3 Ways Technology is Changing the Car Insurance Industry

 

You’re probably familiar with the many ways technology is changing how you drive – whether it’s driver assist technology helping you make decisions behind the wheel, built-in cameras giving you a 360-degree view of the road, or energy-efficient advances helping you spend less on gas. But new technology isn’t just changing the way you drive, it’s also changing the way you’re insured. Read on to learn about three advances in technology that are revolutionizing the auto insurance industry.

Telematics devices

What if you could prove to your insurance company that you are a safe driver – and reduce your premium as a result? That’s exactly what insurers are offering with Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) plans. Under this type of plan, drivers install a telematics device in their car to record information about their habits behind the wheel. In return for their data, drivers qualify for a small discount to their premium upon signing up for a UBI plan, and a potentially larger discount when they renew – depending on their habits. If you’re hesitant to share this much information with your insurance company, read these news stories:

  • One insurer reports that 70 percent of drivers with this type of plan earn some kind of discount.
  • A study by the University of British Columbia showed that real-time driving feedback resulted in better habits for most participants.
Something to also be mindful of is that insurance companies are not allowed to use the information they collect to raise your premiums or deny you coverage – only to offer a discount.

Machine learning

Thanks to the internet, shopping for insurance is easier than ever. There are many sites online that will allow you to quickly compare multiple quotes from insurers so that you can find the best – and most affordable – plan. When it comes to servicing clients online, one company that is leveraging machine learning to raise the game is Kanetix Ltd.

Machine learning refers to a type of artificial intelligence in which computers are programmed to “learn” by themselves as they are exposed to more data and new experiences. In this case, Canadian firm Kanetix Ltd. partnered with Integrate.ai to offer customized buying experiences to their users. Leveraging their website’s deep pool of data, they were able to predict a customer’s likeliness to purchase insurance – and tailor the next steps of their buying experience based on the information. The result? A win-win scenario for Kanetix, which saw an increase in lead generation and marketing ROI, and their customers, who benefited from an improved online experience.

Autonomous vehicles

Experts have predicted that self-driving cars could save Canadians $65 billion a year in reduced fuel costs, fewer collisions and decreased congestion, making autonomous driving technology an exciting trend. Even self-driving cars, though, will require human co-drivers who are paying full attention, otherwise, they’ll still be susceptible to collisions – like in this case where a Tesla Model S that was in autopilot mode caused a fatal highway accident. So what does this mean for the auto insurance industry? Insurers will need to have policies in place to determine who is liable for an accident that involves an autonomous vehicle: the maker of the vehicle or the human driver. U.K. lawmakers have proposed a vehicle technology bill that suggests the manufacturer of a self-driving car could be liable in some instances, rather than the ‘driver.’ Under the bill, insurance companies would need to offer two types of insurance for autonomous cars: one to account for when the car is operating on its own, and one to provide coverage when the driver takes over.

For the most part, these trends are just emerging, so it’s impossible to say for certain what the car insurance industry will look like as technology advances. It’s safe to say, though, that as we change the way we drive, there will be many new opportunities and challenges for insurers in the future.

 

 

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Best Methods Of Keeping Your Business Visible

Visibility is one of the Biggest Issues For small business owners

With the over-saturation of so many industries in the current market, visibility is one of the biggest issues stressing small business owners. You need to make your business stand out, and in order to do that, you need to put in a little bit of work and give your business a creative edge.

Social Media

Social media is now used as a vital marketing tool and a business without an active Twitter or Facebook profile might as well not exist. Being active on social media is about more than just hashtagging your business and spamming the site with links; you need to use it the right way to make your company visible.

To make your business more visible on social media, you need to be regularly posting – a minimum of once a day. The best kind of content to post is original, relevant to your business and appealing to your target audience. You can also maximize your visibility by utilizing trending hashtags, responding to viral posts and interacting with current and potential customers. If your business is tagged or receives a message on social media, you should respond promptly, even if it’s just to give them a ‘like’ or thank them for their patronage. People respond to businesses that respond to them and demonstrations of exceptional customer service online has the potential to go viral, increasing your business’s visibility exponentially.

