyewear startup Quattrocento is making online shopping for a new pair of glasses a lot more efficient. With their new “paper try-on” service costumers can receive different paper cut-outs of models they can try on at home before making their pu...
E-Commerce Planet : The Most Well-Funded Private E-Commerce Companies In One Map
[Investing]
2017/04/23 10:08
China tops the US as home to the most private e-commerce companies with funding over $100M.[click to enlarge]E-commerce is one of the most well-established and well-funded categories within tech. Between 2012 and 2016, private e-commerce companies raised over $46.7B across 3,880 deals. Notably, while the US is often the top hub for various categories within tech, China takes the top spot over t...
Consumers Willing to Share Personal Data for Deals, Better Customer Service
[Consumer]
2017/04/23 10:06
Despite Privacy Concerns, Consumers Will Share Personal Data If It Saves Money or Resolves Customer Service Issues.Only 15 percent were interested in 'targeted ads,' and 31 percent were unwilling to share personal data for any reason.Consumer surveys have repeatedly shown the public’s ambivalence about digital privacy. When there’s a clear value exchange or concrete reason for information sha...
Mastercard’s New Credit Card has a Built-in Fingerprint Scanner
[Product]
2017/04/23 10:06
The card is currently being trialled in a number of markets.The rise of mobile payments has made buying things with your fingerprint commonplace, so why not put that technology in a credit card? Mastercard thinks it’s worth a shot, and has built a credit card with a fingerprint scanner built right into the bottom. The card is no thicker than normal, and lets users authorize their payments with...
CLEAR Raises $15M to Expand Biometric Security
[Investing]
2017/04/23 10:05
CLEAR, the biometric security firm popular in U.S. airports and stadiums, has raised $15 million from T. Rowe Price to expand their footprint. The company, led by CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker, is already partially owned by Delta Airlines.“We are obsessed with our customers, and can’t wait to bring them more ways to use CLEAR. We lead the industry in secure biometric-powered customer experiences a...
