19 new stories on The Next Web today |  |
- BlackBerry Mobile Internet Use Overtakes Apple In US [TNW Mobile]
- Despite buyout rumors, Groupon acquires three deal websites in Asia [TNW Asia]
- Microsoft reaches out to Windows Phone 7 jailbreak developers, unlocking tool pulled [TNW Microsoft]
- UAE Classifieds Dubizzle Expands to 9 Arab Countries [TNW Middle East]
- Find a clinic or caregiver when you need them with ClinicBook [TNW Canada]
- Geotoko pulls your business’ location deals into one place [TNW Canada]
- First Windows Phone 7 homebrew app emerges, enables custom ringtones [TNW Mobile]
- Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: TaxiNow [TNW Canada]
- Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: AppGrower [TNW Canada]
- Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: NodeFly [TNW Canada]
- Farmville coming to Japan, on Mixi not Facebook [TNW Asia]
- Groupon giving merchants more options & consumers a deal feed [TNW Apps]
- MENA Universities Cataloged: Edufina.com Launches New Services [TNW Middle East]
- Asus Eee Note release schedule announced. [TNW Gadgets]
- Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: XKey [TNW Canada]
- Rumor mill: NBC $0.99 Show Rentals in iTunes? [TNW Apple]
- i-dong, really, it’s not what you think it is. [TNW Asia]
- Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: OpenCal [TNW Canada]
- Instagram to expand past just photos, web interface also on the way. [TNW Apps]
- Video: LG’s dual-core Tegra 2 Android handset [TNW Mobile]
| BlackBerry Mobile Internet Use Overtakes Apple In US [TNW Mobile] Posted: 01 Dec 2010 03:53 AM PST
Collating results from 15 billion pageviews over three million websites, the company found that US BlackBerry use rose to take a 34.3% share of the mobile browsing market, overtaking Apple’s iOS which recorded a 33% over the course of November. BlackBerry use grew 5% from October, whereas iOS posted a loss of 5% over the same period. Google’s Android operating system continued to grow, tripling its market share from 8.2% in November 2009 to 23.8% in 2010. In contrast, internet use on iOS fell from 51.9% to 33%, a huge drop over the year. The shift in internet use could be explained by the fact mobile developers are now looking to develop their applications and mobile-enabled websites for an array of different mobile users. Initially, developers concentrated solely on making their apps and websites “iPhone-ready” but as Android-enabled smartphone shipments continue to explode, users are suddenly finding more and more resources are being made available for them. Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter highlighted that Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 operating system still wasn’t at the point where it was registering any significant presence in terms of internet usage but as the OS was fairly new, there could be developments in the coming year. BlackBerry’s top position in the US is not indicative of results elsewhere in the world, in fact it conforms to the dominance of Symbian and iOS in terms of worldwide share. Symbian leads with 31.9%, iOS ranks second with 21.9%, then comes BlackBerry (19.3%) with Android registering 11.6%. Looking at worldwide use, only BlackBerry and Android recorded growth in November, the others experiencing slight dips in internet use. StatCounter’s report solely looks at website visits in the browser, not at individual app use. As there are some many applications available on Apple’s App Store, its entirely possible that browser usage could have dipped as users move towards apps to complete their requests. BlackBerry’s App World is still growing but lacks the depth of both Android and Apple marketplaces. Users may find themselves taking to the browser to get their information, this could explain why US usage has grown over this period. [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]     |
| Despite buyout rumors, Groupon acquires three deal websites in Asia [TNW Asia] Posted: 01 Dec 2010 02:15 AM PST
The company has acquired uBuyiBuy, Beeconomic and Atlaspost for an undisclosed sum with all three companies apparently being incorporated into the Groupon brand over the coming months. The acquisitions come at an exciting time for Groupon, a company which is said to be in talks as to a possible acquisition itself. Google is said to be lining up a $6 billion takeover bid, substantially more than the rumoured $2.5 billion deal suggested just days ago. The announcement does confirm that Groupon was talking to deal websites in Asia, just not the ones that were speculated. Earlier today, the company added new features allowing companies to setup their own free e-commerce presence on Groupon, allowing them to run their own offers and deals whenever they want. This came after the company acknowledged showing just the deal on its frontpage was actually hampering its growth. Groupon users therefore have the option to display a stream of deals, deals they are interested in or deals recommended by friends, all aimed at maximising returns for business, giving consumers more deal options and ultimately making Groupon a whole lot of cash. Groupon said in its statement that Atlaspost already boasts 1.2 million users in Taiwan and its the country’s third largest social networking site. Already having a presence in Japan, Groupon adds uBuyiBuy and Beecomonic, who already enjoy huge success in the collective buying arena, to its establishments in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines. As a result of this Groupon will be able to offer deals to 33 million subscribers in 35 countries, helping to save consumers millions of dollars in the process. It will also bring with it new job opportunities, adding to the 3,000 employees it has worldwide.Reuters, Image Credit [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Microsoft reaches out to Windows Phone 7 jailbreak developers, unlocking tool pulled [TNW Microsoft] Posted: 01 Dec 2010 01:45 AM PST
