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The Current Advertising Model Is A Mexican Stand Off
Published on 2012-05-18 18:55:29
If the recent announcements by General Motors didn't wake you up, nothing will. Here is the cold hard truth. The current online advertising model is broken, period. > read more
Mobile Could Be What Makes Private Social Networks Succeed
Published on 2012-05-06 22:08:56
Photos, location, professional networking, or all your real-life friends... Instagram, Foursquare, LinkedIn and Facebook lead social networking today because they've found existing the types of networks to connect users around.Now a new generation of startups has been showing up in recent months, trying to nail another type of networking that so far has yielded no big success: small, very personal networks. Like you how use texts with your closest friends. > read more
The Era Of The Porn Superstar Might Be Coming (No Pun) To An End
Published on 2012-05-06 18:00:41
The Internet is a lot like the American Dream. It's this huge opportunity for anyone who wants to make something of themselves — a nearly ubiquitous platform to showcase skills and talents. Yet, it is so incredibly saturated with people trying to do exactly the same thing that the opportunity gets smaller and smaller, shrinking to the size of a pin point as more people hop online.Countless industries have seen this saturation play a role in who rises to the top, and who fizzles out as one of t [..] > read more
Think You Deserve To Be Called a CEO?
Published on 2012-05-06 12:00:27
Congratulations. You’re the CEO of a startup. You’re doing the hardest job in business. You’ve raised money from venture capitalists and turned down better-paying jobs elsewhere. You’ve mastered complicated things such as capitalization tables and common things, such as payroll. You’ve fought with competitors, coworkers, friends and even yourself without losing your way or your wits. You’ve inspired others to work beside you each day to make your dream a reality. I salute you.Now, ev [..] > read more
Under New JOBS Act, More IPO Prospects Consider Filing Confidentially
Published on 2012-05-06 10:00:30
SolarCity, the cleantech company backed by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, filed for an IPO this past week. But there's hardly been a peep about it compared to most offerings.That's because under the recently passed JOBS Act, SolarCity didn't have to publicly share anything about its financial performance when it filed. This is unlike LinkedIn and Pandora, which had to publicly release three years of data in filings that were more than 150 pages long. In SolarCity's case, the company merely put [..] > read more
The 5 Street-Smart Laws of Advertising To Live And Die By
Published on 2012-05-06 04:00:49
“Money alone isn't enough to bring happiness . . . happiness [is] when you're actually truly ok with losing everything you have.” - Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and PurposeDisclaimer: This article’s sole purpose is to address the core principles of advertising in a new and edgy way. This is not for the faint of heart or those highly sensitive to socially charged public issues. So suck it up and buckle up. You’re about to be taken to school (of hard kn [..] > read more
US Gov Creates Open Competition For $200M In Early Stage Investment
Published on 2012-05-03 20:24:31
The Obama Administration's plan to spread the country's wealth around has made its way to struggling technology entrepreneurs. This past Tuesday, the Small Business Administration (SBA) began accepting applications for the $200 Million "Early Stage Innovation Fund." The new fund will allow venture funds to augment privately raised capitol with a grant up to a 1-to-1 match, to be used for early stage investments (around the $1-to-$4 million range). > read more
How Lynda.com Hit $70M In Revenue Without A Penny From Investors
Published on 2012-05-03 17:51:06
Content companies have struggled to monetize on the Web, and there has been plenty of debate over the effectiveness of paywalls. What's more, tech startups really can't seem to rush fast enough into the hands of angel investors or venture capitalists. That's why, as a digital content company that has been around for years and has yet to take a penny of outside investment, Lynda.com has such relevance in today's landscape.While it didn't happen over night, Lynda.com has been able to build a payin [..] > read more
