<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Soludos</span></p><p class="caption">Each Ashore Sneaker ($129) is made from four post-consumer water bottles.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Soludos has created its most sustainable shoe to date. Each sneaker is made from four post-consumer plastic bottles, and sustainable materials - including non-toxic ink.</strong></li><li><strong>The <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore Sneaker ($129)</a> comes in five different colors with a breathable knit top - perfect for hot summer months.</strong></li><li><strong>I recently walked all over the Mile High City wearing these shoes right out of the box, and my feet and toes came out unscathed.</strong></li></ul><p>I'd been looking for a pair of casual white sneakers I could wear to work during muggy months when I was presented with the opportunity to test the new <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soludos Ashore Sneaker ($129)</a>.</p><p>At first glance, I thought the sneakers were lightweight, cute, and white - everything I wanted. Plus, they were Soludos' most sustainable shoe, so I was excited to try them out with my spring and summer outfits.</p><p>They arrived the morning of my flight to Colorado for Memorial Day weekend. I<span style="font-weight: 400;"> had already packed my bag and was just about to leave my apartment but I took a chance and swapped the shoes I was wearing with the <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore sneakers</a>. </span>Ideally, I would've loved to try them on and walk around a little bit, but I based my decision solely off of how comfortable my coworker Ellen Hoffman found her <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/soludos-espadrilles-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soludos espadrilles</a>. Thankfully, I wasn't misled.</p><p>Right out of the box, these shoes were extremely comfortable to wear and fit perfectly. The tops are designed with a unique knitting pattern where the stitching is more open and loose on the sides and upper, which makes for a more breathable shoe. The material is also pretty stretchy itself so I felt comfortable venturing out and exploring Denver without needing to break them in. </p><p>You could wear these without socks, but I chose to wear no-show tan socks so you wouldn't be able to see them through the loosely knit upper. If you do wear socks, try matching them to your skin color or go with a white sock, otherwise you'll probably see them through the knit.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first day I wore the <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore Sneakers</a>, I walked about five miles in them. I came back from exploring Denver with blister-free feet - which never happens with any shoe, let alone something that I didn't break in. I was also surprised at how well my ankles and shins felt. As someone who's currently dealing with shin splints, excessive walking tends to make the pain flare up. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The insole doesn't necessarily have any kind of special arch or ankle support for people who might need it, and this isn't meant to be an orthopedic shoe, but i</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">n my experience, I was fine walking a decent distance in these shoes without getting sore ankles and shins.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Soludos</span></p><p class="caption">The Ashore Sneaker comes in five summer-ready colors.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></a></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of my favorite things about these shoes though is the material with which they're made</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore Sneaker</a>, which comes in five summery colors, is made with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">approximately four post-consumer plastic bottles. The plastic is melted down, forced through very tiny holes to create fibers, and then spun into yarn. This kind of yarn is what's used to make the upper part of the shoe and the laces. It honestly surprised me how flexible a plastic-derived material could be, and made me feel good about finding a way to reuse the </span>plastic sitting in landfills or littering our oceans and shorelines (though reducing our reliance on plastic in general is more important).</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But Soludos goes another </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">step</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> further to create its most sustainable shoe ever. The soles of the <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore Sneaker</a> are made with recycled rubber, which provides good cushioning and probably alleviated the shin splits I'm prone to. The ink used in the logo is also non-toxic, making the <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore Sneaker</a> even more environmentally-friendly.</span></p><p><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BydH31TBgwS/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In an Instagram post</a> in early June, Soludos wrote, "Since May 15 you have sponsored the removal of 98,800 pieces of plastic from our shorelines!" That's pretty impressive since the sneakers launched around a month ago.</span></p><p>One of the downsides to these shoes is that they can't be worn in the rain due to the loose knit pattern. I did once out of pure forgetfulness and my socks ended up getting a little wet during my walk to the train. And although I found them to be very comfortable to wear all day, they don't have arch support or anything other than a soft rubber sole so people with flat feet or too-high arches might not find these sneakers as comfortable as I did.</p><p>Regardless, I've never worn shoes made from recycled plastic, and was impressed with the fit and feel of the <a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashore Sneaker</a>. The knit upper makes for a comfortable and breathable shoe - which is exactly what I wanted - and I've worn them almost every day to work since I've gotten them. For me, Soludos hit the mark with the stylish, well crafted, and sustainable Ashore Sneaker. </p><h3><a href="https://www.pntra.com/t/S0BLTElHQERGRklFS0BLR0xDSg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soludos.com%2Fproducts%2Feco-knit-sneaker&amp;sid=biip_061819_soludos-ashore-sneaker-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buy the Ashore Sneaker (available in five colors) from Soludos for $129</a></h3><p class="tagline"><p><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br><br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.<br><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.</br></br></br></br></p></p>

I walked 5 miles in these sustainable sneakers from Soludos right out of the box and didn't get any blisters or shin splits

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>A recent report claimed that dollar stores are preventing rural communities and low-income black neighborhoods from getting ahead.</li><li>In addition to undercutting local grocers, the arrival of dollar stores can lead to the shuttering of independent businesses.</li><li>Though many dollar stores are beginning to sell healthier food items, their offerings still fail to meet the nutrition needs of disadvantaged areas.</li></ul><p>At first glance, the Dollar General slogan is music to a bargain-hunter's ears: "Save Time. Save Money. Every day!"</p><p>With prices that are 20% to 40% lower than those at traditional grocery and drug stores, the company has become a staple in retail-starved towns and small urban neighborhoods. </p><p>It's also a source of controversy following a <a href="https://ilsr.org/dollar-stores-target-cities-towns-one-fights-back/">recent report</a> from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), which claims that dollar stores are preventing disadvantaged communities from getting ahead - and, in some cases, even contributing to decline of local businesses. </p><p>One of the biggest concerns outlined in the report is that stores like Dollar General and its competitor, Dollar Tree, are targeting rural communities and low-income black neighborhoods, many of which already lack access to healthy food. </p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-tree-dollar-general-compared-pictures-details-2018-3">We shopped at Dollar Tree and Dollar General to see which offered a better shopping experience, and the winner was unmistakable</a></em></p><p><span>"Essentially what the dollar stores are betting on in a large way is that we are going to have a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-stores-thrive-thanks-to-americas-permanent-underclass-2018-4">permanent underclass</a> in America," Garrick Brown, the director for retail research at the real estate firm Cushman &amp; Wakefield, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-10-11/dollar-general-hits-a-gold-mine-in-rural-america">told Bloomberg in 2017</a>.