Gaming phones are a weird one. They make sense on paper to some degree. As we well know, everyone’s a gamer these days, and much or most of that gaming happens on mobile devices. So why aren’t devoting gaming phones a more popular phenomenon? It’s not for lack of trying. Lenovo’s the latest company to toss its hat in that highly-specific ring. That’s the sort of thing you can do when you’re the size of Lenovo and can experiment with such things. Gaming phones are a kind of go big or go home proposition, and the company’s doing mostly the former with the Legion Phone Duel, a mobile addition to the company’s Legion line of gaming PCs. For starters, the handset was briefly alluded to in Qualcomm’s recent Snapdragon 865 Plus announcement — and is now is one of a very small club of phones sporting the chip. From where I sit, however, the most interesting thing about the category is the way it affords manufacturers an opportunity to experiment with ideas in a way that you don’t often see on flagships. And, indeed, there’s definitely some interesting stuff happening here. For one thing, it’s got two batteries — something you don’t really see outside of foldables. Of course, those sport them for the very pragmatic reason that phone batteries don’t fold. Here, however, the batteries are separated to prevent overheating, leading the company the split the extremely health 5,000mAh capacity in two. You’re going to need that sort of battery for a gaming-centric 5G handset. Also worth pointing out is the horizontal pop-up selfie camera — the most notable feature from early leaks. The idea here, of course, is that serious mobile gaming happens in the landscape configuration. As such, the design makes sense for video capture to stream to services like Twitch and YouTube. It’s a highly specific case use, of course, but this is highly specific phone. And, of course, your results of taking selfie video on the mobile device you’re using to game may vary. Speaking of unique feature positions, there are also two separate USB-C charging ports — one in standard position on the bottom, and the other on the side. Again, the idea here is to make it as easy as possible to remain in landscape mode. If you’ve ever attempted to charge your phone and play a game at the same time, you know how much of a pain that can be. Along with the aforementioned Snapdragon chip, you’ll also find up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The display is 6.65 inches at 2340×1080, with a 144Hz refresh rate. The phone does not appear to be coming to the U.S. for now, but will be available this month in China (where it will be called the Legion Phone Pro), followed by the Asia Pacific region, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Latin America. Pricing is TBD. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/22/lenovo-brings-some-unique-features-to-its-new-gaming-phone/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/624361434056425472 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com
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Samsung has been portioning out morsels of news in recent weeks in an attempt to prime the pump ahead of its big Unpacked event. On Monday, the company announced plans to unveiled five new “power devices” (including the new Galaxy Note) at the event. As of this morning, however, it seems the Galaxy Z Flip 5G won’t be among the mystery devices, as the company has officially made the device official today. The device is set to arrive August 7, priced at $1,450. Not cheap, by any stretch of the imagination, but still only $170 more than the asking price of the original Galaxy Z Flip (and roughly $500 cheaper than the original Galaxy Fold. The Flip was, of course, much more positively received than the Fold, which seemed to run into one problem after another. In fact, the consensus around the device is that Samsung could have saved itself a considerable headache if it had made the Flip its first foldable. Notably, the new version of the device is the first Samsung product announced to support Qualcomm’s newer chip after the Snapdragon 865 Plus 5G chip. There are also two new colors: Mystic Gray and Mystic Bronze. Most of the other bits and bops mentioned in the press release seem to line up with the original Flip, which launched 10 million-billion years ago, in February 2020. [gallery ids=“2019866,2019870,2019869,2019868,2019867”] The device is one of two foldables expected from the company, the other being the Galaxy Fold 2, which is expected to carry a similarly lofty price tag as its predecessor. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/22/the-5g-version-of-samsungs-foldable-galaxy-z-flip-arrives-august-7/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/624361433421971456 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com Bangladesh’s regulator has ordered telecom operators and other internet providers in the nation to stop providing free access to social media services, becoming the latest market in Asia to take a partial stand against zero-rating deals. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, the local regulator, said late last week that it had moved to take this decision because free usage of social media services had spurred their misuse by some people to commit crimes. Local outlet Business Standard first reported about the development. Bangladesh is one of the largest internet markets in Asia with more than 100 million online users. Technology companies such as Facebook and Twitter have struck partnerships, more popularly known as zero-rating deals, with telecom operators and other internet providers in several markets in the past decade to make their services free to users to accelerate growth. Typically, tech companies bankroll the cost of data consumption of users as part of these deals. In Bangladesh, such zero-rating deals have been popular for several years, said Ahad Mohammad, chief executive of Bongo, an on-demand streaming service, in an interview with TechCrunch (Extra Crunch membership required) . Grameenphone and Robi Axiata, two of the largest telecom operators in Bangladesh, enable their mobile subscribers to access a handful of services of their partners even when their phones have run out of credit. Both telecom firms have said they are in the process to comply with Dhaka’s order. It remains unclear whether Free Basics, a program run by Facebook in dozens of markets through which it offers unlimited access to select services at no cost, will continue its presence in Bangladesh after the nation’s order. Facebook relies on telecom networks to offer data access for its Free Basics program. In Bangladesh, Facebook struck deals with Grameenphone and Robi Axiata, according to its official website, where Facebook continues to identify Bangladesh among dozens of markets where Free Basics is operational. Several nations in recent years have balked at zero-rating arrangements — though they have often cited different reasons. India banned Free Basics in early 2016 on the grounds that Facebook’s initiative was violating the principles of net neutrality. Free Basics also ended its program in Myanmar and several other markets in 2017 and 2018. Facebook did not respond to requests for comment. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/21/bangladesh-regulator-orders-telcos-to-stop-providing-free-access-to-social-media/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/624304809204416512 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com Spotify today announced the global launch of video podcasts. The new feature at launch will allow users, including both free users and paid subscribers, to watch the video content from a select group of creator podcasts. But unlike on YouTube, where only paid subscribers can listen to YouTube video content in the background while they do other things on their device, Spotify says its users will be able to seamlessly move between the video version and the audio. When multitasking, audio content will continue to play in the background, as you use other apps or even if you lock your phone. The video podcasts are supported on both the desktop and mobile app — and video will serve as an additional component, not a replacement for the audio. That means you’ll still be able to stream the audio or download the podcast for offline listening, if need be. For creators, the launch of video podcasts represents an opportunity to grow their audience, says Spotify. Often, podcasts already have a video option — but until now, Spotify offered no way to for creators to share it on its platform. That meant podcast creators would distribute their audio podcast on Spotify and other podcast distribution services, but would publish their videos to YouTube. They may continue to do, of course — especially if they’ve built a YouTube fan base for their work and no deal prevents it. But being able to publish directly on Spotify means creators will be able to connect more directly with podcast listeners, rather than having to compete on a broader platform which pits their shows against a wide variety of other content. Video also gives Spotify a new place to sell advertising. Only a handful of podcasts are offered starting today, including Book of Basketball 2.0, Fantasy Footballers, The Misfits Podcast, H3 Podcast, The Morning Toast, Higher Learning with Van Lathan & Rachel Lindsay, and The Rooster Teeth Podcast. These are only available in the markets were podcasts are already supported, Spotify says. The company’s move into video was almost inevitable. In February, Spotify acquired The Ringer to boost its podcast sports content. The deal came with a YouTube-based video operation which signaled an interest in an expanded media footprint. Spotify has since inked high-profile podcast deals that could also easily translate to video, too, including one with Warner Bros. focused on DC superheros, which Spotify said in June could later include “new programming from original intellectual property.” It also landed an exclusive deal with Kim Kardashian West, The WSJ reported last month. It brought The Joe Rogan Experience in-house, in yet another exclusive. And just yesterday, Spotify booked a podcast deal with TikTok star Addison Rae. Spotify didn’t announce video plans in these areas today, but it definitely has access to talent — and offering video could allow it to better negotiate future deals, as well. Spotify was spotted testing video podcasts earlier this year, but it was with YouTube stars Zane Hijazi and Heath Hussar, of Zane and Heath: Unfiltered, who weren’t mentioned in today’s news announcement. Video podcasts will begin rolling out today in supported markets. So you may not see the addition immediately, but should soon. