The new AirPods have better battery life, come with a wireless charging option, and ship next week for $159.
Source: Wired
Google has been fined for the third time by the E.U., this time for breaching antitrust laws by requiring third-party websites using its search function to prioritize its ads over competitors.
The post Google hit with another fine by the E.U., this time for $1.7 billion appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital trends
Two young photographers covered last week’s global climate protests for WIRED: “There was this pride that we can do this by ourselves if we have to.”
Source: Wired
After years of high-profile onstage announcements, Oculus has decided to quietly deliver the successor to its flagship Rift virtual reality headset, confirming most bits of our October report with the release of the new Oculus Rift S.
As we first reported, the biggest improvements to the Oculus Rift S are a move to the company’s inside-out “Insight” camera tracking system and modest updates to the display resolution. The biggest surprise is that this headset is being built in partnership with Lenovo and the Rift S seems to have strongly inherited Lenovo’s design ethos for its VR products, for better or worse…
When asked at a low-key private press event how they were framing the new device, Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell called the Rift S an “evolution not a revolution” over the original Rift. That being said, the design is entirely new, but not all of the changes are ones VR fans will be happy about.
The Rift S will be replacing the Rift in the Oculus product lineup.
Here’s what’s different:
As we reported last year, the Rift S is a product of trade-offs. It was green-lit only after a more ambitious redesign was cancelled by the company.
This was a decision former-CEO and co-founder Brendan Iribe strongly repudiated. A source told TechCrunch his departure was partially due to his lack of interest in “offering compromised experiences that provided short-term user growth but sacrificed on comfort and performance.”
The Rift S is certainly full of compromises.
The original Rift and Touch were shipped as a $798 combo that eventually had the price reduced to $349 as the result of round after round of price cuts. The Rift S is more expensive, but it feels cheaper, with Lenovo’s hard plastic design and the loss of key features designed for comfort, like on-ear headphones and IPD adjustment. That being said, most first-time users will be thrilled by the easier setup process for the onboard cameras and not having to worry about things like USB bandwidth management for wired sensors.
The tracking system is powerful, but it seems like Oculus had to make some controversial choices to end up with this product, so we’ll see what the broader reaction is. The headset and controllers are coming sometime this spring and will retail for $399.
Source: TechCrunch
Skedulo, a service that helps businesses manage their mobile employees, today announced that it has raised a $28 million Series B funding round led by M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. Existing investors Blackbird and Castanoa Ventures also participated in this round.
The company’s service offers businesses all the necessary tools to manage their mobile employees, including their schedules. A lot of small businesses still use basic spreadsheets and email to do this, but that’s obviously not the most efficient way to match the right employee to the right job, for example.
“Workforce management has traditionally been focused on employees that are sitting at a desk for the majority of their day,” Skedulo CEO and co-founder Matt Fairhurst told me. “The overwhelming majority — 80 percent — of workers will be deskless by 2020 and so far, there has been no one that has addressed the needs of this growing population at scale. We’re excited to help enterprises confront these challenges head-on so they can compete and lean into rapidly changing customer and employee expectations.”
At the core of Skedulo, which offers both a mobile app and web-based interface, is the company’s so-called “Mastermind” engine that helps businesses automatically match the right employee to a job based on the priorities the company has specified. The company plans to use the new funding to enhance this tool through new machine learning capabilities. Skedulo will also soon offer new analytics tools and integrations with third-party services like HR and financial management tools, as well as payroll systems.
The company also plans to use the new funding to double its headcount, which includes hiring at least 60 new employees in its Australian offices in Brisbane and Sydney.
As part of this round, Priya Saiprasad, principal of M12, will join Skedulo’s board of directors. “We found a strong sense of aligned purpose with Priya Saiprasad and the team at M12 — and their desire to invest in companies that help reduce cycles in a person’s working day,” Fairhurst said. “Fundamentally, Skedulo is a productivity company. We help companies, the back-office and mobile workforce, reduce the number of cycles it takes to get work done. This gives them time back to focus on the work that matters most.”
Source: TechCrunch
The new $399 headset from the Facebook-owned company features some key improvements. But you still have to plug it into a computer.
Source: Wired
Serena Williams, the global sports and fashion icon and investor, is doubling down on her relationship with the dating app Bumble with today’s announcement that she will serve as an investor in its Bumble Fund.
Launched in 2018, the Bumble Fund backs early-stage businesses founded and led by women of color and underrepresented groups. The fund’s commitments range between $5,000 and $250,000, with an average check size of $25,000.
“In my life, and today more than ever, I’ve learned how impactful one woman’s voice can be when given a platform to speak and be heard,” said Serena Williams, in a statement.
Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has been investing in women and minority-owned businesses through Serena Ventures since 2014. She also serves on the boards of the tech companies Poshmark and SurveyMonkey.
She began her relationship with Bumble in January, culminating with a starring role in the company’s most recent Super Bowl commercial earlier this year, and will be leading the Bumble Fund pitch competition next month, along with Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd.
That competition launches today on Bumble Bizz and is open to U.S.-based entrepreneurs who identify as women, with a priority given to founders from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Companies have until March 27, 2019 to submit.
“When we launched our #InHerCourt campaign with Serena Williams this past January, we were amazed by the overwhelming response we received from women globally who felt empowered by our message,” Wolfe Herd said in a statement. “In teaming up with Serena for the Bumble Fund, we want women everywhere to know that we are here, we are listening and we believe in you.”
Through Serena Ventures, Williams already has invested in more than 30 companies, while the Bumble Fund has made nine investments to date. Recent deals include investments in the business advisory service, Alice; the workout and training app, Gixo; diversity and inclusion training toolkit provider, Translator; and the probation and parole support service, Promise.
“I am passionate about building on this progress and opening doors for women of all backgrounds, especially women of color, to share their message and trust in their potential to accomplish great things,” Williams said in a statement. “By joining forces with the Bumble Fund, we will continue amplifying female entrepreneurs and creating a place for them to personally and professionally champion their growth.”
Source: TechCrunch
Dell is currently running a limited-time sale that is cutting the pricing on the XPS 15 down by $330, but only through Thursday, March 21, and with the use of a special coupon code.
The post This limited-time Dell deal cuts $330 off the price of the XPS 15 appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital trends
Looking for the best budget monitors? These monitors are affordable, but still provide the features you need for gaming, work, home or other plans! Take a look at the displays and your wallet will thank you.
The post The best budget monitors appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital trends
Everything you need to know about THC, CBD, terpenes, and the entourage effect.
Source: Wired