THE NEWS WRAP: Microsoft launch instant-messaging style email app – StartupSmart

 

Microsoft has launched Send, a new email app designed specifically for “brief, snappy communications”.

 

It’s based on “in-and-out email”, and aims to reduce the time and effort involved with checking and responding to emails on a smartphone by getting rid of pesky formal email constructs like subject lines, signatures and salutations.

 

“Send gives you the simple, quick text message-like experience while allowing you to reach all co-workers and have all of your communications in Outlook for reference later,” a blog post by the Outlook Team says.

 

The app is available for iOS now and will soon be up for all other smartphone devices.

 

Uber beats New York City, for now

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has ditched plans to cap the number of Uber vehicles on the city’s streets, for the time being.

 

As the New York Times reports, a four-month study on Uber’s traffic and environmental impact will now be conducted.

 

It comes after the notoriously secretive startup released exact ride numbers for the past two months in NYC in an attempt to debunk de Blasio’s suggestion that ride-sharing companies are to blame for the city’s congestion.

 

Twitch declares war on Flash too

Amazon-owned gaming video platform Twitch has announced plans to get rid of Flash, following in the footsteps of YouTube, which made the move earlier this year.

 

As Venture Beat reports, Twitch’s controls will now be powered by HTML5 and JavaScript instead of the existing Flash.

 

But Flash won’t be entirely killed off just yet, with the videos on the site still being powered by Flash, so it’s going to be a gradual transition.

 

It seems an inevitable move away from Flash, with countless security vulnerabilities arising recently.

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 68.25, falling 0.3% overnight to 17,851.04. The Australian dollar is currently trading at US74 cents.

 

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