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/21/spotify-launches-video-podcasts-worldwide-starting-with-select-creators/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/624270844918743040 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com Founded by former Apple engineers, a new app called Struck wants to be the Tinder for the Co-Star crowd. In other words, it’s an astrology-based matchmaker. But it took close to 10 attempts over several months for the startup to get its app approved by Apple for inclusion in the App Store. In nearly every rejection, app reviewers flagged the app as “spam” either due to its use of astrology or, once, simply because it was designed for online dating. Apple continually cited section 4.3 of its App Store Review Guidelines in the majority of Struck’s rejections, with the exception of two that were unrelated to the app’s purpose. (Once, it was rejected for use of a broken API. Another rejection was over text that needed correction. It had still called itself a “beta.”) The 4.3 guideline is something Apple wields to keep the App Store free from what it considers to be clutter and spam. In spirit, the guideline makes sense, as it gives Apple permission to make more subjective calls over low-quality apps. Today, the guideline states that developers should “avoid piling on to a category that is already saturated,” and reminds developers that the App Store has “enough fart, burp, flashlight, fortune telling, dating, and Kama Sutra apps, etc. already.” In the document, Apple promises to reject anything that “doesn’t offer a high-quality experience.” This guideline was also updated in March to further raise the bar on dating apps and create stricter rules around “fortune-telling” apps, among other things. Struck, unfortunately, found itself in the crosshairs of this new enforcement. But while its app may use astrology in a matchmaking process, its overall design and business model is nowhere close to resembling that of a shady “fortune-telling” app. In fact, Struck hasn’t even implemented its monetization model, which may involve subscriptions and à la carte features at a later date. Rather, Struck has been carefully and thoughtfully designed to provide an alternative to market leaders like Tinder. Built by a team of mostly women, including two people of color and one LGBTQ+ team member, the app is everything mainstream dating apps are not. Struck doesn’t, for example, turn online dating into a Hot-or-Not style game. It works by first recommending matches by way of its understanding of users’ detailed birth charts and aspects. But you don’t have to be a true believer in astrology to enjoy the experience. You can use the app just for fun if you’re open-minded, the company website says. “Skeptics welcome,” it advertises. And while Tinder and others tend to leverage psychological tricks to make their apps more addictive, Struck aims to slow things down in order to allow users to once again focus on romance and conversations. There are no endless catalogs of head shots to swipe upon in Struck. Instead, it sends you no more than four matches per day and you can message only one of the four. The app’s overall goal is to give users time to analyze their matches’ priorities and values, not just how they appear in photos. If anything, this is precisely the kind of unique, thoughtfully crafted app the App Store should cater to, not the kind it should ban. “We come from an Apple background. We come from a tech background. We were very insistent on having a good, quality user interface and user experience,” explains Struck co-founder and CEO Rachel Lo. “That was a big focus for us in our beta testing. We honestly didn’t expect any pushback when we submitted to the App Store,” she says. But Apple did push back. After first submitting the app in May, Struck went through around nine rounds of rejections where reviewers continued to claim it was spam simply for being an astrology-based dating application. The team would then pull out astrology features hoping to get the app approved… with no luck. Finally, one reviewer told them Struck was being rejected for being a dating app. “I remember thinking, we’re going to have to shut down this project. There’s not really a way through,” recounts Lo. The Struck team, in a last resort, posted to their Instagram page about their struggles and how they felt Apple’s rejections were unfair given the app’s quality. Plus, as Lo points out, the rejection had a tinge of sexism associated with it. “Obviously, astrology is a heavily female-dominated category,” she says. “I took issue with the guideline that says ‘burps, farts and fortune-telling apps.’ I made a fuss about that verbiage and how offensive it is for people in most of the world who actually observe astrology.” Despite the founders’ connections within the technology industry, thanks to their ex-Apple status and relationships with journalists who would go on to plead their case, Struck was not getting approved. Finally, after several supporters left comments on Apple VP Lisa Jackson’s Instagram where she had posted about WWDC, the app was — for unknown reasons — suddenly given the green light. It’s unclear if the Instagram posts made a difference. Even the app reviewer couldn’t explain why the app was now approved, when asked. The whole debacle has soured the founders on the way Apple today runs its App Store, and sees them supportive of the government’s antitrust investigations into Apple’s business, which could result in new regulations. “We had no course of action. And it felt really, really wrong for this giant company to basically be squashing small developers, says Lo. “I don’t know what’s going