blogger better: 2017-06-04

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Meet Binky, the anti-social media simulator

Something happened to social media recently. I don’t know exactly when things changed, but almost overnight, randomly scrolling through feeds became a lot less enjoyable. Flame-wars, bad news, fake news, worse news and anxiety-fueling comment sections meant that social media is no longer the escapism it once was. Along comes Binky counter all of that, creating the ultimate anti-social… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2sfSKa3 Meet Binky, the anti-social media simulator Haje Jan Kamps http://ift.tt/2rik6XZ
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The top startup accelerators have a history of seeing the future in ideas that sounded silly at the time. After all, who would have foreseen billion-dollar businesses based on renting your air mattress to strangers, or shopping for their groceries? So when prestigious accelerators invest around common themes, it’s worth taking note of what’s resonating. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2s8A3Ed Here’s what the top accelerators in North America are funding Joanna Glasner http://ift.tt/2t6EjkV
via IFTTT

The top startup accelerators have a history of seeing the future in ideas that sounded silly at the time. After all, who would have foreseen billion-dollar businesses based on renting your air mattress to strangers, or shopping for their groceries? So when prestigious accelerators invest around common themes, it’s worth taking note of what’s resonating. Read More

http://ift.tt/2s8A3Ed Here’s what the top accelerators in North America are funding http://ift.tt/2t6EjkV

The founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most famous flameouts, anonymous social app Secret, is the new product lead for Postmates’ app. After Secret shut down and gave investors back their money, David Byttow went on to raise a $1 million seed round from Index to launch a blog publishing tool for enterprises called Bold. Today Bold was acqhired by Postmates, Byttow confirmed to… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2rcqRzt Postmates acqhires Secret CEO David Byttow’s startup Bold Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2sNQ40j
via IFTTT

The founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most famous flameouts, anonymous social app Secret, is the new product lead for Postmates’ app. After Secret shut down and gave investors back their money, David Byttow went on to raise a $1 million seed round from Index to launch a blog publishing tool for enterprises called Bold. Today Bold was acqhired by Postmates, Byttow confirmed to… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rcqRzt Postmates acqhires Secret CEO David Byttow’s startup Bold http://ift.tt/2sNQ40j

Apple unveils Business Chat, which brings customer service and shopping into iMessage

{rss:content:encoded} Apple unveils Business Chat, which brings customer service and shopping into iMessage http://ift.tt/2rJNXw0 http://ift.tt/2rQ67N5 June 09, 2017 at 10:34PM

Apple just unveiled Business Chat, its bid to turn iMessage into a communication platform that can compete with Facebook Messenger – and perhaps, tirn iMessage into one of the main ways you interact with businesses. The company quietly announced the service earlier this week with an update to its developer site, but few details were available at the time. Today was the real… Read More

Just in time for Disrupt SF I’d like to invite you all to a micro meet-up in Warsaw on July 4. We’ll be holding it at Campus Warsaw, 33C Ząbkowska, 03-736 Warszawa, Poland. The fun starts at 6pm and ends at 8pm with some after-event drinks nearby. The winner of the pitch-off will get a table at Disrupt SF and the second-place winner will get two tickets to Disrupt SF. There are… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rILDFj Let’s meet in Warsaw in July http://ift.tt/2rdcHJr

A man in Thailand has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after he was found guilty of insulting the country’s royal family on Facebook. Identified only as Wichai, he is alleged to have published 10 photos, videos and comments on the social network that violate Thailand’s strict lèse majesté regulations that outlaw criticism of the royal family. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2pFokcZ Thailand jails man for 35 years for Facebook posts that insulted its royal family TechCrunch Staff http://ift.tt/2rcH56z
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Apple has activated a new revenue stream that could foster communities of digital content creators around the world like those already thriving in China. Apple’s newly published update to its App Store policies officially designates voluntary tipping via virtual currency as in-app purchases that Apple taxes 30%. By taking tipping out of the grey area, more app developers might… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2sLclf3 Apple legalizes and taxes in-app tipping for content creators Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2scf3Nz
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Apple legalizes and taxes in-app tipping for content creators

