Yesterday our judges met with more than 50 of the hottest growing startups, where we learned about the problems they are trying to solve and in many cases how their technology, hardware, and services will create a successful impact on the world. Though there were many amazing startups in the running, and many heated debates, these are our top five startups for 2016 in no particular order: Klickly From Santa Monica, CA Focus: SaaS, Digital Advertising Klickly is a data-driven impulse payment solution for social streams and mobile experiences....

Here are the 5 web design trends, according to r2integrated: 1. Interactive Infographics According to r2i, infographics were in their peak game last year, and they’ve only gotten better in 2015. Previously, most designers created infographics as static images – things that people couldn’t interact with. Nowadays, there’s a moving web design trend towards interactive infographics, where people can interact directly with data points and images on the infographics themselves....

Catalyst Ranch: If one were to marry the backstage of a Cirque de Soleil show with an epic set of board rooms they might begin to have an idea of the creativity infused into doing business at the catalyst Ranch in Chicago’s West Loop. Packing multiple rooms across two floors there is something for every type of business conversation. From small creative drawing rooms, to large floor space for presentations, a corner with southern themed patio furniture, to a room evocative of a Moroccan sultan’s personal quarters with floor pillows to boot....

According to USA Today, the most popular scam this year is dubious delivery confirmations. After the usual purchase process, you wait for a delivery confirmation letter. Scammers see this as an opportunity and will hop at the chance to scam you with falsified delivery confirmation letters. But, more traditionally, scammers attract their victims with extremely high discounts and exclusive offers. By this I mean ridiculous and unbelievable discounts, like a new MacBook for only $100....

But it is quite important to pay attention to little details so that people actually enjoy it. The content should be compelling and of high quality for video and audio. With this, there may arise a few questions in your mind. Which screen recording software to use? Which mic and which headphones? And much more. Well, that’s a bit more challenging. As lately, I have been giving a detailed attention to some pretty good screencasts, I have learned a lot and came to the following conclusions about them....

According to research, disorganization in the workplace is incredibly common. A survey revealed that 27 percent of employees feel disorganized, and 91 percent say they would be more efficient if better organization was implemented. Another 55 percent said they could save between 30 minutes and one hour per day at work with more organization. An unorganized business is one that is late on payroll, spends excess time and money on business processes, has confused employees, and has a mess of files – either digitally or physically....

Sleeping This is one of the problems that the highest percentage of people around the globe are struggling with. Our everyday schedules have become so cramped that many of us are sleep-deprived. Runtastic has launched a useful application that is meant to help people monitor and improve their sleeping patterns. Getting the right amount of sleep is essential for every individual’s health, but we often have trouble identifying the underlying problems that are causing us to stay up late, wake up several times a night or keep hitting the snooze button in the morning....

When we’re young, we often idealize work, as if our ascent to success will be as clear and rewarding as a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. But as we get into the working world, the reality sets in: there is boredom, apathy, and resentment. We’re not so sure we’re heading in the right direction, and we have no idea if we’ll ever make it. As CEO of Delivering Happiness, Lim’s goal is to provide resources and information on how to find more happiness and meaning in the workplace and beyond....

Here are five ways you can make sure tenacity and hard work pay off much more than being an early riser: Sure, arrive early to work looks good. But it’s what you’re doing during those early hours that sets you apart. If you show up early to take long coffee breaks, play around on social media, and read the news, how does that make you more productive? Conversely, if you show up later, but you’re focused, cheerful and ready to work, your overall productivity will surpass that of your coworkers who show up earlier and fail to make use of that extra time....

But we can’t just keep predicting things year after year with no accountability. In the past, we’ve warned of upcoming robot apocalypses and AI-powered dystopias. Just how likely are these guesses to come true, anyway?? Five years ago, in 2017, we predicted what would happen in the then-future year of 2018. Now, we’ve gotten back in touch with (some of) the experts we consulted back then to ask them a simple question: Did they get it right?...

Talent is the key to any successful startup. And if you want to start attracting better employees, make sure to employ these digital marketing strategies: Start with Social Media Did you know that 79% of people use social media as part of their job search? This may seem like an overwhelming number, but the very definition of social networking makes it an ideal place for people to start looking for work....

Display Your Unique Value Everyone has unique traits. Discover the intersection of where your passion meets your skills and hone in on it. If you can be compensated for doing something you love to do – that is ultimately the goal. If you can find something that you are good at which benefits other people in some way, then you are on your way to finding an additional source of income....

What is the secret of moving beyond the fundraising? Frankly, there are a lot of factors that are vital to the success of your launch on Kickstarter – starting from the product itself and the way you communicate the value to your backers. Putting aside all the PR and marketing schemes, let’s focus on the trendy ideas that can potentially bring you success. Wireless Charging The wireless charging market was valued at $509....

Freelancer, full-timer, contractor, entrepreneur, or even funemployed – they all have one thing in common: the need for a place to get work done. From Arlington, Virginia to Portland, Oregon, professionals and entrepreneurs camp out in coffee shops, coworking spaces, typical offices, train cars, or at home – all in an effort to find the best environment to stay motivated and focused on completing goals. In most cases, coffee shops are factories for distraction, and working at home is only great if you have a separate work space....

We are excited to have 10 solid start-ups demoing at the event which include: BringIt allows gamers from across the world to compete in video games for cash and prizes. iLime a solution for integrating Apple iPhone push notification service and in app purchases into your iPhone applications. indieCollision a platform that empowers music fans to discover new music from independent & unsigned artists. Hot Tweeters – a Twitter application that uses profile photos to compete with other members in a “hot or not” style format, where fame and fortune are the major prize....

Though the team will likely have some bigger news in the coming months, we learned that the Texas duo will be planning a move to Silicon Valley. This comes after having built a foundation of great mentors during their time at 500 Startups, and also establishing stronger relationships with interested investors. In the near-future, they also plan to add additional members to the team, but will initially be tapping their network to find the most suitable candidates....

A Sordid Past Why Employee Engagement Is Important Research by Gallup shows that employee engagement is one of the key elements of sales growth, which results in business and employee growth. According to Gallup, employee engagement decreases workplace accidents by almost 50 percent and product or service defects by over 40 percent. Even more astounding, turnover rates in high pressure companies are reduced by almost 70 percent. Clearly, employee engagement is the key to maintaining a thriving company full of proactive employees....

I had the opportunity to ask James some questions about Anomo, entrepreneurship, and of course his time with The Donald (we can pretend we don’t care that much, but that would be a lie). Tech Cocktail: When did you first get the entrepreneurial bug? James Sun: I started my first company at age 11. It was a window cleaning marketing company that sold cleaning services around the neighborhood. And after working for large companies like Intel and Deloitte Consulting, I realized I love creating new products and services....

Technology is changing the world of marketing and since we have the internet as a great option that can be used in a combination with B2B why not take full advantage of what is available? The most interesting advantages are connected to B2B portals since they make marketing really easy in practically all industries. The members gain access to many contacts. In some cases the portals are actually international, opening the doors to various different business options....

The big news is that the new EO is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to take measures that would boost transparency and aid competition among broadband providers — bolstering net neutrality, in other words. Here’s a look at all four new orders, and what they indicate about the future of the internet. Stop Deals Between ISPs and Landlords One effective way to bridge the digital divide that keeps high-speed internet unavailable to so many in the US?...