</span></p><p>It's a business model that's worked well for Walmart, which has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-tree-dollar-general-compared-pictures-details-2018-3#our-first-stop-was-at-dollar-general-the-chain-has-14761-stores-in-the-us-most-of-which-are-located-in-rural-areas-2">had its own struggles competing</a> with Dollar General. After piloting a series of "mini" stores called <span>Walmart Express, the company was forced to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-closes-hundreds-of-stores-2016-1">close more than a hundred locations</a>, many of which were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-general-moving-into-walmart-stores-2016-7">purchased by Dollar General</a>.</span></p><p><span>The number of dollar stores in America now exceeds the combined total of Walmart and McDonald's locations. Dollar stores also feed more Americans than Whole Foods does, according to the ILSR report.</span></p><p><span>This might not be a problem if the stores offered nutritious food, but there's little evidence of that being the case. </span></p><h2><span>How unhealthy are dollar stores?</span></h2><p><span>Last week, the managing director of <a href="https://www.globaldata.com/consumer/research-areas/industry/retail/">GlobalData Retail</a>, Neil Saunders, took to Twitter to <a href="https://twitter.com/NeilRetail/status/1071431062071300096">defend the social and economic value of dollar stores</a>. </span></p><p>According to Saunders, selling fresh foods is a "big part" of these stores' expansion plans. He also said that dollar stores have become increasingly popular among middle and higher income consumers. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>"<span>Sure, they're functional, dense and lack the frills and space of Whole Foods," <a href="https://twitter.com/NeilRetail/status/1071443167818313729">he tweeted</a>, "but they're not the pits of hell some paint them as."</span></p><p>Dollar General has made an effort to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/05/business/dollar-general-stores-food/index.html">provide healthier options</a> to consumers by adding <span>125 "better for you" items to 2,700 locations. The company now carries a brand called <a href="https://www.dollargeneral.com/private-brand/good-smart.html">Good &amp; Smart</a>, which offers nuts, dried fruit, coconut water, and multigrain chips.</span></p><p><span>The <a href="https://www.dollartree.com/bulk/Healthy-Food">healthy foods section</a> on Dollar Tree's website is less extensive. Many of the foods listed are for dogs and cats, and what little "nutritious" items exist are mostly beans and noodles. The same goes for Family Dollar, which encourages its customers to "give your family delicious, healthy, nutritious meals for less," while offering "<a href="https://www.familydollar.com/deals/compare-and-save/food">great food choices</a>" like gummy bears, cookies, toaster pastries, and sugary cereal.</span></p><h2><span>Hidden costs of discount shopping</span></h2><p><span>Another concern highlighted in the ILSR report is that dollar store items can be deceivingly priced. By packaging their products in smaller amounts, the stores can undercut grocery stores and Walmarts.</span></p><p><span>When Business Insider's Hayley Peterson <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-general-opening-stores-photos-details-2018-2">visited a Dollar General store</a> in February, she found a minimal difference between the store's prices and those for the same products at Walmart. In one case, the Dollar General item was more expensive. In others, the products were simply packaged with fewer items.  </span></p><p>Peterson's visit to a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/dltr-stock">Dollar Tree</a> store in Richmond, Virginia, revealed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-dollar-tree-is-so-successful-2018-5#when-we-visited-one-of-the-companys-stores-in-richmond-virginia-we-found-one-of-the-doors-at-the-entrance-boarded-up-with-cardboard-2">an appalling display</a> of messy aisles, cardboard-covered doors, and abandoned check-out registers. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>Business Insider's Mary Hanbury also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-tree-dollar-general-compared-pictures-details-2018-3">toured a Dollar General store</a> in Brooklyn, and found basics such as milk and eggs, but no fresh fruits or vegetables.</p><p>"There definitely wasn't enough here to do your weekly grocery shopping," she wrote. </p><p>A nearby Dollar Tree store had a larger grocery section, but no fresh produce at all. </p><h2><span>Dollar stores are pushing communities toward crisis </span></h2><p>The availability of healthy items becomes an even bigger problem when a neighborhood's alternative options are pushed out. </p><p><span>As discount stores move into a neighborhood, they've made it harder for grocery stores to stay afloat.</span></p><p><span>Citing reports from local grocers across numerous communities, the ILSR found that the arrival of a Dollar General store tends to decrease sales for mom-and-pop grocery stores by around 30%.</span></p><p><span>When these stores are forced to close, it often ignite</span>s a trend of closures among indepen<span>dent businesses in the area. </span></p><p><span>The result is a low-income or rural community with fewer options, less competition, and waning access to nutrition. </span></p><p><span>Because of this, the report argues, dollar stores aren't only capitalizing on a community's financial struggles; they're contributing to them. </span></p>

Dollar stores are feeding more Americans than Whole Foods, and it's leading some communities into crisis

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="9623641" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="2021-toyota-venza">2021 Toyota Venza</keyword> is back as a hybrid-only, all-wheel drive, two-row crossover.</li><li>It's actually quite fun to drive with very agile handling, which isn't commonplace among crossovers.</li><li>But the car isn't without its faults, like disappointing cargo space and visibility paired with too few physical buttons on the interior.</li><li>Prices start at $32,470 and it will be available in early September.</li></ul><p>In the realm of hybrid crossovers, there are a lot to choose from. But the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2021-toyota-venza-back-as-hybrid-price-specs-release-date-2020-5">2021 Toyota Venza</a> is one that deserves your attention.</p><p>Having a plethora of hybrid crossovers on the market — and hybrids in general — is a good thing. It wasn't too long ago that driving a hybrid car was erroneously seen as something only lame, tree-hugging environmentalists did. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_9" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110805" hostid="261"></div></p><p>But as we're living through a generation-defining climate crisis, it's great that there are suddenly so many hybrid options out there. It normalizes the idea of electrification and, hopefully one day, will pave the way for a complete break from our reliance on fossil fuels.</p><p>But I digress.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_6" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110808" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The Venza is anything but lame. It's sharply styled and outfitted with contemporary technology that makes it feel like it's fully embraced the new decade — and fully embraced buyers who normally wouldn't go for this whole "electrification" thing. </p><h2><strong>The 2021 <keyword id="9244368" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Toyota-Venza">Toyota Venza</keyword>: It's not the one you remember</strong></h2><p>Those familiar with <keyword id="6374528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="toyota">Toyota</keyword>'s lineup from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s will know it also featured a Venza: an SUV-ish thing that wasn't quite tall enough to be an SUV but was also a bit too big to be a sedan. Perhaps it was most accurately described as a tall station wagon. Regardless, it was difficult to classify. </p><p><div type="image" title="Toyota Venza 2014" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110813" hostid="261"></div></p><p>After a successful 2009, <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/news/toyota-venza-calling-it-quits-after-2015-model-year/">sales figures started dropping</a> — to the point where the Venza was finally discontinued after the 2015 model year. </p><p>But now the Venza is back and classified firmly by Toyota as a two-row crossover. