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Popular language learning app Duolingo is giving its bite-size lesson treatment to one of the oldest games in the world: chess.Duolingos chess course will take users, who can range from complete novices to those with a solid understanding of how to play, through its gamified exercises to become better game players. The focus is mostly on attracting new players, including those who have felt chess is too difficult to learn or otherwise inaccessible.For the most part, a lot of chess products out there are usually built by an advanced user for more advanced-use casessomeone who already is familiar with chess and is kind of trying to elevate their abilities even further, Edwin Bodge, Duolingo senior product manager, tells Fast Company. So we are more targeting beginners and think that were addressing a part of the market that hasnt previously been addressed.[Animation: Duolingo]Users can learn how each piece moves, spot tactical patterns, and build a strategy. They can then apply those lessons in mini matches, which are just a few minutes long, to full games against its character Oscar. The bot will track how many matches the user has won and lost and can scale up or down the difficulty based on past performance.This is a game thats been played for so long, and essentially Duolingo is now carrying the torch of [getting] more people interested in this game that has been around for so long and put our unique spin on it, Bodge said.[Image: Duolingo]Chess is the companys first new subject since it branched beyond languages and introduced math and music classes in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The company launched in 2012 and has amassed more than 37 million daily active users as it brought language learning to the iPhone age and leaned heavily into attracting a young user base.The company said that chess is the fastest course its developed to date thanks to advancements in AI. The product team pitched CEO Luis von Ahn on the course in late August and its first engineer started on the job in November.Duolingo is testing chess with a limited number of learners starting Tuesday. Itll roll out to all learners on iOS in English in the coming weeks, it said, with plans to eventually extend to additional operating systems and other languages in the coming months.
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While Zoom is unquestionably the biggest name in videoconferencing, its free tier has some limitationsparticularly the 40-minute time cap on group meetings. The good news is that several excellent platforms offer generous free plans capable of handling everything from brief check-ins to extended sessions. Ready to explore other options? Check out these free Zoom alternatives. Google Meet If youre already embedded in the Google ecosystem, Google Meet is about as convenient as it gets. Joining meetings is straightforward, accessible via a web browser without needing software downloads, or through dedicated mobile apps. Its free tier supports up to 100 participants in a meeting and group sessions up to an hour in length. For one-on-one meetings, the time limit is 24 hoursthough, if youre holding 24-hour meetings . . . seek help. Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams is more than just a meeting tool, and while its full suite of features might seem overwhelming if you only require video calls, the free tier offers a nice set of meeting capabilities. Access is provided through web, desktop, and mobile applications, and you can host meetings with up to 100 participants for an hour. Beyond meetings, the free plan includes unlimited chat and file sharing integrated within the Teams environment, making it a good option for groups looking for a legit collaborative platform. Features like screen sharing, customizable backgrounds, and the unique Together Mode, which places participants in a shared virtual setting, are available. And for some reason, Teams lets you hold 30-hour one-on-one meetingsoutdoing Google by an extra six hours. Again: Dont be crazy. Jitsi Meet As a truly free option, Jitsi Meet is a compelling alternative to providers with both free and paid tiers. This platform offers encrypted communication and notably does not require user accounts for hosting or joining meetings. While theres no set user limit, Jitsi matches the 100 participants that the other freebies offer. There are no arbitrary time limits on meeting duration. Standard features like screen sharing, chat, virtual backgrounds, and polling are included, while an option for end-to-end encryption adds another layer of security. And if youre looking for even more control, Jitsi Meet can also be self-hosted. Zoho Meeting Finally, consider Zoho Meeting, which allows meetings with up to 100 participants for up to an hour, putting it on par with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams in terms of basic capacity. The service includes essential meeting features like screen sharing, chat functionalities, virtual backgrounds, and whiteboarding. While Zoho Meeting is particularly attractive if youre already using other Zoho products, it also stands alone as a capable option for anyone seeking a reliable free meeting platform outside of the Google or Microsoft spheres.
