Hungary puts internet tax plans on ice following heavy protests
Prime minister Viktor Orban says Hungary will hold a national consultation on the matter from January, but for now the people have spoken.
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AWS names Dow Jones vet to drive its enterprise game plan
Stephen Orban, a former CIO at Dow Jones and a Bloomberg veteran as well, brings an enterprise worldview with him to Amazon Web Services.
White House brushes off Tesla petition to sell cars directly to consumers
The White House finally responded to a petition, signed by more than 100,000 people, that called on it to let Tesla sell cars directly in all 50 states.
The “internet of things” could be great, but first we need a platform to support it
Much of the potential of IOT will exist only in theory if there is no infrastructure to support the coming stampede of data it will generate. Here are a few ideas of what needs to happen next.
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Should you have a right to sell your ebooks and digital music?
How should the first sale doctrine apply to digital goods? Members of Congress came to New York to hear the opinions of publishing executives, librarians and others.
AppZero gets $3M to forklift Windows Server shops into the modern era
Superangels including Joseph Alsop chip in for the new $3 million round, which brings total AppZero funding to about $14 million.
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Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer to retire after 18 years at the company
Apple’s senior vice president and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will retire at the end of September.
Chill out, DRM’s not the reason that guy lost his (public domain) Google ebooks
In a story making the rounds on the internet, a Georgetown professor lost a bunch of books he’d downloaded from Google when he traveled to Singapore. But this isn’t an example of DRM run amok.
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Cloudera names new CEO; Mike Olson now chairman and chief strategy officer
Cloudera CEO Mike Olson is now chief strategy officer and chairman of the board, while former Arcsight CEO Tom Reilly will take over the Hadoop pioneer’s leadership role.
Coming from Amazon — lots of Mini-Me clouds for government work?
Amazon’s GovCloud targets U.S. state, federal and local government workloads. Here’s betting AWS will replicate that model abroad.
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Facebook responds to low ratings for Home with planned tweaks to the app
Facebook has responded to some low reviews of the Facebook Home app, announcing a few planned changes to the app in the coming months to address user concerns.
Ricky Gervais brings his British Office character back to life on YouTube
Ricky Gervais, creator of British hit “The Office,” is bringing David Brent back to life on his new YouTube channel.
Shhh, DataGravity gets $30M from Andreessen Horowitz et al to democratize info analytics
Stealthy startup founded by EqualLogics’ team now has more funding to simplify data analytics the way their former company streamlined storage.
Cloudera snares $65M more to boost international, enterprise growth
Cloudera netted big bucks to accelerate its Hadoop push into enterprises and around the world. The Palo Alto, Calif. company says its framework is the most widely deployed of several available Hadoop distributions.
Now playing: Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Artie Shaw, Yoko Ono
The Library of Congress this week started streaming interviews with music superstars including Ray Charles, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. The tapes, donated by former record exec Joe Smith, are truly a must-listen for music lovers.
With new channel investments, YouTube becomes even more like TV
YouTube is renewing less than 40 percent of its original content channels, giving them millions more dollars to produce shows for the site. That’s very much in line with the renewal rates of the TV worlds, where 65 percent new of shows get axed.
What hardware companies should know about Kickstarter
Some hardware companies are turning to Kickstarter, but it may not be the answer. Adapteva and Xi3, for example, are falling short of their funding goals about halfway through- — but one says it’s still happy with the results.
Village Voice spins off Backpage.com
A new Denver-based holding company has acquired 13 weekly newspapers, including the Village Voice, and their related websites. The move will let the media properties distance themselves from a classified site tied to prostitution.
Exclusive: Amazon NY signs deal to sell its ebooks through other retailers
Amazon’s New York-based imprint has signed a deal with Ingram to distribute its ebooks to other retailers, paidContent has learned. The deal will make the ebooks available to Amazon competitors like Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.
Interview: How China’s giant Tencent makes users pay
No wonder Tencent ranked #9 in this year’s paidContent 50. In a land considered a piracy hotbed, the massive Chinese service has attracted millions to pay for online experiences. It’s all thanks to the humble instant messenger, Tencent GM Sophia Ong tells paidContent.
