Kristen Nicole
Latest from Kristen Nicole
Hands on with the Huawei Watch QSG luxury smartwatch
As smartwatches prove a hot ticket item for Black Friday sales this year, it’s timely to consider what’s available on the market. The luxury smartwatch brand is particularly gaining steam, with the recent launch of the Apple Watch which landed in stores last June, the luxurious LG Urbane which first appeared at MWC 2015, and ...
New age hippie: Fresh book ponders sharing economy, relives history’s wins and fails
Did Uber start out wanting to incite a global legal war on the taxicab industry? Its intention to create an alternative market has certainly had widespread influence on culture, the economy and politics, and author Gabriel Metcalf ponders whether the sharing economy should carry such considerable effect, in his recently published book Democratic by Design. ...
When 3 years in stealth lands you $130M: Tom Gillis talks Bracket Computing success
A year after emerging from a 3-year stealth operation, Bracket Computing, Inc. solidified its place in the cloud market with a Series C funding round exceeding $45 million. The company, founded in 2011, was the brainchild of senior technical staff from Cisco, EMC, IronPort, and NetApp. Their mission was clear: Deliver innovative enterprise computing, including helping ...
OpenWorld highlights: Can Oracle succeed beyond SaaS? | #oow15
If you’d asked four years ago, some analysts may not have had much faith in Oracle’s cloud offerings. But last year we saw the onset of a new era for Oracle, with the software provider gaining momentum ever since. At this year’s annual Oracle OpenWorld event, we’re finally seeing some products behind their cloud push, ...
Smart lights double as security: BeON hands on review, public launch
Of all the everyday objects being upgraded to smart devices for the home, it seems the ubiquitous light bulb is getting quite a bit of action. From motion sensors to speakers, the light bulb is getting smarter and being layered with more secondary functions, acting as a gateway for a myriad of connected services. The ...
How the cloud actually makes IoT more secure: Arrayent founder on IoT trends
With $11 million in fresh funding for its Connect Platform, Arrayent, Inc. has serious goals to nurture a burgeoning ecosystem around the Internet of Things (IoT) movement. Having helped global brands like Whirlpool turn everyday products into connected products, Arrayent is virtualizing the commercial world. Investors on this round include Intel Capital, Opus Capital, DCM ...
Drunk nerds: We test whether knowing BAC levels actually changes drinking behavior
Earlier this year I explored the idea that connected devices and social data could soon comprise a replacement for horoscopes, creating new constellations of data points predicting our future. Among the questions raised during my research was whether or not such blatant data offerings would encourage individuals to actually modify their behavior. After all, horoscopes ...
Smart toothbrush launches insurance plan: New perks for hygiene
You may have a $600 smartphone and a $1000 tablet, but how much did you spend on your toothbrush? As more everyday objects are connected to the Internet, our gadget collections grow far beyond smartphones. One startup is on a mission to change your perspective on dental care, and now dental insurance. Can you honestly ...
Can Amazon’s Dash Button scale? Experts weigh in
Is the Amazon Dash Button scalable? The latest smart home offering from the retail behemoth has all the ease of its online one-click purchasing options, conveniently placed in the pantry, kitchen or nursery. With a dedicated product for each Button, however, is the $4.99 gadget scalable beyond a handful of retail partners for diaper and detergent ...
Playbulb Garden hands-on review: Smart lights know how to party
When given the opportunity to test out Playbulb by MiPow Ltd.’s products, I couldn’t pick just one. Their tempting lineup of smart, color light bulbs includes one with a speaker, a solar-powered lamp for outdoors, and a candle. This is all in addition to their regular Color smart light bulb (the Rainbow) with custom hues and ...
