My Brainmail newsletter is almost back. Two issues are ready to go with a third in the wings. Here are some highlights.

A study of over 500 US high-tech and engineering companies with turnovers in excess of $1 million found that the average age of founders was 39. Furthermore, there were
twice as many founders aged over 50 than under 25 and twice as many over 60 as aged under 20.

Motorola has developed a phone that adjusts its settings according to its location. For example, if the phone knows it is in an office, the ringer volume will be lowered, whereas outside it might be raised.

Google is believed to be developing Android-powered virtual reality glasses that will display contextual information right in front of a wearer’s eyeballs. Meanwhile, Apple is understood to be working on an Apple TV set.

A study led by James Flynn, which compared IQ scores of UK teens in 1980 and 2008 says that average intelligence has fallen by two points over the last 28 years. This finding reverses the finding of earlier studies that showed intelligence increasing by around 3 points per decade.

In 1950, 4 million people in the USA (9% of US households) lived alone. Now the figure is 33 million – or 28% of all Americans.

In the early 1960s, 6% of the UK student population went on to attend university. By 2012 the figure had risen to 40%.

In the US, around 1% of companies create around 40% of new jobs.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

“Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“It is seldom at the frontier that discoveries are made but more often in the dustbin.” – Alan Bennett

WEB SIGHT OF THE MONTH

It’s an app this month – Evi, a virtual assistant. www.evi.com