A busy 24 hours at IAC (NSDQ: IACI) ... we wrote earlier about the pending soft launch of Tina Brown's The Daily Beast and now yet another update from search engine Ask.com, going live now with its "next generation." Goals include reducing searches to one click and providing direct...
It's either the best of times or the worst of times for the long-awaited relaunch of WSJ.com. With all the tectonic shifts on Wall Street—Lehman Bros. on the verge of bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch in buyout talks with Bank of America, AIG starting a massive reorg, just to name a...
Electronic Arts (NSDQ: ERTS) has owned up to the mess it created with the DRM-heavy launch of Spore last week—a fracas that may actually have cost the gaming giant as much as $25 million in missed revenue. Gamers angry with the "draconian" content protection features opted out of the...
We're not going to follow this manically but it's worth checking in on how much-hyped Google Chrome is doing since its Sept. 2 launch. Net Applications puts use eight days in at roughly 1 percent of surfers, compared with 0.74 percent share for Opera in August, according to NewsFactor.com....
WPP Digital has acquired a minority stake in online analytics provider Proclivity Systems, Brand Republic reported. The New York-based firm looks at consumers' e-commerce habits, which is used by its clients to target merchandise and marketing efforts. WPP Digital, the investment arm of the ad holding company, followed Fung...
An interesting move from Sugar Inc. following its mid-summer course correction with NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) ... the blog network opened its publishing platform to its readers today with OnSugar beta promising "sweet & simple publishing." The concept: give users the tools to do what the Sugar pros do,...
Given the name, it's probably not a surprise that the American Antitrust Institute has issued a white paper PDF calling the Google-*Yahoo* ad pact "anticompetitive." But in a glass half-full take, the group does cite some "pro-competitive" benefits to the deal as well. It also has some advice for...
-- Venrock-eMusic CEO: Outgoing eMusic CEO David Pakman is joining the venerated VC firm Venrock as a Partner in New York City, where he will be part of the recently enhanced Digital Media team led by David Siminoff in Palo Alto. He announced his departure from the online music...
More on that search R&D centre Microsoft in June told advertisers it would build in Europe? CEO Steve Ballmer fronted the launch in Paris this morning for a "Search Technology Centre" STC, which will actually be split between three centres of excellence in Paris, London and Munich and will...
Nintendo is releasing a new portable gaming console dubbed the DSi that features more multimedia features, but specs that fall well short of the consumer electronics industry. The biggest changes to the popular handheld gaming system are a pair of 0.3-megapixel cameras, a slightly larger screen, music playback and...
Blog network Sugar Inc. is opening its ShopStyle API to anyone interested in building apps based on the shopping technology and plans to follow that up with something called ShopSense, which will allow users to share in Sugar's retailer revenue. CEO Brian Sugar bills it as a way for...
We're in e-book leapfrog mode ... the third generation of *Sony's* Reader Digital Book (PRS-700BC) offers a 6-inch touch screen with built-in LED lighting, a stylus, a virtual keyboard and a faster processor. Priced at $400, $50 higher than the Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) Kindle, it should start shipping mid-November....
-- Penton Media: Former president and CEO of Thomson Financial will now take on the role of CEO at Penton Media as well as join its board of directors. Before serving in various management roles, including COO, at Thomson Financial, Rowlands ran the North American operation of FT Information....
Israeli company CogniSafe has raised a seed round from U.S.-based 21Ventures. Financials were not disclosed. Founded in 2006, CogniSafe provides anti-cheat software for online games, allowing game providers to detect the dishonest behavior and shut down cheaters' accounts. It said it would use the funding for ongoing product development...
EMI is planning a pre-holiday launch of a new music portal that will include the ability to buy downloads, according to the FT. We've confirmed that but a source familiar with the project says it is not an attempt to displace digital retailers like iTunes or *Amazon* or as...
Last year, Time.com and Time magazine leapfrogged redesigns. Today, the two are finally in sync with the relaunch of a site that didn't reflect the magazine's complete revamp and had a look that Time execs admit aged fast. The new Time.com and the current Time are unmistakably connected in...
-- Federated Media: Former *CNET* exec Keith Bencher has signed on as SVP-strategy and development, where in this capacity he will manage partnerships and expand the company into new businesses. Bencher previously headed up strategy and development and *CNET*'s games, entertainment and lifestyles business unit, having earlier managed corporate...
BitTorrent, the P2P-based content distributor, has raised a $17 million third round from past backers DCM and Accel Partners, as well as DAG Ventures according to peHUB, citing a regulatory filing. It's now raised a total of $46.4 million. The company isn't the same as the popular mode of...
In order to give the Department of Justice more time to determine whether or not Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Yahoo's (NSDQ: YHOO) ad search pact will present any anti-competitive pressures on the online ad industry, the two will suspend working together, AllThingsD reports, citing sources close to the situation....
Avaak, a provider of wireless video network technology, has closed its first round of funding of $7 million. Trinity Ventures led the round with participation from InterWest Partners as well as Leapfrog Ventures. The San Diego, CA-based company will use the funds to support product development, marketing and sales...
With AT&T Tech Support 360, you'll have certified, U.S. based technicians on call 24/7 to help keep your computers, connections, software and peripherals up to speed for just 82¢ a day.
