54302129
submission
cagraham writes:
In a seemingly minor update, Google announced that all Gmail images will now be cached on their own servers, before being displayed to users. This means that users won't have to click to download images in every email now — they'll just automatically be shown. For marketers, however, the change has serious implications. Because each user won't download the images from a third-party server, marketers won't be able to see open-rates, log IP addresses, or gather information on user location and browser type. Google says the changes are intended to enhance user privacy and security.
54105755
submission
cagraham writes:
The WSJ, combing through Amazon's Q3 earnings report, found that the company is currently using 1,400 robots across three of their fulfillment centers. The machines are made by Kiva Systems (a company acquired by Amazon last year), and help to warehouses more efficient by bringing the product shelves to the workers. The workers then select the right item from the shelf, box it, and place it on the conveyor line, while another shelf is brought. The management software that runs the robots can speed or slow down item pacing, reroute valuable orders to more experienced workers, and redistribute workloads to prevent backlogs.
53989147
submission
cagraham writes:
Apple is launching its iBeacon program across all their US stores today, reports Venturebeat. Customers who enter Apple stores — provided they have an iPhone 4S or later — will receive a notification asking if Apple can track them in the store. Some of the messages a customer might receive include notifications about their phone upgrade eligibility, or prompts to purchase accessories, depending on their location. This marks the first wide-scale usage of iBeacon, which is also compatible with Android 4.3 devices.
53987067
submission
dcblogs writes:
IDC expects that anywhere from 25% to 30% of all the servers shipped next year will be delivered to cloud services providers. In three years, 2017, nearly 45% of all the servers leaving manufacturers will be bought by cloud providers. The shift is slowing the purchase of server sales to enterprise IT. The increased use of SaaS is a major reason for the market shift, but so is virtualization to increase server capacity. Data center consolidations are eliminating servers as well, along with the purchase of denser servers capable of handling larger loads. The increased use of cloud-based providers is roiling the server market, and is expected to help send server revenue down 3.5% this year, according to IDC.
53960201
submission
cagraham writes:
The Innovation Act passed the House this afternoon 325-91, garnering support from a majority of both parties. The legislation is aimed at making it harder for mass patent-infringement lawsuits to be filed by shell companies, often known as patent-trolls. Key features of the bill include a provision that requires all parties who stand to benefit financially from such lawsuits to be named (taking away the anonymity these companies hide behind), and a measure that would require lawsuits to detail exactly how the patent was being infringed upon. The bill will now move to the Senate.
53888071
submission
cagraham writes:
Snapchat announced to AllThingsD today that Emily White, the director of business operations at Instagram, will be joining them as Chief Operating Officer. She'll assume the number-two position at the company, and will be tasked with creating a revenue stream for Snapchat using a mix of in-app purchases and advertising. She previously oversaw the recent introduction of advertising to Instagram, and worked on Facebook mobile-partnerships before that.
53839713
submission
cagraham writes:
Startup Swarm Mobile intends to help physical retailers counter online shopping habits by collecting data on their customer's actions. Swarm's platform integrates with store's Wifi networks in order to monitor what exactly customers are doing while shopping. In exchange for collecting analytics, shoppers get access to free internet. Swarm then send reports to the store owners, detailing how many customers checked prices online, or compared rival products on their phones. Their platform also allows stores to directly send discount codes or coupons to shopper's phones.
53782839
submission
cagraham writes:
According to IBM's latest Data Benchmark report, 21.8% of all online Black Friday sales were made from mobile devices. Mobile traffic, meanwhile, accounted for 39.7% of all Black Friday traffic. Interestingly, iOS users accounted for 18.1% of online sales, while Android users accounted for just 3.5%. The data come from IBM's real-time monitoring over 800 U.S. online retailers. The report also notes that tablets generated less traffic than smartphones, but accounted for almost twice the number of sales. Overall, online sales for Black Friday grew 18.9% year-over-year.
53330607
submission
cagraham writes:
In a pretty major executive shakeup, BlackBerry's Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief Operating Officer have all left the company. It's unclear whether the changes were brought about by new interim-CEO John Chen in order to facilitate company change, or represent an abandon-ship style exit after BlackBerry's failed bid to go private. The company announced that the CFO position would be filled by current SVP James Yersch, but gave no word on the other vacancies.
53175181
submission
cagraham writes:
Shake, a new mobile startup, just closed a $3M funding round, according to VentureBeat. The company's goal is to democratize legal documents, by letting users create and sign contracts entirely from their smartphones. The app is currently targeted at freelancers and small businesses, although their CEO says they have enterprise plans in the works. Whether or not they can easily expand into other states outside New York, and whether businesses trust their legal bonafides, will likely determine the company's success. Before founding Shakes, CEO Abe Gieger worked at venture capital firm Canaan Partners.
53140547
submission
cagraham writes:
Macy's is preparing to test a new in-store rewards program using Apple's iBeacon standard, reports the WSJ's Digits blog. The program, run through rewards company Shopkick, will detect nearby customers and send them targeted discount offers based on which department they're in. iBeacon currently works with Apple devices and Samsung's Android phones. If the initial tests in New York and San Francisco prove successful, the program will be rolled out nationwide.
52921133
submission
cagraham writes:
According to Yahoo's recent 10-Q regulatory filings with the SEC, the company lost both of their court appeals seeking to delay their transition to Bing-powered search technology. The dispute arose when Yahoo decided to slow their transition to Bing in the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets, saying they wanted to see who the next Microsoft CEO would be before continuing. This led to arbitration, followed by a Yahoo appeal to the District Court for the Southern District of New York, and finally an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Yahoo says they are now "working with Microsoft" on a transition scale.
52856825
submission
cagraham writes:
Tech analyst Benedict Evans reports that Instagram users share approximately 45 million photos a day, compared to 450 million on Snapchat, and 400 million on Whatsapp. While Facebook was likely hoping to dominate mobile photo-sharing through its acquisition of Instagram, it seems that users increasingly correspond through multiple, similar apps depending on the context and group they're in. It's not uncommon for users to share photos via Snapchat, Instagram, and Whatsapp during the same day, for instance. This presents an odd dilemma for Facebook, which wants to serve as the single contact list for social apps, along with companies trying to advertise across these platforms.
52855811
submission
BigVig209 writes:
"Intel Has Acquired Kno, Will Push Further Into The Education Content Market With Interactive Textbooks"
TechCrunch is reporting that Intel has purchased e-textbook publisher Kno for an undisclosed sum. (http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/08/intel-has-acquired-kno-to-push-further-into-the-education-market/)
According to a blog post by John Galvin, GM of Intel Education, "The acquisition of Kno boosts Intel’s global digital content library to more than 225,000 higher education and K-12 titles through existing partnerships with 75 educational publishers. Even more, the Kno platform provides administrators and teachers with the tools they need to easily assign, manage and monitor their digital learning content and assessments.
We’re looking forward to combining our expertise with Kno’s rich content so that together, we can help teachers create classroom environments and personalized learning experiences that lead to student success. Check out the Intel Education newsroom for ongoing updates from Intel." (http://blogs.intel.com/csr/2013/11/intel-education-welcomes-kno-to-the-family/)
52854623
submission
SlongNY writes:
“Journalists using mobile phones to film athletes or spectators will be considered a serious violation and will result in cancellation of accreditation,” said Vasily Konov, head of the state-run R-Sport news agency, which controls accreditation at the games.
This should end well.
