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Durex's New Long-Distance Sexy Time Fundawear Is Exactly That
Apr 18, 11:04PM
The thought of buying underwear from the same company that makes your condoms might sound shocking at first. But don't be so quick to judge, especially where sex is concerned, as Durex has just announced its latest innovation. Fundawear. Fundawear represents the condom company's first foray into the land of connected devices, and the name explains quite well how it works. You put on special (read: vibrating) underwear that connect to a smartphone app. You can control the vibrations yourself with a smartphone as a remote, or pair the panties with your partner's smartphone, so they can control the fun.Win The Stock Market With Crowdsourced Advice From New App Robinhood
Apr 18, 10:57PM
Most people are too scared to seriously play the stock market. Few amateurs know enough to confidently invest on their own. Luckily, free iOS app Robinhood launches today to put crowdsourced finance wisdom in your pocket. Track stocks, view advice on what to buy or sell from other users, share your predictions, and build a reputation. Robinhood could turn a new generation into investors.Microsoft Confirms Its Plans To Bring Windows 8 To Smaller Touch-Enabled Devices Soon
Apr 18, 9:51PM
During its Q3 2013 earnings call today, Microsoft’s outgoing CFO Peter Klein noted that the company plans to bring Windows 8 to smaller devices. Until now, Windows 8 was mostly geared toward desktops and larger tablets, including Microsoft’s own Surface and RT machines. With the forthcoming Windows 8 Blue, rumor had it that Microsoft would enable its OEMs to run Windows 8 on smaller devices, too. Klein confirmed this on today’s call, though he mostly talked about OEMs and did not mention whether Microsoft also plans to launch a smaller Surface tablet, though that’s probably a fair bet, too. Currently, there are no sub-10-inch Windows 8 tablets on the market, but according to Klein, we will hear more about these in the coming months. During the Q&A phase, Klein also noted that Microsoft is working on “expanding and improving the experience, not just for Surface, but for Windows 8 devices at multiple price points, including lower price points going forward.” Earlier this week, Intel’s outgoing CEO Paul Otellini also noted that his company wants to ensure that OEMs can build Windows 8 machines for under $200 soon. In addition, Klein also acknowledged that the transition to Windows 8 isn’t easy, but the company remains “excited about the opportunities ahead of [it].” According to Klein, Windows 8 has prepared Microsoft well for the transition from desktops to touch devices. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we feel comfortable about where we are going.” He also expects to see more – and more attractive – Windows 8 touch-enabled devices to come on the market in the near future, too, and he thinks these will become more attractive.Larry Page Says Google Glass Runs On Android
Apr 18, 9:43PM
Google's CEO Larry Page revealed something during today's earnings call that his company doesn't seem to have actually spelled out before: Google Glass runs on Android. In response to a question about how much people can expect to see engagement increment with new products like Glass, he said that "obviously, Glass runs on Android, so [Android] has been pretty transportable across devices, and I think that will continue."Larry Page Says Mobile Apps Won't Hurt Search: 'The Information Wants To Be Found'
Apr 18, 9:42PM
During the conference call discussing Google's latest earnings report, executives were asked about how mobile will affect the company's business — both the general usage of search, as well as Google's revenue and profits from advertising. CEO Larry Page responded that he "always" gets asked about how the popularity of mobile apps affects Google search, but he's "not super-concerned" about it.Researchers Expect To See A $6.5 Billion Market For Home Robotics By 2017
Apr 18, 9:33PM
Sure, we have our Roombas and a few AR Drones here and there, but researchers expect that we'll have many more - and better - robots within the next few years and that the overall market should hit $6.5 billion by 2017.Once Again, YouTube Prevails In Viacom Case
Apr 18, 9:32PM
YouTube has once again beaten Viacom in the long-running copyright case that the companies have spent the last several years fighting. This marks the second time U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton has taken YouTube's side in the case, agreeing that the streaming video provider was protected by "safe harbor" provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.Facebook Voice Calling Now Available To All US Users Thanks To Today's Android Rollout
