Canada’s crowdfunding association applauds progress for startups, SME’s

A recent report estimates that the digital signage market will see a compound annual growth rate of nine per cent over the next six years. One seemingly certain upshot is the rise of next-gen interactive vending machines. The digital vending machines – first released in Europe – will include advertising as well as a gamification component and, of course, the ability to share with your social networks.

If you’ve ever wished for easier access to participants for your UX research, here’s a helpful guide on how to build your own UX research participant test. Included here are insights into the pros and cons of creating your own resource group. Part of that could include a dive into eye-tracking software as a unique way of judging User Experience design. And if your eyes are aching for inspiration, check out the list of winners of the  International Design for Experience Awards.

The National Crowdfunding Association (NCFA) – yes, there’s a national crowdfunding association – says things are heading in the right direction in Canada. British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario are pushing forward on crowdfunding exemptions for startups and SMEs. That means startups would be able to raise up to $1.5 million per calendar year. According to the Association’s database, the number of Canadian crowdfunding portals more than tripled from 17 in 2012 to 70 in March 2014.

MaRS is now in its third week of Wearable Wednesdays, a meetup for Canada’s growing wearable tech startups to meet and mingle with those interested in the market. This past Wednesday focused on wearables in the health care industry.

Finally, in the spirit of improving the music listening experience for Canadians, Songza is now pushing out playlists that factor in the weather. This cold Spring is about to warm up.