Startups

“We may be just years away from the longest-lasting and most hassle-free contraceptive ever invented,” writes Eliana Dockterman for Time about new implantable contraception being developed by MIT startup MicroCHIPS.

“The concept was conceived two years ago when Bill Gates visited Robert Langer’s MIT lab,” writes Sarah Gray for Salon about a new implantable, contraceptive microchip. The chip can be controlled remotely and lasts for 16 years.

Rachel Raczka writes for Boston.com about MIT startup MicroCHIPS’ new remote-controlled contraceptive device. The implantable microchip releases levonorgestrel, an active ingredient in certain forms of oral contraception, and can be turned on or off with the flip of a button.

BBC News reporter Dave Lee writes that MIT researchers have developed an implantable contraceptive chip that can be controlled via remote control. "The ability to turn the device on and off provides a certain convenience factor for those who are planning their family," explains Robert Farra.

Callum Borchers of The Boston Globe writes about MIT startup Phoodeez, an online catering service that, “handles just about every aspect of a client’s meal plan. It can supply a smorgasbord of cuisines, keeps track of gluten-free dishes and other dietary needs, and plans a different menu for the office every week.”

“Solar-powered benches, called Soofas, will pop up in Boston parks over the next week,” writes Joey Cosco for Slate about a project by Changing Environments out of the MIT Media Lab. The benches collect environmental data and allow users to charge their mobile devices.

“Soofas are the creation of Changing Environments, an MIT Media Lab spin-out co-founded by three women in their early thirties—a designer, an electrical engineer, and a marketing expert,” writes Caroline Winter of Bloomberg Businessweek about new smart, solar-powered benches in Cambridge and Boston.

ABC News reports on the new smart benches created by Changing Environments, a spinoff from the MIT Media Lab. The ‘Soofas’ will be placed in various locations throughout Boston and Cambridge and allow users to charge phones and download environmental data.

“The high-tech benches were invented by MIT Media Lab spinoff Changing Environments,” writes Meghan Irons of The Boston Globe about new solar-powered “smart benches” coming to Boston. “Your cellphone doesn't just make phone calls, why should our benches just be seats?” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says of the project. 

Steve Lohr writes for The New York Times about Luminoso, a text analysis and artificial intelligence startup out of the MIT Media Lab. Luminoso analyzed social media communications before, during, and after the U.S.-Germany World Cup soccer match to create a minute-by-minute picture of peoples’ emotions.

Alex Davies writes for Wired about Cruise Automotive, a startup out of MIT that plans to make almost every car on the road autonomous. MIT graduate and CEO Kyle Vogt says his company’s RP1 highway car autopilot system offers more autonomy than what is currently available from automakers.

Steve Lohr of The New York Times writes about the Sociometric Solutions, a startup out of the Media Lab that creates technology for monitoring employees in the workplace. Workers must opt in to have their data collected, which is then used to increase office efficiency.

Callum Borchers of The Boston Globe writes about the Copenhagen Wheel developed by MIT SENSEable City Lab startup, Superpedestrian. The device is designed to replace a bicycle’s rear wheel and kicks in to give the rider a boost when facing higher resistance on inclines.

Teo Kermeliotis and Jessica Ellis write about Sloan alumnus Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, CEO of Wecyclers, a company aimed at solving waste management issues in Lagos, Nigeria. Wecyclers rewards households that participate in recycling with SMS points that can be redeemed for rewards.

New York Times reporter Adam Bryant interviews Tom Leighton about how his time teaching as an MIT professor influenced his management style in his current role as CEO of Akamai.