via Tech http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/tech/~3/SoM6qjI21vI/
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Nike+ Fuelband SE Boasts Improved Tracking, Neon Colors
via Tech http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/tech/~3/FSYSZOK7QrA/
Google gesture patent would let Glass wearers 'heart' real-world objects
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/HV0OaeUAgZs/
Drones carrying textbooks may populate the Australian sky in the not-so-distant future, US up next
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-bEZYYgnQPk/
HTC One Max review
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/pkn782hxBRs/
Major next-gen launch title Watch Dogs pushed to Spring 2014
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7WY6vvqfETE/
Apple Sends Invites to Oct. 22 iPad Event
via Tech http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/tech/~3/1ERhS3lMA8g/
Apple confirms October 22nd event, 'still has a lot to cover'
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/0cB3zJ_J4X4/
BitLock offers a bring-your-own-bicycle approach to bike sharing
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ZgGYgbAa6i0/
Amped Wireless announces APA-20 long-range access point
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/lCC8qSaKTak/
Bunkr Unveils New Major Version Of Its PowerPoint Killer
French startup Bunkr just released a new major version of its presentation web app in partnership with Etamin Studio. It still is a fully responsive HTML5 web app that works seamlessly on your computer, phone or tablet. Yet, it was redesigned from the ground up and the new user experience should make the app more appealing to new users.
As a reminder, Bunkr is the PowerPoint killer we’ve all been waiting for. It allows you to collect content and create a presentation, integrating the cumbersome image searching and saving step into the service. Whenever you see something that you want to add to your presentation, just click on the bookmarklet and it will be in your Bunkr account. Users can collect images, videos, websites, articles, notes or quotes.
On the presentation side, it looks a lot like PowerPoint for the web. Like in PowerPoint and unlike in Prezi, Bunkr still uses the traditional slide metaphor with simple drag and drop mechanisms. In other words, Bunkr paid attention to heavy PowerPoint users — they won’t feel lost.
Finally, sharing a Bunkr presentation is as easy as sharing a URL. It makes it much easier to see a presentation on a smartphone or tablet or even to send a presentation to someone. And if you really need this .ppt or .pdf file, you can download it.
For now, you have to search on Google Images, YouTube and your hard drive to import content. Adding support for more services should come next. Even though Bunkr wants to replace your Evernote presentation folder, linking directly to Evernote has its own advantages.
Out of its 35,000 user base, 500 clients are already paying for the product. The ratio is definitely low, but the startup already has some high-ranked clients, such as Amazon, Publicis and Orangina Schweppes. This new version is really what it should have been from the get-go. It looks better and it works better. Now, gaining traction and raising the right amount of money are the two next steps to turn Bunkr into a serious Prezi and Google Docs competitor.
via TechCrunch » Startups http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/startups/~3/L6Sjg_Avz6M/
Iberia presenta su nueva imagen
Un A330 de Iberia con la nueva librea
Sin ninguna sorpresa respecto a lo que ya se habÃa filtrado, Iberia presentó la nueva imagen de la empresa, el primer cambio desde hace 36 años.
Nueva librea de Iberia
El primer avión en incorporarla será un Airbus A330 que la aerolÃnea recibirá en las próximas semanas, el quinto de este modelo que recibe Iberia, que además será bautizado como Juan Carlos I; los aviones con la librea actual se irán repintando según les toque. un proceso que puede prolongarse hasta tres años.
El resto de elementos como uniformes del personal, mostradores de atención a los clientes, etc, se irán cambiando también de forma paulatina.
También Iberia Express y Air Nostrum irán incorporado la nueva imagen.
Si nos atenemos a lo que dice la nota de prensa «el nuevo logo contribuirá de forma significativa al objetivo de lograr una Iberia más fuerte, moderna y competitiva» y la nueva imagen «supondrá un cambio en los productos y una mejora en la calidad del servicio que Iberia presta a sus clientes».
