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Look Out Groupon – WhitePages Has Big Plans For Social Buying Site DealPop
It went by largely unnoticed, but directory services provider WhitePages launched a social buying website called DealPop last July, entering a field played by many notable up-and-comers such as Groupon, LivingSocial and Yelp.
Initially, DealPop was only available in Seattle, but the site is expanding to Los Angeles today and to San Francisco in the next two weeks.
The company has bigger plans for the site than city-by-city expansion too, so its competitors better take notice.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
It went by largely unnoticed, but directory services provider WhitePages launched a social buying website called DealPop last July, entering a field played by many notable up-and-comers such as Groupon, LivingSocial and Yelp.
Initially, DealPop was only available in Seattle, but the site is expanding to Los Angeles today and to San Francisco in the next two weeks.
The company has bigger plans for the site than city-by-city expansion too, so its competitors better take notice.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Seedcamp Kicks Off A Big Week For European Startups
Seedcamp Week, the week when the startup programme brings its pan-European travels to a head and lands in London, starts next week and they've released the startups they will be running through their intense mentoring wringer.
Over 600 teams applied over the last year of nine Mini Seedcamps, finally coming up with teams from 16 different countries and 19 different cities. Although Seedcamp pinged to South Africa, Israel and even Asia this year, their hard-core remains Europe, and the above data points show just how intense you have to be to suck out startups from such a wide area. If you're just in Silicon Valley, thank your lucky stars you only have to drive up and down the 101.
Below is Seedcamp's summary of the contenders.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
Seedcamp Week, the week when the startup programme brings its pan-European travels to a head and lands in London, starts next week and they've released the startups they will be running through their intense mentoring wringer.
Over 600 teams applied over the last year of nine Mini Seedcamps, finally coming up with teams from 16 different countries and 19 different cities. Although Seedcamp pinged to South Africa, Israel and even Asia this year, their hard-core remains Europe, and the above data points show just how intense you have to be to suck out startups from such a wide area. If you're just in Silicon Valley, thank your lucky stars you only have to drive up and down the 101.
Below is Seedcamp's summary of the contenders.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Kobo Releases Free Kobo Desktop Application
The e-book world is slowly evolving into a number of fairly similar, homogenized ecosystems. No one wants to be shackled to using a single device to read their e-books: the Kindle is both a device and an app on your smartphone; Apple's iBook's is an app on your iPad and your iPhone. And today Kobo is following the trend with the announcement of the Kobo Desktop Application. Like its competitors, the Kobo Desktop Application allows you to consolidate your e-book purchases on your computer, shop for new titles that can be synchronized to your Kobo-powered e-readers, as well as read and bookmark your e-books. 
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
The e-book world is slowly evolving into a number of fairly similar, homogenized ecosystems. No one wants to be shackled to using a single device to read their e-books: the Kindle is both a device and an app on your smartphone; Apple's iBook's is an app on your iPad and your iPhone. And today Kobo is following the trend with the announcement of the Kobo Desktop Application. Like its competitors, the Kobo Desktop Application allows you to consolidate your e-book purchases on your computer, shop for new titles that can be synchronized to your Kobo-powered e-readers, as well as read and bookmark your e-books.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Facebook Integration Coming To GM’s OnStar
It's safe to say we've reached the pinnacle of humanity with this next bit of news: you'll soon be able to update your Facebook status using OnStar. It's the first “entertainment-y” option to be offered by OnStar, perhaps designed to cash in on some of the goodwill that has gone Ford's way with its Sync system.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
It's safe to say we've reached the pinnacle of humanity with this next bit of news: you'll soon be able to update your Facebook status using OnStar. It's the first “entertainment-y” option to be offered by OnStar, perhaps designed to cash in on some of the goodwill that has gone Ford's way with its Sync system.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Google Doodle Results In Retailer Selling Many Buckyballs, Making A Lot Of Bucks
It seems that one of Google's latest doodles, a homage to the 25th anniversary of the discovery of Buckyballs was, as we suspected, too clever by half. Two, presumably, unintentional consequences have emerged: costing Google's users money, while making a heck of a lot of cash for the maker of the Buckyballs desktoy overnight.
The way the doodle itself had been designed put a very heavy load on users' computers, increasing power consumption at a cost to those users, as well as causing many a browser crash. That's kind of clumsy and, arguably, irresponsible when you consider how many people have Google as their browser's default start page.
But more bizarrely was another side effect, which surely Google must have anticipated:
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
It seems that one of Google's latest doodles, a homage to the 25th anniversary of the discovery of Buckyballs was, as we suspected, too clever by half. Two, presumably, unintentional consequences have emerged: costing Google's users money, while making a heck of a lot of cash for the maker of the Buckyballs desktoy overnight.
The way the doodle itself had been designed put a very heavy load on users' computers, increasing power consumption at a cost to those users, as well as causing many a browser crash. That's kind of clumsy and, arguably, irresponsible when you consider how many people have Google as their browser's default start page.
But more bizarrely was another side effect, which surely Google must have anticipated:
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Benchmark And Accel Partners Reach Across The Atlantic To Fund ResearchGATE
"So ResearchGATE is Facebook for Scientists?" I asked ex-Facebook exec, current Benchmark Capital general partner and new ResearchGATE investor Matt Cohler. "I bristle at that characterization," he responded telling me that doesn't adequately describe the company.
