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MakeMeReach Snags $4.3 Million To Conquer Europe With Facebook Ads
Apr 26, 1:36PM
In January, MediaStay became the first French ad network to be approved by Facebook. Then, in the beginning of April, the company announced that it had raised €15 million ($21.5 million) to take its Tap-joy like game monetization solutions international - mainly in the US. Today, MakeMeReach, a similar French ad network, is announcing that it too has raised money for international development. The company - which was approved by Facebook in January shortly after MediaStay - has just closed a €3 million ($4.3 Million) round with 3 French funds, Alven Capital, Siparex and UFG-Siparex. The cofounders are still apparently the primary shareholders.
Social Gaming Startup Kobojo Raises $7.7 Million
Apr 26, 1:13PM
Kobojo, a social games developer based in Paris, France, has landed 5.3 million euros (roughly $7.7 million) in its first round of funding. The financing round was led by Endeavour Vision with IDinvest Partners participating. Kobojo is one of Europe's leaders in publishing and distributing games for mobile phones and the Facebook platform. The company was founded in 2008 and counts games like GooBox and PyramidVille among its most popular applications.
Qik's Android App Gets Updated With Live Video Chat, Social Feeds And More
Apr 26, 1:01PM
Mobile video startup Qik, which was acquired by Skype earlier this year, has previously only offered a fully functional live streaming and chat app on Android via pre-loaded devices. Qik offered a simpler version of its mobile video service in the Android Market which allowed users to record video but this app lacked any live streaming, sharing or chatting capabilities. Now, Qik is bringing the full featured Qik app to the Android Marketplace, the company tells us exclusively. The app, which you can download here, allows you to live stream video and now conduct live video chats with contacts over 3G, 4G or WiFi. And you can chat between Android 2.1-2.33 phones and any iOS4 devices, including the iPad 2 and iPhone 4. 
Consumer Reports Integrates BillShrink's Savings Recommendations Into Reviews
Apr 26, 12:59PM
Cost-cutting search engine BillShrink has landed a new deal today—integration with Consumer Reports reviews. ConsumerReports.org subscribers and site visitors will have access to BillShrink's savings recommendations through links on ConsumerReports.org article pages, buying advice pages, and ratings chart pages. Consumers will be linked to a co-branded and customized version of BillShrink's unbiased recommendations on wireless plans, credit cards and TV services. The financial terms appear to be via affiliate fees. Every time a user switches service through the BillShrink tool, Consumer Reports will collect a fee from BillShrink. Of course, Consumer Reports, being unbiased, does not endorse any of the services displayed by BillShrink, and it has no direct financial relationship with these services. 
Nielsen: Consumer Desire For Android Grows, Unlike iOS And Blackberry
Apr 26, 12:49PM
Nielsen ran monthly surveys of mobile consumers in the United States from July to September 2010, and said back then that 33 percent expressed interest for an Apple iPhone, while slightly more than a quarter (26 percent) said they desired a device with Android and 13 percent said they wanted a Blackberry device. This morning, Nielsen posited that those same surveys for January 2011 to March 2011 now show that 31 percent of consumers who plan to get a new smartphone indicated that Android was now their preferred OS. Apple's iOS has slipped slightly in popularity, to 30 percent.
Medialets Launches Muse, A Creative Project Management Dashboard For Rich Media Mobile Ads
Apr 26, 12:00PM
Mobile advertising company Medialets is launching a new product today—Medialets Muse. Muse is a comprehensive creative dashboard for rich media advertising, allowing both advertisers and publishers to create and manage ads. Medialets helps publishers sell rich media ads directly to brands. On the publisher side, Medialets provides all the tools to go and sell ad inventory for mobile rich media ads independently and trains publishers' salesforce as well. For brands, Medialets evangelizes their ad formats and the mobile ad opportunities provided by big-name publishers, serving as a middle man between publishers like CNN and advertisers like Coca-Cola. 
Mobile App Developer Outfit7 Hits 100 Million Downloads In Under 10 Months
Apr 26, 11:59AM
Mobile application developer Outfit7, maker of the hugely popular Talking Friends series of apps, has announced that its iOS and Android apps have hit the 100 million downloads milestone, roughly 3 months after hitting the 60 million downloads milestone. Notably, Outfit7 launched its first Talking Friend app less than ten months ago (July 2010). 
