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Matt Burns
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Fintech Collective Leverages Investor Network To Back Investment Networking Firm Openfolio
Jonathan Shieber
2,014
12
8
For the New York-based financial technology investment firm , investments are always better with a little help from friends. During the firm’s recent fundraising for social investment networking and data analysis startup ‘s $1.8 million seed financing, the firm tapped a curated syndicate of limited partners and conta...
Pitch Your Startup In The TechCrunch Radio Pitch-Off On Sirius XM 102 Indie
Jordan Crook
2,014
12
8
TechCrunch Radio is coming at you tomorrow and there is quite a bit to talk about. Uber’s been a mess for the past month, while somehow managing to secure $1.2 billion in funding, rocketing the startup to a $40 billion valuation. Plus, the holidays are coming up and there are plenty of gift ideas to discuss. And, as us...
Hands-On With Facebook Post Search: Strong Recommendations, Yelp Should Worry
Josh Constine
2,014
12
8
We’re all critics, whether we Like it or not. Our Facebook posts are implicit reviews and recommendations of restaurants, apps, movies, news articles, dry cleaners, and even whole cities. Now, is unlocking the value of the opinions we share but never put on review sites like Yelp, Annie’s List, MetaCritic, or the App...
A Gift Guide For The New Grown-Up
Jordan Crook
2,014
12
8
I’ve dressed as Peter Pan for more Halloweens than I can count, but no matter my opposition, I can’t help but to enjoy living in a clean, decorated apartment, where the fridge is full and the alarm system is engaged. It’s easy to want to shirk certain responsibilities, but luckily various startups that have sprouted up...
Off Grid Electric Raises $16M To Let Africans Pre-Pay For Solar Energy Just Like Phones
Josh Constine
2,014
12
8
How do you pay for solar energy if you don’t have a credit card or bank account? Thanks to , people in the developing world can pay as they go for installed solar power systems electricity the same way they top-up their phone minutes. Now, thanks to $16 million in new funding from American solar finance and installati...
Built In Brooklyn: Wool&Prince Plans To Make Wool Shirts Cool For Young Professionals
Anthony Ha
2,014
12
8
Button-down shirts and T-shirts might not sound like a particularly exciting or sexy market, but men’s fashions tartup seems to have shown otherwise, with two that blew past their goals. For this episode of , Wool&Prince’s workspace in , which at the beginning of this year. Founder Mac Bishop told us that w...
MediaSpike Gave Us A Quick Look At Native Ads In Virtual Reality
Kyle Russell
2,014
12
8
Many virtual reality enthusiasts’ worst nightmares came true earlier this year when it was revealed that Oculus was being acquired. Here was this fledgling company at the vanguard of a medium long dreamt of but only now feasible for broad consumer release. With a couple of lenses and the guts of a smartphone, Oculus wa...
Print Your Own Crossguard Lightsaber
John Biggs
2,014
12
8
Star Wars fans rejoice: you can now print your own lightsaber on your 3D printer and even design your own crossguard saber just like that one dude in the new movie. , a French 3D printing outfit, has created a set of files that can be used to print almost any type of lightsaber in any color. The is a great resource ...
Excerpt From “Startupland”: How Three Guys Risked Everything To Turn An Idea Into A Global Business
Mikkel Svane
2,014
12
8
dire. We were rapidly running out of money at Zendesk, and I was rapidly running out of money personally. I did not want to go back to consulting and neither did Alex or Morten, but soon we would have to look for some better-compensated alternatives. Part of me wondered if that was the more responsible thing to do. I ...
Tim Draper Is Making A New Silicon Valley Reality Show
Sarah Buhr
2,014
12
8
Venture capitalist is looking for entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-28 to be on his new Silicon Valley reality show. “You’re going to have a big opportunity. You might even become famous,” he says in the video announcing tryouts for the project. and are producing the show that will follow selected Draper U stude...
Transcriptic Will Do Free Lab Work For Y Combinator’s Biotech Startups
Kyle Russell
2,014
12
8
Young biotech startups accepted into Y Combinator’s latest batch are going to get a leg up on research thanks to a partnership between Founded three years ago, provides automated lab work to 60 organizations (both private and in academia). It’s raised about $6 million so far, allowing the team to grow to 18 members,...
