blogger better: 2017-03-26

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Let’s meet in Pittsburgh on April 11

In preparation for Disrupt New York and our upcoming TC Sessions series on Robotics Matt Burns and I will be heading to Pittsburgh to talk to some startups. We could use some help. We’re aiming to be in Pittsburgh on April 11 and we need a spot and potentially a beer sponsor. We prefer neutral spots but we could be convinced if you have a cool meeting space at your accelerator or office.… Read More

http://ift.tt/2dHZ9RO Let’s meet in Pittsburgh on April 11 http://ift.tt/2nXdBvR

Tour and activities marketplace Zozi fired its CEO earlier this year, but employees were only just informed of this fact last week, when the ousted CEO – who hadn’t been in the office for months – crashed an emergency Town Hall meeting scheduled the day after the company announced a series of layoffs, affecting nearly 40 percent of staff. Read More

http://ift.tt/2nujldg Zozi’s ousted CEO sues board following last week’s layoffs http://ift.tt/2omVIHj

Things are going well for Krablr, the crab pricing messaging app for millennials. Yet now that the app has managed to attract millions of crab lovers the company faces more scrutiny. That’s why Krablr CEO Paul Paulson Black III just released the company’s first ever diversity report detailing the demographics of its employees. Read More

http://ift.tt/2nu5DHq Krablr releases first diversity report http://ift.tt/2nLCl9J

Here are the frontier startups that presented at Singularity University’s third demo day

The nine startups participating in Singularity University’s accelerator program presented this afternoon at Moffett Federal Airfield just outside Mountain View, CA. Singularity University, founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil, aims to make it more feasible for people to address hard science problems and those that require a global reach. Startups backed by… Read More

http://ift.tt/2nG6lCg Here are the frontier startups that presented at Singularity University’s third demo day http://ift.tt/2oln29d

Moodelizer helps add epic soundtracks to your video efforts

{rss:content:encoded} Moodelizer helps add epic soundtracks to your video efforts http://ift.tt/2ojpAEz http://ift.tt/2ol0fKC April 01, 2017 at 02:17AM

When it comes to video, the audio is pretty damn important. Hell, they even give out some sort of award for them on occasion. Moodelizer wants to put the power of suitable soundtracks in the hands of amateur filmmakers, by letting you add a delightfully over-the-top soundtrack to the most mundane of tasks at the touch of a button. Read More

Zero-fee stock trading app Robinhood has added to its coffers, raising another big round of funding. According to sources, the round was led by Yuri Milner investment vehicle DST Global and values the company at $1.3 billion dollars. Read More

http://ift.tt/2oqW8tn Robinhood stock trading app valued at $1.3 billion with big raise from DST http://ift.tt/2nIPa4q

Earlier this week we wrote about how two big players in the pet-care business, Rover and DogVacay, decided to merge. Well, sources tell us that over the past two years Wag, another player in the dog-walking space, raised two rounds of funding to support expansion into new markets. Read More

http://ift.tt/2c40aDL On-demand dog walking startup Wag quietly raised funding from General Catalyst and Sherpa Ventures http://ift.tt/2nTiCFF

Snapchat is shifting from a social network limited to content shared by people you follow to an ephemeral, real-time database of what’s going on now everywhere. Today Snapchat launched Search for Stories submitted to its public Our Stories. It makes Snapchat as deep as whatever the world is sharing, creating near-infinite rabbit holes to go down. That aligns exactly with Snap IPO… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/snapchat-search-our-stories.png?w=680 How Stories Search makes Snapchat a real-time YouTube Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2oien6Z
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How Stories Search makes Snapchat a real-time YouTube

{rss:content:encoded} How Stories Search makes Snapchat a real-time YouTube http://ift.tt/2oien6Z http://ift.tt/2oHGrNz March 31, 2017 at 08:21PM

Social media influencers – like Instagram stars or YouTube celebs – often promote products they like, either as part of a brand relationship or as means of generating income through affiliate sales. Now, Amazon is looking to get in on this action as well. The company has quietly launched the “Amazon Influencer Program,” which is currently in beta testing as of a couple… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2ayFodQ Amazon quietly launches its own social media influencer program into beta Sarah Perez http://ift.tt/2nniSsE
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Wonder, the incredibly stealthy new gaming company, has quietly created a signup page for information and perks related to its plans for global domination of the gaming market from its Los Angeles headquarters. The company is calling its new campaign the “Alpha Program”, and folks that are interested can get updates on Wonder’s product, provide feedback, and get perks and… Read More

http://ift.tt/2a9qqeV Stealthy gaming company Wonder is ready to tease its new mystery hardware http://ift.tt/2nnojYn

