Techmeme: Sony's SmartBand Activity Tracker Is Now Available In The US For $99 (Matt Burns/TechCrunch)

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June 4, 2014, 7:10 PM

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Peter Kafka / Re/code:

Netflix Nags Another New Partner, Blaming Verizon for Slow Streams — Earlier this year, Netflix signed a Web traffic deal with Comcast, then complained about it. — Here's a new version of the story: In April, Netflix signed a Web traffic deal with Verizon.

More: Quartz, VatorNews, The Verge, Gizmodo, Business Insider, DSLreports, Digital Trends, The Verge, CNET News, SiliconBeat, Businessweek, BGR, TIME, Electronista, Consumerist, Geek.com, Mashable, Business Insider, The Awl, SlashGear and Ars Technica

Tweets: @yurivictor, @jsf33 and @amy_schatz

See also Mediagazer

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

Just Like Comcast Did, Verizon Says Netflix Is Slowing Its Own Streams — Verizon, responding to complaints from Netflix about its broadband service, says Netflix is slowing down its own video streams to the telco's providers. — If that sounds confusing, that's because it is.

More: Verizon, Washington Post and DSLreports. Tweets: @edmundlee

Jordan Kahn / 9to5Mac:

Apple introduces MFi specs for Lightning cable headphones, support arriving in future iOS update — We've learned Apple has quietly introduced a new specification for manufacturers in its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) program that allows them to create headphones that connect to iOS devices using …

More: Digital Trends, Engadget, Neowin, Pocketnow, iPhone in Canada Blog, The Verge, Ars Technica, iMore, TechnoBuffalo, iLounge, InvestorPlace, Ubergizmo, iPhone, SlashGear, AppleTell, Electronista, MacRumors and App Advice. Thanks:@mikebeas

Sam Biddle / Valleywag:

Sources: Fab slowly shutting down; remaining NY employees to be gradually let go over 6 months — Fab.com Is Probably Dead This Year — There hasn't been a single piece of good news from Fab.com in a very long time. Layoffs, mismanagement, plummeting morale, and executive reshuffles …

More: PandoDaily, Business Insider, Consumerist, WebProNews and Mashable

Tweets: @betashop, @mattlynley, @samfbiddle, @betashop and @mattlynley

Xbox Wire:

45+ new apps for Xbox coming this year, including live TV-integrated Twitter app, Vine, HBO GO, ShowTime, Comedy Central, and MLG — Twitter, Vine, HBO GO, ShowTime Anytime, Comedy Central, and MLG among More Than 45 New Experiences Coming to Xbox — Today, just five days from the Xbox …

Rich McCormick / The Verge:

Xbox One update unlocks entertainment apps, adds real names

Mike Beasley / 9to5Mac:

iOS 8 allows all apps to use Safari's JavaScript engine, improving performance of in-app browsers — iOS 8 WebKit changes finally allow all apps to have the same performance as Safari — When iOS 7 launched, developers discovered that their apps with built-in web browsers were unable …

More: Re/code, CNET News, BGR, App Advice, SlashGear, everythingiCafe, iPhone in Canada Blog, VentureBeat, iPhone Hacks and TIME

Tweets: @asadotzler and @mg

Juli Clover / MacRumors:

iOS 8 Offers Quick Access to Apps Based on Location

More: Gizmodo, MacStories, 9to5Mac, Gigaom, App Advice, Macworld, eWeek, Business Insider, ParisLemon, BGR, The Verge, MacNN and Apple Bitch

Tweets: @ow, @fraserspeirs, @stevecheney and @mg

Ryan Knutson / Wall Street Journal:

Sprint, T-Mobile Move Closer to a $50 Billion Merger — Sprint Would Buy T-Mobile for Around $40 a Share in Deal That Likely Would Face Regulator Scrutiny — Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. have agreed on the broad terms of a merger worth around $50 billion and are working toward a final agreement …

More: Bloomberg, New York Times, ZDNet, GeekWire, Business Insider, VentureBeat, The Next Web, The Verge, CNBC, Reuters, Phandroid, iDownloadBlog.com, SeekingAlpha.com and Engadget. Tweets: @wsjdeals

Emil Protalinski / The Next Web:

In addition to Soundcloud, Twitter also reportedly considered acquiring Pandora and Spotify — Last month, a Recode rumor suggested Twitter was looking to buy Soundcloud, only to have a WSJ rumor say that “the numbers didn't add up” for a deal to go through.

