Weekly Mashup 68

© Packnada

Travel the world without ever carrying a suitcase? Welcome to the future… Packnada

For people who spend half their life up in the air on business, packing (and then carrying said packing) can become the bane of one’s existence. Enter Packnada, a Singapore-based service that takes care of your packing, washing, ironing, repacking, checking in, delivering to hotel, etc…. SIGN US UP.

© Microsoft

Meet HoloLens, Microsoft's wireless holographic headset TechCrunch

Microsoft has introduced its latest piece of virtual reality tech: the HoloLens. Announcing the wireless holographic headset's arrival at a Windows 10 event, the computer giant explained that the piece of equipment - which resembles a pair of skiing goggles - will fuse the real world with the digital realm.

© Google

Google Translate makes your mobile the best travel companion ever Huffington Post

An update to the Google Translate app gives your mobile phone the ability to translate any printed text between languages simply by aiming the camera at it – and you don’t even need an Internet connection for it to work properly. Magic.

© Snapchat

Want to advertise on Snapchat? OK, but it’ll cost you $750,000 per day AdWeek

Snapchat is reportedly asking brands for $750,000 a day for its new ads, according to industry sources. The rapid-fire messaging app launched adverts in late 2014 – the first was for Universal Pictures’ film Ouija – which show up in users’ Recent Updates feed. But AdWeek’s sources feel the fee is too much for such a young app.

© Rekkis

20 clever mirrors being used as hi-tech marketing tools Trend Hunter

Retailers, brands and agencies including Topshop, Ikea, the Riviera Hotel and Clear Channel are using mirrors as hi-tech marketing tools to boost consumer engagement, whether by turning them into virtual changing rooms, ‘selfie stations’, animated TV screens, or simulators to show the effects of, say, drink-driving…

Ed-tech budgets in American schools predicted to grow in 2015 School Data

There is growing demand for technological solutions to improve teaching and personalised learning in American schools, according to EdNET Research. Because of this, ed-tech budgets are predicted to soar across the US in 2015. Kathleen Brantley, Director of EdNET Insight, said: ‘Schools are more optimistic about their ed-tech budgets than they have been for the past few years.’

© Twitter/ICICI Bank

Pay-by-tweet on Twitter with India’s ICICI bank PSFK

Mobile banking just got even easier in India, where ICICI Bank has launched a pay-by-tweet service. 'Icicibankpay' enables customers to transfer money to another person (who does not need to be an ICICI Bank client) simply by tweeting their name and the amount to @icicibank via direct message.

© iGrow

Can these 5 techy gadgets really make you healthier and happier? Entrepreneur

From the patch that tracks your heart rate and the mini urine-testing kit, to the app which scans your wrinkles and the headphones which promise to help your hair grow faster (see image above) – here are some of the best portable gizmos Entrepreneur spotted at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.

© Funders and Founders

Career slump? Fret not! You’re never too old for your big break Entrepreneur

Film director Ang Lee was a house husband until the age of 31; JK Rowling an unemployed single mother until the same age, and Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, sold paper cups until he was a whopping 54. There’s still time, kids. (But don’t use that as an excuse to wait another decade…)