Is the Instagram effect causing Silicon Valley to fund the wrong companies?
A panel of investors and startup founders speaking at Venture Shift on Thursday debated whether there really is a bubble in venture capital right now, and whether the talent and money in the startup area is directed at solving the best problems.
iPad and Wi-Fi sitting in a tree….
The demand for Apple’s iPad is going through the roof and nowhere is its impact more visible than inside corporations. It is one of the reasons why demand for corporate Wi-Fi gear is going strong and benefitting the likes of Meraki and Aruba Networks.
Book time with a startup founder this weekend through Exec
Exec launched a few weeks ago with an ultra-easy-to-use system for booking exec assistants to do various odd jobs around San Francisco. Now it’s extending that service to include booking time with a few startup founders.
New problem for Amazon: Sony defects to OpenStack
Sony’s gaming arm is moving at least some of its online workloads from Amazon Web Services to the rival OpenStack cloud-computing stack implemented by Rackspace, according to a report. Such moves show a growing threat to AWS from OpenStack-based rivals.
SpiderOak takes on Amazon S3 in archival storage
SpiderOak says its new Nimbus.io cloud storage service will offer consumers and businesses a cheaper way to keep their data archives. Yes, cheaper than Amazon S3. The service, to go live later this quarter, will be available as a commercial product and open-source project.
Ringtones reborn: Just call them notifications now
Remember Crazy Frog? The bike-riding amphibian and his irritating, ubiquitous song symbolized the premium ringtone market a few years ago, before fading into obscurity. The frog has disappeared, but one startup thinks it has found a way to evolve the idea for the modern mobile user.
Apple Picks Dixons Group CEO Browett As New Retail SVP
Napoleon once described the UK as a “nation of shopkeepers”, so it is somewhat fitting that this is where Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has gone to fin…
Do BYO data centers make sense anymore?
In this era of cheap-and-reliable renta-data centers run by Amazon, Rackspace, and others, does it make sense for a company to build a new data center on it’s own? Unsurprisingly, Amazon’s own James Hamilton doesn’t think so. More surprisingly, other IT pros agree.
Fewer Buyers Than Expected For Philadelphia Newspaper Tablets
In September, the Philadelphia Media Network–parent company of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com–announced…
Is Obama cooling on clean energy talk post Solyndra?
While Senator Harry Reid indicated that President Obama would likely discuss clean energy jobs in his jobs speech, Obama’s speech contained only the very briefest mentions of anything green related. Is the President cooling on talk of clean energy jobs in the wake of Solyndra’s scandal?
Guess who is eating Cisco’s Wi-Fi lunch
It was only a decade ago when Cisco froze competitors from a market by simply showing up. Times change. Companies get big and unwieldily. And that is precisely the time to attack. All you need is some gumption, focus and the right products.
Shaq’s Retirement Drives 500k Viewers to Tout in 3 Hours
Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement announcement may have caused waves on Twitter, but it was actually six-week old social video startup Tout that hosted the video in which Shaq told the world he wouldn’t be returning to basketball. And Shaq has big plans for the startup.
@ pcMobile: Media R&D Teams Need Freedom, Flexibility
Research and development is challenged when media companies try to protect their existing businesses instead of moving forward. And Sara Ohr…
Correction: Time Warner Hires ABC’s Benson As Chief Creative Officer
Corrected: Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) is promoting Kristen O’Hara to Chief Marketing Officer and has hired Michael Benson, ABC (NYSE: DIS) Mark…
Inside Network Sells for $14M. Congrats, Justin, Eric.
Alan Meckler, who owned Internet.com and Jupiter Media has done a great job of picking up high-quality, niche B2B properties. He started off with MediaBistro and soon followed up with All Facebook (part of Social Times) and he has now snapped up the Inside Network.