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_32" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110821" hostid="261"></div></p><p>From the outside, the new Venza is a "Venza" in name only. It looks nothing like the previous one. In fact, it has rather <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jaguar-f-pace-review-2017-7">Jaguar F-Pace</a>-esque lines to its sculpted rear end. Toyota's designers really pulled back on the beltline here, creating a silhouette that conveys sportiness.</p><p>The 2021 Venza is the United States-import version of the Japanese-market Toyota Harrier. It will be sold here exclusively as a hybrid model. The crossover is, as Toyota puts it, part of the automaker's goal of electrification advancement. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_16" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110823" hostid="261"></div></p><p>And seeing as Toyota paved the wave for mass-market <keyword id="163386" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="hybrid-cars">hybrid cars</keyword> with the Prius, I could only expect a top-notch hybrid experience from the new Venza. Toyota's had long enough to perfect it, after all.</p><h2><strong>Details and safety ratings: All-electric driving and standard all-wheel drive</strong></h2><p>The 2021 Venza rides on Toyota's TNGA-K platform, which also underpins the Camry, Avalon, RAV4, Highlander, and Sienna. The hybrid system's battery pack is stored beneath the rear seats so trunk space isn't compromised. All-wheel drive comes as standard through the use of a separate, rear-mounted electric motor that powers the rear wheels as necessary.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_12" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110827" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Toyota rates the new Venza at 219 horsepower, which comes from both its 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and a system with three electric motors. Torque has not been announced at this time. </p><p>Although the EPA estimates haven't yet been finalized, Toyota said its own estimates put the total driving range at just under 500 miles. It also estimates fuel-economy return to be 40 mpg in the city, 37 mpg on the highway, and 39 mpg combined. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_8" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110830" hostid="261"></div></p><p>In the single weekend I had to test out the Venza, I found it returned about 36 mpg with both city and highway driving. </p><p>All-electric driving is possible for short distances, though in a recent Q&amp;A session, Toyota's engineers declined to disclose the range and speed limitations, if any. Rather, they said the main purpose of the all-electric driving is for coming home at night and not having the noise of the engine disturbing the neighbors, which seemed like a weirdly specific example to use. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_21" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110833" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Anyway, I was unable to determine the all-electric range in my own testing, but I did discover that the car would go into electric-only driving when it was traveling at 25 mph or below. The gasoline motor would kick to life if I surpassed 25 mph or if I leaned on the accelerator too aggressively. It wound up being most useful during stop-and-go traffic.</p><p>The Venza, in terms of size, is about six inches longer and slightly shorter in height than the RAV4. They're about the same width, and the RAV4 also has more ground clearance: It can have between 8.4 inches and 8.6 inches of clearance, depending on the trim, while the Venza claims 7.8 inches. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_17" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110836" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The Venza's weight comes to 3,847 pounds in the LE trim, 3,891 pounds in the XLE trim, and 3,913 pounds in the Limited trim, meaning it's a few hundred pounds heavier than the RAV4.</p><p>As of this writing, the Venza has yet to be rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_3" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110838" hostid="261"></div></p><h2><strong>What stands out: A crossover with luxury features and sports-car urges</strong></h2><p>Hybrid crossovers suffer from an image problem. </p><p>Too often, they are dismissed as boring, unenthusiastic cars, reserved solely for people who care not a bit about having any spark of excitement in their lives. The Venza takes this notion and turns it completely on its head.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_4" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110842" hostid="261"></div></p><p>It doesn't take long behind the wheel before the Venza suddenly feels like it's shrunk around you. You're left feeling like you're driving something much smaller — and lighter — than you are. Likely, this is accomplished through communicative steering, a well-balanced chassis, and good throttle response. </p><p>The Venza drives with far more agility and maneuverability than anything its size has any right to. The electric motor supplies instantaneous low-end power, zipping the car ahead of slow-moving traffic with a sort of casual athleticism I've come to expect from sports cars — but certainly not from hybrid, two-row crossovers.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_15" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110846" hostid="261"></div></p><p>I returned the press loaner Venza over a week ago and the feeling that's stuck with me when I think back about how it drove is its chuckability. This is a car that feels light enough on its feet that you can throw it into corners and between lanes and it won't punish you with terrifying, body-roll wobbliness. ("Body roll" is just a fancy term for the sensation of a car leaning toward the outside of a turn. The less, the better.)</p><p>This is not to say that the Venza is a sports car, of course. It is not. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked at how a car that big and weighing that much could feel completely elfin once it got moving. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_7" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110849" hostid="261"></div></p><p>During the rest of the driving experience, the Venza is quiet. The only time you really hear the engine at all is when you accelerate. Toyota said it wanted to create a cabin that fostered a very muted atmosphere, and the automaker has done that.<strong> </strong></p><p>The TNGA-K platform apparently blocks out vibration and noise through the floor, structure, and steering. Insulation placed in key locations cuts down on tire noise. The windshield is made from "acoustic glass" that helps reduce wind noise. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_23" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110851" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The switch between electric driving and hybrid driving — meaning when the gasoline engine turns on — was incredibly seamless. With the extra sound-deadening, the only hint you got that the car was suddenly using its gasoline engine was a very slight vibration in the steering wheel. That was it; completely unnoticeable otherwise if you weren't looking for it.</p><p>Because of its height, the Venza's ingress and egress were also very intuitive. I felt like Goldilocks when getting in and out of this car: didn't have to climb up too high, didn't have to get down too low in order to slide into the seat.