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Target wants to improve your shopping by fueling Indian technology startups
We usually associate Target more with bargain pricing than technology leadership, but the big-box retailer is about to defy those expectations with plans for a startup incubator in Bangalore, India. When it launches in January, the Target Accelerator Program will finance young tech firms specializing in content aggregation, data, mobile and search. Only one or two companies will make the cut each year, but Target hopes that their projects will improve our shopping experience. TAP is also a clever way to compete against digital-savvy retailers like Walmart, which already has an Indian footprint -- Target may spot clever ideas (and buyout candidates) before they reach competitors.
Potluck's new iPhone app encourages you to chat about the daily news
The world needs more social networks like it needs more politicians. Then again, we've got some time for Potluck, if only because the service is financially backed by Ev Williams and Biz Stone -- two guys who have form when it comes to spotting a good idea. Potluck's iOS app, which has just benefited from a major overhaul, throws curated news stories at you one by one. Then it asks you to tap "yay" or "nay" depending on whether you find the topic enticing -- a bit like the way Tinder works, but applied to headlines instead of scary faces. If a particular story sparks your imagination and urge to banter, the app connects you with friends who've read the same article so that you can right the world's wrongs together. Or, you know, find even nastier things to say about poor old Miley Cyrus.
'Xbox On' command powers up and logs in Xbox One in just 13 seconds
The second major console launch this year is still just over a week away, but the folks at Microsoft are showing off another feature of the Xbox One. This video demonstrates its ability to turn on and log in using only your voice (for comparison, the PS4 can be turned off with a voice command, but not on), and your face. Major Nelson's "Xbox On" command leads to a fully powered up and ready system in just 13 seconds, and that's even using Kinect's camera with facial recognition to log into his Xbox Live profile. If you prefer privacy over convenience, the Xbox's ability to listen for its hotword while in standby can be disabled (or, you can leave the microphone and camera-packing sensor unplugged entirely), but if your couch is constantly eating gamepads and remotes, maybe this is a reason to jump in at launch.
Google fuels the entrepreneurial spirit by launching Tech Hub Network in seven cities
Innovation, man. You either have it, or you don't. And, in the case of Google, you stand to gain all sorts of long-tail revenue if you help fuel the aforesaid fire. Google for Entrepreneurs was just the start, and now the company is branching out to partner with existing technology hubs and incubation labs across the world. Rather than crafting hubs of its own, Google is announcing a Tech Hub Network that'll launch with seven partners, initially located in North America. 1871 (Chicago), American Underground (Durham), Coco (Minneapolis), Communitech (Waterloo), Galvanize (Denver), Grand Circus (Detroit) and Nashville Entrepreneur Center (Nashville) have made the starting lineup, and if you're near one, you might want to consider dropping by. Google is committing to "providing each hub with financial support alongside access to Google technology, platforms and mentors, and ensuring that entrepreneurs at these hubs have access to an even larger network of startups." And, of course, being that much closer to Google Ventures can't hurt.
AT&T opens second Foundry lab in Plano, Texas, hopes to foster the 'Internet of Things'
Carriers need to innovate their way to bigger profits, so AT&T has been opening up foundries -- startup incubators that try and recreate the spirit of Bell Labs. While the company already has a software-focused facility in Plano, 'Ma Bell has now rented the office space directly above it for the follow-up. The second Texas facility will concentrate on hardware for the "Internet of Things," packing gear like a faraday cage, fast prototyping equipment and 3D printers. Aspiring inventors should just bear in mind that whatever you go there to build will probably need to sell a wireless plan alongside -- after all, AT&T is paying the bills.
Yahoo buys image recognition firm IQ Engines to reorganize Flickr
Flickr is a killer resource for photographers of all stripes, but navigating through its massive photo catalog is far from elegant. Hopefully, Yahoo's purchase of IQ Engines can change that. According to the image recognition startup's website, IQ will be applying its skills to improving photo organization and search functionality to the online photo repository. Maybe its first order of business will be arranging all of Yahoo's new logos.
#Leaving: Chris Messina exits Google for NeonMob's digital art platform
If it weren't for Chris Messina, #FirstWorldProblems wouldn't exist. Since creating hashtags back in 2007 as way of grouping online conversations, he's spent his time focusing on design and the open web at Google. Perhaps more accurately, redesign. Messina is responsible for the search giant's revamped brand badges, profiles and +1 button, as well as helping create the Google Developers knowledge base. After over three years at Mountain View's cavernous digs though, he's leaving for something a little more intimate. Starting next week, he'll call NeonMob -- a sort of online art / trading card / sticker collecting-hybrid start-up -- home. There, he'll focus on the site's growth and new media-activities like building a community. Oh, and as of right now, he's two pieces shy of completing his first sticker set. Maybe if you help him out, he'll return the favor -- it kind of is his job, after all.
