blogger better: 2017-06-11

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Designing better conversations online

Automattic, MIT Center for Civic Media, and The Mash-Up Americans have been working together to have honest dialogues, build empathy, and help make the world a more inclusive and compassionate place. So far, we’ve laid out the problem and explored our assumptions. In this, our third Design and Exclusion conversation, it’s time to talk about how we engage with one another online.… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rIqqbu Designing better conversations online http://ift.tt/2rrapYh

You would think at least one AI-powered humanoid bot would have a properly nerdy name. Maybe a Poindexter or Hildegarde to add some natural language processing to your customer chat app? No such luck. Instead, it sounds like the cool kids are in charge at most digital assistant and bot startups. Think short, peppy names that top the popular baby name lists. There’s Aiden and Riley putting… Read More

http://ift.tt/2tzo2VE At AI bot startups, cool kids rule http://ift.tt/2sEUMAL

“The competition for talent at the moment is absolutely ferocious,” agrees Professor Andrew Blake, whose computer vision PhD was obtained in 1983, but who is now, among other things, a scientific advisor to UK-based autonomous vehicle software startup, FiveAI, which is aiming to trial driverless cars on London’s roads in 2019… Read More

http://ift.tt/1mEbkS6 A discussion about AI’s conflicts and challenges http://ift.tt/2sBlGsi

I’ve been visiting Central Europe almost every year and almost every year my buddy Jack Deneut has been setting up PragueCrunch, our kind-of-semi-annual celebration of Czech startups. And it’s happening again this year! The event is on July 13, 2017 at Riegrovy Sady Beer Garden. You can RSVP here. We’ll have free Kozel and Gambrinus beer all night and traditional Czech pub… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rqPDru Here comes PragueCrunch V http://ift.tt/2sJCuxC

Columbus could be the next startup city

Ever since I wrote about the Midwest last year I’ve been keeping my eyes on Columbus. I decided to hold a small pitch-off to meet some of the startups I saw last time I had driven through. The pitch-off was a success and a company called Wyzzer took first place and the quirky Hopper Carts came in second. But what I really came away with was a new respect for Columbus as a startup hub.… Read More

http://ift.tt/2pXVDrO Columbus could be the next startup city http://ift.tt/2rATNBr

Winners and losers in Amazon’s $13.7B purchase of Whole Foods

{rss:content:encoded} Winners and losers in Amazon’s $13.7B purchase of Whole Foods http://ift.tt/2saJSkN http://ift.tt/2rFBmGH June 17, 2017 at 01:08AM

Amazon is taking a huge bite out of the fresh food business with its bid for Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion. But even though this is a deal between two companies, it’s not just the two of them being touched by it. The intersection between the food and tech industries has been playing out for years now, sprouting dozens of food startups; efforts from large tech companies to move… Read More

ClassPass, the subscription service that for fitness classes and gyms, has today announced the close of a $70 million Series C funding round led by Temasek. Existing investors such as Acequia Capital, CRV, General Catalyst, GV, M13 and Thrive also participated in the round. According to the press release, ClassPass has doubled its member base in the past year and has now grown to 35 million… Read More

http://ift.tt/1z2ZSmc ClassPass secures $70 million Series C led by Temasek http://ift.tt/2rzUzi6

The smartphone has changed the gaming industry landscape dramatically. As our pocket computers advance, so too does the possibility of fully satisfying mobilegaming experiences. Companies like Nintendo are blurring the lines between portable and console/PC gaming with the Switch. At the same time, big studios have largely moved away from attempts to integrate mobile content into the home… Read More

http://ift.tt/2km39sY What do E3 attendees think of mobile gaming? http://ift.tt/2rA5GHx

That’s out of 2,820 startups accepted from the 13,321 companies that applied to Y Combinator’s 10-week program of one-on-one mentorship from past YC startup founders, virtual office hours with a group of fellow students, and an online lecture series. The leading accelerator typically teaches two batches of about 100 startups per year through an in-person program where YC partners… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rEO88m 1500+ startups graduate Y Combinator’s first online Startup School http://ift.tt/2syA0S6

Amazon Channels now works like a TV login for HBO & Showtime’s apps

{rss:content:encoded} Amazon Channels now works like a TV login for HBO & Showtime’s apps http://ift.tt/2syjXnz http://ift.tt/2tba7FS June 16, 2017 at 09:21PM