Nokia Chairman To Step Down As Purge At Top Continues
Jorma Ollila, chairman of the troubled Finnish phone maker Nokia (NYSE: NOK), says he will step down within the next 12 months, having overs…
T-Mobile: Aims For $3 Bn More In The U.S., Sidekick Returns In 4G Arsenal
T-Mobile may currently be only the fourth-largest mobile operator in the U.S., trailing behind Verizon, AT&T (NYSE: T) and Sprint (NYSE: S),…
Arty Movie Service MUBI Takes $2.4 Million Funding
MUBI, an online access service for independent and artistic films, has taken on a $2.4 million investment round for extra capital and to gro…
Behind the Video: Key of Awesome‘s Weezer Parody
In this guest post, Key of Awesome writer/producer Mark Douglas describes the experience of creating and performing a video with the band Weezer, as part of a massive viral stunt the band did with a number of major YouTube partners.
Sxephil, iJustine and Shane Dawson Spill Secret Fears for Black Box TV
Most of the people who have turned their YouTube accounts into thriving and profitable platforms for their content aren’t known for having much of a serious side. But director Tony E. Valenzuela may be changing that with the dramatic thriller Black Box TV.
Ark Could Be Lost For the Web — If It Gets a Second Season
Sometimes people ask when online video is going to get its Lost — a creative, well-produced, buzzworthy series that offers enough intrigue to keep audiences engaged. I’ve heard some people answer that question with “Never.” But that was before Ark premiered on Hulu.
Edgar Online Buys XBRL Software Firm UBmatrix
Financial information service Edgar Online, which had said for nearly a year now that it was looking for partnerships to boost its position…
ABC News Digital Reorgs; VP Jon Dube Takes Buyout
ABC (NYSE: DIS) News alum Jon Dube, who rejoined in 2008 to head ABCNews.com, is leaving the network again. Turns out Dube took the buyout o…
Former Newsweek President Osberg To Head Up Philly Papers
Greg Osberg, the long-time Newsweek executive who later headed up mobile video startup Buzzwire, has been hired as CEO of the Philadelphia I…
What You Didn't Know About Cloudera
There are a few widespread misconceptions about Cloudera, the promising, well-funded Burlingame, Calif.-based startup that offers services, training and support for the open-source software framework Hadoop. At least that’s what I found out during a talk earlier today with the company’s CEO, Mike Olson.
Edgar Online Gets $12 Million Funding From Bain Capital
Edgar Online (NSDQ: EDGR), the publicly traded financial information service which we first reported was out there raising money since Augus…
Google to Move Into Clean Energy Project Investing
At an event at Google’s offices in San Francisco, the company’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, Dan Reicher, said that Google will make a step into clean energy project investing.
Bill On Site: Invoicing From Your Phone
Bill On Site offers the ability to manage invoices from your mobile phone. No matter where you are, as long as your…
NYT Adds Chicago Coverage Nov. 20; Will Be First Client Of New Chicago News Cooperative
Updated: The New York Times (NYSE: NYT) will rely on a new public news co-op for coverage when its expanded Chicago edition launches Nov. 20…
Updated: Publish2 Acq-Hires WiredJournalists.com
Wired Journalists, the social net founded in 2008 by journalists Howard Owens, Ryan Sholin and Zac Echola, is now part of collaborative jour…
Industry Moves: Ondrejka Latest To Leave EMI Music
I just landed in New York to a burst of messages about the latest change at EMI on the digital side: Cory Ondrejka twittered late this after…
Edgar Online Hires Bank To Get Investment For Its XBRL Efforts
Edgar Online (NSDQ: EDGR), the publicly traded financial information service, has hired a bank — The Jordan, Edmiston Group — to help it g…
Sprint’s Board Loses Controversial Director Irvine Hockaday
On Monday, Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr. informed Sprint (NYSE: S) Nextel that he will not stand for re-election at the next annual meeting on May…
EMI Erases Digital As Standalone Unit; Merrill Out, Ondrejka Promoted
The latest game of digital musical chairs at EMI Music leaves former *Google* CIO Douglas Merrill without a seat, former Second Life exec Co…
EMI Erases Digital As Standalone Unit; Merrill Out, Ondrejka Promoted
