Callbox Storage: The Dallas-based startup that does the heavy lifting

Moving box

Is your home overflowing with furniture, clothes, books, pets, Christmas decorations and a plethora of other items? Thinking of an extreme minimalist purge but can’t bear to part with some much-loved items?

Enter: Callbox Storage.

This Dallas-based company offers a game-changing system that takes the hassle and anxiety out of self-storage.  Many are reluctant to use self-storage services because they’re afraid they’d lose track of all their worldly possessions or it would be too difficult to drag everything from Point A to Point B. As Marty Sabota of the Star-Telegram noted, “There’s loading, hauling and keeping track of everything from trash to treasures. And the headache of trying to retrieve something can be frustrating.”Founders Dan Slaven and Kyle Bainter understood this and were keen on using a tech-based approach to improve storage systems.

From pick-up, itemization, organization, storage, and even delivering requested items, CallBox Storage is disrupting the self-storage market. Customers can easily track every item in their storage unit using CallBox Storage’s online and secure photo inventory. If a customer wanted to retrieve his or her Christmas decorations, for example, the customer can request items through Callbox and the company delivers it to and from the customer’s storage unit, similar to Amazon. Items are given a barcode and are scanned multiple times throughout the transportation process, ensuring that nothing disappears unexpectedly.

“To date, we haven’t lost a single item,” Bainter proudly said.

Founded in September 2016, Callbox Storage focused initially on North Texas in Dallas and eventually expanded into Austin and Houston. This month, it will run its services in Phoenix, Arizona, the first venture outside of its Texas home base.

Bainter explained, “Real estate prices are going up, home values are going up, which means the space people can afford is going down, so this type of option becomes very valuable to them because we can be that extra closet, we can be that extra garage so people can live in smaller quarters and have more space.”

Are you developing new technologies to improve self-storage? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Surviving Hurricanes and Hopelessness: App to ‘rescue’ those in need, post-natural disaster

phone

The frequency of natural disasters is on the rise in the United States. From Hurricane Katrina, to the more recent Hurricane Irma, the need for efficient, temporary resettlement for displaced persons will, arguably, also rise. The good news? There may be an app for that!

Adam Huminsky and Brian Hilinski, founders of the Charlotte-based startup, Harmany, were tired of watching evacuees struggle to find places for temporary shelter in the wake of catastrophic events, such as hurricanes. Huminsky said, “People have grown tired of watching disasters unfold, with no way to help until much later […] Harmany was created to give everyone the ability to make a difference in the moment.” The application connects the profile of an evacuee (person with needs) with a host (person with offerings). In an article featured on techstartups.com, “After completing a series of security measures, profiles are visible on an interactive map. Harmany believes secure matches can be made in as little as two hours.”

The app will offer other benefits, such as less crowding on roads, specifically evacuation routes, which translates to safer highway conditions. There is hope that the application will also reduce surge pricing for essential needs, such as hotel rooms.

Developing an app that will improve the lives of others? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

 

Apple’s disassembly robot Daisy makes striking gold a little easier

iphone

1,900 kg of aluminum, 770 kg of cobalt, 710 kg of copper, and 11 kg of rare earth elements – that’s just a fraction of what Apple’s disassembly robot Daisy can recover from old iPhones.  Crucial to the construction of circuit boards, batteries, cameras, haptics and other pieces that keep our smartphones running, these precious metals are often left untapped because consumers aren’t recycling their old electronics or facilities don’t have the means to easily recycle them. Apple, however, is trying to change that with its recent commitment to minimize its negative impact on the environment through initiatives like its trade-in “GiveBack” recycling program and investments in R&D to create machines like Apple’s disassembly robot Daisy. The recycling robot was five years in the making and was unveiled last week in Austin, just in time for Earth Day 2018.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of Environment, said, “What we’ve learned is that the technology for recycling hasn’t really advanced much. (Daisy) is one of the ways that we’re going to make real progress in our goal to mine less from the Earth and use more recycled and renewable materials in-product.” And boy, is recycling worth it. Experts note that “urban mining” or recovering materials from discarded electronics is more efficient than extracting metals from natural mining. Frederico Magalini, an e-waste researcher and managing director at UK sustainability firm Sofies, explains that there is 80 times as much gold in one ton of recycled cellphones than in a gold mine. He also adds that recycling electronics is more sustainable than plastic recycling: “Historically, metals have value, and you can recycle metal forever. For plastic, it’s different because every time you recycle the plastics, the mechanical properties don’t necessarily remain the same.”

