19 new stories on The Next Web today |  |
- Announcing The Next Web Conference 2011 (sixth edition)
- Myspace to “lay off 550 to 600 employees tomorrow”
- The FT’s Tilt takes a tech blog-style approach to financial news
- Zynga targets Indian gaming market with new in-game payment methods
- Digitimes: Motorola To Ship 800,000 Xoom Tablets In Q1 2011
- RIM must block pornographic content in Indonesia or face service restrictions
- Facebook & Twitter Blocked in Algeria Amid Riots
- Offerna.com is Egypt’s First Group Buying Site
- MySpace China CEO resigns, 2/3 of staff laid off.
- Facto! is a place for posting facts about yourself #Fact
- Upload pictures straight from your digital camera to your social networks
- Video CES 2011: Forget about gadgets, the future is apps.
- CES 2011: Floor cleaning robots break it down to the Black Eyed Peas
- With Facebook at its roots, BranchOut could outgrow LinkedIn
- Verizon to offer unlimited iPhone data, but for how long?
- Fun with images…
- How much traffic does one tweet from Ashton Kutcher get you?
- Basketball fan or not, this is spectacular [video]
- 6 Alternatives to the Android Market
- Invisible tanks could be ready for battle within five years
| Announcing The Next Web Conference 2011 (sixth edition) Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:55 AM PST
This sixth edition will be held on 27, 28 and 29 April, 2011 in the heart of the European technology scene (well at least for that week) in the city we all love so much: Amsterdam.  Reserve your ticket today and join 100+ other Internet experts, entrepreneurs, CEO’s and bloggers!The Next Web Conference has become a must for everyone for whom the Web and Mobile plays a significant role for their businesses. Last year we welcomed 1000+ guests from over 30 countries and 25 Startups launched their company on main stage.
Amsterdam was buzzing with investors, startups, entrepreneurs, corporate buyers, marketing managers, industry press, bloggers industry leaders, thought leaders and web aficionados. Boy, what a great time we had. Inspiring talks, lots of networking and business, combined with the necessary doses of fun and parties (oof, I still remember that hangover from the three nights of parties).
In 2011 you can expect another 3 days of great talks where you will be able to see and meet the hottest startups, gadgets and companies. Make sure you bring a huge stack of business cards because there will be loads of opportunities for new business, in the business area, during dinners, and in the Amsterdam bars and cafe’s where we will host several parties and meetings.
We'll be providing a lot more information over the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned. Get your Tickets now!As usual we have a limited number (only 99) of ‘super early bird’ tickets on sale now for only €500 (for the full 3 days of the conference) via our ticket butler Paydro. Tickets will be priced at €999 soon so if you know you’re going you have a great deal if you buy them now (at the lowest price).
Looking forward to seeing you all in Amsterdam at The Next Web 2011! |
| Myspace to “lay off 550 to 600 employees tomorrow” Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:37 AM PST
We reported at the end of December that the company’s 1,100 employees, a large majority of them residing in the US, were faced with being laid off as management looked at ways to cut costs after revenues and traffic have fallen. In June 2009, Myspace cut 300 jobs, shut four offices and lost its international Managing Director from its European operations, signifying what looked to be the beginning of the end for the once-popular social network. It is thought that Myspace’s international employees will be affected the most, just yesterday it emerged that the CEO of Myspace China had resigned as its international office laid off 30 of its staff, cutting its operations by two-thirds in that country. As soon as the layoffs have been announced, Myspace will then concentrate on finding a buyer for the beleaguered social networking website – the company is being offered to private equity buyers but there are rumours that the company could sell to Yahoo. Staff at Myspace will not be surprised to learn of the layoffs, reports have been circulating for many months now. The remaining staff will hope that a change in ownership can bring new life into the company, otherwise it will be a sad end to a social network that once had so much potential. |
| The FT’s Tilt takes a tech blog-style approach to financial news Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:53 AM PST
