Today, Californians for Consumer Privacy called on Google to stop funding the opposition to the California Consumer Privacy Act and to stop the tracking of children on applications hosted by the Google Play Store.

"The fact that Google did not protect the privacy of children who use their apps is chilling and beyond disturbing," said Alastair Mactaggart, Chair of Californians for Consumer Privacy and Chief Proponent of the California Consumer Privacy Act. "This demonstrates an acute need for real accountability measures for large corporations in order to ensure the safety, security and privacy of our families. Like Facebook did last week, Google needs to announce that it is dropping any further funding of their anti-privacy Super PAC."

A new study by the University of California's International Computer Science Institute shows that a majority of Google Play Store applications studied "are potentially in violation" of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act 1998 (COPPA), which bans the collection of personal information for children under 13 in the United States.

Google joined AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Facebook in donating to a million dollar Super PAC to oppose consumer privacy. After it was revealed that Facebook breached the data of 87 million of its users, Facebook announced it would no longer fund the campaign opposing the California Consumer Privacy Act.

About the California Consumer Privacy Act
The California Consumer Privacy Act on the ballot in November 2018 establishes new, groundbreaking consumer privacy rights and empowers consumers to take back control over their personal information.

The California Consumer Privacy Act:
Establishes the right to know what information big businesses are collecting about you, your devices and your children;
Gives you the ability to tell companies to stop selling your personal information; and
Empowers you to hold companies accountable for data breaches and breaking the law.



SOURCE Californians for Consumer Privacy
Related Links

https://www.swansoncomm.net/

Clutch released its inaugural report on digital marketing, SEO, and branding companies in cities across the U.S.: Bridgeport, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Raleigh, Tampa, Colorado Springs, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Akron, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Columbus, Kansas City, Sacramento and Phoenix. Clutch is a B2B ratings and reviews firm and named these companies top-performers after evaluating their services offered, client feedback, work quality, and market presence.
Top Digital Marketing Companies
Bridgeport: Solutions for Growth, Movable Media, ThinkBIGsites.com, Active Web Group, Content Boost, NewSunSEO, Inc., QualDev Inc., Women's Marketing, Benjamin Marc, Anthony Savino, IMPACT

Charlotte: Knowmad Digital Marketing, Flynaut LLC, Reliable Acorn LLC, KIT, Peaktwo, G2 Marketing Inc., Episode 11 Productions, GlobalVincitore

Salt Lake City: Stryde, 97th Floor, SEO.com, Avalaunch Media, Disruptive Advertising, MultiView, Wallaroo Media, Be Locally SEO, Boostability, Foxtail Marketing, Searchbloom, SEO Werkz, Oozle Media, modern8, Strategies 360

Orlando: GreenHouse Agency, Chatter Buzz Media, Laughing Samurai, TC Interactive Group, Rank Executives, Designzillas, PNC Solutions, Buildrr, DigitalUs, Conectar Agency, Appiskey, Treefrog Cinegraphix

Raleigh: Hive Digital, The Click Depot, TheeDesign, Chariot Creative, Fountain City, Inc., wEquipuSEO

Tampa: Absolute Mobile Solutions, Get Found In Town, Big Sea, Webtivity Design Solutions, Sparxoo, GreatCircle Studios, ElephantMark LLC, SEO Advantage, News & Experts, Haneke Design, Powered Labs, Inc., MARTEC360

Colorado Springs: SocialSEO, Infront Webworks, Rocketship SEO, Cymax Media

Indianapolis: Hanapin Marketing, Element212, Christopher August, The Web Guys, Blue Group Solutions

Cleveland: Pole Position Marketing, Modgility, Kuno Creative, Lead to Conversion, LyntonWeb
OuterBox, The Story Web Design & Marketing

St. Louis: Ghergich & Co., Seafoam Media, Leap Clixx, Matchbox Design Group, SteadyRain, Adxotic Internet Marketing Services

Las Vegas: Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, 411 Locals, On The Maps, Doctor Multimedia, 1 Source Media Group, Strategies 360, Innvio

Sacramento: Appency, MediaSmack, Shane Barker Consulting, SearcherMagnet, Palmer Ad Agency, Websauce Studio, Calabria Technology, Digital CanvasT