Amazon Channels is starting act like a TV provider. The service, which allows Prime members to subscribe to over-the-top premium networks like HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax and others, now allows you to log into some of the networks’ standalone streaming apps, as well, starting with HBO and Showtime. That is, instead of entering in your cable or satellite TV credentials to gain access to… Read More

There’s a weird annual tradition in French politics. French presidents, ministers and hopeful candidates all go to the Agricultural Show in the Porte de Versailles convention center. Somehow, old ideas die hard, and it’s important to show that you still care about people in the food industry. Yesterday, Macron spent three to four hours walking down the hallways of the very same… Read More

http://ift.tt/2sAHPaS Emmanuel Macron proves that he still cares about startups http://ift.tt/2sjhk6U

If you’ve been working for a large company, chances are that your intranet sucks. It takes too much time to find the right information, it’s not tailored for mobile and it doesn’t integrate well with the services you actually use. French startup Workwell is a mobile intranet that you’ll actually like. It seems like a tough task, but so far Workwell is ticking all the… Read More

http://ift.tt/2rHzDCo Workwell wants to make your corporate intranet suck less http://ift.tt/2s9a6nJ

Monese, the London-based fintech startup that offers a mobile banking app and current account, continues to fill in missing features that might otherwise stop it from replacing your bank altogether. The latest is Direct Debit functionality, a mechanism for reoccurring payments, such as those required by a mobile phone contract and many other subscription services. Read More

http://ift.tt/1RnL0Wo Monese adds Direct Debits to become even more like a regular bank account http://ift.tt/2siyZMd

Justin Kan confirms $10.5 million in funding for his legal tech startup Atrium LTS

In April we reported that Justin.tv founder and Y Combinator alum Justin Kan had assembled a team to “disrupt the legal industry” and was raising $10 million to do so. This week Kan confirmed that the company has completed its fundraising process, raising $10.5 million in what ended up being one of the biggest “party rounds” I’ve ever seen. Read More

http://ift.tt/2rw4wg8 Justin Kan confirms $10.5 million in funding for his legal tech startup Atrium LTS http://ift.tt/2rAG3ll

The race to crown a winner in the AI-powered recruiting software space is on. With both Workey and Mya nabbing rounds in the last few weeks, the timing is prime for a few players to seek advantage in the form of growth capital. This seems to be exactly what Entelo, a six year old player in the space, is doing. The company is announcing a $20 million Series C round of financing today led by U.S. Read More

http://ift.tt/2s66L8F Entelo steps up its AI game with $20M Series C http://ift.tt/2rw4UeC

Have you always wanted to show your messy room to hundreds of people? Want to get paid for the pleasure of streaming your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners? Feel a real need to share how long you can stare idly at your phone? CamSoda has a deal for you. CamSoda is a streaming cam service featuring men and women in various states of undress and it is now offering a unique life-streaming program… Read More

http://ift.tt/2trtrOv CamSoda jumps into the world of paid life-streaming http://ift.tt/2rAACCV

Slack is in the midst of raising another $500 million in financing at what could be a $5 billion valuation — money it will likely critically need as it goes after major corporate clients and construct a functional business — according to a report by Recode. Slack also got some interest with a $9 billion price tag from Amazon, according to a report from Bloomberg last night. All… Read More

http://ift.tt/2pA5eI3 Slack is reportedly raising another huge $500M round of funding http://ift.tt/2sx82Hl

Slack is reportedly raising another huge $500M round of funding

{rss:content:encoded} Slack is reportedly raising another huge $500M round of funding http://ift.tt/2sx82Hl http://ift.tt/2pA5eI3 June 15, 2017 at 07:44PM

Mobile gaming company Scopely raises $60M

{rss:content:encoded} Mobile gaming company Scopely raises $60M http://ift.tt/2sDQJUG http://ift.tt/2a8joKa June 15, 2017 at 07:30PM The Walking Dead Road to Survival - PVPCombat

The Walking Dead Road to Survival - PVPCombat

Scopely just announced that it has raised $60 million in Series C funding. The round was led by Revolution Growth, a firm led by former AOL executives Steve Case and Ted Leonsis (AOL owns TechCrunch), which targets startups outside Silicon Valley and New York. (Scopely is headquartered in Los Angeles.) Revolution’s Donn Davis is joining Scopely’s board of directors, while… Read More