Flipboard Expands: Adds Audio From NPR, Public Radio & SoundCloud; Introduces Japanese Version  Social magazine Flipboard may have to think up a new tagline for itself, as tonight the company is rolling out an update which greatly expands its focus beyond text-based content to also include audio. The rollout features integrations from NPR, PRI (Public Radio International) and social sound platform, SoundCloud. Also of note, Flipboard is launching its third localized edition with the debut of a Flipboard app for Japan, following its previous launches in China and France. And there's an update which will matter a lot to a smaller number of users: integration of Apple's voiceover controls to provide better access for the visually impaired. “Social magazine” Flipboard may have to think up a new tagline for itself, as tonight the company is rolling out an update which greatly expands its focus beyond text-based
content to also include audio. The rollout features integrations from NPR, PRI (Public Radio International) and social sound platform, SoundCloud. Also of note, Flipboard is launching its third localized edition with the debut of a Flipboard app for Japan, following its previous launches in China and France. And there’s an update which will matter a lot to a smaller number of users: integration of Apple’s VoiceOver controls to provide better access for the visually impaired. Unless you’re based in Japan, the biggest news today is the introduction of the audio content to what’s primarily been a text-focused, magazine-like platform for reading news, blogs and updates from your social networks. But when you think about it, the addition makes sense – news is often delivered through multiple formats, not just text. And Flipboard already has a video section, we should point out. The audio integrations will be highlighted in a newly added category, simply called “audio,” which will appear after the Flipboard app update (version 1.9) gets pushed out tonight. The section will showcase the curated selections from NPR and PRI including content like NPR’s “Fresh Air” and PRI’s “The World,” for example, as well as content from SoundCloud. However, a search option will also be available so users can find any audio content that Flipboard might now host. SoundCloud users will be able to
listen to their sets, favorites, and people or artists they follow, but you won’t need to have a SoundCloud account to take advantage of the new offering. Audio is background-enabled, too, allowing you to exit the app while continuing to listen, or while continuing to browse through Flipboard. In speaking with the company earlier today, it becomes clear that the new audio integrations are only the start of what’s next for Flipboard, which is aiming to move from “magazine” to more of a digital entertainment hub. While the company won’t go on record with detailed plans to integrate more audio sources, it does intend to “do more with audio,” given that there are already “lots of great services to work with” out there right now, including on-demand streaming music and radio offerings like Spotify, Rdio, MOG and Pandora, for example. While deals with those would help Flipboard beef up its music selections, another obvious focus for the company would be the integration of more podcasts – a part of iTunes which today is somewhat of a sub-par experience. (There’s a reason why iTunes/Apple users often turn to third-party apps, like Instacast, e.g). Further down the road, Flipboard will look into other ways it can do more with video, too, which could mean that it one day will compete with social video services like Twitvid, Showyou, Shelby.tv and others. As for all that buzz about the Flipboard Android app, which is arriving on the Samsung Galaxy S III and already available as a hacked version, the company would only say that it’s currently working on a broader Android release. But the unintentional beta Flipboard found itself in is somewhat of a blessing and curse for the company. On the one hand, it’
;s getting much-needed feedback on how Flipboard works on unsupported phones and tablets, but on the other hand, for many Android users, their first experience with the app may be one that’s less than ideal. Flipboard says it plans to officially come to market this summer on Android, but doesn’t have a date to announce yet. The Japanese version, audio integrations and voiceover controls are all rolling out tonight on iOS. Or, if you’re new to Flipboard, you can grab it from iTunes here.
 Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis âDay Makerâ Alarm Clock Brings Toaster-Popping Fun to an iPhone Dock Meet the Day Maker, an iPhone dock that's an alarm clock with toaster-like aspirations. 
