Social writing platform and writer’s network Wattpad has been at it for a while now, and they’ve quietly amassed a massive user base that engages regularly with the site, posting their own stories and reading the stories of others, all the while engaging with one another through feedback, criticism and support. Now, the startup has raised a Series C round of funding worth $46 million, led by OMERS Ventures, and including August Capital, Raine Ventures and Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund, and all of the company’s existing investors
Uber is launching an on-demand courier service tomorrow (exclusive)
According to a job listing obtained by VentureBeat, Uber plans to pay bike couriers between $20 and $30 per hour for “on-demand deliveries.” Uber plans to give couriers a free iPhone 4S, allowing them to “receive pickup requests from nearby customers.”
Podcasters & broadcasters now have their own version of Skype
Microsoft announced a new version Skype today that caters to those that use the VoIP service while broadcasting: news teams, podcasters, etc….
How to be a successful app developer: my latest itbusiness article
What makes a successful app developer? This is a question that many hundreds (if not thousands) of Canadians are asking themselves. Why? The barrier to create these apps has never been lower and the industry is becoming flooded with talent. In downtown Toronto, one is but a stone’s throw away from successful app development shops.
In my recent conversation with Robleh Jama of Tiny Hearts (<- click that link for the full article) we talked about what makes an app successful and what steps he takes to try to make it.
Through The Looking Glass: My latest Catalyst article
You probably already knew that Canadians have a lot of apps on their smartphones Guess how many to be exact?
25.
However, did you know that less than one of them (on average) was paid for?
These are just two insightful facts that my company uncovered as part of it’s research that resulted in a report on how Canadians use their smartphones.
I invite you to read about my insights in how Canadians use their smartphones for banking and to also digest the full report. Happy reading!
Turkey’s Constitutional Court orders Twitter access to be unblocked
Interesting turn of events in Turkey regarding their constitution and the recent Twitter ban.
Coffee Lounge: Nadir Mohamed (former Rogers CEO)
Every quarter I have the opportunity to help plan and attend a local community coffee lounge organized by the Willowdale Jamatkhana in Toronto. The purpose of these “lounges” are to inspire young professionals to want to strive towards excellence in their careers while also inspiring them to look overseas for service opportunities.
This quarter’s speaker was former Rogers CEO, Nadir Mohamed.
Nadir spoke for about 25 minutes but stuck around for well over an hour more answering questions and talking to young Ismaili professionals.
Here are a few points which I remember from this past weekend’s event:
– Nadir does not consider his story to be a rags to riches one. He feels he led a charmed life and has been blessed with luck as his parents struggled to provide him with all the best things in life.
– Strongly advocates that his time volunteering with the Vancouver Ismaili community provided him with a foundation based on values.
– Has never considered himself to be the smartest in the room. but was smart enough to always look for the smartest person.
– In order to make changes that might seem tough (personally or for the company) they must be simple to understand.
– Nadir also shared some “inside baseball” stories on how Rogers entered the wireless industry, purchased Microcell and even snapped the NHL away from the CBC. However, these stories are better told than read as I don’t want to mis-interpret anything he said. 🙂
Opening Day: A Love Letter
Opening Day: A Love Letter | http://ow.ly/veki9 #baseballsback
How to block Promoted Tweets in your Hootsuite Twitter Home Feed
Almost everyone I know uses Twitter. What many of us disagree with is the change in user experience when it comes to seeing Promoted Tweets in your feed.
What is a Promoted Tweet? Well, according to the screen shot of a Google Search result, a promoted tweet is a feature that businesses pay in order to be promoted at the top of search results on Twitter.
Here is what a Promoted Tweet actually looks like:
I don’t mind that Twitter is using Promoted Tweets as a way of monetizing their product. Why? Well, it doesn’t impact the experience for me because it’s a native ad. Secondly, it helps to pay for a service that I enjoy using for free. Those that have a problem with Promoted Tweets are few and far between.
So, if you don’t like Promoted Tweets and you use Hootsuite (my preferred method of using Twitter on my desktop/laptop) here is what you can do to remove it:
Within the Promoted Tweet on Hootsuite you will see an “X”. When you hover your mouse over the “X” you will see the prompt “Promoted Tweets…” Click on the “X”. You will then have the following screen pop open:
Click on the “Hide Promoted Tweets” box as shown below. Save your preferences and refresh your screen. Viola! No more Promoted Tweets in you Home Feed.
Now you may enjoy your weekend.
Digital Disruption: My latest on itbusiness.ca
Earlier this week my latest article for itbusiness.ca was published.
Earlier in the month I had the opportunity to represent Catalyst and attend the Dx3Canada conference and trade show in Toronto. One of the biggest trends that everyone seemed to be talking about and discussing was the role of technology and digital in the retail space. This was highlighted by the Retail Collective space and the keynote by Duncan Fulton.
I invite you to read my full article on digital disruption in the retail space and even leave a comment! Thanks.