Tuesday 31 December 2019
Your Failures Are Just a Bridge to Something Better
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/swlh/your-failures-are-just-a-bridge-to-something-better-cb08df0df993?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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WSJ: FDA vape ban will target fruit flavored pods
A few days ago, the FDA officially raised the minimum age of sale for tobacco products from 18 to 21, and according to a Wall Street Journal report, it's close to announcing a new set of restrictions specifically for e-cigarettes. In a move that is s...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/31/fda-flavored-vaping-ban/
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Justin Welby urges 'Good Samaritan' spirit after migrants attempt New Year's Eve Channel crossings
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/01/justin-welby-urges-good-samaritan-spirit-migrants-attempt-new/
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Donald Trump warns Iran it will pay 'big price' as protesters try to storm US embassy in Baghdad
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/us-embassy-baghdad-evacuated-protesters-denounce-us-air-strikes/
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Tax prep companies can’t hide their free filing software from Google anymore
This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced changes that will hopefully make it less stressful for a lot of Americans to file their taxes in 2020. In an addendum to the almost 20-year-old Free File agreement, the agency has put new protec...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/31/free-file-alliance-irs-agreement/
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Last Decade
The 2010s have been rough for the technology industry. We’ve watched social media platforms spiral into toxicity, harassment, fake news…
from Handpicked stories about Technology on Medium https://medium.com/projectinclude/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-the-last-decade-a2dcfbc3dc2a?source=rss-------8-----------------technology
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Why You Need To Slow Down To Speed Up
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/prototyping-a-year/why-you-need-to-slow-down-to-speed-up-51a76c646024?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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How I Brainstormed a Year’s Worth of Articles in Just One Day
from Handpicked stories about Creativity on Medium https://medium.com/better-marketing/how-i-brainstormed-a-years-worth-of-articles-in-just-one-day-a0a3567307c9?source=rss-------8-----------------creativity
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Tomorrow is Only a Day Away
How an old friend’s reminder of optimism changed my outlook for the better.
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://psiloveyou.xyz/tomorrow-is-only-a-day-away-d820f69624?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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How to Not Fear Change — And Embrace It Instead
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/wellness-stacks/how-to-not-fear-change-and-embrace-it-instead-77f782cf4e43?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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In Defense of ‘Winging’ your New Years Resolutions
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/@sallise/in-defense-of-winging-your-new-years-resolutions-ba0df1b2bfc9?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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One Year. No Shopping.
Last year, I came across this article in the New York Times written by the novelist Ann Patchett: “My Year of No Shopping.” I’ve never…
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/@catherine.wigginton/one-year-no-shopping-c384d0027c36?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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My Year of Fire and Blood
from Handpicked stories about Media on Medium https://medium.com/@j.collins/my-year-of-fire-and-blood-9b3b189823fe?source=rss-------8-----------------media
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New Year's Eve celebrations around the world, in pictures
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/new-years-eve-celebrations-around-world-pictures2/
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Kim Jong-un says North Korea ending moratoriums on tests - and touts 'new strategic weapon'
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/kim-jong-un-says-north-korea-can-resume-nuclear-missile-tests/
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Tax prep companies can’t hide their free filing software from Google anymore
This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced changes that will hopefully make it less stressful for a lot of Americans to file their taxes in 2020. In an addendum to the almost 20-year-old Free File agreement, the agency has put new protec...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/31/free-file-alliance-irs-agreement /
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Could this be Samsung’s bezel-less 8K TV?
Image: Samsung / 4KFilme
Samsung may have a new, groundbreaking type of television to show off at CES in Las Vegas next week: a completely bezel-less, 8K QLED model. Dubbed by some reports as the Samsung “Zero Bezel” TV and reportedly carrying model numbers of Q900T and Q950T, this TV is believed to have bezels so tiny that the screen edge effectively disappears when viewed from a distance. On Tuesday, German website 4KFilme says it has its hands on a pair of leaked renders showing the screen in all its bezel-less glory.
We don’t have very much else to go on, and of course this being an unannounced product, there’s no word yet on pricing, release date, or what size options a set like this would come in. But that said, it does sound perfectly in Samsung’s...
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/12/31/21044998/samsung-bezel-less-8k-qled-tv-leak-ces-2020
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TikTok claims zero takedown requests from China in first transparency report
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
TikTok released its first transparency report yesterday, showing which countries have submitted requests for content removal as well as access to user data. China is notably absent from the report—the video sharing app, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, claims it did not receive a single takedown request from Communist Party of China in the first half of 2019.
The news comes after a difficult year for the social media startup, which faced growing scrutiny over its relationship with China. In September, a report from The Washington Post suggested TikTok was censoring content related to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, likely to appease the Chinese government. TikTok denied the allegations, but it wasn’t enough to stop...