Seemingly in response to this situation, The Financial Times has today launched an intriguing new service called Tilt which sits somewhere between a blog and a private members’ club. Billed as a “Premium online financial news and analysis service”, it aims to provide “A lively blend of news and analysis” for those with a real need to keep up with highly detailed news from emerging financial markets around the world. The site combines short, bloggy articles about specialist topics like the Dubai property market and “The Jakarta Composite” with a community forum called “Tilt Populi”. Access to premium news from Tilt will require a monthly subscription fee, while the community section is free but interestingly requires aspiring users to demonstrate a genuine interest in the financial news from emerging markets before they’re let in. Discussing the launch with Paid Content UK recently, FT Editor-in-Chief Paul Murphy said that the aim with Tilt was to build on the company’s existing Alphaville site by offering “A fast, conversational style of journalism” aimed at “A very, very professional audience who know their stuff”. In that respect, Tilt feels very much like what tech blogs have been doing for half a decade but charging for it in a market that’s used to paying for specialist news. Why this new approach? Murphy explained to Paid Content UK that “This audience want companies and markets in these fast-growing regions covered to a similar depth that we cover companies and markets in the west. That isn't really happening at the moment. It comes down to resources – most papers have cut back on international staff quite dramatically in the last decade.” It will be interesting to see if the approach extends beyond emerging markets to some of the FT’s other reporting in time. While there’s certainly still a place for in-depth journalism in 2011, short, quick-fire, drip-drip news is arguably just as necessary now.Image source |
| Zynga targets Indian gaming market with new in-game payment methods Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:31 AM PST
The company, which currently offers in-game payments via credit card or PayPal, allows customers to buy virtual currency to acquire premium items within its games, aims to roll-out its new payment options in the first half of 2011. The move is designed to capitalise on the growth of social networks like Facebook and Myspace, as well as the boom in smartphone and tablet gaming on devices like the iPhone and iPad. Shan Kadavil, country manager of Zynga India, which currently employs over 100 people, sees opportunity in India, its economy is the second-fastest growing economy in the world. Retail cards are already hugely successful in the Indian prepaid mobile phone market, Kadavil has already touted game cards as a potential platform for success. Zynga is thought to have close to 270 million monthly active users interacting with its gaming properties with up to 5% of players paying to progress further in their games. With the company earning nearly 90 cents from each dollar from in-game purchases, its easy to see why the company is looking to build on its success in countries such as India.MyDigitalFC, Image Credit |
| Digitimes: Motorola To Ship 800,000 Xoom Tablets In Q1 2011 Posted: 10 Jan 2011 01:53 AM PST
According to sources from component manufacturers, Motorola and Samsung were the only two companies to receive priority support from Google when building their tablet devices, with LG Electronics and HTC following behind. Notebook manufacturers were unable to receive priority support from Google, the search giant reserving support to companies that manufacturers that created 7 to 10 inch tablet devices for which its Honeycomb operating system is optimised for. The Motorola Xoom is certainly beginning to dominate the headlines, generating a buzz about the product, leading many analysts to suggest the Motorola tablet will be the first device to adequately challenge the iPad. That said, Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation iPad next month, the device could quite possibly steal the limelight from the Xoom. We got the chance to view the Motorola Xoom at CES, you can view the video here. The release date for the tablet is unknown, although Motorola and Verizon have both quoted a Q1 launch. With CES now behind us, it’s safe to say the Android tablet race is only just beginning.Image Credit |
| RIM must block pornographic content in Indonesia or face service restrictions Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:18 AM PST
Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring has given RIM until January 21 to begin filtering websites, suggesting the entire browser functionality of BlackBerry devices could be blocked as a result. Indonesia is host to he world’s largest Muslim population and has been scandalised by the release of sex videos of some of the countries most popular celebrities, leading to calls the Internet should be properly filtered. Sembiring, who represents a conservative party tweeted on Sunday that the call for RIM to help block access to such websites was just him “executing the laws”. Previously RIM has sought to resolve issues in countries including India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the company has worked with regulators to allow government access to messaging services that were thought to enable terrorist communications as well as addressing a number of other security concerns.