Either way he's invested in the Berlin based startup, along with Accel Partners, Simon Levene, Michael Birch, Joachim Schoss, Martin Sinner, Ulrich Essmann, Christian Vollmann and Rolf Christof Dienst. Cohler, Levene and Schoss also join the company's board of directors. Oddly the company won't disclose the size of the round, other than to say it's a typical series A round, which implies $5 million or so.
We first wrote about ResearchGate in May, when Leena Rao called it, ahem, LinkedIn for scientists (I know, but context is always nice):
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
"So ResearchGATE is Facebook for Scientists?" I asked ex-Facebook exec, current Benchmark Capital general partner and new ResearchGATE investor Matt Cohler. "I bristle at that characterization," he responded telling me that doesn't adequately describe the company.
Either way he's invested in the Berlin based startup, along with Accel Partners, Simon Levene, Michael Birch, Joachim Schoss, Martin Sinner, Ulrich Essmann, Christian Vollmann and Rolf Christof Dienst. Cohler, Levene and Schoss also join the company's board of directors. Oddly the company won't disclose the size of the round, other than to say it's a typical series A round, which implies $5 million or so.
We first wrote about ResearchGate in May, when Leena Rao called it, ahem, LinkedIn for scientists (I know, but context is always nice):
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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gWallet Brings Offers To Mobile Apps; Partners With Ad Exchange Mobclix
Online monetization platform gWallet, which offers social gaming developers a variety of ways to monetize their apps and boost engagement, is debuting a new mobile ad offering today. Mobile app developers can now integrate virtual currency offers within their apps. However, instead of signing up for Netflix or other offers that gWallet uses on its web platform; the mobile offers ask for users to download an app in exchange for earning virtual currency.
For example, within an iPhone app, a user will be given the opportunity to earn virtual currency if they download the Netflix iPhone app. To expand reach of the new format, gWallet is partnering with mobile ad exchange Mobclix to allow developers integrate the branded offers within their apps. Developers purchase installs via a bidding system, with gWallet bringing in the brands to the platform. gWallet Mobile will be available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and other smartphone platforms. 
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
Online monetization platform gWallet, which offers social gaming developers a variety of ways to monetize their apps and boost engagement, is debuting a new mobile ad offering today. Mobile app developers can now integrate virtual currency offers within their apps. However, instead of signing up for Netflix or other offers that gWallet uses on its web platform; the mobile offers ask for users to download an app in exchange for earning virtual currency.
For example, within an iPhone app, a user will be given the opportunity to earn virtual currency if they download the Netflix iPhone app. To expand reach of the new format, gWallet is partnering with mobile ad exchange Mobclix to allow developers integrate the branded offers within their apps. Developers purchase installs via a bidding system, with gWallet bringing in the brands to the platform. gWallet Mobile will be available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and other smartphone platforms.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Ebyline Launches As A Market For Freelance Journalists And News Syndication
Can a ragtag group of former newspapermen from the L.A. Times help newspapers fight off the content farms of the Web? The founders and backers of Ebyline, which has been in private beta for a few months and launches today more broadly, think they can streamline the way news organizations manage freelancers and syndicate their own articles. Some publishers testing out the system include Variety, ProPublica, and The Texas Observer.
Ebyline is a marketplace for freelance journalists and syndicated news. Freelancers must be invited by an editor at a participating publication, or be vetted through an application. They can pitch story ideas into the open marketplace, or take assignments directly from editors they work with. The freelance writer and editor agree on a price, the freelancer submits drafts through the system, and once the editor accepts it after any necessary revisions, payment is authorized. The story can then be dumped into whatever ancient content management system the newspaper uses. 
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
Can a ragtag group of former newspapermen from the L.A. Times help newspapers fight off the content farms of the Web? The founders and backers of Ebyline, which has been in private beta for a few months and launches today more broadly, think they can streamline the way news organizations manage freelancers and syndicate their own articles. Some publishers testing out the system include Variety, ProPublica, and The Texas Observer.
Ebyline is a marketplace for freelance journalists and syndicated news. Freelancers must be invited by an editor at a participating publication, or be vetted through an application. They can pitch story ideas into the open marketplace, or take assignments directly from editors they work with. The freelance writer and editor agree on a price, the freelancer submits drafts through the system, and once the editor accepts it after any necessary revisions, payment is authorized. The story can then be dumped into whatever ancient content management system the newspaper uses.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
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Jim Wiatt Quits AOL Board, Will Leverage Hollywood Rolodex As ‘Strategic Advisor’
AOL has just announced that Jim Wiatt, former chairman and chief executive of the William Morris Agency, will assume the new role of strategic advisor to AOL. Wiatt will be stepping down from his position on AOL's board of directors to take on the position.
Wiatt will be spending his time helping AOL create content partnerships across the entertainment and media sectors, similar to this deal AOL stuck recently with the Ellen DeGeneres show. AOL also has a deal with the Jonas Brothers for entertainment video network for teens Cambio.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here
AOL has just announced that Jim Wiatt, former chairman and chief executive of the William Morris Agency, will assume the new role of strategic advisor to AOL. Wiatt will be stepping down from his position on AOL's board of directors to take on the position.
Wiatt will be spending his time helping AOL create content partnerships across the entertainment and media sectors, similar to this deal AOL stuck recently with the Ellen DeGeneres show. AOL also has a deal with the Jonas Brothers for entertainment video network for teens Cambio.
Publisher : techcrunch.com Read Original Read Full Story Here