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July 9-10, 2013 San Francisco, CA Early Bird Tickets on Sale iOS 7 is widely to reveal a new iOS7 on June 10 at its Worldwide Developer Conference. And there are some big changes in store. Scott Forstall and his love of user interface elements that mimic the “real world” is long gone. Jony Ive, the design genius behind the iMac, iPhone, iPad, and pretty much everything Apple in the last decade, was appointed to overhaul and comprehensively redo Apple’s most important crown jewel in October of last year. Now, it appears, he’s close to complete. Ive has been leading a thorough revamp of the iPhone UI in preparation for the upcoming iOS 7 release, and according to 9to5 Mac, he’s also most done. The changes are significant, described as “black, white, and flat all over.” That’s a massive change from the original colorful, shiny, semi-transparent iOS development language, which tries hard to make virtual controls and objects look and feel and act like real controls and objects. You see that today in the drop shadows behind icons, the compass interface of Find My iPhone, and the physical button-like Apple toggle controls: Source: John KoetsieriPhone UI design Forstall, the former iPhone chief who was cut from the Apple team after refusing to apologize for the Apple Maps disaster, was a big fan of skeuomorphic design: design that connects the new to the old with decorative but — some might say — unnecessary elements. Those “some” would include Ive. Apple’s Notes app is an example of skeuomorphic design, with faux leather at the top and the virtual remnants of virtual torn-off pages at the top. On iPhone, iBooks, Find My Friends, and Newstand are examples, with with fake bookshelves, fake stitching, fake leather, and fake shadows. For a designer like Jony Ive, who has spent his life stripping away excess, simplifying relentlessly, there is something inherently dishonest about skeuomorphic design. It’s something of a lie … because there is no wood in your iPhone, no dead animal skin on the screen, and no paper to be torn off. And, he’s been quoted as saying that software designs built with physical metaphors do not stand the test of time. There are design elements in the iPhone’s user interface language that are already trending away from the original color and connection to material controls. Safari and Mail, for instance, have no parchment, no leather, no torn-off page remnants:   There are no images yet of iOS7, which will be one of Apple’s most closely-guarded secrets up to WWDC. Changes reportedly include dropping the textured, cloth-like background of Notifications Center in favor of a flat grey, and the shiny, transparent lock screen will lose its luster for a flatter, less evocative interface. You would have to think that a detail-oriented design-obsessed Ive will have comprehensively altered the appearance of almost everything in the iOS design language, but we’ll know more on June 10 when Apple reveals it. In all this rush to get rid of skeuomorphic design, there’s one thing to remember. Perhaps the iPhone was so transformative, so new, and so different, that skeuomorphism was a necessary first step in the evolution of its design language. And perhaps the virtual has now become so real … that now we don’t need it anymore. Filed under: Business, Dev, Gadgets, Mobile .blurb-cat-mobile .event-boilerplate-mobilebeat { width:278px; margin:0px 0px 10px 20px; padding:10px; float:right; border:1px solid #e4e4e4; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; color:#000; } .blurb-cat-mobile .event-boilerplate-mobilebeat .logo-date-wrap { width:100%; display:block; float:left; margin-bottom:8px; } .blurb-cat-mobile .event-boilerplate-mobilebeat img { float:left; } .blurb-cat-mobile .event-boilerplate-mobilebeat .date-location { float:right; font-size:12px; line-height:14px; text-align:center; padding-left:7px; paddin

The bigger Google gets, the more often regulators are getting on its case. The next probe into the company could from the Federal Trade Commission which is trying to figure out whether Google is leveraging its ad market dominance to push customers to its other services, as Bloomberg reports. The criticism is a common one lobbed at Google by its critics, the most vocal of which is search engine rival Microsoft. Like much of the European Union, Microsoft isn’t crazy about Google’s ability to own, from top to bottom, peoples’ interactions with the web. While the FTC recently cleared Google of  similar charges, its counterparts in Europe are still on Google’s case. Unlike Google’s search dominance, however, Google’s ad market share is far from locked down. The company controls roughly 18 percent of  digital display ad revenue — a slight bump over Facebook’s 15 percent, according to the latest numbers from eMarketer. That’s a far cry from a monopoly. Still, at issue here isn’t Google’s dominance but rather the top-down integration of its many services. It’s one thing to control a market, but its something else to pursue anti-competitive tactics mean to make it impossible for any other company to challenge that control.  The FTC is trying to figure out whether that’s what Google is doing. One thing to keep in mind is that the probe is still in its preliminary stages and might not officially happen. But don’t expect Google’s competitors to stop lobbying for regulator intervention anytime soon. Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat Filed under: Business

