TREND REPORTS
(Patent) Snap Filed a Patent Application for “Voice Input for AR Wearable Devices”
[Tech]
2024/08/13 09:09
The company filed a patent application for “voice input for AR wearable devices,” referring to its smart glasses. Snap’s tech aims to give its users more control over their augmented reality interfaces. “Often, the wearable devices have very little room for interface controls on the wearable devices,” Snap said in the filing. By using voice control, this tech allows users to “operate [the...
Skild AI Grabs $300M to Build Foundation Model for Robotics
[Investing]
2024/08/13 09:08
Skild’s foundation model is intended to serve as a shared, general-purpose brain for tasks including manipulation, locomotion, and navigation. A new wave of startups is emerging to apply recent artificial intelligence advances into more sophisticated robot behavior. Yesterday, Skild AI emerged from stealth mode and announced that it has closed a $300 million Series A round. The Pittsburgh-base...
(Infographic) Athletes with the Most Olympic Medals
[Consumer]
2024/08/13 09:07
While athletes compete in the Paris Olympics for gold medals and records, one title is still far from being taken: the most victorious Olympic athlete of all time.With 28 medals, American swimmer Michael Phelps is considered the GOAT. But who else joins the list, and which of those athletes are still active?In this graphic, we show the top nine athletes by the total number of Olympic medals won...
(Video) Boston Is Turning to Google AI to Help with Road Traffic
[Tech]
2024/08/13 09:06
Google says 'Project Green Light' is an example of how AI can be used for good.Boston is looking to Google AI to curb road traffic. Boston will use the technology from Google’s “Project Green Light” to improve traffic light timing.Google uses its AI to measure traffic trends and recommend minor switches to traffic lights. Boston said traffic fell more than 50% at stoplights where it tested t...
The Younger The Traveler, The More International
[Consumer]
2024/08/13 09:05
According to the 2024 state of tourism and hospitality report by McKinsey, Millenials are traveling more than any other generation. However, when it comes to how the generations divide their trips between international and domestic destinations, Gen Z travelers tended to take nearly as many international trips as they did domestically. On the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers were twice a...
Yayoi Kusama installs mirrored orbs outside Liverpool Street Station in London
[Design]
2024/08/13 09:03
For Infinite Accumulation, her largest-ever permanent sculpture, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has created a series of connected metallic spheres by the Elizabeth Line entrance of London's Liverpool Street Station.Reflective orbs were placed along a curving, twisting structure to form the Infinite Accumulation installation, which is around 100 metres long and rises 10 metres above the public spa...
How Bootstrapped Beauty Brands Are Growing
[Business]
2024/08/13 09:03
In order to stand out in the increasingly cut-throat beauty industry, nascent brands usually need to tap into venture capital to power their growth.Founders are increasingly turned off by the pressure investors can put on their businesses to grow at all costs, preferring to take a more gradual and profit-led approach.As funding rounds have slimmed, even brands who have successfully raised inves...
Sports and Music Tourism Will Soon Represent a $1.5 Trillion Economy
[Business]
2024/08/12 09:10
Sports and music tourism is seeing huge growth. In 2023, sports tourism was valued at $564.7 billion and is expected to almost double in value to $1.33 Trillion by 2032*. Similarly, music tourism is expected to see huge growth, forecasted to reach $13.8 Billion by 2032**.Key FindingsMore than four in five (83%) have travelled by plane for sports and 71% for music in the past three years or plan...
The Robot Companion Helping Seniors Thrive with Joy and Connection - Silbo
[Design]
2024/08/12 09:09
Imagine a world where seniors don’t just get by, they thrive. Where technology isn’t just a tool, but a companion, that’s where you’d have SILBO, a unique robot designed not just to help, but to be a true friend to seniors navigating the later stages of life. The name “Silbo” comes from the Spanish word for “whistle,” capturing the lightness and joy it hopes to bring into the lives of i...
(PDF) Mckinsey - How European Consumers Perceive Electric Vehicles
[Consumer]
2024/08/12 09:08
As the electric-vehicle market continues to grow in Europe, customer expectations are also evolving.Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer a niche business. They now account for 16 percent of new-car sales in Europe, up from under 1 percent in 2019. Despite the removal of purchase subsidies in certain markets, such as Germany at the end of 2023, sales have remained stable. Since the beginning of...
US Luxury Spending Down 11% in July, Says Citi
[Business]
2024/08/12 09:07
Credit card data from Citi Research suggests a steep decline in spending for luxury leather goods and ready-to-wear, while watches saw unexpected growth. The personal luxury goods market is set to grow 4 percent in 2023, said Bain & Company.US consumers spent 11 percent less on luxury goods in July compared to the same month last year, Citi Research said Friday citing data from a panel of 1...
For Automakers, Autonomy And Sustainability Are Top Startup Investment Themes
[Investing]
2024/08/12 09:06
In a typical year, major automakers participate in several billion dollars worth of startup funding rounds. And so far, 2024 is not bucking the trend.Per Crunchbase data, the largest global automakers and their affiliated venture funds have joined in at least 52 startup funding rounds this year, collectively valued at close to $2.8 billion. By deal count, the pace of activity is similar to what...
