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Stack Overflow Steps Up To The Q&A Plate: Growing 131% In 2010, From 7M To Over 16M Uniques
Jan 26, 9:22AM
As we've seen from the recent Quora wars, the Q&A space has come into its own in the last couple of months and this week we're seeing reports of crazy growth in yet another contender, Q&A site Stack Overflow. In a blog post called the "State of the Stack 2010 (a message from your CEO)" CEO Joel Spolsky revealed that the StackOverflow.com site has grown 133% this year from 7 million to 16.6 million monthly unique views. Stack Overflow has also grown 129% in terms of page views from 31.8 million per month to 72.8 million per month, according to Google Analytics.
Why 'Angry Birds' Wouldn't Make Sense On Facebook
Jan 26, 2:23AM
Three weeks into his job, Facebook Director of Gaming Partnerships Sean Ryan made bold advances to developers during the M&A panel at Inside Social Apps. When discussing what games should be built on what platforms, Ryan said, referring to Facebook, "Well if you're building social I can't image you not building on the world's best social network" which drew noise from the crowd. Ryan went on to say that single player games like the immensely popular Angry Birds "wouldn't make a lot of sense" on the social platform, as building on the almost 600M strong Facebook platform isn't just about an endless supply of users but about games that highlight interactions.
Abound Solar, Thin-Film Panel Makers, Ready To Cross The Pond
Jan 26, 1:27AM
Abound Solar, which makes thin-film cadmium telluride solar panels, has attained certifications that will allow the company to receive feed-in tariffs in the U.K. and pursue sales there aggressively. With a feed-in tariff, utilities agree to pay a premium, but stable, rate for power generated from renewable sources, both as the utility uses the power, or as it is fed back through the grid to be redistributed and sold elsewhere. Often controversial, feed-in tariffs are meant to drive the rapid adoption of clean energy by homeowners and utilities alike. Critics believe they give a better payout to utilities but hurt consumers, or that they tip the scales in favor of one technology (like solar) over others (such as wind, or geothermal) unfairly...
PicPlz Adds Dropbox Support To Preemptively Cure Filter Regret
Jan 26, 1:23AM
We've all walked down the street and seen someone with a weird tattoo and thought, "they're going to regret that later". What may seem cool at the time, might not seem so cool years from now. Is it possible that the current crop of mobile photo filters will lead to the same type of regret? PicPlz clearly thinks it's possible. A new feature the service announced today is Dropbox integration. This nifty ability has been turned on from the backend, so iPhone, Android, and web users can use it immediately. And if you do use it, you'll be able to automatically save both your original photo and your filtered photo to your Dropbox account in the cloud.
Nissan Leaf Gets European Car Of The Year, First Ever For An Electric Car
Jan 26, 1:02AM
Never before has an electric vehicle been named European Car of the Year, but this year that honor falls to the Nissan Leaf. Similar to the North American Car of the Year, which the Chevrolet Volt won, the European COTY is chosen by auto journalists: 58 of them from 23 European countries. So why did the Nissan Leaf win? When you look at just how efficient the Nissan Leaf is you begin to understand just why EVs will become a part of our everyday life. The award jury seems to have been motivated by a distinctly forward-looking philosophy this year.
Twitter Confirms That They're Being Blocked In Egypt
Jan 26, 12:56AM
Earlier today, we reported on a lot of chatter that Twitter was being blocked in Egypt amid rising protests. We can now confirm that they are being blocked. Two tweets from the service tonight confirm it. "We can confirm that Twitter was blocked in Egypt around 8am PT today. It is impacting both Twitter.com & applications," Twitter communications head Sean Garrett just tweeted out via their new PR account. "We believe that the open exchange of info & views benefits societies & helps govts better connect w/ their people," he continued in a second tweet.
Real Blogs Don't Have Interstitial Ads
Jan 26, 12:52AM
Hey, if I dish it out, I have to be able to take it, too. And take it today I have. We've put up this ridiculous interstitial ad here on TechCrunch that appears the first time you visit the site. It's an ad for Dell. I like Dell, and before I went to Macs I mostly bought their computers. But the ad sucks. Anecdotally I've heard that interstitial ads perform well because they don't give the visitor any choice. They view the ad, then they get on the site. Lots of impressions and clicks and stuff that the sales guys love. But like you I don't like them. I tend to stop visiting sites that show them. They aren't as bad as the ridiculous ads that float over the text you're trying to read, but they are in the same ballpark. 
