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Aktana Raises $5M For A Suggestion Engine Designed For Sales People In The Field
Mar 04, 8:12PM
Aktana has raised $5 million in angel funding for its suggestion-engine technology designed for sales people in the field. Aktana provides data insights into sales activity that learns from interactions with a decision-based engine on the frontend and a backend that uses machine learning to determine better go-to market strategies. In all, it is meant as a virtual assistant for a sales rep. Aktana started off as a project for NASA to optimize scarce resources, such as wind tunnels and computer resources, said Co-Founder Jack O'Holleran. The company changed direction when they realized there was a better application in a top line driven area.Facebook And Google Bury The Hatchet (Temporarily) To Kill A Core Problem In Gingerbread Dalvik
Mar 04, 7:50PM
When Facebook hit a limitation in Android's virtual machine, Dalvik, that would halt its app development, Google and Facebook worked together to create a patch for Gingerbread. "We're a significant app to them, and they're a significant platform for us," Facebook's Director of Mobile Engineer Mike Shaver explains. It's another example of Facebook's hardcore mobile engineering training coming to fruition.Google Updates Chrome For Android, iPhone And iPad With Focus On Speed, Search And Sharing
Mar 04, 7:50PM
Ever since Google launched its Chrome browser on multiple mobile devices, more people have been getting used to syncing their desktop browsing experiences for on-the-go usage. Being able to have one browsing experience wherever you go is handy, but when a browser doesn’t move as fast as, say, Safari on the iPhone, it’s hard to dedicate yourself to making the switch. Google knows that and has pushed updates to its Chrome browser for Android, iPhone and iPad with the focus on bringing the speed of the experience up to snuff. On the Android side of the house, the company says that the browsing experience is now 25 percent faster thanks to expanded support for HTML5 and utilization of the latest V8 JavaScript engine. If pages load fast and scrolling is like butter, you’re going to use it more. Period. Those same changes will start being made on other platforms soon, Google says. Here’s what Grace Kloba and Rohit Rao had to say about the changes: We're continuing to add plenty of under-the-hood stability, security improvements and bug fixes to Chrome for both Android and iOS. We look forward to your feedback on the latest versions of Chrome, now available on Google Play and in the App Store. On the iOS side of the house, Google has added better search and sharing options, which are key components of a speedy experience on an iPhone or iPad. Clearly, Android has the advantage of having stronger sharing options baked into the OS, so Google has to be more creative with how things are done within its apps. Instead of seeing a long URL in the “Omnibox” at the top of the browser, you’ll see your search phrase so you can keep refining it instead of dealing with that ugly URL. After using a Chromebook for a while now, I’m longing for the day that I’ll never have to see an ugly URL again, especially when all you’re using is a browser on a screen. Here’s what the experience looks like; the changes might not be available to you for a few weeks: On iOS, sharing and history surfing got simplified as well. You can now hold the back button to see all of the pages you’ve previously visited and tap Share under Menu to share whatever page you’re on. You’ll also see more options than before. The big thing here is that you can share anyOpen Garden 2.0 Makes Sharing Your WiFi And Mobile Connections Easier And Faster
Mar 04, 7:35PM
Open Garden, one of the finalists at TechCrunch Disrupt New York last year, just launched the newest version of its Android, Mac and Windows app that makes sharing your mobile internet connections even easier. In many ways, this 2.0 release, which the company presented at the Launch conference this morning, fulfills the promises Open Garden made when it first launched.Samsung's Galaxy S IV Will Scroll Content Based On Eye Movement, Report Says
Mar 04, 7:07PM
Samsung is about to show off a new flagship phone at an event on March 14, and details continue to leak out about the new smartphone. The New York Times' Brian X. Chen reports today that eye movement-based content scrolling will be among the Galaxy S IV's features. Chen's source, a Samsung employee, also says that the emphasis will be on software, not hardware at the upcoming press event.White House Supports Cell Phone Unlocking, Big Victory For Tech Activism
Mar 04, 6:42PM
Today was a big day for grassroots consumer activism: The White House officially came out in support of cell phone unlocking. After over 100,000 netizens demanded a response from the Obama Administration related to a new law banning consumers from “unlocking” their cell phones in order to move between carriers, the White House declared its unequivocal support for consumer choice. “The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties,” wrote White House Senior Advisor R. David Edelman on the White House Blog. “In fact, we believe the same principle should also apply to tablets, which are increasingly similar to smart phones. And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren’t bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It’s common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers’ needs.” Specifically, the administration supports “narrow legislative fixes” to allow consumers to move between carriers without legal penalties. It also gave a nod to the role of the Federal Communications Commission, which announced at a TechCrunch CrunchGov event last week, that it would investigate whether it has any executive authority to overturn the law. Until earlier this year, consumers were able to "unlock" their smartphones, which allowed them to switch carriers (AT&T, Verizon, etc). For six years, the Library of Congress exempted cell phone unlocks from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which bans "circumvention" of copy protection schemes. The long-held decision was reversed during the last round of triennial reviews. The Library of Congress is not backing down, however, in what appears to be the beginning of a fight within the federal government. “The rulemaking is a technical, legal proceeding and involves a lengthy public process,” read an official response from the Library Of Congress, which implied that there were no immediate plans to reverse its decision [PDF]. The White House response is especially notable, since it is surely driven by an official petitioning process, WeThePeople. In the past, the official petitioning site had been slammed by critics for not actually taking the demands of the petitioners seriously. Indeed, it had to officially respond to these angry critics on the blog and explain their rule-makingApple's iPad Needs A Kid Mode. Like, Yesterday.
