“I think this is one of the most exciting times to be in the music business.” That’s not a sentiment I hear very often, but it’s what Smule CEO Jeff Smith told me this week. You could, I suppose, classify this as typical startup bluster — After all, Smith and I were talking about the success that Smule has been seeing with social music apps like Sing! Karaoke.… Read More
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SugarCRM, a CRM and open source rival to Salesforce, has made an acquisition to help the company raise its game on the mobile front. It has acquired and is shutting down Stitch, a startup co-founded by ex-Salesforce execs that created a mobile-first platform and iOS app for salespeople to proactively follow and close deals. News of the sale has not been publicly confirmed but Stitch issued… Read More
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It’s that time: The Apple Watch event happens Monday, and we’ll get answers to all our remaining burning questions about the wearable coming out of Cupertino. Based on our discussion, we’re very much still in the dark about how much these will cost, and just how much third-party software will be able to offer. Also, we discuss what else Apple might show off on stage, including… Read More
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Quite a few reports circling the web this week appear to indicate a tightening of WhatsApp’s policy toward the usage of third-party WhatsApp client applications. That is, word has it that those using an unofficial app will be banned from WhatsApp for life. However, that’s not exactly the case, WhatsApp explains. In fact, there’s been no larger policy shift since we last… Read More
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As a seasoned self-published author with an excess of one book under my belt, I’ve been looking for new and interesting publishing tools for indie writers. Recently I found something called Publishizer, a crowdfunding system just for books. While I’m not entirely convinced it’s the way to go for new authors, it does seem like a compact and focused solution for getting your… Read More
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Blippar, an augmented reality ad platform that uses real-world tags to deliver extra AR content in offline situations, has raised $45 million in new funding from undisclosed investors. This comes on the heels of a big 2014 for UK-based Blippar, wherein the company made its first acquisition by purchasing Layar in June. Combined, the merged companies boast over 50 million global users. But… Read More
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The Apple Watch will offer a lot more independent features than were previously announced, according to a new leak from the generally accurate 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman. The wearable is set for an official unveiling Monday, but Gurman’s report highlights some heretofore unknown features from sources with hands-on experience, including longer continuous and mixed-use battery life,… Read More
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That’s because Apple officially introduced the Apple Watch to the world last September at its special iPhone event, even showing off working hardware (and letting journalists like us try on versions of the Watch running locked demo loops of its software). Monday will still offer plenty of surprises, however, so here’s a look at what we know, what we expect, and what we’d… Read More
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There are a growing number of startups taking advantage of Android’s flexibility to deliver content directly to the smartphone’s lock screen, enabling things like alerts, ads, and even messaging – without requiring users to first unlock their phone and launch an app. A new startup called Corgi, available now on Google Play’s store, is one of these new efforts, as it… Read More
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You know what no one wants to do? Join a brand’s standalone social network. The problem is that it took Lady Gaga’s startup Backplane four years, multiple founders, and over $14 million to figure that out. According to four sources with intimate knowledge of the company, Backplane was in free fall for years. A bloated burn rate, mismanagement, and internal squabbles led to a… Read More
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