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12 gadgets we’d love to see a startup re-engineer

Apr15
by on April 15, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, Design & Dev, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Roundups, startup, YEC, yec.co, Young Entrepreneur Council

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Smartphones? Can’t live without them. 3D printers? Why not. When it comes to bringing the extraordinary into homes and workplaces, ideas are never in short supply. Even still, it’s amazing how many devices we rely on daily that seem like they are stuck in decades past. With that in mind, I asked a panel of 12 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question: What is one everyday device or gadget you’d love to see totally re-engineered by a startup and why? Their top picks are below. 1. Sunglasses I’d love to find a startup that creates form-fitting glasses that are affordable…

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BitTorrent brings file synchronizing service Sync to NAS devices, starting with Netgear partnership

Apr15
by on April 15, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider, Mobile

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BitTorrent today announced its Sync file synchronization tool has gained support for network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The company has partnered with Netgear, which will offer BitTorrent Sync in its storefront, and says additional partners “will be announced soon.” The move means users will be able to access and transfer their data from a NAS device to a desktop, mobile, or other NAS device, without limits or storage fees. As BitTorrent explains it, Sync eliminates the process of having to open ports on your router, set up a VPN, choose security settings, and create user names/passwords. The company promises that Sync…

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EU Commission VP Neelie Kroes is “outraged” by Uber ban in Belgium [Update]

Apr15
by on April 15, 2014 at 4:28 pm
Posted In: Around the Web

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Neelie Kroes, vice-president for the European Commission, has struck out against a court order banning Uber’s ride-sharing service UberPOP  in Belgium. Update: Uber’s statement added below. The ruling means that Uber will be fined 10,000 euros for each violation. Kroes said she was “outraged” by the decision and said it was designed to protect a “taxi cartel”, rather than the best interests of passengers in the region. “Slamming the door in Uber’s face doesn’t solve anything,” she added. Up until now, Uber has been running a ride-sharing service under the brand name UberPOP. It debuted in Belgium only a couple of…

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HotelTonight now anticipates last-minute room rates for the week ahead

Apr15
by on April 15, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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Curated same-day hotel-booking service HotelTonight is rolling out a new ‘Look Ahead’ feature today, serving up a snapshot of last-minute room rates, potential savings, hotel availability and other location-specific data for the next seven days. The basic premise behind the new feature is that you can see at a glance what rates may look like in the week ahead, based on historical and predictive booking data. This includes whether there is a large event/conference happening in the locale that may impact room rates. To access this, click the ‘Look Ahead’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the app, and…

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BBC iPlayer video downloads come to all Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich or above

Apr15
by on April 15, 2014 at 3:47 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Product Updates, UK

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After launching iPlayer video downloads for 11 Android devices last September, the BBC today said all hardware running Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) or higher should now be able to access the new feature. The broadcaster estimates that over 96 percent of people who use the iPlayer app on Android should be covered by the roll-out. It means they’ll now be able to download their favorite TV programmes and watch them at a later date, regardless of whether or not they have a stable Internet connection. Downloads can be kept for 30 days, although once the viewer presses play access is…

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