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/31/21044876/tiktok-china-transparency-report-bytedance-takedown-requests-zero
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Tech’s biggest companies are worth ~$5T as 2019’s epic stock market run wraps
Look, this is the last post I’m writing in 2019 and I’m tired. But I can’t let the year close without taking stock of how well tech stocks did this year. It was bonkers.
So let’s mark the year’s conclusion with some notes for our future selves. Yes, we know that the Nasdaq has been setting new records and SaaS had a good year. But we need to dig in and get the numbers out so that we can look back and remember.
Let’s cap off this year the way it deserves to be remembered, as a kick-ass trip ’round the sun for your local, public technology company.
Keeping score
We’ll start with the indices that we care about:
- The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 35% in 2019
- The SaaS-heavy Bessemer Cloud Index rose 41% this year
Next, the highest-value U.S.-based technology companies:
- Microsoft was up around 55% in 2019
- Apple managed an 86% gain in the year
- Not be left out, Facebook rose 57%
- Amazon posted its own gain of 23% in 2019
- Alphabet managed to grow by 29%, as well
Now let’s turn to some companies that we care about, even if they are smaller than the Big Five:
- Salesforce? Up 19% this year
- Adobe was up 46% in 2019, which was astounding
- Intel picked up 28% in the year, making it no slouch
- Even Oracle managed to gain 17% in 2019
And so on.
The technology industry’s epic run has been so strong that The Wall Street Journal noted this morning that, powered by tech companies, U.S. stocks “are poised for their best annual performance in six years.” The Journal highlighted the performance of Apple and Microsoft in particular for helping drive the boom. I wonder why.
How long will we live in the neighborhood of Nasdaq 9,000? How long can two tech companies be worth more than $1 trillion at the same time? How long can the biggest tech companies be worth a combined $4.93 trillion (I remember when $3 trillion for the Big Five was news, and I recall when the group reach a collective value of $4 trillion).1
But the worst trade in recent years has been the pessimists’ gambit. No matter what, stocks have kept going up, short-term hiccoughs and other missteps aside.
For nearly everyone, that is. While tech stocks in general did very well, some names that we all know did not. Let’s close on those reminders that a rising tide lifts only most boats.
2019 naughty list
Several of the most lackluster public tech companies were 2019 technology IPOs, interestingly enough. Who didn’t do well? Uber earns a spot on the naughty list for not only being underwater from its IPO price, but also from its final private valuations. And as you guessed, Lyft is down from its IPO price as well, which is not good.
Some 2019 IPOs did well in the middle of the year, but fell a little flat as the year came to a close. Pinterest, Beyond Meat and Zoom meet that criteria, for example. And some SaaS companies struggled, even if we think they will reach $1 billion in revenue in time.
But it was mostly a party. The public markets were good, and tech stocks were great. This helped create another 100+ unicorns in the year.
Such was 2019. On to 2020!
- In time, those numbers will look small. But sitting here on December 31, 2019, they appear huge and towering and, it must be said, somewhat perilously stacked.
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/31/techs-biggest-companies-are-worth-5t-as-2019s-epic-stock-market-run-wraps/
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Soldiers' use of social media to discuss problems makes them 'mentally more resilient', says Parachute Regiment Major
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/soldiers-use-social-media-discuss-problems-makes-mentally-resilient/
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US Army is the latest military branch to ban TikTok
The Navy isn't the only American military branch clamping down on TikTok. The Army has banned the use of TikTok on government-issued phones, with Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa telling Military.com that it's "considered a cyber threat." The...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/31/us-army-bans-tiktok/
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Child victims of mobile phone theft not reporting crimes to police 'amid fears of retaliation'
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/child-victims-mobile-phone-theft-not-reporting-crimes-police/
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Republicans dropped Nixon yet support Trump, but why?
Examining the long decay of the Republicans that Nixon was so instrumental to starting is instructive as to why Trump is not being…
from Handpicked stories about Politics on Medium https://medium.com/the-future-is-electric/republicans-dropped-nixon-but-support-trump-but-why-de4fe0469262?source=rss-------8-----------------politics
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Monday 30 December 2019
Race row after leading private schools turn down donor's £1m offer to help poor white boys
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/race-row-leading-private-schools-turn-donors-1m-offer-help-poor/
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Thousands told to jump into the ocean as Australia's raging fires approached
The sun didn't rise on New Year's Eve. The summer morning in a small beach town on the east coast of Australia looked like a winter's night.
That black sky soon gave way to a blazing, eery orange as the flames approached. At least 4,000 people were told to jump into the ocean. Gas cylinders could be heard popping like fireworks as they exploded.
