Airbnb expands into meeting-space rentals after snapping up Danish startup
Airbnb expands into meeting-space rentals after snapping up Danish startup
In its ongoing quest to diversify by targeting the business market, Airbnb has acquired Gaest, an online marketplace focused on helping companies and workers find meeting and event spaces for short-term use. Just like Airbnb, hosts can list their spaces to quickly reach thousands of businesses and professionals.
Facebook wants to merge messaging in Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram
Facebook wants to merge messaging in Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram
According to a new report, Facebook is planning on merging messaging services in Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The goal seems to be to allow users to message each other no matter what the platform, and the change is set for 2020. Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly leading efforts.
Starbucks coffee delivery lands in 6 more cities via Uber Eats
Starbucks coffee delivery lands in 6 more cities via Uber Eats
Starbucks is expanding its coffee delivery service beyond Miami to stores in six more cities. Available via the Uber Eats app, the service launched in San Francisco on Tuesday, January 22, with Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. all hopping aboard in the coming weeks.
Tesla given go-ahead to start deliveries of Model 3 to Europe
Tesla given go-ahead to start deliveries of Model 3 to Europe
Tesla has been given the green light to start deliveries of its Model 3 electric sedan to Europe. The launch of its most popular and competitively priced vehicle give it the chance to compete more effectively with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz in Europe's premium car market.
Prices for using Tesla Supercharging just skyrocketed
Prices for using Tesla Supercharging just skyrocketed
Tesla is apparently moving away from a regional pricing structure for Supercharging to a per-station pricing structure in which the cost of charging will be based on local electricity rates and customer demand. This has lead to an increase in charging costs by as much as 33 percent in some regions.
Windows 10 Mobile is dead: Switch to iOS or Android, Microsoft says
Windows 10 Mobile is dead: Switch to iOS or Android, Microsoft says
A Microsoft support page detailed the company's plans to end support for Windows 10 Mobile in less than a year, which means that there will no longer be any security updates for the operating system. Users with devices powered by the platform are suggested to switch to iOS or Android devices.
Google is buying mysterious smartwatch tech from The Fossil Group for $40 million
Google is buying mysterious smartwatch tech from The Fossil Group for $40 million
Google is about to step up its smartwatch game. The company has agreed to buy an unnamed smartwatch technology from The Fossil Group for a hefty $40 million. Considering the acquisition, it's clear Google is serious about smartwatches -- and could release its own smartwatch by the end of the year.
Tesla cuts workforce by 7 percent, ends referral program to trim costs
Tesla cuts workforce by 7 percent, ends referral program to trim costs
Tesla has announced plans to trim its workforce by seven percent, and will end the referral program that rewards customers who help it sell cars. These measures are ways to cut costs and boost profits. The company needs to sustainably and profitably build the long-promised $35,000 version of the Model 3.
OpenTable points can now be used to whittle down cost of a hotel stay
OpenTable points can now be used to whittle down cost of a hotel stay
Got some OpenTable Dining Points built up? Now those points can also be used to make your own hotel discounts. OpenTable is teaming up with Kayak to use points as discounts on participating hotels. OpenTable says the expansion of the points system is just the start.
Glowing space billboards could show ads in the night sky
Glowing space billboards could show ads in the night sky
Look up at the night sky in 2020 and you might see an ad for McDonald's floating among the stars. A startup is planning to use a constellation of tiny satellites to create glowing ads. The satellites would light up different messages for up to six minutes at a time at about 250 miles above Earth.
Huawei in for a rough year as feds investigate alleged trade secrets theft
Huawei in for a rough year as feds investigate alleged trade secrets theft
Huawei is also facing issues in the U.S., but it doesn't seem like that will end any time soon. According to a new report, the company is facing a federal investigation in the U.S. for allegedly stealing trade secrets -- and the investigation could come to a close in the near future.
Cord-cutting has grown by 48 percent in 8 years, according to Nielsen
Cord-cutting has grown by 48 percent in 8 years, according to Nielsen
People are continuing to ditch cable (14 percent of U.S. homes now participate in the trend) but not all cord-cutters are the same. In fact, there are two distinct groups within the cord-cutting universe, with a very small, yet growing third group that's worth paying attention to.