Facebook’s roadshow video will tug at your heart, wallet
Published on 2012-05-03 16:43:20
Facebook has released its “retail roadshow video,” encouraging a broader public — a public who has used Facebook every day since 2005 — to invest in the company’s initial public offering.“Your life is an amazing story that a lot > read more
Online video biz Brightcove earns $19.9M in Q1, sees bright future ahead
Published on 2012-05-03 16:25:10
Online video platform company Brightcove reported $19.9 million in revenue in its first quarter as a public company, the company announced today.“We are pleased to announce strong financial results, highlighted by 53% revenue growth year-over-year, in our first quarter > read more
Droid doesn’t (again): Motorola sees $86M Q1 loss, ships 8.9M phones
Published on 2012-05-01 18:14:47
Motorola Mobility posted another not-so-hot earnings report for the first quarter today, with a net loss of $86 million on revenues of $3.1 billion. Considering Motorola lost $80 million in the fourth quarter last year, the company clearly needs to > read more
Facebook could IPO May 18, roadshow starting Monday
Published on 2012-05-01 17:34:43
Social network Facebook is poised to start its IPO roadshow as soon as Monday, according to sources of the Wall Street Journal. If the meetings with bankers go as planned, the company could IPO as soon as May 18.Facebook > read more
Is there a tech bubble? Don’t count on VCs for a straight answer
Published on 2012-05-01 14:45:39
“I don’t think we are in a bubble,” said mega-VC Marc Andreessen onstage today during a Wired conference on business.Well, no duh — of course a venture capitalist whose livelihood depends on perpetuating tech froth is going to say > read more
Incubators matter: The average Y Combinator company is worth $45.2M
Published on 2012-04-30 21:11:09
Does it matter whether your fledgling company spends a stint in an incubator? Does it ever: In Forbes‘ recent ranking of incubators around the country, it found that the average Y Combinator company is worth $45.2 million. Just try doing > read more
Check Out This Berkeley Freshman’s ‘Ridiculously Automated’ Dorm Room
Published on 2012-04-30 19:16:27
So this is pretty fun. A University of California at Berkeley freshman named Derek Low uploaded a video to YouTube today of what he's calling the "BRAD", or the Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm. Apparently, Low set out three months ago to make "the most ridiculously automated dorm room in the school ever." That's a hard claim to verify, but by the looks of the results -- which apparently only set Low back a few hundred dollars -- I'd venture to say he has probably taken the crown. > read more
Funding daily: Microsoft invests in the Nook
Published on 2012-04-30 18:48:38
At VentureBeat, we come across a lot of funding news every day. In order to bring you the most information possible, we’re rounding up the quick-and-dirty details about the funding deals of the day and serving them up here in > read more
Groupon’s board plays musical chairs as stock drops
Published on 2012-04-30 18:06:37
Groupon’s board of directors is playing musical chairs as the downtrodden daily deals company attempts to address fallout from an accounting restatement that sent its stock price plummeting.The company, now trading at more than 60 percent off its initial > read more
A retail revolution: How tablets are transforming brick-and-mortar commerce
Published on 2012-04-30 15:37:57
Sponsored Post Recent research indicates that by 2014, more than one in three American Internet users will have a tablet device, and that 52 percent of tablet owners prefer to shop online using their > read more
15 tips to get the most out of an incubator or accelerator
Published on 2012-04-30 09:36:57
Guest PostBefore signing up for your local startup accelerator or incubator, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Is your pitch perfected? Does it matter which group you join? Is there a right or wrong time to sign > read more
How Much Revenue Does It Take To Be A $1B Public Company?