The ChevronWP7 were contacted by Brandon Watson, Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone 7, who connected with them to discuss the development of its unlocking tool. The team and Watson established a mutual understanding focusing on the teams efforts to enable homebrew possibilities and broaden the development of Windows Phone 7 apps and tools. Watson agreed to pursue further discussions with the team about officially supporting homebrew development and in an effort to help smooth negotiations, the guys at ChevronWP7 pulled their unlocking tool, stopping users from unlocking their phones until agreements can be made. The ringtone application remains live, a demonstration of the potential for homebrew apps. The team hopes to announce something soon, hopeful of being able to work out something with Microsoft. First Microsoft admit users can hack their Kinect accessories and soon there could be the possibility of homebrew support for its phones. A good move on Microsoft’s part if it becomes a reality. [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| UAE Classifieds Dubizzle Expands to 9 Arab Countries [TNW Middle East] Posted: 01 Dec 2010 01:30 AM PST
The countries included in this recent expansion are Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Syria, and UAE which comes after a recent expansion in Egypt and KSA. After you click on your city of choice Dubizzle will remember your choice for the next time, so you won’t be annoyed by the city choice screen every time you attempt to use the site. The Dubai based company which started off as a small attempt to provide expats an easy to use classifieds platforms is now a company of 40 that plans on expanding by March 2011 bringing up their team to nearly 60. According to Sim Whatley Dubizzle Co-Founder and Managing Partner Dubizzle’s UAE portal alone now generates a little less than 50 million pageviews a month with over 3 million visits. The classified ads market has been increasing gaining popularity throughout the region. Players such as Asuaq.com have reported very healthy growth reported to be around 300,000 unique visitors by TechCrunch back in September. Other major players such as Bayt.com provide a classified’s portal called Zedeal.com, while Souq.com have multiple classified’s page including one popular part for automobiles Motors.Souq.com. We asked Whatley whether they are opening local offices in these countries as they expand, he said “We do not.” He added “We are trying our hardest to manage all of this expansion from Dubai, with as much localization as possible. We embrace how different this region is, and while all proudly Arab, require different needs from dubizzle as a resource.” “For that, we are organizing a number of resources on the ground in most of these markets to help with our more guerrilla style of marketing. As these markets mature there is always a possibility of setting up offices though.” Regarding how the company’s doing financially Whatley stated that it’s now cashflow positive and has been for the past two years not disclosing how much investment they have received to date. “At the moment we are in the business of selling display advertising to our very targeted audience as well as Property listings in the UAE. Our intention is to always remain free to the consumer, while beginning to monetize commercial advertisements as well as allowing for users to differentiate themselves from other sellers through products such as featured listings.” said Whatley. As penetration growth throughout the region soars, a particular market is receiving increased attention from web based businesses. Namely North African Arabic speaking countries like Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria are in the cross hair of many regional companies, Dubizzle not being an exception to that rule. “Before the end of the year we will add French, and be available to users in Beirut, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli and Casablanca. This is a very exciting time for us.” “At the moment our #1 priority is market share in all of these markets. We fully expect that through this investment we will sustain short-term losses as a business, however the long-term value is in being the regions #1 classifieds site.” Whatley then concluded “From a users standpoint as well there is significant value in being able to open up business opportunities in what is now a very segmented region.”Image [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Find a clinic or caregiver when you need them with ClinicBook [TNW Canada] Posted: 01 Dec 2010 12:22 AM PST
