From August 2nd to 3rd 2014, the YC Hacks event was held in Mountainview, California to gather developers under one roof and develop tomorrow’s technology.
The winners of the YC Hacks Hackathon were (in order of place 1 = first place, etc):
- Athelas: This technology is a smartphone accessory that allows you to analyse your blood so you can detect diseases and cell counts cheaply and quickly (within seconds). This lens attachment enables magnifies your blood so you can see it using your smartphone camera, and the developers ‘implemented computer vision to algorithmically count and identify cells in the bloodstream to automatically diagnose disease/conditions’. An example of how significant this is: Malaria is a lethal disease which is killing many people around the world, as well as in impoverished regions in Africa where access to medical equipment is limited. Early detection of Malaria using this low-cost technology could save lives.
- nunchuck.js: This is a library that enables developers to integrate mobile browser controls into desktop websites.
- Vrniture: Have you ever had to shift heavy furniture around over and over again because you just can’t find the right position for it? Vrniture helps you to visualize exactly how the furniture would look in various places with using an Oculus Rift (virtual reality technology) and a Myo armband. Afterwards, you can actually purchase the furniture from IKEA within the app. According to the Vrniture submission: ‘The Oculus gives you a true-to-life way of exploring your space, while the Myo lets you cycle through furniture options with the flick of a wrist’.
ListeningPost: This one didn’t win, however, I appreciate it because it searches for terms spoken (vocally) in real time, which could help you to quickly find the definition of what people are saying during speeches, so you won’t have to write down a list of words to Google. It’s always best to find out right away so you can follow the speaker throughout the entire speech. This is kind of technology i’ve been waiting for!
YC Hacks is a Y Combinator Hackathon hosted with the assistance of Kathrina Manalac, Dave Fontenot, Sam Altman, Tara Perillo, Justin Kan, Alexis Ohanian, and Nick Sivo.
Main Source: Y Combinator.
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