Inside the Nike+ Accelerator: Fueling the quantified-self movement
Imagine setting aside three months of your life to pursue a dream. As romantic as the idea may seem, it requires a gut check somewhere along the way. Recently, a handful of entrepreneurs said goodbye to their families and loved ones, and in some cases, flew across the globe for an opportunity to do just that. Some put their budding companies on hold, while others came only with an unwavering belief in their idea. In all, 10 companies converged on the Nike+ Accelerator in Portland, Ore., this past March, each united with the goal of building products that integrate with Nike's line of fitness trackers. It's hard to underestimate the sacrifice, or the opportunity. With less than three weeks to relocate, many had to act quickly. But with a vote of confidence from Nike and its accelerator partner, TechStars, support from a vast network of mentors and industry contacts -- and just as importantly, early access to the Nike+ API -- it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a head start over the competition in the burgeoning wearables industry. From the moment these entrepreneurs touched ground at PDX, the clock was already running. In just 12 weeks, they'd pitch their products to potential investors at Demo Day -- first in Portland on June 10th, and again in San Francisco on the 20th. It's a lot to accomplish in three months, and certainly unfamiliar territory for Nike as well. But even amidst the breakneck speed, one must hit the pause button and ponder Nike's motivation behind the accelerator. Ten companies were certainly given an upper hand, but can the same be said for Nike itself?
Twitter acquires Spindle, a 'news feed for your neighborhood'
Good news for the folks at Spindle came today, as the provider of hyperlocal offers from businesses was acquired by Twitter. Described by the company as, "a tool for tuning into your surroundings," the service pulls updates from Twitter and Facebook and categorizes offers around themes such as restaurants and shopping. Spindle also includes a social element, with the ability to share check-ins through Facebook and Twitter. The service is currently limited to 11 cities, which includes New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, but according to the company, "By joining forces with Twitter, we can do so much more to help you find interesting, timely, and useful information about what's happening around you." As sad news to current users of Spindle, however, the service will shut down effective today, as the team prepares for its transition to the Twitter team in San Francisco. At any rate, it looks like the folks at Lucky Sort won't be the rookies of Twitter HQ anymore. For a peek at what Spindle entails, just hop the break.
Cozy could make renting much more comfortable for both landlords and tenants
Renting is a pain. Sure, it saves you from financial doom when the housing market collapses, and it certainly is a lot more affordable when you're feeling a bit resource-constrained, but it can cause some massive headaches. Depending on your market, scoring a place may require applying to dozens of potential landlords, spreading your precious, personal information with wild abandon to folks you've never met. It's no pleasure cruise for those landlords, too, who have to chase down references and decide which of a pool of total strangers is most suitable to move in. And, when a rent check gets lost in the mail, nobody's happy. These are just some of the issues that Cozy is looking to solve. The service, which formally launches today and is backed by Google Ventures among many others, is looking to reboot the way that renters and landlords interact. More info after the break.
Verizon's Innovation Center: Incubating the next generation of connected devices keeps the 'dumb pipe' naysayers at bay
It's no surprise, really. Offline devices just don't carry the allure that they once did, and in fact, yours truly would argue that they simply lack the requisite functionality to become runaway hits in the modern era. It's genuinely difficult to think of a flagship consumer electronics product, with a display of any kind, being engineered in the year 2013 without at least some level of internet connectivity in mind. Even a Kickstarter dream dubbed Pebble would be borderline useless without an online link, and as consumer demands shift dramatically towards expecting more for less, it's the carriers who have found themselves positioned to take advantage. Verizon has joined a host of other megacorps in launching so-called innovation centers across the world. Earlier this year, Samsung committed $1.1 billion to create a pair of Open Innovation Centers -- temporary homes for upstarts looking to woo Sammy's check writers into believing in their technology. In 2011, AT&T's Palo Alto, Calif.-based Foundry innovation center joined similar entities already running in Texas and Israel. Microsoft, Intel and Vodafone have all done likewise in the past three years. I recently had the opportunity to visit Verizon's first Innovation Center -- a sprawling facility located squarely in Massachusetts' famed Route 128 technology corridor. The center opened in Waltham in the middle of 2011, and now enables roughly 25 employees to "largely operate outside" of what you probably associate with the word "Verizon." What I found was the world's greatest case against the existence of a "dumb pipe" -- a phrase often used to describe carriers that do little more than provide access to a network. No structured technical support, no humans on the other side, no bloatware on the devices they sell. Companies who show up looking for aid in the art of interconnectedness face no fees, no risk of surrendering intellectual property and no requirements of exclusivity. This is the future of the wireless carrier: an increasingly vital component in making tomorrow's whiz-bang gadget one that this generation will actually crave. %Gallery-189369%
Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann: consumers will soon expect every service on every platform, mobile included
Ben Silbermann has found himself in a pretty swell spot. He's the CEO of Pinterest -- a company that was recently valued at $2.5 billion, despite not making a single cent to date. He took the stage today at D11 in Southern California, answering questions shot from Kara Swisher. One of the key points he made was on the topic of mobile. Swisher was asking about Pinterest's mobile efforts, and Silbermann suggested that in the very near future, asking such a thing would be borderline silly. "It'd be like asking a business today if they're a dot-com business," he said, suggesting that every business created in 2013 should absolutely have some sort of presence on the web. It's perhaps due to the shocking uptake of Pinterest's apps. Said Silbermann: "A growing number [of users] use Pinterest exclusively on their phone or tablet. When we released our mobile apps, we were taking bets on how long it'd take for those to surpass our web traffic. I figured it'd take a few weeks. It was literally the day it was released [that the traffic was passed]. I think it's because phones and tablets are largely always around you, whereas you're not always around a [traditional] computer." It's perhaps the token example of how consumers at large are moving away from needing a full-fledged machine at their fingertips, and the redefining of what a "computer" is for the newest generations.
