If you’ve been wondering why the past few years have been ripe with discussion about the enormous potential of blockchain technology, yet we haven’t seen much investment or progression from major tech companies, you’re not alone—but the discrepancy may be coming from a massive talent shortage that has been plaguing the blockchain community. Without available, […]
Freelancing has been dubbed the on-demand economy, where businesses hire independent contractors to perform tasks for the company instead of regular employees. Contractors are generally less expensive to hire because you only pay for what you need. This can make them more appealing for smaller or shorter term projects, but some Silicon Valley startups are […]
Nine years ago Square launched it’s iconic white card reader that turned any cell phone into a credit card reader and solved a huge problem for America’s tiniest businesses. Fast forward almost a decade and many of those small businesses are not so small anymore. That taco truck start-up is now a fleet of ten […]
In 2006 Google’s acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion, and Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. Many dismissed these purchases as indulgences of cash-rich tech behemoths, and federal regulators took no action. But, these acquisitions were far from frivolous. They shut out potential competitors, strengthening Google’s market dominance in search and Facebook’s in social media. And, now […]
Stop for a second and think about how nice it would be if you could boost your company’s profits by 95 percent. Or let’s be conservative and ask for a smaller number like 25 percent. The truth is that all it takes is a 5 percent increase in your customer retention rates, according to research […]
Once a wild frontier, the Internet of Things (IoT) has gone mainstream. Business scenarios once dreamed of have become a reality for companies of all types and sizes. And the momentum is just ramping up. As things become more connected, here are five trends that are reshaping the IoT industry—all of which are addressed in […]
Investors, pundits, and enthusiasts can’t stop speculating about cryptocurrency, and more often than not, their predictions center on price. But simply musing over the market performance of a specific coin ignores the larger potential of cryptocurrency. This space is about more than price fluctuations — it’s a digital financial revolution that’s poised to transform the world. Cryptocurrency […]
Each technology we use offers some type of benefit. However, advantages rapidly increase by integrating numerous technologies. While Superman can save the day, there is no chance for evil to win when he joins the Justice League. In this case, the blockchain, which is the decentralized ledger behind cryptocurrency and smart contracts, is the superhero. […]
The big data trend continues, and more and more companies are hopping on the bandwagon. While many organizations assume they need big data’s wisdom, often the “small” operational data they already have will do just fine. Operational data is internal data, such as the data that gives Uber its ability to dispatch cars. Big data, […]
You’ve heard it before: Generation Z will be different. The generation admires YouTube celebrities who’ve acquired fame and fortune through monetizing their channels and entrepreneurs who’ve made a good living from one big idea. Gen Zers have grown up in a time when technology is a tool instead of a toy and when peers — […]
So you want to be a millionaire? Well, turns out it’s not as hard as it used to be. Entrepreneurs with niche products like spherical ice cube molds and edible vegan cookie dough are raking in the other kind of dough with thousands of orders rolling in to an online store they built themselves (one […]
While streaming has taken off — with more than 60 percent of young Americans using streaming services as their primary TV venue — it’s also invaded our bedrooms. A 2018 Tuck survey of 1,300 Americans found that more than 85 percent of us watch streaming TV in bed, with 70 percent of them falling asleep to […]
I remember my undergraduate professor in AI saying, “AI is what they call machine intelligence they don’t yet fully understand. Once they understand it, it is no longer considered AI. Once robotics was well understood, it was no longer AI and became its own branch. Once computer vision was understood, it became independent. Speech recognition […]
With a compound annual growth rate of 28.5% forecasted by 2020, the global Internet of Things (IoT) market is exploding, and the technology behind IoT continues to evolve at a feverish pace. Here at Microsoft, we’re working hard to secure, simplify, and democratize IoT so that every customer can transform business, and the world at […]
Every time you’ve installed a piece of commercial software, you’ve invariably been presented with what must have appeared to be legal gibberish- a seeming difficult to read, needlessly long, solid block of text that was almost impossible to understand. Most people never bother to read the information presented- quickly scrolling to the bottom of the […]
Savvy business owners understand the importance of intellectual property (IP) to their business’ success and most can name patents, trademarks, and copyrights as some of the various forms that IP can take. But the distinctions between copyrights, patents, and trademarks is often confusing and misunderstood, even by business people that regularly deal with IP. But not […]
Today’s kids are growing up in an IoT-centric world where they’ve had a device in their hands for as long as they can remember. Hand an iPad to a three-year-old, and they’ll quickly figure out how to use it. Not only are today’s devices immediately intuitive to young kids, but the internet is always on. […]
What’s the State of Responsible IoT in 2018? After years of concerning news about connected devices that were hacked, bricked, or used to spy on users, a collection of essays by the experts in the ThingsCon network explores where we stand in terms of creating IoT devices that are responsibly made and respect user rights. […]
Augmented reality (AR) sounds like something right out of a science fiction novel. Using new technology to influence how we dress, what products we use, and the advertising we see on a daily basis are all experimentations in the combined world of digital marketing and AR. The field is still relatively new and doesn’t have […]
The Internet-of-Things (IoT) is revolutionizing markets and businesses today. Manufacturers are reaping the benefits of having interconnected devices. According to McKinsey, use of IoT in factories can create as much as $3.7 trillion in value by 2025. But IoT isn’t just for large industries. Small businesses also stand to gain much from looking into the […]
