Every day, the website AHAlife delivers unique products from categories like fashion, food, beauty, accessories, home décor, tech and travel experiences right to your inbox. The site exudes “tastemaker status“, pairing a glossy editorial vibe with celebrity curators including Tim Gunn, DVF, Carmindy, Wendi Murdoch, Daniel Boulud, Bobbi Brown, Petra Nemcova, Cynthia Rowley, and Tina Brown in an attempt to cut through the noise in the online fashion world.

Today, the New York City based e-commerce company is officially launching international shipping to 106 countries, targeting cities like Mumbai, Beijing, Mexico City and Sao Paolo and accepting 42 major currencies. To celebrate, it’s donned a tasteful online makeover featuring vertically stacked “shelves” of products.

AHAlife’s founder and CEO Shauna Mei is anything but unimpressive. She was born in Inner Mongolia, raised in China and moved to the US shortly after the Tiananmen Square massacre. The 28-year-old entrepreneur (who was mentioned in our epic run down of NYC’s tech scene) studied computer science and electrical engineering at MIT and upon graduation, went to work at Goldman Sachs, where she worked on the sale of Neiman Marcus.

After Goldman, she co-founded a luxury investment boutique with Jeffrey Aronsson, (the former CEO of Marc Jacobs), Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta. However, when the recent recession began, Mei decided to move to Stockholm, where she studied design and ran the Swedish activewear brand Casall. Not long after, Mei returned to New York and launched AHAlife in fall 2010 during NYC’s fashion week.

AHAlife’s vibe is similar to other fashion sites we love like Of A Kind and Svvply with a mission to provide a curated experience of the best lifestyle products from all over the world where the consumer can come, discover, learn about and seamlessly purchase what AHAlife’s tastemakers love.

Why do I love AHAlife? I don’t know many other online boutiques that showcase Chinese inspired vases, high end make up, charitable gifts and Jimmy Jane vibrators all on their front page. It’s the wide selection of “things I want to own” that keeps me coming back, even if it’s just to window shop.

Unlike discount giant Gilt (where this starving writer admittedly does a lot of online shopping), AHAlife.com’s full price, full value business model has (unsurprisingly) received a fair amount of acclaim from industry insiders. “I do not believe true luxury goes on sale and niche brands are finally starting to realize the damage flash sales and heavy discounts can do to their business,” says Mei. “It was my mission to create a sustainable platform to not only sell unique crafts of artisans and designers from all over the world but also to tell their story. I am excited to be able to deliver to a global audience of intelligent, sophisticated consumers.”

The company is backed by DCM, FirstMark Capital, and a few prominent leaders in media and commerce. The company also recently announced the addition of wellness expert, Deepak Chopra, to its board of directors as well as the opening of an offline boutique in Beverly Hills (an unusual move for an online retailer).

Google has filed papers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission signifying its intention to sell its stake in Clearwire, the firm building a 4G WiMAX network in the United States.

The news comes in the week after Clearwire posted fourth quarter losses, missed its sales forecast and indicated that it may require additional funding to continue its operations.

As The Verge notes, at a proposed $1.60 price per share, Google is looking to sell its 6.5% stake for around $47 million, around a tenth of the $500 million it bought into the company at back in 2008. It also undercuts the current $2.27 share price on the NASDAQ.

Google’s filing notes: “Google periodically rebalances its investments based on its goals and its evaluation of market conditions,” but the move comes as the company has been looking to consolidate its operations in a few core areas such as search, advertising and social.

Following its closure of a swathe of services that didn’t fit Larry Page’s vision of a focused Google, it is getting out of a struggling business it most certainly doesn’t need to be part of.

Bradley Manning, a hero to some and pariah to others, has been formally charged with ‘aiding the enemy,’ among 21 other counts.

Manning, 24, is accused of being the source of hundreds of thousands of files that WikiLeaks, the controversial source of internal governmental information, subsequently published. His treatment at the hands of the US military and government has led to international outrage. He was removed from solitary confinement following waves of complaint.

The diplomatic cables that he is thought to have leaked led to a revolutionary look into how governments work and operate, and have caused ripples across the world, as secret deals were thrust into the light. The US government has claimed that the leak has endangered lives of its citizens, and its larger interests. Opponents claim that such complaints are overblown and that the leak led to more embarrassment than danger.

Manning, if convicted, could spend the rest of his life in jail.

We live in the day and age in which one piece of data can be amplified by the Internet, flung around the world, and cause an uproar all in the space of a single day. Given that our communication tools have never been stronger, or better, the impact of the leaked documents was massive.

You can read all our coverage of Mr. Manning here. TNW sincerely hopes for a fair trial. According to the BBC, Manning has forgone certain legal options: “As well as deferring a plea, he also passed on the opportunity to decide whether to be tried by a military jury or a single judge, reports from the court say.”

Google and the Digital Advertising Alliance have thrown their weight behind the drive to bring a Do Not Track feature to popular browsers, in a bid to improve users’ privacy.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, major advertising companies and others who use tracking data have agreed to honour the system which is already implemented in Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. This means that when activated, the feature will restrict the data websites can collect about users through cookies.

