Tech News | Women in Tech Making Waves

Women in tech has been a topic of discussion since the Silicon Valley boom of 2000. Women have been highly under-represented in the tech space and a majority of companies are male dominated. This has given rise to a lot of criticism, attacking Silicon Valley for its practices and not many have heard of much change. Until, now.

If Silicon Valley continues to fail to represent women in the industry professionally and well, then they will go elsewhere. And, they have. A new startup has launched out of Estonia, headed by Kaili Kleemier, who has it's sights on making remote working teams that much smarter.

Kaili, ex-Sype employee and former head of operations, has ventured out on her own to enter the telecommunications space in a new innovative way. Deekit, is a new online-based whiteboard that teams can use to throw around ideas and work collaboratively.

This idea spawned as Kaili examined the problems that remote teams face when working across borders and time-zones. She found that the current market does enough to share information across a wide range of networks, however, in times of crisis, communication can become blurred and holes can end up ruining a teams project within minutes.

That's where Deekit comes in. Kaili found extreme value in bringing back the classic classroom whiteboard for explaining ideas visually and she and her team set their focus on developing a product that could be used on any browser across the world.

Deekit provides you with all the tools a classic whiteboard would have such as drawing and sketching notes with a few extras. The extras include templates such as business plans and product roadmaps that virtual teams can use to collaborate much more successfully.

It's still in it's beta version, but you can gain access to it through their website: https://www.deekit.com/

I actually just signed-up to use the product while writing this post. So, I'm going to go play around on it and if you do too, let me know what you think!

Best as always,

-BQ

Tech News | The Rise of Bitcoin and Should You Invest

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Bitcoin and its role in our future during this last year. The once prominent currency in marketplaces such as the Silk Road, has fallen under scrutiny for its practices in use in the deep web. But, the question remains: Is Bitcoin still useful and should we be paying attention to it?

Some will say that it's lack of a centralized regulatory body makes Bitcoin investment a gamble to say the least. Many would agree. There has been countless hacks and stolen batches since its creation, which has reached the millions. Others argue that it's not traceable and that any currency that hides its owner is not beneficial to markets regardless of what's being sold. Articles have came out and discussed that Bitcoin sales aren't as confidential as one might think and tracing Bitcoin batches back to their owner is quite easy.

Whichever way you lean, Bitcoin has came up in conversations across the world and entrepreneurs are considering stepping down that path. A recent article released on TechCrunch this past week explained a new company, Case, which aims to protect Bitcoin wallets from security breaches.

Case is a small credit card sized device that comes equipped with a finger scanner, a camera, a GSM chip, and few other buttons. Case aims to tackle the security cloud that surrounds Bitcoin purchases through this device that scans QR codes and processes the transaction right at your fingertips.

This is a beneficial move to avid Bitcoin users and Case's early stages seem to be a positive move towards protecting digital currency. Others are not as impressed and still warn users of the dangers of Bitcoin use.

I'm excited to see if Case takes off. Either way, digital currency is an issue that centralized regulatory bodies continue to face with online purchases reaching 50% of all sales in the U.S. this past year. Time will tell for this Bitcoin based startup, but the opportunities for growth are there. It should be interesting to watch other third parties jump into the space as Bitcoin's use becomes more protected.

Tech News | Technology and its Social Impact

Technology has made things a lot, lot easier. We can shop, find a place for dinner and book next years vacation all from our phone within minutes. Technology has also played a pivotal role in advancing society as a whole. Health care equipment has become more advanced, eco friendly cars has made the world greener, and our streets are now safer with the increases in surveillance and security systems.

So, technology has done a lot, but is it doing enough to give back?

This dilemma is evident across industries and occupations. Unfortunately, company success is often measured by its return to stockholders instead of the value it creates for its customers or the social good it provides. Non-profits seem to have this aura surrounding them that they are worth less than stock giants, but in reality, businesses of all shapes and sizes, regardless of their revenue strategy, are responsible for creating a better tomorrow.

That's why I love the startup community and the role entrepreneurs have in changing the world. Startups tear down the traditional models of business by disrupting processes. They build solutions that are more efficient, effective, and they aim to make the world a better place.

It will be interesting to see the innovations that come to light within the next 5-10 years. Social injustice, global warming, and poverty have not only plagued our economy, but the economies of nations around the world. Entrepreneurs now have access to the resources that could help us push through to a healthier, deeper understanding of the world.

Tech News | Uber's Threat in India

Uber has stormed its way into smartphones across the country. Now, anyone with a mobile phone can order a private driver, take a ride, and pay without ever exchanging physical dollars. This has made the driver-pasenger transaction seamless and taxi companies have much to fear.

Uber now faces a similar threat in India. Ola, a private driving app that also delivers food of your choice, has began eating away at Uber's market share. Uber has had some trouble gaining mass acceptance in India as one Uber driver was accused of raping a customer last year.

Not only has Ola been dominating India and a rival to tech giant Uber, but Ola also just raised $310 million in its Series E round of funding. Ola will look to expand its reach in India and enter 200 new cities in one of the fastest developing nations in the world.

Back in the U.S., Uber is still the private taxi of choice, but who knows what's to come. Ola may begin to look expand abroad and Uber will have to come up with some strategic ways to protect itself in the future.

BronsonQuon.com

Bronson Quon is a father, husband and C.P.A. that resides in Los Angeles, CA. He started working in the financial industry at an early age with his degree in accounting. He enjoys spending time with his family and watching the Lakers.

 http://bronsonquon.com/