Source: http://gizmodo.com/googles-getting-serious-about-prescription-glass-1469880397
Google really knocked everybody's socks off when it revealed Glass last year—everybody except glasses-wearers, that is. As the company prepares to bring the device to market, though, Google doesn't want to leave anybody out, and that means creating Google Glass with prescription lenses.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/u-of-phoenix-founder-selling-ca-mansion-2013-11
John Murphy, one of the founders of for-profit education company University of Phoenix, is selling his San Francisco mansion for $27 million.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Murphy and his wife Paula Key bought the Pacific Heights nine-bedroom house in 1997 after discovering it came with a secret hidden Prohibition-era bar.
They closed the deal on the 13,000-square-foot mansion for $6.3 million, and are now selling it through listing agent Coldwell Banker Previews International.
The home has gorgeous views of San Francisco, as well as five levels that are all easily accessible with an elevator. In addition to the hidden bar that first attracted Murphy and his wife to the property, it also has an Art Deco ballroom, staff quarters, and a library.
Originally built in 1905 by a member of the Spreckels family (of the Spreckels Sugar Company fortune), the home was sold in 1929 to the prominent San Francisco family the Schwabachers, who then added the Prohibition bar and 1,200-square-foot ballroom.
Source: Coldwell Bankers Preview International
Source: Coldwell Bankers Preview International
Source: Coldwell Bankers Preview International
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-private-messaging-2013-11
First came Instagram's video service, 15-second videos that autoplay on your Instagram timeline amidst the hoards of brunch photos and selfies.
Now, sources tell GigaOm that Instagram is getting ready to launch a new private messaging feature inside the visual content sharing platform, which will also include group messaging.
One of the most frustrating things about Instagram is the inability to contact a member privately; you have to say everything publicly. This could be a good addition.
The new features are slated to be included in the next version of Instagram, expected out in December.
"Instagram might have started out as a photographer’s platform, but it has since evolved into something that creates social connections between people and has led to an entirely different kind of social graph," GigaOm reports.
Its timing is also perfect; its competitor, Snapchat, has been making headlines over the last few weeks. It's not a surprise that Instagram wants to get back into the game.
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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-automation-patent-2013-11
In the age of incessant personal branding, a Twitter account is pretty much a must-have.
But, c'mon, who's actually got time to do all that tweeting?
Google wants to help you save your precious minutes by just writing your tweets—and other types of social media posts and messages—for you.
The company has patented plans for a software that will craft personalized social media reactions for you based on data from your "emails, SMS, social networks, and other systems."
The software wouldn't be completely automated: You'd have to approve individual messages before they were set live, according to Ars Technica.
"It is often difficult for users to keep up with and reply to all the messages they are receiving," the patent's author Ashish Bhatia writes. The proposed system would be flexible enough to generate responses tailored to different social media networks, so that it wouldn't use the same flippancy to respond to a LinkedIn message as it would for a Facebook post.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/21/google-chromecast-sdk-hackathon-app/
Google has slowly trickled out more authorized commercial apps that can stream to its Chromecast dongle since launch (Hulu, Pandora, and most recently HBO Go) but what about homebrew? So far developers have been able to work with a preview Cast SDK (creating a few impressive demonstrations) but restrictions have prevented these apps from being released for widespread use. That will probably change next month, as Google has invited several developers including CyanogenMod / AirCast dev Koushik Dutta and Thomas Kjeldsen to a hackathon on December 7th and 8th in Mountain View. An opportunity to test drive the "upcoming release" of the Cast SDK is promised, plus an opportunity to talk with Google engineers about what it can do.
