Apple Watch Is About To Become A Perfect Podcast Machine

The Apple Watch is set to become almost an entirely new device with the introduction of watchOS 2 this fall, but the changes set to arrive with the update seem like they’ll have extreme benefits for one group in particular: podcast aficionados, and podcasters themselves.

How does watchOS 2 achieve this? Two ways: support for local, long-form audio playback, and support for audio recording – including high-quality audio recording that could be suitable for use in content designed for a listening audience.

Apple Watch long-form audio playback is different from the way it handles short clips; app makers will be able to create custom UIs for controlling playback of the longer audio streams and files they provide users, and long-form tracks will play in the background, even while the app isn’t active, with playback control options always accessible via the stock Now Playing glance in watchOS.

Long-form audio only outputs to a connected Bluetooth speaker, headset or pair of headphones connected to your Apple Watch, and never to the built-in speaker. That’s a sensible decision on Apple’s part, since it’s unlikely many people would even want to listen to longer content on the Watch’s tiny speaker, and even if they did, they should be prevented from doing so in the interest of those around them. But it’s also now available without your iPhone present, which is great for runs, walks and other temporary outings where the distraction or burden of carrying a phone isn’t wanted.

The fact that an application can offer long-form audio in the background is key, because that means it can run while you’re using a workout app, or that you can use it in tandem with other content provided by the app offering the audio itself; imagine scrollable show notes, or occasional image assets that might supplement a feed, visible while the show is running.

Finally, that audio recording capability offers the chance to actually use the Watch as an input mechanism for creating podcasts. Apple has anticipated Watch uses beyond simple voice memos and messages with watchOS 2 recording powers; there are three distinct audio quality choices developers can use when capturing recorded content, including a high quality version that will probably provide serviceable raw material for podcast recording in a pinch.

Other new features, including support for third-party Complications on the Apple Watch faces, and support for digital crown input, could result in interesting podccast-related features like a list of upcoming scheduled shows, or the ability to finely scrub through an episode’s timeline on your wrist.

Of course, things like long-form audio have other potential benefits, including for audiobook applications, and recording as ample other uses, most of which will probably be much more popular. Still, for the podcasting crowd, Apple is doing a lot that’s going to result in a much better experience once it arrives in the fall.

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Twitter Now Lets Users Share Their Block Lists

Twitter today has taken another step aimed at helping its users fight abuse on its network – the company has introduced a new feature that allows users to share block lists with one another. The idea is that by opening up these blocking tools to the wider community, users will be able to more quickly and easily block multiple accounts at once.

Individual users today can mute and block accounts that are engaged in trolling, spam, abuse or other unwanted behaviors. But handling this on a one-off basis can become time-consuming. By letting users share their own block lists with each other, users will be able to import a list of known problem accounts and immediately block them all at once, which greatly simplifies the process.

To access this new feature, users are instructed to navigate to their “blocked accounts” settings on the Twitter.com website, then click on the advanced options drop-down menu and select “export your list” or “import a list,” as need be.

The import/export tool also allows you to review the list before you export it, in order to deselect any names you don’t want included. The list is created as a .CSV file that can then be sent to others however you choose.

The solution could help those in larger organizations, where community managers for various business units could share their own block list with fellow colleagues internally. But it could also go a long way to help those in larger online communities block users who regularly threaten or abuse people who discuss and share opinions on topics that tend to attract online trolls.

Twitter has faced a number of problems on this front in recent months, including the GamerGate saga, which involved women in the gaming industry facing violent and misogynistic harassment that included death and rape threats, the revealing of their personal information (including home addresses), and the sharing of other graphic material.

Minorities have also faced trolling from hate groups on Twitter. Public figures and celebrities are often threatened, and even jihadists have used Twitter’s platform to spread propaganda.

To combat the rampant abuse, Twitter began updating its abuse reporting mechanisms in earnest starting last year. In December, the company rolled out new tools that allowed users to more specifically detail their abuse and made changes to how Blocked Accounts operated. Since then, Blocked Accounts can’t view your profile.

In March, Twitter introduced features that made it easier to report threats to the police, and in April, Twitter updated its policies on violence and threats, which also gave the company the right to lock abusive accounts for periods of time.

Twitter notes today that it’s working on other controls that will help to limit abuse on its platform and will make further announcements about those in the “near future.” In the meantime, details on block list sharing are here.

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ADP Sues Zenefits For Defamation, Rolls Out A Competing Service

Payroll giant ADP has filed suit in federal court against HR startup Zenefits and its founder Parker Conrad for defamation.

ADP and Zenefits are locked in an on-going battle over client information used to run payroll. ADP claims Zenefits was gleaning this information from the ADP system in an unauthorized manner and that this posed a security risk. ADP blocked Zenefits from accessing customer data through ADP’s RUN payroll system on June 4th.