Claro que recuperar rutas y aviones –la flota de Iberia ha perdido unos 50 aviones desde la fusión con British Airways, lo que también ha afectado al aeropuerto de Barajas– y modernizar estos, aunque sólo fuera incorporando sharklets a los A320 probablemente serÃa más efectivo que un nuevo logo.
Mientras tanto, otros aprovechan las oportunidades que les proporciona la crisis de Iberia.
via Microsiervos http://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/aerotrastorno/iberia-presenta-su-nueva-imagen.html
Angry Birds Go! is MarioKart with birds, arrives for free on iOS and Android December 11th
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/EMBSny4EByg/
IoT Startup Greenbox Aims To Become Nest For The Garden
It’s starting to feel like the Internet of Things (IoT) train is finally leaving the station, as more and more household appliances become Internet-connected with a smartphone app providing the User Interface/remote controller.
We’ve seen the likes of Nest attempt to make the humble thermostat smart (alongside European rivals such as Tado), and more recently it’s doing the same for the smoke detector.
Taking cues from the same IoT playbook is Israeli startup Greenbox with its “cloud-connected smart irrigation system” (that’s a sprinkler controller to you and I). Pegged for a December launch but now available for preorder, the company is pitching itself as ‘Nest for the garden’.
Backed by $250,000 of funding from Kima Ventures after a failed Kickstarter campaign, the premise of Greenbox is a familiar story in the connected home space. It’s set out to bring the garden sprinkler kicking and screaming into the Internet age, replacing what is either a “dumb” device or one that, whilst Internet-connected, is crippled by a clunky User Experience.
“Current irrigation controllers are outdated, extremely unintuitive and frustrating to use,” says Greenbox co-founder and CEO Eyal Dior. “Plus, they are not connected to weather data, so when it rains the controller will continue to water unless you speed to shut if off. When you have an sunnier day than expected, the controller will fail to water unless you rush to turn it on”.
Not only does this mean that a garden doesn’t automatically receive the irrigation it needs, but there’s a lot of water wastage in the process. And in turn, unnecessary expense. To solve this problem, Greenbox, via its cloud-connectivity, is powered by location-based weather data. In addition, and taking a page straight out of Nest’s book, it’s self-learning, resulting in a claimed “up to 50%” reduction in water consumption.
“Greenbox has a simple interface with remote access,” says Dior. “It programs itself based on weather. It learns and improves over time, conserves water, saves money, and above all it will have a fun UX made for real people.” That UX, he notes, comes courtesy of modern and ubiquitous smartphone platforms like iOS. “Since the advent of the smartphone, home automation technology is booming indoors and accessible to the masses. The same need for automation exists in the yard,” he adds.
Greenbox’s business model is straightforward. It makes money directly from the sale of the physical Greenbox controllers, with the smartphone app being free and sans-subscription fees for the underlying cloud service. The company is currently offering an early-bird price of $219. Competitors to Greenbox include Cyber-rain, Rain Machine, and Weathermatic.
via TechCrunch » Startups http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/startups/~3/eZdWHot2ce8/
Zelda's Triforce and Luigi's silhouette grace two new 3DS XL handhelds headed to Europe
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Z2z6m-J1i_I/
Nike+ Fuelband SE unveiled, wants you to move more
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/sYyZgc02xUY/
La privacidad en Facebook, el juego
En el Facebook Security Simulator tienes 20 segundos para comprobar las opciones de seguridad y privacidad en Facebook antes de que cambien. Y antes de que vuelvan a cambiar otra vez.
via Microsiervos http://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/humor/privacidad-facebook-simulador-juego.html
Betting That Millennials Want Substantive News And Commentary, PolicyMic Raises $3M
How many younger readers really care about news and politics — as opposed to celebrity gossip, viral videos, and cat GIFs? Well, a site called PolicyMic is built around the proposition that readers under 35 are looking for something more substantive, and it just raised $3 million in new funding.
