Mobile – TechCrunch

hackbot (49)in #hackbot • 6 years ago

Facebook launches collaborative Stories for Groups and Events

Facebook is combining its Snapchat Stories clone with features Snapchat can’t match in a bid to boost usage. Starting today, users of Facebook Groups and Events will be able to contribute to a Story visible to the rest of the members and moderated by the admins. This could be fun for parties, weddings, meetups, and more. In essence, these collaborative Stories will work like a private… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/13/facebook-event-stories/?ncid=rss

Facebook Stories replaces Messenger Day with synced cross-posting

Facebook is cleaning up the redundancy in its Snapchat Stories clones. Today Facebook is killing off the Messenger Day stories feature and replacing it with the 24-hour disappearing Facebook Stories slideshows inside Messenger. Now, just called “Stories”, posts in either Facebook or Messenger will appear in both apps, and viewing will be synced too so you won’t see a Story in… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/13/rip-direct-and-messenger-day/?ncid=rss

Snapchat’s epic strategy flip-flop

It takes courage to say you were wrong about almost everything. But that’s what Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel did this week, and that’s what it will take to save Snapchat. From algorithmic feeds to partnerships to target markets to recruiting adults, Snap is planning a 180-degree turn across the board. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/13/time-to-snap-into-action/?ncid=rss

ESPN launches a short-form version of SportsCenter on Snapchat

ESPN today announced it’s launching a short-form version of its SportsCenter show on Snapchat, which will kick off today at 5 PM ET. The show will then begin to release new episodes on a twice-daily basis, at 5 AM and 5 PM on weekdays and once, at 5 AM, on weekends. The launch will make SportsCenter the first-ever daily sports show on Snapchat’s platform. The move comes at a time… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/13/espn-launches-a-short-form-version-of-sportscenter-on-snapchat/?ncid=rss

Qualcomm rejects Broadcom’s $70 per share takeover offer

Qualcomm’s board of directors has unanimously voted to reject an acquisition offer from rival chipmaker Broadcom. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/13/qualcomm-rejects-broadcoms-70-per-share-takeover-offer/?ncid=rss

Graphcore raises $50M amid a flurry of AI chip activity

While some of the largest chip manufacturers are looking to shift their focus onto the GPU for their biggest machine learnings, there’s a blooming ecosystem of new chip startups looking to rethink the way processing for AI works That includes a European-based startup called Graphcore, which said today that it has raised $50 million in new financing led by Sequoia Capital — following… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/12/graphcore-raises-50m-amid-a-flurry-of-ai-chip-activity/?ncid=rss

Bike-share platform Spin poaches Seattle transit regulator and launches in a dozen new cities

Spin, one of several bike-sharing companies now vying for dominance in a number of U.S. cities, has a new weapon to wield against its competitors: Kyle Rowe, the architect of Seattle’s permissive and apparently successful bike-share permit system, who is joining the company to work on government partnerships. In addition, Spin is gearing up to launch in a dozen or so new cities. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/10/bike-share-platform-spin-poaches-seattle-transit-regulator-and-launches-in-a-dozen-new-cities/?ncid=rss

Uber ‘Express POOL’ offers the cheapest fare if you’ll walk a little

Uber’s found a way to shave another 25 percent or so off the price of a ride. Uber Express POOL asks you to walk up to a few blocks to your pickup and destination before and after the ride in exchange for the cheapest fare out of all of Uber’s options. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/10/uber-express-pool/?ncid=rss

Mysterious ‘green line of death’ appears on some iPhone X displays

It wouldn’t be the launch of a first-generation Apple product without a few hiccups — who can forget Antennagate and Bendgate? — and the iPhone X is no different. A handful of users report that a mysterious and inextinguishable green line has appeared on their device’s display. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/10/mysterious-green-line-of-death-appears-on-some-iphone-x-displays/?ncid=rss

Apple’s iOS App Store adds weekend deals to boost app downloads

With the introduction of iOS 11, Apple redesigned the App Store with a heavier focus on editorial content, including articles, interviews, how-to’s, lists and other round-ups with app recommendations. Now, it’s adding another feature, as well, called “This Weekend Only.” The new section lists deals that can be found inside apps, as opposed to discounts on downloads of… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/10/apples-ios-app-store-adds-weekend-deals-to-boost-app-downloads/?ncid=rss