Apple’s iPhone battery offer was reportedly way more popular than expected
Apple’s iPhone battery offer was reportedly way more popular than expected
As many as 11 million iPhone owners reportedly made use of Apple's cheaper battery replacement offer that launched in 2018 in response to the iPhone throttling debacle. The program proved so popular that Apple CEO Tim Cook said recently it hit its bottom line as fewer people upgraded to one of the new iPhones.
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855 chip brings A.I. smarts (and 5G!) to 2019 phones
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855 chip brings A.I. smarts (and 5G!) to 2019 phones
Almost exactly a year after the launch of the Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm took the wraps off of its next-generation mobile platform, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. The new chip puts an emphasis on A.I. performance, 5G, and computer vision, while naturally increasing performance and efficiency.
NBCUniversal will launch its own streaming service in 2020
NBCUniversal will launch its own streaming service in 2020
Get ready, Dunder Mifflin fans: NBCU is prepping an ad-driven streaming service that will be free for pay-TV and Comcast subscribers and will be filled with NBCU's original content, including streaming-friendly hits like The Office and other NBC fan-favorite TV shows.
Not chill: Netflix is hiking prices across all its tiers
Not chill: Netflix is hiking prices across all its tiers
Netflix has to get the billions of dollars it's spending on new content from somewhere. The streaming giant has announced price hikes across the board, raising its monthly rates between $1 and $2 per tier in the next few months, and angering countless subscribers in the process.
Some of Volkswagen’s electric models will wear a ‘Made in the USA’ label
Some of Volkswagen’s electric models will wear a ‘Made in the USA’ label
Confirming rumors, Volkswagen has announced it will build electric cars in its Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory. The facility currently produces the Passat and the Atlas. Scott Keogh, president of Volkswagen's American division, told Digital Trends that electric car production will begin around 2023.
Drones: New rules could soon allow flights over people and at night
Drones: New rules could soon allow flights over people and at night
The U.S. government is looking to loosen restrictions on drone flights with a set of proposals that would allow the machines to fly over populated areas and also at night. The news will be welcomed by commercial operators keen to use the technology for a range of tasks.
Cathay Pacific messes up first-class ticket prices — again
Cathay Pacific messes up first-class ticket prices — again
A recent error on Cathay Pacific's website resulted in first-class seats selling for a tenth of the price. On Sunday the airline made the error again, selling "a very small number" of premium seats at an absurdly low price. The good news for those who snagged a ticket is Cathay will honor all bookings.
Tidal faces legal jeopardy over fake stream numbers accusation
Tidal faces legal jeopardy over fake stream numbers accusation
In another challenging chapter for music subscription service Tidal, Norwegian authorities have begun a formal investigation into charges that the company faked millions of streams for artists such as Kanye West and Beyoncé. Several former employees are being questioned over the matter.
The enormous ‘Flying Bum’ moves toward a commercial design
The enormous ‘Flying Bum’ moves toward a commercial design
A prototype of the world's largest aircraft is being retired as the company behind it prepares to build a production model. The new Airlander 10, also known as the "Flying Bum" for its butt-shaped leading end, could be ready for commercial use by 2025, with a range of possible uses cited.
SpaceX nails its first launch and landing of 2019, but job cuts loom
SpaceX nails its first launch and landing of 2019, but job cuts loom
SpaceX has nailed its first launch and landing of 2019 with a mission that deployed more satellites for Virginia-based Iridium Communications. Its Falcon 9 blasted off from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on January 11. But it wasn't all good news as it was revealed SpaceX is gearing up to axe hundreds of jobs.
Smart speakers the likely cause of Chromecast Audio’s untimely demise
Smart speakers the likely cause of Chromecast Audio’s untimely demise
Goodbye Chromecast Audio, we hardly knew you. Google confirms rumors that it has killed Chromecast Audio, the inexpensive wireless dongle that let people stream music from their phones, tablets and laptops to any audio system they owned. Sales of smart, and Bluetooth speakers are the likely cause.