Co-founder and CEO Christopher Altchek argued that most existing sites aimed at a younger audience are “very much focused on lighter and more entertaining content,” creating an opportunity for a competitor that’s tailored to the same audience but tackles “meaty topics.”
“My sense is that of the 80 million millennials in the United States, 40 million consume some form of news every day,” he said. “And if you took a poll of the average one, they’re pretty dissatisfied with their options for high quality news right now.”
PolicyMic publishes between 50 and 100 pieces of content each day, created by a network 2,500 writers — some of them paid, some not (it sounds like the unpaid writers can work their way up to paid status), all of them supervised by PolicyMic’s 20-person editorial team. The site’s strength isn’t original or investigative reporting, Altchek said, but rather opinion and analysis.
As I write this, for example, the front page includes stories like “Wall Street May Be In Decline, and Here’s Why That Should Worry You” and “Inside the Newest Battle to Crush Voter Rights.” Not that everything is quite so serious — there’s also a story on “10 TV Theme Songs That Defined The 90s.”
PolicyMic currently receives 9 million unique visitors per month, Altchek said, and the team has also learned a lot about how to give its content plenty of exposure on social media. To illustrate that point, he sent me links to toa story on Syrian refugees that was shared more than 94,000 times on Facebook and a story on protests in Turkey that was shared more than 92,000 times.
As I talked to Altchek about his vision, I was reminded of some of my conversations with executives at BuzzFeed, which also aims for younger readers with a mix of serious and light content. Of course, the mix at PolicyMic definitely skews much more to the serious side, and Altchek said he doesn’t see the two sites as competitive — after all, they share an investor (more on that in a second).
As for making money, Altchek told me that PolicyMic will be staying away from standard ads and instead be rolling out “high quality, thoughtful sponsored content” over the next few months.
The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Lerer Ventures (which also backed BuzzFeed), Advancit Capital, and Red Swan Ventures. PolicyMic previously raised $1.8 million from the Knight Foundation, Digital News Ventures, and various angels.
The site also launched its redesign yesterday, giving it a look that’s more attractive and polished. In their post about the redesign, Altchek and his co-founder/editor-in-chief Jake Horowitz wrote:
We want millions of millennials to use our platform to find the next generation of creative thinkers and work together to solve our most pressing challenges. Our promise is to give the PolicyMic community the platform, editorial resources, and reach to make a true difference.
Altcheck also told me that the site is looking to expand into other topics (it currently focuses on politics, arts and entertainment, and “identity”) where it can find a passionate, engaged audience. As it grows, he said he’s open to renaming PolicyMic — but regardless of the name, he wants everything to stay on a single URL, rather than launching a bunch of different sites.
via TechCrunch » Startups http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/startups/~3/EDA2pvfcxbY/
Changes coming to Engadget's RSS feed
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CFiCY_SzzF8/
Google Smart Watch Nears Completion and Other News You Need to Know
via Tech http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/tech/~3/97vxaqVA8o8/
Sony Launches SmartWatch 2, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 in the U.S.
via Tech http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/tech/~3/YWmfQguUF4U/
MeetMe Launches Standalone Dating App Charm, Where Tinder Meets Vine
After rebranding from MyYearbook more than a year ago, social network MeetMe is off and running on its next big adventure. It’s a Tinder meets Vine social dating play, and it’s called Charm.
MeetMe’s focus has always been on meeting new people who may end up being great friends. With Charm, the company believes it can make a play in the dating space by using videos and instead of photos.
According to co-founder Geoff Cook, the company has been impressed with the growth of dating app Tinder, which lets users flip through one photo after the next and rate potential suitors with a simple yes or no. However, one issue that Cook takes with Tinder is that photos can be outdated or misleading.
With Charm, the same Tinder-style format exists with simple swipes for yes or no. Yet, instead of showing you photos which may not paint a real picture, Charm shows you short, looping videos.
These videos are created the same way you create Vine videos, by holding your thumb to the screen and recording. These videos play on a loop just like Vine. If two users like each other, Charm unlocks their chat functionality.