The town of Mallacoota looked apocalyptic on Tuesday local time as it became the latest victim of Australia's out-of-control bushfires.
It was too late to evacuate.
"We are one road in, one road out. That road's been blocked for hours and hours and hours," Francesca Winterson from Mallacoota Community Radio told News Breakfast, a national TV broadcast. Read more...
More about Australia, Bushfires, Science, and Climate Environment
from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/australia-bushfire-mallacoota/
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Class Struggle and the Best Films of 2019
For the best revolutionary films from previous years, see my lists for 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and earlier.
from Handpicked stories about Culture on Medium https://medium.com/@secondlines/class-struggle-and-the-best-films-of-2019-249c837b6d3c?source=rss-------8-----------------culture
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You Don’t Need to Be Thinner in 2020
Your new year’s resolution doesn’t have to be about taking up less space.
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/be-happy-hub/you-dont-need-to-be-thinner-in-2020-826522b5217c?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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Sexy New Year’s Resolutions To Make For 2020
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/sexography/sexy-new-years-resolutions-to-make-for-2020-190a6fee191b?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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Malcolm Rifkind wanted to bring Russia in from the cold and make them a member of Nato
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/malcolm-rifkind-wanted-bring-russia-cold-make-member-nato/
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Drone and jet ski users warned to stop disturbing dolphins and seals as reports double in a year
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/drone-jet-ski-users-warned-stop-disturbing-dolphins-seals-reports/
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John Major should hide behind plant pots to avoid chance meeting with Gerry Adams, papers reveal
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/john-major-should-hide-behind-plant-pots-avoid-chance-meeting/
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Children are getting far more caffeine from tea than energy drinks
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/children-getting-far-caffeine-tea-energy-drinks/
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Avoid New Year fad diets that damage the heart and cause unwanted pregnancy, top NHS doctor warns
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/avoid-new-year-fad-diets-damage-heart-cause-unwanted-pregnancy/
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Soaring numbers of patients calling cancer helplines for lack of NHS care
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/31/soaring-numbers-patients-calling-cancer-helplines-lack-nhs-care/
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The five biggest rounds in tech in 2019 and what they mean
Funding for tech startups has been on an inevitable upswing for years, a result of a virtuous circle where wildly successful tech companies on the public markets whet the appetites of investors and investors’ backers to find more diamonds, a push met by a pull from the rush of talent with entrepreneurial aspirations out to put that money to work. 2019 has felt a bumper year in that longer trend, with 9-figure rounds ($100 million or more) and “unicorn” statuses so prevalent that the numbers have started to cease to be news items in themselves.
With 2020 now just days away, a look at the 50 biggest funding rounds for start-ups in the past year draw out some trends. We’re pulling out the top five below for a closer look, but it’s interesting too to see some of the other trends emerging across the rest of the pack.
Automotive remains a huge pull when it comes to raising big bucks: part of the reason is because the space is capital intensive, as it straddles both software and hardware (that is, not just equipment but cars). Capex is another reason for some of the other big investment rounds of the year, such as the biggest of them all, for an internet data center startup.
Asian companies figure massive in the list, and account for 7 of the 10 biggest rounds in the list.
Small players: there were only three companies in health tech in the top 50, only one in education technology, and only three in the areas of AI and robotics. I don’t know if that means these areas simply don’t require as much capital investment, or if these challenges are simply not as interesting right now for investors as those more squarely focused on revenue generation and business needs. Hopefully the former, as the wider tech world faces a lot of cynicism and skepticism from the public, and could use a better profile from solving actual problems.
Note: for this piece we have focused on investments made in pre-IPO technology companies, and on new equity investments rather than secondary or debt rounds.
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/30/the-five-biggest-rounds-in-tech-in-2019-and-what-they-mean/
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Samsung may unveil a true 'zero bezel' TV at CES 2020
Samsung might soon make good on its promise of bezel-free TVs. The Elec sources say the company plans to introduce a zero bezel TV at CES 2020 in early January, with mass production starting in February. While the finer details aren't available, th...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/30/samsung-zero-bezel-tv-rumor/
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Aliesha James: Dancer killed in Christmas Eve crash on M1 was 'an angel'
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/aliesha-james-dancer-killed-christmas-eve-crash-m1-angel/
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New Lyft and Uber rules to know for New Year's Day
Happy New Year! Now pay up.
That's what it feels like with new fees, regulations, and taxes kicking in on Jan. 1 (on Wednesday) for ride-share trips on apps like Uber and Lyft.
In California, there's a lot to take in. A statewide change to gig job classifications, called AB5, goes into effect as soon as it's officially 2020.
