WITNESS, a nonprofit focused on documenting human rights abuses, has long been distributing cameras and training citizens to use them. But with cameras now available as software on smartphones, WITNESS has an opportunity to create a camera specifically designed to capture photos of human rights abuses, war crimes, and social justice issues. The first version…
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There were already a number of tablet options out in the marketplace when Sony entered the market with the Sony Table S earlier this year. Focused on creating a compelling device that would attract new users to the tablet market, the team at Sony looked to offer a superior Android experience with better design, performance…
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I’m chatting with Peach Rojwongsuriya at a Starbucks in a posh mall in Bangkok. Wearing a white Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, he’s chattering in great English about keeping his startup lean, Ruby, and the state of ecommerce in Thailand. But 23-year-old Rojwongsuriya wasn’t always an entrepreneur. He studied at an international primary school – which is…
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Who thought ice tea could be so technologically advanced? PepsiCo, the makers of Brisk Ice Tea, are banking on a couple things that any tech enthusiast, geek or entrepreneur can relate to: Star Wars and mobile gaming. In a key promotion for the company, they have partnered with Lucasfilm, getting behind the February release of Star Wars: Episode…
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Outdoor lovers, listen up. Have you ever been out on a hike, come across a specific species of bird, shrub, or flower that you didn’t recognize? Although you’re genuinely curious, there’s little you can do to find any answers. Project Noah is the answer. Simply snap a shot of the species in question within Project Noah’s mobile…
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I love documentaries. I’m always the first to drag my friends to the local independent theater to see the latest documentary – if it’s available. But a lot of times it’s not. And what’s more, my ride to work on the subway could use some livening up. So I was excited to give SnagFilms a…
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If you want to give yourself a gift this holiday season, look no further than the app store. Many iOS and Android apps are discounted for the holidays, and others are completely free (see below). These are limited-time offers, so download them while they’re hot! Free iOS Apps Flashlight LED: Turns your iPhone into a…
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It’s not mind control, but new technology out of Denmark comes close: Senseye is working on eye tracking software that lets your eyes control your phone. The software uses your smartphone or tablet camera to detect where you’re looking on a page. Based on that, you can scroll, click on icons, and play games –…
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Twitter has acquired Whisper Systems, an Android security firm based in San Francisco. According to an announcement on Whisper Systems’ blog today, they will become part of Twitter. They stated: “We started Whisper Systems with the goal of improving security and privacy for mobile devices. Now that we’re joining Twitter, we’re looking forward to bringing our technology…
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Here at Tech Cocktail, we like technology. We are lucky that we get to cover a lot of really interesting startups and apps, some of which we adopt and realize we cannot live without. To celebrate Thanksgiving, we thought we’d share with you all the bits of technology we are thankful for, from devices to…
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Google Music, which has been in beta since May, launched yesterday and expanded to a full service for buying, selling, and sharing music. Google touts its new platform as an alternative to music “spinning out of control” on computers, MP3 players, and phones – perhaps a reference to the constant need to sync on iTunes….
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How come I’m able to tweet out thoughts to “followers” I’ve never met, thousands of miles away, but not engage in seamless conversation with the people physically around me? Hyper-local chat application Saylo is changing all that, letting you stand up in any room and say or ask exactly what’s on your mind. Say it’s…
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Independence – freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others. Independent financial advice – for the last 50 years, only 15% of Americans had access to it. Even with arrival of personal financial software in the 1980’s and ’90’s, the percentage didn’t change. Most Americans were on their own in regards…
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Smartphones have opened many new channels for mobile communication. In the old days, you could either call your contacts or text them. Today there are endless ways to communicate and even more ways to follow your contacts: email, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn…and the list goes on. Contapps, a popular free Android app, helps users manage…
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CoCollage was a showcased startup at our Tech Cocktail Seattle mixer last week, and I really wish I had been there to meet the CoCollage team and shake their hands, because they are attempting to take social networking to the next level. Yes, that is a lofty goal, but I think they are on to…
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Zaarly, the community-based marketplace for buying goods and services, raised $14.1 million this week led by Kleiner Perkins and Sands Capital Ventures. The San Francisco-based startup also added Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay who was recently appointed CEO of Hewlett-Packard, to their board of directors. This announcement comes just eight months after Zaarly…
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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
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
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
Coming off of one of our biggest Tech Cocktail mixer events in Chicago this past week, which showcased 14 early-stage start-ups, we thought it would... Read More