Below is an exact statement from ADP to TechCrunch over the matter:

Zenefits unauthorized method of accessing ADP’s RUN solution pulled sensitive client and employee data, including Social Security Numbers and employee banking information, in a manner that does not comply with ADP’s high standards for data security.  In addition, Zenefits’ method of extracting data from ADP’s RUN system via “screen-scraping” put excessive demands on ADP’s servers, potentially impacting service delivery to the entire client base.  Based on the risks to the system and clients’ sensitive data, on June 4, 2015, ADP was forced to block Zenefits from accessing ADP’s RUN payroll system for small business clients.

Conrad dismissed the claim that the shutdown was for security reasons and said it had more to do with ADP recognizing the little upstart as a threat. “They absolutely compete with us on the insurance side but more importantly they compete with us on the HR side,” Parker told TechCrunch earlier.

Zenefits put up this blog post yesterday stating that it thought ADP had cut off access because ADP was developing a product to compete with the startup.

This claim is where ADP took issue with Zenefits and told TechCrunch that, “No factual basis exists for this claim.” ADP filed two lawsuits on Tuesday – one against Zenefits and a separate suit against Conrad, accusing him of defamation.

However, within the same hour, ADP sent an email offering a competing product called Opum to Zenefits customers.

ADP is within its rights as a company to block service or not work with whoever they choose and the company has partnered with numerous other third-parties to provide access to data. However, Conrad was adamant that the evidence of a competing product shortly after shutting off access for his customers was proof that this was a deliberate attempt to thwart his fast-growing and now highly-valued startup.

“This is clearly a FUD tactic,” Conrad said. “What really upsets me is that this proves that ADP was completely misrepresenting what was going on.”

ADP has declined to comment on the details of the lawsuit at this time but told us that the action to block access is not unique to Zenefits. “ADP would block the access of any organization or individual who attempts to integrate with ADP in a manner that puts our clients at risk,” an ADP spokesperson said.

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PennyOwl wants to help your kids get savvy with their finances

As mobile devices slowly take over children’s toys, allowance app PennyOwl is on a mission to help parents raise money smart kids. The app officially launches today in the US for iOS and Android and is free to download.

The aim of PennyOwl is to get children started on managing their finances the right way.

There are many pocket-money apps out there already, such as iAllowance, but PennyOwl differentiates itself by letting kids learn with real-money and its newsfeed feature.

The content shown on the newsfeed is chosen to teach kids about finances in an age-appropriate way, using examples that would appeal to them.

When you download the app, you can set up accounts for each of your children, adjust the filters to suit their individual ages and organize a regular allowance transfer.

You can choose to set out how much money your child can spend and how much should be put into savings as well.

PennyOwl gives children a level of autonomy as well by providing them with a store within the app where they can buy games, books, and toys that are all age-appropriate.

Your child choose to shop in PennyOwl’s store and you will be notified of any purchases. If your child doesn’t have enough money for something they fancy, the app will guide them through how to save up for it.

Other features of the app include the ability for your child to request cash from you in-lieu of what they’ve already saved and a Wishlist that lets parents see and share items that their child might like for birthdays or holidays.

An option to donate money to charities is being added following user feedback from early testing.

It is only available in the US at the moment but will be rolling out internationally later this year.

PennyOwl came through the Commerce.Innovated startup Accelerator after it caught the attention of Silicon Valley Bank and Mastercard. The company behind the app is currently working on a suite of tools for children to learn about finances.

➤ PennyOwl [iOS|Android]

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Android Game Console Maker Ouya In Talks To Be Acquired By Razer

We’re hearing that Razer, which creates laptops and other gaming hardware, is in the process of acquiring Kickstarter-backed Android console maker Ouya. TechCrunch couldn’t learn the terms of the deal, which we’ve heard are still in flux, but the acquisition would bring to a close the tale of a very early first-mover in the market of set-top gaming consoles outside of traditional power players.

Ouya was one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time, raising around $8.6 million before getting a $15 million round from investors like Kleiner Perkins and Mayfield Fund. The project originally sought to raise around $1 million but promptly blew past that goal in its first day on Kickstarter.

One of the first of its kind android consoles, Ouya offered developers a way to build games that were specifically tuned for a television experience. This was at a time when Microsoft and Sony had an independent developer ecosystem, but nowhere near as fleshed out as it is today (and at the time, the developer kits actually had a price tag). Throughout the past several months, Ouya has held conversations with around a dozen or so companies about a potential fit — though it could have been more than that — according to our sources.

That challenge, too, was apparent to co-founder Julie Uhrman, who told NPR in an interview that “it takes a lot of guts and courage. If I wasn’t a female, I’d say, ‘big balls.’ ”

Uhrman is a longtime video game exec with more than a decade of experience, and with the initial success of the Kickstarter campaign Ouya quickly attracted interest from independent developers. The more open hardware, too, piqued their curiosity. Last year around this time the company had 36,000 registered developers. It enlisted the likes of Kellee Santiago, one of the original creators of Flower, to help build out its developer ecosystem.

