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MindJolt Focuses On Monetization, Prepares To Invade iPad/iPhone
Nov 18, 6:00AM
Fashion And Commerce Come Together At The Refinery29 Reserve
Nov 18, 5:34AM
The line between content and commerce is blurring. Refinery29, a fashion news and trends site with a local twist, just launched a daily/weekly deal site called Refinery29 Reserve. The deals are for "high-end local fashion," as CEO Philippe von Borries describes it. The combination of an editorially-driven media site and a commerce business is a trend that is picking up steam. For instance, last May, guy-site Thrillist bought JackThreads, a flash sales site for men's clothing and gear. 
Payback (And IPO) Time For GM As Chevy Volt Wins Industry Accolades
Nov 18, 3:35AM
The 102-year-old car company General Motors (GM) is set to go public on Thursday after a government-forced bankruptcy and bailout in November 2008. The bailout cost taxpayers about $50 billion. Analysts estimate the stock price would need to hit $53 dollars before the government can recoup its investment. GM plans to sell about half-a-billion shares for $33 each in its IPO. The company's overall valuation stands at $20.1 billion to $23.1 billion. ...In other company news, GM unveiled its 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at the Los Angeles auto show today. Earlier in the week its new, electric vehicle (EV) the 2011 Chevy Volt won the title of car of the year from two trade magazines, Motor Trend and Automobile magazines. 
Susan Wojcicki's 5 Ad Products Of Google Christmas
Nov 18, 2:49AM
Google has been ramping up its product search and advertising efforts just in time for the holidays. Case in point: At Web 2.0 Summit Google VP of Product Management Susan Wojcicki challenged herself to demo the 5 disparate Google ad products the company has released in the past two months or so in under 10 minutes. The umbrella theme being merging both the online and offline shopping worlds.
First Look: Zynga Takes On Rivals With CityVille, A Casual Virtual Metropolis
Nov 18, 2:01AM
It's time to meet the latest Zynga game that's destined to join the ranks of Facebook's most popular applications: CityVille. It's SimCity meets FarmVille, and it's got plenty of competition. CityVille isn't quite finished yet — Zynga says we can expect it to go live globally in the coming weeks — but I got a chance to see a 45 minute demo, which was enough to get the gist of what users should expect. When it does launch, the game will be internationalized in German, Italian, Spanish and French, which will mark the company's first global launch. Zynga's entry into this genre isn't a surprise: Digital Chocolate's Millionaire City has 12.6 million monthly active users, making it one of the top games on Facebook; other competitors include Playfish's My Empire, Crowdstar's Hello City, and Playdom's Social City, along with many others. But despite the fact that it's joining the fray months after its competition, CityVille is sure to see at least some success, because Zynga will be able to steer players of its existing mega-hits to the game. So does it look any good? Before I get into that, I should make it perfectly clear that I'm not the sort of person who enjoys FarmVille or FrontierVille — I like my games to involve a bit more strategy and thinking. And, from what I can tell, CityVille comes a little closer to what I'm looking for. It's no Civilization or SimCity, but this is probably Zynga's 'smartest' game yet.
Twitter's Williams On Facebook Relationship: We're Talking To Them Often — So Far, Nada
Nov 18, 1:27AM
Today at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Twitter co-founder Evan Williams sat down with host John Battelle. Battelle asked Williams about Twitter's relationship with Facebook. As you might expect, it's complicated, according to Williams. Battelle asked if Twitter was open to doing more integration with Facebook. "I think you'd have to ask Mark [Zuckerberg] that. But you missed your opportunity," Williams joked (Zuckerberg was interviewed on stage yesterday). Williams noted that Battelle also didn't ask Zuckerberg why they blocked Twitter's contact integration.
Twitter Has A (Secret) Reputation Score For Every User
Nov 18, 1:16AM
Whoah. Onstage at Web 2.0 Summit, Twitter founder Evan Williams revealed, when asked by interviewer John Battelle "How do you pick 'Who to Follow'?," that Twitter has a private reputation score for every user. According to Williams, Twitter's "science and math people" have systems which gauge who you follow and who the people you follow follow and try to find relevance in the overlap. He didn't make it clear how the reputation score was measured.
Will China's 1999 Moment Bail-Out Some Valley VCs?
Nov 18, 1:00AM
Yes, China is taking over the world. Or at least the Internet. No, this is not like the WE'LL-ALL-BE-WORKING-FOR-JAPAN-oh-nevermind scare of the 1980s. Why? Because China has more than 1 billion people. It already represents the largest online audience in the world and is less than 30% penetrated and has Internet spending per capita that's less than one-third of the United States. That means two things are true that aren't usually true at the same time: It's a monster now and it's barely gotten started. The Internet-- more than any other industry-- is about building huge, mass audiences. China wins at that. Accept it. You can't spend 15 years arguing size and eyeballs matter and not be impressed by what is happening in China right now.
