Category: Tech news

hacking,system security,protection against hackers,tech-news,gadgets,gaming

Social music startup Smule raises $54M for Asian expansion

 Smule, maker of Sing! Karaoke and other social music apps, announced yesterday that it has raised $54 million in a round led by Chinese company Tencent. Adams Street Partners, Bessemer Ventures, Floodgate, Franklin Templeton and Shasta Ventures also participated in the funding. Reuters reported that the round valued the company at $604 million, setting up Smule to expand in Asia and potentially… Read More

After leaving Accel, Fred Destin is raising seed fund with Twenty Minute VC host Harry Stebbings

 In a move that is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows in the London VC community and beyond, TechCrunch has learned that ex-Accel VC Fred Destin is joining forces with Harry Stebbings, the founder and host of the popular “The Twenty Minute VC” podcast. Read More

Axon (formerly Taser) grows like a weed as it refocuses on body cams

 Taser’s decision to relaunch itself as Axon and give away thousands of body cameras could have been interpreted either as a growing company looking to expand or a desperate one scrambling for purchase. Fortunately it appears to be the former: Axon is growing and the next year may be even bigger. Read More

Nvidia is surging after its income more than doubled year-over-year

 Nvidia’s ballooning GPU business and big bets on divisions like autonomous driving continue to look better and better, with the company’s shares jumping more than 10% after it reported its first-quarter earnings. In the first quarter this year, the company said it brought in $507 million in net income — up from $208 million in the first quarter a year ago. That doubled… Read More

New system can recreate natural rock-climbing walls indoors

 Researchers at Dartmouth have created a system that uses 3D modeling, fabrication, and other techniques to recreate popular outdoor rock climbing routes. The system watches climbers as they scale these routes and then recreates the experience with handholds strategically placed to mimic the natural crevices in a rock. From the release: ?The research team reconstructed the most… Read More

Uber gets sued over lack of services available to people with disabilities

 Although Uber has launched a program for people with disabilities to use the car-hailing service, the program is not available in all the markets in which Uber operates. Two people who use wheelchairs have filed a lawsuit against Uber alleging that Uber has violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the California Disabled Persons Act and California’s unfair competition law. Read More

Free streaming service Tubi TV grabs $20 million in new funding

 San Francisco-based Tubi TV has raised an additional $20 million for its advertising-supported streaming service for TV and movies. Investors in the round are betting on the fact that the next big streaming competitor won’t be a direct rival to Netflix and others with a subscription-based business model, but rather a free service that offers a wide variety of titles for free viewing. Read More

Prevent data breaches, don’t just report them

A silhouette of a hacker with a black hat in a suit enters a hallway with walls textured with blue internet of things icons 3D illustration cybersecurity concept Public data breach lists are a symptom of a deeper problem: U.S. cybersecurity laws place a disproportionate emphasis on notifying the public after a breach has occurred. While notice always will play a role in remediating harm, policymakers should shift their focus to preventative measures, such as more robust and clearer data security standards and incentives for investments in cybersecurity. Read More

Nike’s Breaking2 initiative was a crazy physical achievement and a brilliant marketing campaign

 Nike’s Breaking2 initiative didn’t quite reach its goal of breaking the two-hour marathon mark, but that hasn’t stopped the company from crowing about the results.
Nike has been working with three runners, Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa and Zersenay Tadese, to break the two-hour threshold. It wasn’t just giving them shoes — a variation of the Zoom Vaporfly… Read More

Third parties have always been the key to Amazon’s smart home domination plans

 For Amazon, hardware has always been a means to an end. From the Kindle e-reader to the Fire tablets to its TV offerings, the company has always treated the space as something of a loss leader – even with its most popular offerings. Amazon has found success in pricing devices much closer to cost than the competition – something a company can only really get away with if it plans… Read More

Urban-X’s investors showcase features high-tech face masks, navigation for the blind and more

 The Urban-X investors showcase is a closed-door event that shows off eight different incubated startups to potential investors and press. I stopped by earlier this week to see what the fuss was about. Of the eight companies in Urban-X’s 02 cohort, I picked four that tackled problems relating to pollution, the visually impaired, urban deliveries and maintaining public cleanliness:… Read More