As the benefits of recycling electronics become more apparent, the way we recycle those devices will improve as well. Two years ago, Apple’s recycling robot Liam was 100 feet long and composed of 29 robots. Now in 2018, its successor, Daisy, is a third of the size and made up of only five robots. In fact, old parts from Liam were used to construct Daisy. More compact and efficient, Daisy is able to dismantle nine different versions of the iPhone at a rate of 200 iPhones per hour, unlike Liam which could only deconstruct the iPhone 6.

Currently, Apple’s disassembly robot Daisy is one of a kind in the world. A second Daisy is expected to be installed in the Netherlands and the disassembly robot will likely be rolled out in other parts of the Apple global empire. Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.

Developing ways to improve recycling of electronics? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

Improving Safety for Autonomous Cars

car window tinting system

Tech companies are banding together to improve the safety of autonomous vehicles. The Autonomous Vehicle Coalition was announced this week and includes companies like Cisco, Esri and Econolite. The group will work with national government, industry and academic partners to responsibly integrate autonomous vehicles with roads and communities.

Last month’s fatal Uber crash became the first autonomous vehicle accident to kill a pedestrian. Also in the headlines was the Tesla crash that resulted in the death of the driver after hitting a highway barrier. Despite these incidents, which were heavily covered by the media, the proportion of crashes caused by driverless vehicles will likely be lower than those by human drivers once the technology is widely adopted. Most accidents are results of human error. Around 5.7 million car crashes occur in the US every year, with approximately 37,000 drivers and passengers and 6,000 pedestrians killed.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is conducting tests to find out how drivers use autonomous cars, for instance, whether they keep their hands over the wheel and whether they pay attention to the car’s audio and visual warnings. Professor of Philosophy, Nicholas Evans from the University of Massachusetts, will be studying risk-reward scenarios for driverless vehicles such as cars that decrease the number of deaths for drivers, but may increase the risk to pedestrians.

While car crashes will still happen of course, formulas such as the Safe Distance formula will improve safety by ensuring that cars do not follow too closely behind the car in front, which is a common cause of crashes by human drivers. In fact, in a US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, Autopilot was found to reduce accidents by 40 percent.

Research and development towards improving driverless vehicles and infrastructure will help to save lives. Other benefits of this technology could include an increase in ride-sharing services, which will in turn reduce traffic, the need for as many car park spaces and pollution. Furthermore, many autonomous cars will likely run on renewable energy or electricity rather than gas. Companies working on developing driverless cars are eligible for the R&D tax credit. Read more about the credit here.

Texan Grocery King H-E-B launches Self-Checkout Mobile App

grocery shopping

Waiting in those long lines and fighting for the best deals can make grocery shopping a real hassle. While self-serve checkout counters have sped up the process, they have inadvertently encouraged theft and thievery. Amazon’s new Seattle warehouse may have overcome those issues with its Amazon Go grocery store but Texas-based H-E-B’s new self-checkout mobile app could give the retail giant a run for its money.

The app allows customers to freely peruse the shelves and scan items they want to purchase. When they’re ready to checkout, users can pay via the mobile app and just need to show the digital receipt to an H-E-B employee before existing. More than just a self-checkout mobile app, H-E-B Go also tells customers the aisles where they can find certain items, a handy feature especially if you’ve ever been inside one of H-E-B’s massive grocery stores. The mobile app keeps track of users’ shopping lists to provide recommendations and reminders on future shopping trips. It offers coupons too, helping users save even more on their shopping trips.

Currently, H-E-B’s self-checkout mobile app is in use at two locations: the South Flores location in San Antonio and the De Zavala Road location near Shavano Park. The app is still in its pilot stage and not yet ready to roll out to other stores, but it’s already a hit among users.

Are you working on experiments to improve the efficiency of grocery shopping and other day-to-day activities? Did you know your experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.  

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

A solar powered stove and battery to rival Elon Musk? Mark Cuban is interested

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“Do you think you can put the fear of God in Elon Musk and put them out of business?” asked Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, a reality show about investors and entrepreneurs. His question was directed at Dr. Caitlin Powers, the CEO and founder of One Earth Designs. Elon Musk, the Tesla mastermind, had acquired SolarCity, a solar power business, in 2016. Powers, in contrast, had invented a solar powered stove that harnessed the energy of the sun to produce a powerful, fuel-free grill and her company was also in the process of developing a solar battery. Powers appeared on Shark Tank in hopes of securing an investor for One Earth Designs.

“Yes, I think we have the potential to do that,” she confidently responded. Powers received her doctorate from Harvard University and her solar energy research has been recognized by the US National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. From her travels in the Himalayas, Powers had witnessed firsthand the negative effects of fuel-based indoor cooking among nomads and farmers living in resource-strapped regions. Her solution: the SolSource stove. With its unique geometrical design, it can convert 92% of the sun’s energy directly into cooking power at up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. It also heats up five times faster than a charcoal grill. “As long as you can see your shadow, you can cook with SolSource,” according to Powers.

