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The investigation, which relied on leaked recordings of more than 80 internal TikTok meetings, suggests the engineers had access to the user between September 2021 and January of this year. In an effort to assuage concerns, the China-based video-sharing app has claimed to move all user data to Oracle servers based in the US. Yet, for America’s 80-million-strong TikTok userbase, using security solutions like virtual private networks (VPNs) may still be the most effective way to guarantee privacy on the app....

Linksys created the standard more than a decade ago, and they’re back with a new future-proof router that supports it: the WRT 3200ACM. Having polished out some of the software bumps that were reported around its launch (par for the course for WRT firmware), we tested Linksys’ latest offering in a standard environment supporting a smart home (at least 5 connected devices). Setup Like all current-generation Linksys routers, the WRT3200ACM has a simplified setup process....

Localblox.com connects local residents with other local residents, businesses, services, events and community information on a single platform. Realtors can personally connect with individuals within their community by writing on the community wall, responding to open inquiries, and attending and reviewing local community events. Agents can become Community Ambassadors and establish themselves as the go-to authorities in a particular community. It provides a unique opportunity for real estate agents to truly engage with their neighbors and beyond....

Using the GPS feature on kids’ smartphones and their Facebook logins, the iPhone app can notify parents when the child is late to school; when they arrive at a “restricted place,” like a bad-influence friend’s house or an unsafe location; when they use curse words on Facebook; when they get tagged in photos; or when they’re driving over the speed limit. If young, freedom-seeking teenagers had a nightmare, this app might be it....

It’s honestly not that hard to see where they’re coming from, and it makes a lot of sense. Today’s consumers demand highly relevant, individualized experiences. That trend has in turn made marketers take a long, hard look at their processes and realize that they need to fundamentally change their approach. Boomtrain bills themselves as the only predictive analytics based marketing platform that was built with machine intelligence embedded in their core....

Why This Is Important Launching any business comes with endless, yet manageable, risk, and this only expands when seeking outside funding. For venture funding, regulations put some constraints on who can contribute capital, which in turn turned away less experienced people from spending their money on poor investments. However, technology once again bested regulations, and in the past decade or so crowdfunding has knocked down barriers. Thanks to crowdfunding, launching products and companies is seemingly easier due to getting small contributions from hundreds if not thousands of backers rather than large amounts of money from a handful of VCs....

URBAN-X, the New York-based startup accelerator, has announced their newest cohort of innovative companies and they far from disappoint. From high performance sensor systems for autonomous vehicles to innovative Internet of Things platforms, these smart city companies could make a serious difference in New York in years to come. URBAN-X Cohort .03 If you’re interested in taking a look at the startups that will be in the newest Urban-X cohort, check them out below: Lunewave is developing a high performance and high value sensor system for fully autonomous vehicles....

Seattle is a hub for Cloud and Digital Work. Digital Work Accelerator is seeking startups who change the way we work. In the last Seattle cohort of the Microsoft Ventures Accelerator class, the startups were focused on consumer-based technology and home automation. Currently, the accelerator is accepting applications for its next cohort which will shift the focus toward Enterprise solutions and B2B services. Startups who are creating next-generation messaging solutions, advanced enterprise search-indexing, redefined email solutions, cloud-centric ERP solutions, open-source big data visualization, and basically, changing the way we work, are encouraged to apply....

My personal favorite this morning, though, is the Washington Technology Industry Association. They’ve wrangled $3.5 million in grant funding to help bring people into the tech ecosystem across Washington state: always good to see the government helping out where they can. If you want our roundup delivered directly to your inbox sign up here! Funding Fundbox Brings in $40 Million Fundbox, a cash flow optimization tool for small businesses, announced that they have raised an additional $50 million in equity funding led by new investor Spark Capital Growth with participation from Bezos Expeditions, Sound Ventures, Entrée Capital, and existing investors: Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, Shlomo Kramer, and Blumberg Capital....

