As reported on TechCrunch. by John Biggs After blindly supporting it for a number of years, I’ve decided to crowdfund my own project, a novel that I wrote for my son, and thenwrite about the experience for you guys. Today I’d like to talk about my own experiences in publishing and why I think crowdfunding is, at the very least, a viable alternative to the traditional models. Be warned: this is a little introspective and I’m…
As reported on Engadget. BY RICHARD LAWLER After months of rumors, the Wall Street Journal claims Facebook will finally include video ads in user’s feeds on the web and mobile devices later this week — a move we figured would happen soon now that it’s splashed other autoplaying videos all over the place. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the Journal claims Facebook will announce the change later today, with the first ads rolling out on Thursday. Previous rumors have put the run…
As reported on Wired. BY MARCUS WOHLSEN Photo: Archive Holdings, Inc. Evernote CEO Phil Libin sounds like a lot of tech executives when he advocates for treating employees well. It’s not just a nice thing to do, he says, it’s an important business strategy. “You can’t beat more productivity out of knowledge workers,” he says. “The only way you can get people to do more is to make them relatively happy.” That’s the kind of…
As reported on The Verge. By Kwame Opam Peter O’Toole, best known for his legendary role in the classic 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, died this weekend at a hospital in London. He was 81. O’Toole announced his retirement from his 50-year acting career last year, something he later attributed to his failing health. “I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell,” he said at the time. The actor had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor…
As reported on The Verge. By Tom Warren Microsoft distinguished engineer Blaise Agüera y Arcas is joining Google. Agüera y Arcas originally joined Microsoft in 2006 after the software giant acquired his Seadragon startup. He was a key software architect that helped develop and build Microsoft’s Bing Maps service and its image-stitching Photosynth software. The New York Times reports that Agüera y Arcas will work on machine learning at Google, something Microsoft’s research teams have been focusing on heavily recently. Agüera…
As reported on TechCrunch. by Jordan Crook Apple has taught us to dream. When the company launched game-changing products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, Apple made us feel like the future we picture in our minds will one day be a reality. And here we are, with Elon Musk working on flying cars while Pebble and friends put your smartphone on your wrist. But some of us take the dream more seriously than others. Take, for example, these…
As reported on TechCrunch. by Semil Shah .‘Tis the season to reorganize the apps on my iPhone. With iOS 7 and the shift from spotlight search to swipe-down-to-search for apps, I’ve noticed my app behavior has changed a bit, as it’s become easier to search for apps with the new UI and therefore less important where the app is located on my phone. For instance, the Amazon app is buried in my Shopping folder (on my…
As reported on Wired. BY NATALIE WOLCHOVER Image: Rick Leche/Flickr Physicists reported this week the discovery of a jewel-like geometric object that dramatically simplifies calculations of particle interactions and challenges the notion that space and time are fundamental components of reality. Original storyreprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division ofSimonsFoundation.org whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences.…
As reported on The Verge. By Josh Lowensohn 2013 is almost over, which means it’s time for self-reflection — and Jean-Claude Van Damme, of course. His “epic splits” video (pictured above, and part of an advertisement for Volvo) is just one of many YouTube’s compiled as the top trending videos on the service during the year. That’s different from the most-viewed list, and perhaps even more interesting because it tracks views, shares, and searches from users, which has led to…
As reported on The Verge. By Tom Warren Redmond wants to counter Mountain View Microsoft is considering making Windows Phone and Windows RT available free of charge to device makers. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have revealed to The Verge that free future versions are under serious consideration by OS chief Terry Myerson. We understand the plans aren’t fully set in stone, but they’re part of broader changes Myerson is planning for the future of Windows. Microsoft is…