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Self-driving technology is among the sexier technologies out there, but the sector has taken a mildly un-sexy (although still largely appealing) turn lately. The future you envisioned where you sit back in a car as it weaves through traffic all by itself is a little more distant than you might have first thought. Or it might be just as distant as you thought, depending on how sanguine you were of the capabilities of the technology. Either way, it’s clear by now that cars won’t be doing the whole self-driving thing for a while–not unless we’re prepared to risk the lives of anyone who ventures out onto streets. What seems more likely is that the technology will be used to get us groceries and laundry and stuff like that, like a futuristic Postmates. That’s right, it turns out self-driving vehicles will be just as interesting to Amazon and FedEx as they…

Have you ever thought about which sense would be your worst to lose? For me, it’s sight. Blindness–living in a world without light–is already the fate of 11 million people in the United States that have some form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a number that is expected to double to nearly 22 million by 2050. For most victims, vitamins known as the AREDS2 formula and pain relief are the best treatments currently available. Neither provide too much promise. While AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people 55 and older, younger people are also at risk of vision loss. Juvenile macular degeneration (JMD) is the term for several inherited and rare diseases that affect children and young adults, including Stargardt’s disease and Best disease, which can cause central vision loss that often starts in childhood or young adulthood. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is another genetic disorder that can wipe out…

In January of 2018, cryptocurrencies big and small took a huge dive in value. People around the world panicked. They didn’t care why it happened. All they thought about was all the value they were losing. You may have felt the same way – but you don’t have to. There are plenty of reasons why a crash shouldn’t make you nervous, and just as many reasons why you should actually be excited about it. Here are a number of them:   You Only Lose Money Once You Sell for Less For many people, especially those who just entered the world of investments and trading, watching the value of your purchased cryptocurrencies spiral downwards can be nerve-wracking. It will feel like everything you’ve planned is all for nothing. However, that’s not true. While you hold those currencies, you hold potential. Markets take dives all the time, and that’s something not unique…

Google–or Alphabet, to be more accurate (it’s hard to get used to that)–is putting Toronto’s eastern waterfront on a fast track to the future. The tech behemoth has announced an initiative as part of which it will transform a 12-acre region of the city into a futuristic smart neighbourhood and large-scale open-air lab experiment. The project is being helmed by Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet subsidiary. Sidewalk Labs is an operation that is finding ways to accelerate urban innovation by running pilot projects that can serve as prototypes for more such enlightened municipalities across the world. Sidewalk Toronto is the first such pilot, for which they’ve partnered with government agency Waterfront Toronto. The $1 billion dollar project aims to transform the physical and digital infrastructure of the neighbourhood of Quayside. Sidewalk Labs will use a combination of technological innovation and community engagement to create what they hope will become a model…

Did you know that over $34 billion has been raised via crowdfunding campaigns worldwide? That’s right – crowdfunding can be a great way to raise the funds needed to launch a new business or product, but only if you have the right marketing strategy. The most successful crowdfunding campaigns use buzz marketing to build hype around their campaign and encourage people to pledge. This type of marketing doesn’t cost a ton, but it does have some pretty impressive results when it’s done right. Not got a clue how to generate a buzz or get your campaign to go viral? Don’t worry – we’re here to teach you. Read on for five essential buzz-generating tips.   Release Teasers of Your Campaign Rewards Releasing teasers is a great way to get people excited about your campaign before it even launches. Decide on the rewards you’ll offer, then create text and image teasers to share on your…

For entrepreneurs and small business owners, there’s no better time to secure funding for your startup. Thanks in part to Congress passing the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act in 2012, many startups and investors are working together to achieve greater financial goals. As a result of the new legislation, startups can use a variety of methods, including crowdfunding, to find the right investors. But as private investors have a greater reach into the culture of startups, they have become increasingly careful. Entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking for startup capital need to understand what private investors look for. Cover these 5 basics and you may just watch the capital roll in. 1. Need and Value Proposition All entrepreneurs and small business owners should be able to look at the market from the perspective of a consumer. Your product or service should address a need. If not, it’s unlikely to attract the attention of…

