Startup Predicts Streaming Success

The entertainment industry relies on ratings, primarily from mega-firm Nielsen, to measure the value of television shows. With the emerging popularity of streaming and subscription services, producers and platforms are searching for new technology to gauge success. Parrot Analytics, an international start-up with headquarters in New York, tracks viewer enthusiasm. Using a metric that measures the value and meaning of a show to a streamer, Parrot not only counts viewers but calculates their interest and…

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THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR THE CLOUD

If pandemic life has taught us anything, it is that life is pretty livable in the cloud. Every aspect of our lives, from work, to school, and even social interactions are now happening virtually. Zoom calls, instant messaging, and chat platforms are how we get together. This means that even as the economy faulters and unemployment rates continue to rise, companies that build or operate the technological infrastructure necessary for online life are doing well. Among the world’s largest…


Amazon buys Zoox

Amazon Gets a New Lift

Amazon recently announced it is acquiring Zoox, a 6-year-old startup designing self-driving cars. Zoox raised $955 million in venture-backed funding to build progressive mobility options and meet urban transportation needs. Autonomous car company Zoox now owned by Amazon Aicha Evans, Zoox CEO, and Jesse Levinson, co-founder and CTO, will continue to lead the team. Zoox is working on developing zero-emission vehicles that can be autonomously ridden. The company is also devising an end-to-end autonomy software stack, to…


Re-opening post Corona will mean new innovations

Capitalizing on New Market & Tech Opportunities

With most states loosening some restrictions and businesses approved to reopen, many tech and design companies are expanding to new markets: touchless fever scanners, apps to plan socially-distant office spaces, sensors to limit touching in highly frequented areas, and scheduling platforms to prevent crowding in public spaces. Truework, for example, is an income verification start-up, that has launched software to allow employers to track workers’ health status. Gensler, an architecture and planning company, has improved…


New York and France Draft FinTech Collaboration

The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) and its counterpart in France have mutually agreed to ease regulations and policies for fintech startups looking to set up shop in the respective markets. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed with the French Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) on June 3, seeks to expand the innovative capacities of both locations. In 2019, DFS became the first US state banking regulator to join the Global Financial Innovation…


savings during a crisis

Making the Money You Are Saving Work for You

Many Americans are facing an uncertain financial future right now. The coronavirus pandemic, though, hasn’t been all bad economic news. Strict stay at home orders have meant fewer expenses in many areas: travel, eating out, cultural events, gas, new clothing, etc. Similarly, the importance of an emergency fund, has become evident to most people, and causing them to reduce their extraneous spending. In fact, the personal savings rate — the sum people are putting away as a percentage of their disposable…


New York Looks to Canada Partnership for Clean Energy

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a new environmental plan to bolster the economy and promote clean energy. New York has set very ambitious clean-energy targets, including emissions-free energy sources exclusively by 2040. The latest plan runs cables from upstate New York to Canada and brings wind and solar power down from these rural regions to New York City and the suburbs. The proposal also hastens a latent scheme for the delivery of hydropower…


Five Strategies Keeping Small Businesses Alive

As coronavirus quarantines force many businesses to shutter their storefronts, these companies are finding creative ways to serve customers and grow their business. Almost every industry, from eateries to gift shops, cleaning crews to beauty salons, has had to revamp their models for customer engagement. Here are five tactics that are proven to keep small businesses going during this crisis. Find a new niche Some services are just not practical right now. Home owners, for…


Fee Cap on delivery app

New York City Imposes Fee Caps on Delivery Apps

New York City is set to limit the surcharge food delivery apps can apply to restaurants using their platforms. City Councilman Mark Gjonaj sponsored the legislation and hopes it will relieve some of the corona-related hardships in the food industry. New York City has set a cap on fees for food delivery services during emergency situations. The move follows a class-action lawsuit filed last month by three restaurants in New York. The owners accuse Grubhub,…


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Big Tech’s Shining Moment Not So Shiny After All

The novel coronavirus has yielded some obvious changes in our daily life. There is virtually no commute as most people have transitioned to working from home. Parents are now functioning as semi-schoolteachers as they homeschool their kids. Those used to eating out regularly are being forced to explore their own kitchen prowess. Even our online habits are changing. And while these changes in search habits and web activity are mostly for the better, they also…