THE NEWS WRAP: Apple CEO Tim Cook spruiks Apple Watch health benefits

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has spruiked the health benefits of the Apple Watch ahead of its much-anticipated launch.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference in San Francisco, Cook said the smartwatch could help tackle the health issues associated with sitting for long periods at work.

“If I sit for too long, it will actually tap me on the wrist to remind me to get up and move,” he said.

“We have a lot of people using the Apple Watch at Apple, and ten minutes before the hour, suddenly they get up and move. It took a little to get used to, but it’s great.”

Apple’s smartwatch is scheduled for release in April.

AppDirect raises $US50 million in Series D funding

Cloud service marketplace AppDirect has raised $US50 million in Series D funding in order to expand its market share.

The round was led by Mithril Capital Management along with existing investors Foundry Group, iNovia Capital and StarVest Partners.

Co-founder and chief executive of AppDirect, Daniel Saks, said in a statement the raise will allow the company to continue to make software and cloud commerce available to businesses of every size.

“We’re dedicated to delivering the best omni-channel cloud service experience to our customers across the world,” he says.

“As the cloud becomes increasingly critical for businesses of every size, our strategy enables all cloud services, across all channels, all verticals, all devices, for all types of businesses.”

AppDirect has raised $110 million to date.

Twitter acquires celebrity advertising startup

Twitter has announced it has bought celebrity advertising startup Niche for an undisclosed amount.

The startup helps advertisers partner with celebrities and people with large social media audiences on Vine and other social platforms.

“The talent and creativity across the entire media landscape is incredible, and we hope this acquisition continues to inspire people to create great content,” Twitter said in a statement.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 0.13%, falling 23.47 points to 17,845.29. The Aussie dollar is currently trading at 0.77 US cents.

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