Meet The Judges Of Hardware Battlefield 2015
Matt Burns
2,014
12
8
We’re excited to announce the all-star investors, founders and makers judging the startups in the second annual Hardware Battlefield. From Martha Stewart, to 50 Cent, to Yves Behar, and many more, we’ve lined up 13 individuals who know what it takes to make a successful product and company. Over the three days of Inter...
Europe Urged To Make Safeguarding Personal Data A Selling Point
Natasha Lomas
2,014
12
8
How do you balance the competing interests of personal data privacy with the rapacious appetites of big data fueled digital businesses? European data protection authorities are continuing to wrangle with this question, and have today published a on the principles they believe are core to achieving a balance. The decl...
Indiegogo Is Testing Optional Insurance Fees For Crowdfunded Products
Jon Russell
2,014
12
1
This year has been a tricky one for crowdfunding site , thanks to a number of campaigns using its service to raise money for dubious projects (though there have been ). It looks like the company is responding with a new feature that offers backers some peace of mind about their investments. The company is testing an ...
Dropbox For Business Launches An Enterprise Tools API To Fight Box
Josh Constine
2,014
12
1
Dropbox’s frilly consumer brand and lack of has kept its “ ” software from scoring more corporate clients. But an internal-only Dropbox launch plan attained by TechCrunch says that’s about to change with the release of a Dropbox For Business API. Scheduled to be announced Wednesday (though this leak could change that...
Bettir Wants To Chat With You About Your Blood Pressure
Sarah Buhr
2,014
12
8
Chances are you only get your blood pressure checked maybe once or twice a year at the doctor’s office. You sit down in a relaxed setting near the waiting room while a nurse wraps a black velcro unit around your upper arm and pumps away. Perhaps the reading comes out a little high, but nothing to worry about. At least ...
Firefox 34 Launches With Yahoo As Its Default Search Engine
Frederic Lardinois
2,014
12
1
Mozilla today rolled out . While most browser updates these days aren’t all that exciting, this one includes a couple of interesting new features. What most users in North America will notice right off the bat, however, is that this is the first version of Firefox with . It’s easy enough to change the default search ...
Study Highlights Potential Tax Burden Of Net Neutrality
Alex Wilhelm
2,014
12
1
The Progressive Policy Institute claiming that  would result in billions of dollars in taxes levied onto the consumer from both Federal and local governments. The study rests on the idea that if broadband were reclassified as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act, the service “become[s] subject to both ...
TC GameCast Episode 1: Jumping Into World Of Warcraft And Wreaking Havoc In Far Cry 4
Kyle Russell
2,014
12
1
On our premiere episode of the TechCrunch GameCast, I was joined by PR guy (and former games journalist) to talk about two of our favorite games that came out in November: and Ubisoft’s . Warlords of Draenor seems to have reinvigorated the game’s fan base in a big way. in the first 24 hours it was on sale, bring...
For The Tech IPO Market, A Test
Alex Wilhelm
2,014
12
1
Will the public market welcome a company with expanding losses? Hortonworks is ready to find out. Earlier today, the company  , announcing that it will sell its shares for between $12 and $14 apiece. Early pegs the company’s valuation at a per-share price in the middle of the proposed range of $659 million. As TechCr...
Built In Brooklyn: Atavist Is Both Publisher And Platform For Online Storytelling
Anthony Ha
2,014
12
1
We returned to Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood for the latest episode of . This time we visited the offices of , which co-founder and CEO Evan Ratliff described as “a storytelling company” — it’s both a publisher of longform journalism and the company behind , a platform used by other online publishers. Ratliff is a...
AOL Acquires Video Syndication Startup Vidible
Anthony Ha
2,014
12
1
AOL is confirming that it has acquired . shortly before the official announcement. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Recode says the price was around $50 million. Vidible aims to help websites expand their video selection by running content from other publisher — they can either search through w...
3D Systems v. Formlabs Patent Lawsuit Dismissed
John Biggs
2,014
12
1
The lawsuit between Formlabs and 3D Systems relating to stereolithography has been dismissed with prejudice, a move that frees Formlabs to make their printers without fear of further patent problems. 3D Systems first for patent infringement related to their laser-based stereolithography techniques. In the interim, th...
Microsoft Is Getting Rid Of Clip Art
Greg Kumparak
2,014
12
1
There are many things that the next generation of geek won’t get to experience. The sound of the 56k modem connecting when your parents are sleeping in the next room. Burning CDs. Being somewhere and not knowing something, and just having to because you don’t have a space computer with pretty much all of humanity’s c...
