blogger better: 2016-10-30

Saturday, November 5, 2016

What you need to know about startup boards

Office workers talking with colleagues in board room meeting on telephone conference call

Every company has a board of directors — but few founders and entrepreneurs give the matter of board composition much thought. We’d like to offer some advice to founders and CEOs seeking to learn more about their boards, as well as to people who have been invited to sit on a board. Read More

http://ift.tt/2epWPNa What you need to know about startup boards http://ift.tt/2fPeiUB

Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp is experimenting with a new Status feature that lets users share mood-setting pictures and videos overlaid with other custom elements such as emoji, with the content disappearing 24 hours after it’s shared — so basically a copy of Snapchat Stories. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2cYvggp WhatsApp is testing a clone of Snapchat Stories, called Status Natasha Lomas http://ift.tt/2f5s0RZ
via IFTTT

Facebook Messenger is testing “Instant Games” like this one from King

Facebook Messenger is preparing to launch a new “Instant Games” platform that will let people play lightweight games against friends. Candy Crush maker King.com is already testing one of these Instant Games called “Shuffle Cats Mini” in New Zealand, TechCrunch has discovered. And other studios including Big Viking also appear to be prepping for the Instant Games… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/facebook-messenger-games.png?w=680 Facebook Messenger is testing “Instant Games” like this one from King Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2ensqiL
via IFTTT

Facebook Messenger is testing “Instant Games” from developers like King

{rss:content:encoded} Facebook Messenger is testing “Instant Games” from developers like King http://ift.tt/2ensqiL https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/facebook-messenger-games.png?w=680 November 05, 2016 at 06:30AM

The Happy Home Company is the latest home services startup to call it quits. The company was founded by Doug Ludlow, who sold his previous startup, Hipster, to AOL (which also owns TechCrunch). Its goal was to take some of the confusion out of the home maintenance process — when something broke in your home, Happy Home’s “home managers” would help you find the right… Read More

http://ift.tt/1Pjorl7 The Happy Home Company shuts down, team members move to Google http://ift.tt/2flcgL5

TrendKite announced today that it has raised $16.3 million in Series D funding. The company says it helps businesses understand the impact of their news coverage and public relations strategy — like which articles are driving the most awareness of their brand, the total audience that’s being reached by the coverage and the sentiment of that coverage. TrendKite also shows you… Read More

http://ift.tt/2eww4dk PR analytics startup TrendKite raises $16.3M http://ift.tt/2fDxNQw

Periscope Data, the company that lets data scientists quickly build customized, highly detailed visualizations of their data, has signed the term sheet on a ~$25 million funding round, according to sources close to the matter. Sources told TechCrunch that the pre-funding valuation was at $100 million, and the round was led by existing Periscope Data investor DFJ. DFJ also led Periscope… Read More

http://ift.tt/2e9A1Gn Periscope Data pulls in $25 million in Series B http://ift.tt/2e9C1OH

Facebook’s ad ambitions are expanding to encompass Internet-connected TVs — it will be conducting a test of its ad network on Apple TV and Roku next week. Other online ad companies (including TechCrunch-owner AOL) have explored TV advertising already. In Facebook’s case, the company will use Facebook data to target ads for A+E and Tubi TV — basically, what the… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/1BzpetJ Facebook will test ads on Apple TV and Roku Anthony Ha http://ift.tt/2fneV55
via IFTTT

Periscope is following Snapchat and Facebook’s lead by creating its own animated augmented reality selfie masks. The first ones can make you look like Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, and will be available for the next week for the election. If you broadcast in selfie mode with the app’s latest version, you’ll see them docked at the bottom of the screen. Tapping them… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2fLylmI Now it’s Periscope cloning Snapchat with augmented selfie masks Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2fk6Gsl
via IFTTT

Now it’s Periscope cloning Snapchat with augmented selfie masks

{rss:content:encoded} Now it’s Periscope cloning Snapchat with augmented selfie masks http://ift.tt/2fk6Gsl http://ift.tt/2fLylmI November 04, 2016 at 05:14PM periscope-masks

Facebook is making it easier for users to find voting guides, registration info, news video, and other Election Day planning tools with the addition of a new “Election 2016” shortcut in the Favorites section, which directs you to Facebook’s elections hub. The shortcut, which is now rolling out on both web and mobile, cannot be removed from your Favorites – it’s… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2e92tYK Facebook gives its Election 2016 hub top billing by pinning it to your Favorites Sarah Perez http://ift.tt/2fCQnbI
via IFTTT

Sunflower Labs' system uses motion sensing lights and drones to monitor a property.

