Augmented Reality is the integration of graphic content into live videos or user environment. AR apps for smartphones and tablets analyze web camera or GPS data to provide users with relevant content. The technology was first implemented by Boeing who used AR-enabled hamlets for complex wiring and (later) staff training. By 2018, the number of augmented reality users is expected to reach 200 million. Augmented Reality Solutions Impact Shopping in 3 Ways: Navigation There are several examples of great augmented reality apps used by shops and restaurants....

Each year millions upon millions of discarded computers, cell phones, televisions and other appliances are discarded and dumped. Much of this waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated, where the toxic metals leech into the soil or the air – contaminating the local environment. Far in excess of this, however, is the huge amount of e-waste that is shipped off to less developed nations. Here, workers who are not protected by any health or safety laws process the toxic materials cheaply....

Whether you’re a VC or an everyday consumer, money speaks volumes. And when it comes to funding startups, everyone knows that the more people willing to invest means the more valuable the company. Fortunately, CB Insights understands how important this metric is, which is why they’ve cultivated a list of the highest funded startups in each state in the US. Take a look at the map below to get a more visually pleasing perspective on these statistics....

Today, entrepreneurs are as ubiquitous as pumpkin spice lattes. If entrepreneurs are truly born and not made, there seems to be one born every minute now. So what has led to this entrepreneurial explosion we seem to have been silently marching toward for decades? Just how has entrepreneurship changed in the 21st century? Entrepreneurs are Getting Younger Did you know that JP Morgan was in his 50s before he saw real banking success?...

One of the most important aspects of social selling is creating an authentic and consistent presence, combined with taking steps to nurture your online customer relationships. Studies have shown that utilizing these techniques will increase qualified leads by 40 percent, and the best part is that startups and other small businesses can spend little to no money on this process. Keep in mind that the very nature of social media is that people will share things with you, even if they are not fully aware that they are doing so....

The ranking takes into account a wealth of data, giving more weight to cost of living, Internet speed, weather, and safety. The monthly prices listed below cover housing, coworking space fees, and buying a meal three times a day. Here are the 10 cities currently topping NomadList, including data provided on the site: 1. Chiang Mai, Thailand ($601/month) Chiang Mai, located in northern Thailand, is a safe city with a warm climate and okay nightlife....

While hiring minority employees is a step in the right direction, supporting minority entrepreneurs is the true indicator of progress on the diversity front. Despite a general lack of commitment to this progress in the tech world, steps are being made to improve, like the fact that black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the world. So, where are these minority entrepreneurs coming from? According to research from Expert Market, there are ten cities fostering diversity in the form of supporting minority entrepreneurs....

In order to increase the exposure of this booming industry, the non-profit organization Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) has decided to select the country’s top MedTech and Healthcare IT companies to be presented at this year’s MEDICA, the World Forum in Medicine, to be held next month in the German city of Düsseldorf. These are the companies: QinFlow Ltd. Since its foundation in 2008, they have worked on a fluid warming technology to be used in emergency situations....

The settlement relates to the company collecting data from children below the age of 13 without their parent’s permission, a breach of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The infringement occurred during TikTok’s former guise as Musical.ly TikTok has responded by introducing stricter age-gating for its app, although only within the US. The FTC’s Decision and TikTok’s Record Fine The allegations that TikTok was illegally collecting personal information from children stems back to when the app was named Musical....

Collaboratively developed between educators and software engineers and implemented over a five-year period, Mileposts is a cloud-based instructional improvement system – in plain English, a way to measure your students’ progress and intervene when necessary. It brings a higher level of technology to classrooms where it has long been absent. With Mileposts, teachers can efficiently and accurately assess various student data sets – like math skills, language use, and reading – at state, district, and classroom levels....

But I was thinking the other day, what good is a hot ticket, exclusive Android app if you have poor quality hardware to run it? Sure, Android does top the charts in my book with regard to development, but some of their devices don’t cut it. I’m talking from firsthand experience here, having gone through 4 Motorola Droid 4s in 2 months due to hardware failures. So here I am, near the end of my Android-fueled journey, bringing you some of the highest rated Android devices to make good use of all the apps I’ve shown you these past few weeks....

This list of apps will help you do all that and more this weekend. Have fun! Noodles! Love puzzles and challenges? Then you have to try Noodles. You need to tap to spin and connect all the noodle pieces to solve the puzzle. Of course, you also have to have a strategy to be able to put the pieces together. It may look easy at the start, but as you progress it becomes more and more challenging....

It’s a new year and we had a lot of great stories this week on apps and strategies to help you become more successful in 2015. From various goal-setting apps, to the skills that are most-demanded on the job market, Tech.Co top stories this week are sure to support any and all your efforts in becoming a better you. Need more Tech Cocktail? Sign up for the Tech.Co newsletter today, and get the weekly wrap-up direct to your inbox....

The attacks are the results of malicious software that lock important files and demand payment to release them, usually with a short time limit. Failure to do so deletes the files permanently. Not only is the OFAC stating that the charges shouldn’t be paid, it also states that doing so would violate its own regulations, and could even carry a fine. So, should businesses suffer in silence? The Rise of Ransomware Ransomware is software that, as the name suggests, essentially holds your computer or network hostage, and demands payment before allowing access to your files again....

Fund the Republic is an investment crowdfunding platform that is focused on helping established small businesses raise capital, gain market insight, enhance customer engagement, and ultimately grow their business. Through Fund the Republic, ordinary people are given a way to play an active and engaging role in supporting local businesses through their individual investments. According to Rand, following the economic collapse of 2008, banks become much more conservative in their lending to small businesses....

But before the event begins, we want to know what you think – which showcasing DC startup is making the biggest waves? Let us know your thoughts by answering the poll at the end of this post. The winner will be announced live at the event and will receive 5 minutes on stage to pitch their startup in front of all attendees. Don’t miss out. The confirmed startups are listed below....

People Grew Up Gaming and Want More of It The online gaming sector is booming, and for several good reasons. First off, adults today grew up with video games as a way to have fun with friends and relax, so they still want to have access to video games, both online and off, in order to unwind. Plus, online gaming is exciting, it provides people with access to the latest technology, and it allows people to connect with other gamers from all over the country, and potentially even all over the globe, who want to have some fun....

Wix, best known for its website building platform, has today announced an app building service that doesn’t require any coding, with the ability to create Android and iOS apps for your business. Apps can include built-in features such as stores, bookings, and forums. An Off-the-Shelf App Tool Wix has made its name by producing a web building platform that allows pretty much anyone to create professional-looking websites from scratch, using drag-and-drop tools and templates....

A Certain Level of Privilege The level of privilege that comes along with working in tech is rooted in the foundation of the industry itself. As a majority of tech employees are young white men, there is a specific homogenous culture that is created. The tech culture that exists today excludes a variety of backgrounds. The tech and startup culture that exists today evades conversations about privilege and class because it has been consciously created to exist with the certain assumptions: Some have speculated that it could be the culture that creates this assumption of privilege....

I believed it was just a simple knot and did a few gym moves, foam rolled, and felt a little bit better but this pain would not leave me alone. I got in touch with Beverly Hills Uber Chiropractor to the Stars Dr. Ryan Pendon. He immediately recognized the cause and pointed out to me that it is due to my constant hunching over my computer. But when I mentioned that I have been reading a lot on my iPhone 6+, he identified that this was a case of iPhone 6+ Back Pain Syndrome....