Branded Merchandise

Many businesses have their own kind of branded merchandise; key chains, pens, stickers etc. However, not every business knows how to use branded merchandise the right way. In order to profit off of brand merchandise and increase your business’s visibility, you need to make sure that your customers don’t just through the merchandise in the bottom of their drawers and forget about it. You want them to be able to make use of it and put it on display.

One great example of branded merchandise done right is a food shop having branded reusable printed cotton bags. This type of merchandise is relevant to the business and loyal customers can use it on practically a daily basis, getting you maximum visibility for your brand. However, another issue that some businesses come across with branded merchandise is distributing them. It’s not often that people go out of their way to buy typical branded merchandise, especially if people think that it’s more expensive than it’s worth. Branded merchandise is about making a profit; it’s about visibility and giving back to your customers. So, you need to find ways to make the most of your budget. In regards to printed cotton bags, this could mean going a step further with your design – making it a stylish accessory rather than just something to be used only when going to that shop. You can also award free bags to people that collect loyalty points at your shop or give customers that own one of these bags a small discount on their purchases to promote eco-friendliness and reduce the amount of plastic bags that your shop regularly uses.

Blogs and Vlogs

Much like social media, blogs give you an opportunity to stay in the limelight by continuously creating relevant and interesting content. Blogs and social media go hand in hand and, much like a happily married couple, they support each other and make each other stronger. Blogs provide original, interesting content for social media and social media increases traffic to your blogs and website.

With blogs and vlogs, you can create creative content that draws in an audience and makes your business more visible. While your blogs should stay relevant to your business and/or industry, you can address trending topics in your blogs and create useful guides and entertaining videos that can be easily shared. The more people share and engage with your blogs, the more people will see them and the more visible your business will be.

For more information go to The Printed Bag Shop

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The Reason Why The Real Estate Market Is Prime For A Crypto Disruption

Real Estate Market and Crypto Disruption

The debate about which can be the best of investment can be as old as investing itself. While no marketplace is crash proof, real estate is traditionally seen as one of the best and safest (or even the best) investment choices available, for all reasons.

First, purchasing real-estate also means investing in land, which by its nature is restricted in supply, can’t be made more of as well as is consequently an intrinsically high-value asset. Second, real estate offers numerous ways for generating good comes back. If you lose a renter, you can sell the property, and on occasion even allow it to be your own personal home versus in the event that you spend money on a stock that loses money, you’re left with nothing. Furthermore, compared to shares, the estate that is real though likely to have fluctuations is relatively stable, and tends to appreciate over time. So why don’t more folks invest in real estate? The challenge is that real estate investing has traditionally been confined to high web worth individuals with enough cash on hand to acquire properties. as well as regardless if you are wealthy enough to purchase a rental property, property transaction costs are generally extremely high as well as need a significant timeframe as well as power to close.

The introduction of blockchain and cryptocurrencies has the power to change this paradigm. Many financial insiders continue to see blockchain and cryptocurrencies by way of a skeptical lens, and it is true that the forex market continues to be nascent and evolving. However, blockchain and cryptocurrencies have the opportunity to fundamentally alter traditional real estate investing in a number of good methods, and likewise, property can bring greater stability to cryptocurrencies, making these a safer, more secure investment. Consider this:

Removing or decreasing High Transaction Costs

In accordance with Zillow, home buyers usually pay between two and five % of the purchased home’s value to summarize costs. Closing costs contain a litany of costs, including apps, appraisals, attorney payments, home inspection the list goes on. In addition, there’s cost in terms of sometime energy needed seriously to finish a close; closing time frames has steadily increased in recent years with the estimated time now around fifty days.

Real estate has shown to be a meaty, money generator for different kinds of professional’s agents and brokers, to lawyers, to appraisers and the like also it’s unsurprising that all this work and fees may decrease possible investors. Real estate backed cryptocurrencies, but, would have the ability to change all this. By their nature, Cryptocurrency deals are highly safe, entirely clear and immediate, even across international borders. If an investor had the ability to purchase, hold and trade genuine estate equity in the shape of Cryptocurrency, they might understand the benefits of real estate investments minus the heavy deal fees and legwork that’s often involved.

