Visage Mobile raises $4.5M to help companies manage their smartphone budget
As more businesses look to equip their workforce with smartphones, a company called Visage Mobile offers tools to help manage the process, with a web dashboard showing phone inventory and usage across multiple carriers. The company just raised another $4.5 million to fund further product development and sales.
The round was led by Qualcomm Ventures, with participation from existing investors Worldview Technology Partners, ATA Ventures, Vesbridge Partners, and Emergence Capital Partners. Qualcomm Ventures is the … Continue Reading
Dimdim adds instant screen sharing to online meeting service
Online meeting host Dimdim has added a new feature that makes it easy for meeting attendees to share their screens with others. The new myScreen controller allows users to share their screen through Dimdim without needing to start a meeting, or open a browser window.
The feature works across Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
Dimdim is an upstart competitor to WebEx and GoToMeeting that competes on price. There’s a free version that supports up to … Continue Reading
"Best casual game" developer, Thatgamecompany, works on new title (video)
We caught up with Jenova Chen, creative director for Thatgamecompany, at the Dice Summit’s Interactive Achievement Awards red carpet last week. Chen’s company created Flower, the PlayStation Network downloadable game that launched a year ago. The game was unique in that it featured no violence; as the player, you become the wind in the dream of a flower in the middle of a decaying city.
The graphics in the game were spectacular, pushing the PlayStation … Continue Reading
New interactive ad format launched for Alice in Wonderland
Sprout, a San Francisco-based startup that has worked on Facebook apps for Disney before, has come up with a Web-ad version of their Alice in Wonderland app. The ad, which teases fans to upload photos of themselves, is interactive, and remembers if you’ve personalized it already.
The ads, running on IGN, Fandango, Movietickets, YouTube, and Addicting Games, can contain multiple pages and are designed like an app, all interaction takes place in the ad. “There … Continue Reading
PocketGear snatches up smartphone app maker Handango
Mobile app store PocketGear is announcing today that it has acquired Handango, a big maker of smartphone apps. The combination will create the world’s largest cross-platform, open app store and content market with more than 140,000 paid and free titles.
The apps can be downloaded by consumers using phones with the Android, Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Linux, Java, and Palm mobile phone platforms. The PocketGear App Store will now support more than 2,000 mobile phones … Continue Reading
Is Apple's new sex ban a ploy to win educators over to the iPad?
So we’re expected to believe that the high priests of the Apple App Store magically woke up one morning after two years and suddenly decided that ‘T-and-A’ apps weren’t okay?
That’s what Apple’s head of worldwide product marketing would like us to believe after an interview with The New York Times.
Phil Schiller said the company pulled sexual apps after complaints by women and parents. He tried to fudge the answer on why Wobble iBoobs … Continue Reading
Central Desktop revamps its collaboration tools
Central Desktop today unveiled version 2.0 of its set of online tools, including project management, document collaboration, and web meeting scheduling capabilities.
There are a lot of options out there for companies looking for online collaboration software, acknowledged chief executive Isaac Garcia. But while competing startups claim to be comprehensive, most of them are focused on one area and tend to be weaker elsewhere. For example, he said, while Box.net includes project management and workflow … Continue Reading
Mobile Roadie brings celeb apps from iPhone to Android
Ashton Kutcher, Dolly Parton and Madonna are among the big names who have iPhone apps built on Mobile Roadie’s platform. Taylor Swift has an app in the works. Just in time for that, Mobile Roadie now supports the Android platform, too.
“Integration with YouTube, Brightcove, Flickr, Twitpic, Ustream, Topspin, Google News, RSS, Twitter, and Facebook ensures the App stays fresh and relevant,” CEO Michael Schneider wrote in a prepared statement. The idea is to bring … Continue Reading
Apple bringing iPhoneOS to new platforms, possibly A4 chip as well
The iPad isn’t going to be the only Apple device using the iPhone operating system for long. Computerworld reports that Apple put up a job posting last week for an “Engineering Manager (Platform Bring-Up)” position. The position’s sole purpose is to help bring Apple’s iPhoneOS — the stripped down operating system running on the iPhone and iPod Touch — to new platforms.
