Algorithmic accountability

 When Netflix recommends you watch “Grace and Frankie” after you’ve finished “Love,” an algorithm decided that would be the next logical thing for you to watch. And when Google shows you one search result ahead of another, an algorithm made a decision that one page was more important than the other. Oh, and when a photo app decides you’d look better with… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Reasons to be cheerful

 I know, I know, it’s been a rough year. Fury, discord, and hatred seem to be on the rise. The super-elite keep getting richer, while young workers keep getting poorer, and economic mobility has plummeted. “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” And yet. Quietly, stubbornly, defying the headlines, bit by bit, around the world, slow… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Your next computer could be in a data center

 Most of the apps on your phone already rely on a server component to store and process your data. When you post a video on Facebook, it gets re-encoded into multiple formats on the server so that other users can stream your video in SD, HD, etc. But I think this trend is going to become even more important in the coming years, with all your devices acting as a simple screen into your stuff… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Tempow turns your dumb Bluetooth speakers into a connected sound system

 Meet Tempow, a French startup that can make your Bluetooth speakers more versatile. The company has been working on a new implementation of the Bluetooth protocol in order to let you play music from your phone on multiple speakers and headphones at once. Bluetooth speakers have become a common gift and a hit item in consumer electronics stores. Most people now have multiple Bluetooth speakers… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Tech and politics clash in Cameroon as government restores internet

 The government of Cameroon ended its internet blackout of parts of the country last week, according to news reports and confirmation from the country’s Ambassador to the U.S.
The three month outage forced the hand of Africa’s largest telecom, halted operations of its leading e-commerce startup, and created digital refugees. Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Wikipedia has been blocked in Turkey

 Wikipedia, the online user-generated encyclopedia, has been blocked by the Turkish government. News of the blockage was first reported by the website Turkey Blocks, at around 1AM Eastern this morning. Confirmed: All editions of the #Wikipedia online encyclopedia blocked in #Turkey as of 8:00AM local timehttps://t.co/ybFolRmsOs pic.twitter.com/hI9tn4bHe5 — Turkey Blocks… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Snapchat is stifled by its un-algorithmic feed

 Snapchat invented its best products by being the anti-Facebook. Its disappearing chats made visual communication quick and casual compared to Facebook’s email-esque text messages. Stories ditched the likes and permanacy so you could share your raw moments in the now, instead of just the life highlights that define you forever on your Facebook Timeline. Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Giant companies that won’t buy your startup

 Huge companies in fast-changing, technology-intensive businesses buy startups. After all, they have the money and need fresh entrepreneurial talent to tap new markets and stay abreast of disruption. That’s the collective wisdom about M&A in venture capital and startup circles. It’s also how the venture business survives. But what if the common wisdom isn’t true? Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Ballz is my new digital enemy and favorite mobile game

 I’ve played my fair share of iPhone games, but few have taken over my mind and life like Ballz.
From Ketchapp, Ballz is about as simple as it is infuriating. It’s a mix between old-school Pong and Threes.
The player starts with a single ball at the bottom of the screen and a number of blocks, each with a number, floating at the top of the screen. Pulling back with a finger and… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch

Middle East startups are growing fast, and that’s even before the flying taxis arrive

 The flight from Tehran to Dubai is about two hours, similar to the flight from New York to Chicago. The flight from Cairo to Beirut is one hour and 15 minutes. In more peaceful times, the drive from Beirut to Damascus in Syria would take you less than two hours. The interconnectedness of the Middle East / North Africa (MENA) region is apparent once you start travelling around —… Read More


Source: Tech Crunch