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Apple Sees "Significant Bounce" With Colored 5c, High End 5s Models; Android Still Trumps With 71% Share Of All Sales
Dec 02, 10:00AM
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, the WPP market research division that provides a rolling check-in on how smartphones are selling in key markets, has put out its latest figures this morning covering the 12 weeks that ended October 31, and it looks like the debut of new iPhones from Apple have given the company a "signficant bounce" in sales. But even with the launch of not one but two new models -- the colorful 5c and elegant 5s -- the impact of incremental upgrades has not been as strong as last year's debut of the iPhone 5. All in all, Kantar says Android took 71% of all sales across 12 key markets versus 21% for the iPhone. 
Wedo Raises £3 Million Led By MMC Ventures. Because Furniture.
Dec 02, 9:15AM
Admittedly, I didn't exactly jump at the chance to cover this story. Because furniture. But, as boring as this e-commerce category might seem, VCs continue to pile in money. This time the recipient is London-based startup Wedo.
Windows 7 Handily Bests Windows 8 And 8.1′s Minute Market Share Gains In November
Dec 02, 5:47AM
November was not a good month for Microsoft's Windows 8.x operating system according to Net Applications, with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 collectively gaining a mere 0.05% points of market share during the period. Windows 8 fell 0.87% to 6.66% global market share. Windows 8.1 managed to grow by 0.92%. The total gain of 0.05% is a weak figure. The main competitor to Windows 8.x, Windows 7, spanked its homegrown rival in November. As The Next Web's Emil Protalinski pointed out earlier today, “Windows 7 grabbed 0.22 percentage points (from 46.42 percent to 46.64 percent). In November, Windows 7 thus managed to gain more share than Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 combined.” That 0.22% is more than four times the aggregate growth curve for Windows 8.x during the month. Ouch. Now, enterprise upgrade cycles to Windows 7 continue apace, something that isn't in itself a knock against Windows 8 and Windows 8.1; Microsoft has encouraged companies to continue their existing Windows 7 transitions, in part to help kill off Windows XP ahead of its death date next year. Still, to see the combined Windows 8.x family essentially fail to grow a month after the release of Windows 8.1 is disappointing for Microsoft. As the inimitable Ed Bott pointed out today, Windows 8.1 is doing a decent job supplanting its predecessor: So how have those free upgrades gone? After one full month, Apple and Microsoft have successfully convinced roughly 30 percent of their respective installed bases to upgrade. (The exact numbers: 28.4 percent for Windows 8+, 33.9 percent for OS X 10.6+.) However, Windows 8.x has had another full month of sales in the market, and instead of Windows 8.1 growing quickly ahead of Windows 8′s decline in the period – which would indicate strong upgrades, and sales – Windows 8.1 barely supplanted Windows 8′s decline, either signaling weak upgrades or slow sales. Or both. This shifts even more weight onto December for Microsoft: Can it move enough computing units both of its homegrown tablet line and via its OEM partners to continue growing its download base, and thus keep up its efforts to attract the ever key developers whose attention it has long lacked? A caveat to all of this: There could be slippage in counting between Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, with users upgrading during the month, and perhaps not being tallied, or even counted incorrectly. We'll know more in a month.
I, Drone
Dec 02, 3:43AM
Let's ignore, for a moment, all of the obvious problems with a drone-based Amazon Prime delivery system. Let's ignore the fact that you can get free stuff if you're a good shot with a rifle and let's ignore the fact that a 10 mile range isn't much when it comes to underserved rural areas and is a jungle of potential snags and snares in urban, populated areas. Let's ignore the fact that unless you're having Amazon deliver something to your secluded place on Martha's Vineyard, having a robot drop paperback books on your house sounds like a mess. 
