Biomimicry is a concept that has received increasing attention recently, but it has been explored for some time, as shown by the upcoming Biomimicry Education Summit and Conference, which will be meeting in June for the seventh time.

I wish I could go to the conference, as it will be dealing with a number of fascinating aspects of biomimicry, including the environmental costs of business, and 3D printing, a topic I've written about a number of times.

Biomimicry is becoming more prominently featured in technology as products become more refined and sophisticated. I look at a number of examples of biomimicry in today's technology in 5 Examples of Biomimetic Technology

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As with many other Kickstarter hardware projects, Lifx light bulbs have hit a few snags. The bulbs were originally scheduled to ship in March 2013, but the latest predictions have them set to release either this month or next to the first Kickstarter backers.

I for one am excited to hear reviews of these smart lightbulbs being used in the home. It looks like the product will ship with a limited set of features compared to those mentioned in the Kickstarter pitch, so it will be interesting to see how well the initial features work, and how quickly the subsequent features will be rolled out.

Lifx is at the front of a wave of smart devices, being a lightbulb that can be controlled wirelessly from a mobile phone. For more detail on the Lifx project and smart lightbulbs, check out my article on the Lifx Lightbulb.

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Taxi commissions in many major cities are feeling the pressure from a new wave of ride sharing mobile apps that are disrupting the industry. These commissions have maintained monopolies over car services in many cities, and haven't innovated as fast as a number of startups that are trying to enter the space.

Lyft, Sidecar and Uber are all companies that have faced regulatory obstacles placed by threatened incumbent industries, particularly in large, taxi-heavy cities like New York and Chicago. Despite the snags, it seems like these companies are slowly making progress, and this continued effort is undoubtedly being driven by the intense public demand. Ride sharing apps have allowed customers to use technology to fractionally own a car, or make some extra money from an existing car. I go into greater detail about this set of technologies that are disrupting the transport industry in: Ride Sharing Technology

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The large VC firm Andreessen Horowitz evidently thinks there is big potential in the field of 3D printing. The company recently led a $30 million round of funding, allowing Shapeways to continue its growth in the US. Shapeways currently has a 3D printing factory on the east coast, but still relies on a number of partners to provide its full range of printing options. This round may be used to bring those services in house, and develop a manufacturing presence on the west coast, a smart move considering the tech focus of places like Silicon Valley.

If you are unfamiliar with Shapeways, it is a company that could allow you to dip your toes into the world of 3D printing, by offering an on-demand 3D printing service. The company also empowers designers by creating a marketplace for people to sell their 3D printed wares. I give a full profile of this company in: Startup Profile: Shapeways

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