To the average person, it may seem that the biggest technology advances of 2015 were the larger smartphone screens and small app updates. But a lot more happened than that.  A broad range of technologies reached a tipping point, from cool science projects or objects of convenience for the rich, to inventions that will transform humanity.  We haven’t seen anything of this magnitude since the invention of the printing press in the 1400s. Here are the six:

Research show that some characteristics are more likely to be suited to a career a an entrepreneur than a manager. This assessment will help you find out which you are best suited to.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a perfect time for entrepreneurs to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect. One great exercise in reflection is to put together a “year in review” that explores all of the ways that your business has changed over the course of the year. I’ve found that it is an excellent way to put your experiences into perspective and start the new year off strong.

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 29, 2015 - An intense round of competition is expected when the final four competitors pitch their business ideas to a team of judges during the Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge at the American Farm Bureau Federation's 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, in January. A live feed of the finals competition will be available starting at 10:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, Jan. 10, at Newsroom.fb.org

The D.C. area is home to a number of great startup accelerators that can really make a difference for young companies. The right program can provide the resources and advice that entrepreneurs need to transform what may be a great idea into a viable product and thriving startup. Check out a few of the newer and vertical-specific accelerator programs in the D.C. area that you should keep an eye on in 2016.

Image: Image via Halcyon Incubator

The mythological unicorn has never been found, but the venture-backed unicorn market continues to amaze and enthrall the business world. These so-called unicorns are the private companies that have raised venture capital with valuations in excess of $1 billion dollars. These also happen to be the ongoing names that excite the public, and they are all either future or potential candidates for initial public offerings (IPOs).

Welcome to MIT Technology Review’s second annual list of top tech flops. Without further preamble, here are the technologies we thought did the least for humanity in 2015.

Hoverboards 

It was the hot 2015 gift item that went up in flames. Literally. Hoverboards, the two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters, are like Segways without the handle, packed with a circuit board and two AC motors inside the wheels. A rider balances thanks to a phenomenon called the “inverted pendulum.”

When Wardhana found herself the mother of a tablet-obsessed child, she wondered why there weren’t more quality game-based tablet learning opportunities. So she launched Kiko Labs, which creates learning games based on principles of neuroscience. Kiko Labs' product, Kiko’s Thinking Time, was developed in collaboration with Harvard and Berkeley neuroscientists and is aimed at helping children develop executive function—the skills of memory, focus and self-regulation necessary for success in school, work and beyond. In October, Kiko Labs announced that Kiko’s Thinking Time will be offered in schools as part of an effort to improve school readiness for preschoolers.

Image: (Kiko Labs )

Unicorns, technology businesses worth over $1 billion (£670 million), must be "unique" or "special", according to Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google's newly-formed parent company, Alphabet Inc.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 today with Rohan Silva, a former policy advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron and the cofounder of the Second Home coworking space, the billionaire said: "The moment you’ve got a product that’s better than somebody else it gets national or global promotion and that’s what’s leading to the rise of these new tech companies called unicorns, that are worth over a billion dollars.

Robert Neuwirth, author of “Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World”, estimates that more than a billion people–thats 1 in 7–are squatters.  This week, we visit squats in Venezuela and the Philippines, and find out why squatters aren’t just tolerated…they are crucial to the growth of major cities and national economies.

We had plenty to get excited about in 2015 with the introduction of nifty new tech toys such as the Apple Watch and the Amazon Echo. 

But 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for tech launches too. Virtual reality, drone and robotic technology, and new smartphone innovations are all under development at big players like Apple and Google, as well as at smaller startup companies. 

Comments Email Service Service More Share Print Each year MIT Technology Review selects 10 emerging technologies that we believe will remake the world. Here’s how this year’s picks got closer to reality over the past 10 months.

Magic Leap

When Rachel Metz of MIT Technology Review saw the four-armed blue monster, she knew Magic Leap’s technology was something special. The company is working on a headset that can make you see virtual 3-D objects blended seamlessly into the real world. Magic Leap doesn’t talk much about its technology or strategy. But we have learned that the company is working on silicon chips that process light and is inviting developers to create content for the headset, which does not yet have a public release date. Microsoft is working on a similar headset scheduled for a limited release early next year. Comparing demonstrations of the competing technologies suggested that both projects have amazing potential.

The heavy rains and gusty winds that pounded large swaths of Britain is part of a historic storm that could be one of the top five strongest storms on record in this part of the North Atlantic.

The high winds and torrential rains — this is almost certainly UK's wettest December on record — are part of Storm Frank, which slammed into Iceland and the northern UK. Officials say 5,500 homes in Scotland lost power Wednesday as gale-force winds hit, and flights were diverted in Ireland and Scotland.

Traditionally, aspiring entrepreneurs looking for easy, low cost access to capital to fund their start-up businesses had limited means. Recently, sites such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe provided a platform, but the most companies could offer in exchange for a cash investment was a first look to the particular product or other creative reward, each of which, however, was not stock.

Image: http://www.njlawjournal.com

Happy New Year from the Innovation America Team - Rich, Scott and JT

Making resolutions is a popular holiday tradition, but keeping those resolutions past the first week in January is the hard part. Statistic Brain, using data from the University of Scranton, says while 45% of Americans regularly make New Year’s resolutions only 8% actually keep them. So, how do those 8% do it?

Image: http://www.fastcompany.com

Anytime something funny or noteworthy happened this year, you can bet the internet had already gif'ed, meme'd, and tweeted all about it.

We looked back and rounded up the moments from 2015 that sent us into tweetstorms, from Drake's "Hotline Bling" video to Zayn leaving One Direction to #TheDress that's either black and blue or white and gold.

Image: Apple Music - Drake in the "Hotline Bling" music video.

While setting New Year’s resolutions is routine for many of us, research from the University of Scranton shows while 45% of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% actually stick to them. So, why are resolutions so quickly discarded? The easy answer is because most resolutions require a change in habit.

New Year’s Eve is right upon us. Here is some scientific advice on how to prevent a hangover whenever you celebrate a little too hard.

You’ve just conceived a brilliant billion dollar startup idea; you’ve defined the perfect value proposition for you company; and you just met the perfect cofounder (or cofounders) to help you get your idea off the ground.

You’re ready to launch a startup, right?