The Amazon Future
Dec 02, 2:15AM
Jeff Bezos revealed something that truly would revolutionize ecommerce and online ordering, should it become widely used: automated air delivery drones that could deliver 86 percent of the goods Amazon ships to customers today (packages under 5 pounds), in less than 30 minutes in many cases. That would be a huge change to business as currently conducted by the Amazon giant, and it would mean the end of retail as we know it.
Amazon Is Experimenting With Autonomous Flying Delivery Drones
Dec 02, 1:09AM
Between launching a charity-friendly buying program, announcing Sunday deliveries, and gearing up for the first wave of frenzied holiday shoppers, Amazon has been busy these past few weeks. But that didn't stop CEO Jeff Bezos from spending a decent chunk of time talking to Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes about something, well, new. 
Microsoft Should Be Worried About Google's Chromebooks
Dec 02, 1:00AM
Just ahead of the holiday shopping season, Microsoft ramped up its FUD machine and launched the next phase of its infamous anti-Google Scroogled campaign last week. This time, the company is targeting Chromebooks, Google's cheap ChromeOS-based, web-centric laptops. Why is Microsoft worried about Chromebooks? Because it can see the writing on the wall. For many mainstream users, the operating system they use is slowly becoming irrelevant, and even though Chromebooks are not right for everyone, they are slowly becoming a real alternative in the low-end laptop market. Most Chromebook distractors will argue that there's no need to even try to poke fun at these devices. Who, after all, wants a laptop that can't do anything else but surf the web? Who would even buy one of these things? It's the platypus of the notebook world, after all. But while most people think of Chromebooks as laptops that can't do anything else but surf the web and aren't “real laptops” (an idea Microsoft plays up in its Scroogled campaign), that perception is quickly becoming outdated and that's why Microsoft has decided to go for the FUD. Microsoft wants you to believe that you can't do anything with a Chromebook when you're offline. That's just plain wrong at this point. Sure, Chromebooks make more sense in an always-on environment (which is where most people use them), but nobody is stopping you from playing Angry Birds while you're offline. Indeed, while Microsoft specifically calls out Angry Birds as the kind of thing you can't do on a Chromebook, Google would be more than happy if you downloaded it from its Chrome Web Store and played it offline. More and more ChromeOS apps now work this way, which is great, but if you think about it, how much of what you do on a laptop these days actually happens offline? Unless you really need Photoshop or high-end CAD software or a similarly demanding program, the software you're probably using most on your laptop is your browser. Microsoft says you can't play Call of Duty or Age of Empires on a Chromebook, and that's fair enough. But you're not going to enjoy playing Call of Duty on those sub-$250 Windows laptops that Microsoft highlights on its Chromebook vs. Windows laptop page, either. There may never be a Microsoft Office for ChromeOS, but there's a pretty good version of it available on the web courtesy of Microsoft itself. You
YourFreeProxy Is Caught Installing A Toolbar That Mines Bitcoin On The Sly
Dec 02, 12:06AM
Today in "Things Your Tech Service Shouldn't Do" we present YourFreeProxy from Mutual Public AKA We Build Toolbars, LLC. The company, which offers proxy servers for routing around firewalls and censorship, has been secretly using its tool to mine Bitcoin using their customer's computer. This "feature" even appears prominently in their terms of service. 