Lyft Saw Spike In App Usage After Uber Scandals, But Uber’s Growth Unaffected
Sarah Perez
2,014
12
1
Amid the recent controversies surrounding Uber related to its questionable ethics, , and , competitor Lyft  it was having its best week ever. The implication is that Uber customers switched their allegiance in light of Uber’s scandals. But of course Lyft would say this – the two are fierce rivals, after all. Howev...
Pioneer AppRadio 4 With Apple CarPlay Review
Darrell Etherington
2,014
12
1
in-car smartphone system in your automobile, you can either buy a brand new car, or you can opt for one of the aftermarket solutions currently available. I opted for the Pioneer AppRadio 4, which supports CarPlay as well as Pioneer’s own software for use with iOS and Android devices, and which replaces your car’s st...
CoreOS Calls Docker “Fundamentally Flawed,” Launches Its Own Container Runtime
Frederic Lardinois
2,014
12
1
are one of the hottest technologies around and , a Linux-based operating system for very large server deployments, built its service around Docker containers and contributed heavily to the project. But as the company today, it is now working on its own container runtime, largely because it disagrees with Docker’s o...
New ATM Skimmers Connect To The Card Reader Via A Nearly Invisible Hole
John Biggs
2,014
12
1
A new advance in credit card theft technology has hit the streets and it’s pretty clever. The ATM hackers are now drilling a small hole near the card reader and inserting a bit of electronics that connects to the ATM’s innards. The hole is then covered by a decal and the skimmer fished out once the thieves are ready to...
Apploud Is Like An Instagram For Live Music Where Musicians Get Paid
Mike Butcher
2,014
12
1
Musicians have a need to perform, whether it’s a subway platform or a stage. But they also need money to create their art. Street musicians get tips. But what if you allowed more people to view the performances beyond who are in front of the musicians at that moment? is a new startup with a clever new app. Think of it...
Zenefits Faces Shutdown In Utah For Giving Its Cloud-Based HR Software Away For Free
Ryan Lawler
2,014
12
1
has become the latest startup to face regulatory scrutiny in a market it serves, as it now faces opposition from the . The department is taking the company to task essentially for giving its cloud-based HR software away for free, which the regulator says violates local laws and is unfair to traditional insurance brok...
A Gift Guide From The Team At Everyday Carry
Contributor
2,014
12
1
This gift guide has been produced by the team at , a site that lets gadget fiends share their favorite gear. You can check it out . While your gadgets and devices might be on the cutting edge of technology, what about your wallet? Update your bulky, leather wallet with the Ridge Wallet — a modern take on the minimali...
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Josh Constine
2,014
12
8
null
Evernote Brings Context, Work Chat And Presentation Out Of Beta
Ingrid Lunden
2,014
12
1
(Note: Previously Work Chat was only available via ‘s website/direct download or via the web client. Now the updates are being rolled out via the Mac App store and Google Play store. You don’t have to go hunting around EN’s site to get the update.) The idea is that Work Chat is a seamless way to start conversations wi...
This 3D-Printed Star Wars Ball Bot Is Ready To Awkwardly Co-Pilot Your X-Wing
John Biggs
2,014
12
1
Today’s Fun 3D Printable™ comes to us from Thingiverse user . The model is rendered in 3D and the head is connected to the ball body so it won’t be able to spin freely. The best thing, though? The model is life-size and can be printed to be about as big as R2-D2. Getting this droid to spin around your desert backwater...
Fatmap Raises Seed Funding For Its Detailed 3D Mapping Engine And Ski App
Mike Butcher
2,014
12
1
3D maps come into their own in the great outdoors, so you have 3D mapping apps like the which tracks you as you bike, hike or ski. But others are taking this area more seriously, and want to attack the market more aggressively. Today, London-based Terrascope has raised £300,000 ($470k) in seed funding to create what ...
The Dawning Virtual Age
Sasa Marinkovic
2,014
12
6
We all experienced a colorless world not too long ago — a colorless computing world. The arrival of graphics processing for personal computers 30 years ago banished monochrome and grayscale displays and triggered a revolution in computer-graphics-enabled applications, gaming and entertainment. This revolution continu...