The latest game of digital musical chairs at EMI Music leaves former *Google* CIO Douglas Merrill without a seat, former Second Life exec Co…
Russia's Rambler CEO, Board Members Quit To Spend More Time In London
As predicted last month, the CEO of Rambler Media Group, one of Russia’s top web outfits, is stepping down after two years at the helm. The…
Catching Up with Chuck Olsen: Fighting the Good Fight Takes Funding
A little over two years since NewTeeVee came online, we’re catching up with some veterans who’ve been working with the medium since…
Industry Moves: Former Newsweek President Osberg Appointed CEO Of Mobile Video Start-Up Buzzwire
Greg Osberg, former president of Newsweek, has resurfaced. Four months after leaving the magazine, he is stepping into the role of chief exe…
Industry Moves: Former Newsweek President Osberg Appointed CEO Of Mobile Video Start-Up Buzzwire
Greg Osberg, former president of Newsweek, has resurfaced. Four months after leaving the magazine, he is stepping into the role of chief exe…
Industry Moves: NBCU International Digital SVP Obi Leaving
Kevin Obi is to leave his London-based role as SVP of digital assets at NBC Universal International, 18 months after joining from Synergy In…
Industry Moves: WSJ’s LA Bureau Chief Bruce Orwall Set For London Bureau Chief Role
Things are hotting up for the Wall Street Journal
Skype’s China JV Partner TOM Online Monitoring And Storing Chats
Skype has apologized after a report revealed that TOM Online, majority owners of Skype’s Chinese venture firm TOM-Skype, has been monitoring…
John Oliver, Straight Talkin’ Express: NTV Station Today
If you had just written a book about the Apocalypse, how would you promote it? Well, if you’re Daily Show writer Rob…
GoodGuide Launches to Shine a Light on Products
Let’s face it, no matter how much you try to investigate where your products — be they shampoo, gadgets or processed food…
Welcome to the PS3 Data Center
Computerworld has done a nice job of encapsulating a corporate IT trend we’ve been writing about for the last couple of months…
Israel 2008: One Conference, a Few Friends, Many Startups & Some Observations
Just like that, it has been six months since I had my life-changing experience. And perhaps that’s why I was comfortable flying…
Industry Moves: Second Life Co-Founder Ondrejka Becomes EMI Music Digital SVP
EMI Music is hiring Linden Lab co-founder and developer guru Cory Ondrejka to the new position of digital strategy SVP, in a move it says wi…
Rodale’s Interactive Head Ostroff Leaves; Management Shakeup
We had been hearing rumblings of changes and possible divestments at the health-lifestyle publisher Rodale over the last year or so, and it…
Latin American Social Net Sonico Raises $4.3 Million First Round
Sonico, a Latin America-focused social net has raised $4.3 million in a first round led by DN Capital and private investors including Fabric…
@ EconSM: Traditional Media Companies Fight The ‘Lumbering Giant’ Tag
Lumbering giants of the past or the prime innovators of the moment? That was the question moderator and EconSM conference editorial director…
Gray iPhone Market And Own Underestimate Led To iPhone Shortage
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has finally owned up. After weeks of speculation about what the lack of iPhones in US stores actually meant, Apple Chief…
David Stewart Vows To Drop ‘Neutron Bomb’ On Current Entertainment Distribution Model
A week after British musician Billy Bragg let rip on Bebo and other social networks for exploiting musicians and their songs for their own m…
@ CES: Privacy Issues Holding Back New Era Of Mobile Personalization
For a long time, personalization on mobile meant ringtones and wallpapers. But the growing capabilities of handsets and networks have opened…
Chinese Portal Tom Online Restructures To Focus on Services; Laying Off 100 Editors
Tom Online, the troubled Chinese online portal which went private recently, has restructured, and will shift the site
Freshbooks, Basecamp holding hands
You can now invoice your 37Signals’ Basecamp projects using FreshBooks. Especially helpful for Web Worker crowd. More details and screen casts here.
First sea bottom resort planned
Not mobile but certainly tech related- Poseidon Resorts plans to build the first ocean bottom resort in the Bahamas. The luxury hotel…
