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Twitter-Based Customer Service Tools by Buffer

Buffer is best known as a scheduling tool to help marketing teams schedule content on social media, but with the acquisition of Respondly they signaled a plan to expand its repertoire to cover customer service users. Buffer’s Respond is a tool to help companies reach its audiences, reply to queries, and monitor what’s being said about them.

Facebook’s Private Photo-Sharing App Moments Now Supports Video

Facebook’s Private Photo-Sharing App Moments Now Supports Video

Facebook’s Moments, the social network’s private photo-sharing application — and replacement for photo syncing — will now support video sharing, the company announced today. The new feature is live in the updated version of the Moments mobile application for iOS and Android devices. In a few weeks, Facebook says that Moments will also allow users to include videos…

google maps ios

Google Maps Brings Its “Add A Pit Stop” Feature To iOS

Last fall, Google announced the addition of a long-requested feature to Google Maps, which allowed users to — finally! — add a stop along their current route. That way you could route your way to a gas station or restaurant ahead of your final destination. However, at launch, the feature was only available on Android devices. Today, Google says the feature is now available on all…

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Monetizing Mobile Gaming

The mobile gaming industry made $29 billion in 2015 — and it is only set to continue growing (with estimates as high as $49 billion by 2018). But the mobile gaming industry is in the “wild west” phase of its history right now, with the constant improvement of mobile devices and so many variables to successful monetization. Though it’s difficult to know exactly what…

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HTC Hints It’s Looking At Mobile VR

Despite not unboxing a new high end smartphone at Mobile World Congress this week, embattled mobile maker HTC has told TechCrunch it’s not ready to admit premium defeat — saying it has a new flagship device coming soon…

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Color Switch Falls To The No. 2 Games Slot (But Is Still As Addictive As Ever)

Did you hear about that crazy-popular game that sat in the No. 1 Games spot on iTunes for more than a month and a half? I’ll give you a hint, it has color in the title. Color Switch is a tap-based obstacle game that adds an additional level of difficulty because you are constantly changing colors. The game offers eight modes, including the recent release of gravity and split. And if you…

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Highlights From Mobile World Congress 2016

This week, we went to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2016. We covered a panel about mobile ad blocking, Mark Zuckerberg talked about Free Basics and encryption, Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, we went hands on with the modular LG G5, and oh, by the way, tablets are dead. Here’s everything you need to know from the event.

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Venmo Halts New Developer Access To Its API

This is not how you run a platform. Developers remember. Pull the rug out from under them once, and they’ll be reluctant to stand with you in the future. So despite having a record-setting January with $1 billion transferred in its peer-to-peer payments app, Venmo just shot itself in the foot. After six years of providing an API for developers to build experiences atop its money…

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Luxe Could Be Getting $50M From Hertz At $110M Pre-Money Valuation

Luxe is in talks with a strategic investor that will infuse the company with “tens of millions” in new financing from Hertz, our sources tell us.
One source tells us that the round could be around $50 million at a pre-money valuation above $110 million. This source also suggested that existing investors may participate in this round. Our understanding is that the round is still…

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Spark, The Mailbox Alternative, Lands On The iPad

Spark, the email program that is set to replace the ever-popular but defunct Mailbox, has landed on the iPad and iPad Pro, a move that should please email power users. The app sports a number of popular features, including read later and mailbox organization. However, the system also creates read receipts and allows you to send emoticon replies to messages. The app has been updated to support…

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Tablets Are Dead

In 2010, tablets were supposed to be the new hot thing. Apple released the first iPad, Samsung was working on the Galaxy Tab and countless others were about to flood the market with Android tablets. Six years later, there weren’t any tablets at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Companies and consumers have moved on. Tablets are dead.