Their app, FactoryKPIs, lets manufacturing executives monitor processes and deal with issues on the go from an iPhone or iPad. Below, president John Nichols shars his slow-and-steady, persistent approach to entrepreneurship. Tech Cocktail: What’s the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn so far? John Nichols: Time and money go really, really fast. Tech Cocktail: How do you keep your team motivated at the office? Nichols: I regularly share and reinforce the Vision....

OK, this fairy tale has nothing to do with space, but it came to mind when NASA announced the next evolution of their rover for the NASA Mars 2020 mission that will have more eyes on the red planet than any rover before it, 23 to be exact. The Mars Cameras When NASA’s Mars Pathfinder first touched down in 1997, it only had five cameras. The advancement in camera technology has seen a lunar leap, even the latest smartphones can produce higher resolution than past rover cameras....

That’s right; the NCAA will broadcast the semi-final and championship games in virtual reality on April 2nd and April 4th with help from VR production house Voke. Just put on your Samsung Gear VR, download the March Madness Live app on the Oculus Store and enjoy the 180-degree, court-side view of all the action. “But what about all the content I would miss on TV?” Well, obviously they thought of that....

The company said last month it would complete its expansion into 200 countries within two years (faster than expected) as it builds its presence overseas; this growth is happening while presence in its U.S. markets slow. Netflix’s streaming video service added 4.3 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2014, of which more than half were from outside the United States. The company said on Wednesday that it would launch its movie and TV streaming service in Japan in the fall of 2015....

The feature is already present in some competing video meeting services, such as Zoom, but makes it debut on Teams this month. The request was actually made via the official Microsoft Teams forum, where it gathered considerable traction and support. Chat can be a major cause of disruption, and can often derail a meeting as the host tries to focus on one topic, and the participants are having another separate conversation in the chat....

Also, it’s not some sort of live streaming video app that other popular social media sites like Facebook, YouTube or Twitter have all added recently. At least Pinterest is showing some restraint here. That doesn’t mean they don’t care about their bottom line, of course. Also getting rolled out soon is Pinterest’s long-awaited shopping cart function. With it, users can add qualifying items into their cart to be purchased at a later date....

A recent post on Marketing Land shows that more than 120 different ad agencies have increased their digital advertisement outreach via videos 88.6 percent in the last three years alone. The only problem here, according to the American Association of Advertising, is that a 30-second piece of video costs about $324,000 to produce. And while independent freelancers offer alternatives, it’s still a bit too expensive and time consuming for startup companies....

Yes, boys and girls, it’s the thing you’ve always wanted: the PillowPocket, a pillow … with a pocket. This $9.95 white pillowcase has a 6” by 4” pocket that’s designed to hold your smartphone. Velcro seals the pocket shut, so you can sleep peacefully on the 100 percent Egyptian cotton, 300 thread-count fabric. PillowPocket recommends using apps like Proactive Sleep, Sigmund, and Deep Sleep Aid to track and enhance your slumber....

Take the poll and select the startup that you think is the most likely to succeed. We may have forgotten some great startups so be sure to write them in if your favorite is missing. Also be sure to share the poll with a friend. If you aren’t familiar with some of these companies you might want to subscribe to our updates via email, Twitter or Facebook as you may enjoy our daily coverage....

The PlayStation 4 or PS4 is a much more capable console than its predecessors, with hardware specifications that rival most entry-level gaming PCs, but even it is still unable to make the most out of your internet connection. Unless of course you’re willing to take one of these steps… 3 Steps To Improve PSN Download Speeds Paying for a Static IP address and assigning it to your PS4 (or even your PS3) will give you the best connection to the PlayStation Network possible....

Pubslush adopts the global crowdfunding model (like Kickstarter and Indiegogo) and applies it to a platform solely for books. Through the Pubslush platform, authors can raise funds and gain a better understanding of their audience; readers pledge their financial support for books, as well as provide commentary for the authors. On a more fundamental level, the site serves as a starting point for aspiring authors, providing them with a resource and network to navigate the various routes of book publishing....