That being said, I really have no place at hackathons; they’re often weekend-long affairs that require one to sit at a computer and hack away at some code to produce something awesome. If anyone is going to try to get me to sit at one spot for an entire weekend, I’d at least like to get wined and dined in the process. Although not exactly a wine and dine experience, PayPal’s Battle Hack definitely tries to treat the developers at its hackathon in a way atypical of such events....

Joseph’s background isn’t in accounting or software or financial technology. He owned a restaurant in New Jersey, where he considered collecting sales tax on behalf of that state as the “bane” of his existence. He knew there must be a way for the process to be automated via a small business’ point-of-sale terminal, but no one seemed to be able to offer that service. So he spoke with a friend and frequent restaurant customer, Owen Brown, who had a finance background, and the pair eventually decided to develop their own solution....

Some of the most important benefits for the companies using these solutions include: Faster evolution of the solutions that they are using Managed hosting services are evolving at a much faster rate. This is because the service providers involved in the deployment of the solution are able to monitor how their solutions are being used and how these solutions respond. The management of these solutions by the service providers is enabling the solutions providers to improve the design and deployment of these solutions....

Instead, they’re aiming at the sweet spot of convenience and price for search engine optimization. On one extreme, if my Google results are buried, I could hire a reputation company to work their magic for thousands of dollars. Or, I could read SEOmoz’s free, 10-chapter Beginners Guide to SEO. Neither is very appealing, so most people opt for none of the above. But that’s where the cases of mistaken identity creep in....

When Karl Benz first invented the Motor Car in 1886, it was a tool intended to get people from point A to point B faster than the horse drawn carriage. Since then, cars have improved in every way. They are faster and safer. They are customizable. And after transitioning from vacuum-based carburetors to oxygen sensors for fuel economy in the 1970’s, cars have gone from 99 percent hardware to just 60 percent hardware....

As a startup executive seeking funding, you may think that you’re the best darn bus driver with the coolest bus, complete with a souped up engine and spiffy paint job, and that may very well be true. But to investors looking for a ride, you’re still just a bus that is probably not going to get them to their desired destination. To make matters worse, you’re not the only bus in town....

The truth that most people do not realize is that money is not necessarily needed in order to start a company. There is not always a need to have investors. You can actually get access to many free or barter based services. It is not difficult to take advantage of that. Obviously, when you start working on your own company without cash in your pockets for this purpose, you are naturally afraid....

Jack Abbot captained the construction of CounterCrop, via Intelligent Light Source, to be a smart and self-contained indoor home garden. Inspired by estimates saying humanity needs to double their food production in order to keep up with population growth, CounterCrop is helping to move the food production right to where people live. Part of winning the battle to bring food production close to where people live is the light source: after all, you can’t grow plants without the sun, right?...

It turns out, a lot of stuff! Whether it be the top speed of the US sailing team or the strike location of an Egyptian fencer, technology is behind every jersey, uniform, and team manager at the games. Technology has even been utilized to build bikes and test wind tunnels so that cyclists can go faster than ever. The integration of technology has in fact increased cyclists speeds by 10 percentf in this year’s games....

Horizon, combined with another new service revealed earlier this year, Facebook Dating, may well succeed. But Facebook will have a tough road ahead, particularly with the tide of public opinion beginning to turn against them. Here’s what’s coming and why it might flop. What Is Horizon? The Horizon VR hub’s introductory video maps out the basic idea: Facebook wants to create the virtual world from Ready Player One. Horizon is essentially a massive multiplayer online (MMO) environment, but with VR, arriving on Oculus Quest and the Rift Platform in 2020....

Clover is a new dating app that has analyzed all of the downsides of online dating and are attempting to turn it into a more satisfying experience. They have embraced the game changing aspects of mobile dating apps; and realized that most of them are pretty inefficient. They are cluttered with too much quantity and not enough quality (I’m looking at you Tinder). And too much texting with not enough meeting ....

Since TechStars announced its Spring 2012 class in March, a few things have changed. One startup, StockTouch, did not participate in the program, explains TechStars NYC managing director David Tisch (we reached out to StockTouch for further comment). Markover, a platform for creative professionals to get feedback and discuss their projects, has broadened to become PopTip: a way for any company to use Twitter to get feedback and track responses....

Earlier this week, Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz made a statement on CNN that has ruffled more than a few feathers. In essence, Chaffetz insisted that financially struggling households should forego frivolously spending money on smartphones, iPhones in particular, and instead prioritize healthcare. Politicians of all shapes, sizes, and parties have made this claim, including former President Barack Obama. But, politics and price tags aside, claiming smartphones are not vital to everyday life is flat out wrong....

The Rise Fund and TPG Growth invested $150 million, with Main Street Advisors and Advance Publications joining the round. To date, EVERFI has certified over 16 million learners in critical skill areas and powers more than 4,200 partners in their education initiatives across all 50 states and Canada. Earlier this year, EVERFI launched the Campus Prevention Network, a nationwide initiative of over 1,300 institutions dedicated to creating safer, healthier campus communities....

The law, which states that a sound must be generated when the car is going below a certain speed, has been generally welcomed. That said, some groups have claimed that it doesn’t go far enough to protect fellow road users and pedestrians. The US isn’t too far behind when it comes to noisy electric cars, with mandatory requirements coming in next year. We explain what the EU law changes will mean for car manufacturers (plus what kind of noise you can expect to hear from electric vehicles)....

As many have admitted throughout the battle for net neutrality, the topic is a bit on the confusing side. If you’re curious about what this important tech topic has to do with your life and how this act will change things, check out our guide below. What Is the Save the Internet Act? Unlike most of the discussion regarding net neutrality, the Save the Internet Act is surprisingly not that complicated at all....

That grim version of what is now the present encompassed plenty of elements that aren’t unfamiliar to us now — climate change, polluted skies, police brutality, social inequality, corporate corruption, and a meal replacement product called “Soylent.” Add a pandemic, and you have the present day! Let’s just hope someone has set a more optimistic science fiction tale in 2023 so we have a better prediction to look forward to next year....

The password manager is currently being introduced as a Chrome browser extension for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, but there is no current plan to feature it within ExpressVPNs desktop apps. With the free integration relying on sophisticated zero-knowledge encryption technology and offering a two-factor authentication feature, it’s likely that its release could seriously stir up the password manager market. ExpressVPN Introduces a New Password Manager Today, cybersecurity company ExpressVPN announced the beta launch of Keys, a brand-new security tool designed to securely store websites and app logins....

Every morning, I ask myself what has the best chance of failing that day and how I’ll fix it. This may sound like an affront to optimism, but taking advantage of a similar process can ground you in reality and pre-focus your mind on fortifying your product. By addressing worst-case scenarios early on, you prepare yourself for anything and everything that could go wrong. And when you challenge your thinking, you can’t help but come up with more robust strategies....

There are common threads that tie US tech hubs together. Specifically, Dave Parker – current CEO of Code Fellows and former SVP of Product & Programs at UP Global – tells us there are five of them: density, government regulations, culture, talent, and access to said talent. Further, Parker believes that these five elements play a major role in attracting Startup Week to certain cities. That is, when a city is able to host a successful Startup Week, it is in and of itself an indicator that they’re a strong tech hub....