blogger better: 2017-10-22

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Why Snapchat Spectacles failed

How come only 0.08% of Snapchat’s users bought its camera sunglasses? Hundreds of thousands of pairs of Spectacles sit rotting in warehouses after the company bungled the launch. Initial hype and lines for its roving, limited time only Snapbot vending machines led Snap to overestimate demand but underdeliver on quality and content. Massive piles of assembled and unassembled… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2icpPMu Why Snapchat Spectacles failed Josh Constine http://ift.tt/2zf2xR2
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Why Snapchat Spectacles failed

{rss:content:encoded} Why Snapchat Spectacles failed http://ift.tt/2zf2xR2 http://ift.tt/2icpPMu October 28, 2017 at 10:23PM

On paper, smartphones are amazing pieces of glass. They have magically cured boredom as we always have something to do — those endless feeds of content are a perpetual source of inspiration, information and amusement. And yet, feeds need to die because they distort our views and disconnect us from other human beings around us. Many people have deleted the Facebook app from their phone… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2yUC1Ju How I cured my tech fatigue by ditching feeds Romain Dillet http://ift.tt/2yT5Iuw
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On paper, smartphones are amazing pieces of glass. They have magically cured boredom as we always have something to do — those endless feeds of content are a perpetual source of inspiration, information and amusement. And yet, feeds need to die because they distort our views and disconnect us from other human beings around us. Many people have deleted the Facebook app from their phone… Read More

http://ift.tt/2yUC1Ju How I cured my tech fatigue by ditching feeds http://ift.tt/2yT5Iuw

Senator Feinstein makes broad request for all ‘Russia-connected’ Twitter and Facebook user data

The nature and extent of Russia or Russian-linked actors interfering with the election is yet to be determined, but it’s not for want of inquiries. Half of D.C. is looking into it in one way or another, and Senator Diane Feinstein is no exception. Today she sent letters to several parties involved, including Facebook and Twitter, asking for a variety of documents relating to her… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2hsKPjq Senator Feinstein makes broad request for all ‘Russia-connected’ Twitter and Facebook user data Devin Coldewey http://ift.tt/2gPO1Yy
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Not every startup journey starts as sweetly as the road co-founders Ishita Prasad and Maya Balakrishnan took to launching their new company, Polymer — but then again, not every startup takes its inspiration from a chocolate factory. Read More

http://ift.tt/2xu1gB8 Factory operations manager Polymer spins out from Dandelion Chocolate http://ift.tt/2yQ2Wsz

In what the company is calling “a very difficult time for hardware companies in the smart kitchen space,” Tea infusion device startup Teforia is saying it is ceasing operations today, according to its website. The above note about it being hard for hardware companies in the smart kitchen is likely a reference to devices like the now-defunct Juicero (which raised more than $100… Read More

http://ift.tt/2yT8i3C $1,000 tea infuser startup Teforia shuts down http://ift.tt/2yTbmNr

iPhone X pre-orders are being scalped on eBay for $1,500, on average

{rss:content:encoded} iPhone X pre-orders are being scalped on eBay for $1,500, on average http://ift.tt/2zMVxXL http://ift.tt/2xtDi94 October 27, 2017 at 08:46PM

Demand for the iPhone X has been “off the charts,” according to Apple, which led to the new device selling out in a matter of minutes. Well, that and the limited quantities available at launch. According to several reports, ship times dropped from two to three weeks for all models to up to five weeks, only 10 minutes after pre-orders opened up. Because of the scarcity of the… Read More

So, we’re midway through earnings season, and as you’ve probably seen we’ve covered a majority of the big companies that have reported thus far: Alphabet, Twitter, Microsoft, Atlassian, Paypal, eBay, and Netflix. There are plenty more that have reported, and there are still more to come, but these are the periods that generally have the most impact on the best public barometer… Read More

http://ift.tt/2smM3BR Here’s a chart that shows why financial earnings are a big deal http://ift.tt/2xsYLiy

WhatsApp has finally got your back when you send a message to the wrong person or group. The Facebook-owned messaging app is rolling out a feature that will finally let its 1 billion-plus users delete a message for all people within a conversation. Right now, the app’s delete feature is fairly useless as it only removes a message for the person who sent it. Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/1RkZhDJ WhatsApp finally lets you recall messages you’ve sent by mistake Jon Russell http://ift.tt/2hefaB5
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Here’s a chart that shows why financial earnings are a big deal