Top SEO Companies

Bridgeport: ThinkBIGsites.com, NewSunSEO, Inc., Active Web Group, Benjamin Marc, QualDev Inc., Content Boost, Anthony Savino, Solutions for Growth

Charlotte: Hall Analysis, Reliable Acorn LLC, Peaktwo, CAKE Websites & More, Knowmad Digital Marketing, Waypost Marketing, Kudzu Brands, Wide Open Technologies, GlobalVincitore

Tampa: SEO Advantage, Absolute Mobile Solutions, Easy Street Marketing, Webtivity Design Solutions, Big Sea, Sparxoo, Place1SEO, Get Found In Town, GreatCircle Studios

Indianapolis: Hanapin Marketing, Christopher August, The Web Guys, Element212

Kansas City: Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, AGENCY H, Ontarget

Phoenix: Digital Current, Soderman Marketing SEO, Clickflame, My Favorite Web Designs, Majestic Warrior, Nuanced Media, JH Consulting, Inc., Avenue 25, Dot Com Development, LLC, Tension Design, Blu Mint Digital, Phoenix Online Media, Markitors, Propelur, Etched Marketing

Sacramento: Shane Barker Consulting, Websauce Studio, MediaSmack, SearcherMagnet, Digital Canvas, Calabria Technology


Top Branding Agencies

Columbus: Ologie, MediaSource

"Whether they're working for solely local clients or a larger spread of companies across the country, all of these companies are staples in their hometown digital landscape," said Katie Wonders, business analyst at Clutch. "Through their dedication to their work and cultivation of personal and professional relationships, these agencies have proven their leadership."

The agencies were selected based on Clutch's research methodology, which uses quantitative and qualitative criteria to evaluate each company's technical certifications, experience, and market presence. Clutch analysts also interview each firm's past clients to learn how they approach challenges, develop strategies, and execute customized campaigns and projects.

Clutch's research in digital marketing is ongoing. Interested companies are encouraged to apply to get listed for inclusion in future reports.

Results are a snapshot of Clutch's Leaders Matrices on April 16, 2018. These rankings may change daily and currently may not be reflected on Clutch's website.

See the full research below:

Digital Marketing Companies
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/bridgeport/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/salt-lake-city/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/charlotte/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/orlando/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/raleigh/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/tampa/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/colorado-springs
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/indianapolis/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/cleveland/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/st-louis/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/las-vegas/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/sacramento/leaders-matrix

SEO Companies
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/bridgeport/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/charlotte/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/tampa/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/indianapolis/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/kansas-city
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/phoenix/leaders-matrix
https://clutch.co/seo-firms/sacramento/leaders-matrix

Branding Agencies
https://clutch.co/agencies/branding/columbus

About Clutch
A B2B research, ratings, and reviews firm in the heart of Washington, DC, Clutch connects small and medium businesses with the best-fit agencies, software, or consultants they need to tackle business challenges together and with confidence. Clutch's methodology compares business service providers and software in a specific market based on verified client reviews, services offered, work quality, and market presence.

SOURCE:
https://clutch.co

The introduction of the commercial internet 30 years ago meant that a lot of changes were going to happen in almost every sector there is. One of the biggest changes happened in commerce when electronic commerce was introduced as thousands of companies started using the online market to sell products.

Social commerce started in the beginning of the 21st century when a lot of social networks were introduced and new marketing opportunities were created. Millions of people use social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and they have become an integral part for companies since these platforms have become the biggest marketing space ever.

Offsite and onsite social commerce are two types of social commerce, and there are a lot of differences between them. The former uses social media brand pages that are on social platforms and not the actual websites, and the latter is based on creating a social layer on the website.

Onsite social commerce is where retailers use the networks for sharing and other functionality on their website. There are many things that a user can do with sharing their products, allowing them to create a poll in order to find the right products, being just a couple of examples. Another option is utilized by Amazon who allows users to write product reviews for other buyers to see and to acquire a better idea what they are about to buy.

Offsite social commerce includes activities that are outside the retailers’ website. They are conducted by using storefronts, posting products on Facebook, Twitter, and other networks, advertisements, etc.

We can acknowledge that social commerce is a relatively new concept and there are thousands of retailers that aren’t using it yet. Take a look at the following infographic to learn more interesting facts about it.