AT&T to stop selling location data to third parties after explosive report
AT&T to stop selling location data to third parties after explosive report
After a report from Motherboard highlighted that carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint were selling location information to third parties and sometimes ended up in the wrong hands, all three carriers have announced that they will stop location selling practices.
Ford’s app-based ‘Chariot’ shuttle service is offering its final rides
Ford’s app-based ‘Chariot’ shuttle service is offering its final rides
Chariot, the app-based crowdsourced ride service owned by Ford, has announced it is shutting down in the coming weeks.The bus-like service has apparently been unable to deal with competition from ridesharing outfits like Uber and Lyft. Chariot operated in 10 U.S. cities, and overseas in London.
Sony reshuffles its mobile division, gears up for comeback at MWC
Sony reshuffles its mobile division, gears up for comeback at MWC
After a tough year, Sony Mobile is looking to change strategy and we'll see a new smartphone from the firm next month at MWC in Barcelona. We sat down with VP or Marketing, Don Mesa, to find out more about what the company is planning in the year ahead and what we can expect.
Bungie parts ways with Activision, will self-publish future Destiny content
Bungie parts ways with Activision, will self-publish future Destiny content
After an eight-year partnership, Destiny developer Bungie and publisher Activision are parting ways. Unlike Bungie's previous split with Microsoft (for Halo), Bungie will acquire the rights to Destiny to continue self-publishing future content in the franchise. Unannounced Destiny content is on the way.
Xiaomi buys tiny share in Blackberry phone maker TCL to spur collaboration
Xiaomi buys tiny share in Blackberry phone maker TCL to spur collaboration
Xiaomi has purchased a very small share in TCL. the manufacturer behind Blackberry's and Alcatel's recent phones. According to sources, this purchase is part of an agreement that will see Xiaomi and TCL share research and development, and work together to provide better hardware.
Epic Games store to sell Ubisoft games, starting with ‘The Division 2’
Epic Games store to sell Ubisoft games, starting with ‘The Division 2’
The Epic Games store has made its first major splash by partnering with Ubisoft to sell The Division 2 on PC. Epic will carry multiple editions of the game, with all pre-orders granting access to the upcoming private beta. More Ubisoft titles will arrive on the Epic Games store in the future.
BlackBerry sets own pace for 2019: Strikes Verizon deal, but no 5G phone coming
BlackBerry sets own pace for 2019: Strikes Verizon deal, but no 5G phone coming
BlackBerry has struck a deal with Verizon to sell the Key2 LE phone through its Enterprise division, reigniting a successful partnership from the brand's early days. However, while it's pushing ahead with new business this year, it won't be adopting 5G just yet.
T-Mobile completes the first 5G data and video call using 600MHz spectrum
T-Mobile completes the first 5G data and video call using 600MHz spectrum
T-Mobile is on its way to implementing 5G. At CES 2019, the company announced successful tests of video calls on both the 600MHz spectrum and using three frequency bands at the same time, demonstrating the importance of multiple bands for when 5G finally rolls out to the masses.
Google Assistant’s global drive helped it quadruple its active users in 2018
Google Assistant’s global drive helped it quadruple its active users in 2018
Voice assistants made talking to yourself cool, and they're reaping the benefits. Google has taken to CES 2019 to release the details of how Google Assistant has grown over the last year, and the results are pretty staggering. With 2019 just kicking off, here's how Google Assistant did in 2018.
Indiegogo claims 2018 was its best year yet with 1,300 success stories
Indiegogo claims 2018 was its best year yet with 1,300 success stories
Just how many successful products launched on Indiegogo last year? The platform shared the number of projects shipping to backers for the first time. The year-end statistics also list the most successful campaigns, the number of backers from 2018, and milestones for the platform.
Marriott suffers a massive breach of its guest records. Here’s how to protect yourself
Marriott suffers a massive breach of its guest records. Here’s how to protect yourself
A breach of the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program may have compromised the data of as many as 383 million of its guests, Marriott says. While an internal tool only recently flagged the breach, the company believes the hack started in 2014. Affected guests are getting email notifications about the incident.