to become of our app — we hope it’s successful and we hope we can build a good, diverse business from it,” she continues. “But the point was that we weren’t even being given the opportunity to distribute our app that we had spent nine months building.” Though Apple is turning its nose up at astrology apps, apparently, you don’t have to take astrology to heart to have fun with apps like Struck or those that inspired it, such as Co-Star. These newer Zodiac apps aren’t as obsessed with predicting your future as they are with offering a framework to examine your emotions, your place in the world and your interpersonal relationships. That led Co-Star to snag a $5 million seed round in 2019, one of many astrology apps investors were chasing last year as consumer spend among the top 10 in this space jumped 65% over 2018. Struck, ultimately, wants to give the market something different from Tinder, and that has value. “We want to challenge straight men since it is — quote unquote — a traditionally feminine-looking app,” says Lo. “For us, it’s 2020. It’s shocking to us that every dating app looks like a slot machine. We want to make something that has a voice and makes women feel comfortable. And I think our usership split between the genders kind of proved that.” Struck is live today on the App Store — well, for who knows how long. It initially caters to users in the Bay Area and LA and will arrive in New York on Friday. Based on user feedback, it will slowly roll out to more markets where it sees demand. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/20/after-numerous-rejections-strucks-dating-app-for-the-co-star-crowd-hits-the-app-store/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/624221747197149184 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com August 5 is Samsung’s turn to enter the uncanny valley of live virtual product launches. As the company prepares to take the stage in its native South Korea to launch the Galaxy Note S20. The company’s new smartphone chief TM Roh addressed in a new blog post what a strange time it is to be setting up for a massive product launch, noting, “As leaders of the tech industry, we have a special responsibility – and now a true sense of urgency – to help society continue to move forward. So many people are counting on us to give them new ways to communicate, new ways to work, and new ways to connect.” Roh’s tenure in the company’s top mobile spot has been defined by the presence of COVID-19, having started the position back in January. It’s understandable that such an address is peppered by references to the pandemic. Next month, Samsung will have the opportunity to define its own virtual presence, following in the footsteps of Microsoft and Apple, who pulled of their respective developer events with varying success. Samsung is apparently going big for its moment in the spotlight. The executive is promising the launch of five new “power” devices. “These devices deliver on our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go,” Roh writes. “They combine power with seamless functionality, whether you’re at work or play, at home or away. In the Next Normal, you will be empowered to live life to the fullest with these devices in your hand (and in your ears, and on your wrist).” That last parenthetical offers some insight into what we’ll be seeing besides the expected phablet launch, likely pointing to new versions of the Galaxy Buds and a new entry into Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line. For the former, at least, I’m hoping for a new premium tier designed to compete directly with Apple’s AirPods Pro and Sony’s fine fully wireless buds. Another smart guess is the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Roh makes multiple references to foldables in the message, along with 5G, which likely points to more insight into what’s coming August 5. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/20/samsung-will-introduce-five-new-devices-at-its-upcoming-galaxy-note-event/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/624176466001887232 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com U.S. beat China on App Store downloads for first time since 2014 due to coronavirus impact7/16/2020 The U.S. App Store’s downloads have surpassed China’s downloads for the first time since 2014, in a new milestone. According to data from Sensor Tower’s Q2 2020 report, out today, the U.S. App Store saw 27.4% year-over-year growth in the quarter, compared to the 2.1% growth for the China App Store. During the quarter, the U.S. App Store generated 2.22 billion new installs compared with China’s 2.06 billion downloads, to regain the top position. This then translated to the U.S. beating China on App Store consumer spend, as well. Contributing the shift, was the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on both China and the U.S. The U.S. surpassed China on installs beginning in April and lasting all the way through June, the firm found. China in Q2, meanwhile, was coming down from its own abnormally high number of downloads in March and April, due to COVID-19. But as its download figures began to normalize, the pandemic was wreaking havoc in the U.S., where it had hit slightly later. This led to the U.S. to see a surge in downloads as suddenly, the population was forced to work from home, attend school from home, and entertain themselves at home with apps, games and streaming services. Sensor Tower tells TechCrunch there was