URL: https://www.16best.net/blog/social-networks-and-their-importance-in-ecommerce-gateways/

Miral, Abu Dhabi's creator of destinations, announced today that Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, an indoor theme park, will open its doors to the public on 25th of July 2018. When the highly-anticipated Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi opens this summer, it will feature six immersive lands including DC's Metropolis and Gotham City, as well as Cartoon Junction, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros. Plaza. Tickets available now at http://www.wbworld.com.

"The launch of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is yet another milestone in the Emirate's journey to further enrich its tourism offering, and help establish it as one of the world's leading tourist destinations. The park is another great addition to Yas Island's immersive experiences and award-winning attractions," said His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Miral. "It gives us great pride to have partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to launch the world's largest Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park right here in Abu Dhabi. As part of our fulfillment to Abu Dhabi's ambition to drive increased visitors and enhance the UAE's appeal as an international destination, we are thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the outcome of this partnership and the massive, fun and engaging park offerings in a few months," he continued.

The 1.65 million sq ft park promises to deliver guests with captivating experiences this July, bringing together some of the world's most iconic characters and stories under one roof for the first time in the region. Featuring a total of 29 state-of-the-art rides, interactive family-friendly attractions and unique live entertainment, as well as a variety of authentically themed dining and shopping outlets, the park's incredibly immersive environments, unique thrill rides and fan-favorite characters will create a truly unparalleled experience for all who visit.

"We have worked tirelessly with our partners at Miral to faithfully bring iconic franchises such as DC Entertainment, Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera to life in a truly immersive and authentic environment," said Pam Lifford, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Delivering experiences and products that continue our brands' storytelling and excite and engage fans is our primary goal, and we look forward to sharing this world-renowned attraction with them this summer."

When guests step through the iconic Warner Bros. shield, they will enter a world where Super Heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman fight for justice and animated stars like Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote and Scooby-Doo come to life in the most brilliant and awe-inspiring ways.

The excitement begins at Warner Bros. Plaza, an Art-Deco inspired land that celebrates the Golden Age of Hollywoodand all things Warner Bros. A portal to the rest of the park, this land is famed for its All-Star Spectacular, a majestic show that brings the Warner Bros. film library to life. As guests step through to Metropolis, they will discover a gleaming urban landscape protected from evil by DC Super Heroes like Superman and other members of the Justice League including Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg and Aquaman. On the dark streets of Gotham City, guests will have the chance to walk alongside notorious DC Super-Villains such as The Joker, Harley Quinn, and The Riddler. Watch these criminals disappear into the shadows when Batman arrives to bring them to justice. In Cartoon Junction, childhood memories come to life under year-round sunny skies alongside beloved characters including Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby-Doo. The Yabba-Dabba-Doo begins in pre-historic Bedrock, were guests will meet everyone's favorite modern stone-age family, The Flintstones. Venturing into the animated storyland Dynamite Gulch, guests can experience Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner's dizzying dash firsthand, and keep an eye out for Marvin The Martian and The Jetsons.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi will complement Yas Island's destination offering of entertainment and leisure, which today, includes iconic attractions such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit - home of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Mall, as well as a wide variety of world-class entertainment venues, restaurants and hotels.

To learn more about Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi or purchase tickets, visit http://www.wbworld.com. Don't forget to join the conversation on social using the hashtag #WBWorld.

Medical Microinstruments S.p.A. (MMI), an Italian company dedicated to improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing microsurgery, today announces the completion of a €20M (approx. $24.5M) Series A financing to accelerate the development of MMI's groundbreaking robotic platform for microsurgery.

The investor syndicate was led by Andera Partners, formerly known as Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP), with Panakes Partners and Fountain Healthcare, returning Seed investor Sambatech, and two industry veterans Gus Castello, former Senior Vice President of Product Operations for Intuitive Surgical Inc., the world leader in robotic surgery, and John Engels, founder of AxoGen, Inc., a world leader in solutions for peripheral nerve repair in microsurgery.

Giuseppe M. Prisco, CEO of MMI, said, "We are thrilled to have an outstanding group of investors and successful medtech experts supporting the next phase of development of the company and to address together a market opportunity that exceeds $2.5 billion annually." The round aims at completing product and clinical development, obtaining the CE mark and launching in European markets.