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_26" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110855" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The rear seats can theoretically fit three, but that might be a bit cramped. With two, there's good arm and shoulder room, as well as decent legroom. </p><p>My favorite part of the car was the panoramic Star Gaze roof. A $1,400 option on the top-tier Limited trim, the roof is a big piece of seemingly frosted glass that flicks from transparent to to semi-transparent at the push of a button. Toyota said it uses something called "electrochromic glass technology" to pull off the effect.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_28" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110859" hostid="261"></div></p><p>When it's transparent, the Star Gaze roof acts like a regular, clear moonroof. It lets in sunlight and adds to the airiness of the cabin. When it's semi-transparent, the roof cuts down on the heat coming into the cabin and also diffuses the light in a very pleasant way, sort of like sitting beneath a white tarp.</p><p>Of course, if you want nothing to come through at all, you can also slide the roof covering shut. That's just less fancy.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_29" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110862" hostid="261"></div></p><h2><strong>What falls short: Sleek styling comes at a price </strong></h2><p>Even the Venza was unable to escape the cheap-looking, <a href="https://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-worst-new-trend-in-car-interior-design-1564314503">tacked-on-as-an-afterthought screen</a> and eventual <a href="https://jalopnik.com/future-audi-interiors-will-be-a-button-less-screen-fil-1840457095">buttonless</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-mercedes-user-experience-system-offers-up-to-five-screens-2020-7">hellscape</a> that awaits us all. Although its infotainment and climate were not completely controlled via a touchscreen, the "buttons" had zero haptic feedback, so you still needed to glance at the screen to check your climate adjustment anyway. </p><p>I hate that. I drive a lot of cars, and I still hate having to look at a screen while I drive. It's distracting.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_25" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110868" hostid="261"></div></p><p>It's also almost a rule at this point that the sleeker and more raked a car's rear window is, the worse its rearward visibility is. The Venza, with its sporty looks, is a nightmare for over-the-shoulder glances. The fat D-pillars and small window make for a big blind spot. You'll rely on your mirrors a bit more here, as well as on the lane-departure warning system.</p><p>But call me old-fashioned: I like physically being able to see where I'm about to go. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_20" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110872" hostid="261"></div></p><p>And despite being longer than the RAV4, the Venza actually offers less cargo room. I suppose it's not surprising when you look at their exterior profiles — a box is always going to have more volume than something with a shorter, sleeker, and tapered roofline. </p><p>But just so you have them, the numbers: <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/toyota-cms-media/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2020-Toyota-RAV4-Product-Information_FINAL_1.24.20.pdf">The RAV4 has</a> 37.5 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row, the Venza has 28.8 cubic feet without the Star Gaze roof and 28.7 cubic feet with it. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_14" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110876" hostid="261"></div></p><h2><strong>How the Venza compares to its competitors: The only one of its kind </strong></h2><p>The Venza, being exclusively a hybrid-only, all-wheel drive model, is interesting. Typically, hybrid and all-wheel drive options are the most expensive way you can outfit a model. The Venza, through its singular offering, removes the other options entirely.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza." height="460" width="1186" msid="77110878" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The base LE trim starts at an MSRP of $32,470. The mid-tier XLE trim starts at $36,000. The top-tier Limited trim starts at $39,800. The delivery, processing, and handling fee is an additional $1,175. Toyota says the Venza will see an on-sale date of early September. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_27" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110881" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Toyota has said the Venza will compete with the likes of the Nissan Murano, Ford Edge, Honda Passport, and Chevrolet Blazer. None of these offer hybrid configurations or standard all-wheel drive, so when you consider the Venza's starting price to be just a couple of thousand dollars more, it makes for a serious contender. </p><p>Yes, the Venza's official EPA fuel-economy figures haven't yet been released. But <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-toyota-venza-hybrid-vs-chevy-blazer-honda-passport-comparison/">Roadshow</a> also points out that the Toyota's estimated combined fuel economy of about 40 mpg will likely be much better than the competition, which comparatively has mpg ranges in the low- to mid-20s. </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_24" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110885" hostid="261"></div></p><h2><strong>Market musings: The Venza walks a fine line</strong></h2><p>The new Toyota Venza is designed to sit right in between the RAV4 and the Highlander. But while both of those are offered as non-hybrid and hybrid models, the Venza will have no such option. Hybrid is the only way you can get it. Why?</p><p>I have my suspicions. I suspect Toyota knows buyers will flock more heavily toward the RAV4 and the Highlander. Last year, the RAV4 and the Highlander were Toyota's <a href="https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-motor-north-america-reports-december-2019-year-end-sales/">two best-selling cars</a> in the US.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_30" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110888" hostid="261"></div></p><p>But to fill the existing gap between the two, and to cover any potential customers a competitor might steal, Toyota simply federalized the Japanese-market Harrier and stamped a name on it that US buyers would recognize. </p><p>Another reason for only federalizing the hybrid-only Venza: It offers protection against potential market cannibalization.</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_11" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110892" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Pricing for the Venza slots right in between the hybrid versions of the RAV4 ($28,350 starting) and Highlander ($38,200 starting). As a result, the Venza both offers a middle choice for hybrid crossover buyers while simultaneously pricing itself out of the way of the non-hybrid RAV4 ($25,950 starting) and Highlander ($34,600 starting). It'd be logical to think that perhaps hybrid buyers and non-hybrid buyers are distinct enough not to clash over the Venza.</p><p>But maybe you don't care about all the market stuff. Maybe you just want to know if this sleek-looking hybrid crossover is any good to drive. It is! </p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_31" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110899" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The 2021 Venza can just about do it all — and then some. Come for the quiet and smooth ride, enjoy the seamless shift between all-electric driving to hybrid driving, and stay for the surprisingly spirited and light-footed nature. </p><p>Let the new Venza breathe some life into hybrid crossovers. Their current reputation could use the help.</p><p style="text-align: center;">♦♦♦</p><p><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_22" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110902" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_19" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110904" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_13" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110909" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_10" height="3000" width="2000" msid="77110915" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_5" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110919" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2021 Toyota Venza_1" height="1333" width="2000" msid="77110921" hostid="261"></div></p>