WaterField's Staad Is A Durable And Gorgeous Low-Profile Backpack In Leather And Canvas
Dec 01, 11:58PM
There have been so many permutations of the standard backpack at this point that it's hard for a bag maker to come up with an original spin that adds anything to the formula. WaterField, a San Francisco-based manufacturer with a reputation for quality, has done an admirable job with their new Staad bag. The Staad is a handsome backpack with a waxed canvas or ballistic body, trademark orange WaterField lining and a large weathered leather flap in black, brown or tan. The company shipped me out both the 'slim' 15.5×12" and 'stout' 16×14.25" models to try out, but most of my impressions will be of the stout version, as that's the one I wore out and about for a few weeks. The stout model is set up for a 15" laptop but I used it with a 13" MacBook Air. The laptop pouch features a single side that's softly lined, but provides a nice centrally aligned placement for good weight distribution. There's another pouch stacked right on top of that one that fits a full-size iPad or Air quite nicely. Along with the laptop and its power adapter, it comfortable fit my Nintendo DS, a compact 4/3 Olympus camera and lens an iPad charger and other miscellaneous batteries and cords in the large main compartment. There are only two other pockets in the interior, left and right of a unique central zipper. I used the two pockets to fit a smartphone and cable each, or a phone in one and my iPhone backup battery pack in the other. They could also be good cord keepers. I found myself wishing the back had additional interior storage, but as I'm trying to travel lighter and lighter, it wasn't a major deal. Something to consider if you like to keep your stuff all compartmentalized though. WaterField offers a bunch of different kinds of gear and cable pouches, so one or two of those might be in order. The pouches span the width between the zipper and the edge of the bag, and are about a hand deep. Nicely wide and not deep enough to make it hard to fish stuff out of the bottom of. The central zipper splits the bag open like a fruit peel about half-way down the front, where it stops just above the flap clasp. I've never seen a backpack open quite like this. It's interesting to get used
Sold To Telefonica For $207M In 2009, Now-Neglected VoIP Provider Jajah Is Shutting Down
Dec 01, 11:19PM
Chalk up another casualty in the consolidation of Internet voice services. Nearly four years to the day after getting acquired by Telefonica for $207 million, VoIP provider Jajah has announced that it is shutting down, effective January 31, 2014. Registered users of Jajah.com (its web-based service that provides a price-reducing VoIP bridge between two landline or mobile numbers) and Jajah Direct (which assigns local numbers to international contacts) started to receive notifications of the closure this weekend, with details of where to apply online for refunds. 
"Hello Santa" Offers A Memorable, But Pricey, Video Call With A Real-Life Santa
Dec 01, 8:50PM
Want to FaceTime Santa? There's an app for that. A new video chat app called "Hello Santa" offers you and your child a one-on-one with the jolly ol' elf himself, and for once, it's not a pre-recorded video. For those who are sick of standing in half-hour or longer lines only to have their kid freeze up, balk or cry when it's finally their turn to sit on Santa's knee, Hello Santa can be a great alternative. There's no time limit on the call itself, allowing mom and/or dad a chance to aid in conversation, instead of shouting at their kid from next to the elf manning Santa's photography station. 
Fly Or Die: The Ostrich Pillow
Dec 01, 8:00PM
With travel ramping up over the holiday season, we thought it wise to bring you a taste of Ostrich. The Ostrich pillow, to be exact. It's a clever little pillow that slips over your head and covers everything but your nose and mouth. Though it doesn't offer much by way of neck support, you can lay your head down and slip your hands in the holes on the top for a nice desk-style nap. 
Black Friday Desktop E-Commerce Spending Rose 15 Percent To $1.2B, Amazon Was The Most Visited Online Retailer
Dec 01, 6:23PM
We heard that Black Friday online spending possibly reached record numbers over the weekend, and today comScore has released an actual amount that was spent on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Black Friday 2013 (November 29) saw $1.198 billion in desktop online sales, making it the season's first billion dollar day and heaviest online spending day to date, up 15 percent from Black Friday 2012. Thanksgiving Day (November 28) rose 21 percent increase over Thanksgiving Day last year to $766 million. 
A Tweet About Mobile That Took On A Life Of Its Own
Dec 01, 6:00PM
I've been fascinated with mobile startups like Uber and Snapchat, among others -- but not for the standard reasons. Yes, they're both great products and ideas, but the one aspect I found most interesting with Uber and Snapchat is its users never directly interact with the web. Even Instagram, Twitter, and other fast-growing mobile-focused products can be touched through the web browser. Over the weekend, I tweeted out a thought along these lines which turned out to be slightly inaccurate, and it somehow initiated an incredibly rich discussion and debate about what the proliferation of mobile devices and native applications may hold for the future of the web.
