Major phone companies have begun selling data related to their subscribers’ locations, travels, interests and Web browsing habits. The availability of such data provides a long-anticipated and powerful tool for marketers, but not surprisingly raises a number of privacy concerns. Mining data for profit marks a shift in the relationship between carriers and subscribers, similar to what is typically expected today with services such as Google and Facebook. Continue reading Phone Companies Begin Selling Customer Data to Marketers

CBS Interactive’s GameSpot.com announced its plans yesterday for comprehensive coverage of next month’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). The coverage will feature more than 100 hours of original live and on-demand programming from the Los Angeles Convention Center in addition to on-air integration with CBS Television stations. This marks the first time GameSpot will produce pre-show programming for a television audience. Continue reading CBS and GameSpot to Offer Extensive E3 Coverage in June

“Downloaded” is a new documentary that examines the rise and fall of music file-sharing service Napster. The film tells the story of Napster co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker while providing details of the service’s launch in 1998 through its eventual 2011 acquisition by Rhapsody. It examines the downloading generation, resulting changes to the music industry, piracy and legal arguments, and the impact of services such as Spotify and iTunes. Continue reading Napster Documentary: The Music, the Battle, the Revolution

Quantum dot technology reportedly makes displays more colorful while consuming less power, and development by 3M and Nanosys is nearly ready for use in smartphones, tablets and TVs. 3M issued a press release on Tuesday announcing that its Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF), which allows up to 50 percent more color than current levels in LCD devices, will be made available to manufacturers starting late in the second quarter of this year. Continue reading 3M and Nanosys to Bring Quantum Dot Tech to CE Devices

As promised, Microsoft announced its Xbox One yesterday, the successor to the Xbox 360 and the company’s eighth generation gaming console. Scheduled for release by the end of this year, the Xbox One will compete with Nintendo’s Wii U and Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4. While the update touts plenty of power and rich features for gaming, Microsoft is emphasizing the Xbox One as a lifestyle device designed for streaming an array of entertainment media. Continue reading Microsoft Unveils Xbox One, Emphasizes More Than Gaming

Microsoft has announced a partnership with the NFL to develop technology that will make football games more interactive for Xbox Live subscribers. The deal, reportedly worth $400 million over the next five years, was announced yesterday during Microsoft’s unveiling of its next-generation Xbox One gaming console. It marks the latest digital step by the NFL to enhance its live game broadcasts. Continue reading Microsoft and NFL Team Up for Interactive Game Broadcasts

Alki David, founder of online video streamer Aereokiller, agreed yesterday to change his company name in order to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by rival Aereo. Following a permanent injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins in California, David is prohibited from using the names Aero, Aero.tv, Aereokiller or “any other confusingly similar terms.” Aereo had successfully argued that the name was misleading. Continue reading Aereo Rival Agrees to Name Change Following Court Ruling

Yahoo announced early this morning that it has agreed to pay $1.1 billion for Tumblr, the six-year-old blogging site that touts more than 100 million users, but little in the form of revenue. While Tumblr users have already expressed concerns that the site could end up cluttered with ads, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer promises “not to screw it up.” The deal marks the largest social acquisition in years, surpassing last year’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram by Facebook. Continue reading Yahoo Announces $1.1 Billion Acquisition Plan for Tumblr

During day three of its I/O developers conference on Friday, Google announced that in-app revenues via the Google Play store are up 700 percent since the same period last year. The company’s recently launched Google Subscriptions model is also seeing progress, doubling inbound revenue each quarter since its launch about 12 months ago. Some apps using Subscriptions as their revenue model, such as Pandora, have reached the top grossing list. Continue reading I/O: Google Play In-App Purchases Increase by 700 Percent

We recently reported that networks such as ABC, TBS and TNT will be offering new apps that reflect the multi-platform TV Everywhere strategy so prevalent at last week’s Upfronts in New York. USA Network is making a similar move with its “screen unification strategy” that synchronizes the viewing experience across TV, online and mobile. USA, which unveiled its plans on Thursday, will begin rolling out the new initiative in early June. Continue reading Upfronts: USA Network Unveils Screen Unification Strategy

Google’s Internet-connected Glass device will soon feature seven new apps, which the company hopes will makes the glasses more functional. The Glassware apps, announced at the I/O developers conference yesterday, include Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, reminder notes from Evernote, news alerts from CNN and fashion features from Elle. The seven additions join Path and The New York Times as the only apps currently available on Glass. Continue reading Glassware: Google Announces New Apps for Glass Device

Amazon.com distributed tens of millions of dollars in new Amazon Coins virtual currency earlier this week by depositing 500 Coins, the equivalent of $5, into the accounts of every customer using a Kindle Fire. The company will also offer Coins at discounts of up to 10 percent when purchased in bulk. In an effort to increase customer loyalty, the Coins can be used for products and services available at the Amazon Appstore and within Kindle Fire tablet apps. Continue reading Amazon Debuts Virtual Coins for Appstore and Kindle Fire

Elevatr is a new mobile app from 23-year old CEO David Spiro and New York-based app development agency Fueled. The free iOS app is designed to help entrepreneurs keep track of their concepts and develop effective models, in hopes of turning innovative ideas into practical business plans. Elevatr is basically a note-taking app that makes a traditional business plan accessible for concept development on mobile devices. Continue reading Map Out Your Startup Business Plan with Elevatr Mobile App

We recently reported that Microsoft has scheduled a May 21 event to launch its next generation Xbox console (we’ll have details next week). Another piece of hardware has also been in development, but its future is less certain. Microsoft has been working on a set-top device for streaming video and other entertainment media, including a version that uses Kinect motion-control technology. However, it is not clear whether the product will be released. Continue reading Will the Microsoft Set-Top Box Ever See the Light of Day?

Google kicked off its annual I/O developers conference yesterday with a three and a half hour keynote delivered before 6,000 attendees at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. In addition to a surprise appearance by CEO Larry Page, who discussed obstacles to technological progress and answered questions from software developers, the event detailed updates and new releases involving Google+, Google Maps, Hangouts, Google Play Music All Access, a special Galaxy S4 smartphone and more. Continue reading Google I/O: New Music Service, Google+ Updates and More