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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. How do big companies evolve? How do they learn to do something new? These are questions that have taken up untold pages of books, magazines, and journal articles. As a venture capitalist (VC) in water, Ive seen firsthand that most large companies in the sector struggle to effectively engage with external innovation, particularly with entrepreneurs developing technologies that could enhance their value propositions or product suites. Yet, both sides stand to gain: Large companies expand their product suites without having to build from scratch, and startups gain access to something invaluable: distribution at scale. Thats what makes Xylems success with Xylem Innovation Labs such an impressive case study. Formed in 2021, the program was a deliberate effort to bridge this gap, engaging with the growing ecosystem of water entrepreneurs and investing in the best talent developing industry solutions. If you think entrepreneurship is hard, try corporate innovation. A model that works Building a new function within a company requires navigating the constraints of an existing organizational structure. Simply tacking on a skunkworks team with a Gone in 60 Seconds-type team of innovators often leads to fragmentation, internal resistance, and ultimately, failure. Xylem Innovation Labs avoided these pitfalls by structuring its program with precision and purpose, making it a model for systematic change. At its core is the Partnerships Accelerator, designed to fast-track the introduction of breakthrough technologies that address critical challenges for water utilities, industrial water users, and communities worldwide. Each year, the team surveys the entire company to identify strategic gaps that technology could help fill in. They then scour the global startup landscapeworking with partners like us at Burnt Island Ventures (BIV) and Imagine H2Oto find companies with the right solutions. Applications are then reviewed across Xylems business units, and a committee that includes members of the companys C-suite (this is a $8.6 billion revenue company, after all) makes the final selections. Once a startup is selected, it gains direct access to Xylems leadership and expertise, with a dedicated team member acting as a guide through the corporate landscape. They then embark on a year-long Partnership Accelerator program that not only develops their partnership with the company but a path to the broader market. The program is defined by its speed and transparencywe all know that startups dont have the luxury of waiting years for a decision. When a no comes fast, its never a “no forever”its about timing, potential, and mutual fit. This founder-friendly approach makes it one of the most effective corporate innovation models Ive seen. Breakthrough partnerships and lessons learned Since its 2022 launch, the Partnerships Accelerator has engaged over 45 companies from 14 countriescontributing to real progress across the water innovation ecosystem by accelerating solutions, relationships, and learning. Nearly a quarter of these startups have formalized partnership agreements with Xylem, while a new cohort are just beginning their journey. This isnt just about numbers; its about tangible progress in tackling some of the most pressing water and public health challenges of our time. The potential for transformation is significant, and initiatives like this are setting a new standard for how large companies can engage with startups to deliver meaningful change. Take Aclarity, a BIV portfolio company that developed an electrochemical oxidation process to destroy forever chemicals (PFAS). After participating in the 2022 Xylem Partnerships Accelerator, Aclarity continues to collaborate with Xylem to bring its technology to market. Other partnerships have already led to new product launches, such as eoapp Aqua, a satellite-based water quality monitoring tool that debuted in the U.S. in 2024 as a collaboration between Xylem’s YSI brand and EOMAP, a German remote sensing company. For BIV, partnering with Xylem isnt just strategicit has reshaped how we approach venture investing in water. Xylem collaborates with a global network of more than 40 open innovation partners, including universities, research institutes, accelerators, VCs, and end users. This extensive reach gives us an edge in sourcing high-potential startups, but this isnt a one-way street. We share promising startups with Xylem, and nearly half of our portfolio companies have engaged with Xylem in some capacity. The result? A stronger ecosystem where startups have a direct path to commercialization. The buck doesnt stop here Xylem Innovation Labs isnt just coasting on its early successes. In 2024, Xylem expanded its corporate venture investing plans to support emerging companies and water services providers, complementing its existing investments in BIV and Westly Group. More importantly, its now deploying capital into high-impact, frontier markets through its work with WaterEquity. This holistic approachcombining partnerships, investments, and strategic innovationis creating a powerful engine for scaling water technology solutions at an unprecedented pace. And the impact is growing. A self-reinforcing funding and innovation flywheel is now in motion for early-stage water companies. Four companies from BIVs Fund I have already advanced to Series B funding, and weve since launched Fund II and Opportunity Fund I, both anchored by Xylem, to further support high-growth water startups. The timing couldnt be better. Both VC and entrepreneurial attention are shifting toward climate adaptation and resilience, and water is at the center of that transformation. Institutional agility is possible Ive seen too many large companies fail at innovation simply because they lack the structure and discipline to integrate external ideas. But Xylem Innovation Labs is proof that it doesnt have to be this way. I believe that when a corporation commits to engaging with startups strategicallyrather than treating innovation as a PR stuntit can create an engine for sustained competitive advantage. Xylem has done this by taking external innovation seriously, embedding it into its core strategy, and executing it with speed and transparency. In todays world, where water challenges are intensifying, integrating emerging technologies isnt optional, its a necessity for survival and long-term growth. Tom Ferguson is founder and managing partner of Burnt Island Ventures.
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