Broadband at home, motion sensors and high definition video cameras led to a renaissance in home security systems over the past decade. But big problems remain in residential security, says Alex Pachikov, CEO and cofounder of Sunflower Labs with CTO Chris Eheim. Stationary cameras don’t detect would-be intruders until they are close or actively trying to enter the home, he said.… Read More

http://ift.tt/2eH8Fn2 Sunflower Labs raises $2.1 million to build a flying home security system http://ift.tt/2fmGVWD

Google brings RCS, the next-gen upgrade to SMS, to Android phones on Sprint

{rss:content:encoded} Google brings RCS, the next-gen upgrade to SMS, to Android phones on Sprint http://ift.tt/2fozDjt http://ift.tt/2fjuYD4 November 04, 2016 at 02:00PM 04_file_transfer

As promised earlier this year, Google is bringing RCS – Rich Communications Service, an upgrade to the SMS standard – to Android devices. Its first carrier partner on the initiative is Sprint, which is rolling out RCS messaging to its customers with Android devices, starting today. Once enabled, RCS will offer Android users an enhanced messaging experience over SMS, with features… Read More

Season 3 - Todd Packer makes a snide comment about Phyllis' looks when telling a joke, hurting her feelings. Michael sits on Phyllis' lap to prove she is just as sexy as anybody else in the office.

WeWork has long been a place for small startups and solo entrepreneurs to grab a desk and get to work, all with the flexibility of month-to-month payment. But today has signed on a rather huge client in the form of Microsoft. WeWork and Microsoft are starting the “City as a Campus” partnership, which gives 300 of MSFT’s Office 365 Sales team total access to all of… Read More

http://ift.tt/2f8gS4w Microsoft brings back the traveling salesman with new WeWork partnership http://ift.tt/2fjxGrZ

Only a couple of months after the official launch, German startup Cookies announced on its blog that it is filing for bankruptcy. According to the blog post and discussions I had with multiple sources, it’s filing for bankruptcy due to an argument between the co-founders and a lack of funding. Based on what I’ve heard, there are clearly two sides to the story here. Read More

http://ift.tt/2fj6VEg How peer-to-peer payment app Cookies imploded http://ift.tt/2eGo4nH

Indus, the startup building an Android OS for India, targets deals with Chinese OEMs

{rss:content:encoded} Indus, the startup building an Android OS for India, targets deals with Chinese OEMs http://ift.tt/2eud3Z7 http://ift.tt/2fiiSaG November 04, 2016 at 08:43AM screenshot-2016-11-04-14-32-07

Indus, the startup developing a localized version of Android for India, is now going after international OEMs after it clinched a deal that will local giant Intex sell smartphones powered by its operating system. Intex has around 10 percent of sales in India, according to data from Counterpoint Research, so landing the firm as a partner will boost Indus’ coverage of India’s… Read More

Arex, a startup that is taking a marketplace approach to invoice financing for SMBs, thus helping creating another asset class for investors, has picked up €3 million in backing. Leading the round is Finland’s Lifeline Ventures, alongside London-based LocalGlobe, and various unnamed angel investors. Read More

http://ift.tt/2f7vBwC Invoice financing marketplace Arex picks up €3M backing http://ift.tt/2eFSAOF

Apartment List raises $30 million to find you a home

There’s no shortage of competition in the housing space, but Apartment List is making a dent in rentals. With more than 5 percent of America’s listings already on the site, the startup is raising $30 million in a round led by Canaan Partners to take the business to the next level. “Our goal was to bring as much inventory to consumers as possible,” CEO John Kobs told… Read More

http://ift.tt/2cfMVzm Apartment List raises $30 million to find you a home http://ift.tt/2ej2K6E

Zarget announced yesterday that it has raised $6 million in Series A funding. Co-founder and CEO Arvind Parthiban said Zarget’s goal is to build a full suite of products for small businesses to track and optimize websites — one that could be used by “a tech-savvy marketer like me, without any coding skills.” The product’s capabilities include A/B testing,… Read More

http://ift.tt/2eZj8xf Marketing and optimization startup Zarget raises $6M http://ift.tt/2eZiCzu

Mark Zuckerberg’s drive to “put video first” is also putting money in Facebook’s pockets. The more organic videos Facebook users watch, the more high-priced video ads Facebook can slip into the feed. Now Facebook’s strategy around auto-play video, paying Live content producers, and offering more creative tools is helping to propel its massive revenue growth. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2fjcbpd Facebook video pays off Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2eiCt8u
via IFTTT