Plants, like humans, need food, water, beer, and television. What better way to tell if your plant is hungry or thirsty (or bored) than a little nubbin that sits inside its pot and send you notifications when things are amiss. That’s why you need a HelloPlant. The system lets you name your plants and then watch them as they grow. When the soil is too dry you get a notification and you… Read More
Larry Scott and Nick Potts worked at CoverMyMeds, a software solution for pharmacies. After connecting a bunch of pills with a bunch of pharmacists they started ScriptDrop, a service that helps pharmacists deliver those same prescriptions to your door. It’s active in New York now but expanding into other areas soon.The team, who hail from Nashville, settled in Columbus to work for… Read More
Sramana Mitra: By rolling out your software in a risk operation that has such large numbers of manual labor, how many people can you replace with the software? Gurjeet Singh: At this point, the banks...
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Today’s 362nd FREE online 1Mby1M roundtable for entrepreneurs is starting NOW, on Thursday, August 3, at 8:00 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT/8:30 p.m. India IST. Click here to join. All are welcome!
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Today’s 362nd FREE online 1Mby1M roundtable for entrepreneurs is starting in 30 minutes, on Thursday, August 3, at 8:00 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT/8:30 p.m. India IST. Click here to join. All are...
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Don’t describe YC-backed Muzmatch’s dating app as a ‘Tinder for Muslims’. Co-founders Shahzad Younas and Ryan Brodie are very clear about what sets their target audience apart from the casual dating/hook-up crowd: a genuine intent to find a partner in order to get married. Read More
Savings app Qapital wants people to make more conscious decisions around their money. While to date that meant helping its users build up savings, now Qapital will help manage their day-to-day spending through a new checking account and debit card. Read More
Codecademy has spent the last several years building a large community of learners with free lessons aimed at teaching its users the basics of how to code. But now it’s betting that many of them will be willing to pay for more intensive courses. Read More
Hendra Kwik is hoping to tap into the excitement of on-demand companies like Uber and distributed workforces — except instead of ridesharing, he’s hoping it will work for banking. That’s the theory behind PAYFAZZ, which coordinates with banks to create a distributed network of bank agents that can operate from wherever — even their own homes. Once that person is… Read More
Earlier this week, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced a stellar quarter. Not only did it manage to turnaround the declining iPad sales, but it also promised a better outlook. The performance helped send...
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Personio, a German startup that offers a HR management and recruiting platform, has closed $12 million in Series A funding. European VC Northzone led the round, with participation from existing investors, such as Rocket Internet’s Global Founders Capital (GFC) and Picus Capital. Read More
Oren Peli, who wrote and directed the enormously successful film Paranormal Activity, is launching a new iOS and Android app designed to help users create, find and join local events. Spot‘s launch might be doubly surprising — not only is Peli launching an app, but it seems like an odd idea to come from someone best known for horror movies (he also produced the Paranormal… Read More
Owners of the DJI Spark will be glad to know they now have a little more functionality with their palm-sized selfie drone. Thanks to a software update, users will be able to get a panoramic, 180-degree photo of themselves. The drone’s 12-megapixel sensor will fly in a circle around the subject (presumably you) and stitch together 21 individual photos. Photo resolution has been improved… Read More
It’s tough out there for on-demand drivers, and every second en route counts if they want to hit that bonus or just bring enough home to make the rent. Mystro hopes to put 33 percent more money per year in the pockets of Uber and Lyft drivers through an app that helps drivers continuously pick up the most profitable rides in the shortest amount of time, based on the filters each driver sets. Read More
Gimlet Media, the Brooklyn-based podcasting network behind shows like StartUp and Reply All, announced today that it has closed a $15 million round led by Stripes Group. The series B includes existing investors Cross Culture Ventures and Betaworks, along with newcomer, Emerson Collective. Recode, which reported the story overnight, notes that the funding runs counter to the common wisdom… Read More
The cicadas rev up as the summer sun bakes the carefully tended lawns of suburban Dublin, Ohio. Houses sit exposed like cattle in the heat, the trees too small to offer a shaded window or cool spot on the driveway so everything is shut tight. The only ones outside for any length of time are the folks cutting grass, fixing awnings, installing cable. The one man walking in the sun is the father… Read More
July 31, 2017
The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russiaâs Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries was one of two books I read this weekend (the other was Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness).
It was outstanding. I made it the August book club book for my dad and my brother. And then, this morning, I woke up to the following headlines.
This shouldnât be a surprise to anyone who is paying attention. There is now a long history of governments trying to control the Internet. One approach over government is censoring the Internet; another is weaponizing it.
The Red Web covers Russiaâs history around the Internet starting during the Cold War with a focus on the last twenty years. While Russia had a slow start, the Internet played a big part in both sides of things â the increasingly free flow of information combined with government control over information.
I believe we are at the very beginning of a new version of this battle. Since the beginning of humans, information â and the control of information â has been one of the key dynamics of power. At least we donât need to use ravens anymore.  But, depending on which country you are in, they might be a good backup plan.
Also published on Medium.
This is a very interesting conversation about technology from Stanford being commercialized in financial services and healthcare, addressing very specific use cases in risk and other domains. Sramana...
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Looking for an idea for a venture of your own? Examine your passions. Watch this inspiring 1 minute 32 seconds video and learn more: If you prefer to read instead of watching a video, read this...
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Facebook’s (NASDAQ: FB) user growth may be slowing down each quarter, but that is of little concern to its stock’s performance. During the recently reported quarterly results, the company outpaced...
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