Ad personalisation will be blocked, and companies agreeing to the plan have pledged not to use the browsing data for employment, credit, healthcare or insurance purposes. However, cookies will still be able to be used for market research, product development and law enforcement. The WSJ adds that Facebook’s Like buttons and similar features that rely on cookies for recognising logged-in users off-site will still work.

Google’s Chrome browser is set to add Do Not Track support by the end of the year, while the Digital Advertising Alliance, a consortium which represents more than 400 companies, is working to honour the standard within nine months.

The White House supports Do Not Track as it calls on Congress to pass a ‘privacy bill of rights’ (more details in this Cnet report), however the concept has faced criticism from those who fear that advertising-supported websites won’t be able to continue to offer free access to their content without the higher revenues that personalised ads generate. Supporters of Do Not Track argue, though, that personalised advertising accounts for such a small percentage of the overall online ad market that the effect would be negligible.

US-based domain hosting firm NameZero has announced a rebrand that will see it change its name to Dotster and place greater emphasis on customer support.

In an email to its customers, the company confirmed that there will be no major change to the service that it offers, and it says that domain registration data and services will continue to remain secure. Customers will be able to use the same log-in details as before when visiting dotster.com, and namezero.com will stay online while users adapt to the change.

The company has moved to introduce a new toll-free assistance number that is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. The firm is also promising to make “more frequent upgrades to products, tools and hardware.”

Customers will notice the change on future bills and correspondence will come from Dotster, and all statements and communications via email will also come branded under its new name.

The only aspect that will change for customers is their email addresses, which will migrate over to Dotster.com as part of the rebrand.

Full details of the change can be found at the website here.

Image: Shutterstock user Sebastian Duda

New public figures for T-Mobile USA show the company lost more than 700,000 postpaid customers during the final quarter of 2011, as its rivals’ Apple’s iPhone 4S devices cut into its subscriber base.

The carrier has given out some positive news however, as it revealed it is planning to launch an LTE network next year as part of what it calls “a major network modernization plan.” T-Mobile USA has been marketing what are essentially 3.5G services as 4G for some time, and now it becomes the final major US carrier to announce plans for 4G.

The operator says it had cut customer churn in third quarter but the end of the year saw it take big losses as no fewer than three of its rivals introduced the latest Apple smartphone. In response, the company’s earning figures have been “strongly adjusted” to reflect the fact that its business was “negatively impacted” during the period.

The loss of customers saw revenues in the period drop by 2.7 percent, based on the previous year’s performance, to reach $4.6 billion, as churn and a shift towards unlimited prepaid plans took its toll.

It may have lost customers but, those who stayed are spending more. T-Mobile USA reveals that its average revenue per user (ARPU) grew by almost 20 percent, with customers spending an average of $2.70 more than last year, to account for $16.50 per account.

On the prepaid side of things, its unlimited monthly 4G plan has seen success as T-Mobile USA added 220,00 new pay-as-you-go customers. However, these accounts are considerably lower spenders, on average, that their postpaid equivilents.

December saw its sale to AT&T fell through and the company says that its report into the fall-out following the collapse of the deal remains ongoing. AT&T said it expected to write-off $4 billion, and it remains to be seen if T-Mobile USA cost will be similar.

T-Mobile USA became the first US telco to offer payments via Square but, despite its willingness to introduce new technology, its lack of an iPhone is seeing it lose out on customers.

General Assembly, one of the 5 coolest coworking spaces in New York City, has long offered an impressive set of classes to its community. And in part a promotion for GA’s brand-new online program, Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, the team has created a truly impressive video series.

The series, wisely named Stop Talking. Start Making, packs face-to-face advice from some of NY’s top entrepreneurs, like David Kelley (Founder of IDEO & Stanford’s d.school), Bre Pettis (Founder of Makerbot), Hosain Rahman (Founder of Jawbone) and Mike Bloomberg (Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and NYC Mayor).

Getting advice from such big names in the industry is a priceless opportunity for young founders, designers and developers. If you’re at all interested in the business of changing the world and making a lot of money, you’ll probably want to check out the whole series via the link below (and then go make something amazing).

While you’re at it, definitely take a peek at General Assembly’s upcoming online class. It’s sure to fill up quickly, so you’re best bet is to put your name in before everyone else does.

“Turn your coffeeshop conversations into a company people love.”

➤  Stop Talking. Start Making

EventFarm is an online ticketing and guest registration startup from DC that’s like Eventbrite on steroids. Instead of being built around a main site and templates, EventFarm is a true platform where brands get all the attention.

The company works on multiple levels within the event space and has already racked up an impressive client list since we first wrote about them as part of the emerging DC startup scene. Big clients include Facebook, Google, Conde Nast, Time Inc. and NBC Universal.

Within the event industry, EventFarm functions as a set of solutions for brands, digitally handling the registration, email invites, seat inventory and so on. Not too long ago, the company released its mobile check-in app and now the startup has just released a major update, with the ability to purchase tickets right from the app. From here on out, EventFarm is taking on the likes of Eventbrite and even Ticketmaster.