"Surgical robotics is a major trend that has yet to penetrate a number of surgical specialties beyond laparoscopy," said Olivier Litzka, Partner, Andera Partners. "MMI is poised to provide the first robotic product for open surgery with wristed microinstruments. We are excited to collaborate with MMI as they work to build a great company in an exciting category."

While robotics has primarily penetrated laparoscopic surgery and more recently orthopedic surgery, microsurgery, used in reconstructive, lymphatic and eye surgeries among others, has remained largely unserved by robotics to date. Microsurgery has seen only incremental advances in optics and instrumentation, with surgical practice being bound to what is manually achievable when working under 5x to 40x optical scaling. MMI is pioneering a disruptive advance in this surgical space by coupling the dexterity of robotically controlled wrist articulation with 5x to 40x motion scaling to match optical magnification.

"MMI represents a great example of the best Italy has to offer, based on its excellence advanced robotics," said Alessio Beverina, Partner, Panakes Partners. "MMI's breakthrough technology will help surgeons who perform complex microsurgery with highly precise dexterity and motion, and tremor-free control."

As part of the financing, Andera Partners' Olivier Litzka, Panakes' Alessio Beverina, Fountain's Justin Lynch as well as industry experts Gus Castello, John Engels and Fabrizio Landi, former CEO and founder of Esaote S.p.A. join the board of MMI together with Carlo Alberto Marcoaldi, Giuseppe M. Prisco and Hannah Teichmann, who co-founded MMI with Massimiliano Simi.

Audience intelligence platform Pulsar has launched a new product that lets users map real-time and historical trends instantly with access to 12 years worth of public data, from the very first Tweet back in March 2006 to today.

Pulsar TRENDS helps users to easily understand what audiences all around the world are excited by, and how the conversation changes over days, months or even years. Did the focus of the Brexit conversation shift over the last 18 months? And how did the buzz around Beyoncé's Coachella performance spread around the globe? What are people most excited about when it comes to the upcoming FIFA World Cup?

Pulsar TRENDS shows how social media discussions play out globally from country to country, and even at city level, helping marketers to understand where certain themes, perceptions and ideas might resonate, and where they won't.

The innovative tool has access to 12 years of publicly available Twitter data and lets users perform queries by keyword, URL or audience. For marketers this means being able to quickly demonstrate what captured the imagination of the public at different moments in time, providing the seeds of creative ideas for future marketing and communications campaigns and content. For researchers and analysts this means being able to quickly test a research hypothesis before setting up a more in-depth study, using listening tools such as Pulsar TRAC.

TRENDS is the first Pulsar product to be commercialised with a freemium model: users are able to access real-time TRENDS for free and only have to purchase a subscription to access historical TRENDS. Subscribers have access to unlimited data and unlimited queries for a flat 12 month fee which makes the user experience extremely flexible.

Pulsar TRENDS has been in private beta for the first three months of 2018. One Pulsar customer who has been beta testing TRENDS, is already building the tool into its audience intelligence program at a global financial institution. ING's Social Dialogue Manager, Armand Roeplall said:

"The exciting part about TRENDS is the easiness and speed of getting a real-time view of the current social dialogue. By being part of the discussion at an early stage, we're able to provide key background information to relevant topics. The faster we are able to identify rising trends, the faster we can reach the most relevant audience with content geared toward the discussion."

Pulsar TRENDS is simple to use. There is no complex set up or search strings required - the tool allows users to search social media in the same way that they would search the web. This ease of use means that a variety of topics can easily be searched and compared to uncover correlations and disparities between different themes without the need for complex Boolean syntax. Better still, using advanced AI, the results are categorised by industry verticals so that they can be understood by sector, for example, health, automotive, beauty or politics.

Francesco D'Orazio, co-founder at Pulsar said:

"Just like search engines opened up the web and made it explorable, we designed Pulsar TRENDS to be the easiest and fastest way to explore the world of social media.

"We've been working for years with thousands of planners, analysts and researchers to help them find the story in the data. One of the key things we realised was missing from the market is a tool that supports quick iteration, which is essential when using data for creative thinking. With TRENDS we are introducing a search experience that combines speed, simplicity and scale, enabling a trial and error approach to exploring social data that makes it ideal for creative strategy and planning use cases."

