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Neptune’s moons are ‘dancing,’ and it’s so cool
Earth has just one Moon, which makes it pretty simple for it to avoid collisions with other large objects since, well, there's nothing for it to collide with. Other moons don't have it nearly so good. Neptune, for example, has over a dozen moons, and for all those tiny worlds to coexist, some interesting patterns have emerged.
In a new post, NASA highlights one relationship in particular. the moons Naiad and Thalassa travel in very similar orbital neighborhoods, only separated by some 1,150 miles. That's a hair's width in planetary terms, so why don't the two moons cause problems for one another? The short answer is that they dance.
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Neptune’s moons are ‘dancing,’ and it’s so cool originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 16:10:57 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
Google reportedly manipulates its search results way more than it wants you to believe
As an antitrust investigation led by state attorneys general expands from advertising to take a closer look at Google's search practices, which we told you about on Thursday, the results of a newspaper investigation published on Friday may add even more fuel to that fire. Specifically, it's a report that probes all the ways the search giant manipulates the results that you see -- in ways that contradict Google's insistence that it doesn't tip the scales -- and takes a closer look at blacklists and ways that Google favors big businesses over small ones in search results, among other tweaks the company's engineers make behind the scenes.
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Google reportedly manipulates its search results way more than it wants you to believe originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 14:08:43 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
Everything new coming to Netflix this week, and everything leaving (week of Nov. 17)
Disney+ may have debuted the first two episodes of The Mandalorian last week, but Netflix is going to counter with full seasons of two of its most popular shows. The Crown is one of Netflix's biggest critical hits in recent years, and the early reviews are once again very positive. This week will also see the return of The Dragon Prince, which is an animated series, but has similarly received praise for its storytelling and characters.
Other highlights this week include new episodes of Nailed It! and the addition of End of Watch, but we'll also be losing Nikita, so if you've been holding off on watching this CW shows from the early aughts, get on it.
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Everything new coming to Netflix this week, and everything leaving (week of Nov. 17) originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 13:06:32 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
MCU Phase 5 news: Marvel set release dates for eight more movies, and one might be ‘Avengers 5’
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to have an insanely busy Phase 4, which is the upcoming MCU stage that will contain a massive mix of limited TV series and regular superhero movies. That’s because Marvel and Disney will leverage the new Disney+ streaming service in addition to movie theaters to tell brand new MCU stories. Marvel chief Kevin Feige already said that you’ll need to be aware of what happens in all the MCU series hitting Disney+ to understand the upcoming MCU movies better. At $6.99 a month though, Disney+ is a steal considering all the incredible content it’ll have to offer.
But we’ll still get awesome MCU films in the coming years. We’re looking at six motion pictures that will hit theaters in 2020 and 2021, including Spider-Man 3, and then we'll also get at least eight films between 2022 and 2023. That’s right, Marvel just set the release dates for five extra MCU Phase 5 titles, on top of the three that we already had. We don't want to get our hopes up too high just yet, but one of those five new films might be Avengers 5, and another one could even be Deadpool 3.
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MCU Phase 5 news: Marvel set release dates for eight more movies, and one might be ‘Avengers 5’ originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 11:59:02 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
Get the best-selling portable Bluetooth speaker on Amazon’s entire site for just $24
If a product has more than 1,000 5-star ratings on Amazon, it’s probably pretty safe to say it’s a solid product. Well, what about something that has more than 28,000 5-star ratings on Amazon? The 3rd-Generation OontZ Angle 3 Bluetooth Portable Speaker combines a compact design and surprisingly good sound quality with water-resistance and affordability, creating the perfect killer combination to dominate the portable speaker section on Amazon. It has been a best-seller on the nation’s #1 online retailer for as long as we can remember, and the popular all-black model is only $25.99 right now.