Compact, clean, and safe to use, the SolSource stove is a sustainable alternative to fuel-based grills.  The original Solsource is priced at about $499 while the newer SolSource Sport is currently sold at $299. The Sport is a quarter of the weight of the original source, making it more lightweight for a variety of settings, from the beach, to the park, to the wilderness. From Powers’ pitch, especially her future plans to develop the solar powered battery, Cuban agreed to invest in One Earth Designs. Cuban would be pleased to know that Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk’s brother, is also fan of the SolSource grill and has tweeted pictures of himself using the product.

Developing solar powered products that could rival the likes of Elon Musk? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and can receive up to 14% on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

 

Neiman Marcus iLab using innovation to advance luxury

Neiman Marcus 1

On Sunday, February 11, 2018, Karen Katz retired as CEO for Dallas-based luxury retailer Neiman Marcus. She is succeeded by Geoffroy van Raemdonck from Ralph Lauren. Given the current economic and social climate, the CEO position is not an easy one to fill as consumer trends are ever-changing in the digital age. With the expansion of e-commerce, failing customer foot traffic into physical stores, and nearly $5 billion in debt, the 110-year-old retailer’s longevity is not guaranteed. But perhaps its ongoing investment into the Neiman Marcus iLab could offer some relief for the company’s problems.

In this digital age, one of the primary questions the company has asked is, “How do we take the experiences [the customer] is having online and make that really seamless [in store] from a personalisation perspective?” The Neiman Marcus iLab may offer some solutions. Initiated in 2012, the iLab is under the direction of Scott Emmons whose background in Information Technology gives him unique insight into utilizing technology to enhance the customer experience. He maintained that innovative technology is “not a silver bullet that will save the world” but it is nevertheless a critical piece in a complicated retail puzzle. One of the iLab’s iconic innovations was the Memory Mirror which allows customers to see how a piece of clothing looks at all angles.  Emmons explained, “You don’t have to ask your husband or girlfriend or a sales associate how it looks in the back. You can see for yourself.” As of 2017, 38 Memory Mirrors can be found in 20 of Neiman Marcus’ stores. The project was so successful that it has been converted in other applications, such as at the beauty counters where customers can see digitally how a cosmetic product will look on them. Another innovation was Neiman Marcus’ free phone charging lockers, rolled out in 2014.  The kiosk makes customers use their phone numbers as an unlock code and doubles up as a customer acquisition tool.

Innovation isn’t cheap, however, and ideas must first go through a rigorous review by executives. Afterwards, they are prototyped in the lab to test proof of concept before they can be implemented in stores. Emmons said, “In the end, when you do technology right, you do have to pay for it. There is a cost associated with getting into the store, so I have to think about technology that is scalable and the business is going to want an ROI on the technology.”

“Not everything works,” Emmons said. “Most of the time, it won’t…[Y]ou have to think about these experiments not as failures, but as learnings that can be applied to future projects.”

The Neiman Marcus iLab demonstrates technical risk. Sound familiar? If you’re also engaging in technical risk and conducting experiments, did you know you could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and can receive up to 14% on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

Briggo’s Robotic Barista: the coffee vending machine that’s actually not that bad

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A barista that consistently makes your favorite coffee perfectly and never spells your name wrong? That’s what Briggo Coffee Haus promises with its affectionately-dubbed “robotic barista”. The Austin-based company developed its automated coffee dispenser to take the craft of coffee and mechanize the experience without sacrificing standards of perfection, personalization, and efficiency.

In a technologically-driven world where customization and convenience go hand-in-hand, the robotic barista seems like a match made in heaven. Coffee drinkers can choose from 13 options and adjust the order to suit their preferences, such as adding vanilla syrup, two shots of espresso, and skim milk. Wait a minute or two, and the perfect cup of coffee will appear. Customers’ orders are saved in the company’s cloud system so they can re-order their favorite recipe at a later time. There’s also a Briggo app that allows coffee drinkers to pre-order as they’re on their way to the Coffee Haus. According to Vending Times’ Paul Schlossberg, the whole process was intuitive, quick, and easy. He added, “Here is a vending machine for the 21st century.”

Briggo’s machine offers a precision that human baristas don’t have. While humans may measure based on dashes and splashes, moments and seconds, the robotic barista has its measurements down to the milligram and millisecond. Briggo CEO Kevin Nater explained, “Based on a customer’s selection, we precisely calculate to the gram the ingredients, as well as the precise frothing parameters needed based on those ingredients.” The Briggo machine can also make 100 cups an hour. It’s fast, convenient, and reliable.

