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PlayMob Raises Funding To Incentivise Social Games To Carry Charitable Virtual Goods
Mar 07, 10:49AM
PlayMob, who's product GiverBoard lets charities fundraise via a clever in-game micro-payment mechanic, has secured £500,000 ($787,000) funding from NESTA and Midven alongside angel investors. The team will now expand from 8 to 13 and the product gets a decent shot in the arm. Founded in 2007, Playmob's GiverBoard lets charities fundraise by allowing players of social games to buy virtual items linked to a charity. The ideal scenario is that a tractor bought in Farmville could be linked to a charity which plants crops in Zambia. In a test campaign, a ThanksGiving charity campaign in November 2011 where virtual food hats bought meals for homeless children and families in New York. So it clearly works. But it gets better.I'm Already Sick Of SXSW
Mar 07, 8:39AM
We're republishing this timeless classic, because it still stands pretty much as is exactly as is year later. Believe it or not, I had this very same conversation about Groupme versus Beluga as a preferred messaging app WITH THE SAME EXACT COLLEAGUE today, though yeah, in retrospect, the dude was right, Facebook did "do something" to them. Also, I'm not hosting a "pussies in tech" panel with Sklar this year. Instead, this. Come, if you actually have a badge.Social Marketing Startup BlogFrog Raises $3.2M
Mar 07, 5:00AM
BlogFrog, a self-described "social activation platform," has raised $1.2 million in a Series A round of funding. The company was first known as a community for "mommy bloggers", allowing them to add social features to their sites. In the last year or so, however, BlogFrog has shifted direction, using its technology and audience for a new end — helping marketers reach an influential audience.The iPad HD Sucks*
Mar 07, 4:50AM
*I haven't actually seen it yet. I'm not actually sure what features it will have. II'm quite sure I'm a jackass for saying so right now. But hey — FIRST!!!! There was a time not too long ago when the day before an Apple event was the time for everyone to get their last-minute predictions in. For the most part, it was a moment of pure wonder. These days, it seems it's the time to pre-reflect on what Apple "will" announce. The shark has been jumped. The snake eats its own tail. The problem — if you want to call it that — of course, stems from the fact that the tech sites with the best sources have gotten very good at nailing many of the key surprises which Apple ends up unveiling. (That's why OS X Mountain Lion was so surprising — it was an actual surprise!) Most of them don't get everything right. And they're quite often wrong in many ways too. But there are so many people sniffing around now that eventually by way of process journalism, a consensus is reached and most of the good stuff is unearthed.Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors To Sponsor Hackathon In Downtown Palo Alto
Mar 07, 3:10AM
In an effort to help support startups and technology house in Palo Alto, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt's venture fund Innovation Endeavors is sponsoring its first hackathon in the city on March 31. The event, called the Super Happy Block Party Hackathon, will take place on March 31, from 1 pm to 1 am in downtown Palo Alto. W're told the City of Palo Alto will block off High Street between University and Hamilton. In addition, the day long event will feature food trucks, parking spaces dedicated to local startups, and a Hack the Future tent to teach kids to code. The venture fund is also partnering with Talenthouse, and Institute for the Future.Facebook Already Made Friend Finder Changes Demanded By German Court
Mar 07, 2:39AM
A German court ruling against Facebook this morning is likely moot because the social network had already made changes to address the court's mandates. See, back in 2010 a German consumer organization complained Facebook's Friend Finder inviter feature didn't adequately inform users their imported contacts would be used to send invites, according to Friending Facebook Blog. But Facebook has since made numerous changes to Friend Finder, including adding a disclaimer, providing an improved contacts manager, and adding unsubscribe options to email invites. It probably won't have to make any significant changes in response to this ruling.An Alliance With Cable Is Exactly What Netflix Needs To Survive
Mar 07, 2:28AM
For television consumers, Netflix has long been looked upon as a potential savior from the bonds of cable TV. But now they seem to be joining the enemy. If a Reuters exclusive is believed, there have been high-level talks between Reed Hastings and cable executives to bring Netflix to cable. One day, perhaps within the year, it's entirely possible that cable subscribers will have Netflix access from their cable box. The Reuters report speculates that this partnership would elevate the tension between Netflix and HBO. But this move, if it's true, is much bigger than a fist fight between the two companies. It's about the future of Netflix.Tune In Tomorrow Morning For Our iPad Event Liveblog
Mar 07, 1:50AM
