David Lidsky's Blog, page 2789
February 16, 2016
Mattel's New $300 3-D Printer For Kids Is Reboot Of 1960s ThingMaker
Introduced at the NYC Toy Fair this weekend, the ThingMaker 3-D printer lets kids design their own toys using a smartphone app.
For kids who aren't satisfied with Mattel's new and improved Barbie, the company's latest product might do the trick. During the New York Toy Fair this past weekend, Mattel debuted the ThingMaker 3-D printer, a $300 device that empowers kids and adults alike to create their own toys.
Equinox President's New Venture Will Help Young People Achieve Career Goals
Sarah Robb O'Hagan's startup aims to help young people reach their potential despite all those participation trophies.
Sarah Robb O'Hagan, the president of Equinox Holdings, is leaving the company to create a curriculum that she hopes will teach other people to be successful. Called ExtremeYou and born from O'Hagan's upcoming book of the same name, the new company will host live workshops, online content, and digital classes focused on what it takes to reach the upper echelons of any industry.
Silk Labs Wants To Free The Smart Home From Smartphones And The Cloud
This startup is building an Internet of Things operating system to help make smart devices...smart.
Andreas Gal is describing to me what it's like to turn on a Wi-Fi-enabled light using your phone, and he's making it sound like a major step backwards rather than the way of the future.
Alphabet's Project Loon To Begin Delivering Internet Access This Year
"It will change the world in ways we cannot possibly imagine," says Alphabet X head Astro Teller.
Almost three years after announcing a plan to delivery Internet access via high-altitude balloons, Alphabet X's Project Loon is set to begin testing service with carriers in Indonesia later this year.
Black, Female Funding Stories
Two of the 11 black, female founders who've raised more than $1 million in funding share their (frustrating, successful) journeys.
By 2012, when she founded her startup Attentive.ly, Cheryl Contee had about as impressive as resume as you can muster. She had gone to one of the most elite private schools in Washington, D.C., and from there to Yale, where she studied ethics, politics, and economics. She then embarked upon a career in communications, social media, and brand management. She'd helped launch a prominent blog, Jack and Jill Politics, as well as a consultancy, Fission Strategy.
What The Lowe's Robot Will Do For You--And The Future Of Retail
The humble hardware store is getting a lot more high-tech.
One of the most well-known employees at the Orchard Supply Hardware store in downtown San Jose, California, is a 5-foot-tall autonomous robot. OSHbot, as he's called, just recently celebrated his one-year anniversary at the store, which is owned by Lowe's. His job is twofold: to help customers find items they need, and help store managers with inventory tracking. When I approached OSHbot, his facial-recognition technology identified me as a human customer and he cordially introduced himself. "Hi, I'm OSHbot," he said in a monotone voice. "I can help you find things in the store. What are you looking for?"
February 15, 2016
Big Price Drop On Phantom Drone Could Signal Launch Of New Model
The world's largest maker of consumer drones scheduled an event for March 1 promising a "major announcement." Is it trying to clear stock?
DJI, the world's largest maker of consumer drones, is dropping the price of its top-of-the-line Phantom by 20%. It could well be a move to get rid of stock on hand in preparation for the release of its next model.
Airbnb's Delistings Anger Hosts And Raise Claims Of Data Fudging
As the BBC reports delistings across the United Kingdom, a new study says Airbnb purged hosts before opening its books to the public.
As many as hundreds of Airbnb hosts in the U.K. may have been delisted in recent weeks "for no reason," according to a new BBC report. But last week, critics of the platform pointed to one explanation for another purge in New York City in 2015: The company is eager to "clean up" its listings as it faces continuing scrutiny from regulators and pressure from the hotel industry.
Comcast's Nationwide Outage On Presidents Day Causes Nationwide Outrage On Twitter
Twitter exploded on Monday with angry customers complaining about a widespread Comcast service outage.
The customers of the country's largest cable company hoping to spend the Presidents Day holiday on their couch bingeing on the latest shows or watching the Grammy Awards had a rude awakening Monday morning: Cable TV service was down in large areas across the U.S., including Seattle, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Portland, New York, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and Boston, according to DownDetector.
Did A Tidal Wave Just Hit The Music Industry?
Kanye's new album sent Tidal to No. 1 in the App Store, but it still faces tough competition.
The past three weeks have been big for music fans: Rihanna released her much-anticipated album ANTI, Beyonce shocked the world (and Red Lobster) with "Formation," and Kanye West dropped The Life of Pablo on Sunday. But there's a bigger story here: All three were released exclusively on Tidal, putting the music streaming service at the top of the App Store charts for the first time Monday morning. Does this signal a sea change in the industry?
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