Venture capitalists raised a record amount of money in the second quarter of 2016, according to data from PitchBook. Worldwide, VCs brought in $18.7 billion across 101 funds, up 15% from what they secured in the same period last year. It’s the latest sign that funds continue to flow freely to investors, who also set a fundraising record in the first quarter of 2016, with $16.3 billion in capit...

Moodstocks, a Parisian startup that develops image recognition tools for smartphones, is joining Google. The companies announced the acquisition today, sans financials.Around since 2008, Moodstocks hasn’t had considerable traction. (It’s not clear if they’ve raised much either.) But the company has tech and engineers working on machine learning, something Google cannot get enough of as it co...

The Global Information Technology Report 2016 features the latest iteration of the Networked Readiness Index, which assesses the factors, policies and institutions that enable a country to fully leverage information and communication technologies (ICTs) for increased competitiveness and well-being.[click to enlarge]Under the theme Innovating in the Digital Economy, the Report also examines the...

Online services, robotics, drones, smartphones, electronic payment systems, mobile games, super computers, cyber security, the internet of things, e-commerce: not just random words but rather those sectors where China has become a dominant force in just a few years.According to BI Intelligence, a Chinese brand, DJI, has gained a 75% share of the US commercial drone market. Almost unknown in the...

Want to build a labyrinth of pylons that grow trees and spout waterfalls? In the mixed-reality game Koski, it's simple.We all loved growing up with Lego and Lincoln Logs, but it can be easy to see why a child raised on iPad screens might crave more animation and interactivity—all of the magic of pixels, along with the fun of physical constructs. Which is probably why we continue to be amazed b...

People don’t crave the latest fitness wearable. Their overwhelming preference is for simple applications that provide and organize information.In the US$3 trillion United States healthcare industry, choice has swung decisively toward consumers in recent years. Empowered by technology, encouraged by employers, and incentivized by new regulations and products, more and more people are playing an...

Earlier this year, the Star Trek franchise along with MakerBot, NASA and Future Engineers issued a challenge to students from kindergarten to twelfth grade: design 3D printable inventions that could be used by future astronauts to make nutritious food in space. The Future Engineers 3-D Printing Star Trek Replicator Challenge (named for MakerBot’s Replicator series of printers as well as the me...

What lady doesn’t love a spa day?! But with our modern schedules, who has time to go regularly? Bring the zen to you with Relaxee, a virtual reality/massage headset designed just for the ladies. Simply put it on and use the intuitive remote control to be taken away to another place where you can immerse yourself in total relaxation of body and mind to reset and unwind.Designer : Wiwi Wong[yank...

We surveyed Americans and a panel of nutrition experts about which foods they thought were good or bad for you. Is popcorn good for you? What about pizza, orange juice or sushi? Or frozen yogurt, pork chops or quinoa?[click to enlarge]Which foods are healthy? In principle, it’s a simple enough question, and a person who wishes to eat more healthily should reasonably expect to know which foods...