particularly significant growth in U.S. business and education apps in Q2, as a result. These categories were the largest contributors to the U.S. surpassing China’s installs. Business app downloads grew 133.3% in Q2, followed by education (84.4%), health & fitness (57.7%), news 44.9%), and social networking (42.4%). Video conferencing app Zoom, in particular, had a breakout quarter and even shattered the record for App Store installs with nearly 94 million total downloads in a single quarter. The prior record had been set by TikTok, which had in Q1 2020 seen 67 million downloads in a single quarter. No other non-game app has ever surpassed 50 million installs in a quarter, Sensor Tower noted. TikTok still had a strong Q2, with nearly 71 million App Store downloads in the quarter, representing 154% year-over-year growth. Its top two download markets were both the U.S. and China — the latter where it’s known as Douyin. Mobile gaming was also a big hit in the U.S., as people stayed home under government lockdowns. Top mobile games by App Store downloads included titles like Save The Girl, Roblox, Go Knots 3D, Coin Master, Tangle Master 3D, Fishdom, ASMR Slicing, Call of Duty: Mobile, and others. On this front, Roblox had a stellar quarter as kids stayed at home and went online gaming, due to being disconnected from school and their playmates in real-life. Roblox’s gaming app shot up the U.S. rankings from No. 11 in Q1 2020 to No. 2 in Q2, and achieved a new high of 8.6M downloads in the quarter. Rollic Games had two hits in the quarter, Go Knots 3D and Tangle Master 3D, each with over 5 million App Store downloads. Its Repair Master 3D title also came in at No. 20. Both Zoom and Rollic Games were the only new top publishers to find themselves in the top 10 on the App Store in Q2, the report found. Though the U.S. surpassed China in the quarter for the first time in years, the rest of the top five — Japan, Great Britain, and Russia — remained the same as last quarter, though growing on a year-over-year basis. Related to the surge of new downloads, the U.S. also surpassed China on consumer spending on the App Store for the first time since Q4 2018 — but that was only by 1.6% (around $53M). In Q2 2020, the U.S. surpassed China by 14% or about $717 million. The U.S. also saw more significant quarter-over-quarter growth in spending during the COVID-19 outbreak growing 20% between Q1 and Q2. In China, the consumer spending growth on the App Store was just 5% between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020, when it felt the full impact of the virus. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/16/u-s-beat-china-on-app-store-downloads-for-first-time-since-2014-due-to-coronavirus-impact/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/623844263548125184 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com
Tiffany Ou is the General Manager, Americas at a href=âhttps://www.nativex.com/â>Nativex, where she leads go-to-market strategies for leading game and app developers.
TikTok is a rising star in the social media category. Since its launch three years ago, the company has secured 800 million active users worldwide. That makes TikTok ninth in terms of social network sites, ahead of LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat. As more people start using the platform and remain engaged, it goes without saying that TikTok is an increasingly desirable destination for marketers. But outside the sheer numbers, is there any real sustenance to the platform from a marketing perspective, or is this just a temporary fad brands are flocking to? Hereâs a look into what makes TikTok unique through a marketerâs lens, and a few things the platform can improve on to make it a permanent option for brands looking to explore mobile. Better user experiences lead to more unique advertisingDigital advertising is only as effective as a platformâs user experience â that fact presents a unique differentiator for TikTok. Being in 2020, where content creators continue to blossom, TikTok provides an opportunity for literally anyone to reach millions of people with their content. It is a âplatform for the people,â as the algorithm sends user content to groups of 5-10 people, and based on the engagement, it will continue sending it out to the masses. Whatâs interesting here is that it resembles an early era of Instagram, where all content was user-generated. Additionally, unlike other leading social media channels, a user is focused on one piece of content at a time. TikTok videos take up the entire screen, which leads to more engagement and genuine interest from the viewer. That said, creative plays an incredibly important role in every campaign you run on the platform, especially when trying to grab the user amid a mass of alternative entertainment options. The TikTok audience is hyperfocused on viewing organic, visually stimulating content that could be the next big meme or viral sensation. Creative is the keyhttps://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/623825386555490304 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com Google’s latest experiment is a video shopping platform designed to introduce consumers to new products in under 90 seconds. The company today is launching Shoploop, a project from Google’s internal R&D division, Area 120, where it tests out new ideas with a public user base. Shoploop’s founder, Lax Poojary, had previously worked on online trip planner, Touring Bird, also at