Intelligent cars are a hot topic in Silicon Valley. Around here, rather than ogle at celebrities, we ogle at Google’s self-driving cars. And it’s not Google. Many car companies, including Toyota, BMW, and Honda, are actually working on self-driving cars, and the future looks to be playing out faster than anyone imagined. Most of the connected-car news over the past couple weeks has focused on Google’s buy-up of social driving app Waze, but here are a few other innovations worth keeping an eye on.

On Thursday, June 6, 2013, Google hosted “How green is the internet?” The one-day, invitation-only summit brought together 100 experts from industry, academia, government, and NGOs to explore emerging questions around the environmental impacts and benefits of the internet.

Los Angeles drivers competing over limited parking spaces are no longer paying the same rate for every space. With the help of a $15 million federal grant, the city rolled out LA Express Park in May 2012 – a program that utilizes sensor technology in parking spaces to determine which parking spaces are the most in demand. By analyzing data culled from wireless sensor technology in the spaces, the city was able to deploy an algorithm-based “supply and demand” pricing model.

Deborah Magid is IBM’s eye on software startups, working in its venture unit since shortly after it was founded in 2000. But she and IBM make no direct investments.

If you want to save energy, get rid of your servers, says Urs Hoelzle, senior vice president of technical infrastructure at Google. Server and data center under-utilization is one of the primary sources of waste and inefficiency in computing, argued Hoelzle, who served as the master of ceremonies at the “How Green is the Internet?” symposium that took place at Google headquarters in Mountain View this week.

Yesterday, we received a press release from a company called Pango, which makes an app that allows motorists to pay for on-street parking. (The company’s demo video is embedded above.)

After years of imagining, the Internet of Things (IoT) is finally here. The Internet is no longer limited to your laptop or smartphone. It’s connected to your body, regular household items, car and so forth. Wish you could turn on your lights remotely? Done. Wouldn’t it be great to warm up your house on your way home? Got it. And devices like FitBit that are aimed at improving health by monitoring key activities are on the rise, as well.

The Global Business Travel Association says that business travelers will spend $268.5 billion making their way around the U.S. this year. That’s great news for hotels, airlines and cab companies. But all that travel can be hard on the individual who is always in need of directions or who is constantly booking another flight to yet another city.

Relatively mundane city-management issues, from parking to water use, are going high-tech as cities seek to use analytics and information to improve their operations. Companies are pushing this kind of work, arguing that it can improve city services and operations while in many cases lowering costs or even producing new revenue.

It’s impossible to live life uninterrupted when you’re circling the block for the 17th time looking for a place to park. Chevrolet is here to help you out: The 2014 SS Sedan will practically park itself. Using Park Assist technology, the car will assess spaces to make sure you have enough room to get in and out; take over the steering wheel once you’ve found The One; and guide you into the vacant spot.

Imagine you’re getting into your car and you want to continue a hands-free conference call with people at work. Your kids in the backseat are engaged with their Facebook accounts, watching videos, or gaming online. And, you’re in a rush to get from wherever you are to where you really need to be.

Our industry is changing so fast, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of developments and just who is doing what in what segment of the industry.  For example, Lowell McAdam, our CEO, has spoken often about the future impact and importance of “machine-to-machine” connections (sensors or small computers connected via our networks that help manage distribution systems like gas pipelines or home electrical systems).

Parking at Mississippi State University is now more user-friendly with the addition of a new parking guidance program on campus utilizing the award-winning motorist guidance application, Parker™ by Streetline, and parking publishing platform, ParkEdge™.

Your skill in understanding and playing organizational politics predicts multiple measures of your career success, according to author Gerald Ferris (Political Skill at Work) and other researchers. Streetline CEO and former SAP senior executive Zia Yusuf has also argued that business success requires both substantive knowledge and the ability to master organizational dynamics.

Just as SaaS has emerged as a dominant new force in enterprise software, mobile apps will offer innovative new capabilities and business models – and disrupt many old ones.

Imagine never having to look for a parking space ever again. Imagine that from here on out, this problem is solved. Fast-forward to 2025. You’re driving from Brooklyn to Manhattan…because driving in New York City, and everywhere else, has become much simpler a task than it was a decade or so before.

We get to see a lot of exciting companies across a range of technology areas, so this month our Open Innovation team have picked out of five emerging innovation areas and some of the most exciting companies in each. The presentation below highlights some of the top innovative companies in Self-Healing Materials, Internet of Things, Education, Personal Manufacturing, and Civilian Drones.

The college parking blues: Lauren Bracco of Wayne knew them well during her four years at Montclair State University. “Parking was really difficult,” said the 2012 grad. “They even built a new lot my senior year, and it was still always packed.”