As 100% of our readers know, there is a major Apple event tomorrow morning here in San Francisco. We presume it will be the debut of a brand new high-res iPad (3, HD, 2X, or other), but signs have pointed to some secondary announcements as well. Apple TV (not the Apple TV) is tipped to be getting a refresh, and chances are that iOS 5.1 will be shown off in detail, if not its successor. We'll be at the event with our 4G dongles hot, reporting the new products and features the second they're announced. So tune in tomorrow morning (the event starts at 10AM Pacific time) for our live coverage. And, of course, stay for the dozen or so Apple-related posts and editorials that will follow in its wake.Sōsh For iPhone Gives You Cool Socializing Ideas On The Go
Mar 07, 1:33AM
Eclectic local recommendation service Sōsh is launching on the iPhone, giving people a way to find cool things to do in San Francisco even when they're away from a computer. Sōsh founder Rishi Mandall holds that users have moved from the "willing to spend time to save money" mentality of the deep recession (leading to the popularity of startups like Groupon and Gilt) to the "willing to spend money to save time" mentality of tech bubble 2.0 (leading to the popularity of startups like TaskRabbit and Uber). "People are willing to invest either time or money being interesting," he says, "[And] When you find something on Sōsh, you know it'll be a worthwhile and meaningful experience."Trend-Based Ad Targeter Taykey Goes Cross-Platform, Adds Kevin Rose As Adviser
Mar 07, 1:16AM
Sequoia-backed social ad startup Taykey is ready to look beyond Facebook. Taykey says it looks at 40,000 data sources and automatically generates campaign keywords to help advertisers to reach the audience they're looking and respond in real-time to online trends. For example, if Paula Abdul does something newsworthy, then advertisers interested in reaching young music fans want to get in front of all those people who are about to start searching for Abdul-related content. So Taykey starts bidding on related inventory on Facebook — and now on the Google Display Network and on Twitter.Polyvore Hits 15M Monthly Uniques By Embracing the Pinterest Effect
Mar 07, 1:05AM
It would make sense for Polyvore to feel competitive with Pinterest. But in fact, Polyvore co-founders Jess Lee and Pasha Sadri told me today in an interview, Polyvore has added two million new monthly uniques in the past month alone after having decided to work with Pinterest, not against it.All The Location Apps You Have To Use At The SXSW Royal Rumble
Mar 07, 12:58AM
It's turning into a battle of apps at SXSW - the sheer number of location-based networking apps hoping to emerge from the conference as this year's breakout hit is nearly overwhelming. What's worse, the apps are often so similar in nature, it's hard to discern the advantages of one over another. Is the app for business networking or making new friends? Does it use check-in data from other networks like Facebook and Foursquare, or does it just connect you with friends? How does the app know who's nearby? Does it kill your battery?With $2M In Tow, Branch Teams Up With Twitter Co-Founders' Obvious For 'New Brand Of Discourse'
Mar 07, 12:55AM
Last June, Twitter Co-founder Biz Stone announced that he was stepping back from Twitter to again team up with co-founder Evan Williams and early employee Jason Goldman to re-start The Obvious Corporation -- an idea incubator -- the one that initially helped give life to Twitter. A few months later, The Obvious Corp announced that its first incubation project would be Lift, an app development startup founded by Tony Stubblebine and Jon Crosby. Today, the Obvious team has unveiled its second project: A partnership with New York City-based Branch -- the startup-formerly-known-as the group blogging platform RoundTable.Education Elements Raises $6M To Help Schools Accelerate Learning With Technology
Mar 06, 11:40PM
There are few people who doubt the ability of technology to help improve education, whether that be at the primary or secondary level. Of course, there are a hundred differing views on the best ways to manage (or moderate) the integration of technology into the educational process -- and the classroom. Many parents, teachers, and schools are not exactly thrilled with the idea of technology, or mobile devices playing a leading role in the classroom at the expense of teachers, etc. And thus, as with so many things, striking a balance (or finding moderation) is key, which is why we've seen a rise in so-called blended learning, or the strategic integration of technology into the classroom -- with the goal of increasing the productivity of both teachers and students. Founded in 2010, Education Elements is one of many startups helping schools, school networks, and districts adopt blended learning by offering a suite of design services and a SaaS-based learning management system to enable school to personalize student education and focus on small-group instruction. In February of last year, the startup raised $2.1 million in seed funding from Tugboat Ventures, NewSchools Venture Fund, Wally Hawley, and Imagine K12 to help get its software and services off the ground.Google Play? What The Hell Was Wrong With Android Market?