That means on-demand drivers for apps like Lyft and Uber can argue they should be treated like employees with better pay and benefits, not like independent contractors. Lyft and Uber don't plan to change anything yet with how it hires, pays, and employs drivers, claiming its drivers are truly independent workers who don't need to be reclassified. Read more...
More about Uber, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Tech, and Transportation
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/kJjW_Xm6pBE/
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In the shadow of Amazon and Microsoft, Seattle startups are having a moment
Venture capital investment exploded across a number of geographies in 2019 despite the constant threat of an economic downturn.
San Francisco, of course, remains the startup epicenter of the world, shutting out all other geographies when it comes to capital invested. Still, other regions continue to grow, raking in more capital this year than ever.
In Utah, a new hotbed for startups, companies like Weave, Divvy and MX Technology raised a collective $370 million from private market investors. In the Northeast, New York City experienced record-breaking deal volume with median deal sizes climbing steadily. Boston is closing out the decade with at least 10 deals larger than $100 million announced this year alone. And in the lovely Pacific Northwest, home to tech heavyweights Amazon and Microsoft, Seattle is experiencing an uptick in VC interest in what could be a sign the town is finally reaching its full potential.
Seattle startups raised a total of $3.5 billion in VC funding across roughly 375 deals this year, according to data collected by PitchBook. That’s up from $3 billion in 2018 across 346 deals and a meager $1.7 billion in 2017 across 348 deals. Much of Seattle’s recent growth can be attributed to a few fast-growing businesses.
Convoy, the digital freight network that connects truckers with shippers, closed a $400 million round last month bringing its valuation to $2.75 billion. The deal was remarkable for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was the largest venture round for a Seattle-based company in a decade, PitchBook claims. And it pushed Convoy to the top of the list of the most valuable companies in the city, surpassing OfferUp, which raised a sizable Series D in 2018 at a $1.4 billion valuation.
Convoy has managed to attract a slew of high-profile investors, including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and even U2’s Bono and the Edge. Since it was founded in 2015, the business has raised a total of more than $668 million.
Remitly, another Seattle-headquartered business, has helped bolster Seattle’s startup ecosystem. The fintech company focused on international money transfer raised a $135 million Series E led by Generation Investment Management, and $85 million in debt from Barclays, Bridge Bank, Goldman Sachs and Silicon Valley Bank earlier this year. Owl Rock Capital, Princeville Global, Prudential Financial, Schroder & Co Bank AG and Top Tier Capital Partners, and previous investors DN Capital, Naspers’ PayU and Stripes Group also participated in the equity round, which valued Remitly at nearly $1 billion.
Up-and-coming startups, including co-working space provider The Riveter, real estate business Modus and same-day delivery service Dolly, have recently attracted investment too.
A number of other factors have contributed to Seattle’s long-awaited rise in venture activity. Top-performing companies like Stripe, Airbnb and Dropbox have established engineering offices in Seattle, as has Uber, Twitter, Facebook, Disney and many others. This, of course, has attracted copious engineers, a key ingredient to building a successful tech hub. Plus, the pipeline of engineers provided by the nearby University of Washington (shout-out to my alma mater) means there’s no shortage of brainiacs.
There’s long been plenty of smart people in Seattle, mostly working at Microsoft and Amazon, however. The issue has been a shortage of entrepreneurs, or those willing to exit a well-paying gig in favor of a risky venture. Fortunately for Seattle venture capitalists, new efforts have been made to entice corporate workers to the startup universe. Pioneer Square Labs, which I profiled earlier this year, is a prime example of this movement. On a mission to champion Seattle’s unique entrepreneurial DNA, Pioneer Square Labs cropped up in 2015 to create, launch and fund technology companies headquartered in the Pacific Northwest.
Boundless CEO Xiao Wang at TechCrunch Disrupt 2017
Operating under the startup studio model, PSL’s team of former founders and venture capitalists, including Rover and Mighty AI founder Greg Gottesman, collaborate to craft and incubate startup ideas, then recruit a founding CEO from their network of entrepreneurs to lead the business. Seattle is home to two of the most valuable businesses in the world, but it has not created as many founders as anticipated. PSL hopes that by removing some of the risk, it can encourage prospective founders, like Boundless CEO Xiao Wang, a former senior product manager at Amazon, to build.
“The studio model lends itself really well to people who are 99% there, thinking ‘damn, I want to start a company,’ ” PSL co-founder Ben Gilbert said in March. “These are people that are incredible entrepreneurs but if not for the studio as a catalyst, they may not have [left].”
Boundless is one of several successful PSL spin-outs. The business, which helps families navigate the convoluted green card process, raised a $7.8 million Series A led by Foundry Group earlier this year, with participation from existing investors Trilogy Equity Partners, PSL, Two Sigma Ventures and Founders’ Co-Op.
