Olive branches, rubrics and the state of faster payments in the U.S.

The nation relies on systemically important market infrastructures. As you may have guessed, these engines of economy are designed to resist change. That’s not a bad thing. A certain amount of insulation protects us from the whims of fads and provides the cornerstones of the econ … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Most people in the U.S. don't know virtual reality devices exist, study says

Even with the recent popularity and coverage of smartphone virtual reality headsets, like the Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and the upcoming release of the Oculus Rift, many people are still unaware of the new and upcoming VR devices. According to a recent study, only 33% of … | Continue reading


@mashable.com | 8 years ago

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge review: Impressive, but largely iterative

If you’ve been waiting for Samsung’s newest smartphones to arrive, the wait is almost over. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will be available on March 11 through all the major carriers in the U.S. and in retail stores. While the S7s share many features with their S6 predecessor … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Pay for gas on ExxonMobil app with Apple Pay

You can now use Apple Pay to buy gas at 6,000 ExxonMobil locations across the U.S. The transactions can be made through the free Speedpass app, meaning that customers won’t have to get out of the car to fill their tank, if they’re at a full-service station. Even if you have to le … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Seoul-based Polaris Office launches its enterprise productivity suite in the U.S.

Seoul-based Polaris Office is launching its cloud-based software suite in the United States with the very ambitious goal (some might say quixotic) of challenging Microsoft Office and Google for Work’s dominance. The company makes desktop and mobile apps that let users create new … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Apple Pay now works at ExxonMobil gas stations

ExxonMobil today said it would start accepting Apple Pay as a form of payment at around 6,000 ExxonMobil gas stations around the U.S, something that Apple CEO Tim Cook had said was coming during the company's first quarter earnings call.However, these Apple Pay payments won't be … | Continue reading


@theverge.com | 8 years ago

500 Startups’ latest move in Asia is a $10M micro-fund in Vietnam

500 Startups is continuing its efforts to tap on Asia’s fast-growing startup scene after the U.S.-headquartered VC firm announced a $10 million fund in Vietnam. Read More | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Fears about implications of unlocking an iPhone are ‘far afield,’ U.S. attorneys say

Several federal attorneys today filed a formal 51-page response to U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein’s ruling against the government’s request to make Apple help it unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone. The attorneys criticized many of Judge Orenstein’s p … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

The long road ahead: Obama’s cybersecurity action is a step toward change

President Obama’s recent announcement of the creation of the Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) made waves across government and tech audiences, as it proposed a $19 billion budget to bulk up cybersecurity across the U.S. government and the private sector. While the announ … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Anyone in the U.S. can now sign up for Google’s Project Fi

Google today announced that its Project Fi cell service is now available to anyone in the U.S. without an invitation. Google first introduced Project Fi in April 2015. The idea was to blend the best of Wi-Fi access with wireless access from two carriers — T-Mobile and Sprint — on … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

You can now sign up for Google’s Project Fi cell service without an invite

You can now sign up for Project Fi, Google’s first foray into offering its own cell phone service, without an invite. The service, which launched ten months ago, was an invite-only project until now — though getting an invite wasn’t all that hard. Starting today, anybody in the U … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

UpLabs thinks designers and developers should hang out more

UpLabs is a community-powered marketplace that lets designers and developers share ready-to-ship UI resources — like login boxes and payment forms — to build apps and sites.Originally from France, founders Matt Aussaguel and Guillemette Dejean moved to the U.S. after finding thei … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Apple to pay $450 million as U.S. Supreme Court rejects e-books price-fixing appeal

WASHINGTON (By Lawrence Hurley, Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Apple Inc’s challenge to an appellate court decision that it conspired with five publishers to increase e-book prices, meaning it will have to pay $450 million as part of a settlement. Th … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Why TechHire needs to continue with the next U.S. president

We’re now a year into the White House’s TechHire initiative to help more Americans qualify for better, higher-paying tech jobs regardless of their pedigree. The verdict so far? TechHire has seen solid traction, but evaluating this effort through a short-term lens misses the point … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Spain’s BBVA acquires Finnish online banking startup Holvi to keep its finger on the pulse of fintech innovation

Spanish multinational banking giant BBVA has acquired yet another online banking startup in the form of Holvi, a Finnish firm that specializes in providing online current accounts and related services for “makers and doers” — small businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. The … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

The new workforce: Aligning jobs and skills in the age of tech disruption

There is a rising tide of concern in the U.S. This concern has always been front and center in Silicon Valley. It centers around the shortage of skilled IT workers and the threats modern technology poses to today’s blue-collar workers and those without a STEM degree. Read More | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

The broken world of mobile payments and how to fix it

It’s being predicted that by the end of this year, mobile payment transactions in the U.S. will grow 210 percent. Despite this impressive gain, it turns out that not everyone is taking advantage of mobile payments. Why aren’t more people enjoying the convenience and ease of mobil … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Microsoft and Google employees in U.S. National Guard may join cyber war against Islamic State

(Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the National Guard’s cyber squadrons will play an increasingly important role in assessing the vulnerabilities of U.S. industrial infrastructure and could be asked to join the fight against Islamic State. The National Guard – a r … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Convicted hacker Guccifer gets U.S. extradition for exposing Bush family emails and artwork

(Reuters) – Romania’s top court has approved a request by U.S. authorities to extradite a convicted hacker known as Guccifer, a source within Romania’s DIICOT anti-organized crime and terrorism unit told Reuters on Friday. “The court approved an 18-month temporary extradition to … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Despite Dieselgate, Audi debuts most powerful diesel SUV on the market

Both Audi's 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter TDI diesel engines in the U.S. have been caught up in the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal. Despite the fact that the German luxury brand or its parent company VW have yet to come up with a fix for the emissions-cheating engines, Audi is pushing f … | Continue reading


@mashable.com | 8 years ago

Former Credit Union Official Charged With Taking Bribe From Illegal Bitcoin Exchange

A U.S. court has charged Trevon Gross, the former chairman of a Jackson, N.J. federal credit union, with accepting $150,000 in bribes to turn the credit union’s functions over to the operators of Coin.mx, an illegal bitcoin exchange, according to NJ.com, a New Jersey news site. T … | Continue reading


@cryptocoinsnews.com | 8 years ago

Amazon says it will bring device encryption back to Fire OS

Less than a day after it emerged that Amazon had quietly dropped device encryption support for its Fire tablets and other Fire OS devices, the U.S. firm has flip-flopped and said that it will restore the feature. Read More | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

San Bernardino DA: Apple is not ‘the Orwellian arbiter or definer of privacy’

The U.S. District Court handling the Apple-FBI encryption case today published the entire amicus curiae brief from San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos in support of the U.S. government. And oh, is it contentious. Ramos, an elected official in the county where th … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Clash Royale hits No. 1 on top-grossing chart in U.S.

No other mobile game has done this so quickly in the age of Clash of Clans, Game of War: Fire Age, and Candy Crush Saga. A brand new game, Supercell’s Clash Royale fortress battle title, has become No. 1 in the U.S., not only on the top downloads chart but also on the top-grossin … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

E3 loses two more as Disney, Wargaming decide the show floor doesn’t make sense

EXCLUSIVE: You could call it an exodus now. Electronic Arts said in January that it would drop its booth on the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the game industry’s biggest trade show in the U.S. Then Activision Blizzard, the biggest U.S. game company, droppe … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

How to Move to Canada

The chart below is the past week’s Google trend graph for U.S. Google users searching the phrase, “how to move to canada”? The turning point is three days ago, Super Tuesday (3.2.2016), the day people who were still skeptical of the chances of Donald Trump winning the GOP preside … | Continue reading


@rexblog.com | 8 years ago

Stuff The Internet Says On Scalability For March 4th, 2016

Presented for your consideration: Drone Units of the U.S Armed Forces If you like this ... | Continue reading


@highscalability.com | 8 years ago

Apple is selling more phones in India’s biggest cities than you might think

Conventional wisdom dictates that Apple performs best in Western markets, where operator-subsidized contracts are most popular and consumer spending power is greater, but it turns out the U.S. company is doing better in India than many expected. Read More | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Chinese-Owned AMC to Become U.S.'s Largest Theater Chain

In the latest blockbuster overseas acquisition by a Chinese company, AMC Entertainment will buy Carmike Cinemas, becoming the U.S.'s -- and the world's -- largest movie-theater operator. The WSJ's Rick Carew has the details. Photo: AFP/Getty | Continue reading


@live.wsj.com | 8 years ago

Amazon drops encryption feature in Fire tablet software

(Reuters) – Amazon has quietly dropped support for disk encryption on its Fire tablets, saying the feature that secures devices by scrambling data was little used by customers. Privacy advocates and some users criticized the move, which came to light on Thursday even as Apple was … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

This investor has “hundreds of millions” of dollars to sprinkle around U.S. VC firms

Peakview is the investment advisory arm of Shengjing Group and the largest global fund of funds in China. It also has millions of dollars to invest in U.S.-based venture capital funds, it says. This year. Right now. It’s a very different message than VCs are receiving from many o … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Google brings the Iditarod to Street View

Alaska is home to one of the toughest endurance events in the world: the Iditarod — a 1000+ miles dog sled race across the vast wilderness that is the U.S.’s northernmost state. Most of us will never get to see this race in person (or participate in it), but you can now experienc … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Samsung and Six Flags partner to launch virtual reality roller coasters at 9 U.S. amusement parks

Samsung is teaming up with one of the world’s largest amusement park operators to launch a series of virtual reality (VR) roller coasters. Samsung has revealed a tie-up with Six Flags Entertainment Corporation that sees the electronics giant become its official technology partner … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

BlackBerry’s Priv Android phone is now available on Verizon in the U.S.

