Brian Heater
TechCrunch
New York, United States
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Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Recent articles by Brian:
Cydia shuts down purchasing mechanism for its jailbreak app store
Years after becoming one of the go-to destinations for iOS jailbreaks, Cydia’s app store is disabling purchases. → Read More
Tony Hawk goes mobile
For three years, Tony Hawk has been conspicuously absent from the video store shelves. For most game developers, that’s little more than a blip between titles. → Read More
Workers protest outside Minnesota Amazon warehouse
Yesterday afternoon, Somali-American workers marched outside of Amazon’s Shakopee, Minnesota fulfillment center, chanting “hear our voice. → Read More
Google agrees not to sell facial recognition tech, citing abuse potential
In recent months, pressure has been mounting for major tech firms to develop strong policies regarding facial recognition. → Read More
The new Palm is almost the MP3 player I want
The iPod Classic still looms larger as my favorite gadget of all time. → Read More
Influential Apple analyst cuts iPhone shipment estimates
TF International Securities Apple analyst extraordinaire Ming-Chi Kuo delivered a less than stellar iPhone forecast this week with the straight forwardly titled note, “2019 iPhone shipments likely to be under 190 million units. → Read More
Anki’s Vector is getting Alexa access next week
Vector’s already got the adorable bit down, courtesy of a team staffed by former Pixar and Dreamworks animators. But Anki’s grownup version of Cozmo can use a bit of help when it comes to smarts. → Read More
Tumblr’s back in the App Store following porn ban announcement
Tumblr is back. Sort of. The social blogging platform reappeared on Apple’s App Store this week, some three weeks after being pulled over child pornography concerns. → Read More
Google Assistant can now do British and Australian accents in the US
Even the old smart assistant needs a fresh coat of paint, from time to time. For those looking to switch things up a touch, Google announced today that Assistant is now capable of speaking in a couple of additional accents for U.S.-based users. → Read More
Here’s what you missed at Startup Battlefield Lagos
Yesterday TechCrunch held its first-ever event in Nigeria — our second in Sub-Saharan Africa. → Read More
Samsung refreshes its S Pen-packing convertible PC
Welcome, friends, to the consumer electronics dead zone. It’s that increasingly brief window between the last of the pre-holiday releases and the CES deluge. → Read More
New York Amazon warehouse employees push to unionize
Workers in a recently opened Staten Island Amazon warehouse have announced their intention to unionize. → Read More
Introducing the startups and agenda for Startup Battlefield Africa
At 9:30 AM local time, we kick off TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa, where 15 companies will take the stage, along with panels from industry investors, Main One, and speakers from Facebook (our partner on the event through the FB Start program). If you can’t be here with us in Lagos, Nig… → Read More
Original Content podcast: We sing the praises of ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’
Controversial opinion here: The Coen Brothers are very good filmmakers and their latest movie, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” is also very good. → Read More
Qualcomm lays off 269 employees in North Carolina and California
Qualcomm’s struggling data center business was hit another massive blow as the company laid off hundreds. The news, first revealed by the Information, has since been confirmed by TechCrunch. → Read More
Essential acquires email startup CloudMagic
Andy Rubin’s Essential has acquired CloudMagic, makers of the Newton email app, for an undisclosed sum. The news, first reported this morning, has since been confirmed by TechCrunch. → Read More
Amazon’s cashier-free Go stores may be coming to airports
According to a new report from Reuters, Amazon is looking at several top U.S. airports for potential locations for its cashier-free Go stores. → Read More
Microsoft calls on companies to adopt a facial recognition code of conduct
Over the summer, Microsoft President Brad Smith called for governments to take a closer look at how facial detection technology is being implemented across the globe. → Read More
Google partners with media outlets to provide on-demand news audio
Getting news in the morning has long been my most used feature on Google Assistant. Asking Home “what’s in the news” brings up a quick flash briefing from a handful of selected outlets. → Read More
Walgreens enlists FedEx to offer speedy drug delivery
Walgreens is gearing up for a battle with Amazon. The country’s second largest pharmacy chain announced this week that it it’s teaming up with FedEx to offer quick drug delivery. → Read More