Apr 18, 9:07PM
Now the Facebook can really start to replace your phone. Today Facebook rolled out its free VoIP voice calling feature to US users of Home and its Android Messenger app. That means even less reason to open your standard "phone" app, and more data for Facebook about who you care about the most. Now all iOS and Android users in the US can Facedial their friends.Larry Page: Google's Focus On Constant Iteration Will Shift Toward Big Bets Like Google Fiber And Glass
Apr 18, 8:53PM
During today’s Google Q1 2013 earnings call, CEO Larry Page gave us a rundown on exactly what the company has been up to in this quarter, as well as some insight into how he’s currently running the company. Page took over from Eric Schmidt in early 2011, and since then has started bringing all of the company’s services together, under the umbrella of helping people get access to information quickly. Page discussed Google’s current “big bets,” which are Chrome, YouTube and Android as the mature products that are important to continue innovating on. However, Page made it clear that as CEO of the company, it’s his job to focus on the future. He said: “Companies tend to get comfortable doing what they’ve always done, with only a few minor tweaks. It’s only natural to work on the things you know. Minor changes make things obsolete.” It was very interesting to hear Page gloss over its search, advertising and business offerings. He didn’t even mention Google+. He wanted to get right to the point, which was to make it clear that Google is still a forward-thinking company, and the company is executing in that way. Things that aren’t incremental changes, and future big bets are Google Fiber, which Page says came about after co-founder Sergey Bring wanted to show how high-speed Internet access could help change people’s lives. Additionally, Page mentioned the fact that Google is now handing out the first pairs of Google Glass to developers, and said: “I get chills when I use technology of the future, and that happens with Glass.” Page reminded us that it’s “early days” for the product, saying that he finds the directions, messaging, directions and photo-taking as great core functionality. The developer aspect is something that he finds particularly exciting, given Google’s success with third-party apps on Android. Going back to what Google has been pushing, which is speed, means that it’s completely overhauling all of its legacy services to catch up with these present and future big bets. If search doesn’t bring you queries quickly, what good is really super-fast fiber Internet access? The other side of the coin is, why add more functionality and better quality to YouTube videos if nobody has really fast enough Internet access to see them? It seems like Google has set itself up to work on things that push each unit to better its product, chasing bothChris Dixon To Speak At Disrupt NY, As A VC
Apr 18, 8:43PM
Chris Dixon is back in New York quite a bit, he tells me, even though he recently got a place in San Francisco as part of his new job as a partner at Andreessen Horowitz. He'll be at Disrupt NY the week after next, for example, to talk about his big transition from life as a founder and angel investor to his new job at a top venture firm. I'll be interviewing him about what he's planning to focus his new portfolio on. Bitcoin startups? Less consumer startups? More gadgets and wearable health devices?IBM's Q1 2013 Misses On Revenue Of $23.4B, EPS Of $3.00, As Service Revenue Suffers
Apr 18, 8:14PM
IBM announced its Q1 2013 earnings today, reporting net revenues of $23.4 billion and earnings per share of $3.00. EPS was an improvement over last year’s numbers (of 8 percent), while revenue was down 5 percent, or 3 percent adjusting for currency. Flat software revenue and down service revenue is what led to the overall shortfall in terms of analyst expectations. Since IBM divested itself of its PC business in a sale to Lenovo back in 2004, it’s been able to focus on service offerings and build that into a strong business, which continues to prove to have been an almost prescient decision in the wake of the PC market’s continued softness. A report last year from The Verge indicated that IBM’s choice of buyer for its hardware division, Lenovo, was due mostly to the company trying to curry favor