More: Financial Times and SeekingAlpha.com. Tweets: @mattlynley

Steve Kovach / Business Insider:

Amazon's 3D Smartphone Is Coming June 18 — Amazon is holding a product annoucnement on June 18. — It's probably for the long-rumored Amazon smartphone. — Developing...refresh for updates. — The company posted this video to YouTube that teases the product: — Join the conversation about this story »

More: The Next Web, The Verge, BGR, ZDNet, TechCrunch, Engadget, Gigaom, Gizmodo, 9to5Google, iPhone in Canada Blog and Pocket-lint

Tweets: @amazon and @dannysullivan

Bloomberg:

GoPro Names Ex-Microsoft Executive Tony Bates as President — GoPro Inc., the maker of cameras used by surfers, skiers and sky divers to record their adventures, recruited former Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) executive Tony Bates as president and added him to the board.

More: Re/code, PR Newswire, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, TechHive and WinBeta

Leena Rao / TechCrunch:

TechCrunch Managing Editor Leena Rao joins Google Ventures as an Operating Partner — So Long TC, And Hello GV — I thought hard about this post, but time didn't make it any easier to write. After five-and-a-half years at TechCrunch, I'll be joining Google Ventures as an operating partner.

Tweets: @mikeisaac, @parislemon, @alexia, @fromedome, @parislemon, @jakek, @hunterwalk, @startupljackson, @bensign and @samfbiddle. Thanks:@mkakav

Matt Burns / TechCrunch:

Sony's SmartBand Activity Tracker Is Now Available In The US For $99 — Announced eons ago at CES 2014, the waterproof Sony SmartBand is finally available in the U.S. It's $99 from Sony's online store and offers a feature set slightly more loaded than that of the Jawbone UP24 and FitBit Flex but only those on Android should apply.

More: 9to5Google, Engadget, PC World, Android Central, Electronista, The Next Web, mobihealthnews, Phandroid, Mobile Magazine, Wearable World News and AndroidHeadlines.com

Kim Zetter / Wired:

U.S. Marshals Seize Cops' Spying Records to Keep Them From the ACLU — A routine request in Florida for public records regarding the use of a surveillance tool known as stingray took an extraordinary turn Tuesday when federal authorities seized the documents before police could release them.

More: ACLU, Techdirt, Boing Boing, Daily Dot, Inside Mobile Apps and Washington Post

Katie Zezima / Washington Post:

The Secret Service wants software that detects social media sarcasm. Yeah, sure it will work. — The Secret Service is looking to buy software that can detect sarcasm on social media. Whatever. We're sure it will work. — In a work order posted online Monday, the agency …

More: Charlie's Diary, CNET News, The Register, SocialTimes, Consumerist, The Verge, Inquirer, Daily Dot, Engadget, The Hill, Mediaite, Ubergizmo, NBC Bay Area and SlashGear

Molly Wood / New York Times:

Report: Online TV viewing up 246% over last year, outpacing online video, up 43% — TV Apps Are Soaring in Popularity, Report Says — When it comes to online video, people may not want to cut the cord. Instead, they want to take the cord with them. People are streaming broadcast television …

More: CMO.com, TechCrunch, The Next Web, SlashGear, SocialTimes, PandoDaily, The Verge and VideoNuze Analysis. See also Mediagazer

Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:

AT&T promises big fiber expansion—but only if feds let it buy DirecTV — AT&T recently named 100 municipalities in 21 metropolitan areas where it might bring its fiber-to-the-home network, without actually saying how many customers would get the GigaPower service, which offers up to 1Gbps download speeds.

More: Associated Press, VentureBeat, Variety, DSLreports, GamePolitics blogs, FierceTelecom News, Electronista, USA Today and Business Wire. See also Mediagazer

Andy Greenberg / Wired:

Cut Off Glassholes' Wi-Fi With This Google Glass Detector — Not a fan of Google Glass's ability to turn ordinary humans into invisibly recording surveillance cyborgs? Now you can create your own “glasshole-free zone.” — Berlin artist Julian Oliver has written a simple program called Glasshole.sh …

More: Business Insider, BGR, Network World, Re/code, SlashGear, TechSpot, Mashable, Gizmodo UK, Electronista, TIME and Fast Company. Thanks:@emilydreyfuss

Christina Cocca / NBC Southern California:

Donald Sterling agrees to sell LA Clippers to Steve Ballmer — Donald Sterling Agrees to Sell Clippers for $2 Billion — A vote by the NBA Board of Governors will be needed to make the sale final — Donald Sterling officially announced Wednesday that he, the NBA and his estranged wife Shelly …

More: Associated Press and Wall Street Journal

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