In Which We Make Coffee With The Founders Of Bonaverde, A Machine That Roasts, Grinds, And Brews
Nov 30, 10:22PM
Last we heard from the founders of Bonaverde, they had just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $135,000 to produce a coffee maker that turns green, unroasted beans into a cup of coffee in under 14 minutes. 
A VC And Olympic Hopeful Taps Indiegogo With A Game To Raise Funds For Young Athletes
Nov 30, 9:08PM
Paul Bragiel, the batshit crazy awesome VC who has been training for months in the Arctic Circle to compete in the Sochi Winter Olympics, has a side charity project up his sleeve. After seeing dozens of other younger Olympic contenders struggle to raise funds for training, he felt he needed to do something to help out. Some friends over at Belarusian and Lithuanian gaming studio On5 offered their talents pro bono to develop a game called Team Paul Skiing. It's a beautiful, little side-scroller that takes a player through Bragiel's training as he skis in Finland, which is where he's done the bulk of his preparation. Then it shifts to Colombia, the country that gave Bragiel citizenship to compete on behalf of its Olympic team. And finally it ends in Sochi, Russia, where the Olympics will be held next year. They set a low goal of raising $10,000 in the next seven days, and half of the proceeds will go toward different youth sports foundations in Finland and Colombia while the other half will go toward game development. But they hope to raise somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000. Bragiel, who started i/o Ventures out of San Francisco, decided earlier this year to realize his lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics. But there were many hurdles. For one, he didn't have a sport. Then, he was also pretty old for an Olympic hopeful at 36 years of age. But he's hacked his way so far. After considering everything from curling to the luge, he settled on classical cross country skiing, which is a more traditional Winter Olympic sport that has more lenient rules around qualifications. Then he secured citizenship in a warm, tropical country that is less competitive for winter sports - Colombia. Now he's in the middle of qualifying races. To make it to the Olympics, he must be able to finish five qualifying races where he's not more than 10 minutes behind the world's top cross-country skiier - no hard feat. He's competed in his first qualifying race already, which was a miss. But he's definitely not deterred. There are plenty more to come.
IndieVoic.es Hopes To Become Kickstarter For Independent Media
Nov 30, 8:58PM
The Internet wasn't kind to media. Huge media corporations have managed to transform their businesses, for the most part, but independent media, often playing a vital role in emerging countries, are seriously threatened by the lack of available funds. 
Gillmor Gang: Private Practices
Nov 30, 6:00PM
The Gillmor Gang — Robert Scoble, Keith Teare, Kevin Marks, and Steve Gillmor — work off that stuffed feeling with a show devoted to the intersection between public and private messaging. What started with Twitter and continued with Facebook has now yielded a startup frenzy many mistake for a bubble. Instagram started the ball rolling, SnapChat doubled down on it, and many fear it will end badly and absorbed by the big players.
Hands On With Jolla's First Phone - The "Spearhead Device" For Its MeeGo-Successor Sailfish OS
Nov 30, 3:00PM
The first handset from Finnish smartphone startup Jolla is simply called Jolla. It launched last week, after around two years in the making. TechCrunch got hands-on with the device for a few hours at a London press event, where two co-founders, Marc Dillon and Sami Pienimäki, were also on hand to answer some questions.
Yahoo Users Anonymous: A Transcript
Nov 30, 2:00PM
This is what happened: Scene: A Silicon Valley church basement. Folding chairs, coffee, cigarettes tucked behind ears. Jon EVANS, a tall man with a shaved head and an Arsenal FC T-shirt, steps forward to the podium. He has a slight Canadian accent. Jon: Hi, my name's Jon, and I'm a Yahoo! user. Room, in unison: Hi, Jon! Jon: I guess...I mean, this is so embarrassing, obviously...
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