Briggo recently introduced its robotic barista at the University of Texas’ renowned ice cream shop Moojo in Austin. Briggo asserts it doesn’t plan on replacing baristas. Rather, it seeks to bring its robotic barista to locations where good quality coffee is hard to find, such as corporate campuses, hospitals, and airports.

Working on improving the efficiency of coffee-making? Did you know your experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.  

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

Mobility and disability are no longer mutually exclusive thanks to Go Baby Go

GoBabyGo spill resistant cup

“Ever since he was a baby, we’ve always said we want him to be the same as anyone else, he is no different,” Brenda Fernandez said of her son Abel Salazar. “We never told him you can’t do it.” Abel, 4 years old, was born without fully formed bones in his body, making mobility and other functions difficult. Last month, engineering math students from Victoria West High School in Texas retrofitted a battery-powered miniature red jeep as part of the Go Baby Go program and soon, Abel was on the move.

Brenda said, “He was scared at first, then he saw the Captain America sign and his face turned into a big huge smile. After that, he got on [the car].” Abel is part of the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities where therapy and specialized programs help him develop cognitive, social, and mobility skills. By learning to drive the electric jeep, Abel is more likely to be a candidate for a mobility chair in the future. “The ultimate goal is independence,” said Amanda Kern, occupational therapist.

Last September, the engineering math students from Victoria High School began making adjustments to the red jeep which required testing and re-testing. Upgrades included modifying and stabilizing the seat’s position and rewiring the foot accelerator to the steering wheel. Safety features like a five-point strap belt were also added and the electrical work had to be rewired. The students said that the project gave them a real world look into math and engineering, and that the project was more fun than work.

Abel’s red jeep project was part of Go Baby Go, a nationwide program that modifies off-the-shelf battery operated toy cars to make them accessible for children with disabilities. The program’s founder had identified a gap in the market, particularly that mobility devices for young children were non-existent while adult motorized wheelchairs cost upwards of $17,000. In comparison, by modifying existing battery operated toy cars, the total cost is only around $200. The Go Baby Go program offers children with disabilities to develop independent mobility, cognition, coordination, balance, social, and other skills.

As Abel drove the red jeep throughout the halls of Dudley Elementary School and honked the horn, he smiled. “There’s no better feeling than seeing your son smile,” Brenda stated.

Are you working on experiments to retrofit existing off-the-shelf products and make them accessible for people with disabilities? Did you know your experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.  

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

Ralph Lauren’s wearable technology packs the heat so Team USA can bring home gold

snow wetherproof insulation

35,000 spectators are expected to attend the Olympic Opening Ceremonies this upcoming Friday at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. Anticipation is high among athletes and attendees alike. Added to the excitement, however, are widespread concerns that the stadium – which was built without a roof and without central heating – will be too cold for the ceremony’s audience members. Team USA, fortunately, is fitted with wearable technology that will keep them warm to withstand the chilling conditions.

The $58 million main Olympic Stadium omitted a roof and central heating in its design and construction plans as a time-saving measure and because it would have been “too expensive”, according to an internal document from the Olympic organizing committee. Last November, however, six people reported getting hypothermia while attending a concert at the stadium, calling into question the location’s security and safety.

At 7 degrees Fahrenheit, the 2018 Winter Olympics is expected to be the coldest on record since 1994 when the Olympics were held in Lillehammer, Norway. Weather conditions then were at a low of 12 degrees Fahrenheit. PyeongChang is half a mile above sea level and is infamous for its biting winds originating from Siberia and the Manchurian Plain. To keep warm, Olympic organizers are providing spectators with heating pads, a blanket, and a raincoat. Polycarbonate walls will be set up along the highest points of the stadium to block wintry winds and portable gas heaters will be placed between rows to provide extra warmth.

To combat the cold at the Opening Ceremonies, the American athletes will have special uniforms designed by Polo Ralph Lauren. Drawing from the American flag colors of red, white, and blue, the athletes will be fitted with heated parkas powered by a battery pack. The parkas have printed strips of electronic, heat-conducting metallic ink. Akin to an electric blanket but using ink instead of wires, the parkas generate heat from electrons travelling through the silver ink and hitting resistive carbon pads. The parkas are also water-repellant and athletes can control the temperatures of the wearable technology using three different settings. Adopting engineering principles from heated car seats, the wearable technology is more flexible and stretchy and provides up to 11 hours of heat. “We knew about the cold,” said David Lauren, chief innovation officer at Ralph Lauren, “and hit on the idea of using wearable technology to keep our athletes warm.”

Working on wearable technology that is both fashionable and functional?  Your experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you could receive 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.