We’re less than a week out from our Austin TC Meetup + Pitch-Off, and I can already smell the barbeque in the air. Austin, are you ready to rumble? The Austin Meetup + Pitch-Off is going down on Thursday, May 30, at The Stage On Sixth. The event begins promptly at 6pm and runs until 10pm. Tickets are $5 each, and include booze. But, you ask, what exactly is this fabled TC Meetup + Pitch-off that I’m pushing? Well, at its core its a gathering of your city’s local VC, entrepreneurial, startup and general tech crowd. Attendees can socialize, drink booze (21 and up please) and maybe even meet a few really cool people. But that’s not all. The TC Meetup + Pitch-off is equal parts meetup and pitch-off, which is a competition that lets entrepreneurs and founders pitch their products to a panel of judges with only sixty seconds to make their plea. Even if the ideas aren’t interesting (which they totally are), there’s real entertainment value in watching someone battle against a clock. Judges will include Matt Burns and John Biggs from TechCrunch, as well as local Austin luminaries Bijoy Goswami and Noah Kagan. I’ll be MCing. It’ll be great. Our NY Meetup + Pitch-Off was a smashing success. PaddleYou was spotted in Hardware Alley after coming in third at the Pitch-Off, while runners up Talkz and winner 3DLT both made it into the Disrupt Battlefield. Applications are currently closed for the Austin pitch-off, but tickets to the event are still available here. We still have some startup tables left where you can demo your product to the attendees and TC staff. If you have any questions about the tables, please email Megan Lehn. Our sponsors help make events happen. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our sponsorship team here sponsors@techcrunch.com.

The social driving app Waze is collecting its fair share of suitors. Google is reportedly in talks to acquire the company for more than $1 billion, Bloomberg reports, following a report from a few weeks ago that Facebook was eyeing Waze. It sounds like Waze could be setting itself up for a bidding war between the two companies, especially since it likely sees itself more valuable than Instagram’s $1 billion purchase price. Other suitors may also join in — Microsoft has reportedly invested in Waze, and the driving app would be a good addition to its Bing Maps. Waze lets drivers crowdsource driving conditions and other data with its mobile apps, which can often give a better indication of traffic than other systems. The company may also choose to stay independent and raise another round of funding, Bloomberg notes. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Waze has raised $67 million so far from Kleiner Perkins, BluerRun Ventures, Magma Venture Partners, and others. For now, though, the two main contenders for Waze seem to be  Facebook and Google. I’m rooting for Google. Facebook has no experience with mapping yet, which means it could be some time before it fully taps into Waze’s potential. While snapping up the driving app would be a good way for Facebook to kick-start its mapping ambitions (and it would also work well on top of Facebook’s recent local search focus), for Waze it could actually be a step back in terms of its overall focus. Google, on the other hand, has years of mapping experience — expertise that became clear when Apple tried its hand at maps in iOS 6 with disastrous results. Waze would fit nicely into Google Maps’ mobile turn-by-turn directions, but there’s also a huge amount of potential for the company in Google’s moonshot projects. Imagine Google’s self-driving cars autonomously reporting driving conditions, or Waze integration with Google Glass to give pedestrians the ability to contribute to Waze’s data as well. Waze’s social elements may seem better suited to Facebook right now, but that’s something Google is getting better at as well. If Waze wants to continue down the road of becoming an essential mapping solution, Google seems like the ideal mate. Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat Filed under: Business, Deals, Mobile, Social

Netherlands-based hardware initiative Fairphone began around three years ago as a project designed to highlight the use of conflict minerals in the construction of consumer electronics, and then evolved three years later into a full-fledged hardware startup, with the aim of turning its knowledge into action with the building of an ethically sourced, built and distributed smartphone. Now, it’s opening up pre-orders to the general public, beginning with customers in Europe. The Fairphone needs 5,000 pre-orders in order to begin production, and retails for a total of €325 ($436). That price included taxes, however and what you get for that is an unlocked, 4.3-inch smartphone running Android 4.2, powered by a quad core processor. It has an 8 megapixel rear camera, and a 1.3 megapixel front facing shooter, with dual-SIM trays for easy carrier switching and international travel. As a smartphone, the Fairphone seems capable enough, but it’s the manufacturing process that’s really core to the concept of the device. The phone itself is made using materials from a completely transparent supply chain – Fairphone is looking at the provenance of each mineral used to make each component, the people who build each part and the processes evolved and their social and ecological impact, and will make all of that information available to buyers and the general public. The idea is to flag stuff that’s being done poorly, highlight ways to make changes, in both the short and long term, and also build a collection of best practices that can be shared with the rest of the industry. Fairphone initially had opened sales only to the over 16,000 people who signed up to express interest when it initially announced the project, giving them first crack at the initial pre-order run. It seems like the percentage of those that were actually willing to put their money down on a device and contribute to the initial fund was much lower, however, which has prompted the expansion of sales to anyone in Europe who might want to contribute. The Fairphone is being transparent about the sales process, too; thus far, it has managed to sell 2,333 phones through pre-orders, with 20 days left in its campaign. Hopefully broadening the buyer pool will spark more interest, because the project stands to be able to shed a lot of light on what for many is a completely invisible or poorly understood process.