Published on 2012-04-30 08:30:12
With all the chatter about Billion dollar valuations -- like Instagram, Evernote, Splunk -- combined with recent S1 filings and IPOs, the topic of tech company valuation is coming to the forefront of people’s minds. Specifically related to the software industry, the growing number of SaaS IPO candidates of late is signaling an important shift in the way that enterprise software is built and sold. It also indicates that the subscription business model is here to stay. What does this shift towa [..] > read more
Disillusionment of an Entrepreneur
Published on 2012-04-30 06:00:58
When I became an entrepreneur at the age of twenty-three, I began in earnest, as do all entrepreneurs, chasing a dream. My dream was clear. I would build a consumer technology company that reached ten million people and sell the company for millions of dollars, before the age of thirty. Then, as the dream went, I would retire to an oceanfront house on a warm Pacific beach and learn how to surf.I recently had the fortune of celebrating a year in which I saw that lofty goal fulfilled. My company [..] > read more
Nokia to dump world’s most ridiculous luxury-phone brand, Vertu, for $265M
Published on 2012-04-29 20:50:14
Troubled phone-maker Nokia is attempting to unload its luxury mobile-phone brand, Vertu, for a reported $265 million (€200 million), the Financial Times is reporting. Nokia is being advised by Goldman Sachs on the deal and is currently in talks to > read more
Apple and Google potential additions to Dow Jones index
Published on 2012-04-29 17:22:52
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has featured the same 30, large publicly traded companies since 2009. The stock market landscape has shifted significantly in the past three years, and now big tech companies like Google and Apple could be considered > read more
How Tablets Are Transforming Business Intelligence
Published on 2012-04-29 13:00:29
Staying on top of your game and understanding the competitive landscape is essential to winning in the modern business world. A huge component to staying ahead of the curve is keeping a close eye on competitors in your market, which entails maintaining a watchful eye on industry news. Some companies turn to expensive news monitoring services to keep track of their respective industry, but in reality there are more viable options. Emerging tablet news and information services like Flipboard, Puls [..] > read more
Nintendo ends its apathy toward online-services
Published on 2012-04-29 09:00:10
For years, Nintendo has famously flaked out regarding its online support. After suffering its first annual loss, and under pressure from Apple, that disinterest may have finally given > read more
Apple saves billions in taxes through very creative accounting, says NYT
Published on 2012-04-29 00:27:32
As one of the most profitable companies in the world, it’s hard not to think that Apple would try to reduce its taxes wherever possible. But according to a detailed report today by the New York Times, the company is > read more
How To ‘Plan Serendipity’ In Tech And Business
Published on 2012-04-28 15:00:22
Lane Becker has been a familiar figure in the Silicon Valley tech scene for years, as the co-founder of startups such as Adaptive Path and Get Satisfaction, and an advisor at early-stage venture capital firm Freestyle Capital.Becker recently added "New York Times Bestselling Author" to his list of descriptors, when the book "Get Lucky: How to Put Planned Serendipity to Work for You and Your Business" which he wrote with his Get Satisfaction co-founder Thor Muller debuted at the number six spot o [..] > read more
The Seven Forces Disrupting Venture Capital
Published on 2012-04-28 14:32:53
For the past two years, I have read or glanced over what seems like hundreds of blog posts and thousands of tweets from people who either directly claim or indirectly hint at a disruption of traditional venture capital. For some, the factors related to the economy, that limited partners and especially institutional investors were reviewing their investment approaches. For others, it seemed as if there was too much money in the venture asset class, that there was too much money chasing too few re [..] > read more
A Venture Captialist explains how to build a killer value proposition
Published on 2012-04-28 11:45:29
Guest PostOn the surface, value propositions seem incredibly straightforward. I’d argue that this is why, in practice, they’re often given such short shrift.In reality, getting a value proposition right requires some focused thinking and structured analysis, some of which I’ll > read more
How Great Entrepreneurs Create Their Own Luck
Published on 2012-04-28 10:00:15
This is the story of how a young Irish fine artist accidentally became a materials scientist, founding a high-growth company that created a whole new product category. It’s also a parable for how great entrepreneurs systematically create their own luck.Jane ni Dhulchaointigh is the founder and CEO of Sugru, a London-based startup that makes an amazing moldable adhesive for repairing any physical object. It’s a cross between silly putty and duct tape, a space age rubber that can be molded int [..] > read more