BlackBerry has announced that its Priv smartphone is now available on Verizon, the third of the big four mobile networks in the U.S. that BlackBerry’s inaugural Android device is now on. The Priv can be purchased online from today starting at $30 per month on a 24-month plan, and … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Where SEO Fits in Digital Marketing Strategy for UK Marketers

On each of my trips to Europe or elsewhere abroad to a marketing conference, it is inevitable that someone will say, “We’re 1-2 years behind digital marketing in the U.S.". The reasons for this vary, from the capabilities of agencies to demand amongst business buyers of marketing … | Continue reading


@toprankblog.com | 8 years ago

Japan’s Mercari, an app for selling your stuff, raises $74M in U.S. push

Tokyo-based Mercari, the Japanese startup behind a consumer-to-consumer marketplace app of the same name, announced today that it has fundraised $74 million (8.4 billion yen) in a series D round. | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Indicted Ex-Chesapeake CEO McClendon Dies in Car Crash

Aubrey McClendon, one of the pioneers of the U.S. shale boom and former CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corp., died in a single-vehicle crash early Wednesday. Photo: kwtv skynews 9 hd/Reuters | Continue reading


@live.wsj.com | 8 years ago

Watch out, Tesla! New batteries from hi-tech energy agency coming fast

(Reuters) – A wing of the U.S. Department of Energy focused on breakthrough technologies may soon give billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s most recent foray into energy storage a run for its money, the unit’s director said. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, wh … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

U.S. Secretary of Defense on Apple encryption: ‘I’m not a believer in backdoors’

The Unites States Secretary of Defense today came out against the creation of a so-called backdoor to break the data encryption of the iPhone at the heart of the Apple-FBI court case. Speaking at the RSA Conference, Secretary Ashton Carter declared, “I’m not a believer in backdoo … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

What Lending Club’s falling share price means for the P2P lending sector

Lending Club, the largest P2P lending platform in the U.S., has seen its share price drop by more than 50 percent since December 10; the price per share on the NASDAQ Stock Market dropped from $14 to less than $7 (current price per share will vary). So what is the reason for such … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

U.S. military invites vetted experts to ‘Hack the Pentagon’

The Pentagon said on Wednesday it would invite vetted outside hackers to test the cybersecurity of some public U.S. Defense Department websites as part of a pilot project next month, in the first-ever such program offered by the federal government. | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Defense Secretary Carter: Use technology to help defeat ISIL

The U.S. Department of Defense is rapidly ramping up its cyber efforts to combat the operations of terrorist organization ISIL, or ISIS. Speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter yesterday described the importance of disrupting ISIL’s … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Alphabet’s Eric Schmidt to chair Pentagon’s new ‘Defense Innovation Advisory Board’

The U.S. Department of Defense today announced the formation of a new Defense Innovation Advisory Board, with the idea of improving the department with help from people in the private sector from Silicon Valley and other areas. Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google’s umb … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

CareerBuilder expands into background screening and drug-testing with Aurico acquisition

Recruitment services giant CareerBuilder is expanding into the background screening realm today with the acquisition of Illinois-based Aurico. CareerBuilder is perhaps better known to most people for CareerBuilder.com, one of the biggest recruitment websites in the U.S. But the c … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Google pilots Hands Free payment app that lets you pay with your face or saying your initials

Google is still in the process of bringing Android Pay to merchants’ around the U.S., but the Internet giant is now beginning a new pilot project that will let you sidestep the need to “tap and pay” with any physical contraption. Available now for Android and iOS, Hands Free was … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago

Are site reliability engineers the next data scientists?

It’s no secret that “data scientist” is one of the hottest job titles going. DJ Patil famously proclaimed data scientist “The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century” before moving on to join the White House as the first chief data scientist of the U.S. Once a rarified in-house role at a … | Continue reading


@techcrunch.com | 8 years ago

Pentagon invites hackers to come give it a try

Hacking the Pentagon is a commonly seen feat in action movies, but among actual, real-life hackers who don't want to end in jail, it's known as something you just don't do. That changes today, with a new initiative from the U.S. Defense Department that will ask "vetted" security … | Continue reading


@mashable.com | 8 years ago

NSA chief warns ‘when, not if’ a foreign country will hack U.S. infrastructure

(Reuters) – The U.S. National Security Agency chief said on Tuesday it was a “matter of when, not if” a foreign nation-state attempts to launch a cyber attack on the U.S. critical infrastructure, citing the recent hack on Ukraine’s power grid as a cause for concern. Speaking at t … | Continue reading


@venturebeat.com | 8 years ago