Mar 04, 6:23PM
"No, don't hit that button." "Hit the red X." "Don't tap on the ones with the stars." "No, go back with the arrow." "Not that one." "No, here." These are the kinds of things I'm constantly having to say to my three-year old as she explores the world of iPad applications on her first computer, my hand-me down iPad 1. At her age, she's too young to understand the nuances of how in-app purchases work - or even read for that matter - but that hasn't stopped app developers whose apps are targeted at her age range from including confusing mechanisms to direct their youngest fans to in-app purchases, upgrades, and new app installs.2010 Microsoft Wrote Some Checks That 2013 Microsoft Can't Cash
Mar 04, 6:18PM
The RapGenius breakdowns of recent Andrew Mason and Warren Buffet statements by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz are, well, genius. And they got me thinking back to some of my favorite blog posts along the same lines: breaking down corporate speak, vagueness, or pure bullshit line-by-line. Strolling down memory lane, I landed upon this post from June of 2010, in which I broke down some high and mighty numbers put forth by Microsoft's communications chief Frank Shaw. Then I had to read his post again. I almost couldn't believe it. Nearly every number boasted about two and a half years ago has now turned against Microsoft. I mean, it looks really bad. And it's probably why we get bland press releases instead of mouthy or frank updates. Such updates have a tendency to come back and bite you in the ass.Report: Chrome OS Web Traffic Share Up 700% Since Last June, Still Just Accounts For 0.07%
Mar 04, 6:00PM
According to a new report from ad network Chitika, Chrome OS usage continues to increase, but it still trails the PlayStation and the various flavors of Linux that the company sees on its network. Since last June, Chrome OS’s share of traffic on Chitika’s network increased by 700 percent. Even so, Chromebooks still just account for 0.07 percent of desktop- and laptop-based traffic to sites in the company’s network. That puts it ahead of the Wii at 0.02 percent and behind the PlayStation with 0.08 percent, but those consoles were obviously never meant to be web-centric devices to begin with. Last June, Chrome OS accounted for 0.011 percent of traffic across Chitika’s network. As usual, there are a few caveats when it comes to taking Chitika’s data at face value, but the overall trend the company cites seems about right. On TechCrunch, the number of readers who use Chrome OS has tripled since last June according to our Google Analytics stats. Chromebooks currently account for about 0.18 percent of all unique visits, so we can’t quite confirm the same 700 percent increase, but our site is obviously not representative of the web as a whole. Given its high price, Google’s new Chromebook Pixel isn’t likely to make a dent in these numbers anytime soon, but Google is obviously highly committed to this project and as we see more low-priced Chromebooks hit the market (and schools and enterprises), chances are these numbers will continue to creep up in the coming month. Despite positive sales numbers from companies like Acer and new entrants in the Chromebook market like Lenovo and HP, however, Chrome OS will likely remain a niche product for the time being.Sir Richard Branson Chides Mayor Michael Bloomberg And Marissa Mayer, Says The Office Will Be A Thing Of The Past
Mar 04, 5:52PM
Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire man of space tourism and founder of Virgin Airlines, is chiding New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer, saying the office will soon become a thing of the past.Fly Or Die: Smart Watch Edition
Mar 04, 5:00PM
As the race toward mainstream wearable computing heats up, watches are hot and smart watches are hotter. In fact, word on the street is that Apple is working on a new smart watch that would integrate with its iCloud and iOS devices. But as it stands now, the majority of great "smart watches" available are coming from smaller companies.AppGlu Launches Mobile Platform That Lets You Update Apps Without The Need For Developer Intervention
Mar 04, 4:26PM
Apps can decay pretty quickly without updates after deployment. The problem is, most of the time the only one who can make the updates to the app is the person who developed it. AppGlu's new mobile enterprise platform is designed to handle this updating so a business person can make updates without developer intervention.Brain Drain At Skype? Tech Leader Jonathan Rosenberg Latest To Leave, Now At Cisco As CTO, Cloud Collaboration
Mar 04, 4:21PM
