We recently profiled an AI healthcare startup called AliveCor, which has developed machine learning algorithms that turn smartphones into clinical-grade electrocardiogram (ECG) recorders using only a small handheld device. It fit snugly into our ongoing coverage of remote patient monitoring in the Age of Rona. We’ve also written quite a bit about the increasing role […]
We thought that only a Fool would consider Amazon an artificial intelligence stock, but there’s no shortage of pundits stating the same. To be fair, it’s rather difficult to place Amazon in any GICS-type industry classification bucket. As the world’s second-largest retailer by sales, Amazon is not considered a pure-play online retailer either. The company […]
We recently introduced our lovely readers to the concept of telexistence – the merger of virtual reality and robotics – in which a human plugs into the Matrix to operate a remote humanoid-like machine. At the moment, it’s more of a parlor trick, but practical applications are literally out of this world, with one use […]
Almost exactly one year ago, our MBAs were doing field research at cannabis dispensaries in the Pacific Northwest and looking into “How Fruit Packing Warehouses Use Technology.” In the small town of Bingen, Washington, there’s a new fruit packing warehouse that transformed its entire operation using automation and robotics. They’re just one of more than […]
The world has a very bad and serious case of cooties – and no one wants to catch it. That means many people have turned into hermits, avoiding contact at all costs. But this is the 21st century, so today’s recluse needs stuff, lots and lots of stuff. Naturally, e-commerce continues to soar (as Amazon […]
In Body Rituals of the Nacirema, anthropologist Horace Miner describes a North American group of people with some strange rituals. One involves a “holy mouth man” who uses a variety of augers, awls, and prods as objects in the exorcism of the evils of the mouth. It’s a process that involves almost unbelievable ritual torture […]
Birds of a feather flock together. First, we had all the electric vehicle stocks back their assets up into a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in reverse merger arrangements that sent shares soaring before deals even closed. Now, it appears that LiDAR companies are following suit. Since there is strong interest from our readers on […]
While memes were created for people who can’t properly articulate their thoughts on paper, there are some funny ones floating around. One such meme shows a confused humanoid robot in Terminator (played by Ahhnold) looking at a phone book page which shows Sarah Conner’s name written as a captcha. It’s some quality nerd humor that […]
What a difference a year makes. In 2019, drone startups raised a record $1.2 billion in funding, according to Drone Industry Insights. It’s a different story in 2020: Through mid-August, only about $240 million in disclosed capital has flowed into private companies, based on public data. It seems the investment side of the industry has […]
In the U.S. alone, 453,200 construction equipment operators plied their trade in 2018, many of whom used earth moving machines to move dirt around for various reasons. While operating an earthmover may sound like fun to an 8-year-old, the job itself mostly fits the three d’s – dull, dirty, and dangerous. Many road construction projects […]