DemoSpring: Where start-ups sprout

With spring's arrival, so too comes the semiannual Demo event, where entrepreneurs show off their start-up seedlings and hope the crowd sees their potential to grow. DemoSpring 2010 takes place Sunday through Tuesday in Palm Desert, Calif. Expect a strong crop of fresh businesses offering everything from new uses for mobile phones to innovations aimed at bettering the planet.

Featured coverage

Five to watch at DemoSpring 2010

Some 65 new companies will pitch to investors and the media at DemoSpring 2010. We pick out a few companies worth waiting for.

When Exaudios is in use, it pays to get angry

New system can examine phone callers' intonation to tell they are happy, sad, in love, or angry. The technology is being pitched to call center managers.

3 examples of why the iPhone needs background processing

Three products at DemoSpring show that it's time for Apple to get off the stick and figure out the background problems like power management and security.

Latest coverage

Demo debrief: Rafe and Josh's favorites

This year's Demo Spring conference has come to a close, and we take a minute to look back at some of our favorites.

Neverend Media builds smart new e-book format

It's arguably a better format than PDF for electronic books. But is it better enough to get traction?

Next-gen Web TV apps focus on the browser

Demonstrated at the DemoSpring conference, new couch-friendly browsers aim to make surfing the Web from your living room less of a pain.

3 examples of why the iPhone needs background processing

Three products at DemoSpring show that it's time for Apple to get off the stick and figure out the background problems like power management and security.

Medl Tech portable monitor gives idea for iPad

Company at Demo presents a 13-inch, battery-powered, USB-driven portable computer monitor. Is there a market for it?

Gwabbit's handy contact slurper gets cloud sync

Contact-slurping tool Gwabbit now has a cloud-based tool that will seek out new contact information from the Web and amend it to your e-mail contacts.

Motolingo brings telematics to clunkers

Motoriety combines car diagnostics data with your smartphone's GPS to give you more data than you thought possible about how you use your car.

Phone Halo tracks any gadget's whereabouts

New company Phone Halo is trying to make finding missing gadgets less of an ordeal by using Bluetooth and a keychain-size locater.

Fliptop makes RSS feeds more accessible

Little utility packages subscriptions for publishers and users. Subscribe button gives readers lots of controls, while browse button enables easier content tracking.

When Exaudios is in use, it pays to get angry

New system can examine phone callers' intonation to tell they are happy, sad, in love, or angry. The technology is being pitched to call center managers.

Flinc will turn your car into a taxi (fare included)

German start-up Flinc promises to help people make a little bit of spare cash off their cars. Unlike car-sharing services, its tech involves actually driving people.

Brandfolium tries to make Twitter advertising palatable

Want to sell your tweets? Check out Brandfolium's Navid.

The rise of iPhone app making for dummies

Ever wanted to make an iPhone app without signing up to be an Apple developer? Two DemoSpring start-ups are offering just that.

PayPal wants your start-up

Payment platform launches incubator program, called Startup Accelerator.

Visiarc streams mobile e-mail attachments

At DemoSpring, a new start-up is trying to solve the problem of opening and sharing large e-mail attachments.

Ambit Control spies on your kids' phones

Paranoid or protective? Ambit Control watches kids on mobiles.

Don't laugh, Venuegen's virtual meetings can work

Second Life didn't work as a virtual world for business meetings, but this might.

Five to watch at DemoSpring 2010

Some 65 new companies will pitch to investors and the media at DemoSpring 2010. We pick out a few companies worth waiting for.

ThickButtons reduces fat-fingering

New keyboard tech re-sizes buttons on the fly.

InVisage aims to remake camera sensor market

A Silicon Valley start-up believes its image sensor technology will dramatically improve smartphone cameras by gathering light more efficiently.


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Credits

Editor: Michelle Meyers
Art: Stacey Padiernos