Play-i building educational, programmable robots for kids
We've seen software and even TV shows that teach younger kids about technology, but we haven't really seen ready-made educational robots for that age group -- and no, AIBO and Furby don't count. Play-i, a new startup involving former Apple and Google employees, thinks it's time that the younger set receives some truly helpful mechanical companions. The company tells AllThingsD that it's developing robots that 5 to 8 year olds can program through mobile devices, teaching them about code in a more tangible way than a device screen would allow. While details of the robots are scarce, the team is shooting for sub-$100 prices that parents could afford: these bots may not be limited to classrooms. We'll hopefully discover more when Play-i starts a crowdfunding campaign in the summer, although it will still be a long while before we're picking up Junior's First Automaton. [Image credit: Alonso Inostrosa Psijas, Flickr]
Twitter #Music lead Kevin Thau joins Biz Stone's mysterious Jelly project
If you're not familiar with Kevin Thau, you ought to be: he worked on many of Twitter's early mobile efforts, helped integrate it into major platforms and headed up the Twitter #Music app. That's what makes his newly confirmed move to Twitter co-founder Biz Stone's new firm, Jelly, so interesting. While little is known about Jelly beyond its plan for a decentralized service, Thau will be heading up numerous aspects of business operations at the company while it builds "world class mobile products." We'll have to wait awhile before we see his influence, but his presence hints that Jelly is more than just a casual project.
Ukky iPhone app journals your child's life, gives your Facebook followers a break
Look, we've all been there -- that moment when palm meets face after viewing the umpteenth image of your best friend's child. As cute as Louie is, there's a finite quantity of JPEGs that one can stand if you aren't Louie's creator. Of course, scaling back the number of offspring photos uploaded to public social networks wasn't the intention of those who crafted Ukky, but it's a side effect that the childless among us will no doubt appreciate. Showcased this week at The Next Web Conference, Ukky is a (gorgeous) iPhone app that's designed to journal the life of your youngster, and your interactions along the way. The word itself is Dutch for "little one" (or so I'm told), and it effectively brings the world of Path to a different niche. %Gallery-186791%
Daily iPhone App: Artkive helps you save your child's artwork for posterity
I first learned about Artkive last week at an event here in LA, put on by Technori and designed to show off some of the best startup ideas in the City of Angels. The company has been around for quite a while, and has picked up a whole lot of buzz from mom bloggers and the parenting industry (which explains why I'm so late on it: I don't have kids and don't plan to any time soon). But I have to admit, after watching the presentation at Technori, that Artkive is a really impressive app, with a lot of potential going forward. The basic idea with the app, as you might have guessed from the name, is that it's designed to work as an "art archive" of your children's work. All parents get plenty of artwork from their kids as they grow up, be those macaroni sculptures, finger paintings or just roughly scribbled-on coloring books, and sometimes that art goes on the fridge or into a box at the bottom of the closet. But Artkive's goal is to keep it saved away digitally, available to either be shared with others via social networks, or eventually printed off into a keepsake book or on other items. The app is as simple as it gets -- you simply use the iPhone's camera to take a picture of your kid's art, you can tag it with some relevant information like their age or where it was done, and then you have a quickly growing archive of all of their work. Artkive's representatives at the Technori pitch pointed out that while the app has been smoothed over through its various versions and iterations, it's far from done. Not only do they have lots of opportunities in terms of licensing and item sales (one company has even approached them to try and make a set of Artkive-branded creative tools like a paint easel or a crayon set), but what they'd like to do eventually is turn the app into an archive of everything your kid does including art, which would mean pictures as they grow, any special awards or commendations, or anything else you'd like to save from your child's childhood. That's a pretty big idea -- for now, Artkive is obviously focused on just keeping the art safe. This is definitely a solid app, and if your child is at that age where every other day they're bringing home something creative, this might be the perfect way to track and store exactly that they've done. Artkive is a free download, available right now from the App Store.
