Convergence crosses the pond

 Imagine a world where you buy mobile phone, data, voice and television services from a single provider. A world where you don’t worry about running out of wireless minutes, exceeding text message limits or running up roaming charges. A world where you talk, text and stream video on an iPad, TV, laptop or mobile phone, seamlessly using the same user interface and applications across… Read More

Google gets better at flagging apps trying to fake their way into the Play Store’s top charts

 Google today announced it’s rolling out a new detection and filtering system on the Play Store to crack down on those developers who use illegitimate means to boost their app’s ranking in the store’s top charts. This will affect apps that use methods like fraudulent installs, fake reviews, and incentivized ratings, the company noted. While Google already had technology it used… Read More

Brave, the browser with built-in ad blocking, tries again on Android

 Brave, the new web browser company co-founded by former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, has launched a do-over on Android. The earlier version of the ad-blocking browser utilized an odd user interface involving floating link bubbles, which didn’t sit well with all users. The design made the experience more cumbersome and confusing, when what people really wanted was an alternative browser… Read More

Outlook’s mobile app gets a built-in meeting scheduler

 Microsoft Outlook users on mobile will now have an easier way to schedule meetings from their smartphone, with the launch of a new scheduling assistant that helps you find a time that works for everyone. The feature, which is rolling out today to the iOS version of Outlook’s mobile app, will show your coworkers’ availability so you can quickly pick a date and time when everyone… Read More

Lume Cube is back on Kickstarter with a smartphone-friendly light source

 When Lume Cube first crashed into the world’s consciousness, they did so with an $80 smartphone-controlled, waterproof light aimed at the GoPro-loving extreme sports market. Today, the company launched a Kickstarter campaign for Life Lite, its followup. Life Lite is 33% less bright, but also half the price and half the size. The new addition is aimed at people shooting live video with… Read More

Our favorite startups from 500 Startups’ 18th class

 500 Startups’ 18th demo day wrapped up this afternoon in San Francisco. The companies that presented ranged from financial technology all the way to yet another attempt to try and fix conference calls. 500 Startups has to compete with a lot of other accelerators like Techstars and Y Combinator, and in order to be successful it needs to generate hits from these classes. The firm has had… Read More

Three reasons carriers are building new cell networks for the Internet of Things

 Wireless carriers are building all-new cellular networks for the Internet of Things. Cell phone networks fall short for IoT in three ways: battery life, cost and wireless coverage. Solving just one of those factors would be enough to justify new networks. Solving all three is a game-changer for IoT. Read More

Needed’s smarter shopping app will find you the best nearby deals

 A new app called Needed, now officially launching, wants to upgrade your mobile shopping list. Instead of turning to a simple note-taking app or to-do list, Needed aims to help you save on groceries by automatically searching for deals and sales that match the items on your list. The idea is to help you shop smarter locally, however – Needed doesn’t focus on online stores, or… Read More

Gfycat brings its higher quality GIFs and DIY creation tools to iMessage

 Gfycat, the startup that recently raised a whopping $10 million for its user-generated content platform that lets you creating silent, looping animations and videos, has now launched its first mobile app. Designed for iMessage, Gfycat lets you search for, send and create your own “Gfycat Loops,” which you can also augment with your own emojis and captions. There are already a number… Read More

Facebook tests Snapchat-style camera special effects with ephemeral sharing

 Facebook is overhauling its in-app camera to embrace the next era of augmented reality visual communication pioneered by Snapchat. The new features include Snapchat-style animated selfie masks, overlaid graphics, and geofilters; Prisma-esque fine art-themed style transfer filters and some innovative new “reactive” filters that respond to your body’s movements. What Facebook… Read More

Google Allo gets support for split-screen mode, app shortcuts and a ‘Stranger Things’ tie-in

 Halloween is just around the corner and if there was one horror-themed phenomenon this year, it was Netflix’s nostalgia-driven Stranger Things. Google has now teamed up with Netflix to bring a Stranger Things sticker pack to the latest version of its Allo messaging app. It’s also hosting a Stranger Things scavenger hunt in New York today (10/28). The update isn’t just… Read More

Alphabet reports a strong third quarter despite free-falling advertising values

 Alphabet’s strategy of trying to stuff the difference between declining mobile advertising value with additional clicks appears to still be paying off as the company once again showed Wall Street that it can make a ton of money and continue to grow. Alphabet (we’re just gonna call it what it is because we’re talking about the core business: Google) reported earnings of $9.06… Read More

Vine stars react to #RIPVine

 Broken hearts, blind rage, and calls to follow them on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. That’s how Vine stars are coping with the news that Twitter will shut down the Vine app in the coming months. At least since Twitter will let people download their Vines, most of the content should wind up on its competitors. Click or scroll through our list of the best reactions from the top… Read More