Opera Acquires Web-based Email Firm FastMail.fm

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Oslo, Norway – Opera Software, the
developer of the Web and mobile browsers of the same name, announced on Friday
that it has acquired Australia-based FastMail.fm, a provider of Web-based email
services.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Opera, whose mobile
Web browser was recently accepted for inclusion at Apple’s App Store for the
iPhone, said the deal will enable it to expand its current messaging product
portfolio and deliver cross-platform messaging to a wide range of devices.

The
company counts 50 million users of its desktop browser and more than 55 million
users of the mobile Opera Mini.

 

Related Links:
http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2010/04/30/

http://www.fastmail.fm

Mobile Game Publisher Moblyng Raises $2.65 Million

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Redwood City,
Calif. – Moblyng, a publisher of
games for mobile devices, has raised $2.65 million in new financing, from
previous backers Mohr Davidow Ventures and Deep Fork Capital, VentureBeat
reported.

Redwood City, Calif.-based Moblyng
publishes games across multiple mobile platforms, including the Web, iPhone,
Android and Palm WebOS, and counted more than 5 million downloads of its titles
in the past year.

The company also announced that it has signed social games developer
Playdom as a publishing partner.

Moblyng has now raised a total of $10.65
million to date.

 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/vwhlz (VentureBeat)

http://www.moblyng.com

Federal Court Dismisses Rosetta's Google Trademark Suit

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Arlington, Va.
– A federal court in Virginia has dismissed Rosetta
Stone’s trademark infringement lawsuit against Google (NASD:  GOOG), which had sought to keep
the Silicon Valley technology giant from
selling the company’s trademarks or other similar terms as part of its AdWords
advertising program.

Rosetta Stone, which sells language learning software and
online services, said that the decision from the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia will contribute to "consumer confusion"
by allowing counterfeiters to sell "pirated copies of trademarked products
to unsuspecting American consumers."

"We are deeply disappointed that
Rosetta Stone was not given an opportunity to present at a public trial the
facts underlying Google’s practices and the motivation that led Google to adopt
its current trademark policies," said Tom Adams, the president and CEO of
Rosetta Stone.

The company said that it is considering an appeal.

 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/vwgzu

http://www.rosettastone.com

Lala

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Apple to Shutter Lala Streaming Music Service on May 31

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Cupertino,
Calif. – Apple (NASD:  AAPL) announced on
Friday that it will shutter the Lala streaming music service that it acquired
five months ago on May 31, leading to speculation the company may use Lala’s
technology to launch its own streaming service on iTunes. The company has
stopped accepting new account registrations, and the company told users that,
"in appreciation of your support, you will receive a credit in the amount
of your Lala web song purchases for use on Apple’s iTunes Store."

While Apple or Lala did not provide a reason for the closure, many are speculating it is tied to the impending launch of a subscription or cloud-based music streaming service from Apple.

Founded
in 2006, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Lala offers free streaming music and sells
access to tracks for 10 cents each, also allowing users to upload their own
music libraries to Lala’s servers.

Wired.com notes that the refund terms offered by Apple mean that
Lala devotees will receive only one-tenth the amount of music on iTunes that
their money paid for on Lala.

It’s unclear what music-focused websites that
utilized Lala’s embedded song streams will do in the wake of the shutdown.

Pitchforkmedia.com, for instance, exclusively used Lala to provide readers with
streaming music alongside its album and track reviews, and for various
playlists.

 

Related Links:
http://www.lala.com/shutdown

http://snipurl.com/vwf0h
(PaidContent)

http://snipurl.com/vwf7g
(Wired.com)

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com

http://snipurl.com/vwf2r
(DMW previous coverage)

Skyfire 2.0 Android Browser Adds Flash Video Support

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Mountain View,
Calif. – Skyfire, a developer of
mobile Web browser software, on Thursday released Skyfire 2.0 for Google’s (NASD: GOOG) Android,
which it says is the first Adobe (NASD: ADBE) Flash video-enabled browser for the Android
platform. CNET notes that the Flash implantation doesn’t cover Flash-based
online games or Flash-based navigation menus. Google said this week that it
plans to include Flash support in its forthcoming 2.2 version of Android.


 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/vvl4z
(PDF)

http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-20003714-251.html

Controversial M.I.A. Video Still on YouTube, Behind Age Firewall

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

San Francisco
– Despite reports to the contrary, neither Google’s YouTube nor record label
Universal Music Group removed a controversial new music video from artist
M.I.A. from YouTube, where it remains visible behind an age-restriction
firewall but is not accessible via search, Wired.com reported. The "Born
Free" video depicts red-headed men and children being rounded up by
authorities and executed.


 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/vvk1z
(Wired.com)

http://miauk.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE9rUHDXRFI

Yahoo Secures Rights to English Premier League Highlights

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

London
– Yahoo (NASD: YHOO) has secured the exclusive online broadcast rights to English Premier
League football match highlights for the next three seasons, The Register
reported. The deal includes five-minute highlight reels of all Premier League
matches, which will be screened with ads at Yahoo.co.uk at midnight following
the games. Yahoo also has the rights to syndicate its highlights to third-party
sites.


 

Related Links:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/28/yahoo_football_streaming/

"The Daily Show" Takes on Apple Over Lost iPhone Investigation

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

New York
– Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" featured a
segment on Wednesday night taking Apple (NASD: AAPL) to task for its role in the search of
Gizmodo reporter Jason Chen’s home by police. Authorities seized equipment from
Chen as part of their investigation into a prototype iPhone 4G that was left in
a bar by an Apple employee, and discovered by a person who was paid $5,000 for
the device by Gizmodo, which published photos and details of the unreleased
iPhone. "It wasn’t supposed to be this way," remarked Stewart. "Microsoft
was supposed to be the evil one. But now, you guys are busting down doors in Palo Alto while
Commandant Gates is ridding the world of mosquitoes!"


 

Related Links:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-28-2010/appholes

http://snipurl.com/vvm0p
(DMW previous coverage)

Delivery Agent Acquires Billion Dollar Babes

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

San Francisco
– Delivery Agent, a provider of e-commerce services for major entertainment
properties, said on Thursday that it has acquired Hollywood-based Billion
Dollar Babes, which produces multi-designer "insiders" sales events
and in cities worldwide and on the Web.

Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed.

Delivery Agent said that the acquisition will allow it to introduce
entertainment-based private sales as a new marketing channel and revenue stream
for its clients in the media and entertainment and retail industries.

"We
know that entertainment sells," said Delivery Agent CEO Mike Fitzsimmons.

"The combination of Delivery Agent’s partnerships with top entertainment
companies and Billion Dollar Babes’ deep roots in Hollywood and expertise in private sales
gives us a unique advantage to create a new type of private sale that’s sure to
drive tremendous growth in the category."

Delivery Agent said that it will
work with clients to create limited-time private sales featuring designer
fashions and accessories, consumer electronics, travel and home furnishings
tied to entertainment.

 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/vvkpt

http://www.billiondollarbabes.com

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