Redmond, Wash. – Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) plans to discontinue its Zune
media player device due to weak sales, Bloomberg reported, citing a person
familiar with the decision. The company will reportedly continue to sell
existing Zune models, and maintain the Zune brand, which also refers to the
media software and subscription service bundled on mobile devices running its
Windows operating system.

"We have nothing to announce about another Zune
device — but most recently have introduced Zune HD to Canada via the Zune
Originals store and remain committed to supporting our devices in North
America," the company told Bloomberg.

Microsoft introduced the Zune in
2006, positioning it as a competitor to Apple’s (NASD: AAPL) iPod juggernaut.

The last
iteration of the device, the Zune HD, was released in 2009.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/65qh6gx
(Bloomberg)

Palo Alto, Calif. – Facebook has announced plans to test a
"daily deals" service, similar to Groupon or LivingSocial, which will
integrate with its Facebook Places location-based check-in feature. The new
service will first be tested in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San
Francisco.

Both Facebook itself and partners including Open Table, Gilt City,
Home Run, Tippr and Reach Local will sell deals on the service, which Facebook
users will be able to share with their friends on the site.

"Local
businesses will be able to sign up to use this feature soon and people will be
able to find deals in the coming week," the company said in a statement.

Related Links:
http://www.facebook.com

Vancouver, Canada – Destiny Media Technologies, the provider
of a secure online promotional music delivery service, said on Tuesday that it
has won a patent dispute with Canada-based rival Yangaroo.

Yangaroo sued
Destiny in May 2009, alleging the company’s Play MPE system infringed on a
patent it owns.

A judge ruled in Destiny’s favor in June 2010, dismissing Yangaroo’s
claim, and on Monday a three-judge panel affirmed that decision, dismissing
the lawsuit in its entirety.

"While we were always confident in our
ultimate success, we are happy to put the expense and the time devoted to this
vexatious litigation behind us. We believe this frivolous suit had no
foundation but was intended to hinder our leading market position," said
Destiny CEO Steve Vestergaard.

Related Links:
http://www.dsny.com

http://www.yangaroo.com

London – A consortium that includes We7, Yahoo, BT, the
Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and digital agency Somethin’ Else has
received an investment of $2.9 million from the U.K. government’s Technology
Strategy Board, earmarked for the development of a cloud-based music streaming
service.

Codenamed "Apollo," the consortium aims to have a working
product by next year.

"The focus for Apollo will be to develop
next-generation personal radio and music services that can work across any
internet-connected device, such as mobiles, tablets and web TVs," the consortium
said.

"Potential plans could include using Facebook’s API to tap into data
and creating hybrid services that combine personalised music and audio
information."

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/462hfdj
(PaidContent)

http://www.innovateuk.org

San Francisco – BoostCTR, the developer of an optimization
service for online advertisers, has raised $1.64 million in seed funding.

Investors included Javelin Venture Partners, Metamorphic Ventures, Founder
Collective, WGI Group and 500 Startups.

Founded in 2009, San Francisco-based
BoostCTR employs a team of copywriters to create copy for online ads, which it
says provides an average 30% increase in click-through rates for its clients.

Related Links:
http://www.boostctr.com

New York – Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) has launched an iPad app for
its subscribers that offers live TV, a first for the pay-TV industry, the
Associated Press reported. The iPad app requires users to be subscribers to
both Time Warner Cable’s digital TV and Internet services, and connect only via
the Time Warner cable modem in the subscriber’s home. At launch, the service
offers 30 basic cable channels in HD.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4lomwx5
(AP)

Cupertino, Calif. – The white iPhone, first announced as
forthcoming from Apple (NASD: AAPL) last July, is now slated for release this spring,
according to a post on Twitter from Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice president of
worldwide marketing, CNET reported. The company cited manufacturing challenges
for launch delays in July and then October.

Related Links:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20042844-37.html

New York – Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) said
on Monday that it has signed a two-year deal with the International Academy of
Digital Arts & Sciences, to broadcast its annual Webby Awards ceremony
online. The 15th Annual Webby Awards are scheduled for June 13 in New York
City, and will be streamed live on WebbyAwards.com.

Related Links:
http://www.webbyawards.com

Austin – The team that developed gay dating app Grindr have
introduced Project Amicus, a new location-based mobile app that lets users
discover, interact and meet with nearby people. Users can sign up for a beta
version of the self-styled "mainstream" version of Grindr at
ProjectAmicus.com. Grindr itself counts 1.5 million users in 180 countries.

Related Links:
http://www.projectamicus.com

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Yahoo on Monday unveiled an assortment
of offerings focused on the upcoming NCAA Tournament, including a Tourney
Pick’em game offering $1 million for a perfect bracket. The company also
revealed new iPhone and iPad apps, a team-loyalty check-in feature and the
return of Predictalot Beta, a crowd-sourced app that lets users make
predictions about the tourney and invest in them like stocks.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4a3dh5o

http://predictalot.yahoo.com