This Week in Startups
Happiness Is A Robot
Robot assistants are on the rise in the lives of busy professionals, thanks to technologies such as Apple’s Siri. As much as Siri has helped Apple users worldwide, she isn’t perfect (not always deciphering what you’re saying and not giving you reminders unless you prompt her to are two examples).
A company called Happiness Engines is improving robot technology by providing robotic assistants to help people with day-to-day tasks. They offer five robots – Robbie, Geoffrey, Haley, Autotron and Annie – each with a unique personality.
Once you pick your robot, it must be connected to a Google account. The Robot Assistant App, while still in beta-mode, will sort through your Google programs (calendar, Gmail, contacts, etc), to create notifications about upcoming events. Sync your Google account with a robot assistant today.
Freelance = Free Work? Not Anymore
Did you know: As it stands today, freelancers are owed about $16 million! What happened to all that lost profit? Perhaps it has to do with a lack of funds to receive proper legal advice and documentation. Well, it looks like a solution has arrived. Docracy offers free legal documents in hopes to better inform freelancers, renters and generally inexperienced adults.
Docracy’s mission is to provide resources that take the fear and mystery out of legal agreements. The founders explain: “Getting screwed over sucks, whether it’s due to a miscommunication, an intentional slight, or just bad luck. That’s why we wanted to create a site to help prevent people from getting screwed.”
How it works:
Docracy manages the site Don’t Get Screwed Over, which was designed by a group of interns from the creative group BBH. This site allows users to learn more about free open source legal documents as well as view tips on how to “not get screwed over”. From there, people can visit the Docracy site to start using its resources and begin receiving the proper compensation.
Thanks to the team at Bocracy, previous apprehensions about independent work are being eliminated. Keep them in mind for your next freelance venture!
Culinary Education Accelerated
Aspiring chefs and novice cooks with access to the latest culinary technology will find learning to cook easier than it once was. Imagine replacing real food with virtual food that gives instantaneous feedback. This idea was created and developed at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Food moves in the pan according to the cook’s movement, and even changes color with the appropriate heat settings. What’s more: the system mimics ingredient weight, giving cooks a more realistic perception of their food.
While this technology is still being perfected and integrated into real-world settings, the techies in Tokyo have created a robot bartender that serves virtual drinks. Pretty cool!