REVIEW: The $32,000 Toyota Venza hybrid crossover proves electrification doesn't have to be boring

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p><p class="caption">Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon's consumer business</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/amazon">Amazon</a> officials left a lot of questions unanswered when they announced the company's new <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/drone">drone</a>-delivery service this week.</li><li>The drones' physical and technical limitations would seem to significantly constrain how and where they'll be used.</li><li>They also would seem to require Amazon to build out a vast new network of distribution centers and to amass a huge drone army.</li><li>Running such an operation would likely be a tremendous operational challenge - and that's just one of many challenges facing Amazon's airborne plan.</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>I know Amazon's delivery drone is supposed to be exciting and new and the future and everything - but I just don't get it.</p><p>Oh, I basically understand how the drone works, and from what I can tell, it's an impressive piece of technology.</p><p>But I don't get the fundamental business case for Amazon's drone service or how the company will overcome its inherent logistical challenges. I don't understand who or what areas the service is supposed to serve, where Amazon will be able to use it, or why it's any better or more efficient than the company's current means of transporting packages.</p><p>I'd love to get Amazon to explain it to me - and to the public at large. But beyond the scant details company officials offered at a conference in Las Vegas Wednesday, they aren't saying much about the new drone service.</p><p>Amazon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-predicted-amazon-would-be-making-drone-deliveries-by-2018-2018-12">has been talking about drones for years</a>. But according to the company, it's now ready to do more than just talk about them. At the e-commerce giant's Re:Mars conference, Jeff Wilke, the head of Amazon's consumer business <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-unveils-new-drone-prime-air-2019-6">unveiled what looks to be the company's near-final design for a delivery drone</a>, saying gadgets like it would be delivering packages to customers "within months."</p><p><em><strong>Read this</strong>: </em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-unveils-new-drone-prime-air-2019-6"><em>Amazon unveils a new Prime Air drone it says 'within months' will start delivering packages</em></a></p><p>That's great, but the drones have technical and other limitations that would seem to seriously curtail where and how Amazon will be able to use them.</p><h2>The drones will give Amazon range anxiety</h2><p>Let's start with their range. Wilke said the drones be able to fly up to 15 miles. But an Amazon representative afterward acknowledged that distance is the drones' round-trip range. That means that at most, they'll be able to fly 7-1/2 miles from an Amazon distribution center.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p><p class="caption">Amazon's drone won't be able to fly very far or carry very much.</p></div><p></p></div></div>That's a pretty short distance given the spread-out nature of most American cities. With that kind of range, the drones could barely make it across San Francisco and back before they'd need to recharge, even though the City by the Bay is extraordinarily compact as American metropolises go. And you can forget asking one to make it down to Palo Alto, much less making it back.</p><p>And lots of things could constrict the drones' range even further. It's quite likely, for example, that they won't be able to fly as far when carrying heavier packages or if they're running on older or only partially charged batteries. Stiff winds or other inclement weather could also reduce their range.</p><p>So too could topography. It's one thing to fly seven-and-one half miles in a more or less straight line over a level field, as Amazon showed in its demonstration video. It's another thing to have to fly up and down over hills or over and around tall buildings.</p><p>Those range limitations mean that for Amazon to be able to offer drone service to anything like an entire metropolitan area, it's probably going to need lots and lots of drone bases - almost certainly many more of them than the 75 or so distribution centers it has in North America today. It likely would need several just to cover the New York or San Francisco metro areas.</p><h2>The drones are lightweights as far as how much they can carry</h2><p>Range isn't the only challenge the drone service would seem to face. Others have to do with the carrying limits of the devices.</p><p>The drones will carry packages of up to five pounds, Wilke said. While that may not seem like a lot, he told the audience at the conference that 75% to 90% of the packages Amazon delivers today are five pounds are less.</p><p>But that still leaves out a significant portion of deliveries, which include many of Amazon's bigger ticket items. Among other things, the drones won't be able to deliver an Xbox One, most bags of cat food, or an Instant Pot. So, sure, the drone delivery program may come in handy if you run out of toothpaste, but it's likely not going to be of much help if you're placing a big holiday order or trying to use Amazon to replace your weekly shopping trip to the grocery store or Target.</p><p>It also looks like the drones will be limited to delivering just one package - or possibly a few, as long as they don't hit the weight limit - at a time. At least at first glance, that seems terribly inefficient. Even the small cars that many of Amazon's couriers use today can hold a lot more than that. They also don't face anywhere near the same weight limitations. While they can get stuck in traffic, they can also make multiple package deliveries in the same neighborhood on the same route without having to return to base to recharge.</p><p>To duplicate the carrying capacity and number of deliveries that just one car-based courier could handle, Amazon's almost certainly going to need multiple drones, perhaps even dozens of them. To service anything close to an entire metropolitan area, it's likely going to need a small air force. Keeping all those drones charged and maintained so that they're flying safely - not to mention securely strapping packages to them one-by-one - is going to be an amazing logistical challenge that will likely make even the company's current distribution system seem like child's play. I can't even fathom how it's going to work. </p><h2>Landing could be a problem in many places</h2><p>But the drone service faces yet another challenge. The drones will need an area to land. In Amazon's demonstrations, the drone aims for sheet-like landing pads that would-be customers have laid out in their backyards or fields. The drones' artificial intelligence systems are smart enough to avoid most obstacles, objects, and living things, including backyard clotheslines and dogs, Wilke said.</p><p>Even so, they likely will be prove useless for millions of Amazon customers. Around 71% of American homes are single-unit structures. Even assuming that every one of those has a yard Amazon's drones can land in - a generous assumption - that still leaves nearly 30% of homes that are likely to be much more problematic for them. These are ones that are in multi-unit structures - apartment buildings, condominiums, and the like.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has been talking about drones for years.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Such buildings are often concentrated in dense urban areas. Those are the kinds of areas for which Amazon's drones  seem best suited. It would be able to reach a large number of people from a limited number of bases. And it would be able to avoid the car traffic that often plagues those places.</p><p>But Amazon's requirement that the drones need an area to land will likely rule out many of those structures. That's because many multi-unit buildings either don't have yards or don't have ones that are exclusive to particular units.</p><p>What's more, many of the units in these building don't have doors that open to the outside, so it's not like the drones could land on their doorstep. Maybe Amazon can work out arrangements with building managers to have their mail room collect drone packages delivered to their roofs or courtyards, but that would likely take a big and time-consuming effort on Amazon's part to sign them up.