Tempow turns your dumb Bluetooth speakers into a connected sound system

 Meet Tempow, a French startup that can make your Bluetooth speakers more versatile. The company has been working on a new implementation of the Bluetooth protocol in order to let you play music from your phone on multiple speakers and headphones at once. Bluetooth speakers have become a common gift and a hit item in consumer electronics stores. Most people now have multiple Bluetooth speakers… Read More

Snapchat is stifled by its un-algorithmic feed

 Snapchat invented its best products by being the anti-Facebook. Its disappearing chats made visual communication quick and casual compared to Facebook’s email-esque text messages. Stories ditched the likes and permanacy so you could share your raw moments in the now, instead of just the life highlights that define you forever on your Facebook Timeline. Read More

How Echo Look could feed Amazon’s big data fueled fashion ambitions

 This week Amazon took the wraps off a new incarnation of its Alexa voice assistant, giving the AI an eye so it can see as well as speak and hear. The Echo Look also contains a depth sensor that’s being used, in the first instance, to create a bokeh effect for a hands-free style selfies feature that Amazon is hoping will sell the device to fashion lovers, by making their outfits pop… Read More

Amazon is shutting down its “Underground Actually Free” program that gives away free Android apps

 Late on Friday, Amazon announced it will be shutting down its “Underground Actually Free” program which offers customers free versions of Android apps that would typically cost money, including those that relied on in-app purchases but were otherwise free downloads. Though it promised long-term support when it debuted back in August 2015, Amazon today says the “Actually… Read More

Yik Yak shuts down after Square paid $1 million for its engineers

 Yik Yak cofounders Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington published a farewell note to users on Friday, announcing they would shut down their once-popular anonymous social network this week. The app allowed people to connect with other users within a certain radius, and was widely marketed in and used on college campuses. According to an SEC filing issued on April 16th, Square, has agreed to… Read More

Tumblr just added a switch in the iOS Settings that lets you turn back on the porn

 Here’s an interesting change: Tumblr’s iOS application just received an update which now lets you turn on or off adult-oriented, NSFW search results just by toggling a switch in iOS’s Settings. That’s right: you can now switch on or off the Tumblr porn with ease. Weirder still, Tumblr’s note about the change in the App Store update text says this was… Read More

Rollout.io’s Rox lets app developers deploy new features safely – just like the big guys do

 Rollout.io, a company that had developed technology that allowed mobile app developers to update their apps without having to go through the App Store approval process, is now entering a new business after Apple cracked down on apps using its software. Today, the former TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield finalist has transitioned to a new product that allows developers to selectively roll out… Read More

Meet Nintendo’s new $150 2DS XL console, launching July 28

 Nintendo has a new handheld video game system it released pretty much out of the blue on Thursday. The 2DS XL is basically a 3DS XL without the 3D, with a smaller physical footprint for more portability, but with the same size large, dual displays you’ll find on the 3DS XL. The new console hits store shelves July 28, so we’ll still have to wait a while to get our hands on one, but… Read More

Alphabet’s efforts beyond search are ballooning into their own huge businesses

 Alphabet’s advertising business seems to be following the same pattern these days — but its operations beyond that look like they are beginning to grow into strong businesses in their own right. The company reported its first-quarter earnings today that outperformed what Wall Street expected, with its advertising business once again continuing to generate an enormous amount of… Read More

Google search on iOS will now help you find TV shows, movies and music on streaming services

 Google is today launching an update for iOS users that will make it easier to find media content – like TV shows, movies and songs –  on various streaming services and content marketplaces, including iTunes, Hulu, Amazon Video, Google Play, YouTube, Spotify and others. The feature, which is still rolling out, will show you the icons for the services where the content… Read More

Facebook sidesteps Snapchat by launching Messenger Lite in 150 more countries

 Facebook is aggressively pursuing the international and developing world markets Snapchat hasn’t prioritized. Facebook Lite recently hit 200 million users, and Instagram just rolled out offline mode for Android. Now after launching Messenger Lite for Android in 5 countries in October, it’s expanding to 150 more including Vietnam, Nigeria, Peru, Turkey, Germany, Japan, and the… Read More

Report: Apple Music revamp planned for iOS 11, service to include up to 10 original series

 A new version of Apple Music will ship later this year that puts an increased emphasis on video content, and particularly its own original video programming, according to a new report from Bloomberg out today. The piece delves into Apple’s larger video plans, and suggests that the platform may host up to 10 original shows by year-end. We already know about some of Apple efforts on… Read More

App stores saw record revenue and downloads in Q1 2017

 Mobile applications saw a record number of downloads and revenue in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report from app store analytics firm App Annie out this morning. Across both iOS and Android, downloads grew by 15 percent year-over-year to reach nearly 25 billion worldwide – a figure that includes only new downloads, and not re-installs or downloads from prior quarters.… Read More