When you think of alarm clocks, you generally don’t imagine something that brings joy or whimsy to your life. No, an alarm clock is typically something you want to throw against the wall each morning. But now a company called Habitco has merged traditional alarm clock functionality with the iPhone, and thrown in a bit of toaster action as well. The result is the Day Maker,
a piece of hardware we’d never want to slam against our walls. Pop your iPhone into the top of the Day Maker before you hit the hay. When your alarm goes off the next morning, your iPhone pops back up like a piece of freshly toasted bread. If you want to snooze, just pop your iDevice back into the slot so you can get some extra zzz’s. “I remember waking up with my iPhone and using the snooze function. Iâd always turn it off and it drove me insane,” Habitco founder and maker Michael Kritzer told Wired. “We wanted to create something that you can interact with that has positive connotations. That’s why Day Maker pops: It’s a positive affirmation of the morning.” And while it’s not quite the same as throwing something across the room, users should receive a certain Whack-A-Mole-like satisfaction from popping their phones back into the dock. “What weâre trying to do is make products that
establish new habits and experiences that create joy,” Kritzer said. The Day Maker comes in two variations. One will dock two iPhones or iPod touches, while the other is a “single slice” model for just one iDevice. On the front is a speaker grille and a self-setting analogue clock. It’s designed to work with the iPhone’s clock app, or with Habitco’s own alarm app, which will be coming this fall. We first saw the Day Maker as a concept last year. Shortly after, Kritzer found a manufacturing partner for the design. The partnership ended up falling through, however, and Kritzer then decided to put the project on Kickstarter. The Habitco team is hoping to raise $275,000 to bring the Day Maker alarm clock to fruition. “$275,000 to make it is not profitable money. It’s just for production because we don’t have access to off-the-she
lf goods,” Kritzer said. Kritzer is aiming for the product to land in early 2013. With a potentially redesigned iPhone on the horizon, he doesn’t want the product to land early, say, around the holidays, and then become obsolete if the iPhone requires a redesigned dock. Habitco plans to have a few adapters available for the varied-size iPhone and iPod models, and the dock will be able to accommodate ultra-thin cases (a list of approved cases will eventually be available). Those who donate to the Day Maker Kickstarter project will get credit either in the product manual or on the product website. You can check out more about Day Maker on Kickstarter.  The single-slice version of the Day Maker, available in white, black, red or gray. iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants  We know almost too well how smartphones perform in US market share; what we don't usually see is how happy customers are once the shrink wrap's off. Going by a newly-expanded American Customer Satisfaction Index, it's the iPhone that most scratches the itch at a score of 83. Despite having just been added, Apple was noticeably ahead of a three-way tie between HTC, LG and Nokia at 75. You might not want to look if you're a freshly-minted RIM executive: the BlackBerry made its freshman debut on the charts at the bottom, or 69. Big carriers have their own reasons to wince, too, knowing that smaller carriers like US Cellular and TracFone scored higher on the happiness meter than incumbents hiking service fees. While there's definitely some wiggle room for your own experience to have been better or worse, if you were an iPhone owner on a regional carrier in the past few months, you were statistically the most likely to be on Cloud Nine. Continue reading iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 04:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  ACSI | Email this | Comments Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announces cloud-based, virtualized Kepler GPU technology and GeForce GRID gaming platform  We're here at NVIDIA's GPU technology conference here in San Jose, California and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang just let loose that his company plans to put Kepler in the cloud. To make it happen, the company has created a virtualized Keple