Moore’s Law And The 30-Year Rule
Paul Johnson
2,014
12
6
Citations of Moore’s Law are growing exponentially. In fact the number of articles with some mention of the law, which has come to mean computing capacity doubles every 10 months, are accelerating. TechCrunch alone returns 220 pages of results. If you consider the comments, trackbacks, and social mentions, it is only...
Uber Confirms It Is Assisting Police In India Following An Alleged Rape
Jon Russell
2,014
12
6
Uber is assisting police in India with an investigation into the alleged rape of a passenger who used its service in New Delhi, the U.S. company confirmed today. A number of media in the country — including and — report that a woman was raped sometime between Friday night and the early hours of Saturday after takin...
Six Drivers Of The $700B Mobile Internet
Tim Merel
2,014
12
6
Mobile internet is all about big numbers. Revenue will more than triple to $700 billion by 2017, there was over $19 billion invested and $94 billion exits in the last 12 months, average sector returns were up to 15.6x all of the money invested over the last three years, public stock market returns were up to 78 perce...
Starting And Finishing In Columbus
Web Smith
2,014
12
6
  Historically, a concentration of the country’s startups with the most upside move to the Valley, Boston, New York and Austin for what the geography can do for them. This isn’t news. In fact, I was one of them. Austin, Texas, was great to me and my first startup. I still remember receiving my first seed capital from a...
Watch Sony’s PlayStation Experience Keynote Live
Darrell Etherington
2,014
12
6
Sony’s PlayStation Experience is kicking off in Las Vegas today, with a keynote that starts at 10 AM PT. You can tune in to the live stream via Twitch above to catch all the action, which should include a fair number of new game announcements, complete with some early looks at the gameplay and cinematic of next ...
Gillmor Gang: Not Fade Away
Steve Gillmor
2,014
12
6
The Gillmor Gang — Robert Scoble, Doc Searls, Keith Teare, and Steve Gillmor. Recorded live Friday, December 5, 2014. As notifications and deep linking are built out, the Gillmor Gang is implementing a series of interconnected apps and services including a forthcoming Gillmor Gang app. Follow GILLMORGANG on YO or cli...
Lies, Damn Lies And The Myth Of Following The Data
Ron Miller
2,014
12
6
We are told to follow the data and the truth will be revealed, but data tells many tales and it depends on the data and how you interpret it. It makes me wonder if anything is definitive if you can present two similar sets of data and draw wildly different conclusions, depending on your emphasis. That’s because data is...
Legal Tech Startups Have A Short History And A Bright Future
Basha Rubin
2,014
12
6
Legal technology is booming, with companies attempting to disrupt the legal space at every level and from every angle. And with good reason. Some   value the market size at as much as $400 billion. While legal still hasn’t caught up with other industries — either in terms of   or widespread adoption, the future is br...
A Bitcoin Battle Is Brewing
Jon Evans
2,014
12
6
Did you know the Bitcoin community is riven by tension, drama, competing agendas, and at least two starkly different visions of our economic future? That even as who thought of Bitcoin as snake oil re-assess its blockchain technology as a major breakthrough, and into blockchain startups, the few at its cutting ed...
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Ron Miller
2,014
12
1
null
Meet Jeremy Cowart, A Photographer Who Snaps The Homeless With A High-Tech Light Ring And Cellphone
John Biggs
2,014
12
24
away from homelessness. looks straight at it, with kindness. Cowart is a Nashville-based celebrity photographer and founded , a global event that invites photographers to shoot and print portraits of the homeless and people in need in an effort to help people “smile, come together, and remember.” The last event, h...
OnePlus Allowed To Resume Sales In India After Court Order
Catherine Shu
2,014
12
24
Earlier this month, Chinese smartphone maker after a New Delhi court upheld a complaint by rival Micromax. Now the ban has been lifted and OnePlus will be able to start importing and selling devices again. At the heart of the issue is the Cyanogen operating system, which the OnePlus One uses in all countries outside ...
The Key To Successful Commerce Businesses Is Supply Chain
Ajay Agarwal
2,014
12
24
  It may surprise many of you to learn that Dell Computer was the highest appreciating tech stock of the 90s. This success was grounded not in marketing or product, but primarily behind the scenes in a revolutionary approach to supply chain. Dell’s success was powered by a “build to order” approach that enabled it to o...