with the Chinese government. That, too seems to have paid off well for Lenovo, which has beat estimates for five consecutive quarters. Still, those normally strong areas of services and software were either flat or down compared to last year’s numbers. Lenovo’s software revenue was $5.6 billion for the year, flat year over year, and service revenue was down 4 percent annually for a total of $9.6 billion. Systems and technology, which represent its remaining hardware assets, were $3.1 billion, down year over year a significant 17 percent as the PC market continues to suffer. Total operating profit margin for the quarter was 46.7 percent non-GAAP, with net income up 3 percent to $3.4 billion. Watching how the stock performs after market is a strong indicator of the S&P 500′s general progress, analyst firm Bespoke Investment Group notes, so many will be watching to see how the market reacts to this underwhelming earnings picture.Google Reports Mixed Q1 2013 Earnings: Revenue Up 31 Percent To $14B, Net Income Of $3.35B, Beats EPS Estimates
Apr 18, 8:11PM
Google last two earnings releases were made even more notable than usual because of the unexpected events that preceded them, but today's release of the company's fiscal Q1 2013 financials was as almost as straightforward as it used to be. For this past quarter, the search giant reported revenues of $14 billion (that's up 31% from Q1 2012), non-GAAP earnings of $11.58 per share, and net income of $3.35 billion. That means that this quarter, while mostly strong, was a mixed bag in terms of beating expectations. According to the slew of analysts polled by Bloomberg Businessweek, Google was expected to report earnings of $10.70 per share on $14.3 billion in revenues -- Google handily came out ahead on earnings, but didn't quite meet the Street's revenue forecasts.Microsoft's Q3 2013 Results Beat Expectations With EPS Of $0.72, Miss On $20.49B In Revenue, CFO Peter Klein Leaving
Apr 18, 8:05PM
Microsoft just reported the results for its third financial quarter of 2013. The company’s revenue came in just under expectations at $20.49 billion but it beat expectation with an earnings per share of $0.72. Despite the muted response to Windows 8 and PC sales that continue to disappoint, the analyst consensus was that Microsoft’s revenue would increase 13 percent compared to last year. The expectation was that Microsoft would report $20.56 billion in revenue and EPS of $0.68 this quarter, compared to the $0.60 EPS and $17.41 billion in revenue Microsoft reported in Q3 2012. "The bold bets we made on cloud services are paying off as people increasingly choose Microsoft services including Office 365, Windows Azure, Xbox LIVE, and Skype," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft in the announcement. "While there is still work to do, we are optimistic that the bets we've made on Windows devices position us well for the long-term." Last quarter, which is traditionally very strong, the company reported record GAAP revenue of $21.5 billion, a net income of $6.38 billion and diluted earnings per share of $0.76. As part of today’s announcement, Microsoft also said that its CFO Peter Klein would be leaving the company after about four years in this role and eleven years with the company. Microsoft will announce a new CFO from its finance leadership team in the coming weeks. Given the recent launch of Windows 8 and the slumping PC market, the results from the Windows Division will surely come under a lot of scrutiny this time around. Last quarter, Microsoft reported a 24 percent year-over-year increase in revenue from this group (for a total of $5.88 billion). This time, the Windows Division posted revenue of $5.70 billion, a full 23% increase from the prior year period. Here are this quarter’s results from the company’s various divisions: Microsoft Business Division posted $6.32 billion of revenue, up 8% from last year Server & Tools business reported $5.04 billion of revenue, up 11% from last year Online Services Division reported revenue of $832 million, up 18% from last year Entertainment and Devices Division posted revenue of $2.53 billion, up 56% from last year Last quarter, the Server & Tools unit reported a 9 percent increase in revenue for a total of $5.19 billion. The Business Division, on the other hand, reported a 10 percent drop, while both the Online ServicesWhere's Twitter Music For Android? Why Today's Tech Companies Are Still Going iOS First
Apr 18, 8:03PM
