David Lidsky's Blog, page 3330

February 19, 2014

Samsung Bashes Apple (Again) In Galaxy Note 3 Ad

And it's enlisting the help of LeBron James, to boot.

Putting one of its elite influencers to work (sort of), Samsung is enlisting the eminently marketable LeBron James for one of its favorite pastimes--making fun of Apple.

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Published on February 19, 2014 10:21

An Age-Old Medical Tool Gets A Life-Saving Redesign

The SAM Tourniquet, designed by Ziba, rethinks the ancient piece of medical equipment.

The tourniquet--the last-resort device used to temper the blood flow to an injury--is almost as old as warfare itself. The Romans reportedly used straps of bronze and leather to slow down bleeding, most often during the amputation of a limb. The early appliances used by Romans have seen surprisingly few design updates (perhaps partly due to a sullied reputation around the time of World War II, when tourniquets were blamed for causing amputations rather than saving lives). So last year, the Portland, Oregon-based design firm Ziba worked with SAM Medical equipment to update the tourniquet.

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Published on February 19, 2014 09:00

Can The King Of Candy Keep Its Throne?

To do so, King Digital Entertainment, the Dublin-based publisher behind the massive mobile gaming hit Candy Crush Saga, must learn to do it again. And again.

They miss subway stops.

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Published on February 19, 2014 07:00

This Digital Health Coaching Startup Gets A Real Coach To Nudge You Into Shape

For all the effort being put into digital tools to get people to exercise more, sometimes all it takes is a good push from a real, live person.

Finding the motivation to exercise is difficult, but in some cases, all it takes is a nudge from a friend, colleague, or even a stranger. My recent nudge came from Glennis Coursey, coaching director at the health coaching startup Sessions, which was acquired this week by health and fitness tracking company MyFitnessPal. After learning all about my health and fitness habits from an online questionnaire and an introductory phone call, Coursey came up with some basic ideas for how I could get to my goal of one hour of exercise per day. If I had been an actual client, she would have continued to badger me with emails and text messages to track my progress.

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Published on February 19, 2014 07:00

Google Capital Invests $40 Million In Renaissance Learning

It gives the 30-year-old education-technology company a valuation of $1 billion.

Google Capital, the late-stage investment arm of our recently minted Most Innovative Company in the world, officially got to work today. Its new growth-equity fund is investing $40 million in Renaissance Learning, a cloud-based education platform for children K-12. The investment quietly gives the ed-tech company an overall valuation of $1 billion.

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Published on February 19, 2014 06:15

10 Of The World's Most Innovative Hotels

Warning: these photos will make you hate February on the East Coast even more.

While snowbound on the East Coast, we've been fantasizing about escaping to less brutal climes. And we've found some excellent fuel for these fantasies: Taschen's 100 Getaways Around the World, a stunning selection of the world's most innovative hotels and guesthouses. From a glammed-up Swedish treehouse to a camp of sci fi-esque "eco-pods" in Switzerland to a desert resort in Abu Dhabi, this is hospitality at its most inventive. Some of the spots are cozy, affordable bed and breakfasts; others are glitterati favorites and dizzyingly priced. Here, 10 of the 100 getaways:

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Published on February 19, 2014 06:00

6 Ways To Harness The Power Of Daydreaming

If chasing inspiration down like prey hasn't worked, back off--letting your mind wander can bring the muses back to you.

When painting landscapes, Matisse would sometimes pause to study his subject matter and reflect on it. His peaceful pausing would arouse his subconscious mind and he could return to his canvas with clearer, fresher perspective.

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Published on February 19, 2014 03:51

February 18, 2014

Hacking House Plants To Make Music When They're Touched

As we discovered in our lab, not every touch interface needs to be glass or plastic.

All of our gadgets are glass, metal, and plastic. Wouldn't it be nicer to interact with a computing device that was alive and real?

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Published on February 18, 2014 13:52

Icis Aims To Be A More Fashionable Google Glass

"I think competition would be good because at least people have another option." A new set of smart glasses is taking to Indiegogo to raise support.

Google showed off a splashy redesign of Glass last month, offering an array of new frame choices, but Boston-based Laforge Optical believes consumers crave even more fashionable options for their smart glasses.

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Published on February 18, 2014 13:22

Can Twitter Predict Major Events? A New Study Says Yes

MIT student Nathan Kallus claims big data can be used to accurately predict crowd behavior, like the 2013 coup d'etat in Egypt.

Twitter is great for things like spoiling the Olympics. But can the social network's data-gathering ways be used to predict big, potentially world-shaking events, like mass protests, for example?

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Published on February 18, 2014 13:04

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