*By Conor White*
New Jersey could become a home to increased innovation with more hands-on support from lawmakers, said one of the state's leading advocates for technology innovation.
Aaron Price, the founder and CEO of Propelify, said that Gov. Chris Murphy, a Democrat elected last year to succeed the two-term Republican administration of Chris Christie, could help revive the state's tech sector.
"I think we have the right leadership, in my opinion, finally," said Price in an interview Monday with Cheddar. "We reached out to Christie's administration, who was more hands-off, I'm pleased so far that Gov. Murphy has been extremely supportive and he's making a lot of steps in the right direction."
Price founded the Propelify Innovation Festival three years ago.
"If you're looking to advance your business, or advance your career, this is the place that you should be," said Price.
Last year's festival had 10,000 people participate from around the world. Past speakers include Gary Vaynerchuk and Ariana Huffington. This year, Gov. Murphy and Sen. Cory Booker will speak to the conference participants.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/turning-ideas-into-action-at-propelify).
Disney has secured a patent for a digital world simulator for headset-free augmented reality expected to be accessible in parks by tracking smartphones and projecting personalized 3D displays, an indication that the entertainment giant is gearing up for its entry into the metaverse.
John Deere is getting on board the autonomous vehicle craze with its own self-driving tractors. The farming and forestry equipment manufacturer made the announcement at the 2022 CES convention in Las Vegas. Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer at John Deere, spoke to Cheddar about the shift to self-driving to agriculture and how it will help farmers produce even more food as the world's population continues to grow. "It's all about trying to do more with less in farming," he said. "Labor's already a problem on the farm, and it's only getting to be more of a problem in the future. And we really view autonomy as a way to solve that problem."
It is 'game on' for sports bettors in the state of New York, as mobile betting kicks off on four major betting operating platforms this Saturday. The state, with over 20 million residents, will be the most populous state with legal online sports betting. Max Bichsel, VP of US Business for EmpireStakes.com joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Far too often, Americans are forced to navigate a tangled web of outdated government websites, offices way out of their reach, and hours of time 'on hold' to access the simple government services they depend on. A recent executive order, signed by President Biden, is intended to improve, streamline and modernize the 'customer' experience when accessing government services. Mina Hsiang, the administrator of the United States Digital Service, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the tech workforce is impacted by this executive order.
Cheddar has been following all things innovative, fascinating, and downright cool from CES 2022. Watch the full episode, hosted by Cheddar's Ken Buffa and Michelle Castillo.
