One of the new realities of augmented reality is this: the technology is attracting more investment from China than from sources in North America. This trend happens as activity around AR heats up, with major players in the digital economy apparently positioning themselves to profit as the retail-friendly tech move every closer to mainstream popularity. […]
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South Africa has taken a conservatively optimistic stance toward cryptocurrencies — balancing development with investor protection. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have proliferated the minds of millions across the world, as trading and crypto asset ownership continues to rise. In the same breathe, many countries across the world have taken a tough stance against cryptocurrencies in particular. […]
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Digitally native retailers are testing out temporary brick-and-mortar locations to drive consumer engagement — and allow their customers to experience some of their selections in real life. Two eCommerce retailers in particular — Wayfair and Brandless — are planning to reach consumers with pop-up shops ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. Wayfair plans to […]
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Facebook-owned Instagram reportedly is testing a new privacy setting that could lead to more targeted ads directed at consumers. The new privacy setting would enable Instagram to share users’ location history with Facebook. According to TechCrunch, that “means your exact GPS coordinates collected by Instagram, even when you’re not using the app, would help Facebook […]
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Overstock subsidiary Medici Ventures is investing in VinX , which is making a blockchain solution that monitors the ingredients of wine on their journey between the vineyard and the glass, according to reports. The idea is to enable wine futures to be sold and traded on a secure platform, with the goal of preventing fraud by […]
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Consumers know what they want — and how they want to pay for it. They want to use the payment methods with which they’re accustomed. This puts pressure on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to find ways to accept those methods in a mobile POS format or risk losing a sale. Businesses must also handle […]
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Electric scooter-sharing startup Bird is expanding its services with the launch of new custom electric scooters in coming weeks. In partnership with Okai, Bird designed and manufactured Bird Zero scooters, which have 60 percent more battery life — as well as better ride stability and durability — than the company’s original model. There’s also an […]
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InsurTech has a lot of room to innovate, from payout friction to risk analysis. The startup community has delivered a strong response to market gaps, and investors this week showed their interest in the B2B InsurTech market with three deals, including two rounds marking Eos Venture Partners’ first foray into the industry. Rounding out the […]
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The E.U. markets watchdog has set a budget for an initiative to monitor fintech and crypto assets in its 2019 work program. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has budgeted over 1 million euro for monitoring fintech and crypto assets, according to a document published Oct. 4. Founded in 2011 in Paris, the ESMA […]
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Toyota Motor and SoftBank announced Thursday (October 4) they have formed a strategic partnership to enable the creation of new mobility services. In a press release, the companies said they plan to create a joint venture company to be called MONET Technologies Corp. before the end of the fiscal 2018 year. Toyota and Softbank said the objective of […]
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