OontZ Angle 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker : Louder Volume 10W Power, More Bass, IPX5 Water Resis…: $23.99
Here’s the scoop from the product page:
- HIGHER QUALITY CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO SOUND - The OontZ Angle 3 (3rd Gen) is Designed and Engineered by Cambridge Sound Works in the USA for greater clarity sound, accurate mids and clear highs from dual precision acoustic stereo drivers; the bass output is enhanced by our proprietary passive bass radiator; unique triangular design and downward facing bass radiator further enhance the sound quality; the Higher Quality Crystal Clear Sound & Features distance it from the competition
- LOUDER VOLUME - Surprisingly loud, the Volume Booster 10+ watt power AMP pumps out more volume and plays your music with no distortion, even at maximum volume; the louder volume makes the OontZ Angle 3 (3Rd Gen) Portable Bluetooth Speakers the perfect speaker for any room and the ideal Outdoor Speakers
- INCREDIBLE 100 FOOT BLUETOOTH RANGE - Play the OontZ Angle 3 (3rd Gen) Bluetooth Speakers up to 100 unobstructed feet away from your device; advanced antenna design with Bluetooth 4.2 provides greater wireless range and faster Bluetooth connection; connects easily with the Echo Dot, Echo Dot 3rd Gen, Echo, Echo Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X, iPad, Samsung Galaxy 8, Samsung Galaxy 9, Samsung Note, Smartphone, Cellphone, Laptop, computer, Mac, and all other Bluetooth devices
- IPX5 WATER RESISTANT – The OontZ Angle 3 (3rd Gen) is totally Splashproof, Rainproof shower speaker, great Shower Speaker; with IPX5 certification the speaker can resist gentle water spray and splash but cannot be partially or fully submerged
- LONGER BATTERY PLAYTIME UP TO 14 HOURS - Play from morning till night; battery can play up to 14 hours at 2/3 volume; AUX IN Jack connect from TVs and non-Bluetooth devices with a 3.5mm Line-In cable for the Perfect Line-In Speaker; BUILT-IN Microphone for personal handsfree speakerphone calls from a Cellphone or iPhone; Light-weight just 10 oz, 5” long, 2.8” high INCLUDES Micro-USB charging cable; Official OontZ Angle 3 Carry Case available sold separately on Amazon
OontZ Angle 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker : Louder Volume 10W Power, More Bass, IPX5 Water Resis…: $23.99
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Get the best-selling portable Bluetooth speaker on Amazon’s entire site for just $24 originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 10:34:29 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
We talk to the creator of ‘Despicable Me’ about directing Netflix’s first animated feature
Believe it or not, the release of Netflix’s first animated feature on Friday (Klaus, the directorial debut of Despicable Me creator Sergio Pablos which purports to be a Santa Claus origin story) can actually tell you a lot about Netflix at this point in time, as new rivals like Disney+ emerge as credible threats and pressure mounts on Netflix to deliver hits and keep subscribers happy.
Netflix has been spending billions of dollars on content this year and keeps raising money to keep spending on more content, precisely because that’s the only way to maintain its prominence as the king of the streaming hill. The streaming giant has to keep its pipeline of new series and movies humming with constant additions, it has to empower creators, it has to offer content that appeals to critics as well as to the general public -- to families and children, as well as adults hungry for action and drama. And, to reiterate, the release of Klaus -- which includes voice work from actors Rashida Jones, Jason Schwartzman, and J.K. Simmons -- checks all of those boxes, and then some.
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We talk to the creator of ‘Despicable Me’ about directing Netflix’s first animated feature originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 09:02:15 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: Ring Video Doorbell blowout, AirPods Pro, $180 Dyson, free Echo Dot, more
Today's roundup of the best daily deals out there is fantastic, so we'll get right to it. Highlights include the lowest prices we've ever seen on the renewed Ring Video Doorbell 2 and Ring Video Doorbell Pro, a rare discount on AirPods Pro (ignore the shipping quote, they typically ship in a week or two), an incredible $10 cable that charges your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time, Anker's popular $18 PowerPort 5 wireless charger for only $8.99 with coupon code DS251813, a free Echo Dot when you buy a $260 Ecovacs Deebot 601 robot vacuum on sale for $218, $100 off 23andMe's best-selling DNA test, a crazy deal that slashes renewed Dyson V7 Animal cordless vacuums to $179.99, $250 off the top-rated Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera Kit, and a crazy one-day sale that slashes up to 35% off all the household cleaners and essentials you could ever need. Check out all the deals below.
Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Works with Alexa (existing doorbell wiring requi…: $129.00
Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 2: $99.00
Apple AirPods Pro: $234.98
Uoeos 2 in 1 Wireless Charger for Apple Watch & iPhone Charger Cable 5ft/1.5m Portable Charging…: $9.97
Anker Wireless Charger, PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad Upgraded, Qi-Certified, Compatible iPhone 11,…: $8.99 (use code DS251813 by 11/24)
ECOVACS DEEBOT 601 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with App Control Bundle with Echo Dot 3rd Gen (Charco…: $217.94
23andMe Health + Ancestry Service: Personal Genetic DNA Test Including Health Predispositions,…: $99.00
Dyson V7 Animal Cordless HEPA Stick Vacuum Cleaner with Bonus Tools, Iron (Renewed): $179.99
Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera Kit w/EF-M15-45mm and 4K Video - Black: $649.00
Save up to 35% on household essentials
: $3.17 - $29.06
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10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: Ring Video Doorbell blowout, AirPods Pro, $180 Dyson, free Echo Dot, more originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 17 Nov 2019 at 07:51:20 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 
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The Thorny Problem of 5G Security
A few years ago, putting the words "mobile telecoms security" in the title of an article would be a license to write whatever you wanted below, because no one was likely to read any of the words after the title. Sprinkling the magic ingredient 5G has changed this, and "5G security" is a hot topic now. What has changed? There is obviously a geopolitical aspect to 5G security, but it is not the full story by any means. Fundamentally, security for 5G is important now because 5G is going to become essential to many more parts of our lives.