r GPU tech, called VGX, so that no physical connections are needed to render and stream graphics to remote locations. So, as Citrix brought CPU virtualization to put your work desktop on the device of your choosing, NVIDIA has put the power of Kepler into everything from iPads to netbooks and mobile phones. While the virtualized GPU has application in an enterprise setting, it also, naturally, can put some serious gaming power in the cloud, too. Fear not, for Jen-Hsun's crew has created GeForce GRID technology that leverages Kepler's cloud capabilities to augment online gaming services like Gaikai by greatly reducing input latency by up to 30ms. Naturally, NVIDIA's not spilling the secret sauce that makes it happen, but you can read all about the new technology at the PR and source below. < p> Sean Buckley contributed to this post.Continue reading NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announces cloud-based, virtualized Kepler GPU technology and GeForce GRID gaming platform NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announces cloud-based, virtualized Kepler GPU technology and GeForce GRID gaming platform originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | NVIDIA | Email this | Comments Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis Iâve Been Hooked By Shoes Of Prey  Editor's Note:Â Sales Marketing Manager Leslie Hitchcock is a non-editorial TechCrunch employee. In addition to working at TechCrunch and being super fashionable, she reviews startups and tech products occasionally on her personal blog, Leslie Just Joined. Two of my favorite things are shoes and tech. That a site exists which combines both...well, where do I sign up? Shoes of Prey is an Australian headquartered startup where women (sorry, fellas!) can create shoes of their own design, which are then custom made to order and delivered within five weeks of conceptualization. Shoes of Prey came to fruition out of the premise that somehow women compromise when searching for the perfect shoe out in the wild; that our ultimate dream shoe lives somewhere inside of us, just waiting to come out. I can get on board with this! Editor’s Note:Â Sales Marketing Manager Leslie Hitchcock is a non-editorial TechCrunch employee. In addition to working at TechCrunch and being super fashionable, she reviews startups and tech products occasionally on her personal blog, Leslie Just
Joined. Two of my favorite things are shoes and tech. That a site exists which combines both…well, where do I sign up? Shoes of Prey is an Australia-headquartered startup where women (sorry, fellas!) can create shoes of their own design, which are then custom-made to order and delivered within five weeks of conceptualization. Shoes of Prey came to fruition out of the premise that somehow women compromise when searching for the perfect shoe out in the wild; that our ultimate dream shoe lives somewhere inside of us, just waiting to come out. I can get on board with this! Until recently I hadnât heard of Shoes Of Prey – most of their business still comes from outside the U.S. But I was given a gift certificate for a free pair of shoes by a friend, and thatâs not something Iâm going to pass up. My experience with Shoes of Prey was incredibly positive. While it was slig
htly overwhelming to begin designing (so many options!), once I settled down and carefully considered the type of footwear I’d want to add to my collection (and it is a collection) the process became easier. What was missing among the shoes I have in rotation was a bright color in a shorter heel than I typically wear. With this in mind, I set about designing.
On Shoes Of Prey, the shoe style possibilities are endless: sandals, pumps, flats, skimmers, brogues (added as an option recently), booties, wedges, platforms. After you decide on the style of shoe, then the true customization begins. Shoes of Prey invites you to consider the details: peep toe, spectator heel, D’Ors
ay pump, slingback. And more. Heel type and height: stiletto, wedge, block heel. And more. Decorations: bows, trimming, Mary Jane’s. And more. The fabric: patent leather, soft leather, cotton blend, animal hair (sorry I’m not sorry, PETA), snakeskin. And more. See what I mean by “slightly overwhelmed” and “endless possibilities”? There are lots and lots and lots of choices. Shoes of Prey doesn’t scrimp on options for one’s perfect bespoke shoe. And yet, where there is room for improvement is actually in the details. You might think that’s not possible based on the previous paragraph, but details like grommets, studs, bows, stitching, and different placement of shoe accoutrements are what give non-Shoes of Prey footwear an advantage over these custom-made kicks.
Back to m
y shoes. After I submitted the order in early April, the reality of bespoke footwear sunk in: “Your shoes will be delivered by May 8, 2012.” For someone significantly lacking in patience, like me, this was depressing news. However! It went really quickly and by the time they were delivered, I had almost forgotten about them. They were even early! But I won’t forget about these shoes any time soon. They are amazing. When paying between $180-$300 for custom shoes from the site, attention to detail is significantly more important. Where Shoes of Prey excelled was in attentive customer service. I received notice from the site that my “beautiful shoes” (their words) were being delivered and surprisingly the next day DHL waltzed them into my office. (I may or may not have squealed and texted someone that they’d arrived. I get excited about these sorts of th
ings). I’m a discriminating footwear customer and as such I was immediately charmed by the packaging and inclusion of an array of comfort enhancing accessories like cushions for the ball and heel of one’s foot. That Shoes of Prey supplies these items and didn’t force me to buy them myself was a really thoughtful move.