RIM with meet with government regulators on January 17 to officially request the block, a move aimed at restricting access to pornography, not specifically at RIM itself, most Indonesian providers already provide blocks. If RIM decides not to filter, the government will ask RIM to close its browser service for all two million Indonesian BlackBerry owners.BusinessWeek |
| Facebook & Twitter Blocked in Algeria Amid Riots Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:14 AM PST
The riots which broke out last week are still going on strong with young men and women heading to the streets protesting the deteriorating economic situation in the Arab country. These recent riots coincide with similar economic riots happening in neighboring Tunisia, where scores have been killed and injured so far. The official APS news agency said protesters in Algeria ransacked government buildings, bank branches and post offices in several eastern cities overnight, including Constantine, Jijel, Setif and Bouira. In Ras el Oued this morning, buildings belonging to the state-run gas utility Sonelgaz, the council and the tax authority were seriously damaged along with several schools, APS reported. As a result of the riots yesterday January 9th, the Algerian cabinet agreed on Saturday to lower the custom duties and taxes on sugar and other food stuffs by 41% as a temporary act to cut prices. Social Media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have been decisive tools activists and rioters use to expose governmental atrocities throughout the riots. These tools have also helped show the aggression expressed by Algerian youth towards public and private property. Regional governments fear utilizing such platforms to not only show the world what’s going on, but to coordinate and organize protests that could actually lead to national change of an Arab regime. Lets keep our fingers crossed.Guardian, Magharebia, H/T @_Niss |
| Offerna.com is Egypt’s First Group Buying Site Posted: 09 Jan 2011 10:43 PM PST
The group discount/buy model offers a discount from a local vendor allowing you to sign up for the purchase if you're interested. If enough people show interest, the offer goes live and consumers can buy the coupon until the deadline is reached or it sells out. Social buying websites have been popping up around the Middle East providing such services ever since the first of them GoNabIt launched in Dubai last year. Today we can count up to 15 & the number is rising. Offerna.com is the first to launch in discount hungry Egypt beating the big players like Cobone.com & GoNabIt to the Middle East’s largest online population. The question is, what are the big players like Jabbar Group owned Cobone, and Bayt.com owned GoNabIt, and the soon-anticipated player Groupon.ae going to do about it? To get a better idea of the group buying scene in the Middle East check out our latest regional group buying head count here. |
| MySpace China CEO resigns, 2/3 of staff laid off. Posted: 09 Jan 2011 07:23 PM PST
Interestingly, we’re only just now hearing about these layoffs even though they apparently happened sometime in December. Juyou network, the group responsible for maintaining MySpace.cn had announced a transition of its efforts toward a “high-profile Internet music platform” has been described as being “very low key” ever since. The site, which resembled MySpace in other parts of the world save for talk of religion and politics, was first announced in April of 2007. With investment from NewsCorp, the site appeared to be well received for the first couple of years but has since waned in its numbers with the rise of native networks such as Renren and Kaixin101. The site had its share of issues beyond user acceptance, as well. With censorship being the main hurdle, the site has implemented a “filtering system that prevents the posting of content about Taiwan independence, the Dalai Lama, Falun Gong, and other inappropriate topics”. As of yet there do not seem to be permanent plans to close the site. Remaining staff, it is reported, should be enough to keep the site operational if not fully up to date. We’ll keep our eyes open and let you know of any new action as it happens. |
| Facto! is a place for posting facts about yourself #Fact Posted: 09 Jan 2011 04:41 PM PST Facto! is a place for you to tell the world how interesting you are by posting facts that people might not know about you. The Facto! service gives users a unique profile page that displays your entire list of amazing facts, and each fact itself has a unique url similar to a Twitter status update making sharing easy.