ALT Linux: Worthy Linux Alternatives, With a Catch
ALT Linux offers a buffet of Linux distributions that meet a variety of specialized needs. Its inviting selections could be a good source of alternative Linux OS solutions if you take the time to sort out the menus. You might find navigating the poorly designed website a tedious chore. Still, persevering could get you a few tasty options to satisfy your computing appetite. ALT Linux is a Russia-based independent distribution that forked from Mandrake Linux, an independent distribution that forked from Fedora-based Red Hat Linux.
Disney+ Launches New Era of Streaming, With a Few Hiccups
The much-anticipated Disney+ streaming service has arrived. In the first 24 hours, the app was downloaded 3.2 million times. Demand for the new over-the-top streaming service prompted the company to announced that it had exceeded its highest expectations -- but with problematic results. Many users were unable to launch the app on its huge opening day. Forty-two percent of users had problems just logging in, while 57 percent reported video streaming issues, according to Internet traffic monitoring site Downdetector.
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Google to Offer 'Smart' Checking Accounts
Google plans to launch checking accounts next year. "We're exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the United States to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools," a spokesperson said. "Our lead partners today are Citibank and the Stanford Federal Credit Union." Consumers using Google's service will access their checking accounts through Google Pay. Google has not yet decided whether it will charge a fee for the service.
Salesforce and Microsoft in Another Deal
With Dreamforce approaching, it's no surprise that Salesforce is making a flurry of announcements. What is surprising are two big ones involving partnering with other vendors, mostly on infrastructure -- announcements that I believe make the idea of an information utility more real with each passing day. First came an announcement from Salesforce, AWS, Genesys and The Linux Foundation involving a common information model. Then Salesforce named Microsoft Azure its public cloud provider for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and announced new integrations with Microsoft Teams.
The Information Utility, Continued
I've been sharing my theory on the formation of an information utility for some time now. Various big vendors have announced alliances with that kind of aim. For instance, Oracle and Microsoft announced an effort to make their cloud databases interoperate, and Microsoft and others have announced common data model projects. Now Salesforce, AWS and Genesys have teamed up to announce their own common data model project with The Linux Foundation. The effort purports to be an open source common information model, or CIM.
Google to Shame Slow-Loading Websites
Google plans to use performance badges to warn users of slow-loading websites ahead. It will consider historical load latencies first, and later may expand to signal the likelihood that a page will load slowly based on the user's device and network conditions. The criteria will become increasingly stringent over time. Google's Chrome team is collaborating with other Google teams considering badges to rate the expected quality of the user experience. The long-term goal is to use badging to rate qualities beyond speed.
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7 tax scams to watch out for this year
 In case wringing your hands over the tax man weren’t enough, criminals are out there trying to swipe your hard-earned cash and personal information from right under your nose.
Avowed Apple Fan Jeb Bush Realizes His Apple Watch Can Take Phone Calls
 Jeb Bush's love of Apple products has been widely documented, and the Republican presidential candidate continues to wear his Apple Watch on the campaign trail. Yesterday, in a meeting with The Des Moines Register editorial board documented by USA Today, Bush stumbled upon a feature he didn’t realize his smartwatch was capable of: taking phone calls. Somehow Bush managed to take a call without picking up his iPhone, and the sound of a person’s voice saying hello breaks through the meeting noise, to which Bush responds, “My watch can’t be talking.”
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Google Stadia will have 10 more games at launch
 After first announcing that its cloud-streaming Stadia game service would launch with just 12 titles, Google has nearly doubled that number, according to a tweet from Stadia boss Phil Harrison. The service will now arrive with 10 additional games, br... 
Stanford's new tech-laden hospital includes pill-picking robots
 Technology only seems to find its way into hospitals in fits and starts. Stanford, however, is about to find out what happens when you build a tech-oriented hospital from the ground up. The university has opened a new hospital in Stanford Health Car... 
Instagram cracks down on app that snoops on private profiles
 Instagram is taking action against a stalker-friendly app that makes Like Patrol seem modest. The social network confirmed to Android Police that it was sending a cease and desist request to Ghosty, an Android app built to show you private Instagram... 
HP rejects Xerox buyout offer, at least for now
 HP has been receiving buyout offers as of late, but it's not ready to lose its independence -- at least, not yet. The tech pioneer has rejected a Xerox proposal to buy the company for $22 per share, arguing that the current offer "undervalues" HP an... 
TikTok's owner may be readying a streaming music service
 No, TikTok's owner still isn't done dipping its toes into other categories. Financial Times sources claim ByteDance is planning an on-demand streaming music service with, as you might expect, a social media hook. The app would reportedly include a... 
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The New York-based biotech startup Ecovative wants to replace plastic with mycelium, the below-ground root-like structure of a mushroom, writes CNN Business.
pgmrdlm shared their report:
The company says it has developed a Why Firefox Fights for the Future of the Web
"Mozilla is no longer fighting for market share of its browser: it is fighting for the future of the web," writes the Guardian, citing Mozilla Project co-founder Mitchell Baker:
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Microsoft updates terms on data privacy amid EU probe
Microsoft said on Monday it was updating the privacy provisions of its commercial cloud contracts after European regulators found its deals with European Union institutions failed to protect data in line with EU law.
