Culture
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For Apple, Microsoft, and Google, mobile convergence means executive consolidation
Android has left Andy Rubin’s purview and entered Sundar Pichai’s, Google’s senior VP of Chrome and apps. The Web has been echoing with questions of what this means for Google and its products, with rumors of Rubin joining the Glass team and Pichai moving to combine Chrome OS and Android into a single operating system. Mobile and... -
South By Southwest: It matters to the Finns, at least
While some people gripe that South By Southwest isn’t cool anymore and has gotten too big for its own good, others are prepared to travel halfway across the planet for the occasion. Take, for instance, the Finns. In November, I traveled to Helsinki and found a startup ecosystem hustling to adapt to Life After Nokia. The startup craze is…
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Is the bold US vision of Silicon Valley diplomacy already over?
I just got an email that Alec J. Ross is leaving the State Department. This is maybe noteworthy in and of itself to about a dozen of our readers, and they probably already got the same email. But, to me, it signals the worrying end of a pro-entrepreneur mini-era in the US State Department. Four years ago, the State Department... -
Thanks for the cash, everyone else: How Sand Hill Road is becoming Downton Abbey
I can’t get over the two big surprises from my interview with outgoing NVCA president Mark Heesen we posted this morning: That a quarter of all the money flowing into venture capital is coming from international markets and, yet, the industry has become more geographically constrained, not less. Like the very British traditions at Downton Abbey staying afloat with... -
Republicans and keg stands: At this year’s SXSW, tech and politics collide
Last year, Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) came to South By Southwest for the first time dressed in a suit and tie and spoke to a room large enough for several hundred people that was mostly empty. This year, he said, he had “evolved.” He was wearing jeans and a sports coat, looking only a belt-notch more formal than the gingham-shirted…
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Mark Heesen: “VCs have increasingly worked themselves out of a job.” What the next head of the NVCA needs to know
Everyone has to be a nerd about something. For some people, it’s math. For others, it’s baseball stats. For me, it’s venture capital. I may have been the only person who gasped last week when I read in my email that Mark Heesen– head of the National Venture Capital Association was resigning. “This is a huge deal!” I said. Maybe... -
Several startup ecosystems made a major showing in Austin this week
It’s not just companies that are hoping to use South by Southwest (SXSW) to get their brand in front of potential customers, partners, and employees. Many emerging startup ecosystems are looking for a similar boost. New York was a fixture in Austin on Saturday, with an entire day of events hosted under the brand Made in NY: Austin. A... -
Cory Booker calls for tech-empowered open democracy
Speaking today at South By Southwest, Newark Mayor Cory Booker called for a more open democracy and for government to catch up to society in its use of technology. Today’s political system is too much like a vending machine, said Booker, channeling his friend Gavin Newsom, the Lieutenant Governor of California. You put money in, and you get stuff out. And when…
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Senator Warner to entrepreneurs: “Crowdfunding needs your help”
US Senator Mark Warner, who has been touted as a Presidential contender for 2016, showed up at South By Southwest today to speak in support of crowdfunding and urge the startup community to help with efforts to drive it forward. Speaking on a panel hosted by the Startup America Partnership that also featured AOL co-founder Steve Case, the Democratic Senator…
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Will the Austin startup ecosystem ever live up to its promise?
On paper, it seems obvious that Austin should be included in the “best startup cities in America” list. For starters, the city hogs the tech industry’s attention for a week every year during South By Southwest, now hyped and mocked in equal measure. Then there are the heavy-hitter tech residents. Some of the biggest and most important tech companies have…
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SXSW Interactive director Hugh Forrest: “The event is what you make of it”
Hugh Forrest is sitting in his darkened office at the end of a long work day and worrying about something that people don’t typically associate with Austin, Texas: rain. Last year, two days of cold, squally rain turned the start of South By Southwest Interactive into a sodden, overcrowded mess. More than 24,000 people were in attendance, up from 19,000…
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WITN: Paul argues print isn’t dead, only Tina Brown’s judgement was
I honestly couldn’t tell you what all Paul and I talked about in this episode of WITN. It was more rambling than usual — ranging from a debate about craft projects to Eli running in the room to pronounce the word “Admiral” proudly into Skype. (I think, our seven fans will be surprised at how much he’s grown.) But buried... -
Latest cry for help from public media advocates: “We need tax breaks”
As news organizations cut costs, lay off staff, and struggle to survive in the sometimes unfriendly digital era, the kind of public service journalism that they have specialized in for decades has come under serious threat. In 2011, the Federal Communications Commission issued a report that warned that accountability reporting has dropped significantly. Not great news for a functioning…
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CSR goes downstream: Bright Funds to launch charitable giving tool for businesses
You’re the giving type, and you care about starving children and clean water and trees and all those things you listed as key concerns on your Facebook profile to make everyone think you’re virtuous. It’s just that you forget, sometimes (all the times), to send money in the direction of those causes. Other things happen – those new heels, that…
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Your innovation is killing us
Entrepreneurs and technologists: be careful with just how hard you push your innovating. One day it’s a photo app, the next it’s a self-aware nanofactory that has the ability to self-replicate ad infinitum and supplant the human race. For now, location-aware predictive search engines and wearable computers are all very cool, but in just a few generations all this technology…
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What does it take to turn around a Web company? A look inside the only two we’ve ever seen
Every time a has-been startup like Myspace or Digg or a big public company like Yahoo or AOL attempts a Web turnaround, the tech media is quick to remind them that Web turnarounds never work. Technically, we can’t say that anymore. Two companies– Priceline and eBay– have quietly proven that truism wrong, at least from a financial point of view....