In summary, Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are still a market that is relatively nascent although they have strong prospective to bring dramatic change to long-established financial markets and operations for example real estate investing. Taking the worlds of Blockchain and estate that is real can open new opportunities for various types of shareholders, streamline cumbersome fees and enable more investors to just take much better advantage of real estate investment opportunities. Real estate asset-backed cryptocoins also give shareholders seeking to dabble in cryptocurrencies the excitability hedge needed to quickly attain an even more risk reward that is equitable for this new kind of currency. In many ways, genuine estate and Blockchain together are a good example of just how to marry 2 investment types within the best possible way.

Learn More How BlockChain Will Change the Real Estate Market

 

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Four Fintech Trends to Watch in 2019

FinTech In The Near Future

Financial technology continues to witness accelerated growth, giving a lot of people excited. So far, advances in fintech have changed the way we carry out transactions and created a vibrant, productive, and robust fabric that serves as a springboard for further development.With more technologies emerging and more areas ripe for fintech disruption, this trend is set to continue in 2019, giving us plenty of exciting possibilities to look forward to.

  1. Faster and Safer Payments

The payments ecosystem is set for unprecedented transformation in 2019, thanks to the emergence of new technologies such as contactless cards, which allow shoppers to tap the plastic at the point of sale to complete a transaction. With this technology, consumers do not have to swipe, sign, or dip to pay for goods.

The entire payment process only takes a few seconds, making it more convenient and faster than EMV cards. While contactless payments are sometimes perceived as riskier than their older, slower predecessors, the New York Times noted that they are significantly safer than magnetic stripe cards. This is because they are equipped with multiple layers of security that help keep cardholders safe from fraudsters.

  1. Voice Technology in Banking

Another innovation that is expected to have an impact on the financial services landscape is voice technology. Currently, voice technology is still in its nascent stages, as it is presently used only for simple tasks like bills payment, checking balances, and tracking spending.

However, it is widely believed that 2019 will mark the period when people become increasingly accustomed to giving spoken commands to banking tools. As the mass public feel more comfortable with this technology and fully embrace it, it is only a matter of time before it is used in executing more critical tasks such as transferring money.

  1. Mobile Banking Will Keep Rising

The advent of mobile devices has completely revolutionized how brands and consumers interact with each other. The convenience, functionality, and accessibility of smartphones make them increasingly important in the financial arena, especially in today’s busy world where customers barely have time to visit a physical bank location.

So it is expected that financial institutions will continue to capitalize on the huge consumer appetite around mobile devices to build closer relationships with their clients in 2019 and beyond.

  1. The Arrival of Cloud and Quantum Computing

As far as financial services firms are concerned, the most efficient approach to banking is that which allows them to compute a transaction or come to a decision as fast as possible. Enter Quantum Computing, the technology based on the principles of quantum theory. This innovation enables institutions to process transactions, trades and other types of data as fast as possible.

As a result, it is increasingly attracting the interest of financial institutions seeking to leverage its high computing power to solve problems that require the use of complex algorithmic models to determine a possible outcome. Hence, experts believe the quantum computing will be increasingly important going forward.

Currently, use cases of quantum computing are in the area of investments, where banks are increasingly relying on the technology to improve risk analysis and assessments so that they can better predict how portfolios will perform under different circumstances.

Cloud computing enables banks to build new applications and introduce internet services that will help improve the customer experience. We expect this trend to continue in 2019.

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5 Weird New Tech Devices

Advancing Technology Produces New Products

The advancement of technology has made it possible to discover a broad range of devices including those that have inspired, amazed, and amused. In the weirder corner of innovation, technology has delivered some strange gadgets might induce a sense of disbelief.Whether you swear by the usual or are looking for something to make your day awesome, we’ve put together a list of some of the latest unusual tech products that are sure to evoke a range of emotions.

  1. Somnox Robotic Pillow

This pillow, which claims to help you “sleep faster, longer and wake up refreshed,” is one of the most bizarre tech gadgets out there today. Intended as a sleep companion, the pillowy four-pound kidney bean-shaped huggable sleep robot mimics your breathing rhythm and plays a lullaby to help soothe the mind and get you to sleep.

