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At the end of April, duringThe Next Web Conference, Vodafone announced the opening of itsVodafone Mobile Clicks 2011, a contest to identify and develop the best, most innovative mobile internet start-ups. Open to seven markets, Vodafone Mobile Clicks allows any startup in Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Turkey or the United Kingdom that has a mobile site, service or application to apply and compete for a €225,000 prize fund....

TechStars, the startup accelerator that’s “tougher to get into than Harvard” keeps branching out with new ways to get access to its startups and products. A few days ago I saw a tweet go through my stream about a new store that would let youpurchase TechStars schwag, but today’s announcement was about something a bit more technical –The TechStars App Showcase. According to TechStars CEO David Cohen, the app store is “brand spanking” new....

The emergence of DAOs has brought forth a powerful mechanism to manage blockchain protocols and presents a novel opportunity for individuals to get directly involved with a passion project on many different levels. Individuals now have the opportunity to be a part of a community that collectively operates a protocol of interest as well as the chance to get paid for meaningful contributions that push the project forward. So let’s dive into what exactly DAOs are, how they work, and why I believe they are the perfect way for newcomers to join the space....

Dark patterns are design elements that deliberately obscure, mislead, coerce and/or deceive website visitors into making unintended and possibly harmful choices. Dark patterns can be foundin many kinds of sitesand are usedby several kinds of organizations. They take the form of deceptively labeled buttons, choices that are difficult to undo, and graphical elements like color and shading that direct users’ attention to or away from certain options. Dark patterns in subscriptions are a common example of these kinds of design choices, given the ubiquity of online subscriptions and free trials for all kinds of products and services....

What are geofence warrants? Location data on your smartphone is giving law enforcement new surveillance tools So what exactly do police get through these warrants? A traditional search warrant for a car or a house or a laptop typically targets a specific person police have probable cause to suspect of a crime. Geofence warrants allow law enforcement officers to search when they don’t have a potential suspect. Geofencing itself simply means drawing a virtual border arounda predefined geographical area....