Android In-App Payments Coming Soon — Were Delayed Because Developers Were Busy
Jan 26, 12:45AM
Today at the Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco, Inside Network's Kim-Mai Cutler sat down with Eric Chu, a group manager at Google for the Android platform. The two discussed the platform mainly from a developer perspective. And the initial question may have been the most interesting. When asked about the status of an in-app payment system for Android, Chu noted that it was set to launch last quarter, but it was forced to be delayed. Why was it delayed? "Developers were busy with their Christmas applications," Chu said. "So we couldn't get enough feedback," he continued.
Bartz On Facebook: They Have More "Little Impressions," We Have More "Display Revenues"
Jan 26, 12:01AM
At the tail-end of Yahoo's fourth quarter earnings conference call today, CEO Carol Bartz was asked about competition with Facebook in display advertising. Facebook has come out of nowhere to account for nearly a quarter of all display ads on the Internet. "There is some confusion about whether Facebook leads in display advertising," Bartz responded. "It is because they have a lot of little impressions. We actually lead in display revenue." But in fact, the two may be neck and neck. In 2010, Yahoo's reported display ad revenues (after taking out traffic acquisition costs, the part they give to partner sites which run its ads) were $1.89 billion. Meanwhile, Facebook's estimated global ad revenues for 2010 were $1.86 billion, with ad revenues expected to more than double to $4 billion this year. (Earnings slides after the jump).
Jive's CEO Throws Down the Hammer on Competitors, Plans 2011 IPO (TCTV)
Jan 25, 11:43PM
Enterprise software isn't as sexy a topic as the iPhone or consumer apps. So why do I love to cover it? The fights. While most consumer Internet companies view their market as a warm and fuzzy place where there can be multiple winners, in enterprise software it's a slug fest. Companies are competing head-to-head for deals and customers want as few software vendors as possible. That means scrappy founders who love to joust-- especially those trained in the school of His Royal Highness of Jousting, Oracle's Larry Ellison. In this second segment of our sit down with Jive's Tony Zingale, he throws down on competitors like Yammer and Salesforce and explains why he loves his competitors' freemium model, saying "They're the best lead gen source we have, because the moment anyone gets serious they call Jive."(By the way, if a named competitor would like to come on TCTV and have your say, you've got our number.) Only an enterprise software exec would say someone calling his sales force "ex-Mercury sons-of-bitches" was "flattering."
Sony Ericsson Announces Integration Of Facebook's 'Single Sign On' Across All Android Phones
Jan 25, 11:30PM
In an industry first, Sony Ericsson strategic business developer Martin Essl just announced that Sony Ericsson will integrate Facebook's Single Sign On system across all its Android phones in the next couple of months. Launched in December, Single Sign On is like Facebook Connect for mobile apps, removing friction because it allows you to log into all apps that use Facebook Connect just by logging into one. Essl did not go into the specifics of the integration but revealed that the Facebook app will come preloaded on all phones and there will be an (optional) initial walk through process for Single Sign On as part of the phone setup. Essl also said there would be additional integrations beyond what the Facebook app can already do.
Startup Accelerator DreamIt Ventures Takes Manhattan
Jan 25, 11:24PM
Over the past year, the support system for New York City entrepreneurs and tech startups has grown significantly including the addition of: TechStars NYC mentoring and seed funding program, a new Manhattan branch of Accel Partners, and the opening of a startup academy and co-work space for startups and serial entrepreneurs, General Assemb.ly. Today, DreamIt Ventures announced its expansion to the Big Apple, just one hour or so away from its original Philadelphia startup accelerator. DreamIt Ventures provides up to $25,000 in seed funding to its portfolio companies, along with coaching, exclusive speaking engagements, a chance to pitch at a Demo Day to affiliated angel and venture investors, and a collaborative workspace. The organization has yet to sign a lease on (or reveal the address of) its Manhattan location, but has confirmed that the following entrepreneurs will serve as advisors to companies accepted into its NYC program this spring:
Facebook Commerce Head Deb Liu Addresses Concerns About Mandatory Facebook Credits
Jan 25, 10:55PM
After the news that Facebook Credits would become mandatory in five months was broken yesterday, Facebook Head of Product Marketing Deb Liu addressed developer concerns today at the Inside Social Apps conference. When moderator Eric Eldon alluded to fears that mandatory Facebook Credits would put some developers out of business, Liu said, "Every single day we know developers get to choose between our platforms and another platform" a statement which was met with laughter from the audience, as Facebook is the most dominant player in the space and for some the only option for such large scale distribution. Liu recomposed, "We want to make Facebook the most attractive place to invest, and keep users with credits in their pockets." 