Fact: Kyle Bragger, the creator of Facto! is also the founder of Forrst, a community for developers and designers to share knowledge about their craft. Fact: I find it comical that Kyle’s last name is Bragger, considering the theme of Facto!. Just Sayin.Tech Cocktail |
| Upload pictures straight from your digital camera to your social networks Posted: 09 Jan 2011 04:10 PM PST The first thing I asked at the Kodak booth at CES was ‘has Kodak bought out a camera with wifi or 3G yet?’ I got a strange look and the answer was ‘no, and we are not planning to’. This seems like a completely missed opportunity for Kodak and other handheld video camera manufactures like Flip when an iPhone has exactly the same video quality and has the added befit of wifi and 3G of connectivity. People want to point, shoot and share, not point, shoot, import, compress, upload why would I carry an extra HD camera when my phone can do the same thing? Enter Eye-Fi which, if you’ve managed to miss the news, is an SD card that makes any digital camera able to share your photos and videos instantly to your social networks. The Eye-Fi uses your home wifi network, upon setup you can specify which networks the Eye-Fi card uses to transfer your media. Add up to 32 networks for your card to use. The next time your camera is on within range of a specified network, your photos and videos will fly to your computer and to your favorite sharing site. Sure, it’s been around for a while, but it continues to be one of those things that makes us go “why didn’t we think of that?” every time that we see it.
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| Video CES 2011: Forget about gadgets, the future is apps. Posted: 09 Jan 2011 03:59 PM PST
This is evident in the growth of not only the Apple app store with over 300,000 third-party applications officially available to date for the iPhone/iPad, but also the growth of the Android app store and the launch of Chrome’s app store. It’s not only the west who are increasingly utilizing all their Internet and media needs through mobile, but also the developing world where countries like India have more mobile phones than toilets. Whilst delegates and brands alike were getting excited about 3D TV’s without the need for glasses here at CES, I was getting excited about LG’s development of 3D TV without the need for glasses on mobile. Innovative, because the next generation of Internet users access media online through mobiles, not on TV. Every manufacturer should be figuring out how to put their product into an app or, if hardware is needed, making sure it plugs in or is an add on, to a phone or laptop. As an example, two years ago at SXSW I carried around a phone, a stills camera, a video camera and heavy Macbook pro for video and editing, by comparison now all my media needs are covered by my iPhone and Macbook Air weighing in at 3.2 pounds and more powerful than my old MacBook. Duality One device I reviewed here at CES -The iHealth- is the perfect example of a gadget that is a utilizes the connectivity of mobile and plugin hardware. The iHealth needs an external piece of equipment to measure your blood pressure and can potentially sync the data with your doctor’s records immediately, but it also doubles up as an iPhone/iPad charger. Waste But gadgets like the Zeo which is an external piece of hardware that analyses your brain waves to help you get better sleep uses a head band plugged into a separate device that requires you to transfer the data from a SD card to a laptop to get coaching and advice from online professional. Wouldn’t the process be simplified, and not to mention cheaper in manufacturing costs, if the headband plugged directly into a iPhone and synced automatically? CES is an overwhelming experience where it’s impossible to review every gadget and gizmo on display here , but of the ones I did get to see, I’ve been largely disappointed that retailers aren’t thinking about mobile integration and utilizing the one gadget that everyone carries in their pocket- their phone. Over 150,000 people descended upon Las Vegas for CES, I asked some delates in the hallways to name the most exciting technology this year: |
| CES 2011: Floor cleaning robots break it down to the Black Eyed Peas Posted: 09 Jan 2011 02:52 PM PST Evolution Robotics’ Mint floor cleaning robots were caught dancing to Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” at CES this year. When they aren’t dancing the Mint robots mop and dust hardwood floors using reusable microfiber or Swiffer cloths. The bots navigate the room, working around tables and chairs. They are available at MintCleaner for $249.99. via @MeganSayersCrunchGear |
| With Facebook at its roots, BranchOut could outgrow LinkedIn Posted: 09 Jan 2011 02:29 PM PST BranchOut has been talked about for the last 6 months as a potential competitor to Linkedin but just recently I started seeing the connection requests rolling in and all the usual suspects jumping on board very much in the same way Quora has been exploding in the last week. BranchOut is essentially a professional network very similar to Linkedin that is built as an app that sits on top of Facebook and its 600 million users. From what I can see it is incredibly viral in nature and it aims to tap in to your friends’ network to provide job opportunities and candidates for people looking to hire via Facebook.