Enterprise Software Maker Lawson Bought By Golden Gate, Infor In $2 Billion Deal
Apr 26, 11:29AM
Lawson Software, a global provider of enterprise software this morning announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by GGC Software Holdings, an affiliate of private equity investment firm Golden Gate Capital and Infor. The transaction has a total value of approximately $2 billion. Under the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders of Lawson will receive $11.25 per share in cash, a premium of about 14 percent to Lawson's closing share price on March 7, 2011, the last trading day prior to news reports speculating about a potential deal brewing.
Social Network Pioneer Friendster To Erase All User Photos, Blogs And More On May 31
Apr 26, 9:34AM
Before MySpace and Facebook, there was Friendster, a pioneering social networking website for consumers. First launched in 2002, Friendster attracted tens of millions of users over the years, but it never quite grew into the online juggernaut it could have been. Having raised close to $50 million in venture capital, Friendster was acquired by Malaysian payments company MOL Global at the end of 2009 for a reported $40 million. Fast forward to today, and it looks like Friendster won't be so much about sharing with friends anymore. In a message to registered members (hat tip to @Mazi), the company is asking all users to install a custom application to export all their profile data, as most of it will be unequivocally deleted on May 31, 2011.
Tweetdeck Releases New, Heavily Revamped iPhone App
Apr 26, 9:31AM
Tweetdeck has release a new version 2.0 of its app for the iPhone. They are calling it a Hollywood-esque "re-imagining" where the essence of the original remains but is brought up to date. It's taken "several months of feverish work". Improved features include swiping between columns, navigation through user profiles and the ability to add columns as well as 'Pull to Update' and Follow/Unfollow sliders tweaks. A pinch gesture on a column accesses options to add any combination of feeds into a column so that Twitter timelines, Mentions, DMs Favourites, Lists, Searches, Facebook feeds can be blended into a personalised column. 
NexTag Acquires German Comparison Shopping Site Guenstiger.de
Apr 26, 8:56AM
Nextag, a comparison shopping site for products and services, has acquired Germany's Guenstiger.de GmbH, one of the largest comparison shopping services in Europe. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but the company says acquisition marks the most significant strategic transaction for Nextag to date. The deal was a mixture of cash and stock. Guenstiger provides shoppers in six countries with a comprehensive comparison shopping site that includes reviews, recommendations, and local product availability, to help users make easy and informed purchases. Guenstiger will maintain its brands and will continue to be led by its current management team. 
PhotoSync Is A Simple Way To Import Your Flickr Photos Into Facebook
Apr 26, 8:36AM
Yes I know that Flickr offers a dinky Facebook Newsfeed sync and there are plenty of other services that offer pretty complex Flickr photo-syncing tools, but this post is for the three of you that want to prevent this from happening to you and don't have 20 minutes to spend figuring something else out. 
DogWars: My Thoughts On The Android Dog Fighting App
Apr 26, 6:51AM
Sports Illustrated and others are reporting on an Android app that lets people "feed, water, train and fight their virtual dogs against others." The app is created by Kage Games. The outrage is reminiscent of the early days of Grand Theft Auto and other violent video games. Retired dog fighting enthusiast and occasional quarterback Michael Vick is taking a firm stand against the app: 
Sony Announces S1 And Dual-Screen S2 Android Tablets
Apr 26, 5:22AM
Sony has just announced a pair of Honeycomb tablets, but — wait, wait, these ones are actually different. Yes, Sony has set itself apart from the crowd of Android slates by focusing on unique form factor and its Qriocity media suite. They have their own names but are both underneath a new "Sony Tablet" brand, which is just about the least exciting "brand" I've ever encountered. The tablets themselves, however, look interesting. The S1 is a slate-style tablet with a 9.4-inch screen. Its special power is a strange rolled shape and an "off-center of gravity design" intended to make holding it easier. The S2 is a dual screen device with two 5.5-inch screens. Didn't see that coming.