  1. Opro9 SmartDiaper

The Opro9 SmartDiapera is a smart humidity sensor designed to make life easier for parents of newborn babies. The device, flat wetness sensor for nappies, sends alerts to parents when their toddler pees. The smartdiaper is usually connected to a parent’s smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0.So when the nappy is wet, it sends a signal to the parent or carer so they could instantly change the diaper. This helps to prevent the occurrence of diaper rash and keeps parents from unnecessarily changing their child’s diaper.

  1. Toyota e-Palette Concept

The Toyota e-Palette is a fully automated, next-generation battery electric vehicle that is intended to move people, products, and services in a very efficient way. The weird-looking car is the result of a partnership between Toyota and Softbank. Toyota’s ultimate goal is to make the e-Palette into autonomous mobility as a service device capable of serving a multitude of functions such as ride-sharing, carpooling, mobile office and retail space, medical clinics, hotel rooms, etc. As the name implies, the device is still just a concept. So it remains to be seen whether it will materialize.

  1. Laika Interactive Companion for Dogs

Laika interactive companion for dogs is a smart mobile robot designed to allow you to monitor and interact with your dog from anywhere in the world using your smartphone. CamToy, the French-startup behind the innovation named the device after the first dog in space. The robot comes with a built-in speaker that lets you talk to your pet regardless of your location. Laika is also equipped with a pet camera that allows you to face-time. In addition, you can reward your dog using the gadget’s built-in treat dispenser, which is designed to hold treats of different sizes.

  1. Philips SmartSleep headband

If you experience difficulty sleeping, Philips wearable solution, the SmartSleep headband, might be the answer to your problems. The gadget is designed to improve sleep quality by playing quiet tones to help you get a good night’s sleep. The gadget, which links to a SleepMapper app via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and can be charged via USB, claims to increase energy in the same sleep time and makes you feel less tired during the day.

Technology Is Opening New Ideas To The World Everyday

 

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Top 3 Technologies That Will Innovate Online Gambling in 2019

 

OnLine Gaming Industry WorldWide

The industry of online gambling has seen a tremendous improvement over the past few years. Thanks to technological advancements, the customer’s gaming experience has been greatly enhanced and the security aspect of the gaming platforms has improved as well. These innovations have helped a wide range of online casino gamers to indulge in their favorite pastime at any time that they want to and wherever they may be.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the latest technologies that are expected to innovate online gambling.

  1. Enhanced AR and VR Technologies

AR refers to augmented reality while VR means virtual reality. While the AR goggles are designed to fully enhance your gaming experience, the VR goggles will take you to an entirely new world of gaming. Software designers have been continuously innovating with these two technologies for a while now and there are only a few platforms that have been supporting both of these technologies. Yet, this could change soon and all online casino platforms that are equipped with VR or AR technology will surely attract millions of online gamers.

  1. Improved Mobile Gaming Experience

There are around 4 billion people around the world that own smartphones and at least a few millions of these smartphone users are hooked to online casino gaming. Software designers of online casino gaming platforms such as GClub are fully aware of this, which is why they are aggressively improving the mobile platform experience to attract more customers. In fact, some of the most reputable online casinos are now offering mobile versions and applications of their platforms in order to penetrate deeper into the market. It’s expected that the industry of online casino will continue to invest in this thriving market by continuously improving the user’s mobile gaming experience.

  1. Blockchain Technology

The Blockchain technology is one of the most talked about topics these days. When cryptocurrencies became popular, Blockchain turned into a household name and it seems that almost everyone is now getting involved. The technology allows for the transfer of cryptocurrencies through a P2P network and also serves as a ledger for all Bitcoin transactions. The industry of online casino has been working really hard to fully understand the technology and is looking into ways on how they can fully implement this in their platforms. Most of the gambling portals nowadays are already accepting Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies as payments. Although crypto payments are said to stabilize in the near future, more focus on the technology of Blockchain is expected in the future.

Blockchain Offers Faster Connections

Blockchain technology offers many benefits, such as tight security, faster transactions, ease of usage, and many more. Thus, it’s easy to see that the technology will soon be applied to every aspect of online casino games. Overall, the Blockchain technology can help online casino providers to cut down on costs and fully enhance the security of their online game portals, which is also beneficial for the users.