As advanced as we are as a society, one thing remains constant: The act of parking an automobile in a congested area is one of the most frustrating things to endure — both as a passenger (who has to listen to whatever­ verbal abuse is being unleashed) and as a driver (i.e., the whiplash you get as you scan for a spot).

There’s no need to dig through purses or pockets for change to feed the meters in an 18-block section of the Bronx. New York City has launched a pilot program that allows drivers to pay for parking by smartphone. The free app and payment processing service are being provided by PayByPhone, a company that has already installed the technology in cities like Miami, San Francisco, London, Ottawa and Vancouver.

Planning a night out at the ballet usually involves travel considerations. Is it a Bank Holiday/will there be engineering works/how late do the trains run on a Sunday/will there be any point in taking the car ? The answer to the last question, in most major cities, would be no. Trying to find a parking space could take you as long as the journey itself, and it’s extremely stressful when you know you’re working to a curtain-up deadline that is immovable, rather like the traffic.

If you have driven into a town centre on a Saturday afternoon, you know the drill: head to your favourite back street looking for a parking space; then, when you discover the bays are full, join the holding pattern of other cars as they circle, waiting for someone to move. Unless you pay a premium for a multistorey car park, or steer clear of town centres altogether, joining a convoy of cars patrolling jam-packed streets in the hunt for a free space is all but inevitable. But this inconvenience could soon become a thing of the past, banished, with other driving annoyances such as wind-up windows, by technology.

Your site is a place where potential customers find out all the information you can provide about your business. This includes products, services, pricing, and a little bit about you. If your establishment is in a busy city, perhaps that’s not the only information you should display on your site. According to a report by the Auto Blog, 90% of the average car’s lifespan is spent in a parking lot.

After years of imagining, the Internet of Things (IoT) is finally here. The Internet is no longer limited to your laptop or smartphone. It’s connected to your body, regular household items, car, and so forth. Wish you could turn on your lights remotely? Done. Wouldn’t it be great to warm up your house on your way home? Got it. And devices like FitBit that are aimed at improving health by monitoring key activities are on the rise, as well.

Smart parking spaces that can automatically alert drivers when they become free are set to be trialled in the UK for the first time. Manchester City Council is testing the new technology, used in American cities, with electronic sensors placed in 200 parking bays. For six months the system will be free to use and will not cost the council a penny either as a trial. Experts behind the scheme said the app is voice controlled, so it can be used at the wheel, and it also works as a sat nav, directing motorists to the nearest available space.

Venture capitalists are backing away from expensive bets on clean-technology plays such as solar power and biofuels. Increasingly, they’re turning to an emerging category called cleanweb, which requires relatively small investments because it uses existing technologies like smartphones and the Internet to help consumers and industry conserve energy.

New technologies like big data, sensors, mobile, smart grids are changing the way cities operate. Cities want to help you find parking spaces, avoid traffic jams, get instant help when emergencies happen. Some cities are really leading the charge with super cool projects that show just how wonderful city life can be.

A much-trumpeted ribbon cutting hosted by Washington Mayor Vincent Grey in July 2011 drew out the media in droves and launched a flood of news stories that continued for more than a year. But the ceremony wasn’t for a new government building, museum or bridge. It was for a parking meter.

Cisco Systems is gearing up for what it claims could be $14 trillion opportunity with the Internet of Things. Top technical executives shared plans for the networking giant to embrace IoT as well as efforts to extend to key partners its internal process of evaluating new technologies.

The so-called ‘Internet of Everything’ – which brings together people, processes, data, and things – will create $14.4 trillion (£9.6tr) of value for companies and industries over the next 10 years, representing 21 percent aggregate growth in the profits of all the companies in the world, according to Cisco.

A growing number of drivers are turning to a high-tech solution for a low-tech problem — finding a parking spot in the nation’s congested cities. From Pittsburgh to Los Angeles — and dozens of cities in between — mobile applications are becoming available to ease drivers’ search for a place to park.

The GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association) today announced the winners of the 18th Annual Global Mobile awards, held at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and IBM is thrilled to report that IBM SmartCamp 2010 winner Streetline took home the award for Best Mobile Innovation for ‘Smart Cities’ with their parking solution. The winners were honored in an afternoon ceremony hosted by writer, actor and comedian, David Walliams.

You might have heard about the widely publicized “Bendy Bus,” Clemson Area Transit’s (CAT) new articulated bus that’s the first of its kind in the state. With many of its parts made right here in South Carolina, this American-made vehicle has been widely lauded for its ability to carry 56 percent more riders than our current 40-foot buses, save an average of 18 percent on gas and reduce the congestion along the overcrowded Red Route, which runs between Clemson and Central. No doubt that the bus will contribute to efforts toward sustainability both on and off campus.