Mar 06, 11:24PM
Google often confuses me. The company, with its thousands of genius employees, often makes the most brain-dead decisions. Just earlier today Google rolled out their latest twist on the Android Market -- but it's not called Android Market anymore. Instead of simply redesigning the e-store, Google also re-branded the whole thing to Google Play. The reasoning is sound: the company wanted to better describe their offerings since it's not just apps. The Play name is multifaceted, evoking thoughts of playing a game or pressing play on a media file. Cool. But most markets also sell more than one sort of good. The old name worked just as well.Glancee To Release Big SXSW Update With Past Encounters, More Location And More Android
Mar 06, 11:10PM
Let's say you want to use your phone to find interesting new people or reconnect with nearby friends -- without revealing your exact location. Glancee is the app for you, particularly if you're an Android user. And the polished competitor to Highlight is getting a big update today, ahead of South By Southwest. The changes should please the people who want what it already offers. The most obvious alteration since I covered the app last month is a nod to location precision. The Radar feature now shows you how many "steps away" somebody is, as measured in number of feet. Before, you'd see people as either "nearby" or as X number of miles away. While subtle, the difference could make it easier for connections to happen. If you only have to walk a few feet to meet someone, you're more likely to do it than walk half a mile, particularly if you're in the middle of a giant party in Austin, Texas.A Picture's Worth 12 Million Downloads: Draw Something Is #1 on iOS and Android
Mar 06, 10:23PM
Draw Something proves that if you provide an outlet for imagination, the whole world will play. One month after launch, OMGPOP's CEO tells me its Pictionary-style mobile game now has 12 million downloads, around 7.1 million daily active users, and is the #1 free and paid game on both the U.S. App Store and Android Market (Google Play). If Draw Something can hold our attention now that it's got it, the game could become the most popular thing on mobile since those disgruntled birds. To get just how ridiculously popular Draw Something as become, here's how it stacks up against the growth of Temple Run, Words With Friends, Instagram, and Pinterest:New Skype For Mac Update Finally Includes Full Screen Mode, Automatic Updates
Mar 06, 9:50PM
I lean on Skype (and Macs) pretty heavily, so when a fairly substantial update for the VOIP/messaging service goes live, my ears tend to perk up. The new Skype 5.6 update has me especially tickled -- it's now available for folks of the Mac persuasion, and it thankfully packs a handful of bugfixes as well as a slew of new (and arguably overdue) features.Health Startup Help Remedies Takes On Blood Cancer With… A Bandage Kit
Mar 06, 9:41PM
Debuting last week at the TED Conference was a new product by a pharma startup, which has largely flown under the radar. The company's name may not be familiar, but you may have noticed its smartly designed products in drug stores around the country. Founded in 2008, Help Remedies is a pharma startup trying to make waves in an industry dominated by Goliaths by re-imagining the over-the-counter (OTC) medication experience. The startup is doing so with a line of OTC products, or medicine kits, distinguished by minimalist, eco-friendly packaging and smart design in an effort to help reduce the overwhelming amount of product choices most consumers experience when perusing the medications aisles at their local pharmacies.Pandora Misses; Revenue Up 71 Percent To $81.3M But Swings To A Loss
Mar 06, 9:18PM
Internet radio giant Pandora Media just reported fourth quarter results. The company posted revenue of $81.3 million, which was up 71 percent year-over-year. Non-GAAP net loss per share was $0.03. Analysts expected a loss of $0.02 a share, with revenue coming in at $83 million. Advertising revenue was $72.1 million, a 74 percent year-over-year increase. Subscription and other revenue was $9.2 million, a 51 percent year-over-year increase. For the fiscal year 2012, total revenue was $274.3 million, a 99 percent year-over-year increase. Total advertising revenue was $240 million, a 101 percent year-over-year increase. Total subscription and other revenue was $34.3 million, an 87 percent year-over-year increase.If at any time you'd like to stop receiving these messages, just send an email to feeds_feedburner_com_techcrunch+unsubscribe-hmdtechnology=gmail.com@mail.feed2email.net.
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