While the niche certainly appears ripe and the consumer demand is growing steadily, not all businesses feel eager to join the bandwagon early on. Unique product development challenges come as the main entry barrier. Naveen Joshi, Director of Allerin – a software development company, which specializes in developing IoT product strategies and dedicated frameworks – shares the key considerations all companies should assess before tapping into this niche. Assess the Product Value for the End Customer Whether it is a universal remote controller for multiple gadgets, a thermostat or a smart fridge, you need to clearly justify the value a customer will get from this gadget....

Ware says these parts will be used in a public supercharger that Tesla is installing at 701 Bridger Avenue in downtown Las Vegas. In April, Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project announced an initiative called Project 100 and the largest US order of Teslas ever, for 100 vehicles. Project 100’s goal is to turn downtown Vegas into a walking city – with Teslas and other modes of transportation. In addition to Tesla’s public supercharger, Project 100 will have its own private charging station – “the first private supercharger in the country,” Ware says....

According to a Glassdoor report, 10 of the 25 ‘Best Jobs in America for 2016’ were in tech, as more companies realize the potential of the online and mobile market. The opportunities are out there – here’s how to grab them with both hands. 1: Learn How to Code The tech industry’s a friendly place, with plenty of free online resources and groups at the click of a button. If you just want to learn the basics, Free Code Camp and Code Academy are both great starter platforms that allow you to connect with other coders and help complete non-profit projects in the process....

Tip 1: Use an accrual-based accounting system. It allows you to recognize revenue when earned and recognize expenses when incurred, thereby matching expenses to the same period as related revenue. Quickbooks is always a safe bet but there are other options such as workingpoint.com and opener.com. If you are using a cash basis accounting system, there are a few thing you must be careful of, as it does not track money owed to you, unpaid invoices, daily merchant account activity, or asset tracking....

LiveAnswer is a technology platform that taps into the unoccupied time of agents at call centers, giving that extra time to small business owners who can’t commit to the traditional call center model. It recently announced that it’s working with companies like Uber and GSN Games in helping them manage incoming calls. “Uber chose us as a call center partner because we could grow on-demand with them as they enter new markets,” explained Adam Boalt, founder of LiveAnswer told Tech....

Running a small business comes with a lot of boring work – handling payments, scheduling appointments, keeping records, and all that extra stuff outside your actual service. But just because it’s boring doesn’t mean it’s easy. Front Desk, now in closed beta, has created comprehensive organizational software for small businesses – specifically, ones like yoga instructors, personal trainers, and dog walkers who don’t have a physical “front desk.” They can manage their calendar, handle payments, store documents, and put up a website for clients to log into....

Virus-writers commonly use popular illegal downloads to hide malware and viruses that can attack your PC. According to the security software specialist, in 2018, Game of Thrones topped its research as the files most likely to host viruses if illegally downloaded. The news arrives just ahead of the final season of the acclaimed fantasy drama. If you’re feeling tempted to skip the HBO fee and download Game of Thrones on the sly, it’s a good reason to think again....

However, despite launching its “Privacy Sandbox” initiative which was supposed to facilitate our move to a nicer – less ad-tracky web – Google has pushed back implementing the new standards until mid-2023 at the earliest. Google claims that it needs to move at a “responsible pace,” but it is all “subject to engagement” with the UK’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA). So, why would the CMA be holding up a change that, presumably, is beneficial for everyone?...

Worse, Apple iPhone users currently still can. Google has termed this iPhone ability a “bug,” and is working to shut off iPhone users’ access to unlimited photo backups to order to keep their competition from getting a perk their own product doesn’t allow. Confused? There are a lot of moving parts. Here’s what to know about the new policy. Google’s Photo Back Up Service Originally, Google offered Pixel users unlimited photo storage: Pixels 1 through 3 included the offer....

Since 2011, Happy Toy Machine has been empowering kids to design their own toys from a plethora of options for colors, styles, and shapes. But now, they want to go freehand, letting kids draw whatever they want. For kids, the whole process will look like magic. They sketch their toy, and less than two weeks later, they’re playing with it at home. But behind the scenes, it’s far from easy....