Rethinking Work-Life Balance
Blake Commagere
2,014
12
24
We all know that having a healthy work-life balance is critical for startup employees – and have read the cautionary tales of how dangerous it can be to have no work-life balance. It’s something we should all strive to achieve.  It’s also a worthless concept as it’s typically presented. Everything I’ve read on the subj...
Nubeliu Is Bringing The Private Cloud To Latin America
Julie Ruvolo
2,014
12
24
Private cloud enterprise solution has raised a seed round from Latin American powerhouse investors in the “couple of millions,” according to a source close to the company. and (NASDAQ: MELI) founder and CEO Marcos Galperin also participated in the round. Nubeliu is the first venture to offer enterprise private c...
Group Text+ Makes It Easy To Troll Your Family Over The Holidays
Kyle Russell
2,014
12
24
Depending on your family dynamics, the holidays are either a magical time or the most stressful period of the year. For many, having a smartphone on hand gives a quick escape from dealing with drama, but it can also serve as a barrier to letting yourself engage with those you love. , an iOS app that makes it really eas...
Following Charges, Uber Confronts Its Asian Dilemma
Danny Crichton
2,014
12
24
The extent governments are willing to go to crack down on Uber has reached a new high-water mark yesterday after , the co-founder and CEO of Uber, of violating local transportation laws. If he were convicted, the punishment could include fines, and perhaps a first for the company and its leadership, a possible jail se...
Interactive Content Can Save Content Marketing From The Dark Side
Scott Brinker
2,014
12
24
Not long ago, in a marketing department not far, far away, we saw the rise of content marketing. It began as a young, idealistic movement to help educate, enlighten, and entertain self-empowered buyers in the digital world. An elegant marketing for a more civilized age. But increasingly, it’s become seduced to the da...
Facebook Signs Up The NFL And Verizon To Test Ads That Play After Video Clips
Anthony Ha
2,014
12
24
Anyone who’s watched online videos (including those on TechCrunch TV) is probably familiar with the pre-roll ad format, where you have to watch a short ad before you get to the video that you actually want to see. Well, Facebook is testing a less obvious variant — ads that play after the video instead. that the social...
Sony Offers ‘The Interview’ Online For Rent Or Purchase Starting Today At 1 PM ET
Darrell Etherington
2,014
12
24
Sony will be providing ‘The Interview’ online today for rental ($6) or purchase ($15) in a surprise move. Those looking to get it can head to , and the movie is set to go live starting today at 10 AM PT, or 1 PM ET. Sony is offering it in HD quality via ,  (embed below), and , as well as at its own website. [youtub...
Uber Adds A $2 Booking Fee To UberT Rides In NYC
Darrell Etherington
2,014
12
24
Uber has added a $2 booking fee to uberT rides in NYC, which is charged through the app to your credit card on file, despite the fact that uberT rides still require users to pay their driver the metered fare separately in the city and boroughs. Uber says the fee is being added “on behalf of yellow and boro taxi drivers...
‘The Interview’ Streaming Plans Include YouTube, Google Play And Sony’s Own Services
Darrell Etherington
2,014
12
24
Sony and YouTube are in negotiations to make ‘The Interview’ available for digital rental, according to , and reported separately . Reports earlier today suggested that Sony had actually approached the White House for help in securing iTunes as the VOD platform of choice for streaming availability, but technical and i...
Facebook Challenges YouTube Channels With New Features For Pages
Josh Constine
2,014
12
24
Twitter’s not the only one Facebook is battling for control of news and content distribution. With , Facebook wants to make its home for businesses less like a newspaper that come to you and more like TV channels you turn on. That’s why it’s YouTube that’s getting flattered by the social network with a . All business...
Here Lets You Inform People You’ve Arrived With A Selfie
Steve O'Hear
2,014
12
24
In some ways, 2014 could be considered the year of the single purpose app, where a single feature often the app. The likes of have taken this idea to its extreme. But, either way, there’s certainly merit to keeping things simple. Enter (not to be confused with Nokia’s mapping platform of the same name), an desi...
The Greasy Underpan Of Restaurant Tech
Bryan Menell
2,014
12
24
This story is repeated hundreds of times across the country, and it goes a little bit like this. A group of savvy people go out to eat at a  and wonder why modern mobile technology has completely bypassed the industry. “Why can’t I push a button on my phone to re-order a beer,” they commonly ask? “I wish we could j...