Getting clinic wait times is pretty slick, but like OpenCal and Xkey I talked about earlier, ClinicBook also want to work with other healthcare professionals like dentists, massage therapists, eye doctors, etc to help you book appointments more easily. Maybe you need an appointment fast (like for a dental emergency) or you just want to book online instead of calling around. Either way, this is a pretty slick idea. Here is what Winnie said about ClinicBook when I talked to her: I think the calendar and online booking pattern is unmistakable here. People want to book more things online. We do it for travel, more and more we’re even ordering food online, why not booking appointments for the things we do day to day? There are some differences here both OpenCal and XKey have systems that businesses will have to buy into and adapt to, on the other hand ClinicBook is tapping into the electronic clinic management software itself. Clinics and offices don’t have to change how they do things, they just have to keep doing what they do. That might be the big difference that could push ClinicBook ahead of the pack. [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Geotoko pulls your business’ location deals into one place [TNW Canada] Posted: 01 Dec 2010 12:02 AM PST
Just like the daily deal aggregators, except Geotoko is first out of the gate on this I think, Geotoko saw that there is money to be made in offering businesses not only a way to streamline their work, but also provide much sought-after data on deals. Which deals work on which services? Are there better days and times to offer something? Do men use one location service more than women do? These are important questions if you want to take advantage of all that Foursquare and Facebook Places have to offer. This is what Adarsh says about Geotoko: [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| First Windows Phone 7 homebrew app emerges, enables custom ringtones [TNW Mobile] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 11:41 PM PST
If you own a Windows Phone 7 device, you will likely have noticed that you are currently unable to set custom ringtones, a feature that is expected to come to the device when Microsoft releases its first major update for its new operating system. Walsh, or Walshie as he is known online, has created a Windows application that will take up to five WMA files, packages them into a XAP file (the archive files Windows Phone 7 supports) and then allows a “jailbroken” phone to set the tones once they have been deployed on the device. Using the tool brings with it a major warning, Microsoft has already stated that jailbreaking devices could permanently brick them. Then you have to make sure that not only do you have your device jailbroken, you will need to install Microsoft’s .NET Framework 4 Client Profile as well as the Windows Phone 7 developer tools. If its something you cannot absolutely do without, head over to Chris Walsh’s blog, download the files and perform the necessary instructions.Pocketnow [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: TaxiNow [TNW Canada] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 11:34 PM PST
This is the second time I had a chance to chat with the folks at TaxiNow. The app is gaining traction, but one of the key gaps is that taxi drivers need iPhone and keep the app front and center for it to work. Yep, they have some work to do, but … well listen and watch for yourself: [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: AppGrower [TNW Canada] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 11:22 PM PST
It’s clear that AppGrower is just starting out, but listen to what they have to say… [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: NodeFly [TNW Canada] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 11:05 PM PST
Nope that intro doesn’t say much, but the interview does… [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Farmville coming to Japan, on Mixi not Facebook [TNW Asia] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 10:54 PM PST
As part of Zynga’s ongoing moves to lessen its dependence on Facebook, the game, renamed Farm Village, will appear on popular Japanese social network, Mixi. This is a smart move by Zynga. As The Next Web reported recently, Mixi is by far the largest social network in Japan, with Facebook only entering the top one hundred this year at number thirty-eight. By doing this, Zynga immediately inherit the largest social media audience in Japan, instead of having to help Facebook increase its small market share. There is still no guarantee that Farm Village will succeed in Japan. Social gaming is big business in Japan with several large companies already in strong positions. Zynga has teamed up with Softbank to expand into the country but it will still have a difficult task ahead. It is also a slightly ironic move. A couple of months ago, Resonance China reported, in a story that challenges common perceptions about the Chinese software business, that Farmville actually copies an existing Chinese online game that, in turn, was loosely based on a Japanese game. So, the genre comes full circle.image [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Groupon giving merchants more options & consumers a deal feed [TNW Apps] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 10:42 PM PST Regardless of acquisition rumors, Groupon seems to be rolling out some pretty hefty, and interesting, updates in short order. According to a blog post today, Groupon is taking two major steps building on the personalization tools they gave shoppers earlier. The biggest one, however, isn’t for shoppers, it’s for merchants. According to Groupon they’ve been so successful that highlighting just a single deal a day is hampering their growth (and since Chicago just added its millionth subscriber, I’m wondering what unhampered growth will be), so soon merchants will be able to create their own deals, whenever they wish, and have a virtual storefront just for Groupon users. Here are the features highlighted in the post:
