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Social robotics pioneer announces Jibo, a remarkable robot assistant for the whole family

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Launches

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MIT Media Lab professor Cynthia Breazeal has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Jibo, a cute little robot that will help out around the house. Breazeal is considered one of the front-runners in the field of social robotics, which aims to create robots that we can communicate naturally with and that fit within expected societal roles. Jibo has a swiveling display for a head and a free-axis base. He includes a camera that can employ facial tracking in order to follow you around as you move. Jibo will stand roughly 11-inches tall and weigh six pounds. The launch video for Jibo…

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Got 15 minutes? Create a printed photo book with Montage’s new Web app

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Product Launches

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Despite that a vast percentage of photographs shot today are viewed only in electronic format, there’s a reason why so many photo-sharing websites still offer print services. Everyone loves to hold a picture in their hands. Printed photo books likewise remain popular and a new entry, Montage, promises to make them easier and less stressful to create. Montage already has plenty of competition from resources like Apple’s iPhoto book service,  Blurb and a host of others, but it also competes against the company’s own MixBook online book builder and mobile app, Mosaic. Montage’s new angle on book creation emphasizes ease of use by removing most of the tedious…

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Passible for iOS brings simplicity and a touch of awesome to the password management table

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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A quick peruse through the App Store reveals no shortage of password management apps, indicative perhaps of people’s desire to not, well, lose their passwords. Passible is the latest service to throw its hat into the ring courtesy of ClearSkyApps – an Israeli development firm with perhaps more of a track-record in fitness-focused apps. Still, if ‘health’ is your thing, then keeping track of your dozens of passwords is certainly healthy, right? Anyway, Passible is tackling the problem from a similar direction to the myriad of alternatives out there already, except it’s striving to emphasize simplicity and beauty, with a…

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Hailo’s new Exec option steps on Uber’s turf with high-end Mercedes and BMW rides

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Product Launches, UK

In a departure from the service for which it is best known – providing London’s iconic black-taxis for passengers on demand – Hailo has added a new option which offers passengers in the capital a more luxurious ride around town. Announced this week and gradually being introduced to users over the next few days, the HailoExec option is primarily aimed at business users, but allows anyone to hail a BMW or Mercedes-class car. Like a traditional car service, users will get a quote for a job in advance of accepting, rather than it being metered. Naturally, if you still want a regular cab instead, that option is…

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Why Ireland is becoming a major destination for European startup founders

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Profiles and Interviews

Dublin
The last few years saw Ireland not only struggling in efforts to recover its economy, but also becoming a popular destination for major US companies that want to put on a bridge to Europe. Likes of Facebook, Google, and Twitter have created a huge number of jobs in Dublin, making it a significant European technology hub. In addition to that, a closer look shows that there are quite a few European founders going in the opposite direction by choosing to establish their startups in Ireland instead of their home country. The reason here is that Ireland not only supports its…

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