Police Can Create Fake Instagram Accounts To Investigate Suspects
Jordan Crook
2,014
12
24
According to a recent opinion passed down by district court judge William Martini in New Jersey, it is 100 percent legal for a police officer to create a fake Instagram account, friend you, and use evidence found in your Instagram feed against you, should you get yourself into the kind of mess that requires such an inv...
Korean Authorities Charge Uber Over Transportation Laws, Threaten CEO With Jail Time
Jon Russell
2,014
12
23
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is facing a possible fine or jail sentence in Korea after prosecutors charged the company and its founder with violating local transportation laws, . The controversial U.S. taxi booking service is currently under pressure from authorities in Taiwan and Thailand right now, but barely a day seem...
Vizio Lampoons Curved TVs For Being Dumb
Greg Kumparak
2,014
12
24
Curved TVs are silly – the result of an industry flailing for some new selling point, now that 1080p is pretty much a standard option and the market has proven that . Vizio wants none of it. To highlight its resistance as Samsung, Sony, LG and the rest of the lot venture into questionable curvy territory, it pushed out...
Alibaba Removed 90M Suspicious Listings From Its Sites Before IPO
Catherine Shu
2,014
12
23
Alibaba ramped up its efforts to remove counterfeit goods before its initial public offering in September, the company said during a press conference today. Chief risk officer Polo Shao states that Alibaba . The Chinese e-commerce giant also works with law enforcement as well as brand owners to identify and remove cou...
Now Tinder Is Being Used To ID Suspected Thieves
Jon Russell
2,014
12
23
Stories of thieves being caught by social networks like Facebook or Twitter are nothing new. But what about Tinder? “Isn’t that a dating app,” you say. Yes, but one enterprising victim of repeat thefts used the popular mobile app to ID the person he claimed is responsible for stealing $30,000 worth of computers and gad...
The Data Scientists In Santa’s Workshop
Tom Limongello
2,014
12
23
  It seems like everyone has AI on their wish lists this season. For me, there was Xmas in July. I was nearing the end of my research for a post on office productivity, and I got a strange answer to what I assumed was a simple question: “Why would Google sunset the nice little feature that let me send a calendar invite...
Startup Brain Power Uses Google Glass To Develop Apps For Kids With Autism
Catherine Shu
2,014
12
23
Though many developers , a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup called  believes that the hardware still has plenty of possibilities for children with autism. Brain Power develops Google Glass apps, as well as hardware add-ons, that help kids learn social and communication skills while at the same time providing fe...
Deliberation Could Fix Tech’s Immigration Problem
Cat Zakrzewski
2,014
12
23
2014 did not bring the immigration reforms the tech lobby pushed for. Hopes of reform that would benefit high-skilled workers were initially dashed when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives blocked the Senate immigration bill. Silicon Valley was again disappointed when President Obama announced he would t...
Ireland Weighs In On Microsoft v. US Government
Alex Wilhelm
2,014
12
23
Microsoft picked up new momentum today in a domestic case regarding the disclosure of information stored on the company’s servers in Ireland. Both  and a member of filed amicus briefs in the company’s favor, contrary to the legal interpretation of the United States government. At issue is that if nations can command...
What Would You Do With $600B In Cash?
Eric Kim
2,014
12
23
Consumer Internet startups have experienced a long-running boom in funding and valuations, but a recent trend toward strategic investments and acquisitions by Internet giants is raising eyebrows. Investments such as the for Magic Leap, into Koudai, and in Tango have changed the way that later-stage consumer Int...
The Tech Stocks You Shouldn’t Have Owned This Year
Danny Crichton
2,014
12
23
It’s that time of the year again. Parents are buying presents for their children, mobile device fanatics are arguing over iOS and Android, and investors are clearing out their portfolios before the end of the year to make their tax rebate checks just a little bit fatter. 2014 hasn’t been a good year for tax harvesting ...
FCC Delays Review Of Comcast-TWC Merger Over Undisclosed Documents
Alex Wilhelm
2,014
12
23
The FCC pressed pause on its review of the proposed Comcast-TWC merger after learning that thousands of documents it should have had access to were withheld. The roughly 7,000 documents were not disclosed due to “an inappropriate claim of attorney client privilege,” . In addition, some 31,000 documents that were also ...
Ginger.io Adds $20 Million In Funding
Sarah Buhr
2,014
12
23
According to , behavioral health analytics startup   has added $20 million in Series B funding. This brings the total amount raised up to $28.2 million. According to the filing, Ginger.io added partner to its board. This usually implies the new investor also led the round. Romulus Capital, Khosla Ventures and True...