Everyone knows that Twitter has a harassment problem. And while the service has tried things like banning abusive users (both on a temporary and permanent basis) it hasn’t really fixed the problem. But Twitter now thinks it has a real solution. Cracking the egg. In a long-winded post the service announced they are replacing the default egg with a unisex profile picture resembling a… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2nrssve Twitter is getting rid of the egg avatar because that will totally fix the abuse problem Fitz Tepper http://ift.tt/2ojIISZ
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Snapchat has opened up search across over 1 million curated public Stories, with a new feature release that could be a very helpful tool not only for users, but for advertisers, too. The search feature allows users to find Stories relevant to their interest by keyword, from a large number shared publicly by users and brands. The Stories search is built on new tech behind the scenes that… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2nDZDwp Snapchat now lets you search across over 1 million Stories Darrell Etherington http://ift.tt/2ohJhfZ
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Starbucks is going to try out a mobile order-only store

{rss:content:encoded} Starbucks is going to try out a mobile order-only store http://ift.tt/2nHT6Cx http://ift.tt/2ohzt5k March 31, 2017 at 05:45PM

Starbucks introduced its mobile ordering system in 2015, and it’s been a victim of its own success in some ways. Customers at popular spots are eager to use the mobile ordering system to choose their selection and pay in advance, in the hopes of avoiding a line – but they’re having to wait anyway, thanks to a virtual queue that’s as large or larger than the real one… Read More

Oh how innocent we were. How full of hope for the possibility of a 140-character microblogging service. For the joy it could bring, and the good we could do together. Now I look back and I just feel numb. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/1GK14Rg Dear @Jack, I don’t love Twitter anymore Natasha Lomas http://ift.tt/2op86nm
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French startup Travauxlib matches you with construction companies so that they can take care of your home. The company raised $1.9 million (€1.8 million) from Xavier Niel, Breega Capital and Bpifrance. Travauxlib usually works on complete home renovation, kitchen remodeling, bathroom work and home extensions. In other words, if you want to change something about your home and it costs… Read More

http://ift.tt/2oG3w3n Travauxlib takes care of your home renovation for you http://ift.tt/2nCQYdT

The Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) has granted Matternet a certification allowing their delivery drones to fly autonomously over cities at any time of day or night. Clearing this regulatory hurdle means that by early next year, Matternet partner Swiss Post plans to use the drones to deliver blood samples and other small parcels between hospitals in Lugano, a smaller city with… Read More

http://ift.tt/2oG8H3i Matternet cleared to fly blood samples in delivery drones over Swiss cities http://ift.tt/2nRFncS

Blue Apron could deliver an IPO in 2017, but should it?

Meal kit makers Blue Apron may be preparing to file for a 2017 IPO, according to Reuters. The report says that the food startup has hired bankers from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup to this end. The whole thing has stirred up quite the conversation over here at TechCrunch, and we’ve been arguing amongst ourselves about the likelihood that the Blue Apron IPO happens soon, or… Read More

http://ift.tt/2cgIRy1 Blue Apron could deliver an IPO in 2017, but should it? http://ift.tt/2mTXhwo

Archaeological records show humans have been making alcohol since at least 7000 BC. We figured out wine more than 6,000 years ago. By the time the ancient Egyptians entered the scene, brewers were making at least 17 types of beer. Nonetheless, it appears we are not done innovating: Booze-related startups continued to rack up funding in the past year. Read More

http://ift.tt/2nkXXWS Booze investors favor apps, gadgets and biotech http://ift.tt/2omRsVp

The first half of Thursday’s Senate Select Intelligence Committee’s hearing on Russian disinformation campaigns wasn’t quite as fun as watching James Comey squirm his way around classified intel in the House, but it did provide some valuable context on Russian cyber methods and social media campaigns. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2ofdrki Senate intelligence hearing details Russian social media disinformation strategy Taylor Hatmaker http://ift.tt/2mTgPkH
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Scheduled is a new app that lets you schedule your text messages

{rss:content:encoded} Scheduled is a new app that lets you schedule your text messages http://ift.tt/2nnLdzJ http://ift.tt/1AsZ0b3 March 30, 2017 at 06:52PM

Want to remember to tell a friend happy birthday, good luck or congratulations? Had a follow-up question for a client that just occurred to you at 1 AM? Want to write a heartfelt thank you to be texted at a later date? Unfortunately, neither SMS nor most messaging apps – including iMessage – allow you to draft a text in advance and schedule it to be sent out on a later date. But… Read More