</p><p>The company would also seem to face a similar challenge delivering packages to many businesses. While some companies own or occupy entire buildings and likely could designate a space on or near them that an Amazon drone could land, many don't.</p><p>Take our office. I work in a WeWork space on a floor that we share with probably a dozen other companies in the middle of an office building in downtown San Francisco. Even assuming a drone could navigate to our building, how's it going to get the package to me? Is it supposed to fly into an elevator and come up to my floor? Is it going to drop the package off on the roof?  What if I don't have access to the roof? Is it going to drop it off outside main entrance? Wouldn't that be inviting someone to steal it?</p><p>Amazon representatives haven't yet estimated the proportion of the company's current deliveries that could be serviced by drones, given all of their limitations beyond just the weight restriction.</p><h2>What happens when a drone falls from the sky?</h2><p>Plenty of other things would seem to be challenges too. What happens when a drone drops a package? Even a five-pound box can do a lot of damage if it's dropped from a high enough height. And what happens when a drone itself falls from the air?</p><p>Amazon may well have designed the drones with safety in mind, but if it's going to be flying as many as would seem necessary to make this service work, something inevitably is going to go wrong. A package isn't going to be strapped in just right. A drone is just going to fail, whether because its battery dies or its software gets corrupted, or it runs into something. What if that kills someone? Will Amazon's liability insurance cover that? Presumably so, but who knows? And how will customers and the public react?</p><p>And how will neighbors of Amazon's drone bases react to having dozens or even hundreds of the aircraft buzzing above their homes all day long? I live near a UPS distribution center and have seen the stream of trucks that flow out of it in the mornings onto the main traffic arteries near my neighborhood. That's impressive enough. But the number of drones coming out of a base would almost certainly need to be many times that, since each of those UPS trucks can carry dozens of packages - unlike the drones. I would hate to live near that kind of hive of activity; I'm guessing many other people would too.</p><p>Look, I recognize that Amazon has some practical reasons for exploring drone delivery. The company's shipping costs have been rising. FedEx just announced that it won't renew its contract with Amazon to express deliver the latter's packages, which could hamper the ecommerce giant's big push to offer free one-day shipping to customers of its Prime service. And the company has faced repeated criticism over the working conditions faced by its couriers and warehouse workers.</p><p>A drone service promises to reduce its reliance on the big shipping companies and its own human delivery people.</p><h2>Amazon has a lot of questions to answer</h2><p>I also recognize that there are likely some legitimate and practical uses for drones. Some hospitals have been testing using drones to deliver medical samples and specimens between different facilities. Drones have also been used to deliver supplies in developing countries and other areas without good road networks. There's probably a lot of promise in such applications, where the amount of time it takes to make a delivery is truly crucial or where using a car or truck just isn't possible or practical.</p><p>But that's not generally the case with what Amazon delivers, at least not in the US or most countries where it operates. There are generally good roads here. And does it really matter if your toothpaste takes a little more time to arrive?</p><p>I'm sure Amazon has thought about a lot of this. I'm sure they have answers - possibly even good ones - for these and other questions. But instead of talking about those answer publicly, company officials seem content to just show off their flashy new drones and stoke the hype for their new service. </p><p>Until they do start answering those questions, though, I'll remain skeptical of Amazon's new drone serve. Like I said, I just don't get it.</p><p><em><strong>Got a tip about Amazon or the tech industry?</strong> Contact this reporter via email at twolverton@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/troywolv/">@troywolv</a>, or send him a secure message through Signal at 415.515.5594. You can also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tip-business-insider-securely-guide-signal-securedrop-2017-6"> contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop</a>.</em></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more about Amazon:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-amazon-comparison-flawed-and-potentially-harmful-2019-4" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Uber is telling the world it's just like Amazon: Here's why the similarities are only skin-deep</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mackenzie-bezos-amazon-stake-sales-2019-4" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Here's why investors shouldn't be too worried about MacKenzie Bezos becoming one of Amazon's largest individual shareholders</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-divorce-wont-affect-his-voting-power-at-amazon-2019-4" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Jeff Bezos' divorce won't affect his voting power at Amazon, because MacKenzie is giving him control</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-warren-call-to-break-up-amazon-google-is-a-real-threat-2019-3" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link"> Elizabeth Warren pulled a ninja move to turn tech angst into a crackdown with real teeth, and tech is going to suffer even if she's not president</a></li></ul><p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/5-biggest-questions-around-amazons-new-grocery-chain?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=ecommerce&amp;itm_campaign=5-biggest-questions-around-amazons-new-grocery-chain"></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-divorce-hq2-wild-year-2019-2">What's going on with Jeff Bezos and Amazon</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Amazon has a lot of questions to answer about its new drone service

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"><html><body><p class="p1"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Have you ever wanted to see Earth from space? Or ask a question at a conference without having to climb over people to get to the mic? Or maybe tip someone when you've run out of cash?</p><p class="p1">Fortunately, some of the brightest entrepreneurs in the tech industry have made those things possible. </p><p class="p1">Startups like World View Enterprises, Crowd Mics, and Tip.ly have worked diligently to find solutions to problems many of us face on a regular basis. Because of World View, astronauts will no longer be the only ones who can enjoy the mind-blowing views of Earth from space. The creators of Crowd Mics are boosting audience participation at conferences and meetings by allowing audience members to turn their phones into microphones. And the brains behind Tip.ly are working to make our reliance on cash become obsolete. </p><p class="p1">At first glance, these startups sound like ventures we'd expect from tech hotbed cities like Silicon Alley or New York. But in reality, these exciting enterprises are located in a part of the country currently experiencing a radical tech transformation: Arizona. </p><p class="p1">Here's a look at the tech startups that are working to disrupt industries such as medicine, education, space, and payments. </p><h3 class="p1">A round-trip ticket to space. </h3><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Company:</strong> <a href="http://worldviewexperience.com/" target="_blank">World View Enterprises</a></p><p class="p1"><strong>Located: </strong>Tucson, Arizona</p><p class="p1">Astronauts that have been to space often attest to the awe and beauty of seeing Earth from the stratosphere. Fortunately, the founders of World View Enterprises have developed a way to bring that life-altering experience to those outside of NASA. </p><p class="p1">Using high-altitude balloons, passengers (which World View refers to as Voyagers) are transported up to space within a comfortable, technology-equipped space capsule. The capsule takes roughly two hours to ascend into space, and once it reaches maximum altitude, Voyagers can enjoy breathtaking views of Mother Earth for two hours before descending. Throughout the trip passengers have access to refreshments and even WiFi (because nothing beats taking a selfie from space). Tickets aren't cheap, priced at $75,000 for early birds, with a $7,500 non-refundable handling fee (included in the $75,000 ticket). </p><p class="p1">World View recently <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/world-view-balloon-lofts-nasa-experiments-near-space-heights-n320216" target="_blank">rented out its helium balloons</a> to NASA to carry out experiments for Montana State and the University of North Florida. </p><h3 class="p1">Making sure everyone's voice is heard.