We got word earlier today that Verizon had acquired SocialRadar, a mapping startup founded by Blackboard co-founder Michael Chasen that promises to provide its users with far more accurate location data for businesses — down to where exactly a door is. Reached by phone, Chasen confirmed the acquisition. Verizon, the corporate parent of TechCrunch and AOL, will use SocialRadar's… Read MoreSource: TechCrunch
Generally one thinks of robots as powerful, rigid things packed with motors and actuators. But they don't have to be like that, and in fact it may be freeing for engineers to work outside those constraints. What if, for example, your robot was almost lighter than air? That's the concept tested in this highly buoyant prototype created by roboticists at UCLA.
Good luck explaining the intricacies of the of the real estate market to someone living n New York City. In most of the rest of the country, however, lockboxes are very much a thing for realtors – a spot where there can securely leave and pick up keys for access to an apartment or house. The products are also seeing a rise in popularity thanks to services like Airbnb, which require a…
You're a sales associate at a big-box retailer and a customer just asked whether the latest iPhone 7 is in stock. You proceed to ask your colleague, Stuart, the same question, and he tells you the product is sold out. But there's something odd about this scenario: You didn't move an inch, and Stuart isn't a person. Stuart is an artificially intelligent assistant that…
There doesn't seem to be a hell of a lot in the way of hopefulness these days, when it comes to bridging our divide society. But if Metallica and Napster can put aside nearly two decades years of lawsuits and divisive rhetoric, surely there's no divide the rest of us can't cross. Seventeen years after the band (well, Lars Ulrich, really) filed suit against the then…
For people who feel that we are a little bit too connected these days, Kickstarter project Light Phone was promising a respite. It was scheduled to ship in May this year, but has seen a number of setbacks. This week, the company issued a statement. It says that while it missed its goal, it hopes to start shipping late this month.