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Daily Crunch: Rev

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:17 +0000

Here are some recent posts on TechCrunch Gadgets: Honeywell vs Nest: When The Establishment Sues Silicon Valley Thousands Of Webcams Made Publicly Accessible By Software Bug VooMote Zapper Turns Your iThing Into A Universal A/V Remote Pledge Your Android Allegiance With The Andru MicroUSB Charger Ignite Takes $5 Million Series C To Build World Of Warcraft For Car Racing

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Daily Crunch: Rev

Why Path Pissed People Off

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:43:27 +0000

There’s a reason why today’s news that Path was uploading its users’ entire address book to its database was stunning — all this time Path has been positioning itself as one of the good guys! … Sort of an alternative to Facebook … a kinder, gentler social network that only wanted to keep things between you and fifty of your closest friends, and then 150. And then … It’s sort of jarring when a social network bills itself as private, and then quietly sucks up as much data as its leading — and notoriously data grabby — competitor . Still, even Facebook notifies you (via iOS notifications) that it’s grabbing your address book data. The worst case scenario ramifications of Path’s rushed and poorly implemented contact alert system lie somewhere in murky waters between identity theft or overly aggressive marketing tactics in case of an acquisition. Path has 2 million users and let’s say they each have a low estimate of about 50 contacts in their iPhone, all in all that’s 100 million addresses in the Path database — a database which we know very little about the security of. It’s even more jarring when you realize that this data is being uploaded in plain text and not hashed when hashing — which obviously isn’t a complete fix — actually doesn’t take much more effort. Sure Path isn’t the only culprit (soon afterwards it was revealed that photo sharing Hipster also does this) and probably hundreds of apps are getting away with this in the iOS store at this second, which begs for a solution from Apple itself — i.e. it should lock down the address book API and notify users itself when apps want to get their grubby fingers on it. In the meantime Path founder Dave Morin (who’s legit, fyi) is apparently working on an opt-in fix, but still this whole debacle reminds us that user privacy is a lot more than skin deep. Image: Niklas Hellerstedt

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Why Path Pissed People Off

LinkedIn Picks Up Rapportive For Around $15 Million

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:54:49 +0000

So yes, LinkedIn has bought contact management startup Rapportive , according to multiple sources we’ve contacted, as was first reported by Liz Gannes at All Things D. The startup — which aggregates and displays the social networking accounts of the people you contact though Gmail — was backed for $1 million by seed investors Charles River Ventures, Paul Buchheit, Scott Banister, Jason Calacanis, Gary Vaynerchuk, Dharmesh Shah, Shervin Pishevar, Roy Rodenstein, Kima Ventures, Zelkova Ventures, 500 Startups, Michael Zirngibl, Ashish Soni and David Cancel. And at $3 million pre-money valuation, many of those investors are happy with the modest ~$15 million in cash exit we’re hearing. LinkedIn seems to have gotten choosier with regards to its acquisition targets as of late, picking up data plays Cardmunch, ConnnectedHQ and now Rapportive in order to bulk up on what would seem to be some mystery contact management product. Or maybe it considers itself that product? He who controls the spice … LinkedIn makes *smart* acquisitions. Small teams of people building real tools, invited to the mothership to expand LI's offerings. #win — Semil (@semil) February 07, 2012

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LinkedIn Picks Up Rapportive For Around $15 Million