</h3><p class="p1"><strong>Company: </strong><a href="http://crowdmics.com/" target="_blank">Crowd Mics</a> </p><p class="p1"><strong>Located: </strong>Mesa, Arizona</p><p class="p1">How many times have you been to a conference and wanted to ask a question but were just too shy to walk up to the microphone? With Crowd Mics, you can now ask questions and engage with large audiences without leaving your seat. Crowd Mics transforms any smartphone into a wireless microphone during live events with no additional hardware. The moderator plugs a mobile device into the sound system and connects to the WiFi. Audience members simply download the Crowd Mics app for free and connect to the same WiFi. Once their phones are connected, their voices can be projected throughout the room. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If people are too shy to speak, they can text their questions to the moderator directly from their seat. Organizations like Arizona State University, Salesforce, and Univision have already embraced the audience interaction technology. </span></p><h3 class="p1">Say good-bye to cash tips. </h3><p class="p1"><strong>Company: </strong><a href="https://tip.ly/" target="_blank">Tip.ly</a></p><p class="p1"><strong>Located: </strong>Phoenix, Arizona</p><p class="p1">Ever wanted to tip a delivery guy more but found you didn't have enough? Or worse, didn't have anything at all? Well, there's an app for that. With Tip.ly, users can send tips to service employees through a click of a button. First, register to give tips through the app with your PayPal or banking information, take a photo of the person you want to tip (the app uses "Face Tip Technology" to recognize faces), then select the amount you want to send - and voila, you're done.</p><p class="p1">The person receiving the tip can claim his money within 14 days by creating a Tip.ly account of his own. Entrepreneurs Stephen Campbell and Tim Baldwin developed the peer-to-peer mobile payment application to help tippers gain freedom from cash and tippees acquire more tips. As a bonus, business owners in the service industry can save money on processing credit card tips when patrons tip employees through Tip.ly. </p><h3 class="p1">Revolutionizing how students and professionals learn medicine. </h3><p class="p1"><strong>Company: </strong><a href="http://picmonic.com/" target="_blank">Picmonic</a></p><p class="p1"><strong>Located: </strong>Tempe, Arizona</p><p class="p1">It's no secret that everyone learns differently, but scientific evidence has shown that audio and visuals are extremely useful with memorization. Enter Picmonic. The software company, founded in 2011, helps medical professionals and students retain life-saving knowledge using interactive audiovisual mnemonics. Users are able to craft individualized study cards using fun and engaging audiovisuals, helping them retain information longer and score higher on exams. The breakthrough software is already being used in 74 countries with users boasting a 331% improvement in memory. </p><h3 class="p1">A dress rehearsal for surgery.</h3><p><strong>Company: </strong><a href="http://endovantage.com/" target="_blank">EndoVantage</a></p><p><strong>Located: </strong>Scottsdale, Arizona</p><p><span>EndoVantage's technology is helping surgeons prep for major surgeries like never before. Within the EndoVantage Interventional Suite (EVIS), doctors can utilize real patient data to plan specific endovascular treatments and then review those outcomes before they even step into the operating room. A doctor uploads a patient's medical images, selects a treatment device, watches simulations of these devices being deployed, and then receives 3D results to determine which treatments work best for his patient. EVIS is also being used to design and test endovascular devices without endangering any patients.</span></p><p><em>This post is sponsored by <a href="http://www.azcommerce.com/" target="_blank">Arizona Commerce Authority</a>.</em></p><p>Find out <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sponsor-posts">more about Sponsored Content</a>.</p></body></html><p class="tagline"><strong>Follow BI Studios on <a href="https://twitter.com/bi_studios_" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsiderStudios" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</strong></p>

5 Arizona-based tech startups that are disrupting industries like medicine and space

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Windows 10 running on the Surface Pro 3.</p></div><p></p></div></div>It's been a rough three years for Windows.</p><p>Windows 8, which launched in 2012 with the promise to revolutionize the way we use computers, didn't even come close to that ideal. It was designed to run on devices that are primarily controlled by touch at a time when most people still needed to use a keyboard and mouse.</p><p>Users were forced into a touch-based interface called Modern UI for most tasks, and would have to switch back to a classic desktop mode for everything else. It was like running two very different operating systems on one machine, making Windows 8 frustrating at best. At worst, Windows 8 was an unmitigated disaster that kept people clinging to Windows 7, which is now six years old.</p><p>It's time for Microsoft to start over again, and that's just what Windows 10, the new operating system that launches Wednesday, does. It fixes everything.</p><p>Windows 10 isn't just a refresh of Windows. It's a big, ambitious product that will run as a universal operating system on an array of devices. It'll power everything from phones to tablets to 80-inch touchscreens. It'll power a new array of household appliances that connect to the internet. It'll even power <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/minecraft-for-hololens-2015-6">computers you strap to your face</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">Windows 10 will power a variety of devices, including Microsoft's HoloLens.</p></div><p></p></div></div>But at first, Windows 10 will be all about PCs, and it's as close to a perfect PC operating system as you'll ever get.</p><p>Yes, it's that good.</p><p>I've spent the last week testing Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 3, and can say right off the bat that the new OS will be an essential upgrade for all Windows 8 users. (Seriously, get it ASAP.) Windows 7 users will want it too for its cleaner interface and new features. Plus, if you upgrade within the first year, you get it for free. </p><p>You have nothing to lose.</p><h3>Starting over</h3><p>The most important feature in Windows 10 is the return of the classic Start menu we've been using since good old Windows 95. It's sleeker and more modern-looking, but instantly familiar to anyone who has used Windows in the past 20 years. Its return is an admission by Microsoft that it tried too hard with Windows 8 to force a tablet-centric future on the world before it was ready. </p><p>Now we're back to the basics, and Windows 8 users are going to love it when they upgrade to Windows 10. With the Start menu, desktop users never have to go to tablet mode if they don't want to. Everything, including running the so-called modern touch apps from Windows 8, can be done on the desktop. And yes, almost all of your older apps from Windows 7 and earlier will work too.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot</span></p><p class="caption">The new Start menu in Windows 10.