Preschoolers get their own Pokémon game with launch of Pokémon Playhouse

 A new app called Pokémon Playhouse from the Pokémon Company, released this week, is bringing Pikachu and friends to preschoolers. Unlike the augmented reality game Pokémon Go, a collaboration between Niantic and Nintendo by way of the Pokémon Company, this latest game is not focused on capturing Pokémon, battling and raids. Instead, it’s filled with activities appropriate for… Read More

ipsy launches its beauty product e-commerce business Shopper as hit hits 3M subscribers

 ipsy, a subscription service that delivers a collection of products to its users every month, has spent the last six years building up a community with millions of people obsessed with beauty products. And now that the company has more than 3 million subscribers — with a $10 per month subscription cost — it’s ready to get a little bit more aggressive by getting directly… Read More

Co-founder Brian Fenty becomes CEO at TodayTix

 There’s a new CEO at TodayTix, though he’s definitely not new to the company — Chairman Brian Fenty is becoming chief executive, while his co-founder (and the previous CEO) Merritt Baer is becoming the Head of Europe. TodayTix sells theater tickets in cities across the United States (including New York, Chicago and San Francisco), but its European presence is currently limited… Read More

Pinterest opens up more than 5,000 interests for advertiser targeting through its Taste Graph

 Pinterest builds itself around visual discovery — the idea that you can come to the site or app, see something you like, and immediately dive down a rabbit hole. The company has built an extensive suite of tools internally to figure out which rabbit hole to divert users to, and now it’s opening up some of that knowledge to advertisers. Pinterest said today that it’s… Read More

Polly’s teen polling app piggybacks on Snapchat

 Snapchat doesn’t technically have a developer platform, but that hasn’t stopped other startups from taking advantage of its new feature for attaching links to your Snaps and Stories. Sarahah was the first, allowing people to ask fellow Snappers for open-ended anonymous feedback. But the problem is that those requests could be met with cyberbullying. Polly is a new teen sensation… Read More

Google brings the $399 Android One Moto X4 to Project Fi (and the U.S.)

 Google today announced that the Android One Moto X4 is now available for pre-order on its Project Fi page. Like other Android One phones, the mid-range Moto X4, comes with a pure version of Android without any bloatware. This marks the first time an Android One phone is available on Project Fi, Google’s own virtual cell network, and it also marks the Moto X4’s arrival in the… Read More

Snapchat’s new partners attach instant apps and games to ads

 Snap wants its ads to open to something interesting rather than a boring mobile website. Today Snap announced 14 new ad Creative Partners that will help build custom games, interactive videos, gyroscope-powered epxeriences, lead generation campaigns, and pre-loaded Instant Apps as destinations for Snapchat ads. They’ll also help connect advertisers to influencers, despite Snapchat… Read More

Wall Street dings Apple after some reported LTE connectivity issues on the new Watch

 There are a lot of reports hitting the ‘net this morning in reviews of the Apple Watch Series 3, which indicate that there are some LTE connectivity issues — causing Apple to take a small dip this morning and a speed bump in its march to $1 trillion. Shares of Apple fell around 2.5% this morning, which for Apple is a pretty substantial ding for the company despite the deceptively… Read More

HTC stock suspension adds fuel to Google acquisition rumors

 HTC is to suspend trading of its stock on the TWSE tomorrow, ahead of what it says will be the release of “material information” pertaining to its business. Read More

Amazon is working on smart glasses to house Alexa AI, says FT

 Amazon is working on building a pair of smart glasses to house its Alexa voice assistant, and a home security camera that could be linked to its existing Echo connected devices to further expand their capabilities, according to a report in the FT citing people familiar with the company’s plans. Read More

Tomorrow looks to make it easier to draw up plans for a will and life insurance

 Talking about filling out a will and setting up life insurance is probably one of the more sensitive subjects you’ll tackle as you get older — but Dave Hanley says it’s something that a lot of people end up dodging altogether. That’s why he started Tomorrow, a company that makes it easier to set up life insurance and how assets and guardianship are divvied up. Rather… Read More

Does Siri sound different today? Here’s why

 Did you notice that Siri sounds a little more sprightly today? Apple’s ubiquitous virtual assistant has had a little virtual work done on her virtual vocal cords, and her newly dulcet-ized tones went live today as part of iOS 11. Read More