Years-old institutional funds like Seattle’s Madrona Venture Group have done their part to bolster the Seattle startup community too. Madrona raised a $100 million Acceleration Fund earlier this year, and although it plans to look beyond its backyard for its newest deals, the firm continues to be one of the largest supporters of Pacific Northwest upstarts. Founded in 1995, Madrona’s portfolio includes Amazon, Mighty AI, UiPath, Branch and more.
Voyager Capital, another Seattle-based VC, also raised another $100 million this year to invest in the PNW. Maveron, a venture capital fund co-founded by Starbucks mastermind Howard Schultz, closed on another $180 million to invest in early-stage consumer startups in May. And new efforts like Flying Fish Partners have been busy deploying capital to promising local companies.
There’s a lot more to say about all this. Like the growing role of deep-pocketed angel investors in Seattle have in expanding the startup ecosystem, or the non-local investors, like Silicon Valley’s best, who’ve funneled cash into Seattle’s talent. In short, Seattle deal activity is finally climbing thanks to top talent, new accelerator models and several refueled venture funds. Now we wait to see how the Seattle startup community leverages this growth period and what startups emerge on top.
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/30/in-the-shadow-of-amazon-and-microsoft-seattle-startups-are-having-a-moment/
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'Uncharted' movie loses yet another director
So much for the Uncharted movie gaining some semblance of stability. Deadline sources claim Bumblebee's Travis Knight has to give up the director's chair due to the timing needed to accommodate lead actor Tom Holland. Apparently, his filming schedu...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/30/uncharted-movie-loses-director-travis-knight/
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Sonos explains why it bricks old devices with ‘Recycle Mode’
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Late last week, Sonos was called out on Twitter by Devin Wilson for its practices around sustainability. The company drew particular attention for a “Recycle Mode” software feature that, once activated, begins a countdown that eventually renders older Sonos devices basically inoperable. Recycle Mode is part of the trade-up program that Sonos announced back in October, which lets customers get a discount on newer Sonos speakers like the One, Beam, or the Port that Nilay just reviewed.
It works like this: you check if one of your Sonos gadgets is eligible for the trade-up promo. Then you confirm in the Sonos app that you’d like to “trade” your current device toward a new one. Sonos instantly grants you a 30 percent discount, and then...
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/30/21042871/sonos-recycle-mode-trade-up-program-controversy
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NHS says no: doctors don't think smartphone appointments will save the day
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/nhs-says-no-doctors-dont-think-smartphone-appointments-will/
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Don't intimidate civil partners by branding their children 'illegitimate' town hall clerks warned
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/dont-intimidate-civil-partners-branding-children-illegitimate/
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Dogs to be given aromatherapy and ASMR to ease their anxiety around New Year's Eve fireworks
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/dogs-given-aromatherapy-asmr-ease-anxiety-around-new-years-eve/
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Surviving New Year’s in a Fat Body
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/@rachaelhope/surviving-new-years-in-a-fat-body-b00e61e1fe8?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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Netflix’s You Season Two Isn’t Just Creepy, It’s Negligent
from Handpicked stories about Culture on Medium https://medium.com/@Shesreallyfat/netflixs-you-season-two-isn-t-just-creepy-it-s-negligent-7d333160dd51?source=rss-------8-----------------culture
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Sunday 29 December 2019
US ambassador defends moustache as South Koreans bristle at 'disrespectful' facial hair
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/us-ambassador-defends-moustache-south-koreans-bristle-disrespectful/
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Mazda claims long-range EVs are worse for the planet than diesels
Wonder why Mazda's MX-30 only has a modest 35.5kWh battery when its competition frequently has more? According to the brand's European research director Christian Schultze, it's to help the planet. He told Automotive News that the small pack is "re...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/29/mazda-says-long-range-evs-worse-than-diesels/
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North Korea's Kim Jong-un calls for 'offensive measures' ahead of nuclear talks deadline
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-calls-offensive-measures-ahead-nuclear/
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The Double Standard of Leaked Nudes
from Handpicked stories about Culture on Medium https://medium.com/an-injustice/the-double-standard-of-leaked-nudes-2cde5730c3e?source=rss-------8-----------------culture
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To everyone arguing 2019 isn't *really* the end of the decade: Please, shut up
Out of all the hills you could choose to die on in these, the final days of 2019, please do not be one of the people currently yelling on the internet about how it's not the end of the decade, actually.
In the words of the Dude, you're not wrong. You're just an asshole.
Well, asshole might be a bit strong. But this insistence is smug and unnecessary; its energy is half Scrooge, half reply guy. As a child, you probably thought "YOUR EPIDERMIS IS SHOWING" was the funniest joke in the world. As an adult, you probably correct other adults when they rejoice in the first day of a new season on the first of September instead of the 21st. (Either is fine.) Read more...