You can help startups raise capital at Microventures
Published on 2012-04-28 04:00:30
Sponsored Post MicroVentures, a securities broker dealer, has been raising money for startups online for over a year and has helped raise millions of dollars for over 15 > read more
Facebook’s Patent Acquisitions? They’re More About Google Than Yahoo
Published on 2012-04-28 00:00:50
In the past few months, Facebook’s patent portfolio has grown exponentially as a result of acquisitions of patent portfolios from IBM and Microsoft. After acquiring 650 AOL patents and patent applications from Microsoft, the company now has approximately 1,400 patent assets. Amazingly, only 46 of these assets (24 issued patents and 22 published applications) were originally filed by Facebook.In recent years, Facebook has consistently looked to the outside to augment its IP holdings with s [..] > read more
Skype Launches Ridiculous New Facebook App, “Humoticons”
Published on 2012-04-27 08:49:12
Skype introduced a new Facebook app this morning, and before you get your hopes up, it's not some amazing new way to Skype from the browser plug-in free, or kick off multi-person video chat sessions right from the News Feed. Nope. The app is this goofy, ridiculous creation called "Skype Humoticons" which lets you use your webcam to post pictures of you mimicking Skype emoticons to Facebook. Uh-huh. > read more
Intuit Acquires Marketing SaaS Company Demandforce For $423.5M In Cash
Published on 2012-04-27 08:15:20
Intuit has just acquired marketing SaaS company Demandforce for $423.5 million in cash.Demandforce’s SaaS application automates internet marketing and communications, so customers can focus on running their day-to-day operations. The startup, which is profitable, has thousands of customers across service verticals that include dental care, automotive repair, spas, salons, chiropractors, and others. > read more
Nintendo CEO Iwata: No Wii U pricing at E3; downloads and Wii U coming soon
Published on 2012-04-27 00:35:31
During a financial results briefing today, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata announced that the company will not be revealing pricing for its upcoming Wii U console at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo and outlined a new digital distribution > read more
Viddy Is Raising $30M At A $370M Valuation
Published on 2012-04-26 23:26:46
Someone wise once said "If Instagram for video were to happen it would look nothing like Instagram" but, because it was on Twitter, I briefly saw that tweet before it got lost in the ether and now I can't find it, dammit. But whoever said this is right (please reach out if it was you, I want to give you credit) and also didn't tell Viddy, which for the most part looks exactly like Instagram for video. Fine.Anyways, people have been reporting all over the place about Viddy's current insane Series [..] > read more
Samsung reports $4.4B record quarterly profit, up a staggering 82%
Published on 2012-04-26 21:51:44
This Samsung kid really can sing. South Korean technology giant Samsung reported a record 5.05 trillion won ($4.45 billion) quarterly net profit for the first quarter, the company announced today.If you’ve been paying attention, the record profit may not > read more
Draw Something is finally available on the Kindle Fire
Published on 2012-04-26 19:30:56
Good news, Kindle Fire owners. Draw Something is now available on the Amazon > read more
Zynga earnings call: three key wins in mobile, social and diversification
Published on 2012-04-26 16:50:52
Zynga said in its earnings call with analysts today that it had “three key wins” in the first quarter: expansion into new social game genres, strong mobile growth, and diversification to its Zynga.com and Zynga partners platforms.The social gaming > read more
Hulu co-owner Providence Equity sells its stake for $200M
Published on 2012-04-26 13:08:45
Providence Equity Partners, the only one of Hulu’s four owners that isn’t a media company, has sold its 10 percent stake in the premium TV streaming video site for $200 million, reports Bloomberg .Providence was nearing a deadline on > read more
Nintendo posts fiscal year loss and expects to return to profitability
Published on 2012-04-26 03:23:39
Nintendo reported today that it had a loss in the fourth fiscal quarter ended March 31. The loss was its first annual operating loss in memory.The loss was due to the high value of the yen and weaker-than-expected sales > read more
Opera 12 Beta Launches, Loses Voice, Unite and Widgets
Published on 2012-04-26 01:00:36
Opera is launching the first official beta of the next version of its desktop browser today. As usual, the Opera 12 beta includes a number of new features and enhancements, but also marks the end of some of the company's more ambitious projects. With Opera 12, the company is ending support for Unite, the browser's built-in personal cloud/streaming media platform that made its debut in 2009, and Opera Widgets. With this version, Opera is also phasing out support for its speech recognition, text-t [..] > read more