Perfectly timed, my order arrived on the day I was leaving for a vacation. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I immediately put them on and walked them through two airports with nary a blister. For the uninitiated, this is the highest form of a shoe compliment, typically reserved for high-end footwear like Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin. My new shoes also received tons of passing comments on how fabulous they are, naturally. Revisiting my above disclaimer: a gift certificate may ha
ve alerted me to the Shoes of Prey, but I have at least three pairs that I’ve been customizing for my imminent forthcoming order. The only trouble is narrowing down which pair to pull the trigger on. But then again, when have I ever shown restraint in the shoe department? I think I’ll take all three! 
 Olivia WildeMegan Fox Nokia Brings Web Browsing, Social Networking to New Low-End Phones Nokia isn't just focused on bolstering its position in the smartphone market. The company on Tuesday unveiled two new feature phones -- the Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 -- that will bring web browsing, social networking and gaming to budget-conscious consumers and emerging markets.  The new Nokia 112 (left) and Nokia 110 (right) give users web-browsing access at a low cost. Image: Nokia Don’t look now, but Gadget Lab is actually excited by a couple of feature phones. Nokia isn’t just focused on bolstering its position in the smartphone market. The company on Tuesday unveiled two new feature phones — the Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 — that will bring web browsing, social networking and gaming to budget-conscious consumers and emerging markets. The Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 will both cost less than $50 without contracts, and will run on Nokia’s Series 40 operating system. Users will have access to the web through the Nokia Browser, which reduces data consumption by 90 percent by compressing websites to a cloud-based server, according to Nokia. This will keep data costs down for Nokia 110 and 112 users. Both phones also feature Facebook and Twitter access directly on the home screen. And in its aim to ta
rget younger customers, Nokia will make 40 EA game titles available to Nokia 110 and 112 owners to download for free. On board there’s also an FM radio and a media player that can play both music and video. Both feature phones have a 1.8-inch TFT LCD screen, a VGA camera, dual SIM card capacity, and MicroSD slots that support up to 32 GB of storage. The main difference between the two devices lies in battery life — the Nokia 110 gets up to 10.5 hours of talk time, while the Nokia 112 offers 14 hours. While these definitely aren’t the kinds of phones you’ll want to wait in line for, both models pack a lot of features at a minimal cost. And Nokia definitely needs to give its feature-phone sales a boost. According to its Q1 earnings, Nokia’s feature and basic phone sales dropped 16 percent, mainly due to competition from microvendors in emerging markets. Differentiating its phones with web browsing and social-network access, at a low cost, is a sensible move for the company. The Nokia 110 is set to ship in the second quarter for 35 euros, or around $45, and the Nokia 112 is scheduled to ship in the third quarter for 38 euros, or around $49. Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video)  The Etch-a-Sketch. A standard bearer for childhood, and one that most of us never really mastered. While Yelizaveta Lokshina can't help you create awe-inspiring portraits from aluminum powder, she has managed to update the toy for the digital age. Using an Arduino, a few buttons and a pressure sensor crammed inside a hollowed-out Etch-a-Sketch, the 3.0 version of the doodler is able to draw in old school gray, as well as vibrant colors created by blending an RGB palette. While holding down the red, green or blue button you squeeze the pressure sensor to add more or less of individual hues. The same sensor is used to change brush width when you hold down the black button. There's even a secret mode that automatically cycles through colors and thicknesses for creating vibrant, almost hallucinatory patterns. At the moment, the dual doodle knobs need to be physically connected to a computer so that a Processing script can work its magic and render the virtual Etch-a-Sketch. But, future versions may include wireless for sketching out images from the comfort of a couch and an accelerometer for the replicating the satisfying sensation of shaking the red fram to erase your creation. Basically, it's still a work in progress. Drawing with the Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 is just as satisfying, in a tactile sense, as the original, though we struggled slightly to get the hang of the pressure sensitive selector. One thing's for sure, though, the kids love it even more th
an the 1960 creation. Check out the video after the break to see it in action on the floor of the ITP Spring Show. Continue reading Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video) Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments Olivia WildeMegan Fox Firefox native version hits Android in beta, new UI and speedups tag along  Those who've liked Firefox for Android but have been clamoring for a native version can rest easy, as there's now a truly optimized version waiting for you in Google Play. Mozilla's new Firefox 14.0 beta now looks like, and importantly runs like, a full member of the Android family. Making the leap also af