{rss:content:encoded} Apple legalizes and taxes in-app tipping for content creators http://ift.tt/2scf3Nz http://ift.tt/2sLclf3 June 09, 2017 at 07:26PM

OwnLocal has acquired Wanderful Media, brining two companies focused on local advertising and deals together. OwnLocal works with local newspapers to turn traditional print ads into digital campaigns. Wanderful, meanwhile, operates Find&Save, a website and app that brings the newspaper deals and coupons online. So there are some obvious similarities. The big reason for the acquisition. Read More

http://ift.tt/2smlNrM OwnLocal acquires Wanderful, a local deal startup backed by newspaper giants http://ift.tt/2smeIaN

Target and Cartwheel apps to merge starting this summer, mobile payments and improved maps to follow

{rss:content:encoded} Target and Cartwheel apps to merge starting this summer, mobile payments and improved maps to follow http://ift.tt/2s4r3Qn http://ift.tt/1W61wOG June 09, 2017 at 06:04PM

Target’s mobile app strategy will undergo a significant change, starting this summer. The retailer announced this week it will soon combine the functionality of its Cartwheel savings app with its main shopping app, in preparation for an eventual Cartwheel shutdown. The Target app will also receive a notable upgrade this year, adding support for an indoor map that shows your location in… Read More

In what turned out to be a surprising SFW podcast Future of Sex podcast creator Bryony Cole joined us to talk about the future of sex, teledilonics and sex robots. Not content to let the media and the world stay squeamish about the topic of sex robots Cole expects many of us to have had sex with a robot by 2047 and believes many of our children will first experience sex with a robot before… Read More

http://ift.tt/2r9OMQ8 Future of Sex podcast creator Bryony Cole talks the future of funbots and New York’s first sextech hackathon http://ift.tt/2rdLgPP

In a slightly surprising move, Pinterest raised $150 million from private investors this week. Why the firm may have wanted the cash isn’t too hard to understand. When the markets offer you lots of cash on good terms, you tend to say yes. But let’s explore the round for a minute. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2t2AXzr Unpacking Pinterest’s $150M Series Whatever Alex Wilhelm http://ift.tt/2rdIV7z
via IFTTT

In a slightly surprising move, Pinterest raised $150 million from private investors this week. Why the firm may have wanted the cash isn’t too hard to understand. When the markets offer you lots of cash on good terms, you tend to say yes. But let’s explore the round for a minute. Read More

http://ift.tt/2t2AXzr Unpacking Pinterest’s $150M Series Whatever http://ift.tt/2s43Ldp

Seed investment firm Lerer Hippeau Ventures is planning to write more later-stage checks, thanks to a new $28 million fund that it’s calling LHV Select. “Since the very beginning, going back to 2010, we’ve always had the same strategy,” said Managing Partner Eric Hippeau — a strategy that’s focused on making seed investments in New York startups. (The firm… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rUbUPx Lerer Hippeau Ventures raises $28M fund for follow-on investments http://ift.tt/2rU7nfX

Facebook will lease its first San Francisco office, for Instagram

{rss:content:encoded} Facebook will lease its first San Francisco office, for Instagram http://ift.tt/2rRspvW http://ift.tt/2h4Znpi June 09, 2017 at 02:45AM

Facebook is finally getting an office space in San Francisco, and is currently considering several different locations, one of which will house up to 100 Instagram employees, an industry source familiar with the lease plan confirmed to TechCrunch. Earlier today, The Registry reported Facebook is in talks for a space at 181 Fremont in the South Of Market district — a 70-story tower… Read More

After breaking up in 2014, Taylor Swift and Spotify are getting back together. To celebrate her album 1989 hitting 10 million records sold and selling 100 million total songs, today the pop singer announced she’s making her full back catalog available on all streaming services starting tonight at midnight. Swift was already on Apple Music but now she’s opening up to Spotify and… Read More

http://ift.tt/1RzvCnX Taylor Swift embraces streaming, brings full catalog to Spotify and more http://ift.tt/2sk2v6y

Taylor Swift embraces streaming, brings full catalog to Spotify and more

{rss:content:encoded} Taylor Swift embraces streaming, brings full catalog to Spotify and more http://ift.tt/2sk2v6y http://ift.tt/1RzvCnX June 09, 2017 at 02:04AM