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Flipboard founder: Web will soon 'look more like print'

SAN FRANCISCO--The Web will soon look a lot like a traditional print experience, the founder of leading iPad news aggregator Flipboard said Monday.

Speaking on stage at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference here, Mike McCue, whose Flipboard has attracted more than $60 million in funding, explained that in his view, tablets like the iPad are "creating a new kind of (content) consumption experience, (one which) people have been dreaming about."

McCue, who had previously created and sold Internet voice communications firm Tellme, said that iPads and other tablets offer users a "fundamental improvement to the (mobile) Web," … Read more

TechCrunch founder Arrington officially moves on

After a bloody public battle, TechCrunch's Michael Arrington has officially severed ties with the startup blog he founded.

In a statement posted on TechCrunch's site today, AOL said that Arrington "has decided to move on from TechCrunch and AOL to his newly formed venture fund."

AOL acquired TechCrunch last year for an undisclosed sum. Following the acquisition, the companies agreed to allow TechCrunch to have editorial independence, and keep its staff. However, following Arrington's recent announcement of the establishment of a venture fund, called CrunchFund, the media world debated the ethics of the co-editor of … Read more

Ford kicks off Hackathon contest with Spotify integration

Ford inspired developers for its AppLink contest at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon last weekend by demonstrating Spotify integration. The demonstration showcased how easily Spotify developers were able to use Ford's Sync API to integrate the online music service into a Ford vehicle.

Developers modified the Spotify smartphone app, using Ford's Sync API, so that a driver could use the car's stereo controls and voice command to control the service. Information about the currently playing track appears on the car's stereo display.

Ford clarified that this demonstration was not meant to indicate a production version of Sync … Read more

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington fired by AOL?

AOL executives have decided to terminate embattled tech blogger Michael Arrington's employment with the company, according to a Fortune report.

Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, ignited a firestorm of debate during the past week after it was announced Thursday that he was forming a venture capital fund to invest in some of the startups he and his bloggers write about. The investors in Arrington's $20 million CrunchFund reportedly include AOL, which bought TechCrunch last year.

AOL and Arrington did not respond to requests for comment.

A journalist writing about companies he or she has a financial … Read more

This Day in Tech: Why Apple field tests unreleased iPhones; Not guilty plea for iPhone prototype case

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Thursday, September 1.

• In case you missed it yesterday, CNET reported on yet another lost iPhone. But CNET's Kent German writes that there's a reason why Apple has to test the unreleased iPhones in the field: "Even with the risks involved, Apple can't reliably test a new cell phone without a few devices leaving the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. Keeping the handsets under lock and key may sound safer, and it no doubt would be, … Read more

Michael Arrington creating VC fund, reports say

Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, is forming a venture capital fund to invest in some of the startups his bloggers write about, according to a Fortune report.

The $20 million CrunchFund will reportedly be funded primarily by AOL, which bought TechCrunch last year, as well as venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Greylock Partners.

Arrington and AOL did not respond to requests for comment.

Although the arrangement flies in the face of traditional journalism's principles of avoiding conflicts of interest, Arrington told The New York Times that the fund'… Read more

P2P car share wins TechCrunch award

Bay Area's car-sharing service Getaround won the TechCrunch Disrupt award this week, beating out 32 other startups for the top prize. In addition to bragging rights, free press, and taking home the Disrupt Cup, Getaround pocketed a $50,000 check.

Now touted as the AirBnB of car sharing, Getaround lets anyone list their car for rent by the hour. Members use the Web site or newly released iPhone app to request use of a vehicle, and owners approve requests individually. Getaround generated a lot of publicity earlier this year when word spread that an owner posted her Tesla Roadster … Read more

Is AT&T a wireless spectrum hog?

AT&T is pinning its future on getting its hands on more wireless spectrum. But should regulators allow AT&T, which owns more wireless spectrum than any other wireless operator across the nation, to gobble up even more of this scarce resource?

That's the big question that the Federal Communications Commission is grappling with as it scrutinizes the planned merger between AT&T and T-Mobile, which will transfer all of T-Mobile's spectrum to AT&T. The FCC is also in the middle of considering AT&T's plan to buy spectrum in the lower part of the 700MHz band of spectrum from Qualcomm.… Read more

AOL's TechCrunch and conflicts of interest

commentary Is it OK for AOL's TechCrunch editors to invest in companies they write about?

It's a question we once had figured out but a new generation of editors says it's OK. As long as it's disclosed. But is that enough?

Mike Arrington, editor and founder of TechCrunch, an AOL company, yesterday disclosed his investments in some high-profile start-ups.

He said he had refrained from making investments in start-ups since 2009 because of distracting accusations of conflicts of interest, but that he had recently changed that policy (following the sale of TechCrunch to AOL).

Over the … Read more

Apple releases iOS 4.3.1, but iOS 5 is a question

Apple has released the latest update to iOS 4, and TechCrunch reports that iOS 5 will be pushed back to the fall.

Launched on Friday, iOS 4.3.1 mostly fixes a few bugs here and there in the operating system for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple TV, according to Apple. The update resolves connectivity issues when joining certain cellular networks and authenticating with some enterprise Web services. It also takes care of a couple of graphics-related glitches--one affecting the 4G iPod Touch and another between Apple's Digital AV adapter and certain TVs.

iOS 4.3.1 … Read more