Blog

 Robotic Modeling Assistant (RoMA) is a joint project out of MIT and Cornell that brings together a variety of different emerging technologies in an attempt to build a better prototyping machine. Using an augmented reality headset and two controllers, the designer builds a 3D model using a CAD (computer-aided design) program. A robotic arm then goes to work constructing a skeletal model using… Read More

 Zoning codes are a century old, and the lifeblood of all major U.S. cities (except arguably Houston), determining what can be built where and what activities can take place in a neighborhood. Yet as their complexity has risen, academics are increasingly exploring whether their rule-based systems for rationalizing urban space could be replaced with dynamic systems based on blockchains,… Read More

 Avro, a life sciences startup in Y Combinator’s current batch, is banking on a method to deliver medications to populations unable to swallow or chew — it will administer them through the skin. Starting with allergy medications, the startup is developing skin patches that release drugs commonly used in seasonal allergies for children. The patches can deliver a variety of drugs. Read More

 Hulu is still recovering to a hit to its reputation due to a live streaming outage that affected some number of subscribers during the Super Bowl. But over the weekend, the company’s live TV service experienced another outage, this time leading to login and connection issues. The issues prevented users from watching other high-profile sporting events. Read More

 A half-dozen years after launching Wikipedia Zero, The Wikimedia Foundation is sunsetting the program. Announced in 2012, it was the result of partnerships with mobile carriers, designed to waive the cost of accessing the free encyclopedia in developing countries, where data fees presented a barrier to accessing the site’s seemingly bottomless well of information. The Foundation says… Read More

 Snap, Nike, Darkstore and Shopify teamed up in a collaboration of epic proportions to pre-release the Air Jordan III “Tinker” on Snapchat with same-day delivery last night after the NBA All-Star game. This is the first time a brand other than Snap has sold a product via Snapchat. The thousands who attended the Jumpman All-Star after-party in Los Angeles last night were able to… Read More

 If you follow the startup industry, you likely know the story of smartwatch maker Pebble, including that famous Kickstarter campaign in 2012 that sought $100,000 but wound up raising more than $10 million instead. You might also remember thinking that Pebble’s fate was sealed once Apple launched its own now-ubiquitous smartwatch in 2014. You were right if so. By late 2016, Pebble was… Read More

 Technology companies like Facebook and Google are scrambling to catch up to the fact that the kids have joined a web originally built for adults, and are using it the way adults do – by liking and commenting, sharing, clicking through on personalized recommendations, and viewing ads. But the technology underpinning apps and sites built for kids can’t operate the same way as it does… Read More

 Isn’t it frustrating when you ask a friend a question – like what’s your favorite restaurant in New York or what trips have you been on this year – knowing that these specific answers are certainly already accessible on social media? The problem is no one wants to spend an hour combing through their friends social media pages (or worse, monitoring them 24/7), so we just… Read More

 Next week I’m pleased to announce that I’m going to have Paul Vigna and Michael Casey, authors of The Truth Machine, on stage with me at Knotel, a co-working and event space in Manhattan. I’d love for you to come. You can RSVP here. It’s happening on February 28 at 7pm and it will feature a 35-minute talk with two of the top writers in crypto. These guys literally wrote… Read More