While we wait to find out what devs will be officially allowed to create for the $35 dongle, the official Android Chromecast control app got an update tonight. The new version brings a lightly refreshed design with the side-tray style seen in many Google apps lately, and adjusted the display of time zone settings and the Chromecast MAC address to ease troubleshooting.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Source: Koushik Dutta (G+), Thomas Kjuldsen (G+), Android Central Forums
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/22/raspberry-pi-wolfram-bundle/
Raspberry Pi computers have already proven to be valuable educational tools, but they're largely blank slates until teachers (and curious owners) find the right software. As of today, that software search just got a lot easier. The company has reached a deal to bundle Wolfram Research's Mathematica app and its companion Wolfram Language with each copy of Raspbian Linux; every Raspberry Pi owner now has free tools for everything from learning math to sophisticated programming. The deal also brings a Remote Development Kit that lets tinkerers connect the Raspberry Pi to Mathematica on a regular PC. While the updated Raspbian download isn't yet ready, all existing users can run a command to install Wolfram's suite. Only some owners will need the bundle, but it could go a long way toward promoting math to a younger generation.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Raspberry Pi, Stephen Wolfram
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/22/chrome-os-update-braille-display/
Google has just released a stable version of Chrome OS, and while it's (sadly) not as huge as Chrome OS 32, it still comes with feature boosts for your device. Perhaps most notable is its newly added initial support for USB-connected Braille displays. Other than that, this stopgap follow-up to OS 31 tweaks the platform's looks, starting by letting you drag the Shelf (or the app dock) from the bottom to either side of the screen. The company has also moved the launcher icon to the bottom left and made it, along with the app icons and status tray, more touch friendly for Pixel users. What's more, if you use an avatar for either Chrome OS or Google+, you'll find your profile picture preferences synced between the two. Almost everyone can now download these changes, which come bundled with the usual security and performance fixes. If you own an Acer C7, an HP Chromebook 11 or an HP Pavilion Chromebook, however, you're going to have to sit this update out -- better luck next time.
Source: Google Chrome Releases
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/4-billion-is-the-new-1-billion-in-startups-2013-11
Music streaming company Spotify just raised $250 million at a $4 billion valuation.
That sounds high, but $4 billion seems to be the magic number for today's biggest startups. Recent valuations have dwarfed Tumblr and Instagram's once-massive $1 billion buyouts.
Uber received a $3 – 4 billion valuation in August when it raised a $258 million round of financing led by Google Ventures. Pinterest raised at a $3.8 valuation in October. A few weeks ago, Snapchat was mulling over a new round at a similar valuation. Evernote hasn't raised a round in over a year, but it's likely near the $3 – 4 billion valuation range now. Dropbox doubled the magic $4 billion figure and is raising at an $8 billion+ valuation. Today, Spotify joined the $4 billion club.
Why have valuations gotten so much higher in recent months?
First, there's a lot of private money out there, and investors need to invest it somewhere. When late-stage VCs stumble upon startups that can become category leaders, they throw piles of cash at them.
Uber is the category leader in on-demand transportation and logistics. Pinterest is winning in the visual retail discovery market.
"When one of the big players emerge [in a market], then you have these big firms that need to deploy a lot of capital," says RRE investor Steve Schlafman. "A lot of these companies don't need to raise more money...the only way these companies are going to raise more money is on a much! higher multiple. But I wouldn't call it irrational exuberance. These are big spaces with likely one or two winners (transportation, music, discovery, messaging)."
It's important to note that a lot of high-valuation deals give investors preferred stock, not common stock. That means their investments are much less risky. Even if a startup gets bought for less than its official valuation, the preferred stock still gets bought out in full — sometimes at a premium or multiple. If a startup's valuation increases, both preferred stock investors and the founders win big. Even if a startup goes to zero, preferred stock holders get their money back first — if there is any left — while a founder with common stock might lose everything.
It's also important to remember that investors don't want marginal wins. They're after home runs, so it's in their best interest to keep promising startups private and flip them later for higher returns. Investors who put money in Instagram at a $500 million valuation, for example, probably didn't anticipate the company selling for a smaller, 2X multiple.
To prevent startups from getting acquired early, some investors let founders pocket cash during fundraises. Founders are able to take a few million dollars off the table and become instantly rich, just like they would if they sold the company. Eliminating the financial lure of an acquisition keeps entrepreneurs focused on building longer-term businesses.
Snapchat's co-founders, for example, reportedly pocketed $10 million each during their last round of financing. They're rumored to be taking much more than that off the next round of financing — whenever that officially closes.
Some of the valuations are the result of hype though. And sometimes aggressive valuations can backfire.&n! bsp;
"I think later stage investors are analyzing growth rates and size and using Facebook (and other public stocks) as a comp on valuation," one industry insider says.
"If Facebook stock is high, than those startups will get a high price if they continue to exceed expectations. This can be tricky though, as we saw with [recent] late stage deals ... When growth slows down, the pain is harsh and swift."
Instagram would be worth $5B+ today. It buttressed FB stock & gave it's mobile strategy legs. Insanely smart,cheap acquisition by Zuck.
— Shervin Pishevar (@shervin) November 13, 2013 SEE ALSO: DOWN ON STARTUPS: What Happens When No One Thinks Your Startup Is Worth Billions Anymore
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