BranchOut has some very serious backing and advisors because it's an idea that makes a lot of sense. Facebook has always been about personal networking and social interactions but with most people using it for all facets of life, BranchOut could touch the one area where Facebook has been weak to date…enterprise. One Click Linkedin ImportIt will be interesting to see how long its easy import feature stays up given how much of a competitor BranchOut could be to LinkedIn, but at the moment all you have to do to set up your profile is click one button and it imports your LinkedIn profile and formats it perfectly into one simple CV. Nobody has any interest in filling out new social network profiles or duplicating work they have already done online these days so this is a crucial feature.
Incredibly ViralThis is going to get very big, very fast due to the way it taps in to your Facebook social graph. It's a simple 4 step process to set up your account and it asks you to invite all your friends in a very social way. You also grant the app the ability to send you emails, receive updates and push info to your wall. Video ExplanationIt's a fairly simple concept and should rely on Facebook's huge existing network to really grow aggressively. The real beauty of the whole process is that you don't have to fill in any forms or start any new accounts which is a joy in this day and age. Nobody wants a new social network to have to engage on as we already have enough of those. Will This Be Huge?It has the potential to be. It's going to grow very, very fast. It has the same viral hooks built in that a lot of the social games have on Facebook. The big barrier it has to get over is that people don't always think of job hunting or recruiting when thinking about Facebook. But this could be a game changer because our personal social networks are massively powerful and this looks to harness that network to find professional opportunities. It has an all star team, some serious backers and it’s built on the world’s most visited website. The biggest problem they will have is if Linkedin decides to shut that CV importer down. If I was Linkedin I'd be thinking about doing that in a hurry because this is a major threat. Are you on BranchOut?
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| Verizon to offer unlimited iPhone data, but for how long? Posted: 09 Jan 2011 01:50 PM PST
You see, Verizon’s data package is unlimited at present. While it might be an added appeal for those considering a switch from AT&T over to Verizon once the iPhone lands, it’s not really news to anyone familiar with Verizon’s existing data plan pricing and structure. The question that must be asked, though, is how long Verizon can hold out under the weight of a growing, aging 3G data consumption society. A couple of months ago, a study was released that showed that Android users were, on the average, already surpassing iPhone users in terms of amount of data used. Android carriers typically used 421 MB per month while iPhone users averaged only 338. Add to that the fact that Verizon is the largest source for Android phones in the US and then top it off with the addition of data-hungry iPhone users and you have a recipe for disaster. It’s already been stated, and then shown with Verizon’s LTE plans, that tiered data is the way that the company intends to go. Typically speaking, those who have plans that were available previous to a newer one are able to keep them. While wireless consumers are no stranger to the bait and switch tactics of some carriers, most are also familiar with “grandfathering” plans and Verizon might very well be catering to that idea. The decision to not change the data packages likely holds weight with Verizon looking for an early influx of iPhone users, with hopes that they’ll later switch to the limited, higher-priced LTE data plans once an LTE iPhone is available. How long can the existing structure hold up? Nobody knows for certain, and that nobody likely includes Verizon. At the moment, all that can be done is speculation as to how well the data transmission will hold up with a heavy influx of new users. Time will tell what Verizon will have to do, up to and including the removal of unlimited plans, in order to keep that data flowing.Techmeme |
| Posted: 09 Jan 2011 12:53 PM PST You are probably a geek if you enjoy this. I did. :-) Photoshop works too; just make sure to set ‘Tolerance’ to 1 and ‘Anti-alias’ off. Enjoy.