SOURCE Pulsar

Bruker today announced that it has acquired Anasys Instruments Corp., a privately held company that develops and manufactures nanoscale infrared spectroscopy and thermal measurement instruments. This acquisition adds to Bruker's portfolio of Raman and FTIR spectrometers, as well as to its nanoscale surface science instruments, such as atomic force microscopy and white-light interferometric 3D microscopy. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Anasys Instruments Corp. has pioneered the field of nanoprobe-based thermal and infrared measurements. Its industry-leading nanoIR™ products are used by premier academic and industrial scientists and engineers in soft-matter and hard-matter materials science, and in life science applications. Recently Anasys introduced even higher performance with 10 nanometer resolution nanoIR imaging.

"We are very excited to add this strategic, high-growth area to our portfolio of nanoscale microscopy and spectroscopy measurement products," said Dr. Mark R. Munch, President of the Bruker NANO Group. "There are tremendous application and technology synergies that will benefit our customers."

"We are very happy to have found a company like Bruker to take the business to the next level," added Roshan Shetty, co-founder and former CEO of Anasys. "We feel that Bruker's history in innovative instrument research, and Bruker's global reach will build on our own history of unique and pioneering achievements in thermal and nanoIR measurements."

SOURCE Bruker Corporation

https://www.bruker.com

Adobe says it has acquired voice app startup Sayspring; Sayspring CEO says it will do away with paid plans and the platform will become invite-only
Searching the web, shopping online and queueing up your music playlist is as easy as uttering a few commands thanks to the rise of voice technology. Fast becoming our go-to way of interacting with technology, it’s estimated that 55% or 70 million U.S. households will have a smart device like Amazon Echo, Google Home or Sonos One by the year 2022. We have been actively experimenting with voice interfaces across our product offerings over the past few years, and we’re excited to take the next step forward with the acquisition of Sayspring, Inc., which closes today.

“The way we interact with our devices is at a significant inflection point,” said Abhay Parasnis, executive vice president and CTO. “We’re moving beyond the keyboard and mouse and even our touch screens to using something that is even more natural — our voice — to interact with technology. Voice tech is growing fast, and we strongly believe it must become an integral part of Adobe’s portfolio moving forward. We’re excited to welcome Sayspring to Adobe, and we’re looking forward to putting the technology to work to empower more people to create next-generation voice experiences.”

Founded in 2017, New-York based Sayspring has technology that makes it easy to design voice applications without coding. The full Sayspring team will join Adobe on Tuesday, April 17, and we’ll begin to integrate the technology into our product portfolio. Details about our plans for Adobe voice solutions will be communicated at a later date, in the meantime Sayspring customers will continue to have access to the platform.


For more information about Sayspring and customer support during this transition, read the post from Mark Webster, Sayspring’s Founder.

Intel unveils two Threat Detection Technology features: allowing software to scan system memory for malware using integrated GPUs and advanced telemetry tools 

Today’s cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving with emerging threats, which means we must be vigilant in delivering solutions that protect customers and their data. Given the cybersecurity axiom that hardware is the foundation for innovation and is the root of trust, Intel has long been focused on driving security innovation from the silicon to applications and from the client device to the edge and to the cloud.


In the past year alone, we’ve partnered with industry leaders to help promote future security-based workloads like confidential computing and blockchain, and we introduced Intel® Secure Device Onboard for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. More recently, we highlighted the steps we are taking to build protections into our hardware for the side channel vulnerabilities disclosed in early January.

Today, we are taking another step forward, with two new technology announcements: Intel® Threat Detection Technology (Intel® TDT), a set of silicon-level capabilities that will help the ecosystem detect new classes of threats, and Intel® Security Essentials, a framework that standardizes the built-in security features across Intel processors. We are also announcing a strengthened academic partnership with Purdue University, to help accelerate the development and availability of cybersecurity talent.

The Lambda dock is a wooden designer docking station for iPhones and Android smartphones. It is compatible with all nearly all smartphones and can be adapted to all kinds of cases. The product itself and the surrounding concept follows consequently a concept of using natural and sustainable materials.

