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500 Startups looks to help fund women-led startups with new $1M AngelList syndicate

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: 500 Startups, 500 startups angellist, 500 startups angellist syndicates, 500 startups women, Around the Web, dave mcclure diversity, dave mcclure women startups, Insider

462971107 520x245 500 Startups looks to help fund women led startups with new $1M AngelList syndicate

500 Startups is undertaking an initiative to help fund more women-led startups. The firm has launched two AngelList syndicates to enable its limited partners (LPs), mentors, founders, and other investors to make quick and easy co-investments with the 500 Startups partners. Each syndicate will be allocated $1 million with each funded company receiving between $250,000 and $500,000.

Earlier this week, Dave McClure, the self-proclaimed “Sith Lord” of 500 Startups, penned a post where he addressed the need for more to be done in the name of diversity in the startup community. When discussing its importance, McClure writes:

Diversity is not a tactic or strategy, rather it is at the core of what we believe, and what we desire. Diversity is not even a choice, rather it is the most natural expression of who we are as humans, at our best and worst — curious, selfish, giving, greedy, loving, lusting, proud, humble, fearful, angry, happy, hungry, lazy, hateful, despicable… and wonderful human beings.

AngelList syndicates will be one way McClure hopes will help address this issue.  In case you’re not familiar, syndicates are groups within AngelList that allow angel investors to create, lead, and collect carry for a fund of money to help fund early-stage startups. 500 Startups is using this method to create a group to support not only early-stage startups, but also women.

The firm says that its overall investment criteria will remain the same, companies eligible for the “500 Women” syndicates must have at least one female founder, who owns at least a 10 percent stake. The fund is backed by notable women, including SlideShare CEO Rashmi Sinha, Khu.sh CEO Prerna Gupta, DCM general partner Ruby Lu, and Citi Ventures’ Asia head Wei Hopeman.

In its pursuit of diversity, 500 Startups says that additional syndicates may be established in the future.

Photo credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

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Bing takes a cue from RoboCop to show what the future of search could look like

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Shareables

image 5 thumb 7E135F1F 730x406 Bing takes a cue from RoboCop to show what the future of search could look like

Ahead of the official RoboCop remake that should be landing in a cinema near you soon, Sony Pictures enlisted the help of Microsoft to help it come up with a concept for what the future of search could look like.

With the film set in 2028, team Bing went about reimagining what search might look like in the foreseeable future, one that was “true to the story and innovations on the horizon, but still very much grounded in today’s reality”. We’re not talking about crazy 3D holographic search engines, but things that are vaguely recognizable in today’s technology – such as voice-recognition a-la Bing on Xbox and Windows Phone, but augmented by other elements such as 3D displays with key information in the foreground.

You can read more about the collaboration on the link below, or check out the crowdsourced RoboCop remake that is utterly bonkers instead.

➤ “Thank You for Your Cooperation”: Robocop and the Future of Search

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a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Bing takes a cue from RoboCop to show what the future of search could look like

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Shareables

image 5 thumb 7E135F1F 730x406 Bing takes a cue from RoboCop to show what the future of search could look like

Ahead of the official RoboCop remake that should be landing in a cinema near you soon, Sony Pictures enlisted the help of Microsoft to help it come up with a concept for what the future of search could look like.

With the film set in 2028, team Bing went about reimagining what search might look like in the foreseeable future, one that was “true to the story and innovations on the horizon, but still very much grounded in today’s reality”. We’re not talking about crazy 3D holographic search engines, but things that are vaguely recognizable in today’s technology – such as voice-recognition a-la Bing on Xbox and Windows Phone, but augmented by other elements such as 3D displays with key information in the foreground.

You can read more about the collaboration on the link below, or check out the crowdsourced RoboCop remake that is utterly bonkers instead.

➤ “Thank You for Your Cooperation”: Robocop and the Future of Search

Related read:

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Countdown timer returns to Google Search on the desktop

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider, Product Updates

Google timer 730x397 Countdown timer returns to Google Search on the desktop

For a short while last year, you could access a countdown timer directly via Google Search on the desktop. To do so, you just had to do the obvious, like type ‘set timer for 10 minutes’.

In October, not long after it was introduced, it was unceremoniously removed as Google redesigned the search homepage. But now it’s back.

As well as typing out your countdown request, you can use the voice control and just say it instead. Once completed, a little timer will pop up at the top of the page and start counting down. When it goes to zero it’ll make an alarm noise, or you can opt to silence it with the little mic symbol. The button next to that will make the timer full screen. Should you want to, it seems you can’t it for longer than 23 hours and 59 minutes – the box just appears greyed out and filled with zeros. And if you just say ‘set timer’, the default appears to be five minutes.

➤ Google [via Google Operating System – Unofficial Blog]

Featured Image Credit – Alex Wong/Getty Images

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a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Countdown timer returns to Google Search on the desktop

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider, Product Updates

Google timer 730x397 Countdown timer returns to Google Search on the desktop

For a short while last year, you could access a countdown timer directly via Google Search on the desktop. To do so, you just had to do the obvious, like type ‘set timer for 10 minutes’.

In October, not long after it was introduced, it was unceremoniously removed as Google redesigned the search homepage. But now it’s back.

As well as typing out your countdown request, you can use the voice control and just say it instead. Once completed, a little timer will pop up at the top of the page and start counting down. When it goes to zero it’ll make an alarm noise, or you can opt to silence it with the little mic symbol. The button next to that will make the timer full screen. Should you want to, it seems you can’t it for longer than 23 hours and 59 minutes – the box just appears greyed out and filled with zeros. And if you just say ‘set timer’, the default appears to be five minutes.

➤ Google [via Google Operating System – Unofficial Blog]

Featured Image Credit – Alex Wong/Getty Images

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