That Apple is looking to spread iPhoneOS’s reach isn’t too surprising. From most … Continue Reading
Pulmonx inhales $31.6M to treat emphysema
Pulmonx, maker of medical devices used to treat emphysema and other chronic respiratory diseases, has brought in $31.6 million in equity, options and warrants, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in Redwood City, Calif., the company is backed by De Novo Ventures, Latterell Venture Partners, Montreux Equity Partners and MedVentures Associates. It previously raised $20 million in May 2007.… Continue Reading
Sonoa Systems raises $14.1M for cloud security and compliance
Sonoa Systems, maker of security and compliance software for cloud computing environments, has brought in $14.1 million of a $15.5 million round of equity, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in Santa Clara, Calif., the company is backed by Bay Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Juniper Networks, SAP Ventures, and Third Point Ventures. It previously raised $10 million in October 2008, and $16 million in November 2006.… Continue Reading
Apple speaks on its new sexual content restrictions
Apple’s head of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller says the company’s new restrictions on sexual content in the iPhone App Store arose after the company received many complaints from parents and women, according to The New York Times.
“It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see,” … Continue Reading
ActionAid: E.U. biofuel targets could lead to widespread hunger
The European Union’s renewable energy targets, if achieved, will lead to widespread hunger, according to a new report published by ActionAid.org. With many farmers ceding their land to biofuel companies, food costs are on the rise, and millions more people in the developing world are going without, the nonprofit claims — all the while industrialized countries are pushing hard for cheaper, sustainable fuels.
In 2008, the E.U. set a quota for itself — that 20 … Continue Reading
Context Optional launches all-in-one tool for brand marketing on Facebook
Social marketing company Context Optional is launching an all-in-one social marketing suite for Facebook today. The move comes as Facebook fan pages and applications are increasingly becoming hubs for brand marketing, and the suite aims to help brands stand out and better engage Facebook users.
While competitors like Vitrue and Scout Labs provide alternatives to various features in the suite, Context Optional co-founder and CEO Kevin Barenblat claims Faceook executives told him the company’s product … Continue Reading
WildTangent launches BrandBoost ad platform for social and online games
To date, online games — from Facebook games to massively multiplayer online games — have been monetized not through ad revenue but through sales of virtual goods and subscriptions.
WildTangent is announcing a new ad platform today that it hopes will add some balance to the business models of online game companies by giving them other revenue options.
Instead of having players buy virtual goods with credit cards or other forms of payment (such as … Continue Reading
TargetCast raises $14M to serve out-of-home digital advertising
TargetCast Networks, an advertising agency specializing in displaying digital ads outside of the home in locations like hotels, gyms, malls and restaurants, has raised $14 million in equity, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in San Ramon, Calif., the company is backed by Claremont Creek Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and has raised more than $26 million to date.… Continue Reading
FlixMonkey swings to $600K for user-friendly video making tools
FlixMonkey, a stealthy startup looking to provide easy-to-use video making tools to consumers, has brought in $600,000 in options, warrants and securities, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., the company has raised more than $3 million from undisclosed investors.… Continue Reading
ShopWell puts $2.9M in its basket to help you shop for food
ShopWell Solutions, a stealthy web site that will eventually grade food products based on how well they meet consumers’ designated preferences, has brought in $2.9 million in equity, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., the company was spun out of design firm IDEO and is backed by New Venture Partners.… Continue Reading
PeerPong catches $1.8M to help you connect with experts in any field
PeerPong, a social network still in limited beta that helps you find an expert in almost any field, has brought in $1.8 million in equity, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in San Francisco, the company is still very young. It lists a representative of Partech International on its board of directors.… Continue Reading
Etacts: An e-mail networking tool for never losing touch
Any busy executive or entrepreneur knows the headache of e-mail overload. No matter how fast you reply, it just keeps coming. Inevitably, you lose touch with people you never meant to ignore.
A Y Combinator company called Etacts is offering one solution. It keeps track of who you’ve e-mailed or called and then sends you occasional reminders to stay in touch.
It works by importing the recipients and titles (but not the body) of all … Continue Reading