Hastings On Hulu Plus: If They Become A Competitor, That's Probably Healthy For Us
Nov 18, 12:49AM
Today at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Peter Chernin sat down with New York Magazine's John Heilemann to talk about the state of the video content business. A question from the audience asked Hastings about the news today that Hulu was cutting their prices. Hastings noted that Hulu was still mainly an advertising play. And he said that Netflix has actually long been an advertiser on Hulu. "Hulu Plus may grow into a competitor over time, but that's probably healthy for us," he said. Notice he's saying that he doesn't consider them an actual competitor just yet.
Instakarma: Instagram Expands Team And Moves Into Twitter's Original Office
Nov 17, 11:32PM
A few weeks ago I wrote about some office space that was available in the South Park area of San Francisco's SoMa district. Why was it interesting? Because it was Twitter's original office. And that's exactly how the startup that currently owns it, One Block Off The Grid, was pitching it to startups in hopes that they would sublet it. Well, they found one. A certain startup getting an amount of early buzz that some might say is comparable to that of an early Twitter is taking the lease: Instagram.
SlideShare Launches Company Networks, IBM Joins As Pilot Partner
Nov 17, 11:15PM
SlideShare,the "YouTube for presentations," is launching a new feature today—Company Networks. Networks are basically a way for businesses to curate content from all of their employees and partners on one branded page. SlideShare lets anyone share presentations and video and also serves as a social discovery platform for users to find relevant content and connect with other members who share similar interests. IBM is launching as a pilot partner for the Company Networks feature, with the IBM Expert Network. The page shows all of the IBM employees or experts on Slideshare page as well as content that is curated from each expert's profile. Slideshare also allows users to feature particular presentations more prominently and categorize content from employees. 
Frank Quattrone: "It's A Lot Easier To Go Public Than To Be Public"
Nov 17, 11:09PM
M&A expert Frank Quattrone took the stage with Bill Gurley Wednesday to talk about the the difference between the present IPO climate and the one in which Quattrone began his career in the pre-IPO-boom 1980s. What's the same, according to Quattrone? "The creativity and risk taking and the passion that people have as entreprenuers and also the infrastructure to support people who take risks."
Proposed Food Safety Laws A Boon For Clean Tech Companies
Nov 17, 10:33PM
Today, the senate voted to work on a bill called the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act that would, among other things, require food producers, facilities and distributors in the United States to evaluate hazards more rigorously, undergo more inspections each year and implement preventive measures to keep food pathogen-free. Green tech companies that could benefit from higher standards for food safety provide: tests for e.coli, listeria, salmonella, and the geographic origins of food (IdahoTech, Picarro); energy efficient refrigeration (NanoICE, CamFridge); and inventory management systems (Erply, OpenBravo).
LinkedIn CEO On Why We Need More Than Facebook: Keg Stands
Nov 17, 8:29PM
Today at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner took the stage to talk with host John Battelle. One question was about why we need LinkedIn in a world increasingly run by Facebook? Weiner had a two-word answer to that: keg stands. Weiner noted that while Facebook is great for showing how we spend our time and expressing ourselves, most employers probably shouldn't see all of your extracurricular activities. And you clearly wouldn't want them to see that. Like keg stands.
LinkedIn Is Now At 85 Million Members, Adding A Member A Second
Nov 17, 8:27PM
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner just dropped some numbers on the LinkedIn social platform's measurement of engagement, revealing that the social network now boasts 85 million members and is adding a new member each second. "That's the fastest ever," Weiner said revealing that it took 477 days to get the first million and 9 days for last million.
FCC Head: The Google/Verizon Net Neutrality Proposal Slowed Us Down
Nov 17, 8:09PM
Today at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, FCC head Julius Genachowski sat down with New York Magazin's John Heilemann. One question Heilemann asked was Genachowski's thoughts about the joint Google/Verizon net neutrality policy that they put out there in August. "I would have preferred if they didn't do exactly what they did when they did," Genachowski said. "It slowed down some processes that were leading to a resolution," he said.
Back Of The Phone Apps: Instagram, Picplz, Path Vs. Front Of The Phone App: DailyBooth
Nov 17, 7:37PM
Today during the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, DailyBooth CEO Brian Pokorny took the stage to talk a bit about "picture talking" -- that is, social communication through photos. Obviously, Pokorny believes this is a key form of communication amongst the younger generation. But he's not the only one. Mobile photo sharing apps are getting a lot of buzz and gaining a lot of users now. But Pokorny has an interesting insight as to why DailyBooth is different from the rest of the pack. In Pokorny's view, the hot apps like Instagram, Picplz, and Plurk are "back of the phone apps". What he means by that is that their users mainly use the back camera on their smartphones. But new smartphones are increasingly gaining a front-facing camera too. And that's DailyBooth's wheelhouse.