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MMC Ventures outs new £100M ‘Scale Up’ fund to double-down on its portfolio at the later-stage
MMC Ventures, the London-based VC that typically invested at Seed and Series A via the various funds it manages, has launched a new £100 million “Scale Up” fund to provide expansion capital to its later-stage portfolio companies.
This is a move we are seeing a number of early-stage European VCs make, such as LocalGlobe with its “Latitude” fund, as they look to double-down on existing investments at Series B and beyond.
The motivation is obvious: as European tech continues to grow, becoming increasingly ambitious and global, investors don’t want to get diluted too much and too early. Meanwhile, although arguably there is an abundance of early-stage capital floating around, there are less European funds as you move to later stage.
MMC Ventures says its Scale Up Fund will provide primary capital to current portfolio companies that have grown beyond the mandate of MMC Ventures’ existing funds. Notably, however, MMC’s Scale Up Fund is also permitted to participate in secondary transactions.
In a call with MMC’s Bruce Macfarlane (Managing Partner) and Simon Menashy (Partner), the pair explained that this means that MMC can offer liquidity to early MMC and third-party investors who wish to exit from one of MMC’s portfolio companies early.
In this way, capital can be recycled within the early-stage funding ecosystem, whereby, for example, angel investors can go again by backing newly formed companies, while MMC maintains a longer-term outlook.
However, despite the launch of a later stage fund, Macfarlane says MMC’s core specialism remains as a Series A investor
Meanwhile, MMC has already made investments from the Scale Up Fund into a number of portfolio companies. They are Safeguard Global (alongside Accel KKR), Masabi (alongside Smedvig Capital), and Interactive Investor.
The Scale Up Fund rounds off a number of new funds managed by MMC. The firm recently outed a new £52 million seed fund in partnership with the Mayor of London. And combined with its annual EIS fundraise, the VC has added £200 million to its coffers in the last 12 months.
Over the last year, MMC has invested more than £85 million across the pre-seed, seed, series A and later stages in amounts ranging from £100,000 to £25 million. The firm also moved into new larger offices in Holborn, in Central London, which Macfarlane tells me is a sign of how bullish MMC remains with regards to U.K. tech and in spite of Brexit.
“2019 has been a big year for our firm, and the launch of our new Scale Up Fund represents a scale up moment for MMC as well as a significant innovation in the U.K. venture market,” adds Macfarlane in a statement. “This Fund allows us to double down on our most successful businesses while enabling our investors, and others, to take full or partial exits from early investments”.
Ford Mustang Mach-E: 5 Tech and Design Details That Stood Out
Ford finally showed the world its highly anticipated all-electric crossover, the Mustang Mach-E. The vehicle, which was unveiled Sunday at the Hawthorne Airport and in Tesla’s backyard, marks a series of firsts for Ford and the Mustang badge.
It’s the first vehicle to come out of Team Edison, the automaker’s dedicated electric vehicle organization. It’s not only the first electric Mustang, it’s also an SUV.
TechCrunch has had an up close look and ride in the Mach-E, the first variant of which will become available in fall 2020. While there’s a lot to highlight, here are some of the details that stood out.
Door handles
Ford went an entirely new direction with the door handles on the Mustang Mach-E. You won’t find any Tesla lookalike door handles here. The doors seem to be lacking handles at all. A closer look though reveals illuminated buttons on the B and C pillars. The front doors also have a small, protruding handle located just under the button to grab onto.
Pressing the button for the backdoor immediately pops it open just slightly. Then the passenger reaches into the ajar door to hit the latch. This might sound dangerous and apt for a crushed finger. Except there’s an immediate safety in place that doesn’t allow the door to close. TechCrunch tested it out.
Owners will be able to also use their smartphone to unlock the Mustang Mach-E. This phone as a key technology is new to Ford.
Tech tray
It’s a seemingly small detail, but so many automakers ignore that their customers have smartphones and want to put these devices somewhere other than a cup holder. Behold the tech tray, which has wireless charging pad.
The cup holders, located just below the tech tray, can be used to hold actual cups.
Infotainment system
The 15.5-inch screen will get a lot of attention, perhaps because its location and vertical placement is reminiscent of the Tesla Model S. But then there’s the physical dial placed on the bottom of the screen to control the volume.
While not everyone will love this feature, it’s interesting how this dial came to be. Team Edison was assembled in 2017 to do more than create a new electric vehicle. It was created to do it differently and much faster than a typical vehicle program.
How the look and functionality of the infotainment system was developed is an example of this newfound nimbleness. A group of just over a dozen people with minimal oversight started with a research trip to China. Further customer research revealed that people wanted native apps in their car’s infotainment system and they didn’t want to learn anything new, Philip Mason, who is on Team Edison’s user experience, said during a backgrounder event prior to unveiling.
A prototype of physical dial was put together quickly — no fancy prototypes — and research groups responded positively.
