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It’s that time of year again. Apple has asked members of the media and devotees from around the world to “gather round” for a special event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its Cupertino campus. And they will, because this year’s event, like every year, promises newer versions of the iPhone and other Apple hardware. So far 2018 has been a pretty sparse year in terms of hardware upgrades for Apple products. WWDC came and went without any announcements about new phones or laptops or watches. The event focused instead on revamping software across Apple’s four platforms. But they did launch a new iPad and MacBook Pro at different times earlier this year. It appears that the electronics giant has most of the good stuff saved for this September event. Here’s what there is to look forward to. New Apple iPhones for 2019 Apple is definitely going to come out…

Managing teams is not easy. It’s why project management has become such a crowded niche in the software marketplace. One of the players in that category is monday.com, a tool that visualizes group tasks and fosters productive practices. The tool offers a variety of features to help companies get the most out of their employees. Here’s why monday.com is worth a shot. Human-Focused Productivity All project management tools emphasize getting stuff done. This one does as well. But what monday.com seems to understand is that it’s real humans who drive businesses, and keeping them driven is key. The task board is accessible to all team members, which helps create transparency. Each team member knows what tasks they own and how those contribute to the big picture. Completed tasks aren’t archived like they are in other project management tools. Instead, they stay part of the board as a reminder of everything…

While achieving a $1 billion evaluation isn’t as rare as it used to be, unicorn status is still coveted among startups. It signals success and opens up the possibility of a future IPO. 2018 saw the rise of more than 30 unicorns, but among the pack, several companies stand out due to their innovative ideas and clever implementation of growing technologies.   Babytree A comprehensive service for both wannabe parents and seasoned veterans of the baby trenches, Babytree aims to help Chinese families with all their child needs, from conception to toddlerhood. Babytree was founded by Harvard alum Bao Sho in 2006. Based in Beijing, the company steadily grew over the years as it received investment from Matrix Partners and TAL Education Group. However, Babytree really soared after 2015, when the Chinese government reversed its one-child policy. The site reached 200 million users in 2017 and hit unicorn status in…

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…

Did you know that 3 out of 4 startups won’t be successful? It’s bleak to think about, but the reality is that decisions made during early startup stages can greatly affect if the company succeeds or fails. Read on to learn about six common mistakes made during early startup stages so you know what not to do when it comes to the early stages of your company. 1. Lacking Focus A lot of startups have a great amount of ambition and aim to accomplish big ideas and goals. This is great for brainstorming sessions and boosting team morale, but it can also result in losing focus about the big picture. Startups that lack focus and aim to accomplish too many things often spread themselves too thin and will eventually fizzle out. 2. Overthinking and Analyzing It’s important for startups in their early stages to be decisive, overthinking and analyzing can also backfire and cause…

What’s the back story to how you became the founder and CEO of Elyland, and the creator of Draconius GO?     Back in school and university times, I used to play computer games a lot. Later, I had a retail shop selling computer games on CDs. At the same time, I was an active player of OGame, a browser-based massively multiplayer online game. Later, I decided to create my own first browser-based strategy game; that’s how the Elyland company and the My Lands online strategy game were created. I do not believe in VR. It’s not user-friendly and in the coming years, VR games will not become massive. I thought about creating an AR game long before Pokémon GO. After the release of Pokémon GO, I became their fan and was shocked by the decisions of Niantic: they were steadily killing their game. I thought of sending them an email, offering…

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…

Websites are great for showcasing your products and services, however they’re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to addressing questions and concerns your customers might have. While businesses used to rely on phone and email communications, in today’s rapid society, those solutions aren’t enough. The key to success in today’s competitive landscape is to address customer concerns as soon as they come up. There’s where live chat software, such as SalesIQ comes into play. It enables you to cut call center costs by allowing customer success representatives to communicate with multiple individuals at once. Aside from cutting costs, you’ll also boost customer satisfaction. Now, imagine for a second you were able to go beyond simple conversations and proactively engage prospects when they’re most likely to make a purchase. With SalesIQ, you can trigger chats based on on-page times or targeted landing pages. With built-in geolocation, you can…

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,…