Life Science
By Meredith Salisbury | July 24, 2013, 10:15 AM | Techonomy Exclusive
The Supreme Court’s ruling last month to strike down gene patents is unlikely to have a widespread impact on the genetic field, as is already being made evident by new lawsuits from Myriad Genetics against rival gene testing services. In the long run, it may be technological advances rather than legal maneuvers that end the debate. The case generated quite a buzz at the time, as a large group of molecular pathologists and other plaintiffs charged that they couldn’t properly treat their patients without being able to test genes linked to breast cancer, the most well-known of which were locked up in patents held by Myriad and a few other organizations. More
Digital
By Sarah Evelyn Harvey | July 23, 2013, 1:30 PM
Who needs a computer mouse when you have your hands? The much-anticipated Leap Motion, which brings gesture control to Mac and Windows computers, started shipping this week, ABC News Reports. Much like Kinect for Xbox, Leap Motion (sold for $79.99) enables users to control their computer screens using waves, pokes, reaches, and grabs. After plugging in the small motion-sensing box, users need to download or buy specific apps from Leap’s Airspace Store. Many of the 75 apps currently available are games like Fruit Ninja and Cut the Rope. And, although reviewers say the navigation technology is mostly precise, there are still some bugs that need to be worked out. More
(Via ABC News)
Business Global Tech
By Doug Young | July 23, 2013, 10:11 AM
Just days after making its first acquisition in China under a new CEO, faded U.S. search giant Yahoo is reportedly in talks to reacquire the Chinese rights to its brand from former China partner Alibaba. The reports, if true, would be the latest signal that Yahoo is gearing up for a major new attempt to become a player in China’s huge Internet market, following two failed previous attempts. If such a new foray really comes, Yahoo would join other major US Internet giants such as eBay and Google, which also look set to make big new pushes into China following earlier failures. More
Business Management
By Adam Ludwig | July 23, 2013, 9:42 AM | Techonomy Exclusive
John Hagel is a regular contributor for Techonomy and a director with Deloitte. He and John Seely Brown, co-chairs of Deloitte’s Center for the Edge, recently published a report tackling one of Techonomy’s central themes: How can institutions adapt to exponential technology change and reorganize themselves for “scalable efficiency?” Techonomy's Adam Ludwig interviewed Hagel by email about the key ways organizations can foster an innovative environment for learning and transformation. More
Business Management
By Adrienne Jane Burke | July 22, 2013, 2:20 PM
Last week 3D-printing industry watcher Terry Wohlers told Techonomy "the sky is the limit" when it comes to the technology's potential to transform manufacturing. Today, tech reporter Christopher Mims says you can look for the heavens to open up in February 2014. That's when patents are set to expire on "selective laser sintering," the key to industrial-grade 3D printing. Laser sintering 3D printers, writes Mims, can take a designer "from idea to finished product in a matter of hours, and create finished products to sell to the public." More
(Via Quartz)
Business Digital
By Kevin Maney | July 22, 2013, 11:53 AM | Techonomy Exclusive
Cable TV is ripe for getting ripped apart, and it looks like Google could be the one to do it. All media is just data. And that means the cable TV business as we know it makes no sense—a business essentially held in place by legal duct tape, not market forces. Where I live in New York, we have Time Warner Cable. It works like the cable service in most every town. One cable line comes into the house, but then you can buy three different services: a constant firehose of video content we call cable TV; a broadband Internet connection; and a voice service we call the telephone. More
Business
By Adrienne Jane Burke | July 19, 2013, 5:00 PM
As the media forecasts the dire consequences of yesterday's largest-ever municipal bankruptcy filing—and reports on the universal lack of surprise that it comes from the Motor City—Techonomists are booking airline tickets and hotel rooms to attend the second Techonomy Detroit conference. They'll join a conversation on September 17th about the potential for a tech-induced revival there and in other post-industrial economically challenged urban areas. More
Finance Global Tech
By Doug Young | July 19, 2013, 11:54 AM
If Yahoo’s new chief executive Marissa Mayer wanted to confuse the market about her China strategy, she’s doing a good job with the company’s latest move in the market. Just three months after shuttering its China email service, in what looked like the prelude to a withdrawal from the market, Yahoo has announced its purchase of a Chinese R&D; startup. In all fairness, Mayer has only been on the job for a year and these kinds of little strategic moves are relatively common for incoming executives. But this kind of mixed signal could also auger a confused strategy in China, similar to Yahoo’s previous strategy that ultimately led to its failure twice in the complex market. More
Digital Opinion
By David Kirkpatrick | July 19, 2013, 11:25 AM
One of my favorite pundits for decades has been Bill Gurley, a partner at Benchmark Capital in Silicon Valley. Gurley recently penned this authoritative article on the many reasons why those who miss the transition to apps may miss the next generation of users. This is not the next generation of web/mobile/Internet users. This is the next generation of customers—period. The App economy is global, it is ubiquitous, and it is growing with astonishing speed, as he notes. Gurley's long background as a PC security analyst, author, conference organizer, and for the last decade or so venture investor position him uniquely. His perspective is essential. More
(Via Above the Crowd)
E-Commerce Finance Global Tech
By Doug Young | July 19, 2013, 10:20 AM
Too much money isn’t always a good thing, as it often pressures companies to put that money to work even when good investment opportunities are limited. Baidu demonstrated that reality earlier this week with its purchase of an online app store that had little relationship with its core online search business, and now Alibaba is showing similar tendencies with its investment in an online travel services website. In Alibaba’s case, the new investment comes as the e-commerce leader posted a record second-quarter profit, and as it prepares for a blockbuster IPO that increasingly looks like it will take place in Hong Kong. More