Olympus Brings Retro To Micro Four Thirds With The OM-D E-M5

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:00:16 +0000

Olympus is building on its significant micro four-thirds IP (i.e. mirrorless cameras with the M4/3 sensor size) with a premium offering with a stylized, retro look. The OM-D EM-5 , digital successor to the long-running OM series of film cameras, has a look straight out of the 70s but specs that should satisfy enthusiast photographers looking for a compact but powerful system. Their PEN series of M4/3 cameras is popular and well-reviewed, and the EM-5 builds on that tech. The difference is in some pro-like features Olympus has added in: a weather-resistant magnesium body, high-FPS EVF, and high-speed autofocus and shooting. Here are the basic specs: New 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor ISO up to 25600 Tilting 3″ OLED touch screen (~610k dots, I can’t determine the resolution) 120Hz 800×600 electronic viewfinder Magnesium alloy body, as “dustproof and splashproof” as the E-5 New fast autofocus system 9fps burst shooting I’m thinking that people who bought into Olympus’s M/43 line early and were thinking about upgrading are going to have a lot of trouble picking between these and the next PEN series. It also comes in a handsome black finish. I really can’t say which I prefer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t use the old OM mount, which would have been pretty cool but ultimately alienating to modern shooters. But it is looking like a solid camera. At $999 for the body only or a bit more with kit lenses, it’s right at the top of the line for M4/3 cameras, though — more than the capable GX1 I reviewed last week and many similar and very good cameras. Will the EM-5 be able to prove itself? Only real hands-on testing will be able to show one way or the other. It’s a new sensor, a new form factor, and there’s a lot to be evaluated. It ships in April, so expect a review around then. Until that time rolls around, entertain yourself by hanging around the official Olympus page . There are some accessories and a couple new lenses worth checking out as well.

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Olympus Brings Retro To Micro Four Thirds With The OM-D E-M5

Booktango Automatically Publishes Your Timeless Text To Multiple Platforms

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:33:15 +0000

Say you, like me, wrote a book about the two Lithuanian lovers who find themselves trapped in a basement and have to solve mysteries and learn magic to escape the traps set by them by an evil wizard robot using their brawn, brains, and a little sultry lovemaking. How would you publish and sell it? Presumably you would visit the Kindle, B&N, and Apple book stores and upload it, making it available on all of those platforms and raking in the dough. Now, however, you can just use Booktango . Before we get too deep into the “Whys” and “Wherefores” of this thing, I’d like to riff a little bit on Booktango and it’s parent company, Author Solutions. Author Solutions runs a number of what were once called “vanity presses” including iUniverse, Xlibris and the like. A few years ago I would have told you to stay as far away from these guys as possible and that their services were, at best, predatory and at worst rapaciously bad. My buddy Scott was excoriated for daring to say self-publishing wasn’t great six years ago but, on the aggregate, vanity presses usually took your money and left you with a crate of sad, unwanted books. However, as the rise of digital self-publishing shows us, everything changes and it’s fascinating to see the company move into the epub world with services like Booktango. That said, how does this service work? You upload your book and a cover and prepare it for sale. The company offers a tablet-based editing suite so you can do a few touch-ups on the fly, but the real magic happens after you upload. You can sell your book on the Booktango website and receive 100% of the “royalties” or 90% of the sale if you sell through any other ebookstore including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. The “free” service includes a full editing suite, cover designer, and ISBN assignment. Then, as you sell your book, the company tracks your sales and pays out royalties based on “net sale.” You can also pay $49 for a bit of hand-holding in terms of book upload and management and $189 for assistance with the book as a whole as well as copyright protection. Now net sale gets a little tricky. Booktango, for example, takes $1.50 per book as a retailing fee but then you’d get the remainder of that sale. If you sell through Amazon et al, you have to deal with their fees and then Booktango gets 10% of that net sale, leaving you with 90%. It’s not a horrible deal, to be fair, but it’s not quite clear unless you read the FAQ. There are plenty of sites out there like this and there are plenty of good ways to get your content into ebook stores. However, Booktango might make a good tool for the technologically maladroit to upload and sell their masterpieces without much fuss. I tried it today and it was a bit confusing and the editor a bit underpowered, but presumably you’re going to do most of your work offline and upload it when you’re done. While I doubt I’ll see my Lithuanian love story on the site (I’m holding out for a huge advance), I would publish my other beautiful work including my epic, 100,000-line adventure poem featuring Andy Dick and King Arthur and my advanced guide to sandwich making. Look for them wherever fine ebooks are sold.