</p></div><p></p></div></div>But there are some relics from Windows 8 in the new Start menu. You can pin your favorite apps to the menu and get real-time snippets of information from them at a glance. Microsoft calls these Live Tiles, and they've been the standard icons in Microsoft products since the introduction of Windows Phone. </p><p>If you're someone with a Windows tablet or a hybrid device like the Surface, Windows 10 has a new feature called Continuum that makes it a lot easier to bounce between desktop mode and the touch-friendly tablet mode. </p><p>For example, when you detach the keyboard on the Surface, Windows automatically asks if you'd like to go into Tablet Mode. (You can also set it to switch to Tablet Mode without a prompt.) In Tablet Mode, the Start menu extends into an iPad-like home screen for your apps, which will now run in full-screen. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot</span></p><p class="caption">Tablet Mode in Windows 10.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Tablet Mode works great, and it's especially useful if you have a Windows tablet or hybrid device. But because there aren't many good tablet apps for Windows, even three years after Windows 8's debut, there really isn't much you can do in Tablet Mode besides stream video from apps like Netflix or Hulu. </p><p>The good news: Unlike in Windows 8, you never have to go into Tablet Mode in Windows 10 if you don't want to. Perhaps one day tablets will replace traditional PCs. But for now, it's all about the desktop. And Windows 10 does desktop computing really well. </p><h3>A digital assistant</h3><p>Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant, is the next major feature in Windows 10. It's such a core part of the operating system that it's embedded in the taskbar, staring you right in the face when you start your machine.</p><p>If you've used a Windows Phone, you're already familiar with Cortana. Like Siri, Google Now, and the rest, Cortana acts as a hub for everything in your digital life. It can proactively give you information like sports scores, weather, news, and restaurant recommendations based on your personal information you share with it. In fact, there's a virtual notebook that you use to share your personal tastes with Cortana, just like a human assistant would have for his boss.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot</span></p><p class="caption">Cortana is built into the Windows 10 taskbar.</p></div><p></p></div></div>On the desktop version of Windows 10, it's more of the same. You can activate Cortana with the keywords "Hey Cortana…" before giving a command. From there, there's not much you can do with Cortana that you couldn't do before. But I did find it useful for searching for files and apps stored on my PC. Cortana uses what's called natural language search, so you can ask it something as simple as "show me all the spreadsheets I worked on yesterday" and get exactly that. Pretty cool. </p><p>Cortana is a great tool, and it outperforms Siri and Google Now in many respects. But I didn't find it that handy on desktop. By now, I'm used to talking to my phone, but it feels strange shouting commands at my PC.</p><p>I imagine it'll be much more useful once <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/cortana-app-is-coming-to-android-and-ios-2015-5">Microsoft brings Cortana to iPhone and Android</a> later this year. Digital assistants work better on the go, and it'll be nice to have one that syncs both with your desktop and whatever device you carry with you. I think a lot of Windows 10 users will be tempted to dive into Cortana instead of Siri or Google Now when it comes to other platforms. For now though, only Windows Phone users get that benefit. </p><h3>Internet Explorer has been replaced</h3><p>Remember Internet Explorer? You probably ditched it long ago in favor of Chrome or Firefox. But even though Explorer has gotten a lot better over the years, the damage to its brand has been done, and Microsoft decided to start over with a new browser called Edge.</p><p>Edge replaces Explorer as your default browser, but Explorer is still there if you want to use it. And of course you can always choose Chrome or something else if you prefer.</p><p>Edge has a simple, clean look, along with a few extras. Cortana is also baked into the browser, so you can highlight a word you see and right-click to get more information and context about it. It's clever, and has the potential to reduce people's reliance on Google, but it didn't really feel natural to use. Maybe I'm just used to searching for stuff the old-fashioned way.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot</span></p><p class="caption">Cortana can give you information on highlighted items in Edge.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Other than that, there's a new reading mode, which strips out a lot of the ads and other graphics from news sites, making articles easy to read. It's nothing new, though - other browsers like Apple's Safari have had a similar feature for years. </p><p>Finally, Edge lets you highlight text or scribble on web pages and save clips to Microsoft's online file-storage service OneDrive. It works best with a touchscreen device and even better if you have a stylus like the one that comes with the Surface Pro 3.</p><p>I wish I had something else special to say about Edge, but it's just a browser. It's perfectly fine and capable of surfing the web, but it's hardly a revolution in the way we browse. My only criticism is I think the annotation features are unnecessary for just about everyone. I don't see many people highlighting and doodling over things they see on the web when they can just quickly share a link on Facebook or Twitter.</p><p>If anything, Edge is a way for Microsoft to fix the branding issue it had with Explorer. If you've been using Chrome or Firefox all this time, there's no good reason to switch to Edge. But if you've been using Explorer, you might want to give Edge a shot now that it's the default browser in Windows 10.</p><h3>One big problem</h3><p>With Windows 10, Microsoft has finally undone all the damage Windows 8 did to the desktop. It's wonderful.</p><p>But it also ignores the same challenge Microsoft has had since the rise of the iPhone and Android devices: How can it compete in mobile? </p><p>Windows 10 will be coming to Windows Phones in a few months, but the platform still faces the same problem it's had since the beginning: With such a tiny market share, there's no incentive for developers to bring their best apps to Windows Phone. And with no good apps, there's no reason for most people to buy a Windows Phone, no matter how good the operating system is. (And Windows 10 is really great on the phone. I've been testing an early version of it.)</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>YouTube/PhoneDog</span></p><p class="caption">Windows 10 will come to Windows Phones later this year.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Microsoft claims that since developers can write an app for Windows 10 and have it run on any device, there's room for its app selection to grow once millions of people upgrade. But I don't see that happening. Desktop apps are fundamentally different than phone apps, and I don't see developers taking the time to reconfigure programs to work on a phone relatively no one uses.</p><p>I think Microsoft's best bet in mobile is to do what it's been doing for the last year or so: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-is-taking-over-my-iphone-2015-6">snapping up the best mobile productivity apps</a> like Sunrise and Wunderlist, regardless of what platform they were designed for. That gives Microsoft a better chance at getting people hooked on Windows down the road.</p><h3>Should you upgrade? </h3><p>Absolutely. </p><p>If you're running Windows 8, Windows 10 is essential. Even if you're running Windows 7 and love it, Windows 10 is still worth the upgrade, not just because it's free, but also because you it'll enhance everything that already makes Windows great.</p><p>And if you're worried you'll hate Windows 10 (you won't), you can always go back to your previous version.</p><p>It took us three years to get here, but Windows 10 brings back everything people originally loved about Windows, but with a modern twist. You'll love it.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-holographic-computer-action-windows-2015-1">Watch Microsoft's Insane Holographic Computer In Action</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="c1bWJ3cjpLBQm9lGnxAV9j0_ofuJYnQ5" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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