First Lawsuit Filed Against Apple For Undocumented Location Database
Apr 26, 4:52AM
With no real statement from Apple regarding the present consolidated.db tracking file furor, the obvious next step is to take it to the courts. Actually, the next step should be a rigorous federal investigation into whether or not Apple has broken any laws. Then, if it has, sue away. And if it hasn't, sue anyway just in case. Vikram Ajjampur and William Devito are a little impatient, however, and have filed a lawsuit against Apple already. Now, I'm all in favor of suing Apple — as soon as the facts are known. Apple gets a chance to defend itself against the allegations (time is running out, by the way), and if it doesn't do so to our satisfaction, then that's that. This nearly instantaneous lawsuit (filed April 22), however, seems slightly opportunistic.
CampusLive Raises $3.1 Million To Help Brands Connect With College Students
Apr 26, 4:03AM
CampusLive, a college-focused startup that's part Groupon, part free 'Offers' provider (more on that later), has closed a $3.1 million funding round led by Highland Capital Partners and Charles River Ventures. CampusLive is all about showcasing special offers to students to help brands increase awareness and engagement. But the site differs from Groupon and other deal sites because no money actually changes hands — instead, students are given special deals (or are entered into a contest) in return for clicking a brand's 'Like' button, completing a branded game, or signing up for a news letter. After signing up for the service and picking your school, CampusLive will present you with a main Challenge for the day, along with several additional challenges if you'd like to complete more. Challenges sometimes will offer a guaranteed, small incentive alongside a sweepstakes.
YouTube Amping Up Its Movie Rental Library With Major Studio Participation
Apr 26, 3:42AM
Sharon Waxman over at The Wrap has a story about a Video On Demand service about to be launched by YouTube that would be a "full-bore challenge to Apple's iTunes service." What the article fails to mention is that YouTube already has a Video On Demand service, YouTube Movies. Those interested can rent movies like Zombie Diaries, Ronald Reagan: An American Journey and The Dogfather right now on YouTube for around $2.99 each.
Looks Like Facebook Deals Is Being Unveiled Tonight With Credits And Partners In Tow
Apr 26, 12:47AM
Whoops. Looks like The New York Times has a little embargo breaking situation on their hands. (Which we love — chaos!) They've just put up a story with the URL: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/latest-rival-to-groupon-livingsocial-facebook-embargo-till-midnight/ (bolding mine). That page is obviously no longer found, but it was live for a bit. And it is a big one: Facebook's Groupon/LivingSocial "killer". Okay, it's hardly a secret that the service called Facebook Deals was close to launching. In fact, the landing page has been up since March. But the NYT early story has some details.
Yammer Finally Works And Makes Work Possible On The iPad
Apr 26, 12:07AM
Our love affair with Yammer is pretty hot and cold. On one hand, they launched at and won TechCrunch50a few years back. And they seem to be kicking ass on the business distribution front. On the other, the apps they put out there (which we use for TechCrunch day-to-day business) are often very buggy and more or less infuriating day in and day out. iPhone, Android, Web, AIR — they all have issues. But issues are one thing. For the past year or so, I simply have not been able to get Yammer to work on the iPad — at all. It would launch and then crash. I tried this on four different iPads (both the first and second generation). Same result. Today. Finally. They have released a native iPad app. And it works!
Google Acquires TalkBin, A Feedback Platform For Businesses That's Only Five Months Old
Apr 26, 12:00AM
It's been a good day for Y Combinator. Hot on the heels of news that YC portfolio company Wufoo landed a $35 million exit, YC alum TalkBin has just announced that it's been acquired by Google — less than five months after the company was founded. TalkBin offers a platform that lets customers give immediate feedback to local businesses (users submit their opinions and critiques via mobile applications, and it looks like the businesses can read and respond to them from a web app). TalkBin's homepage shows screenshots of both Android and iOS applications, but I can't find them on either marketplace (I'm not sure if the apps were pulled or if they simply haven't been released yet). The mostly-stealthy Montain View-based company was founded in December 2010 by Qasar Younis, Michael Ma, and Sunny Dhillon. 