The definition of just what constitutes a profit are a little vague – right now it’s unclear if this is aimed purely at those flouting copywrite laws for big bucks, or whether it could also encompass much smaller players, such as a streamer who uses a piece of commercial music without licence. Under the new regulation, unauthorized digital transmission of copyright-protected works is punishable by up to ten years in prison....

The very first Tech.Co event began back in 2006 in Chicago, and ever since then, we’ve been covering and shining light on amazing startups and their ecosystems. We’ve grown in the years that have passed and now we are doing over 50 events a year in over 30 cities, writing a plethora of articles, and we need your help! We’re looking for a Tech.Co Ambassador to help us bring coverage to your community....

Our devices have everything- calendars, reminders, our favorite newspaper and the contact information of every single person who is important to us. When it comes to our work lives, technology can be a two-sided coin. Social media can be a black void of procrastination and self-loathing. We can wander aimlessly on YouTube until we realize that the sun has gone down and the bag of potato chips is empty. But, technology can also be a very powerful tool....

But Cuba, our newest international acquaintance, also happens to be chock full of internet pioneers; ingenious men and women dedicated to getting their fellow countrymen online and giving them access to that great digital conversation we know the world wide web to be. Since its grand introduction in the late 1990’s, Cuba’s internet has been victimized by a severe lack of funding, unfathomable government restrictions, our country’s own limiting embargo, and exclusionary price points, resulting in an obscenely low number of connections, extremely limited bandwidth, and stifling government censorship....

From phishing tricks to ransomware heists, the internet is filled to the rafters with hackers hoping to scam you out of your hard earned money or steal your personal information. Here are our tips for avoiding online criminals and staying digitally safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Be sure to check out our general internet safety guide too, to keep yourself protected on a daily basis. However, while the current administration has been mulling over how (and how much) to give to Americans, no decision has been made to send out checks yet, and scammers are likely going to use this confusing time to swindle whoever they can....

A recent study by DOMO and CEO.com revealed 70 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are not active on social media. To take an even closer look, only 28 of these CEOs have Twitter accounts, and only 19 are active. Now, although your startup is on a smaller business scale, it’s important to see how there is a need for more social media engagement from CEOs. Social media is changing the way businesses increase revenues; therefore, as the CEO and public face of your startup, you yourself — not just your startup — need to be known in the social media realm....

For every incredible internet marketer, someone out there posing as a marketer gives the competent ones a bad name. The following are some things to watch out for as well as some tips to making the most of a SEO internet marketing budget. Don’t Take On The Big Guys Immediately Anyone who knows a bit about SEO knows that large corporations target certain search terms with millions of dollars over the years....

During a talk titled Access to Flexible Capital, Training, and Technical Assistance, a number of lenders and training providers based in the Denver area talked about the importance of providing avenues to capital for underserved entrepreneurs. Panelists included: Monique Lovato, CEO and Executive Director of Mi Casa Resource CenterAlan Ramirez, Director of Lending of the Colorado Enterprise FundGwendolyn Bonilla, Market Manager and Senior Regional Loan Officer at Accion in ColoradoBrian Burke, Vice President of Business Lending of Community Reinvestment Fund, USA...

If you’re not the most outgoing person, a bar is probably not the place for you; however, in almost every major city there are a plethora of Meetups, professional events, and educational panels happening daily. As someone who has hosted Meetups and conferences for the past five years, there are hundreds of reasons why you should go, but I’ll spare you the rambling and give you the top four. First, though, if you’ve never even been to a Meetup, then head over to the Meetup site and get yourself started....

To raise the money, you told the investors that within 12 months you’d have revenue of $1 million per year (this in an arbitrary milestone…any milestone will work in this example). As time rolls by, it becomes apparent that you’re not going to hit the milestone. By month 11 you realize that it will take at least six more months and you’ll need $2 million more to achieve the revenue goal....