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Oculus VR’s directors initially urged it to remain independent when Facebook deal loomed

Mar27
by on March 27, 2014 at 4:53 am
Posted In: Around the Web, oculus

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Developers, Kickstarter backers and others fans of Oculus VR aren’t the only ones whose initial response to the company’s acquisition by Facebook was concern. The company’s own directors wished it to remain independent when a deal with Facebook was on the table. That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which includes the following nugget in its profile of the virtual reality company: The sale to Facebook came as a surprise. [Oculus VR CEO] Mr. Iribe said he initially was unsure of the deal. Oculus directors also initially disapproved, urging the executive team to remain an independent company. Iribe tells the Journal…

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Twitter is experimenting with replacing its sacred retweet button with a ‘share’ button

Mar27
by on March 27, 2014 at 3:36 am
Posted In: Around the Web

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Twitter has been busy making Facebook-like changes today — adding multiple photo upload and tagging, and experimenting with a profile change on iOS — but it isn’t stopping there. Some users are reporting that the retweet button inside their iOS app has become a ‘share’ button — yes, the sacred retweet button! CNBC’s Eli Langer first noticed tweets from users affected by the changes, who are seeing a undeniably Facebook-like experience when they try to retweet content. The actual process of sharing a tweet remains unchanged, but those affected are being asked whether they want to ‘share’ or add comment…

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Korea’s mobile carriers begin selling Samsung’s Galaxy S5 two weeks early and without permission

Mar27
by on March 27, 2014 at 2:37 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, Gadgets, galaxy s5, Korea, Product Updates

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Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom has jumped the gun and made Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, available for sale right now — nearly two weeks earlier than the scheduled global rollout date of April 11, as first spotted by the Korea Herald. “We’ve started selling Galaxy S5 today in Korea to allow our customers choose from a wider range of devices,” an SK Telecom spokesperson tells TNW. UPDATE: Korea’s two other carriers – LG Uplus and KT Corp – have also announced the start of sales of the Galaxy S5, essentially meaning that the schedule has been brought forward throughout the whole country,…

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Virtual rewind app Timehop finally lands on Android

Mar27
by on March 27, 2014 at 12:48 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Product Updates

Timehop, a popular service that ‘goes back in time’ to show you past posts on various social media sites, has finally landed on Google Play for Android devices. The Android app brings together your old photos and posts from your iPhone (if you have one), Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare and replays them accordingly. The Timehop app was released in late 2011 only for iOS devices. Last month, the company removed Timehop Messages, its in-app messaging system, citing low usage — but teased plans to release some new social features to help with sharing. ➤ Timehop: Google Play | iOS Thumbnail image via Loic…

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Twitter expected to refocus music strategy around conversations and content after app failure

Mar27
by on March 27, 2014 at 12:10 am
Posted In: Around the Web

After putting its #Music iOS app out of its misery last week, Twitter is preparing for another go at the music space, according to The Wall Street Journal.  The new strategy could launch as early as this week. The Journal noted: The company plans to shelve the idea of a stand-alone app all together, another person said, setting a new strategic course centered around music conversations and content on the Twitter site. Twitter reportedly hasn’t pursued licensing for an actual streaming music service, but the paper’s sources suggested that the company is in talks for partnerships with Beats Music, SoundCloud,…

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