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Can coffee shops increase sales by banning laptops?

Apr11
by on April 11, 2014 at 3:37 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, Insider

Murchison3
We’ve all been there. Roaming streets and alleyways in search for that familiar ‘WE HAVE WIFI HERE’ logo. We peer inside windows and poke our noses through doors for that one empty table next to a power outlet. And once you find that seat, whatever you do, you don’t give it up without a fight. It was once the case that Internet cafes were places where you paid to use the Internet, and the ‘cafe’ element was pretty much secondary to the experience. There was no obligation to buy a coffee because, well, you were there to use the Internet….

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Alibaba acquires Chinese mapping giant AutoNavi in $1.5bn deal

Apr11
by on April 11, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, Insider

Maps & Navigation 3
We already knew it was on the cards, but today it’s official. China’s e-commerce behemoth Alibaba is acquiring mapping and navigation company AutoNavi in a deal valuing the firm at $1.5 billion. The company had previously acknowledged Alibaba’s proposal, saying it was forming a committee of independent directors to consider the proposal. Of course, Alibaba already owned a 28 percent stake in AutoNavi, so the two companies were closely aligned anyway. But by bringing the company fully under its wing, it’s going all in with maps, in what is a thinly-veiled shot at fellow Chinese giant Baidu which has been…

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UP24 review: Jawbone’s newest activity tracker ups the ante for the quantified self

Apr11
by on April 11, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Insider, Product Reviews

jawboneUP24_feat
I’ve never been very good at getting to sleep early. I consider it a hangover from a period of my life that was spent playing poker for a living. Professional poker does strange things to sleep patterns if you do it for long enough. I’m also fortunate enough to work for one of the world’s best technology blogs with a geographically distributed team that works remotely. The combination of these two factors means that I don’t have to move very far each day, and I’m often awake when I really shouldn’t be. All of which makes me a pretty ideal…

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UP24 review: Jawbone’s newest activity tracker ups the ante for the quantified self

Apr11
by on April 11, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Insider, Product Reviews

jawboneUP24_feat
I’ve never been very good at getting to sleep early. I consider it a hangover from a period of my life that was spent playing poker for a living. Professional poker does strange things to sleep patterns if you do it for long enough. I’m also fortunate enough to work for one of the world’s best technology blogs with a geographically distributed team that works remotely. The combination of these two factors means that I don’t have to move very far each day, and I’m often awake when I really shouldn’t be. All of which makes me a pretty ideal…

This story continues at The Next Web

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a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Facebook received 28,147 government requests for data impacting 38,256 accounts in the second half of 2013

Apr11
by on April 11, 2014 at 2:16 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Social Media

SWEDEN-FACEBOOK-DATA-CENTER-SERVERS
Facebook today revealed the number of data requests it received from various law enforcement agencies around the world in the second half of last year: 28,147. Those requests impacted a potential 38,256 accounts, according to the company. Since Facebook only released its first report in August 2013, we can’t compare to see how these results compare to previous years. We can, however, compare the second half of 2013 (July to December) against the first half (January to June), as well as get a total for the full year. The new numbers for the second half of last year are slightly…

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