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As a the successor to Startup Next, Startup Boost is backed by the Bank of Ireland and Google Ireland with the goal of helping to increase the opportunity of success for startups joining accelerator programs. And with these kinds of resources, they might just be able to pull it off. Startup Boost has announced the eight companies that will make up its first cohort. Check them out below and keep your eye to the ground for news about these budding Dublin startups....

One of the primary benefits of Microsoft Teams is that it is constantly being updated. Whether you’re waiting for a specific Teams feature or just compatibility with a certain device, Microsoft is quick and happy to update the platform to accommodate user demands. One such update has just hit the Microsoft Teams platform too, and it’s adding some serious functionality for Apple users with a brand new device. To say this improvement has been highly requested from Microsoft would be a dire understatement....

SiteKit looks to challenge the existing names in this space, such as Wix. Weebly, and Squarespace, saying “it costs these companies next to nothing to host websites, and they are charging small business for things that don’t have value.” Moboom also offers a more advanced product for web developers, called DevKit, which is also “truly free, forever”. “Serving up HTML, CSS, and the website infrastructure itself won’t get you more traffic or more customers....

Busbud – considered the Kayak of the bus sector – is a platform that allows travelers to search, compare, and book bus trips online around the world. With a network of nearly 1,500 bus companies across the globe, users can look up the schedules and make bookings in more than 10,400 cities in 89 countries. The platform is also available in 10 languages and can process 21 different currencies. Throughout the duration of the World Cup, visitors from 118 different countries have searched for Brazil bus schedules through Busbud....

If the rumors are true, the price tag is high, but might be worth it for some. Apple apparently plans to boast an 8k resolution, state of the art eye-tracking, and a headset that weighs far less than any of its predecessors. The headset is said to still in development, and will be for some time (Apple hasn’t even decided on a control method yet), but promises to be one of the biggest leaps forward that VR has seen....

The filing requests the ability to experiment with high-frequency airwaves. You Still Need to Wait Five Years Internet providers Verizon and AT&T are already looking into the process of improving wireless service, but any implementation is still at least five years away, according to the Washington Post report on the subject. They also explain the hoped-for outcome of the so-called wireless fiber: Google Fiber Is Tougher Than Hoped The news comes after Google’s current plans for wired internet ran into trouble....

During lockdown, companies of all sizes have been using web conferencing software and internal communications applications such as Slack to recreate the “social” element of working in the office – with varying degrees of success. As companies move back to the office, gossiping might not be at the top of every manager’s list of priorities – but an increasing number of academics and industry leaders believe we shouldn’t be taking it for granted....

But many of those results are regular people speculating about their condition, and we can scare ourselves unnecessarily. Clear.md wants to offer reliable health information from real doctors in digestible bites: videos that are a few minutes long. You can browse thousands of videos, about topics from anxiety to diabetes to exercise, or ask a question to a particular doctor. Approximately 80 percent of Internet users search online for health information, and it’s almost never from their own doctor....

The business model is rather simple – developers choose a pool of applications to recommend to their users from among the advertisers in the network, then OpenCandy’s algorithm chooses the most appropriate recommendation for each individual. Advertisers pay each time a user chooses to install their software and for each successful install, OpenCandy shares those advertising dollars with the developer or publishers. Simple, yet brilliant. OpenCandy is backed by a super list of investors which include Google Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Reid Hoffman and Jordan Greenhall....

We’ve seen platforms like Imgur and Pixit build out GIF keyboards to offer people alternative, fun ways of messaging each other. They’ve both seen a lot of traction on their respective innovations, and it was only a matter of time before other companies jumped on the band wagon. Chargies recently launched their app on iOS and Android specifically to tap the market segment seeking different forms of communications. It lets people engage with each other by transferring a virtual creature from phone to phone: think Tamagotchi with a twist (and a lot less annoying beeping noises)....

Samsung’s Unpacked event has been a yearly reminder that the South Korean tech giant is number one when it comes to smartphones, and this year was no different. In fact, given some of the outrageous specs and impressive features on display at Unpacked 2020, it’s safe to say Samsung has no intention of ever relinquishing that title. Take a look at the Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and of course, the new Galaxy Buds+ below, and keep an eye out for their release soon....

The issue arose after users on social media started posting screengrabs of the Windows error message, and it became clear that these weren’t isolated incidents. ProtonVPN says it has identified the issue and is working on a fix. While it appears that this issue doesn’t affect all users, it does mean that those who are having trouble are unable to access the VPN at all. Those who are experiencing the issue have been told to disable their anti-virus software, or install an older version of ProtonVPN....

Do you have a particular book you think our community should read? Leave your suggestion in the comments or tweet it at us. Laurence Sotsky, Hopscotch CEO I could easily give you a business or leadership book, but honestly, my favorite book of all time is Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I’ve never read a book that more completely details mental anguish and internal turmoil than this one. Dostoyevsky almost makes you believe you’ve committed the crime....

Included are a brand new user interface, updated settings and, apparently, increased battery life. All of these are available of Watch owners through a free over-the-air update. Not all Galaxy watch models will get the update, however. The Galaxy Watch, Gear Sport and Gear S3 devices all qualify, but, if you’re still hanging onto an older model, you might be out of luck. New Features for Samsung Galaxy Watch Samsung has been fairly generous with its update – the download comes in at just over 100 MB....

Spread lets amateur and professional photographers submit their work for news organizations to buy. They can also browse requests from media for particular stock or news-related photos. Competing with traditional photo providers like Getty and Reuters, Spread aims to democratize photojournalism and make the submission process quick and easy on their iPhone app. Photographers earn 50% on the first sale of an image, then 10% thereafter. “We want to ensure the photographer is getting their fair share,” says cofounder Amin Torres....

Sesame claims to be the best of the smart locks out there–with a simpler app, faster activation time, and no hard installation required (no screwdrivers or hammers needed). If you’re too lazy to take your phone out of your pocket, the Sesame app utilizes the accelerometer in your phone by letting you knock on your phone while it’s still in your pocket. That same coded knock can be used on the door itself....

23Snaps is one of the major players in the family-friendly photo app world. The London-based company was founded just last year, by Ivailo Jordanov and Yury Tereschenko, but it has gained ground quickly. The app has over 250,000 registered users worldwide and has been selected as one of the top apps for parents by Loved By Parents Awards, featured in Apple’s exclusive Apps for Parents collection, and featured in Mother & Baby as a top app for moms....

Viv, created by Adam Cheyer and Dag Kittlaus (two of Siri’s original creators), was demonstrated to the public at an industry event earlier this week. The program has been in development for several years and has received $12.5 million in funding, but the creators plan to take Viv farther than Siri – Viv will have the capacity to take on full tasks like getting an Uber to your location or a pizza from start to finish....

According to an unnamed source from Bloomberg, Snapchat has finally surpassed Twitter in popularity. The source went on to explain that Snapchat has reached 150 million active users per day, surpassing Twitter’s 140 million. These numbers are a significant jump from their user counts at the end of 2015, which were as low as 110 million users for the photo-sharing app. While the statistic is unsourced, unlinked and borderline unbelievable, Snapchat’s engagement numbers do imply that their popularity is definitely on the rise....

Back in January, the DC-based company led by former Blackboard CEO and founder, Michael Chasen, launched its mobile app for iOS. Using geo-location data from social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Instagram, and Google+, SocialRadar provides users with real-time information about the people around them. Through the new Glass app, users can have this information readily available to them on their Glass screens, allowing them to engage in more meaningful and better informed interactions....