Hundreds of celebrities, thousands of companies, and millions of attendees descend on Austin for concerts, parties, events, and speakers that impart wisdom, instill joy, and generally engage people in ways most of us could only imagine. In that vein, we wanted to prepare you for the festivities by showcasing a few speakers that will be participating in sessions on Tech & Startups. Take a look at who you can see in Austin this year below!...

But one of the most illuminating aspects of the book was the insight into how Steve Jobs thought, how his mind worked. In that spirit, here’s a (long-overdue) list of 8 striking quotes: On reverence: Steve Jobs: “Every once in a while, I find myself in the presence of purity – purity of spirit and love – and I always cry. It always just reaches in and grabs me.” On reality distortion: “It was in Jobs’s nature to mislead or be secretive when he felt it was warranted....

While you’re probably doing all you can to spread the word about your company and products, it may not be enough to give your startup the leverage it needs to succeed. Hiring a public relations (PR) team might not be on your startup’s to-do list right now, but good PR is invaluable to any organization and can be a game changer for your startup. If you’re still not convinced about hiring a good PR team, read on to know how PR can help your startup....

Here’s a quick rundown of the most interesting facts about how to hack Facebook, including additional information tweeted by those at the presentation itself: 1: 60 posts a day is now the maximum number of posts per 24 hour period. 2: Uploading to Facebook directly from mobile “increases reach 5-6 percent“—Facebook wants to promote people who are out in the real world, doing “real things.” The iPad doesn’t count. 3: Using emojis in your post will give it a better organic reach....

We asked eight entrepreneurs how they were able to turn a TV appearance into a larger PR/branding opportunity. Check out what they had to say below and make sure they only shoot your good side: Go on Interviews Use what you have going for you to get to a million different places. Talk about your experience. Leverage a large TV appearance to get a lot more press by answering questions that others have about that TV appearance....

As shares dip and dive, Musk’s claw for cash continues to keep the social media giant in the headlines, but with remote work at Twitter officially banned, and its remaining staff losing more confidence by the day, could this be the start of Twitter’s anticipated downfall? Twitter Employee Opinions Turn Sour In a survey of over 400 Twitter employees, carried out by Blind, 89% of verified staff expressed no confidence in Elon Musk’s leadership....

Who should read this: You’ve spent two years at McKinsey and are daydreaming about the possibility of starting a food truck that sells cookies and milk. Elevator pitch: Over half of top college graduates today will enter one of six career paths: management consulting, finance, medicine, law, graduate school, and Teach for America. Is that a good thing? Andrew Yang argues that the U.S. has a talent allocation problem, where the roads most traveled for talented students land in supporting large companies, not building new ventures....

Who should read this: Anyone who wants to be a more effective persuader in work or in life. Elevator pitch: Almost everyone is now a seller – someone who persuades others to take action – but best practices have changed since the days of slimy used car salesman. This book teaches specific traits and techniques that will improve your sales, and might also improve your life, as well. Author: Daniel H....

Who should read this: While intended for social media teams at large companies, this book is also relevant to startups who are starting to think about a social media strategy. Elevator pitch: The Altimeter Group does extensive research and consulting for companies on social strategy. This short ebook explains the seven things that successful businesses do well in social media. Authors: Charlene Li is the founder and managing partner of Altimeter Group, a research and advisory company that helps companies with disruption; coauthor of the book Groundswell; and a leading expert on social media....

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Camera Software New dual 12MP camera sensors and deeper pixels mean the camera is better than ever. But the photo software is the impressive part: The dual cameras in the new “TrueDepth” camera mean that the iPhone’s camera can analyze the shadows across the face of the subject of a portrait. Then, the software can change the portrait lighting in order to best highlight the contours of the subject’s face....

Getting acquired is the goal of many startup founders. They work hard to build a product that impresses the big dogs enough to warrant an acquisition-but it doesn’t end there. The lure of the startup world is too much for budding entrepreneurs and they often feel the urge to return to the exciting lean and mean business stance they once loved. This was the case with Arjun Sethi, the former CEO of MessageMe and a current partner at Social Capital, and we’re proud to announce that he’ll be a featured speaker at Innovate!...

Snagajob features hourly paid jobs across the nation, with positions ranging from full time to seasonal in almost every industry. The company launched in 2000, and has grown to 65 million members and just under 200,000 employers. According to the company, they have nearly doubled their revenue from employers and more than doubled their mobile traffic since 2013. Snagajob serves just under a million job applications each week, and has since expanded their team by 30 percent over the past two years....

While few and far between, some devices improve range or create mesh networks, but for everyone else they are typically left relying on their survival skills. Cairn, which shares a name with those random stacked rock piles you see while hiking, is an app that lets you take technology you already have, and helps hikers to find cell reception. Not only that, it also lets loved ones know where someone is while hiking, the last known area they were in, health stats, and develops a crowdsourced map of reception or dead spots in the wilderness....

BePerk users have absolute control over their profiles, from the big matters such as their general privacy settings, down to the minute details of whether people can see the amount of likes on a post. They hope that this control will allow users to feel more comfortable in their own profiles. Not only does BePerk offer a sanctuary away from the perceived toxicity of social media, but also makes sure that it offers top-level security and even options for parents whose children are using the social network....

From February 23rd to February 25th, entrepreneurs and businesspeople of color will be able to connect with each other, share their unique experience, and give advice about how to empower themselves and accelerate their success in tech. Blacktech Weekend also gives an opportunity for those who are less attune to the importance of diversity and inclusion to listen to different perspectives and develop a deeper understanding of what it’s like to be a person of color in the world of tech....

Founded in August of 2011, the company most recently raised a seed round worth $1.65 million back in October of last year. Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital and Chicago Ventures all participated in that previous round, along with CrunchFund and MuckerLab. This additional financing brings BloomNation’s total to $7.15 million. Through BloomNation’s platform, local florists from around the country can utilize the site’s tools and features not only highlight their respective designs, but allows them to compete against major, traditional floral design and florist sites or services like 1-800-Flowers and Teleflora....

The company had its beginnings as a side project for Howard’s wife, and focused solely on women’s accessories. He followed suit with men’s cuff accessories in 2008, and eco-friendly shopping bags in 2009. Eventually, Howard formed the parent company Trend Nation LLC. Its wide online presence and expansive control of distribution channels means that Trend Nation LLC can literally provide its products to all parts of the world. It has the market segmented; however, this wasn’t always the case....

If you are not an expert, going for a powerful website application builder is a good option. If you’re a DIYer, here are four tips that will surely be helpful when the time to build a web app arrives. Tooltips Are a Good Option Tooltips can help developers in a positive way, because they offer the user the opportunity to learn about a system, exploring items without harming the experience of navigation....

1. Stake it to make it If the incubator doesn’t have a stake in the companies, they are just selling real estate. That’s a fine model, and it is innovative as a real estate strategy- just not all that innovative as an incubator. Innovative business incubators have a stake in the companies they incubate. They live or die, in the long term, based on their incubated companies’ successes. The stake can come in equity, royalty debt, convertible debt, or some combination....