Facebook relaunches Events app as Facebook Local, adds bars and food

Bad news for Yelp and good news for nightlife lovers. When you want to go out, it doesn’t necessarily have to be to an event. So to help you discover bars, restaurants, and nearby attractions, Facebook is rebranding its standalone Events app as “Facebook Local”. Launching in the U.S. today on iOS and Android, Facebook Local combines events and permanent places to a single… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/10/facebook-local/?ncid=rss

Apple updates its Clips video app with fancy selfie backgrounds and iCloud support

Apple is releasing version 2.0 of Clips, its free application for easily editing mobile videos. When the app first launched earlier this year, it was clear that Apple wasn’t trying to replace more sophisticated editing software like FinalCut or iMovie. Instead, it’s trying to offer an easy way to stitch together video segments shot on your phone (you can shoot video directly in… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/apple-clips-2-0/?ncid=rss

Facebook will teach the unemployed digital/social media skills in 30 cities

Facebook today announced Community Boost. Facebook tells me it’s investing tens of millions of dollars into the program that will travel to 30 cities around the U.S. in 2018. It will teach digital job skills to the unemployed, internet literacy to those just getting online, startup methodology to entrepreneurs and customer growth to small business owners. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/facebook-will-teach-the-unemployed-digital-social-media-skills-in-30-cities/?ncid=rss

Pinterest now lets you create sections within your boards to further tidy up ideas

Pinterest serves as a pretty good place for users who are looking to plan large-scale projects, like outfits for big events, home design or even life moments like a wedding or a 50th birthday party — and now the company is looking to make that even easier by introducing a more powerful way to keep those batches of ideas, well, tidy. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/pinterest-now-lets-you-create-sections-within-your-boards-to-further-tidy-up-ideas/?ncid=rss

Apple has acquired imaging sensor startup InVisage Technologies

As Apple continues to work on ever-smaller but more powerful computing devices, it has acquired a startup focusing on nanotechnology, and specifically as it relates to image sensors. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Apple has picked up InVisage Technologies, a startup that develops solutions to improve imaging capabilities on space-constrained devices, like smartphones. An Apple… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/apple-has-acquired-imaging-sensor-startup-invisage-technologies/?ncid=rss

After leak, Google’s new file manager for Android, Files Go, launches into public beta

Google today decided to launch its new Files Go Android app into public beta to reach a wider group of testers. The company had been preparing to announce its new file manager for Android later in December, but those plans were thwarted earlier this week when the app was spotted in the wild during testing. While file management is Files Go’s focus, the app also includes other useful… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/after-leak-googles-new-file-manager-for-android-files-go-launches-into-public-beta/?ncid=rss

Facebook expands its Marketplace section with housing rentals

Facebook today announced its expanding its Marketplace listings section to include “hundreds of thousands” of housing rentals in a move that seems clearly designed to take on Craigslist. While users before could post their own apartment listings to this section, Facebook says it’s now partnering with sources like Apartment List and Zumper to pull in listings. These partners… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/facebook-expands-its-marketplace-section-with-housing-rentals/?ncid=rss

Square’s dominant year hits a snag

Square is continuing to make its bid to capture the payments of small businesses around the world, as well as tap into the momentum of peer-to-peer payments products with Square Cash, as its payments volume continues a steady and methodical rise — though, Wall Street still seems a little skeptical today as the stock is down slightly. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/08/squares-dominant-year-hits-a-snag/?ncid=rss

Uber gives top riders a 24/7 ‘Premium Support’ hotline

If something scary or infuriating happens with your Uber, sending an email to support doesn’t always cut it. And if you’ve ridden thousands of miles with Uber and paid them boatloads over the years, you might expect better service. You’re always just a few taps away from switching to Lyft, right? This week, TechCrunch spotted Uber testing new “Premium Support”… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/08/just-for-youber/?ncid=rss

Skype launches Photo Effects – sticker suggestions powered by machine learning

Not content with merely launching its own take on Instagram and Snapchat’s Stories, Skype today is adding another copycat-like feature to its app: photo stickers. The company says it’s introducing new “Photo Effects” (as it’s calling these stickers), which include things like face masks, decorative borders, witty captions, and more. However, unlike the photo… Read More