Galaxy S III To Pack Samsung’s New 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad Processor
Published on 2012-04-25 23:54:44
Samsung has been doing their damnedest to keep their next Galaxy phone under wraps, but there's one thing they just couldn't keep quiet about -- the processor.The Korean electronics giant announced not long ago that their new 1.4 GHz Exynos 4 Quad chipset would be the one to power their next big smartphone, which is expected to be unveiled in London on May 3. > read more
Finally, Professional Social Network LinkedIn Gives Users An iPad App
Published on 2012-04-25 23:00:27
Although the iPad has been available for more than two years, LinkedIn has yet to offer its users a native app despite the fact that mobile engagement has been growing at a fast pace for the network. But last August, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said that the company is doubling down on its mobile strategy. And the network then debuted new versions of its iPhone and Android apps as well as an HTML5 mobile site. In fact, LinkedIn now says 22 percent of its active members have been visiting on mobile [..] > read more
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Mark Cuban
Published on 2012-04-25 17:23:07
Mark Cuban recently sat down with Mashable in San Francisco to talk shop. His interview covered everything from his hatred of Silicon Valley “pretentious,” to the private jet he bought online and how he invests in people without meeting them. He also shared his first entrepreneurial experiences, how the Mavs are his only investment not > read more
Roozt Is the Etsy for Social Entrepreneurs
Published on 2012-04-25 16:49:23
Ecommerce site Roozt is trying to become the go-to hub for socially conscious consumers. With Roozt, shoppers can browse products based on cause… > read more
Never, Ever Promote From Within
Published on 2012-04-25 16:30:13
My father, Alfred “Bud” Weiss, owned a car dealership — “Bud’s Cadillacs” of Miami, Florida. When I’d drop by the office, he would usually pepper me with bits of business wisdom, but as a kid, I wasn’t very receptive. My head was usually buried in a comic book, only half listening. However, there was one story that stuck with me and I have struggled to make sense out of it throughout my business career:“Son, you never, ever promote your best salesperson to be the sales manager. [..] > read more
How a Social Network Helps Families Coping With Autism
Published on 2012-04-25 16:20:14
Autism Awareness Month may be coming to a close, but by using the social network MyAutismTeam, parents of children with autism spectrum disord… > read more
President Obama Threatens to Veto CISPA Cybersecurity Bill
Published on 2012-04-25 15:52:26
If the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, better known as CISPA, reached President Obama’s desk in its current form, he would… > read more
Sprint Confirms It Will Still Serve Unlimited Data To The Next iPhone
Published on 2012-04-25 15:47:56
Sprint plans to offer unlimited data on the next iPhone even if it's LTE. This would make the carrier the only one in the U.S. with the pairing. Verizon and AT&T went away from unlimited plans before the iPhone 4S launched in 2011 leaving just Sprint with both unlimited data and the iPhone.Unlimited data plans used to be the norm. Now, in the age of the ubiquitous smartphone, most carriers have moved away from that model as their networks strain under the load of Netflix, Facebook and Spotify. B [..] > read more
Poor timing for the Facebook IPO, Revenue and Profit fall
Published on 2012-04-24 13:08:31
Facebook is king of the social networks, but when it comes to its business model, it looks a lot like a traditional media company. 15 percent of its revenue comes from games like Zynga, but the rest is advertising, purchased in large part by the same blue chip brands who shop at Conde Nast or > read more
8 Hot Media Trends You Need to Know
Published on 2012-04-19 12:29:32
The Modern Media Agency Series is presented by IDG. CDW added humor to its video marketing campaign and it led to one million video views. In an… > read more
AT&T’s Watson Brings Voice Control to Your Favorite Apps
Published on 2012-04-19 12:07:41
Soon you may be able to control some of your favorite apps using your voice thanks to AT&T. For decades AT&T researchers have been wo… > read more
Everyday Objects Obliterated in Hi-Def Slow-Mo [VIDEO]
Published on 2012-04-19 11:35:06
What do you get when you combine everyday household objects, mass destruction and a really cool camera? This video features highlights from the Dani… > read more
Dwolla Introduces a Like Button for Buying Stuff
Published on 2012-04-19 11:14:13
Payment startup Dwolla wants you to be able to buy things from web pages as easily as you can tweet and “Like” from them. The compan… > read more
Intel’s First Smartphone Arrives, and It’s Not What You Expect
Published on 2012-04-19 11:01:15
Up until now, pretty much every smartphone on the market has been based on the same chip technology: the power-efficient designs from U.K.-based ARM Holdings. But look... > read more
Why Groupon is poised for collapse
Published on 2012-04-01 16:46:38
