Announced amid a deluge of news at this week’s Delivering the Future event in Seattle was word that Amazon will begin testing Agility’s Digit in a move that could bring the bipedal robot to its nationwide fulfillment centers. It’s baby steps as these things go, and such early-stage deals don’t necessary mean something bigger down…
There’s a broad range of thought on robot faces. It’s a surprisingly difficult aspect to get right for some very good reasons. For one thing, we’re hardwired to recognize and intuit faces, so small changes make big differences. For another, effectively they’re a window toward understanding a person or animal’s mood, feelings, intentions, etc. Make…
The working class of the United States doesn’t get many breaks these days. It’s not just a function of low pay and long hours, but also the incredible uncertainty of income and expenses that makes surviving week-to-week so challenging. One in five Americans have a negative net wealth, even in an economy where the unemployment…
Qapital, one of a slew of mobile applications trying to make it easier for users to save money (and spend it more wisely), has raised $30 million in fresh financing as it expands beyond savings to offer investment advisory services. Since its launch in the U.S. in 2015, Qapital has amassed roughly 420,000 users that…
Banks want to know what around the corner is trying to put them out of business, so it’s no surprise that a spate of fintech-focused accelerator programs has sprung into existence in recent years. For example, Deutsche Bank just opened is fourth innovation lab in New York this year, after opening outposts in Silicon Valley,…
Americans suck at managing their money. As the country heads into the New Year, it’s clear that more than 57% of us are struggling financially, according to a study from the Center for Financial Services Innovation. And many of us will make New Year’s resolutions to be better about it. We’re planning to cut our…
Katherine Boyle Contributor Katherine Boyle, a former reporter with The Washington Post, is an investment associate at General Catalyst. Rounds versus appropriations. Term sheets versus term limits. Silicon Valley and Washington speak different languages, but we mostly understand each other. The same is less true of conversations between the economic and political elites and the…
Erin Shipley Contributor Erin Shipley is an early-stage investor at Karlin Ventures where she focuses on enterprise software, commerce tools and frontier technologies. More posts by this contributor Why the recent hype about insurance tech will be just the beginning TX Zhuo Contributor TX Zhuo is the managing partner of Fika Ventures, focusing on fintech,…
Rob Levy Contributor Rob Levy is the managing director at the Center for Financial Services Innovation. So, you’re cruising down the highway with your latest fare, making money whenever you choose to turn on your engine. But that 1099 economy you’re so fond of should come with a warning: Steep Drop-off Ahead. Why? Because with…