Where is Twitter Music for Android? With today's launch of Twitter's new music discovery platform, the company has again made a move to sideline the install base of around half the U.S.'s smartphone audience by failing to deliver a native application for users of non-Apple devices. It's a strategy that still remains prevalent among tech companies today, both large and small. The reasons these companies offer vary - for many smaller startups, there simply aren't enough developers to build for both platforms - iOS and Android - simultaneously. Meanwhile for others, the iOS-first decision is more of a strategic play.Hello Social Launches Platform And API For Building And Monitoring Every Aspect Of Social Marketing Campaigns
Apr 18, 7:06PM
Hello Social is a new Toronto-based startup launching today, with the aim of improving the amount of useful data captured from online social media marketing campaigns. The startup, co-founded by design professional Dominik Dryja and technical lead Barek Nowotarski, provides tools for companies looking to run campaigns like contests on platforms like Facebook, or via their own web properties, and provides intelligent metrics around those contests to help identify trends and opportunities to drive greater engagement and higher conversion rates."In The Studio," Greylock's David Sze Shares Detailed Lessons From His Career
Apr 18, 7:00PM
"In The Studio" this week hosts a special guest who doesn't typically go on camera that often. As a result, I decided to make this particular episode of the show longer to capture my entire discussion with Greylock's David Sze. For anyone who follows the ins and outs of venture capital, Sze's name looms large. By now, most everyone knows of Greylock's impressive run over the last decade, a firm which originated decades ago in the Boston area and has, thanks in large part to Sze, successfully transformed to one of the premier Silicon Valley shops. Over the last decade, he has helped lead the firm to write early checks into consumer-focused companies such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pandora, as well as startups attacking the enterprise, such as Workday and Palo Alto Networks. More recently, he made his largest investment ever (in terms of dollar size) in NextDoor, a company which fits into larger societal trends he's observed.Researchers Build New Batteries That Charge Instantly And Hold Hours Of Juice
Apr 18, 6:55PM
A group of researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created microbatteries that charge 1,000 times faster than normal batteries and can, feasibly, "jump-start a car" while powering a cellphone. The group, led by William King, is working on shrinking the batteries down to fit inside a "credit-card thin" device.One Year Later, Twice As Many Democrats Vote For Cybersecurity Bill And Defy Obama
Apr 18, 6:10PM
So much for President Obama’s election mandate and the notion that Democrats are concerned about privacy. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which has been caught in the centuries old debate over privacy vs. security. The House passage isn’t particularly interesting, since, like last year, CISPA may die in the Senate. The big news: more than twice as many Democrats voted for CISPA this year than in 2012 (92 vs. 42), meaning that twice as many Democrats show less concern for privacy and less obedience to the White House (which has threatened to veto the bill). Democrats have stereotypically been the guardian of civil liberties, while Republicans took up the mantel of security hawks. Not so, today. Even worse for the White House, Democrats did not heed the White House’s warnings that the current bill did not do enough to protect privacy. CISPA, which would encourage information sharing between Internet companies and intelligence agencies, has received a mixed reaction from Silicon Valley. Google and Facebook have shown ambivalence, IBM supports it, and Reddit and other nonprofit groups vehemently oppose it. Either way, this does not bode well for those who believed Obama had control over Democrats, or that liberals were guardians of civil liberties.Announcing The Agenda For TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2013
Apr 18, 5:57PM
