The world-famous Defcon hacker conference is currently ongoing in Las Vegas, and we already have our first bit of controversy. (I fully expect plenty of “evil hackers do bad things” stories to pop up in the coming hours.) A social engineering contest that encouraged participants to try to social engineer their way into major corporations has drawn the ire of THE MAN, specifically the FBI. Always trying to ruin the fun, those guys. → Read More
Social search site OneRiot just announced layoffs and staff restructuring on its company blog, in a post entitled “Welcome to the future, it’s coming fast.”
Now, being agile also necessitates making some tough decisions too, if they are the right thing for the company right now. Unfortunately, today, we have had to let a handful of well respected colleagues go. This is a pragmatic decision based on a strategically focused go-forward plan for the company. It’s in no way a reflection of the talent of the people concerned.
Google has been cleared of any wrongdoing relating to Wi-Fi snooping in the UK. Well, partially cleared. The country’s Information Commissioner’s Office, whose job is to “uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals,” has said that “it is unlikely that Google will have captured significant amounts of personal data” during its Street View mappings. → Read More
In greek mythology, Cetus was a term for massive, serpentine sea monsters. In Samsung rumor-ology, Cetus is a term for an unannounced Windows Phone 7 handset. Thanks to the good ol’ Bluetooth SIG, we’ve got a few details on what exactly will make up the Samsung Cetus’ not-so-mythical innards (including a bit of a surprise. A front-facing surprise.) → Read More
Today at our Social Currency CrunchUp (which is currently being livestreamed here), Blekko founder and CEO Rich Skrenta gave the first live demo of the startup’s innovative search engine (be sure to check out our initial review). To mark the occasion, Blekko is giving out an invite to 500 lucky TechCrunch readers — just be one of the first people to email a message requesting an invite to techcrunch@blekko.com. → Read More
Talk about your classic Internet rumor. This pic is currently working its way around gadget and Android blogs as some think it’s Samsung’s upcoming Android tablet, which will possibly be called the Galaxy Tab. That’s really all anyone has. It’s just some dude holding what looks like a tablet. Amazing. Click through for a closer look. → Read More
Remember the CrunchGear Geek Weekend series, where we attempted to show some fun stuff to do in various cities across the U.S.? Yeah, we kind of let that peter out, didn’t we? Also, there are lots of great non-geek things to do in and around cities. This is especially important for families: the kids might be more interested in Tecumseh! than the early television museum. With the A Day’s Outing website, and now its new iPhone app, you can quickly find all sorts of interesting things to do. → Read More
Google has added weather data to its Google Earth application. As of now, the new feature only supports locations in North America and parts of Europe. → Read More
According to GroupOn CEO Andrew Mason who is on stage right now at Social Currency CrunchUp, GroupOn was originally a side project Mason started in order to make money, “We tried a zillion things” Mason said.
Including selling slippers with flashlights, which Mason describes as “act of desperation, pretty impressive considering that the company is currently making $365 million in revenues, a million a day according to our sources. Mason gave no thought whatsoever as to whether or not it would work. → Read More
Robots can do good for mankind, not only in the future but also right now. Case in point: RAPUDA [JP], a robotic arm, which – once mounted onto a wheelchair – can help the disabled manage certain tasks they’d normally require the help of other people for on their own. It’s developed by the Intelligent Systems Research Institute [JP] at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). → Read More
Today, during our Social Currency CrunchUp, angel investor Ron Conway had some interesting data to share for the first time. Conway says that his company, SV Angel, has recently done an audit on the over 500 companies they’ve invested in over the past 12 years. And he was surprised with the results.
Conway expected it would show that about one-third of companies fail, one-third get investors their money back, and one-third bring a 2x to Google-x return (Conway invested in Google early on). But that’s not the case. Conway noticed that during the Internet Bubble in 1997 to 2001 — the failure rate (startups that go out of business and the investors get nothing) was a staggering 77 percent. “It was catastrophic,” he said. → Read More
Amazon is ready to take your money for the world’s first consumer 3D camcorder just in case you and the misses are planning on producing your own, ummm, bedroom movies. If you don’t care about having it right out of the gate, you might want to hold on to your cash a while longer though because it isn’t scheduled to ship until October 15. Or you could save your money altogether because 3D is dumb. Just saying. [Amazon via 3D-Display-info] → Read More
Here it is, hands-on coverage with a close to final production ready prototype of the highly anticipated Devon Tread 1 watch. While it tells the time and is a luxury item, the Devon Tread 1 shares very little with the rest of the high-end watch world. Despite the fact that it has plenty of moving parts, this isn’t a mechanical watch in the traditional sense. It uses a micro-controller board, rechargeable battery, and small motors to power the movement, as opposed to being a purely mechanical machine that is spring powered. There are a series of small, micro one-step motors in the movement that pull the treads that indicate the time. The treads are sophisticated reinforced nylon belts that move around the dial in a ballet of synchronized moves. The video should illustrate that well. The Tread 1 is really among the most gadgety watches I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. → Read More
Ah, the good ol’ patent minefield.
According to Law360, a paywall-shielded newswire for lawyers, Apple yesterday settled a patent infringement lawsuit with patent troll Minerva Industries, whose website is apparently currently, ahem, ‘temporarily closed under repair’.
This morning, Apple was hit with another patent infringement suit, brought on by Israeli technology holding Emblaze, which alleges the Cupertino company has refused to license its media streaming technology at issue. → Read More
Today at our Social Currency CrunchUp in Palo Alto, CA, Michael Arrington sat down with investors Ron Conway and Paul Graham. Obviously, these are two of the biggest names in early-stage investing (with SV Angel and Y Combinator, respectively).
Both Conway and Graham had some interesting data to share. Conway, in particular, was able to give some great numbers because he’s recently done an audit on the over 500 companies he’s invested in over the past 12 years. → Read More
Good morning from the TechCrunch Social Currency CrunchUp at the Stanford Campus, where many of Silicon Valley’s most seasoned entrepreneurs and investors are joining us to discuss the future of coupons, social commerce, virtual goods, gaming mechanics, and a range of other timely topics. We’re streaming the event in its entirety live on Ustream. → Read More
The Nook and the Kindle is currently locked in a heated battle. The B&N shot first a few weeks back with a sudden price cut, but Amazon responded likewise. Then Amazon dropped a huge bomb just the other day with the Kindle mkIII, which took nearly everyone — probably including B&N — by surprise. But Barnes & Noble isn’t going to close up shop and admit defeat. They still have one huge advantage over Amazon: in-store displays. → Read More
Using foam for the production of vehicles (for automotive components) is hardly something new, but Japan-based “foam technology” company JSP (which is actually quite large and active globally) claims using foam instead of conventional plastic materials can help cut the weight of cars by as much as 50%. → Read More
