by Jacqueline Koch | Jul 31, 2015 |
There’s something slightly unexpected brewing in Hollywood and it’s not a hot new movie project. Innovation in Hollywood is driving a flood of entrepreneurial activity, making LA the fastest growing hub for start-ups in the US. Technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are converging in Southern California to launch a whole new breed of entertainment, gaming, ad tech and video companies.
According to LA venture firm Upfront Ventures, after a record year in 2014, LA is on track to set another new high for venture dollars invested in the region in 2015. In Q1, LA venture funding reached $700m, which puts the area on track to surpass last year’s total of US$2bn.
While all this new start-up activity is attention worthy, it is also important to remember that LA is already home to highly successful technology ventures including Snapchat, Tinder, Oculus VR, Maker Studios, The Honest Company, and SpaceX.
What makes Hollywood and the rest of LA such a good breeding ground for innovation is the combination of a steady stream of engineering graduates and a deep pool of creative talent from local industries. Of course, all year round sunny weather doesn’t hurt either. As Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel recently said, “Being in the center of arts and entertainment surrounds Snapchat with energy.”
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by Jacqueline Koch | Jul 16, 2015 |
By Steven Wise, Technology Writer
Virtual reality (VR) has taken decades to make the leap from science fiction to consumer fact, but a convergence of factors suggest widespread adoption–for consumer and commercial applications—is growing near.
For many, the term ‘virtual reality’ conjures memories of the holodeck on Star Trek: The Next Generation or of the immersive imaginary worlds created in movies like The Matrix. Here on earth, we have a lot farther to go before virtual reality is indistinguishable from the real world. Recent progress, however, suggests it won’t be long before VR is a common way for us to connect with each other or with businesses and their brands.
A brief history of virtual reality
Computer-generated video was applied to industrial applications as far back as 40 years ago and by the mid 1970s, flight simulators were using rudimentary 3D graphics. More recent advancements in hardware and software have enabled far more complex experiences, including immersive online environments, head mounted displays (HMD), and augmented reality (AR).
by Jacqueline Koch | Jul 14, 2015 |
By Janinne Brunyee
Fast Company recently named The Washington Post as 2015’s most innovative media company. A few years ago, this accolade would have been unimaginable. But, under the steerage of new owner, Jeff Bezos, today The Post is flourishing with 50.5m unique visitors to its website in April 2015 – a 64 per cent increase year over year and 33.7m unique mobile visitors – up 89 per cent year-on-year. This is no small achievement in an industry which is under pressure to reinvent itself to stay relevant, let alone grow.
Fast Company recognizes there has been a much greater focus on The Post’s digital presence in the Bezos era. In fact, the company is now living up to its goal of ”thinking like a digital product company”. This is critical because The Post, along with other traditional print publications faces declining print advertising and a readership that increasingly gets its news from online and mobile devices. According to Pew Research Center, weekly circulation for the daily newspaper sector has fallen 17 per cent over the past decade with a 50 per cent decline in ad revenue.
by Jacqueline Koch | Jul 7, 2015 |
By Gretchen McLaurin
When GoPro had its public debut at US$24 a share one year ago, the message was “we don’t want to be known as just a camera company, we want people to know us as a lifestyle media company.” In the past six months, their social media channels have been growing aggressively – Facebook fans are up 10 per cent, Twitter followers up 20 per cent, YouTube subscribers up 35 per cent and Instagram followers are up a whopping 40 per cent.
GoPro has unquestionably succeeded in winning hearts and minds with their many diverse channels and followers, from performance athletes to furry friends. But can they capitalize on that momentum and convert this adoration to the bottom line?
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