Cyanogen, a startup that distributes software based on Google’s Android mobile operating system, has raised $US80 million in series C funding in order to hire talent and accelerate software development.
The round was led by PremjiInvest and included participation from other investors such as Twitter.
“We’re committed to creating an open computing platform that fundamentally empowers the entire mobile ecosystem from developers to hardware makers, and most importantly, consumers around the world,” Cyanogen’s chief executive Kirt McMaster said in a statement.
“We’re excited to have the backing of an amazingly diverse group of strategic investors who are supporting us in building a truly open Android.”
The startup has received a total of $110 million in funding to date. The company reportedly rejected a buyout offer from Google last year.
Instagram has launched a standalone photo-editing app in order to give users the ability to make collages or mirror effects before uploading them to the photo-sharing app or other sites, such as Facebook.
“From imagining mirrored landscapes to sharing multiple moments from an entire adventure, we’ve seen these kinds of visual storytelling happening on Instagram and we’re inspired by it,” the company said.
“With Layout, it’s easier than ever to unlock your creativity — and we can’t wait to see what you’ll make next.”
Layout is currently available on iOS and will be available on Android devices in the next few months.
Twitter has started testing a new feature in the US that will mean videos in a user’s timeline play automatically.
“We’re running a small test on a few variations on the video playback experience,” a Twitter spokesman told Advertising Age.
The autoplay test will apply to video advertisements. Facebook has had autoplay videos since September 2013.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 11.61 points, falling 0.06% overnight to 18,116.04. The Aussie dollar is currently trading at around 78.89 US cents.
