The Xemelgo team with their $185,000 prize from the Seattle Angel Conference in November 2019. Co-founders Rich Rogers and Akhila Tadinada are in the center of the back row. (Xemelgo Photo) Xemelgo, a Seattle-based startup that brings IoT and cloud technology to manufacturing, is cranking up. Last week, the business won the $185,000 top prize at the Seattle Angel Conference, a two-month program in which 51 companies honed and pitched their businesses. The startup co-founded by former Hitachi executives Rich Rogers and Akhila Tadinada has raised an additional $500,000 from angel investors, including the former CEO of Hitachi Americas and the former chief operations officer of Paramount Pictures. Since launching… Read More
Continue ReadingRestaurant group sues Berkeley over natural gas ban
By Nichola Groom | Reuters California’s restaurant industry sued the city of Berkeley on Thursday, arguing in court papers that its ban on natural gas in buildings will harm eateries by increasing costs and preventing them from preparing many sought-after ethnic delicacies. The suit comes four months after Berkeley became the first U.S. city to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings. Since then, more than a dozen California cities have voted to move toward electrifying their building sectors. This week, Brookline, Massachusetts became the first city outside of California to pass a ban on natural gas in buildings. Local officials in those cities cite mounting evidence that unburned gas… Read More
Continue ReadingWhy Honey May Be Worth Its $4 Billion Price Tag
After PayPal announced its acquisition of coupon browser add-on maker Honey Science on Wednesday, investors didn’t see a bargain. Shares were down about 1.5% by the end of Thursday. Shareholders should sit down with a calculator, because this particular acquisition could more than pay for itself within a few years, according to Fortune estimates verified with some analysts who follow the company. Already making money In a post-WeWork era—which followed some disappointing 2019 IPOs like those of Uber, Lyft, Slack, SmileDirectClub, and Peloton Interactive—valuations get more scrutiny than they once did. Not a bad idea. But the reaction to the Honey Science acquisition may have be too conservative. To start,… Read More
Continue ReadingJedi: Fallen Order is the best Tomb Raider game I’ve played in a while
While playing the most recent piece of Star Wars media, Electronic Arts’ Jedi: Fallen Order, I’m getting some definite Lara Croft vibes. And I’m very much okay with that. Jedi: Fallen Order is perhaps the first true attempt by EA to produce a single-player Star Wars game. After years of hearing about such games getting canned in favor of two Battlefront titles, playing this game feels like an achievement in and of itself. I’ve been playing it off-and-on ever since it came out. Keep in mind I haven’t finished the game — Death Stranding and Pokémon Sword & Shield exist, and I only have so many hours in… This story… Read More
Continue ReadingBest unlocked phone in the US: 10 smartphones with no contract
The best unlocked phones in the US will ensure you don’t get stuck with a mobile carrier or network that doesn’t cut it. With unlocked phones, you can switch from carrier to carrier, so one month you can snag unlimited data and the next you can hold back and save some money. This freedom comes at a higher upfront price generally, but the freedom to choose your plan can save you money in the long wrong. If you’re looking at the best unlimited data plans, having an unlocked phone will give you considerably more options to choose the one that perfectly suits you. And, even if you end up going… Read More
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