Virtual Reality: Real Products for Cyberspace
Pebble App Challenge Finalists Announced
Female Founders Conference Re-Cap [Video]
Pair Becomes Couple
Pair has rebranded as Couple, reports VentureBeat. The “app for two” lets couples “stay together when you’re apart” through private sharing of calendars, lists, sketches, and thumbkisses. The mobile app, available for both iPhone and Android, resulted from Y Combinator Winter 2012 by maker Tenthbit. It subsequently raised over 4 million dollars from investors like Ashton Kutcher’s A-Grade Investments and […]
Virtual Reality: Real Products for Cyberspace
Virtual reality got me interested in technology in the early 1990′s. Two decades ago, “cyberspace” was still an exciting new concept. I’ve met several virtual reality pioneers over the years, including VPL Research co-founder Jaron Lanier, hardware hacker Mitch Altman, and cyberpunk sci-fi author Rudy Rucker. The vision for virtual reality was the ability to put on a […]
YC W14 Demo Day
Y Combinator held today its semi-annual Demo Day. This time it’s for YC W14, which contains 64 companies. 57 of these startups either presented at today’s demo day or have already launched in the press. Below are all the known companies in YC W14.
Pebble Smartwatch Announces Developer App Challenge For Cash And Prizes
Pebble is currently having a Pebble App Challenge. Developers of Pebble smartwatch apps can compete by submitting apps between now and March 23. The winner gets $5,000. The top 16 finalists each receive a Pebble Steel. The winner will be chosen by two rounds of voting between March 24 and the first week of April.
2013 In Review For Y Combinator
Y Combinator Universe published more than a hundred blog posts in 2013. Topics covered everything from relationship apps for couples to in-memory relational databases. I wrote about fashion startups and wearable devices. The acquisition of a dozen companies were mentioned. And Demo Day for two new batches were detailed, YC W13 and YC S13. Here’s a […]
Pebble Still The Only Smartwatch That Works With iPhone, Now Priced To Move
I bought a Pebble smartwatch today at Best Buy. Special holiday pricing ($119), a $30 instant coupon for anybody with a .edu email address, and extended return policy all influenced the purchase. I had also been waiting for more apps and watchfaces. Here’s my first impression of Pebble having finally bought the smartwatch.
Apple iOS 7 iBeacon Is A Big Opportunity: A New Platform for Micro-Location Using Bluetooth LE [Video]
Apple iOS 7 iBeacon is a big opportunity for startups and developers. iBeacon’s potential is like iPhone App Store in 2008: early iBeacon-enabled products will get all the attention. New markets could result from novel and innovative uses for this technology. iBeacon has specific opportunities for both apps and devices. Apple’s iBeacon Bluetooth profile is part of Apple’s […]
YC S13 Demo Day
Y Combinator is having its semi-annual Demo Day today. This time it’s for YC S13, which contains 53 companies. By Demo Day, most of these companies have already launched in the technical press. As of writing this, I already have 45 of the 53 companies in YC S13 on my complete list of known Y […]
Companies
| General | Description |
|---|---|
AirPair
|
AirPair is an extensive network of experts with deep knowledge across many technology stacks and solutions. AirPair accelerates software development by "pairing" experts with engineers in real-time via video and screen sharing - leading to faster development, better software, and reduced costs. |
| Floobits |
Floobits is remote pair programming done right. Floobits enables developers to collaborate on code in real-time using native text editors. |
FundersClub
|
FundersClub is a web service that gives investors unprecedented access to investment opportunities and the tools to review and invest online with ease and speed. By facilitating investment with industry standard fund vehicles that have been used offline for decades, paired with a web-based screening, payments, and legal documents handling system, FundersClub is able to pool checks from many investors to make aggregated investments on behalf of individuals and institutions that were previously inaccessible to them. |
Hubchilla
|
Hubchilla is Airtime for SMS. Hubchilla pairs up users to text each other based on interest, gender, and location. Where other services such as Airtime and ChatRoulette demand that both people be online and ready to talk at the same time, texting allows for asynchronous communication. |
iCracked
|
iCracked repairs iPhones, iPods, and iPads. |
LikeBetter
|
LikeBetter is a pairwise visual psychometric tool. LikeBetter is an online personality test game, where you look at two photos and choose which one you Like Better. After a few responses, Like Better makes some guesses about your personality, ranging from political preferences to your income bracket. |
Meta SpaceGlasses
|
Meta is a pair of augmented reality glasses that also detects motion in front of it. Meta is essentially Google Glass meets Microsoft Kinect. |
Pair
|
Pair is an app to stay connected with your partner. If you are in a long distance relationship and want to stay connected pair is the service that helps you do that. |
Your Mechanic
|
Your Mechanic aims to be the "Airbnb of car repair". Your Mechanic is a website that connects you with the best mechanics in your local community, and commission them to come to your house and fix your car. According to the company, this is on average 30 percent cheaper than the typical mechanic or car dealership. |