fords it Flash support, a new starting page with top sites, secure Google searches and a slew of load time and responsiveness upgrades over the creakier, XUL-based version. Beta status should still trigger a moment of pause if you're not ready to accept a few bugs, but if you've got Android 2.2 or later, you're welcome to give Firefox a shot. Firefox native version hits Android in beta, new UI and speedups tag along originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 14:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Android Central | Google Play, Release notes | Email this | Comments 
 Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis This Paint Sprayer Is Your Paint-The-Fence-Like-Karate-Kid Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo] There's something soothing about painting a room. The calm pace with Karate Kid-like strokes, the knowledge that with each swipe you're one step closer to a brand new room, wait maybe that's just the every-so-slightly toxic fumes. Then there's the sore shoulders from the repetitive movements, the negative after-effect from staring at the same color for too long. You ever stare at a red wall for three hours? The world goes puke-green! Yo u need to get your painting done as quickly as possible. You need some sort of industrial grade help, like this professional indoor and outdoor portable Industrial Strength Paint Sprayer with 3-Way Direct Dial Spray Head. Yeah, it's got your industrial strength paired up nicely with three-way direction dial. Yes, Three! And not only that, but it's 80% off, making it nearer to free than its intended price. More »     Olivia WildeMegan Fox Hitachi launches new CinemaStar drives for media PCs and set top boxes  What's 2.5-inches wide, 7mm tall and silent as a whisper? Well, hopefully it's Hitachi's new CinemaStar hard drives. We know for certain that these platters of polarized bits will fit in your standard 2.5-inch drive bay, we'll just have to take the company at it's word (for now) on the silent bit. Three new families of disks just hit the market, the Z7K500, Z5K500 and budget-friendly C5K1000. The first two options are 7mm high, allowing them to slide nicely into small form factor PCs, DVRs and even laptops. Both top out at 500GB, but the Z7K ekes out better performance by whipping its platters around at 7,200 RPM, while the Z5Ks save energy and noise by ratcheting back to 5,400 RPM. The C5K comes in a slightly bulkier 9.5mm height, but this 5,400 RPM drive does reach the lofty storage size of 1TB. For now the drives are available in limited quantities to OEMs, but hopefully that will change soon enough. Check out the PR after the break for more details. Continue reading Hitachi launches new CinemaStar drives for media PCs and set top boxes Hitachi launches ne
w CinemaStar drives for media PCs and set top boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
 Olivia WildeMegan Fox Adobe upgrades its Digital Publishing Suite with iPhone viewer, improved social media features  Between rolling out Creative Suite 6, Creative Cloud and a new video platform for broadcasters, Adobe's been mighty busy lately. If that's not evidence enough that the outfit is making good on its promise to restructure around digital media, hear this: the company just announced a slew of enhancements to its Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), which Conde Nast and others use to format magazines for mobile devices. For starters, publishers now have a way to tailor content specifically for the iPhone, just as they can for the iPad, Kindle Fire and Android tablets. So far, we know Conde Nast will be using this tool to build a modified edition of The New Yorker, though Conde Nast hasn't announced when it will become available for download. Meanwhile, art departments used to working in InDesign can now take a single a layout and repurpose it across multiple devices. Similarly, DPS is now integrated with Adobe Edge, which means publishers can create HTML5 animations an
d then easily port them over to their digital editions. Moving on, SocialSharing is exactly what it sounds like: it promises to make it easier for people reading these magazines to share stories using built-in email, Twitter and Facebook functionality. Getting more granular, a new font rights policy means that once a publishing company buys rights to use a certain font, it won't have to pay additional per-usage fees every time someone downloads the app. Lastly, Adobe announced that Meredith, the company that brings you (yes, you) Better Homes and Gardens, Parents and Fitness will also begin using the platform to create digital editions. Hold onto your britches, kids. Continue reading Adobe upgrades its Digital Publishing Suite with iPhone viewer, improved social media features Adobe upgrades its Digital Publishing Suite with iPhone viewer, improved social media features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
 Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis O2 UK rolls out 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ 3G, gives that new iPad fast data in Old Blighty  The UK might be champing at the bit for 4G auctions to finish and give the country a taste of sweet, sweet LTE, but O2 UK is at least offering a panacea with a launch of du
