Month: May 2020

Fitbit’s  activity-tracking wearable devices are already being used by a number of academic institutions to determine if they might be able to contribute to the early detection of COVID-19 and the flu, and now Fitbit itself is launching its own dedicated Fitbit  COVID-19 Study, which users can sign up for from within their Fitbit mobile app. The study … Continue reading Fitbit launches a COVID-19 early detection study, and you can join from the Fitbit app Continue Reading →

Xiaomi,  the Chinese comapny famous for its budget smartphones and a bevy of value-for-money gadgets, said in a filing on Thursday that it has backed more than 300 companies as of March, totaling 32.3 billion yuan ($4.54 billion) in book value and 225.9 million yuan ($32 million) in net gains on disposal of investments in just the first … Continue reading Xiaomi’s investment house of IoT surpasses 300 companies Continue Reading →

Ecwid said that the $42m funding will be used for an ‘aggressive’ expansion and buying out early-stage investors. On Thursday (21 May), e-commerce start-up Ecwid announced that it has raised $42m in a funding round led by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and PeakSpan Capital. The SaaS business, which is a competitor to the likes of … Continue reading Shopify rival Ecwid raises $42m as merchants turn to e-commerce Continue Reading →

Google  has announced a new, welcome and no doubt long-asked-for feature to its Maps app: wheelchair accessibility info. Businesses and points of interest featuring accessible entrances, bathrooms and other features will now be prominently marked as such. Millions, of course, require such accommodations as ramps or automatic doors, from people with limited mobility to people with … Continue reading Google highlights accessible locations with new Maps feature Continue Reading →

Cake has crafted the Swedish edition of electric motorcycle design starting in the dirt. The Stockholm-based mobility startup’s debut, the Kalk OR, is a 150-pound, battery-powered two-wheeler engineered for agile off-road riding and available in a street-legal version. In appearance, Cake’s Kalk has a minimalist stance and doesn’t evoke “motorcycle” in any conventional sense.   … Continue reading Cake brings a Swedish take on e-motorcycle design to the US Continue Reading →

This week in future tech, scientists have observed a new phenomenon for the first time that could improve the stability of large nuclear fusion reactors. In the race to achieve near-limitless, cheap, clean energy, scientists from the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in the US have made a substantial breakthrough. Writing in Physical Review Letters, they described … Continue reading Newly observed phenomenon ‘quite significant’ for nuclear fusion Continue Reading →

There are a number of different technologies both proposed and in development to help smooth the reopening of parts of the economy even as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic continues. One such tech solution launching today comes from Brian McClendon,  co-founder of Keyhole,  the company that Google  purchased in 2004 that would form the basis of Google Earth and Google … Continue reading New nonprofit from Google Maps co-creator offers temporary ‘safe’ passes to aid COVID-19 reopening effort Continue Reading →