The rush to get a PE job for young investment banking analysts. German brewers are worried that fracking could ruin the purity of beer there. Lois Lerner, the IRS’ director of exempt organizations, has been placed on administrative leave. Broken immigration laws stymies innovation says Brad Feld. Anthony Weiner is running for NYC mayor but his website uses Pittsburgh’s skyline. Teen who asked Kate Upton to be his prom date is going with another SI model Yahoo buys PlayerScale Chicago is the slowest growing big city. Atari seeks a minimum of $22.2 million in bids. Pinterest is driving more traffic to retail web site, according to Monetate. Google is facing a new federal antitrust probe. And, now Google is in talks to buy Waze Photo courtesy of Shutterstock The post peHUB First Read appeared first on peHUB.

Company / App Name: Feedbacq http://www.feedbacq.com Twitter – Feedbacq What does it do? Feedbacq is a platform that connects expats and repatriates with quality international moving companies. Why do we need it? There are lots of moving scams, and one of our founders had a bad experience while he moved back to India from UK. Upon further research, he realised that this is happening often online. Therefore, he started Feedbacq to offer people who a Who is it for? There are over 4000 searches done every month on Google by people who are looking for international movers. Feedbacq has been able to tap into this market, getting around 8000 visitors last month. What makes it stand out from the crowd? Feedbacq has partnered with over 112 moving companies in 26 countries. This global partnership with quality companies makes Feedbacq stand out. What’s next? We need to create a mobile app. There is an innovation on the way. Pitch Video http://

Despite the fact that ebooks have taken off to the extent that Amazon's ebooks now sell more digital books than paper ones, I still feel that there is something missing with the format. It's just not the same as picking up a book and reading it from cover-to-cover. The ebook needs to deliver more to convince the rest of us non believers that it has something else to offer besides a kindle. And this iOS application could well be the kind of thing to convince me. Carmilla is a new app by DraculApps (yep, you heard it right) that not only gives you the story of a young vampire girl but also illustrates our imagination with maps, original creepy music and beautiful illustrations that turn the humble ebook concept into something far more interesting. Carmilla begins in a castle that is nestled deep in the forests of a magical world called Stiria. Our heroine Laura is a lonely girl living with her father. She longs for the company of someone of her own age and, after a sudden scary crash in the middle of the night, a new and mysterious friend enters the house - the very beautiful and quite fascinating Carmilla. The two girls bond quickly and easily but a dark shadow looms over the seemingly peaceful valleys of Stiria and an unknown sickness is dragging young boys and girls to an early death. Laura, meanwhile, is experiencing strange and disturbing dreams as well as episodes of precognition while Carmilla is wavering between moments of extreme excitement and days of apathy. In a struggle between rationalism and magic and between ancient lore and science, the enemy is never where you would expect and apparently it wields superhuman powers. This unique and riveting ebook with a difference lets you read how the story unfolds, track events on the ancient map, listen to the music and share illustrations with your friends! The Carmilla experience is available in English, Chinese and Italian. There were points in their evolution when both the CD and DVD revolution finally took off that signaled the death knell for both the vinyl industry (which funnily enough is having a bit of a renaissance right now) and the video world (which isn't.) The initial release of both formats was taken on by staunch supporters of new technology but the real fans tended to stick to their original formats until they were given something that was too good to turn their noses up at. And that thing was the heaps of extra music on CD's and things like directors commentaries and outtakes on DVD's. By adding to the novel experience with maps and music and letting you share the illustrations with your favorite social networks, Carmilla is just the beginning of the journey for the ebook. And the horror genre is just the place to start with shows like The Walking Dead and True Blood capturing a huge audience. Carmilla is not just a simple ebook. It's a novel new experience.

It appears Yahoo-owned Flickr has suffered the first significant outage after its major revamp. People online are reporting the site going down, with some tweets marked as early as 5:30PM PDT, says TNW. That was about six hours ago, at time of writing. Flickr also tweeted its acknowledgement of the site going down, about two hours ago. Experiencing slowness or having trouble accessing the site? We’re on it, and are working to fix the issue as quickly as possible. #badpanda — Flickr (@Flickr) May 24, 2013 TNW reported the site flashing the #badpanda image when it went down, but I only managed to see it once. The site was otherwise completely unresponsive the other times I tried loading it. Flickr’s revamp, launched just four days ago, overhauled the photo site’s interface with large, high-res photos. This pairs with a recent update of Flickr’s apps on both iOS and Android. Flickr has said that the updated iOS app yielded 25 percent more uploads. The additional load placed on Flickr’s systems by all the high-res flood coming in is likely to have taken its servers down. Flickr has about 89 million users. The new revamp bumped up each user’s upload quota to a whopping 1Tb. Not everyone’s going to be rushing to reach the quota, but it’s undoubtedly revived a lot of interest from users who have fallen by the wayside in recent years. #badpanda

A Canadian vampire, a Jewish Frankenstein, an Egyptian mummy, and a yeti from India teaches kids all about being different. Join Count Dracu and his lovable gang of multicultural monster friends, as they take kids on an interactive journey while teaching them all about "opposites" - like tall & short, fat & thin, and the different characteristics that make us all unique.