al-carrier HSPA+ 3G, or DC-HSPA+ in less wordy form. The British carrier has started deploying a full 42Mbps to "major" cities on the isle, most likely including London as one of them. Vodafone would argue that going dual-carrier is old hat, having started a year earlier, but it's also peaking at 28.8Mbps -- and frequent data advocate Three doesn't start its own proper 42Mbps deployment until the summer. As such, if you're a Brit looking for the speediest path to the Internet for a new iPad or one of the few other devices that supports DC-HSPA+ at full bore, O2 looks to be your best bet for now. O2 UK rolls out 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ 3G, gives that new iPad fast data in Old Blighty originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink CNET | | Email this | Comments 
 Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis From Disrupt Battlefield Runner-Up To Veterans Of Proximity-Based Social, Sonar Tells All  My first-ever Disrupt was a year ago, almost exactly. I had just started working for TechCrunch and Disrupt NYC 2011 was my initiation, of sorts. I had heard of Disrupt before â but witnessing the Battlefield first-hand, from the front row no less, is a totally different beast. Every uncertain moment or slip-up during a presentation left me worried, and each triumphant joke or wondrous moment made me clap as loud as the folks in the back. Looking back on that time, a handful of startups are still locked safely away in my memory, the most prominent of all being Sonar. That's because the second I heard the concept, I knew it would be a big deal. Considering a host of new apps on the market that do similar things, like Highlight and Crowded Room, I was right. But as Disrupt NYC 2012 ( tickets here) draws nigh, I couldn't help but wonder what life has been like for Brett Martin and his social proximity company since launching on the main stage just a year ago. I set out on a mission to find out the answer, and Brett Martin was kind enough to oblige. My first-ever Disrupt was a year ago, almost exactly. I had just started working for TechC
runch and Disrupt NYC 2011 was my initiation, of sorts. I had heard of Disrupt before â but witnessing the Battlefield first-hand, from the front row no less, is a totally different beast. Every uncertain moment or slip-up during a presentation left me worried, and each triumphant joke or wondrous moment made me clap as loud as the folks in the back. Looking back on that time, a handful of startups are still locked safely away in my memory, the most prominent of all being Sonar. That’s because the second I heard the concept, I knew it would be a big deal. Considering a host of new apps on the market that do similar things, like Highlight and Crowded Room, I was right. But as Disrupt NYC 2012 (tickets here) draws nigh, I couldn’t help but wonder what life has been like for Brett Martin and his social proximity company since launching on the main stage just a year ago. I set out on a mission to find out the answer, and Brett Martin was kind enough to oblige. Here’s the interview in its entirety: TechCrunch: So tell me what it was like to launch at Disrupt last year. Sonar: Well, first of all, Disrupt is an amazing, unbelievable, could-not-have-imagined-a-better platform for launching a company. Like all the startups involved, we hadn’t told anyone what we were doing until the moment Sonar launched. We didn’t know what to expect, or if the reaction would be good. But the response was amazing. We had all of these people talking to us about how excited they were about what we were doing. Whether it was advertising or recruiting or PR, people picked up on the fact that Sonar would change industries. The platfor
m gave us the opportunity to get out and start fast. TC: So what have you been up to since then? Sonar: More of the same. We get to meet the leading VCs, and brands are knocking down our door trying to partner with us. We’ve done a couple select partnerships with companies we really like that fit our vision. One was a partnership with Wired Magazine, where we provided personalized product recommendations in their pop-up store for anyone based on their online identities. SXSW was amazing this year. Because of the press we got early on at Disrupt, everyone already knew what we were doing and wanted to talk to us. Our space really heated up, but everyone knew about us as the early proximity social network because of Disrupt. Another thing we noticed about launching at Disrupt is that it offers a huge mobile platform. We launched at the Battlefield, and by the next day, when we went on stage for the finals, we were being used in 35 different countries. And what’s awesome is that that global reach has persisted through today. Because of the way Sonar works, people from everywhere are using it trying to connect. We’ve also been growing. We went from a three-person staff at Disrupt to nine people now, and we’re still hiring developers for back-end, front-end, and mobile. TC: So what do you think a Disrupt launch did for your company? Sonar: Simply put, it gave us the opportunity to cement ourselves in proximity social networking. It was the first time people had heard about this type of thing. We have some more exciting stuff in the works that’s not ready to go out.