TC Droidcast Episode 32: Year In Review… Chickichuuu!
Darrell Etherington
2,014
12
23
This week’s all about 2014, the year that was. We’re on the way into the holidays, but we wanted to take one last look at the hits of the past year in Android, including Lollipop, the HTC One M8, the OnePlus One and the LG G3, to name just a few. We also highlight our favorite apps, and identify some of the broader tre...
The “Snappening” Had No Impact On Snapchat Growth, Usage Or Engagement
Sarah Perez
2,014
12
23
No single bad PR incident can impact Snapchat’s growth or popularity, it seems. Earlier this year, the mobile social network made headlines when thousands of Snapchat accounts were hacked, causing around 200,000 private photos – many of a decidedly racy nature – to be leaked publicly to the web. Meanwhile, Snapchat’s t...
FCC Confirms That Nearly 4M Net Neutrality Comments Were Submitted By The Public
Alex Wilhelm
2,014
12
23
After some  about just how many comments were submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) dealing with net neutrality, the governmental agency confirmed today that were in fact submitted. Some had alleged that either , or perhaps that the agency had . ...
Reimagining Healthcare Through Wearable Tech And Collaboration
Unity Stoakes
2,014
12
23
Tech giants are making early moves to partner as they see business opportunities emerge in the digital healthcare market. Earlier in December, we learned that Intel will replace Texas Instruments as the provider of chips for Google Glass. We also learned that the company plans to promote Glass as a workplace-computin...
PSA: Kreezus Is The Perfect Holiday Mashup Of Kanye West’s Yeezus For Christmas
Ryan Lawler
2,014
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlNYWFaOfXY&index=3&list=PLwsolcWNoTjXGzsX7CQQK-vl_IBKQJtDV Have a long road trip ahead and not sure what to listen to? Having family over and need the perfect holiday tunes to entertain your guests? Maybe you’re just hanging out and want something to help get you in the mood for Christm...
After Three Years, Turner Shuts Down Its Media Camp Accelerator Program
Ryan Lawler
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Nearly three years ago at SXSW, accelerator to help startups focused on changing the media world. After investing in and leading 27 companies through its 12-week accelerator program, however, the company is shutting down Media Camp and its associated Emerging Technology team. In an email sent yesterday (full text b...
Privacy Groups Upbraid MPAA For Trying To Bring SOPA Back At The State Level
Alex Wilhelm
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The ongoing struggle between Google and the Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has new players this week, as a number of privacy groups waded into the mix, dinging the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for, , a “coordinated campaign to shut down and block access to individual websites through backdoor me...
Sony To Allow Screenings Of ‘The Interview’ On Christmas After All
Darrell Etherington
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Sony will be allowing select theatres to screen The Interview on Christmas Day after all, according to a tweet from Tim League, co-founder of the Alamo Drafthouse cinema chain. League says that they’ll have screening times available within the hour now that the restriction has been lifted. Breaking news: Sony has auth...
This Week On The TC Gadgets Podcast: The Seinfeld Edition
Matt Burns
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This week the TCG team covers everything and nothing including Lego, beer, and Blackberry. Enjoy! We invite you to enjoy our every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern and noon Pacific. And feel free to check out the TechCrunch Gadgets Flipboard magazine right . You can subscribe to the . Intro Music by .
Netflix Brings Private Recommendations To Android Phones And Smartwatches
Jon Russell
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Back in September, to let users recommend content to friends without having to share it publicly on the social network. Now . The update means that Netflix for Android users can privately share and receive recommendations from friends right from their phone, but the service also supports notifications for those who ...
China’s Miyabaobei, An Online Store For Baby Products, Scores $60M Series C
Catherine Shu
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, a Chinese site that sells formula, clothes, and other items for babies and toddlers, has raised a $60 million Series C round from H Capital, with participation from returning investors Sequoia Capital and ZhenFund. Along with its previous rounds, including a $20 million Series C led by Sequoia in July, this brings th...
SoftBank Leads $90M Round For India’s Housing.com To Continue Its Asian Spending Spree
Jon Russell
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SoftBank’s investment spree in Asia is continuing today after the company a $90 million round for Locon Solutions, the company behind India’s  property portal. The Japanese telecom giant led the round in the property search company, with additional participation from Falcon Edge and other undisclosed investors. This...
