Here we highlight selected innovation related articles from around the world on a daily basis. These articles related to innovation and funding for innovative companies, and best practices for innovation based economic development.
It's not magic, it's science! For the science-minded YouTube viewer, those boring old magic trick videos lack intellectual rigor.
Some magic tricks can be cheesy, and pulling rabbits out of a hat or shouting "Abracadabra!" is for little kids. Being the more mature, discerning adult that you are, you demand more from your party tricks. It turns out, the world of science can offer you hours of entertainment, as well as knowledge.
The first person to twist apart an Oreo, or sit backwards in a chair, or pretend a tennis racket was a guitar — visionaries who recognized that everyday objects used by the masses have higher callings.
I’ve joined them by turning my widescreen monitor vertically.
Image: CHRISTINA ASCANI/MASHABLE
The Financial Conduct Authority in the UK recently released regulations that prohibit unsophisticated investors from investing more than 10% of their savings into equity crowdfunding. While majority of the UK platforms welcomed this as a suitable idea, Barry James, Founder of the Crowdfunding Centre, said the rule would lock ordinary investors out.
Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We’re seeing the biggest change in how we interact with computers in years. And it’ll mean much less input from you.
Apps like Google Now, Tempo AI, and others represent the first wave of “predictive technology.” These are apps and services that are smart enough to fetch information for you — before you realize you even need it.
Image: Jawbone’s Up health wristband. Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat
Maine now becomes the next state that has passed legislation, “An Act to Increase Funding for Startups”, that allows equity crowdfunding within their state borders. Maine business may now raise up to $1 million in capital by selling shares in their company to investors. The legislation became law without the signature of Governor Paul LePage. The Maine House approved the legislation mid February on a lopsided vote of 129 for and 1 against.
Image: http://www.crowdfundinsider.com
Is crowdfunding the secret to creating more Silicon Valley-like tech hubs around the world? Crowdfunder CEO Chance Barnett argues yes.
Talent, we all know, knows no geography. Great brains and big ambitions can be born anywhere. The sorts of ecosystems that nurture this talent and accelerate innovation are far rarer.
Image: http://www.forbes.com
As the day started in Washington, DC, the first of day of the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Congress came to a close. The entrepreneurship communities from 153 countries came to Moscow to bond on their common cause to unleash new ideas, remove roadblocks and solve problems in almost every imaginable realm. Following a welcome from Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the GEC kicked off with thousands of delegates at the Research + Policy Summit.
Every startup wants to be a predictable success, yet so few ever achieve this enviable position. In reality, getting there is not a random walk, and requires an understanding of the stages that every business must navigate and the organizational characteristics necessary at each stage.
Les McKeown, in his book “Predictable Success” outlines these stages and characteristics for any business. He points out, for example, that every business should anticipate the early struggle stage, a possible fun stage, and probably a turbulent whitewater phase, before they can hope for the predictable success stage.
Who was Saint Patrick?
If that question rattles through your brain around this time of year, you're not alone. Yahoo tells Mashable that queries about the man and the holiday he inspired jump astronomically high around this month. Though St. Patty's Day is popularized as a chance to wear green and be merry, there are more things to know about the Irish celebration.
Image: http://mashable.com
Successfully navigating tech industry networking events can be difficult, whether you’re a startup founder searching for the right talent, a developer looking to advance your career or an enterprise HR representative. Chances are, what worked five years ago won’t work in today’s plugged-in environment.
Image: FLICKR, DESARROLLANDO AMÉRICA LATINA
You know that you should edit your resume before you send it off in the world, making sure it’s error-free.
But to make sure that resume is in the best possible shape? You should really take the editing process a few steps further.
Here’s the thing: Editing is more than just giving something a once-over to eliminate egregious typos and grammar mistakes. It’s really about looking at something with a critical eye, then making changes to ensure it’s the best it can possibly be.
Image: MASHABLE COMPOSITE, ISTOCK, VENIMO
Last year was a turning point for venture capital, according to financial services firm Ernst & Young, VentureBeat reported. Global venture capital investment in 2013 increased 2 percent compared with 2012, to $48.5 billion. "These changes have challenged (venture capital) players to change and raise their game," Bryan Pearce, a global venture capital researcher for Ernst & Young, writes in the report. "They have become more global in their geographic outlook, more sophisticated in their analysis of opportunities and more innovative in terms of how, where and when to invest."
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Ireland's financial industry was revived as it saw a 6% increase in its venture capital activity last year, according to Irish News.
The country held the InterTradeIreland venture capital (VC) conference in Belfast recently. The event, which had over 350 entrepreneurs and investors, showcased the £237 million (€284 million) investment that the country received from venture capitalists last year, the report detailed.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
2013 was a turning point for venture capital.
According to financial services firm Ernst&Young, global venture capital investment in 2013 increased 2 percent compared to 2012, to $48.5 billion. Meanwhile, economic conditions improved in many geographic markets due to increased levels of liquidity and a boost in investor confidence.
The upshot: More investors are competing to invest in promising startups and entrepreneurs, especially outside the U.S.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Many people don’t want the added responsibility of creating a business plan, keeping the books, hiring employees, dealing with vendors, finding new customers, and the myriad other details that business owners have to take care of on a daily basis.
Image: http://retireby40.org - Joe’s old cubicle. I never have to sit in one of these again!
Image: http://www.bostonglobe.com
Don’t expect Warren Buffett to be buying Bitcoins any time soon.
The financial wizard was crystal-clear Friday about his feelings toward the virtual currency. “Stay away from it,” he told CNBC on Squawk Box. “It’s a mirage, basically.”
Part of the mirage, he indicated, is that Bitcoins are simply a transmittal medium. “It’s a very fast money order, anonymously.”
Image: http://venturebeat.com - Bitcoin is "a very fast money order, anonymously."
1. "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin
2. "Change before you have to." - Jack Welch
3. "People don't resist change. They resist being changed!" -- Peter Senge
4. "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Now is the best time in the history of the world to be a healthcare entrepreneur, and those with fresh eyes on healthcare problems — young health professionals along with patients, engineers, designers and entrepreneurs — are able to make large and rapid clinical impact.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
One of our biggest marketing challenges moving forward is educating the world on the potential of crowdfunding. It’s basically a new technology. Kickstarter only recently hit their 5 millionth active user and according to a Google Trend report I made, it is still far from being mainstream or being seen as a legitimate way to make a financial return.
Image: https://accredify.co
