Roundup: Yahoo developer platform launches, Wal-Mart sells G1, and more
Here’s the latest action:
So many games, so little time — The typical household video game collection boasts 48 titles, but 11 percent of gamers say they own unopened games. That’s according to a new survey by analyst firm the NPD Group.
Desktop software still relevant, Microsoft chief executive Ballmer maintains — His email to customers, here.
Yahoo launches developer platform — See our preview from last week.
Discounted G1 phones go on sale at Wal-Mart today — The Android-powered phone is available at carrier T-Mobile’s stores for $179.99; they’ll cost $148.88 at Wal-Mart.
First integration of Meebo Community IM now live — Movie fan site Flixster has integrated Meebo’s platform-style IM service so its users can chat to each other without leaving the site. Check out the video, below, for more.
Meebo Community IM on Flixster from Meebo on Vimeo.
Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” ad campaign receives the wisdom of the crowds — The campaign’s TV commercials started off with celebrities, but now they’re featuring selected ads uploaded by Windows users. You can watch them here.
Portfolio company survival matrix — Fred Wilson at Union Square Ventures talked about one way his firm is looking at investments during the economic downturn earlier this week. That is, which companies are making enough to survive, which ones are betting on long-term revenue, which ones are too small to fail — and none of the above. The scatter plot below shows revenue on the y-axis and months on the x-axis.
The Christian Science Monitor cuts back on print edition — The weekday print edition will end next year; subscribers can still receive a print weekly version, though. The well-respected paper is one of the most prominent publications to make cuts this drastic. Its online revenue will allow it to sustain its foreign bureaus.
Mac clone manufacturer Psystar adds some Blu-ray functionality — But Blu-Ray’s high-definition technology isn’t supported by Mac OS — Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has called it a “bag of hurt.” At this point, Psystar owners will only be able to burn Blu-Ray discs.
Location-based iPhone app Moximity releases web version — It includes a detailed new user interface, contextually-relevant ads, integration with reviews from Yelp, and the ability to sync with Twitter and Facebook.
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About the Author, Eric Eldon
Eric currently covers digital media technology and business news, especially what's happening on social networks and their platforms. He also writes and edits stories about venture capital, and lots of other stuff, too. He started at VentureBeat in the spring of 2007, half a year or so after Matt Marshall left his reporting job at the San Jose Mercury News to found the site. Eric previously cofounded a startup called Writewith, that was building editorial software for newspapers and other groups of writers. The startup didn't work out, but he learned a lot.