KrystalBoard wants to replace blackboards and whiteboards with liquid crystals
If you ask most people, they'd tell you there's nothing wrong with the standard classroom set-up of a blackboard and chalk, or a whiteboard and dry-erase markers. Nicholas DePorzio isn't most people, though. At Northeastern University's Husky Startup Challenge Demo Day, he took home first prize for KrystalBoard, a liquid crystal-based writing board. His early prototype takes a few cues from Boogie Board's line of scratch pads. Functionally, they're almost identical: use a stylus to scratch your message into the panel then, when you're done, simply press a button to erase it. What DePorzio believes sets his creation apart is the ability to scale to much larger sizes. His first prototype, tossed together in just six weeks, certainly has some rough edges (literally, the stand is made from roughly cut cardboard boxes). But, with a different selection of liquid crystal panels, the hope is that high-contrast classroom-sized KrystalBoards are well within his reach. The first iteration uses a nine-volt battery to force the crystals to reorient themselves and wipe out any missives, but DePorzio is confident that a small solar panel (like the one on your 99-cent calculator) will have more than enough juice to "power" a much larger model. And "power" is a relative term, since technically there's no electricity coursing through the single-crystal panels. The goal is to save time and money by doing away with erasers, chalk, markers and other disposable supplies. The Northeastern student even believes he can get the cost of materials below that of a standard whiteboard or blackboard, but only time will tell on that one. Though, taking home a large novelty check should give the fledgling company a good head start. %Gallery-185065%
Lockheed Martin's technology hub brings startups closer to government needs
Wondering who would be the first to concoct a Kickstarter for governmental wishes? We suppose it's Lockheed Martin. Today, the aforementioned outfit has launched an initiative "aimed at expanding its collaboration with Silicon Valley companies to meet the diverse technology needs of the federal government." Called the Lockheed Martin Silicon Valley Alliance, the hub will reportedly "provide the federal government with greater visibility into innovative technology solutions developed locally," even going so far as to suggest that a game developer could use their resources in order to improve the realism of a military simulation system. It sounds as if Lockheed will end up being the middleman between aspiring companies and entities like the Department of Defense and NASA, essentially ensuring that whatever is built meets federal requirements. Those interested in venturing down such a rabbit hole can give the source link a look, but as always, we'd caution you to register at your own risk.
CASIS wants to send your research project into space, give Engadget readers $100 off the application fee
We already told you about the CASIS and MassChallenge startup accelerator partnership aiming to find the next great research project to send into space, and give that project over $100,000 to help bring it to fruition. Now, Engadget wants to help make it easier for you, dear reader, to get your idea into orbit by offering the chance to trim $100 off the $199 application fee. The process is simple: you click the source link below and fill out a short form outlining your idea and providing your contact info. Then, should CASIS like what it sees, it'll send out promo codes to ten of you to be used when submitting the full application on the MassChallenge website. Sound good? Well, hop to it folks, because CASIS is looking to deliver the promo codes by April 1st. Not that you should need much incentive to jump on the opportunity... we're talking about sending your pet project into space, after all.
Nike selects ten companies to participate in Accelerator program
A couple of months after Nike opened its Accelerator startup program for registration, the sportswear giant has deemed just ten companies out of hundreds of applicants to be worthy enough to jump on board the Nike+ API train: FitDeck, GoRecess, Chroma.io, CoachBase, GoFitCause, HighFive, Sprout At Work, GeoPalz, Incomparable Things and RecBob. Selected ideas range from a deck of fitness cards to interactive gaming rewards. As a reminder, the TechStars-run program was designed to encourage companies to use Nike-collected data from devices like the Fuelband and the Sportswatch. As a reward for getting picked, the winners will undergo a three-month retreat in Portland, Oregon, where they'll develop and bring those solutions to fruition. Each company gets $20,000 to use to their advantage, along with expert advice from Nike-selected mentors. At the end of it all, they'll get to pitch their ideas to industry leaders and angel investors in the hopes of taking it to the next level. To find out what each selected participant offers, have a peek at the Nike source link below.