Hipmunk Surfacing New $6 Million Round To Help You Surface Great Airfare
Jan 25, 10:25PM
It was only this past October that Hipmunk closed a "hyper-competitive" from many of the usual angel suspects. But Hipmunk obviously has lofty goals to disrupt the airline travel industry. So they're probably going to need more than $1 million to do that. And now they're getting more — they're in the process of closing a new $6 million round of funding, we've learned. The company has confirmed the new round, but has declined to offer up any further details just yet. We're still digging — the current SEC document on the funding suggests that they've only secured $4.6 millon of the round, so far. The Y Combinator company also previously took a very small seed from the incubator back in mid 2010.
TC Cribs: Take A Doc On The Wild Side At Scribd (With Bonus Go Karts!)
Jan 25, 9:22PM
It's funny. When I tell my 'normal' friends that I've just come from Facebook's office or need to head down to Google's campus in Mountain View, they often give me a strange look, as if I've just told them I'm about to make a house call to the Easter Bunny. These companies aren't places inhabited by actual people — they're nebulous things coursing through the Internet's series of tubes. But I can't blame them. Most of the startup profiles we see in magazines feature a portrait of the founders solemnly gazing into the distance as they plot to change the world with their revolutionary new sharing widget. Sometimes there's a snapshot of a few desks, each of which is far too neat for anyone to actually have done any work on. There's got to be a better way.
So Why Should You Care About NFC?
Jan 25, 9:21PM
If you asked most folks what NFC means they'd probably mumble something about the Giants and wave you off. However, Near Field Communication is here to stay and if Google and Apple's current and potential implementations are any indication, we'll be using NFC devices in the next two years, at least in some specific environments. First, though, what is Near Field Communication (NFC)? At its core it's a low-power radio system that allows short-range data transfer at distances around 3 inches, or 10 centimeters. There are multiple modes, although the most important is passive mode, in which a device acts as a programmable smart card. For example, an NFC transmitter could pose as any number of RFIDs as well as interact, albeit briefly, with security systems and payment kiosks. In short, an NFC transmitter becomes both a wallet and a personal ID.
Gmail Finally Appeases The Tab Addicts With A Dynamic Unread Count Favicon
Jan 25, 9:20PM
I have a confession to make: I'm completely and utterly addicted to browser tabs. It's a sickness. I might have 15 or 20 or more open in each window at any given time. That's why I love Chrome. The ability to pin tabs is a life-saver by way of being a space-saver. But there's always been one big downside. When you pin a tab in Chrome, all you see is the favion. That means you lose the title of the tab itself. Normally, this isn't a big deal, but for apps like Gmail, Twitter, and Tumblr that show unread counts in this area, it's actually an annoyance. As a result, I've had to install extensions just to be able to see when I have new messages. Not anymore.
"Let The Hacking Begin" Declares Person Who Hacked Zuckerberg's Facebook Fan Page
Jan 25, 8:53PM
Earlier today, a strange message appeared on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's fan page. It read as follows: Let the hacking begin: If facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a 'social business' the way Nobel Price winner Muhammad Yunus described it? http://bit.ly/fs6rT3 What do you think? #hackercup2011Who wrote such an odd and seemingly drunken message? Well, if you believe the page, Zuckerberg himself did. Shortly after posting, the post had over 1,800 likes and nearly 500 comments. Obviously, Zuckerberg didn't actually write it. Or at least, we're pretty sure he didn't. Instead, it would appear that his fan page was hacked. Facebook has now taken down the page — but not before we grabbed a screenshot.
Keen On… John Borthwick: Why Social Isn't in Google's DNA (TCTV)
Jan 25, 8:41PM
With billions of dollars flowing into today's social economy, betaworks CEO John Borthwick sees the social economy radically changing not only media, but all 21st century industries. It's 1998 all over again, he told me when we met last week in New York City – thus arguing that today's social boom still has at least a couple of years of innovation left in it. But while Borthwick – whose betaworks portfolio includes bit.ly, TweetDeck, SocialFlow and Chartbeat – is bullish about the future of social media, he isn't quite as bullish about Google. Suggesting that social isn't in Google's DNA, Borthwick, who used to run technology strategy at Time Warner, believes that the web now not only needs social search but that today's social media companies – Twitter, Facebook et al – are much more strategically positioned to build a social search engine than Google. Video ahead.