Some change at Skype, the messaging giant that is now a part of Microsoft: Jonathan Rosenberg, the chief technology strategist, and then later GM of product strategy and research at Microsoft who was behind the creation of Skype's Facebook video calling feature and other developments, has left the company to become a VP and CTO of cloud collaboration for Cisco -- the company from which Skype had poached him in 2009.To-Do List App EasilyDo Launches A Tool For Creating Automated Tasks
Mar 04, 4:00PM
When co-founder and CEO Mikael Berner first showed me his app EasilyDo last year, he pitched it as a tool for increasing productivity and "making life simpler." The company is taking another step in that direction today with the launch of the EasilyDo Builder. The initial version of the app provided user with a list of basic tasks (pulled from their Facebook Account, iPhone contact list, and other accounts that they've connected) that they can accomplish within a couple of taps — things like wishing friends a happy birthday on Facebook or merging duplicate contacts in their address book. Berner said Easilydo has already performed 750,000 actions for its users.ABI: With 58% Market Share, Android Will Top iOS In Smartphone App Downloads This Year, But Apple Will Win On Tablets
Mar 04, 3:59PM
There are a number of ways to measure a mobile platform's relative success, but if you're looking at the number of mobile app downloads as the metric of choice, then the analysts at ABI Research have just predicted that Android will win it in 2013. According to the firm's latest forecasts, 58 percent of smartphone app downloads this year will be Android apps, while iOS will come in at just 33 percent. But those numbers look very different when you include tablet app downloads in the forecast, however.HelloFlo Launches To Be A Little Fish In The Big Pond Of Tampon Subscription Services
Mar 04, 3:19PM
Aunt Flo got you down? The Crimson Tide wearing you out? Well, the good news is that you no longer have to make that awful run to the drug store for tampons and pads, and better yet, you don't need to make your boyfriend do it, either. A new service called HelloFlo has just launched, which offers a subscription service for feminine hygiene products. To be clear, HelloFlo isn't the first company to take advantage of the subscription model, and it isn't even the first to offer subscription-based tampons. Le Parcel launched around Christmas last year to offer a similar product.Apple iWatch Will Reportedly Run iOS, Still Has To Overcome Battery Issues Before Launch
Mar 04, 3:05PM
Apple's iWatch will run full-flavored iOS, according to a new report, and the company is indeed targeting an end-of-year approach, but will first have to tackle battery life issues. According to sources speaking to The Verge, Apple's prototype watch hardware is currently getting only a couple of days out of its battery, and the company is targeting at least four to five (around what the Pebble gets) before ramping up for a public release.Appy Couple Partners With Brides.com To Add Trendy New Themes To The Wedding App Creator
Mar 04, 3:00PM
Appy Couple, the same wedding-focused app creation platform that saw a wait list of 7,000 couples after launching a private beta, is now partnering with Brides and Brides.com to bring new themes to the service. As it stands now, Appy Couple already has over 300 various themes built by expert designers so that brides can choose a slipper that fits perfectly for their technological wedding hub. After choosing a theme (that matches the theme of the wedding), couples can send out invitations, track RSVPs, share photos, share their wedding story, and collaborate with the wedding party.Airpair Connects Startups With Expert Developers To Get Help With Code Via Online Sessions
Mar 04, 2:53PM
Airpair, a newly launched service which connects entrepreneurs and expert developers over remote online sessions, aims to help startups build better software and speed their time to launch. The idea's name, which brings to mind "pair programming" techniques, offers its users one-hour screensharing sessions where developers will help review your code, brainstorm architecture, assist with problems, and more.Ford Launches Ford2Go Manufacturer-Backed Car Sharing Program in Germany
Mar 04, 2:34PM
Ford today announced the official launch of its Ford2Go car-sharing service in German, in partnership with the company behind the manufacturer-independent Flinkster car share network. Ford2Go is the first car maker-backed car-sharing program, and it will be available nationwide in Germany, bringing dealerships into the mix. Ford clearly views the car sharing phenomenon as a pre-sales opportunity, and wants to more fully explore that opportunity without the use of intermediary brands.If at any time you'd like to stop receiving these messages, just send an email to feeds_feedburner_com_techcrunch+unsubscribe-hmdtechnology=gmail.com@mail.feed2email.net.
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