TREND REPORTS
(PDF) PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey 2018
[Consumer]
2018/03/19 10:50
PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey points to the soaring importance of social media – shoppers trusting the wisdom of the crowd – and the challenge, for brands and retailers alike, to be seen as authentic and trustworthy.More than one in three ranked ‘trust in brand’ as among their top three reasons that influence their decision to shop at a particular retailer, other than price.Social...
(Video) This AR Street Fighter II Lets You Brawl in the Real World
[Business]
2018/03/19 10:50
‘Street Fighter II’ In AR Turns Your Reality Into Actual ‘Hadouken’ Battleground.Augmented reality experiences are oftentimes a dud, and the really mind-melting ones require hardware that costs a shit-ton of money. But Abhishek Singh seems to have figured out a way to make AR both accessible and really fucking cool. His latest project brings the classic arcade game Street Fighter II to life...
The Race For AI: Google, Intel, Apple In A Rush To Grab Artificial Intelligence Startups
[Investing]
2018/03/19 10:49
Around 42% of the AI companies acquired since 2013 have had VC backing.Big corporations across every industry, from retail to agriculture, are trying to integrate machine learning into their products. At the same time, there is an acute shortage of AI talent.A combination of these factors is fueling a heated race to scoop up top AI startups, many of which are still in their early stages of rese...
(Patent) Little Caesars Patents Pizza-Making Robot
[Tech]
2018/03/19 10:49
Little Caesars was today issued a patent for a robot designed to help assemble pizzas, meaning life’s about to get a lot easier (or a lot harder, depending on your perspective) for hapless human cheese spreaders.The patent shows a device shaped like a stove top, with stations for different pizza-making tasks. The robot picks up a pan with pizza dough, squishes it, and then distributes sauce, c...
(M&A) L’Oreal Acquires Modiface, A Major AR Beauty Company
[Investing]
2018/03/19 10:48
L’Oreal announced today that it has acquired Modiface, a company that’s had a hand in the creation of many custom augmented reality beauty apps, including those from Sephora and Estée Lauder. L’Oreal didn’t disclose the amount spent, but it did tell Reuters that it now owns Modiface’s numerous patents that help users visualize makeup and hairstyles on themselves. The partnership makes sen...
Stock Trade App Robinhood Raising at $5B+, Up 4X in a Year
[Investing]
2018/03/19 10:48
By adding a cryptocurrency exchange, a web version and stock option trading, Robinhood has managed to quadruple its valuation in a year, according to a source familiar with a new round the startup is raising. Robinhood is closing in on around $350 million in Series D funding led by Russian firm DST Global, the source says. That’s just 11 months after Robinhood confirmed TechCrunch’s scoop tha...
Amazon's "Checking Account-Like Product"
[Business]
2018/03/19 10:48
Lots of chatter last week about how Amazon is in discussions with JPMorgan about partnering on a "checking account-like product". This is right on the heels of similar discussions with Bank of America about putting capital behind its SME lending business. So since when are banking products or lending products or investment products just a "-like" product. Meaning, don't you have to have a bank...
Goodyear's Oxygene Concept Tire to Improve Air Quality
[Design]
2018/03/19 10:47
The future of mobility is electric, but Goodyear wants to enhance that further through their latest concept tire, Goodyear’s Oxygene. Introduced at 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, this futuristic concept tire offers a visionary solution for cleaner, safer, and sustainable urban mobility. The unique structure of this tire features living moss growing within the sidewall. The tire’s smart...
Europe Electric Car Sales In January — VW e-Golf Starts In The Lead
[Business]
2018/03/18 09:10
The European passenger plug-in car market started the 2018 season with almost 26,000 registrations, growing 36% compared to the same period last year, a promising start that unfortunately is being made for the most part thanks to growth in plug-in hybrids (+44% year over year). In fact, plug-in hybrids now represent more than half (53%) of deliveries.And yet, out of the five best selling PEVs,...