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2019 Banking Industry Outlook 6 themes driving banking industry trends counting the Costs of a Data Breach

 

Banking And Technology

For 2019 and past, banks must contend with many issues engaged to regulations and legacy systems, upsetting models along with technologies, new challenge, and an impatient customer base while chasing new techniques for lasting growth. Our 2019 Banking Industry Outlook inspects the six macro themes from customer centricity to cyber risk facing all the industry’s five primary business portions in the coming twelve to eighteen months. Companies that can address these issues opportunities to effortlessly balance long-term goals with short-term performance pressures might be amply compensated.

There is considerable opportunity for banking institutions on the coming year, but lasting development will probably rely on navigating 6 dominant themes.

The banking industry comes in 2019 having a fresh air of careful confidence among clouds of policy doubt. Today, the clouds have cleared a little. For banking institutions around the globe, 2019 might a crucial year for accelerating the change into more strategically minded, digitally connected, and operationally agile organizations better equipped to maintain market leadership in an ecosystem that is rapidly evolving.

But this present year also promises multiple challenges, including complex and diverging regulations and legacy systems, troublesome models and also technologies, new competitors, and an often restive customer base with ever-higher anticipations. For banks’ 5 company lines retail banking and corporate banking, capital areas, payments, and wide range management 6 broad themes might be particularly critical for sustainable long-term development into the coming twelve to eighteen months:

Customer-centricity: True customer centricity is certainly a Holy Grail for banking institutions, which have made notable strides in moving away from sales-dominant countries. But clients objectives are evolving at a much faster speed, many thanks in particular to the superior experiences they enjoy with other industries. Being alert in experience delivery is as essential today as aiming at right areas as well as right consumer segments with all the ideal resolutions.

Financial Technology and Banking

Fintechs and techs are going to have a very strong impact on banking in the near future . Banking institutions can learn from fintech firms, which have set a benchmark that is new surpassing customer objectives in financial services. Fintechs have changed the direction of innovation in banking. However, incumbent institutions that are financial likely to keep their dominance offered their scale of operations, regulatory barriers to entry, and customers’ reluctance to change. That does not mean that banks should lean on their market laurels, but just the opposite. Rather, they are able to discover techniques to improve the customer experience. Banks could reproduce just what fintechs are doing, collaborate with them, or obtain them. Moreover, banks could take an expansive view of competitive benchmarking to consist of the most beneficial in class fintechs along with big tech companies.

Tech Administration

Technology administration. As much as banks may wish they might, discarding legacy systems just isn’t an option. Modernizing the main generally seems to be considered a concern on par with buying a profile of new technologies for example Blockchain as well as robotics and intellectual automation. There exists a lot to be done, as well as it is not going to be easy. Banks can aim to strike a balance between retaining competitively differentiating activities in-house as well as others that are externalizing. By 2020, technology units inside banks will possible start making changes by themselves from running platforms to arranging technology information flows across most of the stakeholders.

 

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The Successes and Failures of Fintech

The global fintech market is characterised by a booming digital payments industry valued at $3,403,168 million in 2018, with a total transaction value projected to increase by 13.2% by 2024. Among the largest sectors of the fintech industry are the personal finance sector and the burgeoning Robo-Advisors sector. According to market research (Research and Markets), the total market’s transactional value for 2019 through 2024 is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6%. Fintech’s rise to prominence was facilitated to a large degree by the failure of central banks and established financial systems following the global financial crisis. A growing demand for workable financial solutions, structures and frameworks yielded innovative fintech solutions for improved efficiency, better management, and enhanced cost effectiveness.

Financial Tech Companies

The leading financial technology companies have set the standards high, with ambitious objectives aimed at solving real-world problems. Sometimes these incubator solutions have prospered, at other times they have failed. The rationale for ongoing R&D into Fintech solutions is to replace redundant, expensive financial frameworks and entrenched systems with leaner and more efficient solutions. Fintech’s advances have not been without the occasional stumbling block. One such area of concern is small business lending. Predatory pricing techniques and invasive business practices have tarred this particular segment of the fintech industry. Greater regulatory compliance and oversight are needed to establish credibility among users.