More about New Year S Eve, 2020, Culture, and Web Culture
from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/why-2019-is-the-end-of-the-decade-you-pedants/
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One Thing Every Relationship Needs
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://psiloveyou.xyz/one-thing-every-relationship-needs-1030c0eef37a?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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Former Warrington bank to become shops and apartments
AN iconic building in Warrington town centre is set to become shops and apartments.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18121816.well-known-building-set-become-shops/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18121816.well-known-building-set-become-shops/?ref=rss
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Eight shocking Warrington cases before the courts in 2019
FROM murderers to major drugs gangs, the courts have been as busy as ever during the past year.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18085783.eight-shocking-warrington-cases-courts-2019/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18085783.eight-shocking-warrington-cases-courts-2019/?ref=rss
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Former Warrington bank to become shops and apartments
AN iconic building in Warrington town centre is set to become shops and apartments.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18121816.well-known-building-set-become-shops/?ref=rss
via Aerials Warrington
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18121816.well-known-building-set-become-shops/?ref=rss
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Eight shocking Warrington cases before the courts in 2019
FROM murderers to major drugs gangs, the courts have been as busy as ever during the past year.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18085783.eight-shocking-warrington-cases-courts-2019/?ref=rss
via Aerials Warrington
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18085783.eight-shocking-warrington-cases-courts-2019/?ref=rss
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Data leak by IoT device maker Wyze exposes personal information of 2.4 million people
Smart home device company Wyze has confirmed that personal data gathered from millions of users was left exposed on the internet for weeks, including email addresses and health data.
The breach was discovered by security consulting firm Twelve Security and confirmed by IPVM, both posting blogs about it on Dec. 26. According to Twelve Security, the compromised data gathered from 2.4 million people included users' emails, nicknames given to cameras, Wi-Fi names, health data like weight and gender, and information on users' Wyze devices.
The report has since been confirmed by Wyze's co-founder and chief product officer Dongsheng Song, who said in a Dec. 27 forum post that user data was left exposed from Dec. 4 to 26. According to Song, human error was to blame for the breach. Read more...
More about Smart Homes, Internet Of Things, Data Breach, Data Leaks, and Wyze
from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/wyze-smart-home-data-leak-breach/
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Uber clears a key hurdle to buying its Middle Eastern rival
Uber is now much closer to becoming a major force in the Middle East. Egyptian regulators have approved the ridesharing giant's $3.1 billion acquisition of Careem, giving it the most significant clearance needed to complete the deal. There are stil...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/29/uber-wins-egypt-approval-to-buy-careem/
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Kia will release a production version of its Imagine EV in 2021
Kia's Imagine EV won't remain a concept for too much longer. European operations chief Emilio Herrera told Automotive News in an interview that a production version of the crossover should arrive in 2021. He didn't say how the street-going car woul...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/29/kia-production-imagine-ev-2021/
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Police on honours list given extra security after data blunder exposes addresses
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/police-honours-list-given-extra-security-data-blunder-exposes/
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Race row after leading private schools turn down donor's £1m offer to help poor white boys
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/race-row-leading-private-schools-turn-donors-1m-offer-help-poor/
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Ready Steady Cook returns...but without the signature plastic bags
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/ready-steady-cook-returnsbut-without-signature-plastic-bags/
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Graduates could be overpaying student loans by tens of thousands, government admits
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/graduates-could-overpaying-student-loans-tens-thousands-government/
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Alan Titchmarsh: Eco-warriors should not preach while block-paving gardens and eating avocados
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/alan-titchmarsh-eco-warriors-should-not-preach-block-paving/
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Size not location, location, location is what matters to house-buyers, survey finds
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/30/size-not-location-location-location-matters-house-buyers-survey/
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China's alternative to GPS should be complete by mid-2020
China's competitor to GPS is nearly finished after years of work. Project lead Ren Chengqi has revealed that the Beidou Navigation Satellite System's core was completed earlier in December, and that the last two satellites should reach orbit "before...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/29/china-beidou-3-gps-alternative-complete-mid-2020/
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In Defense of the Success Industry
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/@stevenyates/in-defense-of-the-success-industry-95906dfb9c65?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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4 New Year’s Resolutions That Will Benefit Anyone In 2020