A Week In The Gadget-Filled And Nerd-Approved 2011 Audi A8 Super Sedan
Nov 17, 7:20PM
The 2011 Audi A8's feature list reads like it's out of a fantasy car: NVIDIA-powered multimedia interface on a retractable 8-inch LCD, Google Maps, night vision, touchpad input, front and rear radar. Then there's the selectable drive modes, solar sunroof, dual rear-seat 10-inch screens, Bang & Olufsen sound system, rear power sun shades, LED headlights, taillights and interior lights, and massaging seats with 22 points of adjustment. All this in a massive sedan powered by a 4.2L V8 mated to an 8-speed transmission that's supposed to get great gas mileage. Sadly the one just dropped off isn't fully loaded with all the available gizmos. Our 2011 tester came sans night vision and the rear executive package, but that's fine. It's still one of the most technically advanced saloons on Earth. Yeah, I'm in love with its body and soul.
Now Over 200 Million Users A Month, Disqus Gets A New Look, Premium Add-Ons, New API
Nov 17, 6:59PM
First, the numbers. The Disqus commenting system (which we use on TechCrunch) is now reaching over 200 million people a month, according to their Quantcast data. That means it took them only about 6 months to double traffic. And by that measurement, it makes them the fourth largest U.S. network, with over 95 million of those users based in this country. There are now 500,000 communities and websites using the service. And there are over 18 million profiles and over 160 million conversations across the network. And so today it's time for the next step. Currently rolling out across their network, the latest version of Disqus (technically, version 4) brings three key things: a new design/interface, premium add-ons, and a new API.
Walk And Doc: Now You Can Edit Google Docs From iOS And Android
Nov 17, 6:42PM
Native applications may be all the rage these days on mobile phones, but plenty of companies — and developers — would love to see web applications take the lead. One of the biggest advocates has, unsurprisingly, been Google, and it's actually walking the walk: its Gmail mobile web app is among the best I've used to date. Today, the company is bringing another of its web apps up to speed: Google Docs is finally getting the mobile treatment it deserves. Up until now, you've been able to access Google Docs from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device without any problems, but it's been read-only access — there was no way to edit a document. That's changing in the next few days, as Google begins to roll out support for document editing. 
Indeed Slips Past Monster, Now Largest Job Site By Unique Visitors
Nov 17, 6:39PM
In October, Job search engine Indeed.com slipped past Monster.com to become the largest job site in the U.S. According to comScore, 12.3 million people visited Indeed in October, up 19.6 percent. Monster.com attracted 12.1 million people, and CareerBuilder.com came in third with 11.3 million job seekers. It is still pretty close, with Indeed just barely edging out Monster. But this could very well be a turning point for leadership of the online job search category.
Watch The Livestream Of The Web 2.0 Summit Here (Day 3)
Nov 17, 6:10PM
We will be livestreaming the event all day right here for the folks at home and as yesterday proved, this year's theme, "Points of Control" gets all sorts of industry people riled up. The event should start in about five minutes at 10:15 AM PT. Speakers today include Evan Williams, Jeremy Stoppelman, Matt Galligan, Brian Pokorny and Susan Wojcicki.
Twitter Raising New Venture Round at $3 Billion Valuation
Nov 17, 5:44PM
Twitter is mulling over raising a new round of financing, we've heard from multiple sources, and a variety of venture firms are frothing at the mouth to lead the round. The valuation is likely to be in the $3 billion range, and they'll likely raise more than the $100 million they took a little over a year ago at a $1 billion valuation. To date Twitter has raised around $160 million. Who are the likely investors? Russian firm DST, which has invested in Facebook, Groupon and Zynga, is certainly trying to lead the round. But we hear that they are just one of many twisting arms to get in. We recently reported that some funds set up to buy Twitter shares from employees were closing sales at $1.6 billion for larger transactions. Smaller transactions have apparently been closed at much higher prices.
StumbleUpon's Android App Discovery Feature: 1 Million Stumbles And Counting
Nov 17, 5:09PM
Discovery engine StumbleUpon recently announced App Discovery, a free beta feature of its Android app that basically suggests mobile apps based on a user's individual interests and preferences and those of friends and like-minded users. Turns out people love to stumble, even on the go. 
Soovox Wants To Help Brands Connect With Online Influencers
Nov 17, 5:05PM
The measurement of online influence is a hot topic these days. For example, Klout is a popular app that helps users determine how much influence they wield on Twitter and Facebook. Soovox is launching to help users determine their social influence and aid marketers in connecting to the influencers for particular brands. Soovox, which is launching tomorrow, is offering TechCrunch readers an early look at the site if you use the code "soovoxtcvip" here. Called the Social IQ, Soovox's tool promises to measure a user's ability to sway others' opinions and actions. The startup uses an algorithm that tracks the user's social web influence by measuring three main criteria to score their social influence: Reputation (authenticity, behavioral), Connections (passive, active), and Knowledge Authority (consumer, professional). Social IQ tracks Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace to determine influence.
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