A big city needs a big tech event, which is why I’m pleased to announce the massive TechCrunch Disrupt NYC 2013 agenda. It’s a schedule chock-full of amazing speakers, great panels, and all the excitement of our Startup Battlefield – in which 30 amazing startups will compete for the Disrupt Cup and a $50,000 prize – all played out on the backdrop of the most vibrant metropolis in the world. Who will be there? Gentry Underwood, who recently sold his meteoric company, Mailbox, to Dropbox will be on the stage. Investing partners and pillars of the New York entrepreneurial scene, Kevin Ryan and Dwight Merriman will share their perspectives. Ebay’s John Donahoe will sit down for an in-depth conversation as will Fred Wilson, Roelof Botha, Bill Gurley, Chris Dixon and Ron Conway. Flipboard’s Mike McCue will join us and Ashton Kutcher, will tell us what's up with A-Grade and share what it’s like to play Steve Jobs on film. We’ll have an exclusive screening of Downloaded, the documentary about Napster, and sit down with the movie’s subjects and creator. Plus, the Taxi And Limousine Commission will take on Hailo and Sidecar in a not-to-be missed discussion. If that’s not enough to make you run, not walk, to Disrupt, there will be hundreds of new companies in Startup Alley, a raft of awesome after parties, and Hardware Alley where we celebrate the best of hardware startups. We’ve got even more surprises to announce as we count down the days to hearing those catchy Disrupt music tracks. Stay tuned. Click here to get your tickets. If you’re interested in sponsorships, please contact our team. AGENDA Monday, April 29th 9:00am -9:05am Opening Remarks by TechCrunch 9:05am – 9:25am Fireside Chat with Chris Dixon (Andreessen Horowitz) 9:25am – 9:50am Fireside Chat with Bill Gurley (Benchmark) 9:50am – 10:10am In Conversation with Chamath Palihapitya (Social+Capital Partnership) 10:10am – 10:35am Keynote: Everyone Is Literally Crazy, by Jonah Peretti (Buzzfeed) 10:35am – 10:55am TBA 10:55am – 11:05am Special Product Announcement 11:05am – 11:20am BREAK 11:20am – 11:45am In Conversation with Kevin Ryan (Gilt Groupe) and Dwight Merriman (10gen) 11:45am – 12:10pm Panel: Content Makes a Comeback 12:10pm – 12:30pm Fireside Chat with John Borthwick 12:30pm – 2:00pm LUNCH 2:00pm – 2:25pm Founders Stories with Mike McCue (Flipboard) Startup Battlefield with Jason Kincaid 2:25pm – 2:30pm How the Startup Battlefield Works 2:30pm – 3:30pm Session One – New Networks Judges: ImeMobile Video App Socialcam Adds Expanded User Profiles, Camera Switching, And Hashtags That Work
Apr 18, 5:30PM
The team behind mobile video app Socialcam just keeps on trucking. The company, which is now part of Autodesk, is releasing a new version of its app today, adding a bunch of features that users have asked for, like expanded profile pages, as well as the ability to switch back and forth between front- and rear-facing cameras and hashtags and @ mentions that actually do stuff. It’s been nearly a year since Socialcam was acquired in a deal that was worth about $60 million. Since then, the team has added a few members, boosting its ranks from four to seven. And that team continues to iterate on the app, posting eight updates across its iOS and Android apps since acquisition, some bigger than others. That said, Socialcam co-founder Michael Seibel wants to increase the rate at which the company puts out updates, getting it back to its pre-acquisition pace of an update every three weeks or so. With that in mind, the company just issued a pretty major update today which answer some of the demands its users had from previous version. That includes better support for hashtags and @mentions of other users. See, people were hashtagging their stuff all the time in Socialcam, but being able to search or follow or click through those hashtags wasn’t as fully built out as some would like. So users can now search via hashtag, and hashtags are now clickable. Socialcam has also added autocomplete for hashtags and @mentions, so users can get at what they want sooner. And if what they want to get at is another user page, Socialcam has given them a little more to look at. According to Seibel, the company found that its users weren’t just leveraging the app to share their videos with other social networks, but were actually using it as its own little social network, following and interacting with the other folks there. One of the requests the team got was to expand user profiles. So it did that, giving them more that they could do to express themselves and tell strangers on the platform who they are and why they should be followed. Socialcam also has added the ability to switch between front- and rear-facing cameras on its iOS app, allowing users to shoot a video intro with the front-facing cam, and then switch to the other one to show people what’s going onIf 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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