Circling for a parking spot, worrying about feeding the parking meters, and ultimately wondering if you should just turn around and go home. These are familiar feelings for anyone who has ever had to find a parking spot in a hurry. Not only is it frustrating, but the time spent looking for parking also contributes to traffic congestion – some research suggests 30 percent on average – and air pollution.

Streetline, a Foster City, Calif.-based startup providing sensors to inform consumers about open parking spaces, has raised $25 million in series “C” financing led by True Ventures, with participation by new investors Qualcomm Ventures and Citi and existing investors Sutter Hill Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners and Fontinalis Partners.

Parking is one of the great unsolved urban challenges. On average, it takes nearly 20 minutes for drivers to find parking, according to a 2011 IBM study in 20 major international cities. Some cities estimate that upwards of 30 to 45 percent of their traffic is caused by motorists searching for a parking spot. This leads to frustration—when you’re going to the movies or out to dinner, parking can often be the step that stands in your way—and to bigger societal problems like to increased congestion and carbon output.

From intelligent light sockets to the driverless car, and with the cost of sensors dropping and the reach of mobile devices and wireless Internet expanding, it’s getting cheaper and easier for us to become more connected. Leading thinkers at progressive companies are banking on the belief that the next decade will be focused on the “Internet of Things” where sensors and advanced mesh networks allow machines to communicate and collaborate with one another.

Streetline Inc. wants to put an end to the days of driving aimlessly around congested city streets hoping for a parking space to magically appear. The company is installing ultra-low-power wireless sensors in the ground of individual parking spaces in more than 30 cities that can detect the presence of cars and then feed the data into mobile apps and, soon, in-car navigation systems, the company said.

Oregon State University has started using smart parking technology to provide automated, real-time data on the availability of accessible parking campuswide through mobile devices. The Corvallis, OR-based institution is using Streetline’s free Parker app (available for Android and iOS) to make real-time parking data available to students, employees, and visitors.

Tune in to listen to the Wall Street Journal Tech News Briefing that occurs twice daily on weekdays to hear about Streetline’s $25M Series C.

At True, we are big believers in the “connected web” and the “Internet of Things” (IoT). We love how this powerful movement takes cutting-edge software and wraps it in beautiful hardware packages, and connects the digital and physical worlds to create magical experiences for the consumer. True has been enamored with this space since founding our firm, and over the past six years, we have led investments in Fitbit, MakerBot, LittleBits, Sifteo, Valencell and 3D Robotics, to name a few.

Smart parking startup Streetline Inc. said on Thursday it has raised $25 million in a third round of funding as it expands installation of its technology in cities and universities around the world. The Foster City company led by CEO Zia Yusuf said the latest round was led by Palo Alto-based True Ventures and new investors new investors Citi and Qualcomm Inc. Existing investors who participated were Palo Alto-based Sutter Hill Ventures, Menlo Park-based RockPort Capital Partners and Detroit-based Fontinalis Partners.

Streetline, a company installing sensors in city streets to detect where cars are parked, raised $25 million in Series C funding led by True Ventures, VentureWire has learned. New investors Qualcomm Ventures and Citibank and current investors Sutter Hill Ventures, Rockport Capital Partners and Fontinalis Partners (founded by Ford Motor Executive Chairman Bill Ford) joined in with pro rata investments. Streetline is building the technical infrastructure for smart parking and ultimately smart cars, both nationally and internationally, and has now expanded into more than 30 cities and universities.

Parking may seem like one of the most low-tech services. But entrepreneurs are looking to address that with new mobile technology. Startup Streetline has raised $25 million in Series C financing led by True Ventures with new investors Qualcomm Ventures and Citi. Existing investors Sutter Hill Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners and Fontinalis Partners also participated.

“Smart parking” platform Streetline just announced that it has raised $25 million in Series C funding. The round was led by True Ventures, with participation from new investors Qualcomm Ventures and Citi, as well as past backers Sutter Hill Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners, and Fontinalis Partners. The company has now raised a total of $40 million, and it says it recently obtained a $25 million credit facility from Citi, too.

There’s just no way that helping people find and pay for parking is sexy. But it’s an industry that many people think can be helped by technology, and investors are now putting big money into their startup picks. Streetline, a Foster City, Calif.-based company that works directly with cities to embed sensors in parking spaces, is announcing today that it has closed $25 million in Series C financing led by True Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures, on top of $15 million it raised a year ago.

The Internet of Everything is the idea that we can start connecting everything around us. Connections between people, things, and machines to produce intelligent data will lead the way we experience life. Therefore, cars and vehicles can be connected to provide a richer and more valuable driving experience. How will Cisco fall into this mix? Cisco’s intelligent network can provide the underlying platform to host innovation.

Global green tech investments tumbled in 2012, but a few sectors, such as water and agriculture, attracted a greater interest from investors than the year before, according to market data released by the Cleantech Group on Thursday.