Challenges Ahead for Sectors of the Fintech Industry

So, what’s really going on in the Fintech space? What are the notable failures and what are the possible bright spots on the horizon? It appears that the most significant losses are attributable to banking companies and online lenders. Several big-name enterprises like CAN Capital, OnDeck and even Lending Club have suffered acute losses, as reflected in their stock prices. For example, LendingClub Corp stock has dropped from over $25 per share in 2014 to just $3.60 per share today. This begs the question: Why are online lending companies failing while traditional financial institutions are enjoying incremental growth? An interesting insight is provided by acclaimed investor, J. Christopher Flowers. His analysis of fintech companies is revealing. Fintech companies don’t follow the narrative of financial companies. Fintech is geared towards massive growth and dominance in double-quick time. Financial enterprise is typically slow and steady, with incremental growth over time.

Funding For Technology

With tech funding, investors plough huge amounts of money into new ventures with a short-term perspective. In financial circles, trust needs to be built, reputations established, and market penetration achieved. All of these things take time to process. With fintech it’s about who gets to market first in a rush for dominance. Fintech enterprises in the online lending industry are all about pushing sales, first and foremost. Proof of this dash towards rapid growth and dominance in the online lending market is evident in the high cost per click with keywords on Google. To cut a long story short, advertising campaigns with many online lenders are geared towards growth at all costs. By working with established fintech enterprises, fintech newbies fall into the trap of stagnation. The reason d’etre of fintech is disruptive technology, while incumbent enterprises are set in their ways. This makes it rather difficult to gain traction.

Fintech Success Stories to Rebalance the Scales

Fintech has a place in today’s fast-paced world, particularly in areas where clunky processes hamper the efficiency of important business functions. One striking example of fintech at work is in the area of global payroll payments processing. Payroll costs are a major bugbear for companies all over the world. Global payroll operations across multiple territories and jurisdictions typically cost companies substantial sums of money and they are associated with significant security concerns, legal complexities, and compliance-related issues. Fintech companies offering sophisticated solutions in the form of automated payroll processing solutions are having an impact on the profitability and efficiency of company operations. Many companies have touted solutions for global payroll, but only a select few generate the types of results that are needed to validate their adoption. The hallmarks of effective global workforce management platforms are cost-reducing solutions, fully automated payroll systems, and full compliance with GDPR. By eliminating email dependency in the payroll function, it is possible to improve data security and coverage for employees and the company.

 

A big part of the inefficiency problem with global payroll management is compliance. Each country, territory or jurisdiction has specific rules in place regarding payroll management. With automated payroll solutions, compliance is guaranteed. Thanks to local verified experts in place, it is easy to enjoy complete control and transparency of all payroll-related activity. Automated payroll solutions run on autopilot, without any complexity. By connecting with local suppliers, companies can enjoy best-in-class payroll management through secure, efficient and compliant payroll solutions. Many other promising areas are ripe for fintech development. Innovative technologies are giving rise to systems, products and services making it easier to manage finances for businesses and individuals, secure payments channels, and facilitate greater efficiency across the board. Digital banking is slated to double in size within a few years, and mobile payments are expected to reach $275 billion by 2021 (Statista). Various other fintech fields are being cultivated, including biometric banking identifiers, insuretech, regtech (fintech regulatory compliance systems), blockchain, and concepts such as ‘Social Money’. Each of these fintech markets is enjoying substantial investment, and adoption of these new technologies is quickly gaining traction.

The Future of FinTech

The future certainly looks bright for fintech and all its applications. New developments are being brought to market at breakneck speed. While some concepts will inevitably fail, but offer solutions to existing challenges.

 

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The Revolution in Virtual Reality

 

A new front-runner has emerged in IPO New technologies; Wall-Street.com spotlights this new exciting technology from MIT Technology Review.

Virtual Reality: The Next Frontier

Virtual reality technology has revolutionized, challenging everything humanity knows about virtual worlds. Imagine being able to find yourself in a beautiful and magical land simply by putting on a pair of goggles. This may sound far-fetched or like something in a Sci-Fi movie, but it is months away from being a reality.

Why Now?

Though virtual reality goggles were invented almost three decades ago, they did not take off because of exorbitant prices and poor technology. The first virtual reality goggles from thirty years ago cost $100,000 for a single pair! Furthermore, players of another virtual reality game in the 1990’s complained of nausea and disorientation while playing.