Right, the “deal of the day” isn’t going anywhere, it’s actually getting better because you could see a lot more deals in a given day now. Which brings us to the Deal Feed. People buying the deals is key to all of Groupon’s plans. Further, if people can’t find deals in their area they are interested in (especially now since there will be a lot more coming), that isn’t going to work well either. So based on your personalization options in Groupon, you’ll see a stream of deals throughout the day. Deals you might be interested in, deals your friends have picked up, you know the general social media buying bit. Again from Groupon’s post:
This sounds awesome, but … (there’s always a “but”) Groupon is testing this out in Chicago, Seattle, and Dallas first. So most of us will have to wait to try it. However… I think there is a lot more to this than just cool group buying. If Google is looking at Groupon, I think think the Deals Feed and Merchant expansion couple nicely with Google Hotpot. Looking at a deal you could see more information about a business, star ratings, even reviews by friends before you buy. Oh sure you can do that now, but all in one place? Together I think Groupon is stepping up for big growth—doesn’t matter if they are bought by Google or not—merchants having more control so more deals can be offered at once only allows for more growth. Personalized streams delivered throughout the day? Yeah I can handle that. Push to RSS or Twitter or email … I can get into that. Now what of the clones? There are lots of them and more are coming. There are so many Groupon clones that there are companies pulling all the deals from a place together into one feed. There are even clones of deal aggregators! So, this is really Groupon’s game to loose. If they drop the ball and lose sight of what people like about them (great deals), then it’s a downward slide. If they stick to what works, great local deals, then I think they are going to be around for a long time.Groupon, SAI, photo credit [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| MENA Universities Cataloged: Edufina.com Launches New Services [TNW Middle East] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 10:27 PM PST
First covered by StartupArabia, the Amman based website now covers Universities in Jordan only, with offices in Dubai and Syria Edufina promises coverage of Universities in both the UAE and Syria to come next followed by a gradual and steady coverage of what the company founder Asad Akbar hopes to be the entire region. The name Edufina is a cross between Education + fina (Arabic for in us). So Edufina roughly transliterates to ‘Education in us’, but you get the idea. The website which is built with Rails has 5 sections: Forums, Events, Smart Search, University Comparison tool, and a Universities index. What’s so cool about the site isn’t only the fact it provides data to compare universities, but rather the ability to provide a platform on which students are able to give feedback on Universities, and Universities can interact with its current and future students. Providing the service for free to students, Edufina provides the option for interested universities to get added services that allow them to engage with interested Students. Which is how they plan on making money, that and an Ads network for Universities on their site. The service branded ‘Student Recruit’ provides profile enhancement and search results enhancement. Universities can send materials to students that are interested in the university such as brochures. We asked Akbar if that means Edufina will be providing student email addresses to Universities, he replied: “no, we never provide universities with the emails, we serve as the exchange”. Edufina has finished its first round of funding led by Bassel Ojjeh former Sr. Vice President at Yahoo! and current CEO of nPario along with an undisclosed group of investors for an undisclosed amount of funding handed to them in an undisclosed form of financing. “Edufina in its current form is a University research and planning tool for students” said Asad Akbar CEO of Edufina. “There’s no tool out there that allows students to compare University to University” he added. The timing of such a startup is actually overdue, that with the recent expansion in higher education throughout the region and especially in gulf countries like Qatar, UAE, and Saudi. “We feel like our role is to be a middle ground between students and Universities where we can offer a place for students to view Universities across the board. And it’s a chance for Universities to really showcase what makes them great for students.” said Akbar. Having had experience in the Silicon Valley startup scene, we asked Asad Akbar how he came to choose Amman as the home of this startup. “I did a lot of research on where the tech industry is growing and developing. And Dubai was an obvious choice, it’s the upcoming Middle East for people living in the Western countries.” “To me it was about where’s the place I can find the tech community to support the growth of Edufina. And there seem to be a couple of startups coming out of Dubai, but the companies who are really the players in the game are coming out of Jordan, like Maktoob & D1g”. Edufina whom are currently hiring plan to expand soon and fast were also chosen as one of the 3 startups to present at the techjordan event Dec 18th. [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Asus Eee Note release schedule announced. [TNW Gadgets] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 10:15 PM PST