Found at 9gag. |
| How much traffic does one tweet from Ashton Kutcher get you? Posted: 09 Jan 2011 07:12 AM PST
Yesterday, the actor tweeted a link to one of Grumo’s videos. In just five hours, Grumo’s Miguel Hernandez says Kutcher’s tweet had sent 13,000 people to the video’s YouTube page. As Hernandez writes…
Hernandez goes on to calculate that, assuming it took Kutcher five seconds to tweet the link, a single ‘Ashton Kutcher Twitter second’ is worth a quarter of a million fan seconds. “If there was some kind of human second stock market, Ashton stocks would be a great investment for sure”, he writes. No doubt about it, Ashton Kutcher has built up a powerful position on Twitter although it wasn’t all organic growth. Let’s face it, not all Twitter users can afford a billboard poster campaign. Still, no matter how it was achieved, Kutcher is an interesting case and those marketing departments out there looking for a way to measure influence on the microblogging service could find some use in Hernandez’s ‘Twitter seconds’ metric.Image source |
| Basketball fan or not, this is spectacular [video] Posted: 09 Jan 2011 06:31 AM PST |
| 6 Alternatives to the Android Market Posted: 09 Jan 2011 05:31 AM PST
With Google not yet offering paid-for apps in the Android Market in all territories and some manufacturers not including access to the Market at all, alternative stores can be an attractive way for developers to reach a wider potential audience. However, are they worth trying from a user’s perspective? With the news this week that Amazon is now busy preparing to sell Android apps itself later this year, we thought we’d round up all the current alternative Android app stores that are already available. Our list includes services that sell apps directly as well as those that act as an alternative front-end to the Android Market. GetJar
GetJar was the first place you could download the Android version of Angry Birds, before even the official Market. The game’s developer, Rovio cited GetJar’s global reach as the reason for its choice. Other exclusive launches include the Android version of iPhone game Slice It!, while the company recently took the interesting approach of paying developers up-front for games and then giving them away to customers for free. AppBrain
Once you’ve found an app you like, click ‘Install’ on the website and the companion AppBrain app on your phone helps you through the process of installing it, including the usual payment options if required. It’s worth noting, though, that AppBrain only lists applications that are available in the US and that are compatible with Android version 1.6 and above for devices with certain screen sizes. That means that if you’re outside the US, apps you select on AppBrain may not actually be available to you to install. SlideME
Free apps can be downloaded directly from the website, while those with a price attached are only available via SlideME’s app. MobiHand OnlyAndroid
Via its OnlyAndroid store it offers a wide range apps and differentiates itself with discounted apps. This includes a “Deal of the Day”, where one app is offered at a significant discount for 24 hours. The store sells phone accessories such as chargers and cases in addition to apps. MobiHand OnlyAndroid also offers an app to access its store from your phone. Appsfire
While available on the Web, Appsfire really comes into its own on your Android handset, offering smart app recommendations based on the apps you already have installed. It highlights currently discounted apps, currently popular apps on the Market and offers curated lists of top apps chosen by experts. Some apps have video previews, while a social feature lets you share your app recommendations with others. Aproov
Customer ratings and reviews are supported and developers are able to upload videos of their apps in action, something that is promised for the future in the official Android Market. As a new store, it all looks a little sparse right now, with few user reviews or videos to be found. However, this is a store worth keeping an eye on to see how it develops.Image source |
| Invisible tanks could be ready for battle within five years Posted: 09 Jan 2011 03:10 AM PST
The Telegraph reports that BAE Systems is planning to coat armoured vehicles in “e-camouflage” that will use electronic sensors to project images of their surrounding back onto their surfaces, rendering them invisible. The company hopes to have the technology ready for use within five years. Other technology being worked on by BAE includes “biometric integration”. This could analyse crowds of people to locate potential threats from the likes of suicide bombers by automatically scanning for suspicious behaviour or inappropriate clothing. It could even seek out individuals on Wanted lists using face or iris recognition, helping troops locate likely sources of danger. The technologies are part of the “Future Protected Vehicle” project which is developing new military technologies. The Engineer recently reported that 47 potential ideas have been identified using ‘Dragon's Den’-style panels which looked at 567 technologies and 244 vehicle concepts in total. Now, when are they going to get around to building The Terminator?The Telegraph, The Engineer, Image source |
Myspace is on the verge of cutting its workforce in half, laying off up to 600 employees as soon as tomorrow according to 
Social gaming company 
Chinese trade publication 
Canadian smartphone manufacturer RIM has found itself in the middle of yet another controversial issue, this time facing a ban in Indonesia if it doesn’t work with government regulators to restrict access to pornographic websites.
It’s not immediately clear whether this is related to the 
The latest news, if you can call it that, in the 
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