Epson America, Inc., a leading provider of printing solutions, today announced the WorkForce® Pro ET-8700 EcoTank® All-In-One printer, the newest addition to the line of cartridge-free EcoTank printers. The WorkForce Pro ET-8700 features Epson's innovative Replaceable Ink Pack System technology in a new compact form factor, with up to two years of ink included in the box1—enough to print up to 16,000 pages black and 11,000 pages color


The WorkForce Pro ET-8700, designed specifically for the small-to-medium business market, allows users to speed through projects with 24 ISO ppm (black/color)† print speeds, plus fast scan speeds of up to 24 ppm3. Powered by PrecisionCore, it delivers laser-quality black text and color graphics. Unlike previous models which included side compartments to hold the ink packs, the ET-8700 features a space-saving, easy-to-load system at its base, making the ET-8700 40 percent smaller than the previous generation4.

"With the new low-cost replacement ink packs integrated along the base of the ET-8700 printer, we've taken Epson's traditional EcoTank design, and optimized it for high productivity," said Nils Madden, marketing director, Consumer Marketing, Epson America. "We've made it easier for business owners to enjoy the hassle-free two years of ink in the box1with this new, easy-to-use design and ultra-fast print speeds, giving them more time to focus on what's really important – managing their businesses."

The ET-8700 provides the freedom to print in high-volume with laser-quality black text and color graphics. Additional key features include:
Save on Ink — up to 80 percent on ink vs. color laser with low-cost replacement ink packs5
Speed through projects — 24 ISO ppm (black/color)† print speeds; up to 24 ppm3 scan speeds; plus, fast first page out
Space-saving design — 40 percent smaller than previous model4
Powerful productivity — load paper less often with 250-sheet capacity plus 80-sheet rear tray; optional 500-sheet tray (sold separately); auto 2-sided printing
Easy setup and navigation — large 4.3" color touchscreen
Laser-quality black text and color graphics — powered by PrecisionCore® printing technology
Ethernet connectivity plus the ultimate in wireless capabilities — easily print from iPad®, iPhone®, Android™tablets and smartphones6; includes Wi-Fi Direct7 and NFC8
Fully integrated design — easy-to-load ink pack system
Product protection you can count on — 2-year limited warranty with registration9


Pricing, Availability, and Support

Who will become Europe's next tech success story? This is the question asked by EIT Digital, a leading Europeanplayer in digital innovation and education. Companies focusing on digital deep tech solutions are invited to apply forthe fifth annual EIT Digital Challenge. The best ten companies will receive prizes totaling €750,000, including comprehensive international growth support. The application deadline is 14 June 2018.

The EIT Digital Challenge, the contest for European deep tech innovators, is now open for entries. Fast-growing startups that already have customers - so called scaleups - are invited to enter their successful technology products in one of the following five categories: Digital Industry, Digital Cities, Digital Wellbeing, Digital Infrastructure and Digital Finance. In each category, the best two companies will receive a full year of dedicated support from the EIT Digital Accelerator. The winner in each category will also receive a cash prize of €50,000.


The most comprehensive prize package with a total value of €750,000

"In this fifth year of the contest, we're offering our most comprehensive prize package ever, with a total value of €750,000, and admitting ten companies at once into our acceleration programme," says Dolf Wittkamper, Head of the EIT Digital Accelerator. The Accelerator comprises a team of around 40 experienced business developers and finance experts operating from 13 cities across Europe, along with a hub in Silicon Valley. Since 2012, the EIT Digital Accelerator has supported more than 270 startups to access new markets and raise capital.


Focus on deep tech companies to drive Europe's digital transformation

Both the Accelerator and the contest focus on deep tech innovations: cutting edge technologies which are built around unique and differentiated scientific or technological advances, and which are often protected or hard to reproduce. "Deep tech scaleups develop disruptive solutions that are crucial for Europe's future as they fuel digital transformation," says Chahab Nastar, Chief Innovation Officer of EIT Digital. "But even though VC investment into deep tech companies is growing fast, these companies face unique challenges. Within the EIT Digital Accelerator, the winners will receive the specific support that they need to acquire European customers and raise capital."

"As a European deep tech entrepreneur, it's hard to find tailored events and startup competitions where people understand your product, so we were delighted to find out about the EIT Digital Challenge," says Marcel Etzel, who won with his agile cloud platform ApiOmat last year. "Now it's great to have the experts of the EIT Digital Accelerator support our international expansion."

