VentureBeat
iPhone owners ready to close the deal, 75% want to pay by phone
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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Forget your girlfriend, your mobile phone is fast becoming a better companion in times of crisis — you know, when you need to score the best deal on that sexy gadget or you’ve left your wallet in the car.
New data from Nielsen shows that nearly one-third of U.S. smartphone owners (29 percent) now turn to their devices for shopping dos and don’ts. And our new-found love affair with our phones is so promising, most of us are...
Bankrupt Chinese company still angling for an iPad ban in Shanghai
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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Bankrupt Chinese firm Proview, which once held the iPad trademark, is now fighting in Chinese courts to get the iPad banned in Shanghai.
Yes, even after a Chinese judge ruled that Apple rightfully held the trademark. Yes, even after Apple threatened to sue Proview for defamation.
Today, Reuters is reporting that Proview’s lawyers are still appealing for a local court to ban iPad sales in Shanghai, one of Apple’s most important markets...
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom released on bail
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom was released on bail today, after a judge ruled he was no longer a flight risk.
The man, who lived an incredibly lavish life due to his profit from the file-sharing website, was taken into custody on January 20th on charges of copyright infringement and money laundering. Dotcom was originally denied bail by New Zealand Judge David McNaughton, who cited potentially undiscovered assets that may aid Dotcom in an escape....
It’s official: LinkedIn bought Rapportive
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
BLOGS VentureBeat
Earlier in February, news broke that social network LinkedIn was buying Rapportive, a Gmail add-on for contacts. On Wednesday Rapportive made it official and announced the news on its company blog.
No word yet on the purchase price, but rumors were flying that LinkedIn would be paying over $10 million for Rapportive. Also no word on what, if anything, will change with Rapportive, but the service’s popularity will probably help it stay ...
Here’s how easy it is to brick a Tesla
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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If you own a Tesla and want to turn your shiniest toy into a useless brick, all you have to do is park it.
As soon as the battery is fully discharged, you have a useless, albeit pricey, hunk of metal on your hands, and Tesla will charge you $40,000 to get it up and running again — almost as much as the full cost of a new Tesla Model S.
Occasional blogger Michael DeGusta is on the waiting list for a Tesla Model X. In doing research on the...
SimpleReach raises $1.5M from High Peaks and Village Ventures for stealthy pivot
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
BLOGS VentureBeat
Image via William Brawley
There’s time for one last tune before breaking up the band.
Village Ventures, where Bryan Birsic was a senior associate, wound down its operations last week. But Birsic isn’t taking any time off. He is president of SimpleReach, a startup that helps publishers to better engage their readers, which has just raised $1.5 million to build out its business in a new direction.
If you click over to the SimpleReach site...
EU’s highest court to determine if ACTA is legal
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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The European Union announced today that it will ask the European Court of Justice for a legal opinion on the highly protested Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
For those not familiar with the trade agreement, ACTA is an international treaty aimed at giving countries the ability to stop copyright infringement and other forms of intellectual property theft — a standard framework so that all countries around the world can charge and p...
Manage your service business with Jobber, SalesForce-like software for handymen, gardeners
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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Software-as-a-service company Jobber has raised a seed funding round.
SalesForce and other services like it have been around for several years to manage contacts, calendars, task, and invoicing. But, most services are aimed at business executives and startup companies, not smaller businesses. Jobber’s goal is to bring business management and customer relationship management tools to “field-services” providers, like handymen,...
Verizon experiencing 4G LTE outages across U.S. again — can you connect?
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
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Verizon Wireless appears to be having yet another wide outage of its 4G LTE data network, according to various reports on Twitter.
The network had a reported three data outages in the month of December. Verizon swiftly blamed the down time on “growing pains.”
Verizon said today that it is looking into the issues, which are reportedly affecting users in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
“VZW is...
PlayStation Vita starts moving off the shelves
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
BLOGS VentureBeat
Sony began selling the PlayStation Vita last night a midnight Eastern time. The portable gaming device is the company’s bid to remain relevant to gamers in an age of iPads and smartphones.
The sales kicked off is Europe and the U.S., with a big crowd (pictured) showing up at the Sony Style store in New York. Jack Tretton, pictured below left, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, was on on hand to hand over a Vita to the first...
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