Weekend In Tech Trends: Oct 3-4
Customized private islands, C-3PO/Stormtrooper speakers, Apple’s even newer campus and more in this weeks ‘Weekend In Tech Trends’.
Tech Trend 1- Why buy an island when you can build one?
Ever dream of having a private island that you could build according to your preferences, place where you want to, and then move it if you want a change of scenery? Well dreams come true. Migaloo, a company that builds private submarine yachts, wants to build you your own floating island.
The Kokomo Ailand is 384 feet long with the penthouse sitting at 262 feet above sea level. It is fully customizable and the price is determined by the features. You can have pools, decks, spas, helipad, waterfalls, outdoor movie theater, and even a shark-feeding station. The options are pretty much endless at this point. The company unveiled its plans for the island at the Monaco Yacht Show, where lots of very wealthy people are looking for their next big purchase. Check out the video below to see what the island of the future looks like.
Source: DigitalTrends
Tech Trend 2- Star Wars Speakers on Kickstarter were such a hit they pulled it down after three days.
Just incase there wasn’t enough Star Wars related items on the market already, ACWorldwide has created speakers shaped like the heads of C-3PO and Stormtroopers. In true Star Wars memorabilia fashion, the speakers are a hit. The Kickstarter campaign had 242 backers and raised over $91,000 (half the goal) in three days. And on the third day, ACWorldwide announced that the campaign was being suspended because “a tech business investor … made us the biggest offer of all: all the funds we need to complete this project and bring our speakers to you all.”
The speakers will undoubtedly be a hit. Not only do they look the part of their characters, but they play the part as well. For example, the C-3PO speaker will drop the famous line from Return of the Jedi, “I do believe they think I am some sort of god” when it’s paired with a smartphone or tablet. During the campaign the most popular pledge was the $149 stormtrooper helmet with 116 backers with C-3PO coming in second with 42 backers for the same price. There’s no telling when we could see these hit stores but it may be sooner than expected since they have already received the investment they were looking for.
Source: DigitalTrends
Tech Trend 3- Because one isn’t enough, Apple is in the early stages of it’s second “spaceship campus”.
Just in case one spaceship campus isn’t enough, Apple has reportedly closed a deal on the second one. Located in Sunnyvale, California, Apple plans to build a second spaceship campus on an 18 acre lot, replacing the 9 buildings that currently exist on the lot. However, the new design is set to be different from the first spaceship campus.
The new campus will feature three connected, circular main edifices. Each of the buildings will have a center atrium and more than half the campus will be considered open-air. There will be no shortage of amenities with the list including on-site bank, a cafeteria, a fitness center, a coffee bar, a conference center, a 500-person outdoor amphitheater, food truck access “in and around the quad,” a barbershop, athletic fields and courts, a bike repair shop, and a general store. The campus is said to have around 2,500 parking spots, mostly underground. While the details on construction are still a bit fuzzy, it definitely sounds like something Apple is capable of. Check out the renderings of what this campus could look like.
Source: TheVerge
Tech Trend 4- The Google-Alphabet merger is official.
Google is officially a subsidiary of it’s new parent company, Alphabet. The new corporate structure was originally announced back in August but has just now went into effect. This means that Google stock is now officially Alphabet stock. It will however, trade under the same name on the ticker. The Alphabet stock is expected to be on the trading floor on Monday.
According to Page, the change took place because the new structure will allow the company to “run things independently that aren’t very related” while also keeping “tremendous focus on the extraordinary opportunities we have inside of Google.”
Source: TechCrunch