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/the-post-grad-survival-guide/4-new-years-resolutions-that-will-benefit-anyone-in-2020-1c25b2e6c061?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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3 Lessons Democrats can Learn from the UK Election
from Handpicked stories about Politics on Medium https://medium.com/@amardeep.s.parmar/3-lessons-democrats-can-learn-from-the-uk-election-40d30b8dac4b?source=rss-------8-----------------politics
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Saturday 28 December 2019
How LDRL helped Warrington Wolves player Jamie Roberts
FROM Brian Bevan and Jack Fish to Chris Hicks and Joel Monaghan, Warrington Wolves is a rugby league club with a proud history of free-scoring, flying wingers.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18112382.ldrl-helped-warrington-wolves-player-jamie-roberts/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18112382.ldrl-helped-warrington-wolves-player-jamie-roberts/?ref=rss
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What to Do When You Feel Like Giving up
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/the-ascent/what-to-do-when-you-feel-like-giving-up-7a222998670a?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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How to avoid being 'Thomas Cooked' when you book your 2020 holiday
THERE was heartbreak for Thomas Cook staff and holidaymakers in September this year after the well-known holiday company suddenly ceased trading.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18124903.avoid-thomas-cooked-book-2020-holiday/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18124903.avoid-thomas-cooked-book-2020-holiday/?ref=rss
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Wedding album: 'We put our wedding on hold to have our beautiful daughter'
THROUGHOUT this year we have been dipping into the wedding albums of Warrington couples who have tied the knot and finding out more about the happiest day of their life.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18121275.wedding-album-we-put-wedding-hold-beautiful-daughter/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18121275.wedding-album-we-put-wedding-hold-beautiful-daughter/?ref=rss
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Little known history of renowned building
A LITTLE known piece of Warrington’s history has been preserved.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18108719.little-known-history-renowned-building/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18108719.little-known-history-renowned-building/?ref=rss
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University of Chester's Padgate campus supports sportsman
STAFF and students at the University of Chester’s Padgate campus have raised funds in order to help a disabled athlete to compete on the world stage.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18120253.university-staff-students-raise-funds-support-disabled-sportsman/?ref=rss
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from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18120253.university-staff-students-raise-funds-support-disabled-sportsman/?ref=rss
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How LDRL helped Warrington Wolves player Jamie Roberts
FROM Brian Bevan and Jack Fish to Chris Hicks and Joel Monaghan, Warrington Wolves is a rugby league club with a proud history of free-scoring, flying wingers.
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18112382.ldrl-helped-warrington-wolves-player-jamie-roberts/?ref=rss
via Aerials Warrington
from Warrington Guardian | News https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18112382.ldrl-helped-warrington-wolves-player-jamie-roberts/?ref=rss
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Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New
from Handpicked stories about Self on Medium https://medium.com/lifes-funny/be-brave-enough-to-suck-at-something-new-64caba709889?source=rss-------8-----------------self
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Big Ben set to ring in the New Year for the first time since start of restoration work
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/29/big-ben-set-ring-new-year-first-time-since-start-restoration/
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Tesla's Cybertruck found its way into a Travis Scott music video
Tesla likes to brag about racking up sales without a lick of advertising, but it's apparently not averse to some product placement. Rapper Travis Scott has shared the video for "Gang Gang," and the car-centric video includes extensive, conspicuous s...from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/28/tesla-cybertruck-travis-scott-music-video/
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Snapchat will launch Bitmoji TV, a personalized cartoon show
Snapchat’s most popular yet under-exploited feature is finally getting the spotlight in 2020. Starting in February with a global release, your customizable Bitmoji avatar will become the star of a full-motion cartoon series called Bitmoji TV. It’s a massive evolution for Bitmoji beyond the chat stickers and comic strip-style Stories where they were being squandered to date.
Creating original in-house shows for its Discover section that can’t be copied could help Snapchat differentiate from the plethora of short-form video platforms out there ranging from YouTube to Facebook Watch to TikTok. Bitmoji TV could also up the quality of Discover, which still feels like a tabloid magazine rack full of scantly clad women, gross-out imagery, and other shocking content merely meant to catch the eye and draw a click.
With Bitmoji TV, your avatar and those of your friends will appear in regularly-scheduled adventures ranging from playing the crew of Star Treky spaceship to being secret agents to falling in love with robots or becoming zombies. The trailer Snapchat released previews an animation style reminiscent of Netflix’s Big Mouth.
TechCrunch asked Snap for more details, including how long episodes will be, how often they’ll be released, whether they’ll include ads, and if the company acquired anyone or brought on famous talent to produce the series. A Snap spokesperson declined to provide more details, but sent over this statement: “Bitmoji TV isn’t available in your network yet, but stay tuned for the global premiere soon!”
The Snapchat Show page for Bitmoji TV notes it is coming in February 2020. Users can visit here on mobile to subscribe to Bitmoji TV so it shows up prominently on their Discover page, or turn on notifications about its new content.