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Booktango Automatically Publishes Your Timeless Text To Multiple Platforms

Facebook Reveals: Seventh Grade Boys Have Feelings, Too! (Video)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:43:05 +0000

Do you remember the seventh grade? The first time your new girlfriend hated on your best friend? What about your first kiss? I don’t remember any of that, but the memories came flying back to me after I saw this video. If I had to sum it up in one word I’d call it amazing, mostly because it combines three of my favorite things: confrontations settled over social networks, dramatic reenactments, and tweens’ tendency to talk about matters of the heart as though they understand them. Oh, I should probably tell you what you’re about to look at. This is a dramatization of a real conversation had by seventh graders on Facebook. The video stresses that the script is copied from the Facebook convo “verbatim.” Truth be told, if it was verbatim these actors would be pronouncing words that are misspelled in all kinds of fun ways, but if they did that you wouldn’t be able to understand the true gravity of this heart-wrenching dialogue. The best part of the whole thing is that this group, The NavySealsofComedy , is prepared to make more videos following the exact same premise. Just send your FB convo screenshots to navysealsofcomedy@gmail.com. Grab some tissues (for tears of laughter or nostalgia makes no difference), scroll all the way to the bottom of your Facebook Timeline, and enjoy!

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Facebook Reveals: Seventh Grade Boys Have Feelings, Too! (Video)

Honeywell vs Nest: When The Establishment Sues Silicon Valley

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:34:05 +0000

Honeywell filed a multi-patent infringement lawsuit against Nest Labs and Best Buy yesterday. The suit alleges that Nest Labs is infringing on seven Honeywell patents. Honeywell is not seeking licensing fees. The consumer electronic conglomerate wants Nest Labs to cease using the technology and is actually looking to collect damages caused by the infringement. Damages? Bullshit. This is about killing the competition. This lawsuit hit Silicon Valley and the tech world hard when it broke Monday morning. Nest Labs is the Valley’s star child right now. The company, founded by the godfather of the iPod, started in a Palo Alto garage just over two years ago and successfully disrupted a stale industry so hard that it seems to have resulted in a major lawsuit. The company won a Best of Innovations Award at CES 2012 and, just last week, a Crunchie for Best New Device . People love Nest. And now most of those same people hate Honeywell. Honeywell has every right to protect their intellectual property. In their defensive, Nest Labs is clearly riffing off of Honeywell’s iconic round thermostat design. Honeywell’s T87 thermostat is undeniably, instantly recognizable as a thermostat. But so is a Kleenex box. And a Frisbee. Shame on Nest Labs if the Nest Learning Thermostat was intentionally developed from Honeywell’s intellectual property. But from where I sit Nest Labs is simply trying to advance the thermostat using novel features in a familiar design. The suit alleges Nest Labs infringes on several of Honeywell’s patents involving thermostats. Several, like 7159789 and 7159790 , involve the round hardware mechanism, rotating dial and center screen placement. Others, namely 7142948 and 7634504 , covers the user interface. Natural language installer setup for controller ( 7634504 ) allows for a graphical user interface that sets up the device through a series of simple questions like, “On weekdays, is someone home all day?” and “What is a comfortable sleeping temperature in the summer?” You see, the Nest also has a friendly user interface. Apparently Honeywell is the only one allowed to have a round, rotating idiot-proof thermostat. Honeywell has been selling thermostats for years but none, including the company’s very pricey Prestige line, match the Nest’s build quality or user interface. I spent a considerable amount of time shopping for a thermostat last year. Out of the six or so Honeywell models I tried, all were cheaply made and featured piss-poor UIs. I literally punched my wall after becoming so frustrated with one of the Prestige models. The difference between a Honeywell thermostat and the Nest is striking. One is a cheap, clearly mass-produced hunk of plastic and the other is something you would be proud to own. This feeling is exactly why this lawsuit reeks of greed. Honeywell is embarrassed, perhaps even slightly frightened, by an upstart that is managing to get people excited about thermostats. Honeywell clearly knows what they’re doing. While it’s easy to throw up your hands in disgust, Honeywell is operating within their rights. A quick run-through of the patents revels that the Nest Learning Thermostat is seemingly infringing on all seven. Some are trivial like the four aforementioned patents but the others are a bit more substantial and detailed. Patent 7476988 Power Stealing Control Devices lists the process required to leech the thermostat’s power from another source and store it in a battery, capacitor or the like. But it’s not my job to decide which claim has merit. It’s the hands of the courts now. I spoke with Matthew Mitchell, Esq. of Mitchell Law PLLC regarding Honeywell’s claims. He pointed out that Nest could have simply overlooked the patents listed here. Or, as he assumes is more likely, the company was aware of these and already have a litigation strategy ready to argue that the patents are invalid. Patents are intended to protect non-obvious ideas while advancing general innovation. Mitchell later pointed out, “Patents are the great equalizer. Patents enable garage inventors and small startups (some of which are referred to as: non-practicing entities or ‘trolls’) to compete with the big boys like Honeywell.” If the case was reversed, if Nest was suing Honeywell, the tech press’ knee-jerk reaction would have been different, but still likely siding with the little guy. It will be up to the courts whether Honeywell’s claims have merit and the company is due damages, but unfortunately the only winner in this case will be the legal teams. Nest Labs will likely spend money earmarked for R&D/marketing on a defense. Honeywell’s image is tarnished. But worse yet, the consumer will lose the most if a novel startup like Nest Labs is sued out of existence.

