Sony's new smartwatch runs Android Wear, and has built-in GPS for runners, too. We take a quick look at one on-wrist in New York.
Transcription not available for Sony Smartwatch 3 coming to U.S. soon for $250, and it runs Android Wear.
Log in | Sign up Home Longform Video Reviews Tech Science Culture Design Business US & World Forums Search More Sections Back Home Longform All Longform All Verge Features Video All Video 90 Seconds Detours Features On The Verge Reviews Small Empires The Verge Mobile Show The Vergecast Top Shelf Verge Update Reviews All Reviews See All Products Tech All Tech Apple Google Microsoft Mobile Photography Home Apps Science All Science Culture All Culture Entertainment Web Gaming Movie Reviews Design All Design Architecture Typography Concepts Business All Business Policy & Law US & World All US & World Politics National Security Forums All Forums Apple Core Apps & Software Betamaxed Book Club Events Gaming Googleplex Hacks / DIY Linux / Open Source Meta Microsoft Tribe Mobile Off-topic / chit-chat PCs Science Tablet Talk The Firm The Fringe The Lens Transportation Web & Social SBN.Campaigns.renderBelowNavAdMarkupIfApplicable(); Previous Story Goo sculpture shows how happy or sad Oslo's internet users are Next Story 'Forza Horizon 2' review The company is offering a workaround until iOS 8.0.2 fixes the issue
By Josh Lowensohn on September 25, 2014 12:27 am @Josh 63 Don't miss stories follow The Verge Like Follow Subscribe Follow Share on Facebook View the original article hereThe company has shown fast, steady growth in its business for years, staying ahead of competitors and making old-school banks look increasingly like relics. Capping the company's progress was Wednesday's regulatory filing detailing its plans to raise as much as $500 million in an initial public offering.
But the regulatory filing, along with Lending Club's recent moves, shows a sense of urgency. With competitors like Prosper nipping at its heels, Lending Club is angling for faster expansion into new lending markets.
That's why Lending Club added small-business loans in March and acquired Springstone Financial in April, which extends the company into medical and student loans. But all that expansion helped push the company into the red for the last six months after finishing a profitable 2013. Perhaps Lending Club has concluded it was time to leave behind the more conservative approach that characterized its early years.
If Lending Club's expansion succeeds, it's more likely that it will be the company that hooks you up when it's time to buy that new car, send the kid to college, or pay off that high-interest credit card. And those with money to save will be more likely to lend it out for vastly better interest than the near-zero rates that bank savings accounts offer today.
The expansion comes at a cost, though.
Increasing expensesIn 2011, Lending Club had a net loss of $12.3 million on revenue of $12.5 million. In 2012, that went to a loss of $6.9 million on revenue of $34 million. Things turned around in 2013, with net income of $7.3 million on revenue of $98 million.
But its increasing expenses whacked that profitability. Comparing the first six months of 2013, Lending Club's sales and marketing expenses rose from $16.1 million to $39.8 million. Engineering rose from $5.3 million to $13.8 million. Total operating expenses rose from $35.3 million to a whopping $102.8 million.
As the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money.
Lending Club is a juggernaut when it comes to peer-to-peer lending. As of June 30, it facilitated $5.04 billion in loans -- more than $1 billion of them in the second quarter of 2014. The chart shows the classic up-and-to-the-right direction that gets businesses salivating.
But it sees itself as actually pretty small in the scheme of things -- so far, at least. "We estimate that in June 2014 approximately $380 billion in outstanding consumer credit would meet our marketplace's credit policy," Lending Club said in the filing detailing its IPO plans.
There have been reports by some recent Surface Pro 3 users -- specifically those buying the Intel Core i7 devices -- that their tablets are overheating.
Microsoft officials responded publicly on Tuesday to those reports, saying a fix is in the works and that it will be available "as soon as possible." (Officials declined to say if that means on the next Patch Tuesday, which is September 9, or some other date.)
I asked for an update on the overheating reports and a Surface spokesperson sent the following response:
The Surface Team is aware of a very small number of Surface Pro 3 Intel Core i7 devices that are temporarily restarting and incorrectly showing a 'Thermometer Gauge' icon while attempting to boot up. Our investigation reveals that the system is triggering this event sooner than it should for some people, only when the device restarts, and this does not occur when the device is booted and running. We have an update that will address this that will be ready for our customers as soon as possible.
The i7 version of Surface Pro 3 is a first-of-its-kind tablet delivering i7 processing power in a thin and light package. As such, the increased power calls for the fan to spin more regularly and at higher speeds - and for the unit to run slightly warmer. If customers have any questions or concerns, they should contact Microsoft Support.
Microsoft introduced its third-generation Surface Pro 3 tablets in May. Microsoft is positioning the Surface Pro 3 as a replacement for the MacBook Air and other laptops.
This story originally appeared a "Microsoft promises fix for Surface Pro 3 overheating issues" on ZDNet.
If you love Lego (and really, who doesn't?), book your plane ticket to Billund, Denmark.
On Tuesday, three generations of Lego's founding family were on hand to snap together six foundational bricks for the Lego Experience House, which is scheduled to open its doors to the public sometime in 2016. The bricks were emblazoned with six words -- learning, caring, quality, imagination, creativity, and fun -- that perfectly capture what Lego represents for millions of kids and adults around the globe.
Related Links Lego female-scientist minifigs rock their own Twitter account A Lego 'Ghostbusters' short full of geeky cameosVisitors to the Lego Experience House can expect to be blown away by the sheer size of the structure, as it will measure just under 130,000 square feet. The architect, Bjarke Ingels, designed the entire building to look like the iconic Lego brick, and a gigantic Lego brick will sit atop the 75-foot-tall building. Ingels described the concept for the building as follows.
"We have been inspired by the modularity of the Lego brick to create the Lego House," Ingels said. "It will appear like a cloud of interlocking Lego bricks that form spaces for exploration and exhibition for its visitors within. On the outside the pile of bricks form the roof of a new covered square as well as a mountain of interconnected terraces and playgrounds."
Lego hopes the Lego Experience House will deliver the ultimate Lego experience, letting people of all ages channel their creativity while building things with Lego. Visitors can share their creations with other Lego fans from around the world, as well as with the designers of official Lego products. The building will feature vast experience areas, where you can create to your heart's content, as well as a cafe, a Lego store, and several open roof terraces to hang out and talk about Lego.
The building is expected to open to the public in 2016, and aims to attract some 250,000 visitors per year. If you love Lego as much as I do, you're probably already planning your trip.