Snap realizes Bitmoji’s value
Snap has had a tough few years as many of its core features have been ruthlessly copied by the Facebook family of apps. Instagram Stories killed Snap’s growth for years and effectively stole the broadcast medium from its inventor. Facebook also ramped up it augmented reality selfie filters, added more ephemeral messaging features, and launched Watch as a competitor to Snapchat Discover.
Two years ago I wrote that Facebook was crazy not to be competing with Bitmoji too. Six months later we were first to report Facebook Avatars was in the works, and this year they launched as Messenger chat stickers in Australia with plans for a global release in 2019 or early 2020. But Facebook’s slow movement here, Google’s half-assed entry, and Twitter’s lack of an attempt have given Snapchat’s Bitmoji a massive headstart. And now Snap is finally leveraging it.
“TV” is actually a return to Bitmoji’s roots. The startup Bitstrips originally offered an app for customizing the face, hair, clothes, and more of your avatar and then creating comic strips for them to appear in. Snap acquired Bitstrips back in 2016 for just $64.2 million — a steal not far off from Facebook snatching Instagram for under a billion. The standalone Bitmoji app blew up as soon as Snapchat began offering the avatars as chat stickers. It had over 330 million downloads as of April according to Sensor Tower despite Snapchat now letting you create your avatar in its main app.
Eventually, Snap began expanding Bitmoji’s uses. In 2017 Bitmoji went 3D and you could start overlaying them as augmented reality characters on your Snaps. The next year Snap improved their graphics, then launched the Snap Kit developer platform and Bitmoji Kit. This allows apps to build atop Snapchat login and use your Bitmoji as a profile pic. Soon they were appearing as Fitbit smart watch faces, alongside your Venmo transaction, and on Snapchat-sold merchandise from t-shirts to mugs. It’s part of a wise strategy to beat copycats by allowing allies to use real thing rather than building their own knock-off. That’s fueled the “Snapback” comeback which has seen Snap’s share price climb out of the gutter at $5.79 at the start of 2019 to $16.09 now.
One of Snap smartest innovations was Bitmoji Stories — the ancestor to Bitmoji TV. These daily Stories let you tap frame-by-frame through short comic strip-style interactions starring your avatar. Occasionally Bitmoji Stories would include rudimentary animation, but most frames were still images with text bubbles. Bitmoji could once again drive a narrative, rather than just being a communication tool. Still, they seem underutilized.
In 2019, Snapchat wised up. Bitmoji have become nearly ubiquitous amongst teens and Snapchat’s 210 million daily users. They’re the Google or Kleenex of cartoonish personalized avatars. Their goofy nature is also a perfect fit for Snapchat, and a reason they’re tough for stiffer and older tech giants to convincingly copy.
In April, Snap announced its new games platform inside its messaging feature that let you play as your Bitmoji against friends’ avatars in games ranging from Mario Party ripoff Bitmoji Party to tennis, shoot-em ups, and cooking competitions. Snap injects ads into the games, making Bitmoji key to its efforts to monetize its central messaging use case. Last month it launched custom and branded clothing for Bitmoji, which could open opportunities to earn money selling premium outfits or showing off brand sponsorships.
To truly take advantage of Bitmoji’s unique popularity, though, Snap needed to build longer-form experiences with the avatars at the center that . Stickers and Stories and games were fun, but none felt like must-see content. With Bitmoji TV, Snap may have found a way to get users to drag their friends into the app. Since everyone sees their own Bitmoji as the star, the cartoons could be more compelling then ones with impersonal characters you might find elsewhere around the web.
But Bitmoji TV’s success will depend largely on the quality of the writing. If your avatar is constantly getting into funny, meme-worthy situations, you’ll keep coming back to watch. But Snap’s teen audience has a keen nose for inauthentic bullsh*t. If the Shows feel forced, too childish, or boring, Bitmoji TV will flop. Snap would be savvy to invest in great Hollywood talent to produce the episodes.
High quality Bitmoji TV shorts could rescue Snapchat Discover from its own mediocrity. There are a few strong brands like ESPN SportsCenter on the platform, and Snap has several original Shows with over 25 million unique viewers. It’s also greenlit additional seasons of Shows like Dead Girls Detective Agency and new biopic clips from Serena Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Still, a scroll through the Discover and Shows sections reveals plenty of trashy clickbait that surely scares away premium advertisers.
Bitmoji TV could offer video that’s not only fun and snackable, but out of reach for competitors who don’t have a scaled avatar platform of their own. As with the recent launch of Snapchat Cameos, the company has realized that the most addictive experiences center on its users’ own faces. Snapchat turned the selfie into the future of communication. Bitmoji TV could make an animated recreation of your selfie into the future of content.
from TV Aerial Installation Services Warrington https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/28/bitmoji-tv-snapchat/
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