According to recent surveys, more Americans are using technology than ever before. This growth in technology has changed the way we work, communicate, and access entertainment. Technology isn’t slowing down, either. Big businesses and startup companies alike are introducing innovative tech advancements that are continuing to change the world. With all these advances and all the noise that comes along with them, it can be hard to know what’s soon to be in the past and what’s bound to define our future. You can be sure that these 5 tech trends are in it for the long haul. And they’re taking us all with them. Artificial Intelligence Will Not Slow Down Since Apple released Siri in 2011, AI personal assistants have become a popular technology trend. Amazon and Google have added variety to the options available to consumers. In 2017, we expect more companies to introduce their own personal assistants to the market. This AI…

Do you have a business idea you think would make a lot of money, but don’t have the funds to get it off the ground? You could go down the traditional route of getting a loan from a bank, but there are different ways to get money. Crowdfunding has helped a lot of people fund amazing ideas and launch new businesses and products. As of April 2017 over 350,000 campaigns have been launched on a variety of crowd funding sites. The only trouble with using crowd funding is figuring out how to pick the one you want to use. How to Pick a Crowdfunding Platform If you’re here, you’re looking for a crowdfunding platform for your startup. A lot of factors go into picking a platform, and you need to be aware of them before you make a decision. Are you ready to pick your crowd funding platform? If you follow these tips,…

Anyone who follows Gary Vaynerchuk online knows that he’s a zealous proponent of voice technology–both audio content like podcasts as well as tools that run on voice commands, like Amazon Alexa. Vaynerchuk’s bullishness is borne out by how things are shaping up in the real world. Both investors and consumers appear to have taken a liking to voice of late, and that’s a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. One of the things voice is making easier is consuming online content. That’s thanks to services like Curio, which employs voiceover artists to convert journalistic pieces from premium publications into narrated audio. These narrated articles are then organized into user-tailored playlists based on topic, and packaged into a $8-a-month subscription.   The service has its origins in lessons the founding team drew from its years spent in media. “From my previous role as a strategist for the BBC, I knew…

According to the National Federation of the Blind, there are as many as 10 million individuals in the US along who are blind or visually impaired. Unfortunately many of these individuals have to rely on standard canes as their sole source of finding their way around. A Boston-based startup is looking to inject some innovation into the arena with a wearable designed to help the blind navigate their surroundings with more precision and confidence.     The device is called Sunu band and it is the world’s first fully accessible wearable that uses sonar and echolocation technology with precision haptic feedback to augment awareness, perception, and independence.   Sunu band works by emitting a high-frequency ultrasound wave that bounces off objects around the wearer. By measuring the strength of the reflection, it produces a vibration that is stronger or weaker depending on the distance of the object. Sunu band augments…

If you’re looking to start a business now, you need to know what’s happening in the startup world now. Historical information and last year’s news will only get you so far. Investing in the success of your startup means being informed about the latest startup trends. Let’s touch on this year’s top seven, and then you smarty-pants entrepreneurs can go make the most of them. Infinite Competition The Internet is making it easier for no-name competitors from around the world to break into your local marketplace and swipe your marketshare. If you’re local, make sure you don’t skimp on investment in local SEO, and always be on the lookout for partnerships with other businesses to grow marketshare on the ground. Regardless of whether you’re local or not, you need to keep an eye on the technology that is really raising the bar when it comes to key areas of your…

Founded in 2016 by Mary Biggins and Katie Ghelli, MealPal (formerly known as MealPass) has facilitated more than 2 million reservations for lunch, and is already in 10 cities worldwide: NYC, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, SF, Miami, London, Toronto, and Sydney. In February this year the company announced $15 million in Series A financing led by Comcast Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corp., with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Haystack Partners, and NextView Ventures. SnapMunk spoke to MealPal co-founder Mary Biggins. Can you describe Meal Pal in five words? I can do it in four words. Eat intelligently and affordably. What makes MealPal stand out from the noise? For most meals, consumers are looking for three things: great food, efficient to get, and affordable. With MealPal, we partner with great restaurants, making lunch efficient and affordable so that people can go into a restaurant, skip the line, pick…