Application criteria

To successfully apply for the EIT Digital Challenge, companies must fulfill the following criteria: they must be based in one of the member states of the European Union, they have to be in the growth stage (to be proven by showing annual revenue of over €300,000 or at least €2m in total funding), and they should be in their first ten years of existence. The best entrants will be invited to a final event in the autumn to pitch in front on an expert jury. Since its launch in 2014, the EIT Digital Challenge has attracted more than 1,500 entries from 27 EU countries. Most of the winning scaleups have gone on to become internationally successful companies.

The deadline for applications is 14 June 2018. For further information and an application form, please visit http://www.challenge.eitdigital.eu

SOURCE EIT Digital

The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) announced it is launching a new technology show and conference in conjunction with the popular CE Week show in New York City. The Connected Car Show will be co-located with CE Week New York and will take place June 20-21 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The focus of the Connected Car Show will be to bring attention and awareness to changing vehicle technology trends on both the OEM and aftermarket sides of the vehicle, and showcase new technologies that can enhance the drive, whether they are factory- or aftermarket-installed. The exhibit floor will feature innovative companies whose connected-vehicle products currently drive the market.

In the accompanying seminars, a series of thought-provoking panels will explore the future of automotive technology and outline how autonomous technology will change the driving experience. In light of recent events, safety and the driver's changing role will be key issues. In addition, topics will cover how drivers and passengers interact with the vehicle for comfort, entertainment and information.

The new show complements MEA's existing KnowledgeFest tradeshow series, which informs, educates and supports the practices of retail establishments and technical professionals in the mobile electronics industry. KnowledgeFest is held in three cities — Long Beach, California, Dallas and Indianapolis, Indiana — in February, March and August, respectively.

"The Connected Car Show gives us a forum in front of the automotive industry and covering media to create dialogue that impacts the future of the driving experience," said Chris Cook, MEA president. "The exhibiting companies, speakers and attendees all have a vested interest in building or delivering products and features that mesh with evolving trends. We look forward to their participation in this important event."

For more information, please visit connectedcarshow.com.

Celigo today announced it will be a Platinum sponsor at SuiteWorld18, an annual celebration of NetSuite customers and partners. Now in its 8th year, SuiteWorld is the preeminent Cloud ERP conference where users, partners, and developers can share insights and new ideas about growth across many industries including retail, software and manufacturing. Taking place April 23 – 26, 2018 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, the event offers attendees the training, sessions and networking needed to take their business to the next level.


SuiteWorld18 will give attendees the opportunity to:
Learn how successful organizations have addressed the challenges of rapid growth
Stay current with new trends and challenges affecting businesses today
Expand their networks with an opportunity to engage with 7,500 business leaders from around the world
Engage with a growing ecosystem of NetSuite partners at the SuiteWorld Expo

The event will feature keynote sessions from NBA legend and entrepreneur, Magic Johnson, and Oracle NetSuite executives including Jim McGeever, executive vice president, and Evan Goldberg, co-founder and executive vice president of development, that will showcase how NetSuite has helped guide businesses through the many phases of growth, from start-up to ramp-up to IPO and beyond.

"We are excited to launch the free edition of our integrator.io iPaaS platform at SuiteWorld this year," said Jan Arendtsz, Founder and CEO of Celigo. "With over 1,400 NetSuite customers using our platform, we see this free integration flow as a way for many more NetSuite customers to get a head start on their integrations."

Celigo's integrator.io platform is an easy-to-use, next-generation integration middleware Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) that enables companies to integrate NetSuite to most cloud applications. Users will now have access to a free integration flow when they sign up for integrator.io for the first time.

Celigo's integrator.io platform also powers Celigo's SmartConnectors: pre-built, full-featured, highly customizable integrations between popular cloud applications such as NetSuite, Salesforce, Shopify, Amazon, Zendesk, Jira, and more.

To learn more, please visit us at booth 407 in the SuiteWorld18 Expo at the Sands Expo & Convention Center.

About SuiteWorld18
SuiteWorld is the preeminent Cloud ERP conference being held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas on April 23-26, 2018. SuiteWorld is NetSuite's annual celebration of customers and partners who run remarkable businesses through the power of the NetSuite platform.

For registration and additional details, please visit www.netsuitesuiteworld.com. To join the SuiteWorld conversation on Twitter and Instagram, please use #SuiteWorld18.