{rss:content:encoded} Here’s a chart that shows why financial earnings are a big deal http://ift.tt/2xsYLiy http://ift.tt/2smM3BR October 27, 2017 at 08:14PM

Continuing a tradition that began with the incubation and launch of Funny or Die (alongside Sequoia Capital and Will Ferrell’s Dirty Sanchez productions), one of Hollywood’s top agencies is partnering with a group of Canadian investors to finance a new venture studio, Creative Labs, with $12.5 million. Read More

http://ift.tt/2cLguqE Startup studios go Hollywood as CAA launches Creative Labs http://ift.tt/2yQP9Sk

In response to concerns that Russia used Facebook ads in an attempt to influence last year’s presidential election, the social network has said it will increase transparency by allowing anyone to see any ad run by any organization. Now it’s releasing a few more details about its plans, like the fact that the new transparency features are expected to go live next month. Once they… Read More

from Social – TechCrunch http://ift.tt/2v9KW6Z Facebook says its ad transparency features will go live next month Anthony Ha http://ift.tt/2gJcbAc
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Apollo for iOS is the only Reddit app you need

{rss:content:encoded} Apollo for iOS is the only Reddit app you need http://ift.tt/2hgTTqL http://ift.tt/2zJLl2b October 27, 2017 at 06:20PM

A former Apple intern, Christian Selig says he wasn’t happy with the selection of iOS apps for browsing Reddit, so he decided to build his own. The developer this week launched his own Reddit client called Apollo, which offers a beautifully designed browsing experience for either iPhone or iPad, as well as customizable gestures, a media viewer, a full Markdown writing editor, and… Read More

U.S. iPhone users will spend an average of $88 per year on apps by 2020

{rss:content:encoded} U.S. iPhone users will spend an average of $88 per year on apps by 2020 http://ift.tt/2xtPtme http://ift.tt/2zTyZW4 October 27, 2017 at 04:22PM

U.S. iPhone users will spend an average of $88 per year on paid apps and in-app purchases by 2020, according to a new forecast out this week from Sensor Tower. The firm found that the dollar amount spent on apps and in-app purchases is continuing to increase, year-over-year. iPhone users spent an average of $63 this year, up 33 percent over 2016. And by 2019, the increase over 2016 will have… Read More

India overtakes the US to become the world’s second largest smartphone market

{rss:content:encoded} India overtakes the US to become the world’s second largest smartphone market http://ift.tt/2he5G8V http://ift.tt/1Jeu8S9 October 27, 2017 at 12:19PM

Move over America, India is now the world’s second largest smartphone market. That’s according to a new report from Canalys which claims smartphone shipments in India crossed the 40 million mark for the first time in Q3 2017 courtesy of 23 percent annual growth. That means that India has overtaken the U.S. on sales with only China ahead of it. Given the huge gulf in populations… Read More

A critical metric for Alphabet’s success is suddenly showing signs of life

{rss:content:encoded} A critical metric for Alphabet’s success is suddenly showing signs of life http://ift.tt/2z9J8AK http://ift.tt/2i7rovg October 26, 2017 at 10:20PM Alphabet delivered a knockout quarter today, handily beating the estimates from Wall Street — but, perhaps more importantly, showing actual growth in a critical metric that has seen a consistent decline for quite some time. Google’s cost-per-click — a metric that basically defines how valuable its ads are — grew 1% quarter-over-quarter this year. While still down… Read More

Blue Canoe takes on language learning with a focus on pronunciation

{rss:content:encoded} Blue Canoe takes on language learning with a focus on pronunciation http://ift.tt/2zb61Us http://ift.tt/2vSFSaB October 26, 2017 at 10:08PM

If you want to pick up a new language, there’s no shortage of options. But one aspect of the process that has been neglected is pronunciation, which is especially important for professionals. Online, learning pronunciation is generally “hear a recording, then repeat it.” A new platform, Blue Canoe uses an established curriculum and machine learning to make things easier and… Read More