To MeetMe, this follows the app’s core mission of bringing authentic people together. But will video work in the realm of online dating?
The reason that pictures seem to work well on Tinder or Grindr or OkCupid is because it gives controlled access to users. I can decide exactly what other users see of me, and they can make their decision to chat with me based on the limited access I give them. However, a video selfie is a much more intimidating venture than a photo selfie, especially knowing that potential suitors will be rating that video.
Still, Cook says that beta testers are having fun with the video feature and that users enjoy seeing more realistic versions of the people they’ll later meet.
But why a standalone app? According to Cook, you don’t want to build a mobile app that thinks it can do everything, but rather have an app that’s really good at one thing.
“Eventually, some of the functionality of this app or future standalone apps may work its way into MeetMe,” said Cook. This is the first of four new apps coming out of MeetMe in the next six months.
If you’re interested in checking out Charm, head over here and download the app.
via TechCrunch » Startups http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/startups/~3/cTSrGSXs3WY/
Offensive e-book controversy highlights issues with self-publishing
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/otM7IKAcm6w/
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX (7-inch) teardown finds few easily repairable parts
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/tQP31lmWNrc/
T-Mobile to replace grandfathered plans with new rates
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/93OEAkRNmnE/
Este mapa del mundo representa a los paÃses por el número de usuarios de Internet
El mapa de Information Geographies Internet Population and Penetration, representa el tamaño de los paÃses según la penetración de Internet y al número total de usuarios de Internet que hay en cada paÃs —con datos del Banco Mundial de 2011.
El 42% de los usuarios de Internet viven en Asia; China, India y Japón por sà solos suman más internautas que Europa y EE UU juntos. Y eso a pesar de que todos los paÃses con más de un 80% de penetración de Internet están en Europa, exceptuando Canadá, Nueva Zelanda, Qatar y Corea del Sur.
Aún asÃ, sólo un tercio de la población mundial tiene acceso a Internet.
VÃa The Atlantic.
via Microsiervos http://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/internet/un-mapa-del-mundo-que-representa-a-la-poblacion-online.html
Sony SmartWatch 2 launches in the US for $200, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra tag along for the ride
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_KsBQZskoFs/
Aviate for Android enters private beta, adapts your home screen to your lifestyle (hands-on)
via Engadget RSS Feed http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/UPEv787T03A/
General Assembly Launches Dash, A Tool For Coding Newbies
As General Assembly moves away from co-working and focuses more heavily on educating entrepreneurs and startups, the company is releasing a brand new tool to the public. It’s called Dash, and it’s an interactive online program that helps teach people how to code through a series of interactive storyline-based tutorials.
The program was originally created in-house by project manager Nathan Bradshaw and a GA and co-founder Brad Hargreaves, who wanted to give General Assembly students young and old the opportunity to get comfortable with coding.
Dash works in the browser, and helps users learn CSS, Javascript and HTML through various tasks that are similar to the real life of a coder or developer. For example, as you go through various lessons you’ll learn how to first build a personal website, then a blog theme, then a small business website, and eventually a CSS Robot.
“Codeacademy and other code-learning websites are great, but they kind of lose context,” said Jake Schwartz, co-founder at General Assembly. “We wanted to give people real-world scenarios to learn from.”
That said, each Dash project is framed as a task from a fictional client, with corrections along the way in case you make a mistake. But it goes beyond that. Once you’ve completed a project for your client, users can then customize the website and focus on design. After each site is beautified, Dash helps you publish it to the web.
By the end of the course, users will have three mini-sites up and running under their name.
Dash was originally created as an internal tool for General Assembly back in February, assigned as “pre-work” for students taking General Assembly’s full-time Front End Web Development immersive program.
However, after realizing it’s so well-liked among the GA community, the company decided to offer it as a publicly available tool.
If you want to check out Dash, head over here and sign up.
via TechCrunch » Startups http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/startups/~3/u5K5PxKeqtU/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)