The new release allows events of all types to sell tickets at the door.  It’s available for both iOS and Android Devices using ROAM Data‘s encrypted swipe technology to process credit card payments and track cash transactions.

Like all of the startup’s products, everything on the app is fully customizable, letting you even hone in on the subtle details of how the check-in app actually looks to your guests. For the perfectionist or even anyone who simply doesn’t like giving some other brand all the attention, this is the app for you.

In comparison, eVite and Eventbrite put themselves front and center. There’s nothing wrong with this at all, but for costly and significant events, the odds are you need a solution that features you first. In the slightly more high end space, there really aren’t any other tech startups pulling this off.

If you’re thinking of hosting an event in the future, check out the app via the link below. You can use this app separately for feee or as a part of the entire platform — it all depends on you and what you prefer.

➤  Eventfarm via the App Store and the Android Market

Have you ever cringed at the sight of a car dangerously passing a stopped school bus? If so, we have good news; to protect schoolchildren, a new system called Student Guardian will capture images and videos of potential offenders.

Developed by the road safety company Redflex Traffic Systems, Student Guardian mostly consists of a safety camera. Installed on the front and rear driver’s side of a school bus, it monitors traffic and car plates while the bus stop arm is displayed – which means data will be available if the police decides to pursue violations.

While a lot of its impact will depend on law enforcement, the company hopes that it will contribute to curb dangerous driving behaviors, in the same way that other image-based solutions prevent red-light running and speeding.

In case you wonder how necessary this is, it’s important to keep in mind how widespread this threat is. Based on estimates by the Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, there are more than 13 million illegal schoolbus passes nationally in a typical 180-day school year, Redflex points out.

At the moment, two cities in Connecticut are testing Student Guardian, as part of a pilot program that also gives guidance to cities and school districts on which routes are the most dangerous.

“In today’s world we have embraced technology in almost every aspect of our lives, and I am pleased that we will pilot this high-tech program pertaining to bus safety,” said one of the school superintendents involved in the project.

Startup incubators are all the rage these days, but few can hold a candle to Europe’s Seedcamp, an early-stage micro seed investment program that we’ve written about quite a few times at The Next Web.

Seedcamp first popped up on my radar last July, when it announced 4 winning teams from its Mini Seedcamp New York trip. This year, 20 entrepreneurs from Seedcamp, led by Reshma Sohoni, Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Kirsten Campbell and Philipp Moehring are embarking on their 4th annual U.S. tour, which begins in New York City and culminates in Austin at SXSW.

“There’s really no better time of the year for a startup tour of North America,” Philipp Moehring, Seedcamp’s Associate told me yesterday at a Seedcamp mentoring event at Google’s Chelsea Market offices.

This year, Seedcamp is touring with a record number of 19 teams with plans to meet investors (including Andreesen Horowitz, AOL Ventures, Greylock Partners, Highland Capital Partners), connect with partners (including Google, eBay/PayPal), discover local ecosystems, meet “the big boys” from companies like Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, Tumblr and Etsy and and generally just have a good time.

“We have learned in the past years that the connections to the US do not simply come from emailing and Skype calls, but much more so from spending time in the right places with the right people. Some of the earlier Seedcamp alumni like ERPLY, Zemanta, Rentmineonline, Vox.io, and Farmeron have already shown what the jump to the US makes possible,” writes Seedcamp’s Reshma Sohoni.

A number of noteworthy teams took the stage to provide the room with quick snapshots of their startups. The Spanish startup 24 Symbols was the first to present its one-click, cloud based reading service. “Please switch off your TV and read with us,” they said.

AppExtras was up next with its cross-promotion marketplace for mobile app publishers. The startup that aids in app discovery is already driving 10% of Merriam Webster’s paid app downloads. Next, two entrepreneurs from Paris, France spoke about their startup Archivme, which is “Tripit for invoices”, and how they plan to tackle the invoice billing system from a very different angle than what’s been seen before.

One Austrian based startup, Blossom.io was very impressive in describing its lean product development tool. But by far, the one startup that captured my attention was Teleportd, billed as the “Getty for the Instagram generation”, Teleportd is a platform for realtime social photo licensing. Founder Gabriel Hubert (pictured right) hails from Paris, France.

The Brussels-based startup CheckThis showed us its platform to make posters in the cloud (think flyers + Tumblr + a dash of OnePager) and shouted out to one of its advisors, our very own Robin Wauters.

A heap of London startups presented including fintech startup Bilbus, amateur sports startup Bluefields, sales analytics startup Mopapp, Twitter management tool SocialBro, money conversion app TransferWise and the “Airbnb for skills”, Milk.ly.

And finally the social media management suite Campalyst presented, along with Canadian based Compilr, Helnsinki’s Holvi (which essentially built itself into a bank in 10 months), Boston’s Zingl, Estonia’s Pult and Qminder and the cleverly named geo-location gaming platform Oust.me.

Next up on the tour is Boston, followed by San Francisco and the Bay Area, Seattle, San Diego and Los Angeles, followed by Austin at SXSW until March 13th. Keep up with all of Seedcamp’s news on their new beautiful Tumblr page and on Twitter.

upthebanner via shutterstock