a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

‘Why I turned down Silicon Valley for Washington, DC’

Nov06
by on November 6, 2014 at 3:15 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Entrepreneur, Profiles and Interviews

US-TRANSPORTATION-METRO
It’s thought that US student debt is more than the rest of the world combined. With $1.2 trillion outstanding, its impact on lifetime earnings – and career choices – can’t be overstated. Who can afford to launch their own startup when Uncle Sam knocks down the door each month? This dilemma is a catch-22; only the well-off can attend college debt-free, yet the gap between college and high school grads is growing. In 2012, Abigail Seldin set out to solve this problem. She heard her mother-in-law, the president of a small college in Pennsylvania, discuss how hard it is for…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Scribd adds unlimited audiobooks to its $8.99 subscription ebook service

Nov06
by on November 6, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

iPadTea
All-you-can-read ebook service Scribd now has an all-you-can-listen component with the addition of 30,000 audiobooks included as part of its $8.99 per month subscription. Android devices and Web browsers will get first access to the new category, followed by iOS in a few days. Members won’t have to pay any extra to listen to audiobooks, as it’s bundled into the existing pricing. Scribd CEO Trip Adler said audiobooks have been the number one requested feature by current users. Audio content is streamed from Scribd, so you’ll be able to start listening to a book right away. You can also save…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Microsoft Office lands on iPhone and is now free to use across iOS and upcoming Android tablet app

Nov06
by on November 6, 2014 at 2:13 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider, Product Launches, Product Updates

Bringing-Office-to-Everyone-4
In a surprise move, Microsoft has today announced that Office for mobile is now free on Android and iOS. That’s right, from today you won’t need an active Office 365 subscription to edit or store documents in Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud. The pricing news was joined by other updates to the Office mobile apps, including an upcoming version designed specifically for Android tablets. In a bid to offer Office as widely as possible – and perhaps somewhat overdue – Microsoft also announced the launch of Word, PowerPoint and Excel apps for iPhone, and updates to the existing iPad versions. Naturally, the company is also…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: , ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Time management app Timeful gets deeper options for habits and smart notifications

Nov06
by on November 6, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web

timeful-2
Timeful, a calendar app for the iPhone that uses behavioral science to help you optimize your schedule, has received a major update with smart notifications and new options for its habit recommendation feature. You’ll now be able to schedule a habit multiple times in a day, so you can remind yourself to do things like drink water or stretch at your desk. Timeful has also added specific habit categories, such as Wellness and Fun. Since launching in July, Timeful has seen users complete more than 1 million to-do items and habits in its app.            …

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: 
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Microsoft pilots 3D audio technology to help blind people navigate

Nov06
by on November 6, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Screenshot 2014-11-06 13.51.40
With Oculus Rift closing in on the consumer market, and Google Glass making steady strides, reality augmentation is becoming increasingly embedded in our lives. But typically, augmented reality (AR) has been centered around visual senses. Microsoft’s one company that has been working on 3D audio technology for a while, enabling headphones to create an illusion of sound that’s emitted from a very specific location. As MIT Technology Review previously reported: “I put on a pair of wireless headphones that made nearby objects suddenly burst into life. A voice appeared to emanate from a cardboard model of a portable radio. Higher…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: ,