The first credit cards introduced in 1950 by Diner’s Club were in some ways the beginning of the end of the American consumer’s budget. The credit card, by virtue of allowing consumers to buy now and pay later, has made it easier to purchase larger items. While this is beneficial and has made purchasing flights…
Category Archive for Mobile Tech
Blockchain technology and Bitcoin have become two widely discussed emerging technologies; industries such as healthcare and financial services are investing significant resources into implementing Blockchain technology as a way to manage large public databases (see our recent post on the Blockchain for more details). However, some of the greatest value of Bitcoin and the Blockchain…
Much like many other industries, the banking industry is facing increasing competition from new, disruptive companies. Two consumer groups in particular are increasingly looking to non-bank entrants for financial services: the developing world and Millennials. For rather different reasons, these two disparate groups of consumers are seeking new financial services providers that will prove to…
The United States is quite unprepared for its coming retirement crisis. The number of Americans over 65 is expected to double by the year 2050, from 43.1 million in 2012 to 83.7 million by 2050. By 2030, more than 20% of the US population will be over the age of 65, as compared to the…
Over the past few months, retailers and banks have been preparing for a change in how consumers pay with credit cards to better protect against credit card fraud. In the past few months, Mastercard, Visa, and American Express have replaced existing credit cards with a more secure version that uses computer chips, as well as…
Last week, President Obama hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya to continue to drive support to Africa’s nascent tech scene. Over roughly the past decade, as internet access and cell phone usage has expanded on the continent, countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya have seen an increase in startup activity and venture…
This is Part II in our series on The Internet of Things. Click here for Part I As we discussed last week, the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) technology into different industries represents a huge growth opportunity for the semiconductor industry, even as Moore’s Law begins to show its age. One area primed for disruption…
Moore’s Law, the theory that the number of transistors on a silicon chip would double every two years, turned 50 last month. First stipulated by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, the prediction has proved largely correct, with the pace of technological innovation reaching unprecedented levels. Chips have become exponentially more powerful and smaller size, while…
Last month, the Future of Life Institute published an open letter, signed by prominent experts from the scientific community, that called for greater oversight and research into how to control artificial intelligence, with the concern that some day in the near future this technology will surpass human intelligence. Even just a decade ago, this fear…
Over the past two decades, new college graduates are increasingly struggling to become financially independent from their parents. While many factors are to blame, including stagnant wages, a recent recession, and rising costs of housing in major metropolitan areas, one major financial burden is the increasing amount of debt many students must take on to…
Recent Comments