Tag: Business For Sale

The 10 most innovative companies in augmented and virtual reality

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Consumer virtual reality (VR) headsets took a stride toward the mainstream with the release of Oculus Quest 2 this year, while augmented reality (AR) experiences have been mainly phone-bound—consisting of Snapchat overlays and Apple ARKit apps. Still, some compelling AR and VR content was produced, such as the Solastalgia short film that took honors at the Sundance Film Festival, and Valve’s new game, Half-Life: Alyx . Because of the pandemic, some businesses have begun thinking about bringing far-flung employees together to collaborate using spatial computing. These are the companies whose products did the most to push mixed reality forward during 2020. 1. Snap For bridging reality with mini apps For Snap , 2020 might be remembered for the launch of “minis,” or little third-party apps that run inside the company’s messaging app. The apps can be used in social ways: Two friends can use a mini to figure out a movie to see, and then buy the tickets together. Or two friends might shop for a prom dress together (yes, Snap’s audience skews a little younger). And the developers of these little apps can either bring their own computer vision models or use Snap’s to let users identify places or products in the real world. The company says it’s been working with retailers on ways to keep business humming during the pandemic. For instance it launched a virtual try-on app with Gucci in June. Imagine pointing your Snapchat camera at your feet to see how a pair of Gucci shoes would look on you, then simply pushing a button on the lens to make the purchase. Snap’s AR try-on technology, launched last June, allows you to do just that. With its new Camera Kit tool, Snap is also letting brands like MLB and Nike build Snapchat AR lenses into their own apps, for their communities to enjoy. It’s in a position to do so: Snap has seen a big bounce in usage since people have been trapped at home (with their phones) during the pandemic. The company says its daily active users grew to 265 million in Q4 2020, compared with 218 million a year earlier, average revenue per user is up from 33%, and it anticipates an impressive 50% revenue growth in the years ahead. Read More …

The 10 most innovative film and TV companies of 2021

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Because most people spent more time in 2020 cooped up inside than ever before, film and TV offerings transcended the realm of entertainment to become something more substantial. They served as a crucial, sanity-preserving balm, and a point of connection with others similarly stuck at home. With people consuming so much TV and film, it might sound easy for a studio or a streaming service to win audiences over. Considering just how much content was competing for eyeballs in lockdown, however, it took innovation and foresight to truly stand out. Read More …

The 10 most innovative transportation companies of 2021

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This year’s most innovative transportation companies continue to push back on the carbon-heavy transportation industry with electric alternatives—for driving, biking, freight hauling, and even flying. Also losing traction: Human operators, with advances in cars, taxis, trailers, and planes that pilot themselves. 1. Tesla For powering a global movement toward electric vehicles Last March, the leader in high-performance electric vehicles, Tesla , made its 1 millionth car. The January prior, it became the most valuable American automaker of all time, and by July the most valuable in the world. After reaching profitability for the first time in 2019, Tesla remained profitable in 2020, rolled out the Model Y SUV, announced a new factory in Texas, and became a major player in the Chinese electric car market. 2. Rad Power Bikes For electrifying the pandemic biking experience This was the year that Americans finally, really embraced e-bikes. The successful launch of new budgeted-minded e-bikes and surging sales of its $1,500 RadRover electric fat tire bikes helped Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes —which sells directly to consumers through its website—grab the lion’s share of the market, and roughly tripling its 2019 sales. [Illustration: Jacob Pinson ] 3. RepairSmith For calling the mechanic to your driveway On-demand mechanic RepairSmith launched in August 2019. The Daimler AG–backed service deploys a fleet of specially equipped Mercedes Sprinter vans to make house calls in metropolitan areas of California, Nevada, Arizona, and more, and uses data-driven logistics to ensure that most customers can get repairs within two to three days of booking. Offering no-contact repairs throughout the pandemic, RepairSmith expanded service from two to 325-plus locations in 2020. 4. Read More …

Why this AI engineer is using sci-fi to unpack tech’s biggest problems

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S.B. Divya’s new science fiction thriller, Machinehood , is set in a not-too-distant future when people have access to tabletop biotech labs that churn out everything from cures for new diseases to performance-enhancing drugs. But they find that taking such drugs is all but mandatory as they compete for paying gig work in an economy where more and more jobs can be done by artificial intelligence. Before she was a published author, Divya was an engineer with a background in computational neuroscience and data science, as well as computing hardware and software. She talked to Fast Company about how her work has shaped her writing, the not-quite-dystopian world she envisions in Machinehood , and why she’s still optimistic about the future. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did your tech career inform your writing? Read More …

3 ways to build an equitable health system, according to a Black doctor

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While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our daily lives for one year, it has also further illuminated the inequities in our healthcare system experienced daily by racial and ethnic minorities. When we look at a past pandemic, the 1918 Flu, and compare it to the COVID-19 pandemic today, it’s clear there are still health disparities for Black Americans today—even 100 years later. It is critical that doctors like myself, as well as healthcare innovators and policymakers, work to break down these barriers and improve care for members of the Black community. While experts believe racial segregation may have contributed to Black Americans contracting the 1918 Flu at lower rates than white Americans, Black patients were more likely to die from the flu if they did become ill compared to white patients. Beyond the pandemic, Black Americans were suffering from higher rates of illness and death compared to white people. Reports in 1900 assert that Black communities were experiencing a 69% higher death rate from a number of diseases, such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, compared to white people. And now, more than 100 years later, Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, dying at 2.4 times the rate of white Americans. In several states across the country, the difference in mortality is shocking. For instance, in Chicago, it has been reported that Black people account for nearly 60% of COVID-19 deaths while only making up 30% of the population. Several major cities across the country have the same disproportionate trend. In 1918, Black people were often disbarred from care , leading to local and decentralized efforts to provide care within the community. We see these same disparities today. Poverty, redlining, poorer housing conditions, unequal access to quality physicians, and jobs that don’t allow individuals to work from home all create greater health risks for Black Americans, resulting in higher rates of acquiring COVID-19 and subsequently poorer outcomes. Read More …