Facebook's Focus In 2011: Better Cross-Platform Unification Led By HTML5
Jan 25, 7:51PM
Today at the Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco, Inside Network's Justin Smith sat down for a discussion with Facebook CTO Bret Taylor. The two talked about a wide range of issues including the company's 2010 (when they cut spam by 95 percent, Taylor said). But there was a particular focus on 2011 and the ecosystem. So what's next for Facebook's Platform? Taylor made it very clear that mobile was the big area of focus for the Platform in 2011. But at a higher level Taylor talked a bit about "streamlining things" with regard to all the different ways Facebook is used.
Yahoo Is Firing Again, While Google is Hiring More Than Ever
Jan 25, 7:46PM
As Yahoo announces its second round of layoffs in two months, Google is announcing that it will be embarking on a hiring spree this year. We first heard this morning from soon to be former CEO Eric Schmidt that the company will be adding 1,000 new employees in Europe. And Google's SVP Engineering and Research Alan Eustace just published a post on the company's website announcing that the search giant will ramp up hiring to record levels in 2011. Eustace writes "I love Google because of our people. It's inspiring to be part of the team. And that's why I am excited about 2011—because it will be our biggest hiring year in company history. We're looking for top talent—across the board and around the globe—and we'll hire as many smart, creative people as we can to tackle some of the toughest challenges in computer science: like building a web-based operating system from scratch, instantly searching an index of more than 100 million gigabytes and even developing cars that drive themselves." 
Facebook CTO Bret Taylor: "Mobile Devices Are Inherently Social"
Jan 25, 7:42PM
Here at Inside Mobile Apps conference, Facebook CTO Bret Taylor talked about how mobile will be Facebook's primary focus in 2011, mainly because "mobile devices are inherently social," he said. Currently Facebook has 1/3 of its almost 600M user base (200M) on mobile devices and Taylor says that Facebook mobile users are 2x as active as Facebook web users. Taylor thinks of Facebook as a horizontal platform (easily accessible) and revealed that a huge goal for Facebook was reducing friction on mobile and extending Facebook engagement to all devices, mentioning the PS3, the iPhone and customized devices as examples. As an example of a frictionless solution, Taylor brought up Facebook Single Sign On and mentioned that social movie site Flixster had a 300% increase in usage after it implemented the feature.
Google Buys Voice Messaging Application Developer SayNow
Jan 25, 7:30PM
Google has just acquired voice messaging startup SayNow, according to a blog post on SayNow's homepage. SayNow's platform allows voice messaging, one-on-one conversations, and group calls to be integrated into Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Android, or iPhone applications. The startup has built a number of applications, which have over 15 million users, with this capabilities, including SayNow Phone, SayNow Broadcast, Big Call and Chit Chat. 
Bret Taylor: Facebook Cut Spam By 95% Last Year
Jan 25, 7:27PM
Today at the Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco, Inside Network's Justin Smith sat down with Facebook CTO Bret Taylor. The two talked about a bunch of things going on with the company. But to kick things off, Taylor offered up a bit of an overview about how 2010 went with regard to the Platform. In 2010, Facebook's focus was on user experience, Taylor said. He noted that while everything we growing "like gangbusters", they had to do some things that weren't taken as purely positive from a developer perspective. One big thing there is obviously the removal of what Facebook considers to be spam. "There was a lot of spam," Taylor noted. But this past year they were able to cut spam by 95 percent. 
PeopleBrowsr's ReSearch.ly Lets You Search 1,000 Days Of Past Twitter Conversations
Jan 25, 7:00PM
PeopleBrowsr's recently launched Twitter analytics and search platform ReSearch.ly is debuting a new feature today: the ability to search from 1,000 days of Twitter data. ReSearch.ly is essentially a high-powered Twitter search and analytics platform that allows users drill down by keyword, demographic, location, and more. ReSearch.ly also sorts Tweets by sentiment, and by community (i.e. Mommy Bloggers, Reporters). For the past four years, PeopleBrowser has indexed Twitter for social search and as mapped social connections, and today is launching the fruit of these efforts. 
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