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Do venture capitalists have an ethical duty to startups?

Jul01
by on July 1, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, Entrepreneur

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Janine Yancey is the CEO & President of Emtrain — an organization dedicated to creating user-friendly, memorable and scalable ethics and harassment prevention training for the workplace. Before I get into the “ethical duty” mentioned in the title, allow me to quickly run a few things by you. In the past few months, we’ve seen a number of entrepreneurs at startups make some serious ethical and professional mistakes. It started with GitHub — a founder and his wife making inappropriate comments and requests of a female software developer. Shortly after, we had an Uber team that felt it was “okay” to begin…

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The network effect: Original TV shows have made video streaming complicated

Jul01
by on July 1, 2014 at 2:35 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web

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Video streaming was supposed to be simple. One small, monthly fee and a wealth of ad-free content at my fingertips. In the face of expensive, counter-intuitive satellite and cable TV packages, it felt like a breath of fresh air. But that’s starting to change. One of my biggest gripes with conventional TV providers is the way content is gated. I have to figure out which programs I want to watch, the channels they’re being shown on and the relevant bundles that will give me unfettered access. For instance, if I were a Sky TV customer in the UK, I would…

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Google is killing its ‘SMS for Hangouts’ feature for developing markets

Jul01
by on July 1, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

Back in October last year, you may remember that Google announced a slew of updates for its Hangouts Android app, including SMS integration. This basically meant that you send both SMS messages AND Hangout messages from the app. This feature shall remain. However, Google also had a separate SMS for Hangouts feature (only available in some countries), letting you add your phone number to receive messages from Google+ Hangouts as an SMS. This was essentially aimed at feature-phone users in developing markets across parts of Asia and Africa, where internet penetration may not be what it was elsewhere in the world,…

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This iPhone app uses anchors and a compass as virtual breadcrumbs so you’ll never get lost again

Jul01
by on July 1, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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Navigation apps for iPhone may not be in short supply, but that isn’t stopping iOS and Mac developers Pleeq from throwing its hat into the ring with Anchor Pointer. Anchor Pointer isn’t your typical navigation app. It bypasses turn-by-turn directions and maps to return you to specific points where you’ve dropped virtual anchors. You can meet friends by using the compass in any public place, remember where that hidden alleyway coffee shop is, or use it to re-find your car wherever it was that you parked it. How it works To meet up with friends, you will have to hit…

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Uber cuts NYC bicycle courier service price by up to 30%, and now delivers to Brooklyn and Queens

Jul01
by on July 1, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Way back in April, we reported on Uber’s plans to move beyond cars and drivers-for-hire services with the launch of UberRUSH, which was essentially an experimental bicycle-based delivery service that launched in Manhattan, New York City. As VentureBeat reports, an update has now been posted by Uber detailing some changes to the service, including the prices and availability. “As of June 24, 2014, UberRUSH prices are up to 30% cheaper. If a delivery begins and ends within the same zone, it’s a flat $10. Each zone crossed during delivery is an additional $5. Additional stops may result in a higher…

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