The infotainment system is also cloud connected, allowing it to show traffic in real-time in navigation feature, has natural language, activated by one of four “wake words” like OK, Ford, and allows users to create personal profiles. The system learns the behavior and likes of the user over time.
And the entire system will be updated and improved via over-the-air software updates.
Vegan interior
Ford is hardly the first to move away from leather for its interior. Tesla has dropped leather and the Porsche Taycan is also vegan. Now the interior of the Mustang Mach-E also qualifies.
The synthetic material is among the better faux leather materials TechCrunch has come across. Even the steering wheel, a challenging area for synthetics, feels good.
Frunk
A front trunk in an all-electric vehicle is nothing new. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t have the biggest frunk on the market; it’s not the smallest either.
But there is something interesting about this 4.8-cubic-inch frunk. It’s drainable and plastic lined. Josh Greiner, senior interior designer on the Mach-E, was quick to note during a backgrounder prior to the unveiling that the frunk could be packed with ice and used while tailgating.
One more bonus item
Right above the steering wheel is a driver monitoring system. This might come in handy for the automaker’s eventual plans to offer a hands-free driver assist system in Mach-E.
Opera’s Africa fintech startup OPay gains $120M from Chinese investors
Africa focused fintech startup OPay has raised a $120 million Series B round backed by Chinese investors.
Located in Lagos and founded by consumer internet company Opera, OPay will use the funds to scale in Nigeria and expand its payments product to Kenya, Ghana and South Africa — Opera’s CFO Frode Jacobsen confirmed to TechCrunch.
Series B investors included Meituan-Dianping, GaoRong, Source Code Capital, Softbank Asia, BAI, Redpoint, IDG Capital, Sequoia China and GSR Ventures.
OPay’s $120 million round comes after the startup raised $50 million in June.
It also follows Visa’s $200 million investment in Nigerian fintech company Interswitch and a $40 million raise by Lagos based payments startup PalmPay — led by China’s Transsion.
There are a couple quick takeaways. Nigeria has become the epicenter for fintech VC and expansion in Africa. And Chinese investors have made an unmistakable pivot to African tech.
 Opera’s activity on the continent represents both trends. The Norway based, Chinese (majority) owned company founded OPay in 2018 on the popularity of its internet search engine.
Opera’s web-browser has ranked No. 2 in usage in Africa, after Chrome, the last four years.
The company has built a hefty suite of internet-based commercial products in Nigeria around OPay’s financial utility. These include motorcycle ride-hail app ORide, OFood delivery service, and OLeads SME marketing and advertising vertical.
“Opay will facilitate the people in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and other African countries with the best fintech ecosystem. We see ourselves as a key contributor to…helping local businesses…thrive from…digital business models,” Opera CEO and OPay Chairman Yahui Zhou, said in a statement.
Opera CFO Frode Jacobsen shed additional light on how OPay will deploy the $120 million across Opera’s Africa network. OPay looks to capture volume around bill payments and airtime purchases, but not necessarily as priority. “That’s not something you do ever day. We want to focus our services on things that have high-frequency usage,” said Jacobsen.
 Those include transportation services, food services, and other types of daily activities, he explained. Jacobsen also noted OPay will use the $120 million to enter more countries in Africa than those disclosed.
Since its Series A raise, OPay in Nigeria has scaled to 140,000 active agents and $10 million in daily transaction volume, according to company stats.
Beyond standing out as another huge funding round, OPay’s $120 million VC raise has significance for Africa’s tech ecosystem on multiple levels.
It marks 2019 as the year Chinese investors went all in on the continent’s startup scene. OPay, PalmPay, and East African trucking logistics company Lori Systems have raised a combined $240 million from 15 different Chinese actors in a span of months.
OPay’s funding and expansion plans are also harbinger for fierce, cross-border fintech competition in Africa’s digital finance space. Parallel events to watch for include Interswitch’s imminent IPO, e-commerce venture Jumia’s shift to digital finance, and WhatsApp’s likely entry in African payments.
The continent’s 1.2 billion people represent the largest share of the world’s unbanked and underbanked population — which makes fintech Africa’s most promising digital sector. But it’s becoming a notably crowded sector where startup attrition and failure will certainly come into play.
And not to be overlooked is how OPay’s capital raise moves Opera toward becoming a multi-service commercial internet platform in Africa.
This places OPay and its Opera-supported suite of products on a competitive footing with other ride-hail, food delivery and payments startups across the continent. That means inevitable competition between Opera and Africa’s largest multi-service internet company, Jumia.
Yahoo Japan and Line Corp confirm merger agreement
SoftBank Corp announced today that it has reached an agreement to merge with Z Holdings (the SoftBank subsidiary formerly known as Yahoo Japan) and Line Corp, in a move they hope will better position them against competitors. The merger, which was first reported by Nikkei last week, is expected to be completed in October 2020.
SoftBank and Naver, the owner of Line, will each hold 50% of a new holding company that will operate Line and Z Holdings. By uniting, SoftBank and Naver hope that they will better position search portal Yahoo Japan, Line’s messaging app and their other businesses to compete against rivals from the United States and China.
