TREND REPORTS
Apple Explores Home Robotics as Potential ‘Next Big Thing’ After Car Fizzles
[Business]
2024/04/05 09:09
The company has teams working on automated home devices. The search is on for new growth sources after EV gets nixed.Apple Inc. has teams investigating a push into personal robotics, a field with the potential to become one of the company’s ever-shifting “next big things,” according to people familiar with the situation.Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow us...
(Patent) Snap is Seeking to Patent a System for “Augmented Reality Spatial Audio”
[Tech]
2024/04/05 09:08
The social media firm is seeking to patent a system for “augmented reality spatial audio.” Snap’s patent details a system that localizes audio to where an AR object is when wearing a pair of smart glasses. Essentially, Snap aims to create a more immersive AR experience using sensor data that’s collected via cameras on their smart glasses. The system then feeds that image data to an AI model...
(PDF) IFPI - Global Music Report 2024
[Business]
2024/04/05 09:07
2023 was another good year for the music industry. According to IFPI’s latest Global Music Report, worldwide recorded music revenues climbed 10 percent to $28.6 billion last year, a new record - at least in nominal terms. This marks the ninth consecutive year of growth for the global music industry after nearly two decades of gradual decline. And while streaming was once again the biggest driv...
(Paper) MIT- AI Generates High-Quality Images 30 Times Faster in a Single Step
[Tech]
2024/04/05 09:06
Novel method makes tools like Stable Diffusion and DALL-E-3 faster by simplifying the image-generating process to a single step while maintaining or enhancing image quality.Three by two grid of AI-generated images, with small black illustrated robots peeking from behind. The images show a scenic mountain range; a unicorn in a forest; a vintage Porsche; an astronaut riding a camel in a desert; a...
2024 Stock Market Winner & Losers
[Investing]
2024/04/05 09:05
The year of the Bull.Although the Chinese calendar technically ushered in the year of the dragon, it’s a bull that investors have been channeling in 2024. Indeed, stock markets around the world have continued their relentless upward march this year, seeing record highs for Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, India’s Nifty 50, Europe’s closely-watched STOXX 600, and, of course, America’s flagship S&a...
(Video) 3D Printed Adjustable Sneakers for Kids can be Stretched to Fit Their Sizes
[Design]
2024/04/05 09:04
Product designer Michele di Carlo conceptualized 4Steps, a concept design series of customizable and adjustable 3D-printed sneakers for kids aged between 6 and 14. These kicks can be disassembled and stretched so that the shoes can fit their extending feet, up to five different shoe sizes. The adjustable sneakers weigh only around 123 grams, making them lightweight. They also incorporate molded...
Serena Williams Debuts Tennis-Inspired Makeup Brand Ideal For Active Lifestyles
[Product]
2024/04/05 09:03
Tennis champion Serena Williams has traded her racket for a makeup brush with the launch of her beauty line, Wyn Beauty. Pronounced “win,” the brand reflects not just her relentless drive for victory on the court, but her philosophy of personal empowerment through self-expression.Developed over the course of six years, Wyn Beauty comprises a curated selection of 10 core products across face,...
Economic Conditions Outlook, March 2024
[Investing]
2024/04/04 09:10
Survey responses show increased confidence in the economy—globally and at home. Geopolitical concerns persist, and respondents increasingly view political transitions and policy changes as pressing risks.Executives’ latest views on the global economy and their countries’ economies lean much more positive than they did at the end of 2023.In the latest McKinsey Global Survey on economic condit...
World's Largest Aircraft Delivers Colossal Cargo to Makeshift Airstrips - WindRunner
[Product]
2024/04/04 09:09
The Radia Windrunner offers a cargo volume seven times larger than the mighty.The 108-m (356-ft) long Radia Windrunner is designed to transport cargo too big for the road, to short, semi-prepared airstrips on rough terrain. It would dwarf the majestic 84-m (275-ft) long Antonov An-225 Mriya, which is sadly no longer with us.With the notable exception of the Large Hadron Collider, there's really...
Bain & Company - Insurgent Brands 2024
[Business]
2024/04/04 09:08
Bain & Company’s eighth annual review recognizes 97 high-growth US consumer products brands, including 48 newcomers to the list.[click to enlarge]This year, we have identified 97 insurgent brands (definition below) that are disrupting their fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) categories in the US. These insurgent brands provide insights into where innovation and disruptive growth is happenin...
Read AI Raises $21M to Bring Connected Intelligence to Meetings, Email, and Messaging
[Investing]
2024/04/04 09:07
Read AI, a leader in AI-powered meeting summaries, today announced a $21 million Series A financing round led by Goodwater Capital, with participation from existing investor Madrona Venture Group. The funds will be used to accelerate the company’s mission of building the future of work, where every interaction is enhanced by artificial intelligence.Along with the funding, Read AI unveiled a ne...
(Paper) New Semi-Transparent Camera Promises Unobstructed View in AR/VR Devices
[Tech]
2024/04/04 09:06
New image sensor aims to overcome obstruction of eyes issue when using augmented reality devices by developing the first nearly invisible camera.One of the drawbacks the $3,499 Apple Vision Pro faces is that its video passthrough— despite being the best among its peers— is still video. Despite technological advancements, video has yet to accurately replicate what we see exactly the way we see...
