Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigns

Following months of upheaval, Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick has stepped down.

"I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight," Kalanick said in a statement to The New York Times.

The innovative company, whose ride-summoning app changed the face of transportation and launched a new  pp-based economy applied to old business norms, was founded in 2009 and has since established an imposing global presence. Uber has been in the spotlight for various sexual harassment in the workplace complaints, charges of stealing trade secrets and investigations on misleading government regulators. Uber is clearly one of the most despised companies, not because it provides a poor product, but because the perception is that it and many of its executives are shady. 

Kalanick still retains a board seat and the company has yet to assign a new CEO.

Google pulls the plug on Android Market for Android 2.1 Eclair and below

Before there was Google Play Store, Google had Android Market. And it seems the beloved app store is reaching the end of its life. Google just announced that by the end of the month all devices running Android 2.1 Eclair and lower will no longer have access to or be able to install apps from Android Market. Those who still have these devices unfortunately won’t even get the notice on their phones because of “technical restrictions.” But later versions of Android that still have access to this app store will be supported “for as long as feasible.”

We don’t know how long or short that may be, though. As Android Authority points out, that Android 2.2 Froyo and below aren’t showing up on the monthly distribution charts of Google and Android 2.3 Gingerbread is nearing that same fate, too. For Android fans, do you still have these older Android devices? What’s the oldest one in your possession?

Netflix brings ‘Choose your own adventure’ format from books to the screen

If as a kid you’d love reading the “Choose your own adventure” books, this new format Netflix is introducing is bound to be popular with the young ones of this digital generation. After two years of testing it out, Netflix launches its first of two Interactive Storytelling titles: Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale. Coming on July 14^th is the second story, which is Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile. Netflix partnered with the likes of Dreamworks, American Greetings, Robot Chicken, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios to help bring these complex, non-linear stories to life. Puss in Book has already launched globally, making it the first of its kind to be available on such a large scale.

The story will have the viewer make a choice at certain points and you’ll be given around 15 to 20 seconds to choose. If your kid is watching on a TV, it’ll be by using the remote, while if you’re on a tablet, they can tap on their choice. At launch, the right-to-left languages (like Arabic) won’t be supported but they will be coming soon, according to Netflix. It’s available first on TVs and iOS with Android, Apple TV, and Chromecast not yet in the works. However, the two shows will be available on those platforms as a linear story. We can’t say how popular the format will be but it does show us how Netflix is stretching its tech side and how storytelling can evolve in the future. While launching first with children’s titles, Netflix isn’t ruling out trying it out with adult content, too.

Source: Wired 

Apple introduces more lessons for kids to learn about coding and creativity

Apple wants to build the coding and creative skills in your young ones this summer. Canadian kids can take part in things like Apple Camp, new weekly Kids Hours, and How to Get Started with Coding sessions. For those interested in the Apple Camp, it’s a free three-day experience for children ages 8 to 12 years old. The camp teaches kids about coding, illustration, movie making, and composing of music. In Apple Stores around the world, there are now also weekly Kids Hour that educates about different, fun hands-on projects like “Sphero Maze Challenge,” “Making Movies Together,” and “Creating Music with GarageBand.”

There are also new daily How To sessions at Apple Stores. The new one geared towards kids is the Get Started with Coding sessions. This gives children a chance to explore coding concepts and use the same code professional developers use. Apple’s Swift Playgrounds app for the iPad helps make coding lessons more interactive and fun for beginner coders from ages 12 and up. If you’d like to check out these lessons and sign up, you can find out more in this link.