Groupon was forced to restate fourth quarter earnings, sending its stock down 6% in after-hours trading. This surprised me as much as my $2 investment in the Mega Millions jackpot not paying off. The reasons for Groupon’s restatement were higher refund reserves and weakness in internal controls. These are issues I’ve repeatedly discussed. I raised them directly > read more
Greek Innovators Looking To Get Into The Black Fast
Published on 2012-04-01 10:29:02
Unlike innovators in Silicon Valley, who have the luxury of rolling out new ideas with no real plan for making money, Greek entrepreneurs are laser-focused on launching businesses that will put them in the black – fast. And they’re coming up with unique business models to do it — outside of Greece. Greek entrepreneurs are > read more
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel starts New Zealand Fund
Published on 2012-04-01 08:19:48
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel must have a thing for Kiwis. He’s launching another venture fund focused on the otherwise unheard of New Zealand technology scene. The fund, which Thiel is executing through his venture capital firm Valar Ventures, totals $32 million and received some money from the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, according to the > read more
Facebook valued at $104B in secondary market auction
Published on 2012-03-31 20:05:42
In a prelude to its Wall Street debut, Facebook received a $104 billion valuation from private investors in a secondary market auction. The transaction, completed on secondary market SharesPost Friday afternoon, had a clearing price of $44.10 per share. “SharesPost Financial Corporation completed its auction on March 30, 2012 of 150,000 units of an investment > read more
Oracle buys cloud company ClearTrial
Published on 2012-03-31 19:54:52
Megalithic Silicon Valley oldster Oracle just announced its agreement to buy ClearTrial, a cloud-based company in the business of biopharmaceutical and medical trials. The company will be welcomed into the Oracle Health Sciences Suite, where it will become a key part of Oracle’s comprehensive closed-loop clinical trial management offering, with features guiding the client from planning to payment. > read more
Social commerce spotlight: SMBs are reaping rewards of f-commerce
Published on 2012-03-31 18:59:56
We looked at new research from e-commerce platform Payvment, which indicated that despite the slow decline of f-commerce, thousands of smaller businesses are finding success through Facebook storefronts. All very well and good, but we were unable to quantify these achievements in financial terms – ‘success’ in this context only meant take-up. Now, however, e-commerce > read more
The FBI wants to scan social media to prevent emergencies
Published on 2012-01-27 12:29:05
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is creating a tool that will crawl Facebook, Twitter and more to catch emergencies before they happen. According to a posting on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the FBI’s Strategic Information and Operations Center (SOIC) is feeling out the IT i… Complete Story via VentureBeat. > read more
NFC could be a game changer for Nintendo
Published on 2012-01-27 12:23:08
Nintendo is a funny old company. Just when you think it is out of ideas, it has a habit of springing innovation on the market that changes things forever. The Wii brought us motion gaming, and the 3DS saw the mass market arrival of glasses-free 3D tech. Complete story via VentureBeat. > read more
YouTube goes all out to support content creators
Published on 2012-01-27 12:14:38
Like it or not, more change is afoot at Google’s widely successful video site. YouTube is following its controversial redesign of the home page with another channel-focused update, several video editing goodies, and some small concessions to member indignation Thursday. Complete story via VentureBeat. > read more
What Willy Wonka can teach you about Content and Social Media
Published on 2012-01-11 15:54:03
Modern companies must begin to think and act like publishers/producers if they expect to succeed. Marketing has become interactive, stealth and content driven. Consumers expect more than a features and benefits; they want to be told a story. Stories are what make the modern marketing model work. Whether you tell the story in a book, [...] > read more
A Historical Shift in Marketing
Published on 2012-01-10 01:55:34
Every few years the world makes a subliminal shift in the focus of its own social state. These shifts have only two options, times are either iconic or civic. Knowing the difference between the two is the first step to understanding the current environment. > read more
Five mind tricks for managers in the new year
Published on 2012-01-05 14:00:55
1. Make a map. It’s standard practice for managers to create team roadmaps at the start of every year: plans that set goals, break projects into steps, and diagram out important events, announcements and the like. That way they have something to show their own managers, so that — at least theoretically — everyone across divisions [...] > read more