In its announcement, SoftBank said “in the Internet market, overseas companies, especially those based in the United States and China, are overwhelmingly dominant, and even when comparing the size of operations, there is currently a big difference between such overseas companies and those in other Asian countries, other than China.”
Line is one of the most popular messaging apps in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, but has struggled to compete in other markets, despite offering a wide array of services that includes Line Pay, Line Taxi and Line Music. Yahoo Japan is one of the country’s biggest search engines, but it competes with Google and its other businesses, including e-commerce, are up against rivals like Rakuten and Alibaba.
Once merged, SoftBank and Naver say cooperation between their subsidiaries and investment portfolio companies will enable them to make more advances in artificial intelligence and other areas, including search, advertising and payment and financial services.
The merger would entail taking Line private by acquiring all outstanding Line shares, options and convertible bonds. The tender offer for Line’s remaining shares will be 5,200 yen, a 13.41% premium over the closing price of Line’s common shares, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, on Nov. 13, before reports came out about the potential merger.
Ford unveils the Mustang Mach-E, an all-electric crossover with muscle car roots
Ford unveiled Sunday ahead of the LA Auto Show the Mustang Mach-E, the highly anticipated all-electric crossover and the first vehicle to come out of Team Edison, the automaker’s dedicated electric vehicle organization.
In short: the Mustang Mach-E is different from any other Ford vehicle without ignoring its roots. It’s undeniably a Mustang with its short nose and front overhang, headlights and muscular stance. But it also has a design suited for an electric vehicle as well as an all-new infotainment system and connected vehicle technology, plus a few other interesting and new details.
The moment is an important one for Ford, which has historically backed hybrid technology. It not only represents the biggest change for the Mustang in its 55 year history, it’s the first product to come out of Ford’s $11 billion commitment to add 16 all-electric vehicles within its global portfolio of 40 electrified vehicles through 2022.
“We knew we had to do something different and something exciting and something only Ford could do,” Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford North America said at a press event prior to the Sunday unveiling.
This is not meant to be a compliance car — the types of vehicles produced only to meet stricter emissions rules in some states such as California, a key market for automakers. Although the project initially started as one.
It’s meant to be a vehicle that people get excited about; it must be fun to drive and have the performance that Mustang diehards expect. It’s no small task and one some within the company viewed as a risk.
“I’ve driven it and it’s a rocket ship,” Ford Chairman Bill Ford said during the event Sunday. “This is a Mustang for a new generation, but I also think long-time Mustang fans like me will love it as well.”
And while there have been months of teasers and even one big leak, the unveiling Sunday provided fresh details of the vehicle.
Ford will offer five variants of the Mustang Mach-E, including a standard version called Select, a Premium trim, First Edition, California Route 1 and a GT Performance edition that is targeting a 0 to 60 miles per hour acceleration in the mid 3-second range and an estimated 342 kW (459 horsepower) and 830 Nm (612 pound-feet) of torque.
Starting at $43,895
The most affordable version of the Mach-E will be the “Select” trim with rear-wheel drive that starts at $43,895 before applying the $7,500 federal credit. However, “select” won’t be available until early 2021. The select rear-wheel view trim has 75.7 kwh battery pack with a target range of 230 miles. For another $2,700, the select trim is also available in all-wheel drive.
The limited First Edition will start at $59,900 and be available in extended-range all-wheel drive, with red painted brake calipers, metallic pedal covers, contrasting seat stitching and a scuff plate marked “First Edition.” The First Edition, , which is targeting 0-60 in the mid five-second range, has a 98.8 kwh battery that can travel 270 miles on a single charge.
The first edition and the premium trims will be the initial Mustang Mach-E vehicles available in fall 2020. The Premium version will start at $50,600.
The GT performance, which starts at $60,500, will be available in Spring 2021. The GT performance comes with a 98.8 kwh battery pack with targeted EPA estimate of 250 miles.
Ford has opened up a reservations page, where customers can put a $500 deposit down for any of the versions. A configurator that allows customers to design the version is also live.
Driving modes
Like other electric vehicles on the market, Ford has given the Mach-E three driving modes. Whisper is as one might expect, a quiet ride that has been tuned for a comfortable ride. “Engage” is the middle-of-the-road mode meant to provide what one Ford employee described as a “balanced” ride. For those who want the top performance and amped up drive, they can pick “Unbridled.” Each driving mode is tuned with specific steering controls as well as ambient lighting and sounds.
Drivers who pick Whisper or Engage will get blue lighting in the instrument cluster and other spots within the vehicle, while Unbridled has lighting with a copper hue and a propulsion sound.
Infotainment
The Mach-E is also getting a next-generation version of its Sync infotainment system. The 15.5-inch vertical screen sits in the center and is where much of the important yet non-essential for driving functions are located. Stuff like music as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. One feature that stands out is physical volume knob sits at the bottom of the vertical screen.
One interesting feature is that drivers of the Mach-E can run Apple Carplay or Android Auto while also displaying the native maps on the display.
