All Entries in the "Startups & Innovation" Category
Google Acquires Online Photo-Editing App, Picnik
Earlier this week, Google expanded its cloud computing empire through the acquisition of popular photo-editing site Picnik. Moments after the news was announced on both the Google Photo blog and Picnik’s blog, users of both applications…
Apple Streamlining iPhone OS for Apple TV and Other Devices?
A simple job posting by Apple last week may give us a glimpse into the tech giant’s future, as clues indicate Apple is developing the iPhone operating system for more devices. Rumors of such a new direction are sparking innovative product ideas in the…
Top 5 Reasons to Enter New Markets
Did you know Pepsi is a strong competitor in the snack food market? Or the Virgin Group makes everything from spaceships to cosmetics? These, and many other successful brands have grown revenue streams by entering new markets — whether through…
Gawker Media Acquires CityFile
The edgy, controversial Gawker Media is the shining star in the blogosphere, valued at an astonishing $300 million. In a move to further expand its reach, Gawker Media acquired CityFile on Feb 15th, an online directory of celebrities and media personalities…
Mobile World Conference: WAC Proposes AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Global App Store
Big things are coming from the Mobile World Conference being held in Barcelona this week. One of the major announcements came on Monday, when 24 of the world’s leading telecommunications networks – including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Sprint…
Top 5 Acquisition Strategies
Mergers and acquisitions often dominate headlines: “Apple Acquires Quattro Wireless for $250 M” or “Bank of America Acquires Merrill Lynch for $50B.” Acquisitions consolidate financial and physical resources within a short period of time…
Where is MacWorld Without Apple?
In early 1000 AD, Genghis Khan brutally slashed through Asia to form the Mongolian empire. It was Khan’s military leadership and charisma that paved Mongolia’s path to victory and consequently, after his death, the Khan’s Mongolian empire crumbled…
Google Buzz for Gmail: Bad for Wave?
When Google Wave debuted last Fall, hopes were high that it would become the future of e-mail and online communication. Everyone was eager to get their invitation and start waving. Whether it was lack of understanding or loss of interest, the…
Shermer at TED: Why we Believe Myths
Which sounds better? Unless you’re a prickly-nosed physicist, the original tells a much more compelling story. But why? It goes against our intellectual brain — telling us 12 billion light years is the size of the universe when it’s clearly 13.7 billion. It’s…
Celebrating Sparxoo’s 1-Year Anniversary
Amid the 2009 rollercoaster ride of tea parties, balloon boys, sex scandals, bailouts and war, the Sparxoo blog went on-line. Since then, we have discovered cutting edge trends in luxury, technology and culture, spoken with future marketing leaders, such as…
Community Mobilization with FourSquare & Meetup.com
“A reason we may be seeing a growth in networking is because of its use in terms of stabilizing relationships, understanding business climates, overcoming challenges or exchanging off-the-record information in an informal environment,” Mandy…
Can Another Social Network Rival Facebook?
Mark Zuckerberg sent a message to all Facebook users announcing that the social network reached an astounding 350 million users — more than doubling it’s numbers from just over a year ago. “When it comes to social networks, history has shown that it’s hard to…
Renewing Invention: Lesson from Google Wave, Kindle & Hulu
What makes trends cutting edge and unique are the ways they are reinvented or portrayed, with the special touches that blend the trend of yesterday with the latest and greatest of today. What is reinvented doesn’t have to be decades old; in fact, it may only…
Apple’s iPhone Allows VoIP Internet Calls with Fring and iCall
Though the iPad has dominated online discussion and social media blogs this week, there was one announcement made at the recent Apple event that has been seemingly overlooked. On Wednesday, Apple has changed its strict iPhone developer policies…
Top 5 Reasons to Form Partnerships
“If we are together nothing is impossible. If we are divided all will fail.” While Winston Churchill’s famous words are typically attributed to political and social reform, they also carry great value in business. Partnerships provide great opportunities for…
Inspiring Innovation Series: Workshop Wonders
It should come as no surprise to our readers that collaboration has been identified as one of the top trends of 2010. Collaboration is nothing new. People have been collaborating for eternity. In fact, Charles Darwin once said, ” In the long history of humankind…
How To Value Your Startup Business
As we all know, your business is only worth whatever the highest bidder in the market is willing to pay. On eBay, it’s easy to discover prices as there is a formal bidding system. In the stock market, prices fluctuate in real-time, and every day a company has…
Tasti D-Lite Use Twitter & FourSquare for Loyalty Program
Many retailers today have customer loyalty program; whether it’s a stamp or punch card, e-mail listserv or frequent shopper rewards. Many of these programs are similar and don’t think outside the box – the company spends money for discounts and free…
Funding Innovation for Entrepreneurs
Innovation is a process that involves creating, advancing, refining, and executing (see full Entrepreneur.com article). Most innovation projects have an unprofitable startup period. To sustain innovation projects, you’ll need a combination of investment and sweat equity with the promise of reward over time. Large-scale innovation projects can take significant money and many years…
Google to Put Ads into Map Street View?
Always on the cutting edge, Google is once again venturing into a new area of tech – virtual real estate, to be exact. Google has obtained a patent to secure advertising space within its Maps Street View feature, opening up a whole new world of internet…
