THE NEWS WRAP: Apple could ship Apple Watches to customers sooner than expected

Customers who have pre-ordered the Apple Watch can expect to see their new gadgets at their doorsteps sooner than expected.

Customers in the US who pre-ordered the device were originally told their orders would not ship until May or April. However, many have received an email notification saying their orders are “processing”.

“We’re happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected,” an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch.

“Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received. We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience.”

Professional certification startup Simplilearn raises $US15 million

Professional certification startup Simplilearn has raised $US15 million in Series C funding, according to TechCrunch.

The startup specialises in online self-learning and corporate training, with analytics, project management, marketing and programming courses proving the most popular among consumers.

To date the startup has raised $US27 million and plans to have one million users by the end of 2015.

Facebook launches new app to identify unknown callers

Facebook has launched a new Android app to identify mystery callers, Re/code reports.

Called Hello, the app taps into information publically available on Facebook to identify who’s calling you – even if you aren’t friends with the person calling on Facebook.

The application only works if the person calling you has shared their number publicly on the social media platform.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 88.64 points, rising 0.49% to 18,038.27. The Aussie dollar is currently trading at around 77 US cents.

Do you know more on this story or have a tip of your own? Raising capital or launching a startup? Let us know. Follow StartupSmart on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.