TC: I think one of the greatest things about the Battlefield is the Q&A. It can make or break a presentation, and with hard-hitting judges like Michael Arrin
gton and Marissa Mayer up there, it can probably be a really stressful moment. Do you feel like the Battlefield Q&A helped you refine your product, or would you say it was a hindrance in any way? In short, how did you feel about the Disrupt Q&A during your launch? Sonar: This is how I see it: if you’re a startup CEO or founder, it’s your job to be able to answer difficult questions on the spot in front of thousands of people. Disrupt is a great place to separate the weak from the strong. It really is a battleground â a rite of passage. If someone didn’t have a great launch it won’t kill the company. Companies aren’t built on a launch. And one more thing: Arrington is a big teddy bear. I don’t know why people are so scared of him. He’s big and cuddly. TC: How would you say Disrupt participating played into your platform with the media? Sonar: Disrupt got the ball rolling. Every major media outlet out there covers us. A few weeks ago we got a call from MSNBC to talk about the JOBS act. I find that the most common thing people say when they meet me is “Oh, I’ve heard of Sonar. I saw your video from Disrupt.” That video is a lot of people’s first perception of Sonar. So it’s a good thing the pitch went well. TC: I guess my last question is more for new entrepreneurs than for you specifically, but there are hundreds of young entrepreneurs and startups headed to the city this week to be a part of Disrupt, whether they’re in the audience, in Startup Alley or on stage for the Battlefield. What advice would you give to them? Sonar: Know your pitch. Practice what you’re going to say, of course, but don’t forget to listen. Listen to the judges, listen to the announcers and the way you’re being presented, and listen to the crowd’s reaction. There are so many interesting, thoughtful p
eople out there, and Disrupt is the opportunity to get in front of them. Disrupt NYC is set to be one of our biggest shows yet, with returns from Michael Arrington and MG Siegler, along with a variety of big names like Marissa Mayer, Sarah Tavel, Fred Wilson, and David Lee and more. It’s going to be huge. If you’re interested in checking out Disrupt and/or the Hackathon yourself, tickets are still on sale here and info on the Hackathon can be found here. Companies who want to join the Battleground can apply for the last remaining spots in Startup Alley. You can find the full agenda here. 
 Olivia WildeMegan Fox Keen On⦠Jim Steyer: How To Talk Back To Facebook [TCTV]  If anybody knows how to talk back to Facebook, it's Jim Steyer, the founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, America's largest and most powerful advocacy group for kids. Steyer is the author of the new book, Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age, which includes an introduction by Chelsea Clinton and presents parents, teachers and politicians with a very practical and realistic strategy for managing the social media activities of children. If anybody knows how to talk back to Facebook, it’s Jim Steyer, the founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, America’s largest and most powerful advocacy group for kids. Steyer is the author of the new book, Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age, which includes an introduction by Chelsea Clinton and presents parents, teachers and politicians with a very practical and realistic strategy for managing the social media activities of children. “It’s a conversation we need to have,” Steyer told me when he came into our San Francisco studio to talk about what he calls social media’s “epochal change”. Social media, he insists, is changing the cognitive development of kids, encouraging narcissism and changing the way their brains develop. It’s time Silicon Valley – particularly Google, Apple and Facebook – take leadership on this critical issue, he told me. But it’s not just technology companies that need to recognize the destructively transformational impact on kids. Everybody – from parents to teachers to politicians – need to learn to talk back to Facebook, he insists. Which is why, of course, he wrote his book. But is Jim Steyer right? Do we really need to be having that conversation about Facebook with our kids? 
 Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad T, W, L and X lines with Ivy Bridge processors, retooled keyboards  Now that Intel's Ivy Bridge specifications are finally out of the bag, you may as well resign yourselves to a deluge of PC refreshes over the coming months. Today Lenovo's up at bat, unveiling a slew of products under its business-friendly ThinkPad brand. If you were looking for a wholesale redesign, we'll kindly direct you to the X1, which was just reborn as a 14-inch Ultrabook. Otherwise, if you were just holding out
for a little Ivy Bridge, we've got your refresh right here. All told, the upgrades span Lenovo's ultraportable X series, mainstream "T" lineup, budget "L" models and the W-series workstation. In general, you'll find Ivy Bridge processors (natch), Dolby audio and, in some cases, optional 4G radios. Additionally, the company tweaked its famed keyboard ever-so slightly and added a backlighting option to almost every system, save the newly available T430u Ultrabook. That's the abridged version for those of you not actually in the market for a new system, but folks craving more nitty-gritty details can follow past the break for a more detailed breakdown of pricing and specs. Continue reading Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad T, W, L and X lines with Ivy Bridge processors, retooled keyboards Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad T, W, L and X lines with Ivy Bridge proces
sors, retooled keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
 Olivia WildeMegan Fox Brad Garlinghouse Becomes CEO Of Booming File Sharing Site YouSendIt  Box has been grabbing headlines lately because it has been nailing a big market: enterprise customers who need to easily share and store big collections of documents online. But a quiet Silicon Valley rival has also been winning a bunch of this turf -- YouSendIt. Today, the company is backing up its position with some new stats, and a new chief executive, Brad Garlinghouse. He's coming off a two-year stint as the head of consumer products at AOL, and a previous five years heading up consumer and enterprise apps at Yahoo. He also has roots as an investor and entrepreneur, so this move is going back to that. Box has been grabbing headlines lately because it has been nailing a big market: enterprise customers who need to easily share and store big collections of documents online. But a quiet Silicon Valley rival has also been winning a bunch of this turf — YouSendIt. Today, the company is backing up its position with some new stats, and a new chief executive, Brad Garlinghouse. He’s coming off a two-year stint as the head of consumer products at AOL, and a previous five years heading up consumer and enterprise apps at Yahoo. He also has roots as an investor and entrepreneur, so this move is going back to that. YouSendIt, meanwhile, says it has 98% of the Fortune 500 companies on it in some form (Box says it has 82%, for whatever this comparison is worth). More importantly, there’s quality revenue in this type of business. YouSendIt has nearly 600,000 paying customers on top of 30 million registered users; revenue has correspondingly shot up from $24.4 million in 2010 to $39.3 million last year. Those numbers are also very competitive with Box and other sharing services, from what I hear. Garlinghouse — who will be on stage at Disrupt New York next week to share more deta
ils — says he’s particularly excited about some other data points. Registered users have gone up 71% from the first quarter of 2011, while the paid subscriber growth in the first quarter of 2012 beat the same period the previous year. The company isn’t sharing its revenue run-rate at this point, but these numbers indicate it is going up faster than ever. All this is a big new public view of YouSendIt, which began life way back in 2004, and has managed to grow with little publicity (although TechCrunch has been on the case for years). One way it did this, as Garlinghouse tells me, was a cleverly placed link in email users would send each other. First a user uploads a file and shares it, then they send an email telling the recipient to go get it on the company’s hosted page. But, the email includes a link that says “click here to register and we’ll store it for you.R
21; At some point after users register and start using the service, they’ll hit the paywall. Garlinghouse is replacing six-year chief executive Ivan Koon (who is widely credited for building the guts of the business). Going forward, the new exec will be doing what some of its rivals have excelled at, which is creating an extremely simple user-facing product, and pushing the company’s brand in public. 
 Bar RefaeliMalin AkermanMila Kunis | |
