Category: Tech news

 The benefits of Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods more or less went live this week, with price cuts out the wazoo as well as a bunch of Amazon Echo devices available for sale in stores. With this massive move into grocery chains and the obvious branding play, as well as tangential benefits like suddenly getting access to hundreds of locations with fresh ingredients that… Read More

 Tim Cook was among the top tech leaders who sat down with Trump ahead of inauguration in hopes of helping shape the new president’s tech policy. But like many of those who held a glimmer of hope for some post-election softening of campaign rhetoric, Apple’s CEO has found more than a few reasons to push back. In the wake of the violence in Charlottesville last month that ended in… Read More

A console is only as good as its games, and the Nintendo New 2DS XL has them all.

 Goodhart’s Law, as phrased by Mary Strathern: “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” Honored more in the breach than the observance, alas. Our algorithmic world has turned so many measures into targets, and by doing so ruined them. Let’s talk about just one example: let’s talk about books. “#1 Bestseller!” That’s a mark… Read More

 Habito, a London startup that is bringing the entire mortgage process online, has raised £18.5 million in Series B funding. Atomico, the European VC firm founded by Skype’s Niklas Zennström, led the round. Read More

 Record-setting astronaut Peggy Whitson is coming back from space as the cumulative record holder for longest time spent floating up among the stars and you can watch the live stream of her touching down to Earth tonight. The de-orbiting burn will start around 5 pm Pacific, with the landing taking place at 6:22 pm Pacific time (or Sunday at 7:22 am where she’ll land in Kazakhstan).… Read More

 Twitter is making some minor changes to its terms of service (ToS) for users outside of the U.S. this October and a lot of people are rather upset about them. What seems to be the trigger here is that these “new” terms are going into effect for the rest of the world on October 2nd and Twitter is likely notifying its users of this update now. The new ToS takes out a few things… Read More

 Next week, GrubHub will face two of its former drivers in court, which could set a precedent for future cases around the 1099, gig economy. The trial, which is the first of its kind in California, looks to answer the question many in the tech industry have had for years: Should a worker for on-demand companies be classified as an independent contractor or as a W-2 employee? The suit, which… Read More

 The September time frame positions the Berlin show perfectly as a launch pad for holiday products. As such, some of tech’s biggest names use it to debut some of their biggest products of the year. It’s also proven a solid showcase for some of the wackier startups that have had a tough time getting noticed at larger shows. Here is a list of the best that this year’s IFA has… Read More

 The Gillmor Gang — Denis Pombriant, Keith Teare, John Taschek, Frank Radice, and Steve Gillmor. Recorded live Thursday, August 31, 2017.
G3: Exit Interview recorded live Thursday, August 31, 2017 with Francine Hardaway, Elisa Camahort Page, Maria Ogneva, and Tina Chase Gillmor.
@stevegillmor, @jtaschek, @kteare, @fradice, DenisPombriant
Produced and directed by Tina Chase Gillmor… Read More

 The connected life is not necessarily the good life. Too often, it seems like we are squandering our time checking devices, losing touch with fellow humans and cultivating bad habits in the pursuit of instant gratification. If only an app could fix that. Welcome to the world of mindfulness and wellness apps. Read More

 In the intervening years since those storms, the nation has been continually pummeled by “historic” climatological events. While the country has been taking this beating from Mother Nature, the conversation in statehouses, city halls and Washington has been bogged down in a discussion about climate change. What causes it, what to do about it, and whose fault it is that… Read More

 Startups rise and startups fall. 2017 has seen some prominent startups go under. What follows are 10 of the best-funded companies to close in the first nine months of 2017. Ultimately not all is lost. Experience is gained and lessons are learned. But as companies fall, more jump up in the spirit of entrepreneurship. Read More

 AR is seductive. The more you think about it, the bigger you realize it is going to be, and the more great ideas you have that are completely new. The problem is that the tech or UX probably doesn’t support it quite yet. Read More

Bring your Mithril checkbook.