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Honeywell vs Nest: When The Establishment Sues Silicon Valley

Acer Comes After Former CEO Gianfranco Lanci For Breach Of Non-Compete

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:33:37 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to our Tuesday edition of People Suing Each Other . In the far corner, we have the number four PC maker in the world, Acer, based out of Taiwan; and in the other corner we have Acer former CEO Gianfranco Lanci, based out of Italy, who resigned in February of 2011 after being with the company since 2007. The beef? Well, according to the Financial Times , Mr. Lanci signed a non-compete contract with Acer that was meant to last a full year after his resignation. However, Lanci instead hopped on the Lenovo train in September (about seven months after leaving Acer) as a consultant. Shortly after, he was appointed the head of Lenovo’s Europe, Middle East and Africa businesses last month. Between Lanci’s rise to the top at Acer and his transition to Lenovo, Acer was the number two PC maker in the world. Now? That spot would be filled with Lenovo, as Acer has dropped to number four. Before leaving Acer, Lanci had a clear vision for the company that he believes would’ve worked. The focus should have been on building up engineering at the firm by acquiring talent in both the hardware and software departments. At the same time, he saw the transition to mobile as an imminent one and knew the firm would have to build on that level. That inevitably means that Acer would’ve had to not only push the brand out to other parts of the world, but it would, in fact, have to source talent from those other parts too. To Acer investors, this sounded like a “de-Taiwanization” of the company, reports AllThingsD . But Lanci contends that if his vision had come to fruition over at Acer, the company would’ve grown to be a $30 billion company, bringing in over a third of its sales from smartphones and tablets by 2015. Instead Acer spent 2010 missing on its quarterly earnings, and paying $150 million for unsold inventory in Europe. Now the company is saying “We believe Mr. Lanci has clearly breached the terms of the non-compete agreement he entered into willingly… We believe we have a very robust case.”

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Acer Comes After Former CEO Gianfranco Lanci For Breach Of Non-Compete

Meanwhile, In Europe … (Fits.me, Appoxee, Heverest.ru, Populis)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:16:23 +0000

Here’s a roundup of recent stories on TechCrunch Europe : — Internet publishing company Populis is expanding its network operations to South America with the acquisition of Cidade Internet , a popular Brazilian Web portal. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. — Moscow-based Heverest.ru , an online retailer of sportswear, leisure and travel goods, has scored $4.3 million in financing from an unnamed “large” Russian investment fund and previous backer eVenture Capital Partners, bringing its total raised to $6.7 million. — Fits.me , the Estonian “biorobotics virtual fitting room” startup for e-commerce clothing retailers and shoppers, has been around for a while. We first covered them in 2010 when they secured €1.3 million, taking their total cash to €2.6 million. They’ve now taken another €1.5 million , taking their funding to €4.1 million. Fits.me lets customers “try on” clothing before buying from online clothes retailers. — Israeli startup Appoxee has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from early-stage investment firm Cyhawk Ventures , and has opened its gates to all.

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Meanwhile, In Europe … (Fits.me, Appoxee, Heverest.ru, Populis)

Daily Crunch: Myopic

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:47 +0000

Here’s a selection of recent posts on TechCrunch Gadgets: Brinno Peephole Viewer Is A Viewer For Peepholes LL Cool G: Ladies Love Cool Gadgets Too, Says Study Real Augmented Reality Google Goggles In Prototype Stage? Report: Samsung Planning A Full Line Of Galaxy S3 Phones, First Model To Hit This May

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Daily Crunch: Myopic