Sarah Perez
Writer
The Latest from Sarah Perez
SeaBubbles shows off its ‘flying’ all-electric boat in Miami
We were promised flying cars but, as it turns out, flying boats were easier to build. SeaBubbles, a “flying” boat startup that uses electric power instead of gas, hit Miami this weekend to
TikTok spotted testing native video ads
TikTok is testing a new ad product: a sponsored video ad that directs users to the advertiser’s website. The test was spotted in the U.S. TikTok app, where a video labeled “Sponsored”
Amazon’s NYC educational investments will continue, despite cancellation of New York HQ2
Amazon’s plans to invest in New York-area engineering training programs and other local educational initiatives are not being canceled, despite Amazon’s announcement today that it will no
Walmart tech incubator Store No. 8 launches VR startup Spatial&
Walmart’s tech incubator Store N°8 today launched its next startup, a VR merchandising company called Spatial&. The company offers VR experiences that enable customers to connect with merc
Happy Valentine’s Day: your dating app account was hacked, says Coffee Meets Bagel
Good news for love-seekers this Valentine’s Day. In a bit of odd timing, users of the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel woke up this morning to find an email in their inboxes warning that their acco
Wattpad’s latest deal will turn its stories into TV shows and movies in Korea
Wattpad’s ambitions to grow beyond a storytelling community for young adults took another leap forward today with the announcement of a new partnership that will help expand its reach in Asia. T
Sling TV closes year with 2.4 million subscribers, but growth slowed significantly
Sling TV’s growth has slowed dramatically as the competitive landscape for live TV streaming services has heated up. Despite this, the Dish -owned streaming service remains ahead of rivals in te
Apple’s iOS update makes it easier to get to your subscriptions
Apple has made a small but important change to iOS that will allow users an easier way to manage their app subscriptions. In the latest release of the mobile operating system (iOS 12.1.4 and 12.2 beta
Amazon’s ‘Alexa Blueprints’ can now be published publicly on the US Alexa Skills Store
Last year, Amazon introduced Alexa Blueprints, a way for an Alexa device owner to create their own customized voice skills and Alexa responses without needing to know how to code. These skills —
Report: Voice assistants in use to triple to 8 billion by 2023
The use of voice assistants is set to triple over the next few years, according to a new forecast from the U.K.-based analysts at Juniper Research. The firm estimates there will be 8 billion digital v
Amazon is bringing its delivery Lockers to Coachella
Amazon Lockers are coming to a new location: Coachella. The retailer says it will make its storage lockers available to festival-goers, allowing them to order both in advance and same-day to have item
Walmart ends delivery partnership with Deliv
Walmart in 2016 said it would begin testing last-mile delivery using services like Uber, Lyft, and Deliv to bring customers’ orders, including groceries and Sam’s Club orders, to their hom
US iPhone users spent, on average, $79 on apps last year, up 36% from 2017
Apple’s push to get developers to build subscription-based apps is now having a notable impact on App Store revenues. According to a new report from Sensor Tower due out later this week, revenue
Epix launches a $6 per month streaming service offering 4K video and offline access
MGM-owned Epix is joining other premium networks like HBO, Showtime and Starz with the launch of its own over-the-top streaming service aimed at cord cutters. The service, called Epix Now, offers acce
Apple partners with VA to bring Health Records to veterans
Apple announced this morning it has partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make the Health Records feature on iPhones available to veterans. The deal will allow veterans to vie
Bumble launches Spotlight, its own version of Tinder’s Boost
Bumble, currently Tinder’s biggest rival in the dating app market, today launched its own version of Tinder’s “Boost” feature. On Bumble, it’s being called “Spotlig
‘Amazon Live’ is the retailer’s latest effort to take on QVC with live-streamed video
Amazon is taking on QVC with the launch of Amazon Live, which features live-streamed video shows from Amazon talent as well as those from brands that broadcast their own live streams through a new a
Luxury handbag marketplace Rebag raises $25M to expand to 30 more stores
Rebag, an online resale marketplace for luxury handbags, is getting another infusion of capital as it prepares to expand its offline retail operations. The company this week announced $25 million in S
Instagram thinks you want IGTV previews in your home feed
If you can’t beat or join them… force feed ’em? That appears to be Instagram’s latest strategy for IGTV, which is now being shoved right into Instagram’s main feed, the c
T-Mobile plans to offer à la carte media subscriptions, but no TV ‘skinny bundle’
T-Mobile doesn’t want to compete with other carriers or teleco’s by developing its own “skinny bundle” of streaming TV channels, the company said today on its earnings call wit