This is certainly the problem that Asus must have with its entry into the the tablet market. The company chose to hit the problem head on by renaming its new product, a week ago, from Eee Tablet to Eee Note, a more accurate title going by the published specifications, that may have created its own niche market in the process. Today, Akihabara is reporting that Asus have announced its release schedule for the newly named Eee Note. Looking more like an ereader with a stylus, the eight inch tablet, sorry, electonic notepad with its monochrome display, wi-fi and microSD slot will go on sale first in Taiwan, later this week, for the equivalent of US$228 , followed by Hong Kong, Germany, Italy and Russia by the end of the year or early next year with the US and China sometime in the first quarter of 2011.image, image [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: XKey [TNW Canada] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 09:49 PM PST
Here’s XKey talking about how the system works and what it will do…in their own words: [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Rumor mill: NBC $0.99 Show Rentals in iTunes? [TNW Apple] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 09:28 PM PST This evening 9to5Mac is reporting that NBC shows might be soon available for rent in iTunes after saying NBC was not in the $0.99 market, so what is this: Okay this looks convincing, but it doesn’t take much to put a little gray button into a screenshot. I checked my American iTunes account and, as I expected, The Office isn’t available for rent (not that I would, I swear I lose IQ points just watching that show). Is it worth scouring the rest of NBC’s stable? Probably not. Think this rumor has legs? In the back room of TNW, we’re tossing this one around like a hot potato. It would be great if NBC (and other networks) jumped on board, but is this just wishful thinking? My gut calls, yeah. I don’t think NBC is going to do anything…yet. Needless to say, we’ve got this on our radar now and we’ll update this post with more if we find it (or don’t).9to5Mac, photo credit [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| i-dong, really, it’s not what you think it is. [TNW Asia] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 09:12 PM PST
It goes without saying that the coolest products will be cloned by smaller outfits, usually in China, and, let’s be honest, by the other big players if they think there’s a buck (or a few million bucks) to be made by doing so. Take the Nintendo Wii as a prime example. After its launch, while we were all desperately scanning e-commerce sites looking for the magic ‘in stock’ label, a Chinese manufacturer was already producing the Vii, a blatant knock off of Nintendo’s hit console. Move on a couple of years, the Wii has been a huge success, so, of course, the other console makers want a piece of that pie. Microsoft formally announced its Xbox Kinect motion technology in June 2010, after months of hints about the then Project Natal and Sony also had its PlayStation Move preparing for launch after a 2009 announcement. But, already, the technology had been cloned. Enter i-dong. No, stop that snickering at the back, it’s not what you think, Apple aren’t getting into the adult toys market. i-dong, which translates roughly from Chinese as “Love Movement” (no, seriously, it isn’t that funny), is a Xbox Kinect/PlayStation Move clone that beat both of those major players to market in China by several months. In concept, the, er, “Chinese clone” is more like the PlayStation Move than Xbox Kinect, requiring the use of PlayStation Move like hand controllers, and, by all accounts it has been moderately successful in its home territory. The question most people probably ask is “What will Microsoft and Sony do about it?”. If i-dong tries to enter overseas markets, it’s probable that one or other of the big names will call in the lawyers, but, if it stays focussed on the domestic market, the big guys may just leave it alone and let their products do the work for them. After all, who remembers the Vii now?Shanghaiist, image, image [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Launch Party 10 In Their Own Words: OpenCal [TNW Canada] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:36 PM PST
So let’s hear from this next Launch Party 10 Vancouver startup, in their own words: [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Instagram to expand past just photos, web interface also on the way. [TNW Apps] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:36 PM PST
