Beantown, here’s your chance to show us what ya got! Join us at MassChallenge for an evening of Boston’s hottest early-stage startups and cocktails with your neighbors and technophile friends. – Register for the Event Here – We’ll have a gaggle of startups on hand showcasing their goods, but before the event kicks off, we want to know what you think: Who is Boston’s Hottest Showcasing Startup? Let us know your thoughts by answering the poll at the end of this post (ends at 6:00pm local time on the day of the event – get the official rules here)....

As it stands, Apple is very unlikely to actually buy them. But the fact that they’re interested says a lot about where Apple is directing its energy: It really wants to bolster its subscriptions. Leaning into live sports is a great way to do just that, for more than a few reasons. Apple’s Talks The talks centering on an Apple/NFL deal have been ongoing for months, according to the Information....

EQ: The “Hidden Key” to Success Emotions tend to be overlooked in favor of logic and facts: How many times have you seen a tortured, self-centered genius on a TV show, for example? Walter White and Dr. House definitely should have taken a few emotional intelligence remedial courses. But you don’t want your life to be gripping TV. You want a better job performance — and 90 percent of top performers have a high emotional intelligence....

A flexible workplace has always been important to me, early in my career as an aspiring professional, then a corporate employee, and now as a father and entrepreneur. When I worked as a corporate marketer inside a Fortune 500 company, I felt constrained by the traditional work structure and how flexibility was perceived by the organization. Ten years ago, true flexibility just wasn’t accepted. I built my own firm partly to create more flexibility for myself and others who want the same things....

We’re not talking infographics here; we’re talking about turning tools and data into insights about your customers, your employees, and the future of your business. Simon is the author of five other management books, including The Age of the Platform. He currently works with companies to optimize their use of technology. Below, he explains why your startup needs to become a visual organization and how to get started. Tech Cocktail: Why do startups need to become Visual Organizations?...

By pre-installing the Chrome browser and Google Search apps on Android devices, which make up over 80 percent of the world’s phones, Google has cemented “its dominant position in general internet search”. This has, in practice, meant that Google’s ad-supported search business has had an unfair advantage over its competitors, according to the EU. Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, hit back today in a blog post saying “Android has created more choice, not less,” and that Google would appeal the fine....

After getting your nominations and counting your votes, we are happy to announce the winners of the Tech Cocktail & Refresh Miami All-Star 2014 Awards! Miami Best Community LeaderMatt Haggman – Matt Haggman is Miami Program Director at Knight Foundation. Under his leadership, the foundation has launched a new initiative aimed at connecting and propelling Miami’s emerging entrepreneurs and startups as a way of building community. Miami Best Big Company with Startup CulturedotCo– Home to the innovators and entrepreneurs that are building the future of the Internet – one URL at a time....

Out of Sao Paulo, Brazil comes a newly launched app that uses crowdsourcing to tell you about the most popular places in a city. Yeah!Places is a location discovery app that came out of another app called Consume (are you following?). Consume was created in August 2014 as a way to help users find trendy bars, restaurant, shops, or other places. New locations can be added by users by filling out a “card” where they evaluate places on a 10 point scale in areas such as service, price, and products....

Although motorcycle helmets have been credited with saving countless lives, they are not without their design flaws. Some motorcycle injuries have been made worse (often much worse) when emergency medical personnel remove the helmets of motorcycle riders after accidents. To remove the helmet of an injured rider lying on the ground, EMS personnel often need to move the head. This causes the neck to flex, which can exacerbate a spinal injury....

The updates are designed to give users more control, such as enabling more than one user to move slides on during a presentation, and new tools for creating polls. With remote working and web conferencing showing no sign of fading, Zoom seems focused on enhancing its users experience with these quality of life updates. Updates for Zoom Meetings The updates to Zoom, announced via the company’s official blog , includes a clearer way for meeting organizers to see who is actually in the meeting at a glance....

Accurately Estimate Product Development Successful startups realistically estimate the costs, and time needed, for product development. Everyone wants their product on the market as soon as possible. That excitement is good, but hardware has some limitations. Successful startups realistically estimate the costs and time needed for product development. Hardware development always undergoes a debugging process that requires several iterations to make it perfect. Every large product development company knows they won’t get it perfect the first time so they plan appropriately for this time....

But what of the tactile experience? That experience of holding a physical photo between your fingers, or of putting them into your family album? According to Instagram, Thanksgivukkah was the busiest day ever for the photo-sharing platform. If you’re interested in actually printing out some of those Instagram photos from the holidays (or have just always been interested in learning ways to do this), then look no further. Here are 15 ways you can print Instagram photos:...

Make Time for Passion Perhaps one of Google’s most famous keys to employee success is its 80-20 plan. Their culture allows employees free rein to spend 20 percent of their time on anything they see fit. This not only resulted in successes like Gmail and Google News, but it “empowers [employees] to be more creative and innovative,” according to founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The term “personal development” gets thrown around a lot when employers are trying to attract star talent....

As Paz states, technology can surely have a positive impact in the construction world. Apps are a good example – they can, for instance, greatly diminish the time contractors spend doing administrative work. Just like for other fields, there are several apps that can help contractors with several aspects of their job. Here are four of them. PlanGrid Getting everyone on the same page can be hard, especially when it comes to drawings and their constant updates....

The current generation of consumers has developed an intolerance for inauthenticity, which means that brands need to shift their thinking from traditional to thoughtful. The tide is turning in the media and communications industry: Now, it’s about focusing on the truth, or what I like to call the “story behind the glory.” My job is to make sure our clients have as authentic a brand voice as possible. Authenticity Is Rewarded A recent global study released by Cohn & Wolfe found that nearly nine out of 10 consumers are willing to take action to reward a brand for its authentic approach to marketing....

Inventory Control and Point of Sale (POS) Software Having a good Retail Management / POS System can save you a huge amount of money and time. That is one of the main reasons why it is number one… A solid POS system, in its most basic form, tracks all your sales to enable you to easily be able to tell how your business is doing during any given time frame. In other works, it serves as a replacement for your cash register....

Unfortunately, high-cost advertising is a temporary solution to engaging with your audience in a meaningful way. At the end of the day, there are four things you need to do right now if you want to save time, reach customers and minimize marketing costs. Define Your Target Market Creating a compelling product or service is the first step. But how do you market this amazing new product to your ideal customer?...

Through the use of the internet, it’s never been easier to connect with a global audience, while also minimizing your costs on different types of advertising and outreach. One such mention is through the use of stickers! Why stickers you ask? Simple: they are cheap to make, fun to hand out and can be used to promote your brand or business in ways you may never have previously thought of....

Whether it’s in the trade show or on display at one of the corporate setups, you’ll be able to find a wide range of hi-tech devices in every corner of the Texas city. From future-changing tech to goofy connected devices, you can satiate your appetite for innovation without breaking a sweat. AR Sunglasses After the relative failure of Google Glass, tech companies have been hesitant to tackle the augmented reality glasses conundrum....

However, because the technology has become such a staple in homes around the country, the thrill of innovation has somewhat dissipated in those of us excited about the future of the smart home. Sure, WiFi-enabled lights and Bluetooth speakers are cool, but when your grandparents are the ones helping you set them up, you know it’s time to mix things up a bit. Fortunately, we’ve got a bevy of interesting, unique, downright innovative products for you below that will take your smart home to the next level....