Earlier this year, Alibaba invested $10 million in Ouya with plans to actually find a way into the console market in China, which even today is nascent. We heard that deal valued Ouya somewhere between $60 million and $80 million. Alibaba has its own set top Android devices, and at the time expressed interest in bringing the company’s games to those devices, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. At that point, it became increasingly clear that Ouya was valuable as much as a game development platform as it was a hardware manufacturer.

But of course, being the first of its kind comes with an array of challenges that even at the time are hard to foresee. But despite building a large independent developer ecosystem, the company still faced the challenge of facing broad adoption in an increasingly competitive Android set top market that quickly saw new challengers like Amazon and even Google. Ouya, also like some startups, faced the challenge of dealing with venture debt after securing some from TriplePoint Capital, according to a report by Fortune.

And hardware in general is a tough business to be in. The console was originally designed by Yves Behar, and during the fundraising process Ouya had considered an updated version of the console, our sources said around the time of the reports of a potential strategic investment. Building hardware and a strong supply chain can be a major and expensive challenge for new startups that may have to deal with delays and an extensive negotiating process.

Still, the excitement around the Kickstarter campaign and its early venture round proved that there was a market for set top Android devices, and even larger companies began building new products for that market. But the first mover is not always the mover that wins.

Uhrman did not respond to a request for comment.

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Facebook Challenges Pinterest With News Feed Buy Button For Shopify Merchants

Facebook wants its ads to sell you stuff directly so you never have to click away to another app or site. Until now, Facebook was testing a Buy Button that does that with just a few selected test merchants, but now its opening it up to any retailer on Shopify‘s ecommerce platform.

That’s a big step towards the Buy Button becoming available to everyone, which could boost sale conversion rates for sellers, speed up purchasing for shopping, and keep Facebook’s users bouncing around inside its walled garden. The Buy Button could also help Facebook compete for ecommerce ad dollars with Pinterest, which just launched its own Buyable Pins that also allows in-line transactions, and Google, which plans to offer something similar within its ads.

The Buy Button can show up in Facebook Page Posts and Promoted Post ads run by Shopify merchants, so they can either share them organically or pay for more reach. Rather than clicking through to the retailer’s website, this call-to-action button at the bottom of the post initiates a checkout in-line within the News Feed. Shoppers can then buy instantly if they have payment details on file with Facebook, or enter them to complete the purchase and go back to Facebooking.

The social network tells me “The test will help us understand how the feature can drive sales for a wider variety of merchants.” Facebook wants to learn about what kinds of products like fashion, electronics, or crafts work best, and if there are any leaky parts of the purchase funnel. Shopify merchants will be able to track Facebook sales alongside analytics on the rest of their performance.

Testing with Shopify is convenient because it gives Facebook a standardized ecommerce backend to build the Buy Button on top of, rather than immediately having to accommodate a variety of ecommerce platforms. Facebook did something similar when testing its payment detail auto-fill feature with all the merchants on another ecommerce canvas, Ecwid.

Facebook’s waffled several times on how it wants to do ecommerce. At first it ran its Gifts store where you could by products straight from Facebook and send them to friends. But Gifts flopped and was shut down. Then it wanted to help auto-fill your payment details when you checked out in third-party mobile apps. But now it seems to have settled on a combination: outside retailers selling within Facebook.

It’s all part of Facebook’s quest to absorb the Internet. Facebook’s in-line video player, Instant Articles, Messenger apps and games, Nearby Places, and more features each drive the same strategy: don’t let users leave. Rather than watching on YouTube, reading on news sites, gaming in other apps, going to Yelp, or clicking through to shop elsewhere, Facebook hopes you’ll do everything on its properties where it can push its open and connected mission while showing you ads.

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Advertisers on Twitter can now target you based on the types of apps on your phone

Twitter is constantly trying to make making it easier for brands to cater ads to the right audience – and now it’s using the types of apps you have installed to do so.

For example, you might have a ton of productivity apps on your phone, so a brand making brand making to-do list apps.can now more easily know to target you.

The same company might also know that people who’ve downloaded a lot productivity apps tend to use finance apps as well, so they can now choose to target their finance-related software at to them as well.

It’s worth keeping in mind Twitter already uses information on your app installs to target ads – the difference now is that brands can feed you ads based on the overarching types of app installed on devices, instead of just the specific pieces of software you’ve downloaded.

In the same vein, Twitter’s adding analytics for installed app categories in the advertiser dashboard. These are provided regardless of whether a brand has previously targeted a category before, so they can note any links between the different types of apps a user has installed.

The new type of targeting is now available to all Twitter advertisers around the world who are running mobile app campaigns on both iOS and Android.

Some users will surely take issue with advertisers knowing even more information about the way they use their mobile phones, but today’s update could mean the ads you see are actually more relevant to you.

Still, if you’d rather your app installs not be tracked, you can always disable the “Tailor Twitter based on my apps” option from the settings menu on iOS and Android.

Read next: Twitter now lets you share a list of blocked accounts with others

➤ Introducing installed app category targeting: a new way to target users and gain insights into mobile app campaigns [Twitter]

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