Oculus Rift

Now things have changed. Oculus VR is introducing the Oculus Rift in 2014, an affordable virtual reality headset that utilizes smartphone technology for an incredibly clear and realistic experience. As players lean in to look at a flower, the simulation follows their movement in real time.

Palmer Luckey, the 21 year-old founder of Oculus VR, has dreamed of virtual worlds since his video games day as a child. From a young age he worked towards his dream; he designed a working prototype that would evolve into Oculus Rift at the age of 16.

How Much?

At the moment, Oculus Rift cost around $300, which makes it affordable for the general gaming public.

Not Just for Gamers

Although currently aimed at video games, virtual reality could have many uses in other fields such as phobia therapy, emergency response training, and architecture.

Investment Opportunities

Oculus Rift has already gained $91 billion in funding and much media attention. Facebook recently bought the company for the large sum of $2 billion. Therefore, it may seem as if there are no IPO investment opportunities.

However, Oculus Rift has inspired many other companies to start their own virtual reality development. Large companies such as Sony and smaller, more specialized video game companies need investors to take on this challenge.

There’s More!

This revolution in virtual reality is by no means the only exciting development in IPO new technologies. There are hundreds more articles about possible investment opportunities here at Wall-Street.com, each one archived and easily accessible through the search bar in the upper right hand corner of the site.

Sources: Tech Review

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US Dollar Still Ahead of other Currency Markets

The US dollar has been outdoing other currencies for a while now. While other countries are being bombarded by economic struggles, the US economy seems to be standing firm on its own.

Volatility prices are decreasing at a rapid rate, which is forcing the US to consolidate. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Dollar Index is reporting an upward surge in the US greenback when compared to other currencies such as the Australian dollar and the Japanese Yen. As the US dollar continues to stay on top of other currencies, binary option like Scam Watchdog is making sure that dealers in foreign currencies have the right information when it comes to their security.

 

Asian Currencies

Asian stocks received some encouragement based on the positive report given by the US Federal Reserve. The Feds painted a positive picture of the country’s performance in the past and leading up to the present. Asian stocks rose base on positive performance that the US is expecting to continue generating growth for the rest of 2015 and leading into 2016. The Japanese Nikkei rose 1.2 percent while shares on the Australian market went down 0.7 percent.

Asian Pacific shares went up 0.4 percent and this is showing a certain level of confidence in the US economy. In this week, the greenback rose to its highest gain to 0.1 percent when trading took place on the Asian exchange. The dollar traded at 124.075 yen.

The euro went down 0.2 percent and stood at $1.0964. The fall of the euro might be a reflection of a strong risk appetite, which is being used as a currency to fund risk assets investments.

In the US, positive inflation and housing data led to an outstanding performance by the country’s currency. Since the information about inflation and housing was revealed, Janet Yellen who is the Federal Reserve chairperson hinted that it might be time to lift the country’s interest rates sometime down in the year.

 

New Zealand Currency Ranks High With the Dollar

New Zealand’s currency was the only bright spark when compared to the US dollar. The Kiwi currency went into recovery mode after slumping for six years with an amount of $0.6498. The recovery brought a sense of relief to financial analysts in the market. An acceptance therefore came about among key players in the economy that the finances of the country are picking up at a rapid pace. The fast growth of the Kiwi economy is causing a concern among big financial players in the economy and thus there is now a move on by government to cut interest rates to facilitate growth.

 

Since the US dollar has shown an increase over the past week, dollar bulls are investing in the country’s currency in an effort to snatch greater profits from their investment. One dealer that deals with an international bank based in London says, “All of the commodity currencies are taking a hammering from the dollar’s rise”.

How Will the Gold Market Preform Against the Dollar

The gold market also helped to strengthen the US dollar. As gold went down 4 percent, the dollar went up because of added pressure placed on other currencies such as the Canadian and Australian dollars as well as the Norwegian crown.

While the euro and other world currencies directions are heading downwards, the US dollar is on an upward trend. With many woes facing certain countries like Greece and others, the value of international currencies are expected to continue falling. However, with a strong US economy to contend with, the greenback will always be outperforming other country currencies.

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