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eBay asks people to fight “unfair” Internet sales tax legislation
EBay has asked people to speak out against legislation that would require large-and medium-sized businesses to collect sales tax for products sold over the Internet. These business are currently required only to collect sales tax if they have a physical presence (distribution center, warehouse) in the state.
[Source: EBay]
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Google to move Buzz data to Drive on July 17
Google has informed Buzz users of its plan to move data from the now-defunct social tool over to the Drive storage and synchronization platform. Buzz was suspended in 2011; this move is described as Google’s “last step” towards Buzz’s demise.
[Source: Engadget]
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PandoMonthly San Francisco with KPCB's John Doerr
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Google Glass in 10 years: The view from dystopia
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Xbox One will do random authentication checks
In other words, the Xbox One will periodically “phone home” to Microsoft to verify that users own their games. That said, a user will not have to buy a new license for used games. [Source: Polygon]
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Google, Verizon, and Acer help tornado victims
Google has teamed up with Verizon and Acer to offer Chromebook stations with free Internet to tornado victims in Moore, Oklahoma. [Source: Google]
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Is Gmail getting a redesign?
Leaked screenshots of a possible Gmail redesign reveal five tabs at the top of inboxes to allow for better organization. Like Google+ Circles for your emails kind of? Google has not commented on the authenticity of the images. [Source: The Next Web]
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Four simple strategies for monetizing your video
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Forget Aereo: Broadcasters sue Aereokiller
Aereo wants to kill broadcasters, Aereokiller wants to kill Aereo. But in this case, the enemy of my enemy is not my friend, as Fox, NBC, ABC and Allbritton Communications sue Aereokiller for providing broadcast television over the Internet. [Source: Variety]
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John Doerr: “Venture capital has changed and I need to adapt”
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Tumblr's David Karp in his own words
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Is the Internet of Things the future of narcissism?
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Google reportedly working to bring wireless networks to the developing world
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is deep into an effort to build, fund and help run wireless networks in emerging markets like sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. The plan is to connect more than a billion new people to the Internet. [Source: Wall Street Journal]
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Twitter account of UK’s largest TV broadcaster hacked by Syrian Electronic Army
ITV is the latest victim of the Syrian Electronic Army’s attacks. The AP, Financial Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Onion were all attacked previously. This comes days after Twitter unveiled two-step authentication to prevent such a thing. [Source: Reuters]
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Lessons from Segway: Why John Doerr no longer makes $1 billion predictions
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Google and Microsoft collaborate on new YouTube app
Google will work together with Microsoft on a new YouTube app for Windows Phone, after Google had demanded Microsoft remove an unauthorized version from the platform. The collaboration will bring the Windows YouTube app up to pace with YouTube’s API terms of service. [Source: The Verge]
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Google planning to fund wireless networks in emerging markets
Google is reportedly funding, building, and helping run wireless networks in emerging markets. Markets include sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and will be used to make internet available to those outside of major cities, as well as improve connection speeds in urban centers. [Source: The Wall Street Journal]
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LTE comes to AT&T’s prepaid service
Starting today AT&T GoPhones will be able to support LTE network. Before, only high-end contract customers were able to use AT&T’s high-speed LTE service. [Source: GigaOm]
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Google Glass user calls it too “creepy”
Reports are now beginning to come in about user experience with Google Glass. One user found that the wearable device was too creepy and made those around him feel uncomfortable. [Source: BGR]
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“As an entrepreneur, you have to rely on luck. Honestly, being an entrepreneur, in my opinion, is 95 percent luck; four percent knowing when to recognize it; and one percent hard work. I mean, that’s the equation.”
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Better Place to file for bankruptcy
Electric car company Better Place is reportedly planning to file for bankruptcy in the next few days. According to Fortune, over the last seven months the company has seen two CEOs come and go. [Source: Fortune]
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Facebook Phone will not be sold in UK
UK network EE has confirmed that the HTC First — also known as the Facebook Phone — will not be available in the United Kingdom. According to Forbes this is so that Facebook can increase the customization experience of its Home screen before it gets released across the pond. [Source: Forbes]
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iPad software tech maker Erply raises $2.15M Series B
Erply, a startup that makes iPad-oriented and cloud-based software for retailers, has raised $2.15 million Series B. Funding was led by Redpoint Ventures. [Source: TechCrunch]
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PayDragon sees spike in mobile grocery ordering
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Yahoo places bid on Hulu
Yahoo has entered into the bidding storm for video streaming site Hulu. According to AllThingsD, other possible contenders placing bids for the company include DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, and Guggenheim Digital. [Source: AllThingsD]