Meanwhile, Ford kept the instrument cluster, where all of the important driving information is housed.
Charging
Ford is supplying all variants with a home charger that can plug into 120V or 240V outlets. Ford will also sell a faster home charger. The price has not yet been revealed.
The company is partnering with Amazon Home Services to help with installation.
Every angle of Ford’s all-electric Mustang Mach-E
Ford unveiled Sunday the newest Mustang in its lineup that marks a number of firsts for the automaker. Not only is this the first all-electric Mustang, it’s also an SUV and the first vehicle to come out of Team Edison, Ford’s dedicated electric vehicle organization.
Here’s a closer look at the vehicle inside and out.
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Original Content podcast: Disney’s ‘Mandalorian’ is never boring
Disney’s shift to streaming is officially underway with this week’s launch of Disney+ along with its flagship show, the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian.”
On the latest episode of the Original Content podcast, we discuss our initial reactions to the new streaming service.
It turns out that we had fairly different responses: Anthony was impressed by the breadth of the content library (nearly every Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars film, along with 30 seasons of “The Simpsons”), while Darrell was more interested in the original content. Jordan, meanwhile, found herself initially excited about the library, only to wonder how much time she really needs to spend watching her childhood favorites.
As for that original content, we also have a spoiler-free review of “The Mandalorian.” Disney is releasing episodes on a weekly basis, with two episodes live as of publication — but only one available when we recorded. And even though we’re in the age of extra-long streaming episodes, “The Mandalorian”‘s chapters only run 30 or 40 minutes each so far.
Still, we found plenty to talk about. After all, one reason for that brevity may be the visual richness of what’s on-screen, with enough beautiful new worlds and spectacular battles to stand alongside any of the Star Wars feature films.
And the fast pace means we were never bored: The show introduces Pedro Pascal as a silent-but-deadly bounty hunter, along with Werner Herzog as a client who sends him after a mysterious target.
You can listen in the player below, subscribe using Apple Podcasts or find us in your podcast player of choice. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review on Apple. You can also send us feedback directly. (Or suggest shows and movies for us to review!)
And if you want to skip ahead, here’s how the episode breaks down:
0:00 Intro
0:38 “The Morning Show” listener response
9:24 Disney+ discussion
37:34 “The Mandalorian” review (spoiler free)
Northzone raises new $500M fund to back startups in Europe (and the East Coast, US)
Northzone, the European VC firm that’s probably best-known for being an early backer of Spotify, has raised a new $500 million fund, which it claims was oversubscribed and will reach its final close imminently.
Dubbed “Northzone IX,” the new fund pretty much represents business as usual for Northzone and will be used to invest primarily at Series A and B, with “selective” Seed investments (as many Series A firms increasingly do).
Geographically, Northzone is targeting Europe and the East Coast of the U.S., and is eyeing up early-stage consumer and enterprise companies that are addressing “large and established industries saddled with legacy technology”. This includes financial services, healthcare, education, mobility and construction.
The VC firm is also announcing two promotions. Hello Fresh co-founder Jessica Schultz and Dots co-founder Paul Murphy have been promoted to General Partners, in addition to existing GPs Pär-Jörgen Pärson, Jeppe Zink, and Michiel Kotting.
“Tech businesses are becoming giants in new industries like construction, food, and finance,” says Murphy, during a telephone interview alongside Schultz and Kotting. “And these industries are 4 trillion to 10 trillion in size, so quite a bit bigger than media, which is where most of the focus has been in the past few decades. I think it’s exciting, we look at huge addressable markets, both in terms of existing incumbents, and consumers and users and businesses. But it’s also challenging because it means we do sort of become, you know, pretty deep on multiple industries, instead of just one”.
To manage this, Murphy explains that Northzone takes a “thematic approach” to investing, whereby themes cut across sectors. “So it could be a certain theme that leads us to a finTech investment or to a mobility investment,” he says. “We try to let the themes take us where they take us, instead of having to focus in on one particular sector”.
“I think our strategy is still looking for founders with huge ambition and conviction to build transformative businesses,” adds Schultz.
With an avalanche of new European VC funds being announced — I chalk this up as the fourth I’ve covered in the last week, I posit that we could be in a bubble or at least somewhat frothy times.
“I think that there’s always cycles,” says Murphy. “And I think where we are in this cycle, there’s a lot of people that are speculating. I think the broad macro climate indicates that we’re maybe at the high end of that cycle, and tech is core to many, many countries’ economy now. So I don’t want to claim that we’re immune to any sort of downturn that may come.
“That said, as I mentioned before, tech is now going after industries that are exponentially larger than what they’ve gone after in the past. There is a whole lot of opportunity out there. Yes, there’s more funds than ever, but if we want to fully capture all of the opportunities that exist around the world in tech, I think we need many more funds than exists today”.