Some people love Instagram, yours truly and Robert Scoble among the more notable ones, with many others loathing the app for a variety of reasons, most recently the app’s security flaws. Regardless of your opinion of Instagram, the app with a rumored 1 million users in the first 8 weeks since its launch, is the subject of constant questioning about its future. To that end, Robert Scoble sat down with CEO, Kevin Systrom, at the company’s home, Dogpatch Labs, to discuss the company’s vision and plans to maintain relevance. Some of the highlights from the 13 minute interview includes (paraphrasing): Scoble: I really feel like there’s a community there that I love talking to and I feel like you have something that could escape just photography and become a family of applications. Are you thinking about that? Systrom: Oh absolutely. Well, I’ll say every successful social product starts with a very specific group of people whether its Facebook with just college students or Twitter with just tech folks. We’ve tried to focus on people who are passionate about sharing images of their life and I would not say we were going to stay in photography our entire lives but at the same time it’s very much who we are and our identity. I think going forward what you’ll see is us experimenting with many different ways around images because we think that’s the cornerstone to the conversation but not the conversation itself. Scoble: What are Instagram’s thoughts on Andreessen Horowitz passing on investing in Instagram in favor of Picplz, another photo sharing startup, the tomorrow’s release of 360 Panorama? Systrom: Competition is good. Instagram was created for those that love sharing photos, and the company’s focus is on enhancing the experience of sharing photos for those who love doing so, while also examining many ways to share images. Scoble: At present Instagram lacks a solid website with Scoble turning to Tumblr as a repository for his Instagram photos. What does Instagram have in the works with respect to a companion site? Systrom: Instagram believes there’s an opportunity to create an interesting web interface, changing the way individuals think about photos on the web. Instagram does not want their site to be just another photosharing network. Scoble: Are there plans to bring Instagram to other mobile platforms? Some other interesting items from the interview include Systrom’s belief that the key with mobile apps is to keep interest as long as possible by consistently innovating. Moreover, Systrom, as an ex-Googler, offered his thoughts on his former company, saying Google is good at solving certain problems. That said, there’s a big difference between building technology behind projects and building the community behind projects. The latter is where Google has some difficulty. Wrapping up the interview, Scoble opined that good companies are ones that show apps long before they launch and allow influencers to give feedback, with Systrom stating "monetizing too quickly sullies user experience" and teasing Instagram fans by stating the company is working on two very big themes without revealing what they are. The entire interview is embedded below, is a pleasant listen and contains far more than is captured above: Instagram is one of my favorite apps. It’s well-designed, enjoyable to use and free. If you don’t have the app, pick it up here, and let us know what you think about this polarizing photo app. [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
| Video: LG’s dual-core Tegra 2 Android handset [TNW Mobile] Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:22 PM PST Yesterday, LG’s dual-core Android handset known as Star, surfaced in some pretty pictures. However, pictures have nothing on video and that is exactly what the Star popped up on tonight. In a lengthy video narrated in Hebrew, the unannounced device is given the full tour which showcases its gorgeous looking hardware and software. As a bonus, we’re also treated to a little side-by-side showdown with the iPhone 4 towards the end. Enough talking, here’s the video: So what you’re seeing there is a device that has a 4 inch screen, dual-core Tegra 2 processor, an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p support, along with a front facing camera and microUSB and microSD support. Right now, it’s also running Android 2.2 however it should be arriving with Gingerbread when it drops in Q1 of next year. Oh, and if that video wasn’t enough to get you excited, here are some high-res shots. Are you drooling yet? GSM-Israel, Phone Arena, Image Credit [Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]    |
Website analytics provider 
Online discount website Groupon has 
It seems like its all happening over at 
When you’re sick and have to go to a walk-in clinic, waiting for hours is really the last thing you want to be doing. If you have kids (either as the sick ones or in tow), yeah the pain levels start increasing by orders of magnitude pretty darn quickly. This is the problem ClinicBook is out to solve: find the clinic closest to you with the shortest wait time.
How many times have you needed a taxi, called and it never showed? Or tried hailing a taxi on the street and it seemed that you were in a black hole of cabs? Yeah, that’s exactly the situation the founders of TaxiNow found themselves in one night and from it build a way for people to find taxis close by and hail them, with an iPhone app:
I know I hang out in a pretty geeky crowd, but it seems that a lot of businesses today depend on their servers being up. Generally we pull this off with server monitoring tools and services. Which is great until you need to add another server. Okay, fine, add that to monitoring. But what if your server cluster is (essentially) virtual. That your cloud-computing center will add and drop servers as you need them. Not feasible to keep adding (and removing) software from these machines. This is where Nodefly comes in:
The major players in the tech hardware field tread a risky path when they pre-announce cool technology products, especially in the gaming market.
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