Netflix Won't Announce Its 3 Billionth DVD Shipment: "Focus Is Really On Streaming"
Apr 25, 11:37PM
Netflix just announced its first quarter 2011 earnings and they're cause for optimism, with earnings at $1.11 a share on revenue of about $719 million, out-performing analysts expectations of $1.08 per share on $704 million in revenue. The company doubled its profits, at $60.2 million versus $32.3 million at the same time last year. The company is hedging its future on its streaming subscription services, and called its DVD business a "fading differentiator" in its investor letter.
Sizing Up Apps For EV Drivers: Coulomb Upgrades, ECOtality Goes Mobile, And Xatori Grows Community
Apr 25, 9:59PM
How many apps does it take to recharge a vehicle? Apparently, one is not enough. Several companies offering mobile apps to drivers — to help them find a place to charge up or refuel in an environmentally sustainable way — made product and milestone announcements around Earth Day. Here's the run down. ECOtality (NASDAQ: ECTY) — a San Francisco company that's building electric vehicle (EV) technology and infrastructure in the U.S. and China— unveiled its Blink Network mobile app (screenshot, above) to help users find and reserve a nearby, available charging station at the Electric Drive Transportation Association conference in Washington D.C. Reservation and status-update features made ECOtality's app distinct from other charger-finders for about a minute. On Monday, however, Coulomb Technologies announced an upgrade to the ChargePoint app, including similar functionality...
Social Music App SoundTracking Passes 250K Downloads
Apr 25, 8:36PM
Launched at SXSW, social music app SoundTracking has announced its quarter of a million milestone today, surpassing 250K downloads in just six weeks after launch on the iPhone. With 100K downloads taking place in the app's first two weeks of existence, SoundTracking is experiencing rapid growth for an iOS app without without a previous app or website to drive installs from. Another music sharing app, Play by AOL, has also hit 250,000 downloads in half the time on Android. While founder Steve Jang wouldn't disclose numbers of daily active users or users, he does tell me that over 50% of SoundTracking users are using the app to share their music moments on both Facebook and Twitter, which might explain the increased signups. It seems like every five minutes or so someone else is following the SoundTrack to my life.
Netflix Earnings Up 88 Percent, Adds 3.6 Million Subscribers
Apr 25, 8:14PM
Netflix just released its first quarter earnings. Earnings per share were $1.11, up 88 percent (3 cents above the consensus estimate of $1.08). Revenues came in at $719 million. And Netflix added 3.3 million U.S. subscribers in the quarter, plus another 290,000 interantionally, to end at 23.6 million. The 3.6 million new subscribers is slightly below the 3.7 million analysts were hoping for, but still double the growth from a year ago. Depending on how many subscribers Comcast reports this quarter, Netflix might surpass it to become the largest entertainment subscription business in the U.S. Netflix ended the quarter with 22.8 million U.S. subscribers, exactly the same number of subscribers Comcast reported at the end of 2010. Net income was $60 million, and free cash flow in the quarter was $79, a 55 percent increase from the fourth quarter. Netflix saw a rise in domestic operating margins to 16 percent, from 14.9 percent in the fourth quarter, largely due to an increase in streaming-only subscribers and price increases on hybrid subscriptions. Margins should fall back to around 14 percent as streaming and marketing costs continue to rise (offset by declines in DVD shipping).
Facebook Launches 'Send' Button For More Selective Sharing, Announces 50 Million 'Groups'
Apr 25, 7:00PM
Facebook's increasingly ubiquitous 'Like' button is getting a new friend: the Send button. Click on a webpage that has the Send button integrated, and you'll be prompted to share it with any of your Facebook Groups, your Facebook friends, or any standard email address. In other words, where the Like button is designed to let you quickly share content with all of your Facebook friends, the Send button is for sharing with a subset of them. Site designers are groaning right now (they have yet another sharing widget to integrate), but it's a logical step for Facebook — there are certainly times when you want to share links with a handful of friends instead of your News Feed, and this gives you one less reason to fire up your non-Facebook email account. 50 sites are launching with the feature. In addition to the new Send button, Facebook is adding a handful of features to its existing Groups product, which was overhauled last October. First is the introduction of photo albums for Groups.
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