Fairphone takes $7.7M to push for change across the electronics value chain
European mobile device maker Fairphone, which designs modular smartphones with the aim of supporting repairability and encouraging sustainability, has taken in new investment of €6.5 million ($7.7M). It says it’s hoping to use the financing to build wider support for a push towards a circular economy for consumer electronics. Read More
Transit raises another $5M from Accel to become a hub for public transportation
Transit started off as a slick app that helped you get in a complex metro area with public transportation, but now co-founder Jake Sion has higher ambitions than that: being the go-to spot for getting from point A to point B, regardless of method. WIth bike-sharing, ridesharing, carsharing, and plenty of other methods of transportation that you can plant “sharing-” at the front,… Read More
HTC on Friday basically sold a huge portion of itself to Google, which is clearly hoping to use the company’s talent for hardware in its own push for self-branded devices. It’s the end of an era for a major company that has been a friend to Google and Android for a decade — perfect timing for a little retrospective on HTC’s many and varied devices. Read More
WhatsApp blocked in China, though past bans proved temporary
WhatsApp has been widely blocked in mainland China by the country’s government, with text messaging as well as photo and video sharing not currently functional. However, WhatsApp had previously been blocked in the country and saw those blocks lifted within a few days, so it’s unclear how long the chat app may remain inaccessible. Read More
Target is adding Pinterest’s visual search tool to its app and website
Pinterest today announced a partnership with Target to integrate its visual search technology known as Lens into Target’s apps, and later its desktop website. The deal, which represents the first time the company has integrated Lens into a retailer’s app, will allow Target shoppers to snap a photo of any product, and then find similar items available for sale at Target. The… Read More
Google and Levi’s ‘connected’ jacket that lets you answer calls, use maps and more is going on sale
Over a year after Google showed off its “connected” jean jacket designed for bike commuters at last year’s Google I/O developer conference, the company today is unveiling the final product, which goes on sale on Wednesday for $350. Designed in partnership with Levi’s, the new smart jacket takes advantage of technology from Google’s Advanced Technology and… Read More
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus cameras get top marks from testing outfit DxOMark
If our review didn’t convince you that the cameras in the latest iPhones are something special, perhaps DxOMark’s lab-heavy evaluation process will do the trick. The camera testing site unequivocally states that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have the best smartphone cameras it’s ever tested — though they aren’t without their flaws. Read More
The innovation of tbh, teen-speak for To Be Honest, was getting rid of the typing. Whether asking or answering questions, open text fields invite abuse when combined with anonymity. Even an innocuous question like “What do you think of me?” can lead to mean-spirited comments if responders don’t have their names, and therefore any accountability, attached. Read More
Preschoolers get their own Pokémon game with launch of Pokémon Playhouse
A new app called Pokémon Playhouse from the Pokémon Company, released this week, is bringing Pikachu and friends to preschoolers. Unlike the augmented reality game Pokémon Go, a collaboration between Niantic and Nintendo by way of the Pokémon Company, this latest game is not focused on capturing Pokémon, battling and raids. Instead, it’s filled with activities appropriate for… Read More
ipsy launches its beauty product e-commerce business Shopper as hit hits 3M subscribers
ipsy, a subscription service that delivers a collection of products to its users every month, has spent the last six years building up a community with millions of people obsessed with beauty products. And now that the company has more than 3 million subscribers — with a $10 per month subscription cost — it’s ready to get a little bit more aggressive by getting directly… Read More
There’s a new CEO at TodayTix, though he’s definitely not new to the company — Chairman Brian Fenty is becoming chief executive, while his co-founder (and the previous CEO) Merritt Baer is becoming the Head of Europe. TodayTix sells theater tickets in cities across the United States (including New York, Chicago and San Francisco), but its European presence is currently limited… Read More
Pinterest opens up more than 5,000 interests for advertiser targeting through its Taste Graph
Pinterest builds itself around visual discovery — the idea that you can come to the site or app, see something you like, and immediately dive down a rabbit hole. The company has built an extensive suite of tools internally to figure out which rabbit hole to divert users to, and now it’s opening up some of that knowledge to advertisers. Pinterest said today that it’s… Read More
Snapchat doesn’t technically have a developer platform, but that hasn’t stopped other startups from taking advantage of its new feature for attaching links to your Snaps and Stories. Sarahah was the first, allowing people to ask fellow Snappers for open-ended anonymous feedback. But the problem is that those requests could be met with cyberbullying.
Polly is a new teen sensation… Read More
Google brings the $399 Android One Moto X4 to Project Fi (and the U.S.)
Google today announced that the Android One Moto X4 is now available for pre-order on its Project Fi page. Like other Android One phones, the mid-range Moto X4, comes with a pure version of Android without any bloatware. This marks the first time an Android One phone is available on Project Fi, Google’s own virtual cell network, and it also marks the Moto X4’s arrival in the… Read More
Snapchat’s new partners attach instant apps and games to ads
Snap wants its ads to open to something interesting rather than a boring mobile website. Today Snap announced 14 new ad Creative Partners that will help build custom games, interactive videos, gyroscope-powered epxeriences, lead generation campaigns, and pre-loaded Instant Apps as destinations for Snapchat ads. They’ll also help connect advertisers to influencers, despite Snapchat… Read More
Wall Street dings Apple after some reported LTE connectivity issues on the new Watch
There are a lot of reports hitting the ‘net this morning in reviews of the Apple Watch Series 3, which indicate that there are some LTE connectivity issues — causing Apple to take a small dip this morning and a speed bump in its march to $1 trillion. Shares of Apple fell around 2.5% this morning, which for Apple is a pretty substantial ding for the company despite the deceptively… Read More
HTC stock suspension adds fuel to Google acquisition rumors
HTC is to suspend trading of its stock on the TWSE tomorrow, ahead of what it says will be the release of “material information” pertaining to its business. Read More
Amazon is working on smart glasses to house Alexa AI, says FT
Amazon is working on building a pair of smart glasses to house its Alexa voice assistant, and a home security camera that could be linked to its existing Echo connected devices to further expand their capabilities, according to a report in the FT citing people familiar with the company’s plans. Read More
Tomorrow looks to make it easier to draw up plans for a will and life insurance
Talking about filling out a will and setting up life insurance is probably one of the more sensitive subjects you’ll tackle as you get older — but Dave Hanley says it’s something that a lot of people end up dodging altogether. That’s why he started Tomorrow, a company that makes it easier to set up life insurance and how assets and guardianship are divvied up. Rather… Read More
Did you notice that Siri sounds a little more sprightly today? Apple’s ubiquitous virtual assistant has had a little virtual work done on her virtual vocal cords, and her newly dulcet-ized tones went live today as part of iOS 11. Read More