Area 120. Last year, that effort became one of a small number of R&D projects to graduate and become a part of Google itself. Poojary says his new idea for interactive shopping was inspired by how consumers today use a combination of social media and e-commerce sites together when considering purchases. For example, users will pop between a social media app, like Instagram, then head to YouTube to see a tutorial or demo, then — if they like what they saw — actually make a purchase. Of course, video shopping is not a novel idea. A number of startups, and even large companies, have already embraced a combination of video and commerce. Amazon, for example, runs a livestreaming platform, Amazon Live, on its retail site. YouTube this year introduced a new shoppable ad format and is placing products to buy underneath videos. Facebook has enabled live shopping, as well, and made an acquisition in this area in 2019. Instagram now has its own Shop destination, too. There are also a number of mobile shopping startups that have embraced video, like Dote, which raised $12 million last year. Popshop Live raised $3 million in January. NTWRK combines shopping and live events. Depop sells with both photos and videos, similar to Instagram.There’s also Yeay, Spin, and other apps. And there are startups focused on providing technology for brands and influencers engaging in this space, like Bambuser, MikMak, and Buywith, to name a few. That is to say, Shoploop hasn’t discovered a new, untapped trend. It’s simply joining in. The shopping experience on Shoploop is interactive. Users don’t just scroll through images and text, but instead watch videos where creators show off things like nail stickers, hair products or makeup. The team says it’s starting with products in categories such as makeup, skincare, hair and nails and its working with creators, publishers and store owners in this market for the app’s content. The experience is similar to watching YouTube tutorials, but distilled down to the best bits. (Or perhaps it’s more like TikTok, in that case) The demos are meant to be relatable, giving consumers a feel for the brands and products in real life. When consumers find a product they like, they can save it for later or click to be directed to the merchants website to complete the purchase. The app also allows you to follow your favorite Shoploop creators and share videos with friends and family. Such a product could prove important to Google’s larger mission around Shopping, if it gains traction. Google recently redesigned its Shopping vertical and shifted it to include mostly free listings, in response to Amazon’s growing ad business. Finding more ways to engage online consumers could be beneficial to the internet giant, and this video-slash-influencer fueled shopping experience appeals to a younger demographic, in particular. Shoploop is launching today on mobile and is working on a desktop version. You can reach it via https://shoploop.app from your smartphone. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/16/googles-latest-rd-project-is-shoploop-a-mobile-video-shopping-platform/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/623825386246127616 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com Nextdoor is launching a new feature called Sell for Good, allowing uses to sell items on the neighborhood-focused social network and donate the proceeds to local nonprofits. CEO Sarah Friar said that since the pandemic started, conversations about donations have increased 7x on Nextdoor . “Communities are hurting,” Friar said. “People are looking to go donate, but things like Goodwill and so on are closed.” At the same time, nonprofits are struggling. Pointing to a recent survey from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, she explained, “A lot of them depend on in-person events — the race that you might do, the book drive they always have, all of that has dried up.” One way to support those nonprofits is to sell goods (perhaps the very same goods you were planning to give to Goodwill) on Nextdoor’s For Sale and Free section and then donate the money from the sale. In fact, Product Manager Rhett Angold said that users have already been doing this — for example, someone in Berkeley raised thousands of dollars for a local animal shelter by selling homemade masks. So Sell for Good is designed to make this process as straightforward as possible. Nextdoor has partnered with the PayPal Giving Fund to support nonprofits in different cities, including A Better Chicago, LA Voice, New York Cares, Operation HOPE, Spark, The Hidden Genius Project and ViBe Theater Experience. Sellers can choose which organization to support, then their sale will be identified as a donation. Once an item has been purchased, the seller can approve the donation and they’ll receive a receipt for their tax-deductible contribution. And while the feature currently donates the full sale proceeds (minus the “typical PayPal processing fees”), Angold said his team is working on giving sellers the ability to donate a smaller portion as well. Sell for Good is currently available to all Nextdoor users in the United States. from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8176981 https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/16/nextdoor-sell-for-good/ http://www.gadgetscompared.com https://ikonografico.tumblr.com/post/623825385822568448 via http://www.gadgetscompared.com |
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