Global Hackathon Seoul Will Be The First Event Of Its Kind Sponsored By The City’s Government
Catherine Shu
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Seoul boosts one of the most promising startup scenes in Asia. Over the last few months, its profile has been raised by several major funding rounds, including those of e-commerce site ; ; ; and food delivery app . Now the city’s government hopes to get more people interested in its startup industry by sponsoring ...
Goldee’s Try At Hardware Fizzles And Leads To Code Sabotage By Disgruntled Employees
Darrell Etherington
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If you want a solid example that backs up the startup maxim “hardware is hard,” look no further than the cautionary tale of , a software startup that turned its attention to hardware and the connected home, only to have the situation go from , and culminate in hurt feelings, permanently damaged code and a lot of back...
The FiiV Case Straps A Hotspot And Battery To Your iPad
Kyle Russell
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If you pick up a Wi-Fi iPad only to then find out you need wireless on the go all the time, your options for getting it access aren’t ideal. You either activate the hotspot feature on your phone, wasting battery life, or you get an external hotspot that you have to carry around with your other devices. The , with its ...
Home Maintenance Startup Happy Home Company Is Waiving Fees For Bay Area Residents With Storm Damage
Anthony Ha
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We’ve heard about startups that, intentionally or not, take advantage of , so it’s nice when a new company actually offers to help out without making a profit. Last week, I wrote about , a startup that . Well, after the recent storms in the San Francisco Bay Area (which, yes, generated lots of amusing commentary o...
Microsoft’s New Office App, Sway, Is Now Open To Everyone
Alex Wilhelm
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Microsoft’s , an online tool for creating presentation documents, is now generally available to the public. Previously, a waiting list was in place. That Sway has taken down its rope line isn’t surprising. What is perhaps slightly unexpected are the metrics that Microsoft announced in its concerning the product’s av...
Following Canada, Homejoy Also “Pauses” Operations In France
Steve O'Hear
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, the U.S. domestic cleaning startup that’s by the likes of Google Ventures to the tune of $38 million, is putting another of its international operations on hold. Following news that its Canada-based business is being “paused,” TechCrunch has learned that Homejoy’s activities in France have been met with the same ...
How To Speak Startup
Alex Wilhelm
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Hang with startup kids long enough, and you’ll notice that they have their own language.  It never ends:  This can be confusing. However, TechCrunch is here to demystify startup lingo into a more common  . The startup kids, after all, are worth trying to understand. One or two of them might even build something usable....
Hiptic Games Launches Its GameThrive Push Notification Service
Kyle Russell
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, a Y Combinator alum that’s been operating in stealth since the summer 2011 batch, has launched  , a push notification service that aims to help developers engage players when they’re least likely to be annoyed. Originally built for the team’s own needs, the service combines push-notification delivery automation with ...
Eyes-On With Flux’s Modular 3D Printer, Which Has Raised Over $1.3M On Kickstarter
Darrell Etherington
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The Flux 3D printer wants to be a one-stop fab shop for scanning, designing and building various things thanks to a design with interchangeable heads. Flux’s team to generate interest in the project, and generate interest they did: The project has raised over $1.3 million, with five days yet to go, after seeking ju...
Built In Brooklyn: Mouth Delivers Indie Food, Booze, And Gifts To Your Home
Anthony Ha
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For the latest episode of , we visited a locale that’s particularly close to my heart — a liquor store. That store, located in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood, is run by , a startup that sells food, alcohol, and “tasty gifts” from independent producers. While the business mostly revolves around its online marketplace...
HBO GO Finally Comes To Amazon Fire TV
Matt Burns
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Amazon just . HBO GO is on the Amazon Fire TV and will hit the Fire TV Stick this coming spring. Best yet, the app fully supports Amazon’s impressive voice search that let’s users find content with a button built into the Fire TV remote. When the Fire TV launched, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos promised that the streamer wou...
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Sarah Buhr
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The Nest Thermostat Can Now Be Controlled By Voice
Greg Kumparak
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Your house is cold, but your thermostat is . You could walk over to your thermostat and crank the heat, but pfft, . If you have a Nest, you could open up the app and control it that way, but, pfft, . What is this, 2007?! As of this morning, you can now control a Nest with your voice. Making use of that $3.2 billion ...