Year: 2018

15 Feb 2018

Chat app Kakao’s games business lands $130M from Tencent and others ahead of IPO

 Korea’s dominant messaging firm Kakao is back raising funds after its games business, a standalone unit that is headed for an IPO, pulled in $130 million (140 billion KRW) from Tencent and a range of other strategic investors. The company, which owns Korea’s top mobile messaging app and one of the country’s largest internet portals, operates a sprawl of business that… Read More
15 Feb 2018

Fujifilm’s X-H1 camera adds top video chops to X Series still shooting prowess

 Fujifilm’s mirrorless lineup of X Series cameras has an excellent reputation, especially thanks to their ability to produce great-looking images comparable to full-frame competitors from crop sensors due to their unique image processing. Among still photographers, the X-Pro 2 and X-T2 especially have earned top marks and even replaced the standard Canon and Nikon gear of more than a… Read More
15 Feb 2018

Senator calls on Tinder to fix a security flaw that lets randos snoop through your dates

 Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is nervous about Tinder. He may not be swiping on the service this Valentine’s Day, but with a new letter demanding that Tinder resolve some security issues, Wyden is looking out for everyone who is. Last month, a security report surfaced what it deemed “disturbing vulnerabilities” in the dating app. Wyden’s letter cites the research, demanding… Read More
15 Feb 2018

Uber could be profitable if it wants to, says CEO

 Uber lost $4.5 billion last year, but CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he’s not worried. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, the newly appointed chief defended the company’s financials, saying that “we can turn the knobs to get this business even on a full basis profitable, but you would sacrifice growth and sacrifice… Read More
15 Feb 2018

Activant Capital closed $129 million growth stage fund

 Greenwich, Connecticut-based Activant Capital has closed a $129 million late-stage venture fund. The firm was founded in 2013 by Steve Sarracino and has seen six liquidity events so far, a sizeable chunk of the 18 companies it’s invested in. One of those was Hybris, an e-commerce software business which sold to SAP for $1.4 billion. They also invested in Upland Software, which went… Read More
14 Feb 2018

Blockchain engineers are in demand

 Demand is off the charts for blockchain talent, and the capital is waiting to back it up. More than $3.7 billion has been raised through ICOs in the United States alone. Blockchain-related jobs are the second-fastest growing in today’s labor market; there are now 14 job openings for every one blockchain developer. Read More
14 Feb 2018

Blockchain engineers are in demand

 Demand is off the charts for blockchain talent, and the capital is waiting to back it up. More than $3.7 billion has been raised through ICOs in the United States alone. Blockchain-related jobs are the second-fastest growing in today’s labor market; there are now 14 job openings for every one blockchain developer. Read More
14 Feb 2018

Facebook should actually be Tinder too

 There’s beauty in the double-blind opt-in. That’s the way you match with someone on Tinder. You like them, they like you, you both find out and get connected. But to date the feature’s largely been trapped in dating apps that match you with randos or that not everyone wants to be on. That means this anti-loneliness technology is leaving some people out. Facebook, meanwhile, is… Read More
14 Feb 2018

Orbi Outdoor Satellite adds Wi-Fi coverage to your back yard

 I’m a big fan of the Netgear Orbi line of mesh access points and now there’s more to love. Netgear is now shipping the RBS50Y, a new satellite that is weatherproof and allows you to add coverage to your back yard or garage without worrying that your access point will short out in the rain. Read More