2017
Kenya has a waste management problem, especially in the country’s capital of Nairobi. As of 2016, Nairobi was producing around 2,400 tons of waste every day but only 38 percent…
Twitter details how it reviews and enforces rules around hate speech, violence and harassment
Twitter has been under fire lately (slash always) for its methods to deal with harassment and abuse on its platform. In an effort to provide some insight into its thinking,…
A mesh network spontaneously erupts in the US and helps connect Puerto Rico
When goTenna put out their Mesh device earlier this year, I thought the off-grid gadgets would be great for an emergency kit or back-country hike. But it turns out that…
Obama’s former chief data scientist, DJ Patil, joins Venrock as an adviser
DJ Patil, the chief data scientist under President Barack Obama, has joined Venrock Capital as an adviser. Patil has long been a proponent of using data science and artificial intelligence to…
Match Group is still in talks to acquire Bumble with a valuation over $1B
In August we reported from our sources that Match Group made an offer to acquire Bumble for $450M. Bumble declined the offer, and at the time a source close to the…
For the next six hours you can guide a robot through a web of miniature Reddit-themed escape rooms
Something weird is about to happen on Reddit. Starting at 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday, an AI-powered robot the size of a computer mouse will star in a live event…
Poshmark raises $87.5 million for fashion resale marketplace
Poshmark, the app for fashion consignment, has raised another $87.5 million in funding led by Singapore-based Temasek. Menlo Ventures, GGV Capital, Mayfield and others also participated. Having raised $160 million…
Google Cloud Spanner update includes SLA that promises less than five minutes of downtime per year
Cloud Spanner, Google’s globally distributed cloud database got an update today that includes multi-region support, meaning the database can be replicated across regions for lower latency and better performance. It…
Pinterest Lens now gives users a way to figure out their outfits with the clothes in their closet
Looking for what to wear is one of the bigger use cases on Pinterest, but as the company looks to make the process of getting the right content to users…
Dropbox partners with Autodesk to help users collaborate on large design files
Dropbox announced a couple of products today to make it easier for Autodesk users to access and share large design files. The products include an integrated desktop app for opening…
If you are walking around a retailer, you might have seen a sign or something along those lines posted to check out its Pinterest account for additional content or products…
YouTube partners with Ticketmaster to sell concert tickets on artists’ video pages
YouTube today announced a partnership with Ticketmaster that will see the Google-owned video network connecting fans with concert tickets and tour information directly on artists’ YouTube video pages. Starting today, YouTube…
iOS 11.2 is going to support faster 7.5W Qi wireless charging
The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X all support wireless charging using the Qi standard. It means that iPhones are now compatible with hundreds of chargers out there.…
Twitter launches lower-cost subscription access to its data through new Premium APIs
Twitter tried to mend its relationship with developers earlier this year with the launch of a new API platform which focused on streamlining APIs and the promise of additional tiers…
Facebook says Russia did try to meddle in Brexit vote
BuzzFeed has obtained a statement from Facebook in which the tech giant admits, for the first time, that some Russia-linked accounts may have used its platform to try to interfere in…
Philo ditches sports to introduce a $16 per month live TV service
Philo, a streaming service backed by cable TV content providers, today launched a low-cost, sports-free live TV service priced at just $16 per month. That’s undercutting today’s live TV streaming…
Firefox aims to win back Chrome users with its souped up Quantum browser
The last half-decade hasn’t been great for Firefox marketshare. Chrome first overtook Mozilla’s browser back in late-2011 and now hovers above 60-percent, according to StatCounter numbers. But after a fair…
iUNU aims to build cameras on rails for growers to keep track of their crop health
You’ve probably spent a lot of time keeping track of your plants and all the minor details, like the coloration of the leaves, in order to make sure they’re healthy…
Apple could reportedly add TrueDepth features to the rear iPhone camera
Apple has packed a ton of sensors into the notch of the iPhone X. The TrueDepth camera system powers many features, from Face ID to face-tracking technology using ARKit. It…
N26 adds Apple Pay support in France, Spain, Italy and Finland
Fintech startup N26 just launched Apple Pay support in European countries where Apple already launched Apple Pay. Starting today, you can now add your N26 card to the Wallet app…
GoPro Fusion 360 camera now shipping, some software features not launching until ‘early 2018’
After officially announcing the device at an event in late September, GoPro is now shipping its 360-degree Fusion camera to the U.S. and Europe. The company’s first shot at spherical…
Furbo unveils treat-tossing dog camera with smart alerts, like when your dog is pacing
Furbo, the dog camera that lets you communicate with your pet and also tosses treats to your dog when you’re away, has launched a new version that provides alerts to…
Valet startup Zirx relaunches as Stratim, a mobility service for GM’s Maven, Ford’s Chariot and others
When Zirx announced last February its plans to shut down its on-demand valet parking startup, it wasn’t clear what the company meant when it said it would focus on the enterprise.…
Cloudflare expands into mobile performance with Neumob acquisition
Cloudflare made a significant acquisition today when it acquired mobile VPN startup, Neumob. The purchase gives Cloudflare a mobile performance tool it was lacking, and a road to its first…
Want to bring Alexa into your vehicle? You now have a few options, including a new $49.99 accessory from voice tech company Speak Music, which is launching Muse, essentially a…
uBiome launches an at-home women’s health test for HPV, STI’s and bacterial vaginosis
SmartJane is a new women’s health test out from uBiome today that promises to check for 23 vaginal flora as well as 19 strains of the human papilloma virus and…
Eko’s ‘That Moment When’ is an interactive comedy series all about social awkwardness
A new video series called That Moment When is pretty much my kryptonite. And I mean that as a compliment. See, I’m the kind of person who has to watch…
Kinder, gentler debt collector TrueAccord raises $22 million
Bringing debt collection into the age of the soft touch, email and text-based world of the 21st century has netted TrueAccord $22 million in a new round of funding. I…
Why count inventory when the robots can do it? Retailers are using machines from a startup called Bossa Nova Robotics to analyze what’s selling on the shelves. The robots drive…
YouTube is now taking down more videos of known extremists — in major policy change
A spokeswoman told us YouTube has broadened its policy for taking down extremist content: Not just removing videos that directly preach hate or seek to incite violence but also removing…