“I think that’s where we have the benefit of history a little bit, as we’ve been in the business for 23 years now,” says Schultz. “We’ve seen a lot of the downturns from dot com boom to the financial crisis in 2008. And I think that also gives us a little bit of a perspective on the opportunities you get in the downturns and also the important areas to focus on during challenging market conditions. As Paul said, we think there will still be a lot of opportunities regardless of the economic cycles”.
The key to VC investing, regardless of cycle, is to stay disciplined “and look for the fundamentals of the businesses” that fit a long term view of how the world is changing.
Somewhat related to this, although Northzone isn’t able to disclose a list of its LPs — who are said to be a mixture of existing investors and new ones — General Partner Michiel Kotting says the majority are in Europe.
“We have always maintained that as a European product, we want predominantly European investors behind us. So it’s an awful lot of European but we’re not one of these EIF [European Investment Fund] dominated funds at all. And we also have systematically stepped up Asian and U.S. LPs in recent years. But the key thing for us is, we learned that lesson a decade ago, you can’t be a European product and be dominated by U.S. or Asian LPs. Because when a financial crisis comes around, they tend to drop those sort of products first. So we’ve always made sure that we have a natural alignment with our LP base”.
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Bill V Bowie: How (not) to sell a tech idea
 The year is 1995. Bill Gates explains to a skeptic David Letterman on his late-night show why the Internet is “the new big thing.” Yet that deliciously vintage clip actually shows Gates failing miserably at presenting the Internet as something more than a frivolous fad. You would have thought that for someone who had become the world’s wealthiest man by developing and peddling technology, this would be an easy sell – even if pitched against a clever talk show host intent on scoring a gag or two. Contrast that to a different 1990s interview, where David Bowie explains pretty much… This story continues at The Next Web 
4 simple things social media marketers can do to improve social responsibility
 Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can take many different forms. Some businesses launch full campaigns that include revamping corporate or manufacturing policies and supporting them with fundraisers, volunteer activities, and charitable donations. Others companies start massive social cause campaigns to give attention to specific issues. While large CSR initiatives are impressive, there are smaller efforts that all businesses can make to practice social responsibility within their industries. In this article, I’ll demonstrate how social media marketers can practice social responsibility toward their audience and the businesses or clients they represent. You can use the information as a guideline for authentic, responsible social… This story continues at The Next Web 
Why philosophers believe we’ve reached peak human intelligence
 Despite huge advances in science over the past century, our understanding of nature is still far from complete. Not only have scientists failed to find the Holy Grail of physics – unifying the very large (general relativity) with the very small (quantum mechanics) – they still don’t know what the vast majority of the universe is made up of. The sought after Theory of Everything continues to elude us. And there are other outstanding puzzles, too, such as how consciousness arises from mere matter. Will science ever be able to provide all the answers? Human brains are the product of… This story continues at The Next Web 
Just putting it out there: I’m a sucker for influencer marketing
 In this column, “Just putting this out there…,” we write about the odd ways we engage with tech and the unpopular opinions we form about it. You can read the rest of the articles in this series here. Hi, my name is Yessi and, even though I should know better, I’m a complete sucker for influencer marketing. While it brings me great shame to admit this, recent research suggests I’m not alone. The industry is huge. In 2017, eMarketer reported that marketers spent $570 million on influencer marketing globally. In 2018, a staggering $1.6 billion was funneled into sponsored posts on… This story continues at The Next Web 
CHEAP: OMFG!!! The Pandemic board game is 40% off!!!
 Welcome to CHEAP, our series about things that are good, but most of all, cheap. CHEAP! Board games are one of my favorite things in the world. There’s something about sitting around your cozy home or, even better, in a gorgeous pub and gaming for a few hours — especially considering how long we spend staring at screens these days. I’ve got nothing against playing video games, quite the opposite in fact, but a board game is so much more communal than everyone packed around a screen. But, there’s a problem. What if you want a game that’s more laid… This story continues at The Next Web 
Here’s why the internet will always have enough space for all our devices
 It seems that every five years, news emerges that the digital sky is falling in. Back in 2010 and 2015, rumors spread that the internet would soon run out of IP addresses. Now, the regulator of Europe’s internet domains has predicted that the region’s 1.91m remaining addressees will most likely run out before 2020. Every computer and smartphone must have an IP address to access the internet. IP is short for Internet Protocol, and like your postcode, it has to be sufficiently unique, as this ensures all connected devices can accurately send and receive data between themselves. This is how… This story continues at The Next Web 
Pro-anorexia forums are dangerous — but they can teach us a lot about community and understanding
 In recent years, a cultural movement has emerged online that takes a positive attitude toward eating disorders. So-called pro-anorexia (or, more commonly, ‘pro-ana’) organizations differ widely. Whereas the majority claim to provide a non-judgmental environment for those diagnosed with anorexia, others go further, denying that eating disorders are mental illnesses and casting them instead as ‘lifestyle choices’ that should be respected by doctors and families. As a researcher and psychoanalyst who works with patients with eating disorders, I’ve spent considerable time on pro-anorexia forums carefully analyzing their content. Visiting a pro-ana website for the first time is a visceral experience.… This story continues at The Next Web 
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