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At AngelList hackathon, demand is for talent-poaching tools

SAN FRANCISCO--If there's one thing that technology investors would like to have an easier time doing, it's poaching highly skilled engineering talent.

That much was clear at the AngelList Hackathon, an event held here today at the offices of AngelList, a company built around connecting early-stage startups with investors. But unlike many hackathons, during which entrepreneurs build new products meant for the world at large, these hackers were showing off new tools aimed solely at the large AngelList community of startups seeking funding.

In about 90 minutes, AngelList team members showed off 10 tools all meant to add … Read more

The clear way to task management

This app won't take the place of Reminders or other scheduling apps that offer alarms--Clear sticks to simple list making, and it does a fine job.

The first thing I noticed about the app is the lack of interface buttons. You never hit a button called "menu" or rely on arrows to turn pages (though you will use the iPhone type pad). Instead, you navigate around this to-do list app using swipes and pinching gestures with delightful sounds as you complete each action. While looking at a list, a swipe down creates an empty list item so … Read more

Gore hearts Cook in writeup for Time's '100 Most Influential'

Former United States Vice President -- and Apple board member -- Al Gore gushed about the job Tim Cook is doing as CEO since succeeding Steve Jobs in a brief essay he wrote for Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World" list.

"It is difficult to imagine a harder challenge than following the legendary Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple. Yet Tim Cook, a soft-spoken, genuinely humble and quietly intense son of an Alabama shipyard worker and a homemaker, hasn't missed a single beat." Gore, who is referred to in the article's … Read more

Apple vaults past Google to top Japanese brand survey

Apple is the top brand in Japanese consumers' minds, according to the results of an annual survey that was published today.

Japan's Nikkei business daily released the results of its 2011 survey on brands, and Apple came out on top. Trailing it was Google, which was last year's leader, as well as other tech brands like YouTube and Panasonic. On last year's list, Apple came in 11th.

The online survey, which was done by Nikkei's consulting business, polled around 52,000 people 18 and older, and ran during the last two months of 2011. Besides consumers, … Read more

Paper brings your sketches to life (hands-on)

As CNET's Mary Jo Foley reported earlier today, former execs associated with the nixed Courier dual-screen tablet from Microsoft have joined together to make an elegant sketchpad and ideas app.

Paper, by developer FiftyThree, is free and offers only a handful of features initially, but it's just enough to make you want to sample some of the in-app purchases for more tools.

Upon launch you're presented with a welcome screen that outlines the simple set of tools. A tap opens a book, and swiping horizontally lets you turn the 3D pages. The feel of the app is very fluid, and it even accounts for your swipe momentum, so a stronger flick turns several pages until they slow to a stop. Details like these make the simple interface impressive, even without many bells and whistles. From there you simply tap on a page to start editing.… Read more

Startup pitches post-JOBS Act: Pump up the volume

Here's one likely outcome of the JOBS Act that passed the Senate last week and is on its way to becoming law: The noise from startups vying for investor attention is going to go up.

Maybe way up.

A key provision of the Act makes it okay for a company to publicly talk about the fact that it's raising money -- something that, while often ignored, has been a lingering threat among the booming startup world. When the rule barring general solicitation goes away, any hesitancy to hawk one's business will vanish.

How could that play out? … Read more

Top 10 audio bargains

I've always loved "cost is no object" high-end audio gear, but I'm equally passionate about awesome sounding bargains. I try to review as many as I can, and my readers and friends are always on the lookout for outstanding gear. Here's a Top 10 list of great sounding audio bargains, and most are priced under $100!

Reminder Tool for Mozilla Firefox

There are quite a number of calendars and to-do tools readily available out there. These are normally large applications that are intended for a lot of heavy-duty stuff. We're talking campaigns, business plans, and other time-based activities where you need to see the big picture. However, if you are looking for something that will simply remind you of specific dates and tasks on a daily basis, try this new add-on for Mozilla Firefox. ReminderFox is a free, simple tool for setting reminders without leaving your browser.

Once installed, the add-on sits unobtrusively in the status bar until needed. Reminders … Read more

Yelp for restaurant listings

Yelp is the premier online city guide that helps you find restaurants and other businesses in your area. It not only provides vital information like hours, addresses, and phone numbers, it also offers a treasure trove of user-submitted reviews, ratings, and photos.

Since Yelp taps into your mobile device's GPS powers, it can easily help you find businesses nearby. Alternatively, you can indicate a city of your choice to search elsewhere. You can conduct your search based on keyword, or browse through listings by category. And the Yelp app offers a few filters to further narrow your search, including … Read more