Hasta La Gadget!

Whilst Amazon has garnered much of the publicity in terms of drone based deliveries, there has been an equally interesting progression in ground based delivery systems.

Leading the pack is the device developed by Starship Technologies that started making waves last year. The company hope to automate the last mile delivery process, and their robots are designed to navigate the streets at up to 4mph to its destination.

Interestingly, the team claims that the robot is primarily autonomous, and is therefore capable of safely navigating the congested environs of your average pavement without harming pedestrians.

Indeed, human operators are only called into action in difficult situations and to communicate with pedestrians.

The robot’s “cargo hold” is fitted with a lock to prevent theft of its contents, and an app is used to allow customers to track progress and then unlock the cargo when it arrives at its destination.

Early days

The company has already engaged in a number of trials around the world, the latest of which is with Swiss Post, the national postal service in Switzerland.

The delivery company are partnering with a number of companies in the food and healthcare industry to utilize Starship Technologies to deliver packages to customers.

The partnership, which begins in September, will put the technology through its paces, with the aim to expand operations into other areas if it proves successful.

“The addition of Swiss Post to our testing program is an exciting development for Starship Technologies,” Starship COO Allan Martinson says. “Not only do we extend robotic delivery to Switzerland, but for the first time anywhere in the world, patients will be able to get medicines delivered to their homes using our on-demand robots. The convenience, and quick nature of robotic delivery will prove invaluable to people in need, who may not be physically able to travel to the pharmacy.”

The partnership is the latest in a long line of deals that have seen the Starship devices travel over 10,000km in 12 countries around the world, all without experiencing any incidents.

Rapid progress

Such machines are increasingly capable of navigating safely, as demonstrated by a team of Stanford researchers, who recently developed their own device, called JackRabbot.

The researchers have developed a computer-vision algorithm that is capable of predicting how people behave on a busy pavement. The robot comes complete with an algorithm that has been trained using machine learning based upon a large number of videos showing people moving around busy streets and other public spaces.

When they tested the performance, it emerged that the algorithm out-performed a number of existing methods of predicting how humans will move.

The robot comes complete with a number of cameras and sensors and is being tested in a range of environments to try and replicate a real world use-case.

We have already seen companies such as Dominos test out this kind of robot for delivering pizzas, whilst Geneva airport has been testing out a similar machine, called LEO, for managing the baggage of travelers.

It’s a fascinating area that is well worth keeping an eye on.

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Over the last few years, I’ve been focusing even more on mentorship, specifically in the startup community. People who have worked with me know that I’m passionate about helping startups become trailblazers and giving back to the community, just like we do at our agency, 24Notion. It’s important to pay things forward because it helps entrepreneurs to succeed plus, increases job creation and the global economy. High tech, which has had the largest amount of high growth companies, is my area of focus. I’ve been part of the local to global startup scene, helping new and upcoming entrepreneurs rise to the top.

A global CEO study by PwC found that 64% of CEOs are increasing investment in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in 2016. I know the reason why. Giving back is my personal passion, which is why I’m excited to see over half of CEOs focusing their companies on CSR and making a difference. I want to share my journey and help others in theirs – so here are my tips on how to blaze your own trail and soar to success.

There’s no secret sauce in launching your startup, but follow my 3 P’s to succeed. For some products, you’ll be competing with thousands of others and will have to be ready to make change at any time. It’s not all about luck, though. You just need some passion, persistence and a positive attitude – those 3 P’s will help you succeed even in a super competitive environment.

Gender roles don’t make a difference. It might seem like a man’s world sometimes, but women are just as successful. Stick to my 3 P’s above and stay focused. If a woman can juggle having kids and running a business, then she can do anything.

Money is good, but creativity is better. Another myth I hear people saying is that you need money to launch a product. Wrong. Get creative in how you build your business up from scratch. I’ve seen some crowdsourcing campaigns that have succeeded for startups.

Make a prototype. People, especially potential investors, aren’t going to just imagine your product. You have a great idea? Sorry, it won’t do if you don’t have something concrete to show. You should create a “working prototype.”

Don’t create too many SKU’s. Stick to 1 type of product to launch and perfect the art of your brand to gain exposure before coming up with 5 other SKU’s. Otherwise, you are just confusing the customer, and nobody is going to be successful that way.

Timing is of the essence. Whether you are launching or brewing, make it your goal to time everything right to fit the entire sales lifecycle. You don’t introduce a new ice cream or gelato during winter, do you? Strategize your timing.

And, last but not least: Find the right partner in crime for launching your products. I’ve said it again and again that your best friend might not be a good business partner. Find someone who complements your skills and who you can trust running your startup if you had to suddenly leave.

It takes a lot of perseverance and work to become a successful entrepreneur, but keeping these tips in mind will help put you on the path for success. And once you’ve made it, don’t forget to share your tips and experience with others. I’m happy to give back to the startup community, and I want to see you use the 3 P’s – passion, persistence and positive attitude – to launch your successful startup!

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The Huntsman: Winter’s War captivated audiences earlier this year and part of that magic was made possible by Oscar winning costume designer Colleen Atwood.

The brilliant costumes worn by the likes of Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain & Chris Hemsworth elevated the beautiful cinematography and story of the film and we’re not surprised since Atwood has 3 Academy Awards sitting on her shelf.

Atwood revealed to us that she was at first a little hesitant to work on a sequel, as she had not done so until recently with The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Alice Through the Looking Glass. “I really want to do it. I really want to see what I can make it be. It’s a different story…there’s stuff that flows through to tie it into the first movie. You want to take it to another place and it was fun to take that challenge,” she told us in our exclusive sit-down interview.

We think she did a fabulous job on the costumes. Our favorite is still Charlize’s gold feathered cape. Atwood also told us how she got into the business and what advice she’d give to budding costume designers. Watch our full interview below.

The Huntsman: Winter’s War is available on Blu-Ray & DVD today!

For more, visit shineon-media.com.

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Corporate Naming Rights for Great Works of Literature

National Parks, sports venues, you name it — a corporation has its name on it. So, c’mon, stuffy world of literature, get off your high horse, and cash in with the corporate naming rights craze:

Tinder is the Night – F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Johnny Walker Red and the Johnny Walker Black – Stendahl

Moby Dick’s Sporting Goods Whale of a Sale – Herman Melville

Henderson the Rain King of Mattress Sales (Specially ½ Price Deals for Labor Day) – Saul Bellow

The Lord of the Burger King Onion Rings – JRR Tolkien

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Flying Southwest Airlines – Ken Kesey

All Quiet on the Western Front So Get A Netflix and Chill – Erich Maria Remarque

The Sun Also Rises Be Prepared with Coppertone – Ernest Hemingway

The Big Sleep On A Sealy Posturepedic Mattress – Raymond Chandler

Gulliver’s Travels Booked by Travelocity.com – Jonathan Swift

The Sherwin-Williams Painted House of Mirth – Edith Wharton

Full Metal Jacket and Pants from Men’s Warehouse – Michael Herr

One Hundred Years of Solitude Or Go To Match.com – Gabriel García Márquez

The Golden Microsoft Notebook – Doris Lessing

Lolita, The Original ‘To Catch a Predator’ as Seen on Friday nights on MSNBC – Vladimir Nabokov

Lonesome Dove Bars – Larry McMurtry

The Farmer John’s Dodger Dogs of War – Frederick Forsyth

The Jose Cuervo Goldfinch – Donna Tartt

A Room with a View at a Marriot – E.M Forster

A Clockwork Orange Julius – Anthony Burgess

The Del Monte Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.