Stepcase has found a unique way to avoid feature bloat in its Steply photo apps: make a whole bunch of them. “Our philosophy is to create fun but very simple apps,” explains founder Leon Ho, who created the blog Lifehack.org. That means that each of their ten iOS photo apps has one basic function. They…
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Today Keepstream was acquired by InfoChimps, an API marketplace, for an undisclosed amount. Launched last year as part of the Austin-based Capital Factory startup accelerator, Keepstream, which we covered previously, allows you to easily curate various social media streams and save them to use later (long after Twitter and other streams may have disappeared). It comes…
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Your favorite movies have their own unique soundtracks, and now your favorite books can, too. Founded by Paul Cameron, Booktrack is a startup that is changing reading – and the publishing industry – forever. Booktrack creates synchronized soundtracks for ebooks to enhance the reader’s imagination and engagement. Combining music, sound effects and ambient sound, Booktrack’s…
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I wish SpotHero had been around when I lived in Boston. This Chicago-based startup lets you reserve a parking spot by neighborhood or event, which would have come in quite handy when I lived off Commonwealth Avenue near Boston College. I am sure parking there is still a nightmare. There is certainly a market for…
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Tourists dining in Hong Kong can stumble upon some strange foods, like snake, chicken feet, tripe, or earthworms. Hong Kong startup Campusfork makes sure these dishes disgust you – or entice you – before they arrive on a plate. “Campusfork is a hassle-free way to find restaurant food photos,” says founder Rayfil Wong, a former…
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Living the startup life can be exhilarating , yet exhausting, as entrepreneurs are often faced with more items on their “To-Do List” than hours in the day. Just finding trusted resources and making the connections you need can be a full-time job. Foster.ly is helping Washington, DC-area entrepreneurs by corralling the information they’re looking for…
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Ready for another social media platform? Los Angeles-based Hyphos promises to provide you with the closest group of friends you never knew you had – their platform allows you to find people around you based on interest and location. Founded earlier this year the Hyphos (Greek for “web”) team is made up of 8 current…
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Two months after the iPad 2 debuted in March, around 40% of users surveyed said their iPad was their primary computer, up from around 30% last December, Business Insider reported. As that number climbs, users will need better and better apps to watch TV shows and movies. Leading video apps have been enhancing user experience…
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Foodily, the self-described “most advanced recipe search engine in the world,” just announced their Facebook page to make it easier to find and share recipes with friends. For the food obsessed (and I count myself among them), this will make it super easy to find recipes on your friends’ feeds, which would otherwise basically disappear…
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With the growth of social networks, apps and organizational tools, we seem to have an infinite amount of information distributed across multiple services. The challenge, typically, is finding what you need when you need it. That’s one problem that Google hasn’t attacked yet. Greplin is a personalized search engine and iPhone app focused on your…
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The numerous problems with traditional daily deal sites have been chronicled all over the web. If it’s not buyers’ remorse, it’s retailers getting burned financially. A Kansas City-based startup, Five and Fifty, was founded in February to address some of those issues. By introducing the concept of instant deals delivered via SMS, businesses can bring…
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Hopper, a travel website founded by a team of former Expedia employees, recently raised $8 million in funding from Atlas Venture and Brightspark Ventures. Led by CEO Frederic Lalonde and Chief of Product Joost Ouwerkerk, Hopper is currently in stealth mode. What we do know about Hopper is that the team is developing a website…
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Starting next week, my Tech Cocktail posts will have a more Eastern bent. After quitting my day job, packing my life into a backpack, and enduring nineteen hours on two planes, I just arrived in Hong Kong to begin a six-month adventure in Asia. China is the world’s second-largest economy, and other strong Asian countries…
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Going out this weekend, the last big holiday weekend of the summer? Liquid Fare, a New York-based mobile app development company, just launched its eponymous flagship app, Liquid Fare. The free app, available for the iPhone and Android, allows you to rate local bars, lounges and clubs. The app relies on crowdsourced information to make…
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We are really excited to showcase 20 innovative startups here in Cambridge tonight. Previews of all participating companies are below; they range from a video interviewing service to an app that lets you pay tips and gratuities from your smartphone. Many thanks to all of our sponsors for making this possible: Title Sponsor Sprint; platinum…
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Have you ever wished you had someone to keep track of your phone calls? Sometimes it’s just plain difficult to stay on top of your phone calls, which is why you need a secretary to manage them for you! Good news: everyone can afford Mosec, a free Android mobile secretary. Mosec (mobile + secretary) makes…
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Two months after the iPad 2 debuted in March, around 40% of users surveyed said their iPad was their primary computer, up from around 30%... Read More
There are a number of startup accelerator and incubator programs in the United States. We are fans of these programs (not to be confused with... Read More
We are excited to announce the participating startups for Tech Cocktail's South by Southwest (SXSW) event: #Startuplife Celebration presented by .CO. It was one of... Read More
With our Startup Mixology Conference coming up next week followed by our classic Tech Cocktail DC Summer mixer which will showcase a handful of early-stage... Read More