TREND REPORTS
Kashable Banks $25.6M to Offer Employment-based Lending
[Investing]
2024/01/23 09:06
More and more employers are adding financial products to their employee benefits and perks, and many startups have jumped into this sector to help.Fintech company Kashable is the latest to also grab some venture capital attention for its approach to offering credit and financial wellness products as an employer-sponsored voluntary benefit.The company raised $25.6 million in Series B funding. Re...
(PDF) Global Consumer Trends : The New Experience Economy
[Consumer]
2024/01/23 09:06
Nearly everyone’s lives have been changed by the pandemic, and for almost half of the global population, the change was profound. The pandemic also led to widespread digital adoption as people were empowered to work, shop, and connect with others from the comfort of their own homes. Are these new values and digital behaviors here to stay?Advances in technology could further augment how we expe...
(Video) Watch NASA’s One-of-a-Kind Snake Robot Training to Go to Space
[Tech]
2024/01/23 09:04
JPL hopes this weird robot could be the key to finding alien life one day.NASA is designing a one-of-a-kind snake robot to hunt for life on a distant moon — and now you can watch it slither across challenging terrain on Earth, as it trains for a harsh mission in deep space.The challenge: Theoretically, Saturn’s moon Enceladus has all the ingredients needed for life as we know it — liquid wat...
(Video) World's Largest Kinetic Sculpture - The Pearl by BREAKFAST
[Design]
2024/01/23 09:03
BREAKFAST, a Brooklyn-based new media artist studio, introduces its latest kinetic art sculpture on the Royal Caribbean’s new ship, Icon of the Seas, the biggest of its kind to date.Titled The Pearl, this piece is recognized as the largest kinetic artwork in the world, showcasing an unprecedented fusion of art and technology. Spanning over 13.7 meters in height and with a diameter of 16 meters...
(PDF) Deloitte - 2024 Global Automotive Consumer Study
[Consumer]
2024/01/22 09:10
What consumer trends and disruptive technologies will have the most impact on the automotive industry in the coming year? Explore key findings from our 2024 Global Automotive Consumer Study, including the evolution of mobility, connectivity, car buying trends, and more.From September through October 2023, we surveyed more than 27,000 consumers in 26 countries to explore opinions regarding a var...
Saudi Arabia Invests $590M in Magic Leap
[Investing]
2024/01/22 09:09
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has invested over $500M in Magic Leap, a U.S. tech company specializing in VR headsets. This investment is aimed at competing with Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro goggles, with Magic Leap's total capital raised now exceeding $4.5B.Magic Leap received $590M from PIF in 2023 through convertible debt.The PIF has become the majority owner of Magic Leap, a compa...
BMW Taps Humanoid Startup Figure to Take on Tesla's Robot
[Tech]
2024/01/22 09:08
The ‘general purpose’ robots from robotics startup Figure are intended to automate dangerous or repetitive manufacturing tasks.[Figure unveiled its first prototype humanoid robot (pictured) in October 2023, just one year after the company was founded. Image: Figure]Robotics startup Figure has signed a “commercial agreement” with BMW to introduce its “general purpose” humanoid robots to BM...
(Video) ‘Invisible’ Wheelchair Stands Tall For A Dignified Way Of Life - Chronus Robotics
[Product]
2024/01/22 09:07
For many, the simple act of standing in a crowd is an unthought privilege. The same is rarely said for individuals with mobility challenges. That’s where the ‘Kim-e’ glides in, offering them a way to navigate the world independently and comfortably at eye level.Developed by a team of designers and engineers with diverse expertise at Chronus Robotics, this self-balancing personal mobility rob...
China : Walling Off
[Investing]
2024/01/22 09:06
China’s population is falling. The world’s formerly most-populous nation reported its second straight year of decline, with the country’s citizen count dropping to 1.409 billion, as just ~9 million babies were born, down from 9.56 million last year.It’s hard to overstate just how seismic a demographic shift the figures represent. China was, of course, known for its infamous one-child policy...
