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A system to tell good fake bokeh from bad
The pixel-peepers at DxOMark have shared some of the interesting metrics and techniques they use to judge the quality of a smartphone’s artificial bokeh, or background blur in photos. Not only is it difficult to do in the first place, but they have to systematize it! Their guide should provide even seasoned shooters with some insight into the many ways computational bokeh varies in quality. Read More
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Signal expands into the Signal Foundation with $50M from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton
Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned about Signal when I spoke with Moxie Marlinspike, the app’s creator, last year at Disrupt, was that it was essentially running on a shoestring budget. A tool used by millions and feared by governments worldwide, barely getting by! But $50M from WhatsApp founder Brian Acton should help secure the app’s future. Read More
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Onward helps businesses automate their customer service
How much can customer service be automated? Onward has some straightforward targets — 40 percent of tickets and 40 percent of messages should be automated, and average response times should be 40 seconds on average. Gabi gets $9.5M to help car and home owners find better insurance once it’s available
If you own a car or home, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is finding the right insurance plan that’ll cover everything you need and save you some money — but those plans are always changing, and consumers are getting stuck footing a bill they don’t necessarily need, according to Hanno Fichtner. That’s why he started Gabi. Read More
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Google tries to make Android more enterprise-friendly with new recommendation program
With so many Android devices out there to choose from, it’s not always easy to find one that’s enterprise-friendly. To help alleviate that problem, Google announced the Android Enterprise Recommended program today. As the name implies, it’s designed to point enterprise IT departments at devices that Google has deemed to be enterprise-ready. Read More
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‘Alto’s Odyssey’ is now available on iOS and it’s wonderful
Alto’s Adventure could be my most-played game on iOS. I spent countless hours on flights getting lost in the serene landscape offered in the game. To me it’s a satisfying mix of adventure and mindless pleasure. The sequel is now available on iOS and it’s even better than the first. As Darrell explains here, the new game has the same magic as the original, but this time Alto… Read More
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Nintendo accused of illegally denying refunds on pre-orders in Europe
Nintendo has been accused of breaking European law by not allowing consumers to obtain refunds on pre-ordered games. Mozilla and NSF awards $380K to small projects connecting the unconnected
The FCC may be hard at work at “bridging the digital divide,” as Chairman Pai so frequently puts it, and the Connect America Fund II will help. But while the big players are setting up, people all over the U.S. are going without reliable internet. Mozilla and the National Science Foundation are awarding cash to projects that aim to connect those still waiting on the bandwidth we… Read More
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Mixer, Microsoft’s Twitch competitor, adds game sales
Twitch has long since allowed its streamers to generate revenue from their channels through things like subscriptions, virtual tipping and game sales. Microsoft is adopting one of those features for its own game streaming service, Mixer, with today’s launch of “Direct Purchase.” Read More
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Adecco Group acquires recruiting startup Vettery for $100M
The Adecco Group, a global HR services firm headquartered in Switzerland, announced today that it has acquired Vettery. The financial terms were not disclosed, but a source with knowledge of the deal told us that the price was a little over $100 million. (It’s not clear how much of that is cash versus stock.) Read More
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