How JavaScript will lead the way to open video

Editor’s note: This story is part of our Microsoft-sponsored series on cutting-edge innovation. Shay David is the vice president of business and community development at Kaltura, a company offering video tools for publishers.

The “open Web”, a vision for the future of the Internet that is participatory, collaborative, and free from vendor lock-in is finally coming to fruition. Following Mozilla Firefox’s successful wedge of open Web standards into the browser platform, today we see every … Continue Reading

City of LA: Despite what you've heard, we still like Google

It looked earlier today like Google’s work with one of its most high-profile Apps customers, the city government of Los Angeles, might be hitting some speed bumps. TechCrunch spotted a city memo stating that some early users complained about “issues and problems that have negatively affected their productivity and department operations,” leading to the extension of the pilot program and presumably delaying full implementation.

Does that mean the City of Los Angeles’ relationship with Google … Continue Reading

Tesla Motors IPO faces new risk: CEO's divorce trial

The personal life of Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk might muddy the waters for his company’s plans to go public.

In Silicon Valley, business can be personal. Tech companies preparing to go public routinely note how dependent they are on the services of their top executives. High-profile electric automaker Tesla Motors is planning an initial public offering of stock and developing an all-electric sedan, the Model S. But the company is staying silent on … Continue Reading

Next challenge for location industry: mapping the great indoors

We can already navigate the outside world using our cell phones or GPS devices to a high degree of accuracy, but what about indoor locations? Mapping the giant, labyrinthine shopping malls, airports and convention centers of the world is a daunting task, but something that presents a huge business opportunity for that very reason.

Accessing the indoors has its problems. First of all, there is no universal data source for indoor maps. With the outdoors, … Continue Reading

Create-your-own-chocolate-bar startup Chocri aims for US sweet tooths

Retailers have been using the Web as a way to let shoppers customize their products for a while now, most notably in the jewelry industry with companies like Blue Nile. A German startup called Chocri is taking a similar approach in a less obvious market — chocolate. And it’s looking to expand into the United States.

The interface is pretty straightforward. Users just go to createmychocolate.com, then choose from menus of chocolate types, fruits, nuts, … Continue Reading

Reminder: Austin VentureBeat/DEMO meetup next Thursday

VentureBeat and DEMO, the twice-annual startup-launch event we co-produce, will be in Austin next Thursday, May 6, to throw a big cocktail bash at Terrace 59.

If you’re an entrepreneur, investor or some other kind of tech startup junkie, you’re invited to join us. We’ll be partying from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Spread the word and let’s get the entire Austin tech scene there.

Make sure you register here. We’ll be buying drinks for … Continue Reading

Twitter keeps filling holes, launches an Android app

Twitter released its much anticipated Android app today, adding a third app to its growing arsenal of clients for mobile devices.

You can view tweets geotagged on maps, see a friend’s tweets directly from the address book and share content from other apps. Users can retweet, reply, favorite or share tweets directly from the timeline. Unfortunately, the app won’t be usable for many Android phone owners, since it only works with version 2.1 of the … Continue Reading

Facebook and Google watch you, whether you like it or not

One of the most heated battles for control of the Web is happening through the tiny snippets of code companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter are pushing people to add to their sites. Add a simple “Like” or “Buzz” button, and you’ll get nifty new ways for your users to promote your content. Everybody wins, right?

Of course, these aren’t completely altruistic moves. With enough distribution, these HTML tags and lines of Javascript can help … Continue Reading

Don't mess with Amazon: Retailer slashes prices in e-book dispute

Amazon is showing once more that it’s willing to use its online retailing might to try to get what it wants from its publisher partners.

Back in January, Amazon removed all titles from publisher Macmillan after the two companies had a disagreement about the pricing of e-books in Amazon’s store. (Amazon later said, “We will have to accept Macmillan’s terms.”)

Now, Amazon has reached agreements with four of the five major publishers on an “agency” … Continue Reading

iPad be damned: JooJoo working on 3G deals in Europe?

On Thursday, word got out that both Microsoft and HP had canceled their tablet computer projects, probably after realizing they couldn’t compete with Apple’s iPad. But tiny startup Fusion Garage, which builds the JooJoo tablet that began life as a TechCrunch post, is moving forward on plans to sell an updated version of the JooJoo with 3G wireless capability by July.

Most important, the tablet may be sold by wireless carriers rather than directly from … Continue Reading

How do you get an e-book signed? Novelist Justine Musk on the future of marketing

I recently attended a lecture of a favorite author of mine where signed copies of his book were being sold. With my new iPad in hand, I was poised to download a copy of his work. But then I had a dilemma: If all I had was an e-book, what would I get signed?

This isn’t just about book signings. The iPad and other new devices like it are altering how we consume media. But … Continue Reading

Coming soon: DIY genome sequencing for under $10,000

Stanford bioengineer Stephen Quake has built a machine he used to decode, or “sequence” his own DNA. As reported in the British medical journal Lancet, Quake mapped out the 2.6 billion-letter chain of DNA stored inside his body’s cells late last year, then prepared a scholarly writeup for Lancet.

“I’m following the great tradition of scientists who experiment on themselves,” he told the San Jose Mercury News.

Quake’s DNA, which a team of researchers analyzed … Continue Reading

Google's Android-based TV platform reportedly debuting next month

Google is readying its Android-based television software for debut in May, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. The company will apparently unveil its Google TV platform at the developer-centered Google I/O conference in San Francisco, which runs from May 19 to May 20.

We previously reported that Google was working together with Intel and Sony on the television platform, which would allow TV users to access web applications on their televisions as easily as they … Continue Reading

Moblyng allies with Playdom on mobile games, raises $2.65M

In a validation for its multiplatform mobile game publishing business, Moblyng is announcing today that it has signed up social-game maker Playdom as a partner.

In addition, Moblyng said it has raised $2.65 million in funding from existing investors Mohr Davidow Ventures and Deep Fork Capital.

Moblyng’s platform allows it to quickly republish the same game across many different smartphone platforms, including Palm’s WebOS, the iPhone, Android, and others—as well as Web-friendly versions. With Playdom, … Continue Reading

With Softbank in the wings, Zynga could seek $25 million

Social gaming firm Zynga has authorized the issuance of new shares of preferred stock, according to a filing on April 22 with the State of Delaware, where Zynga is incorporated.

According to Zynga’s revised articles of incorporation, the company has authorized the issuance of another $25 million in preferred Class B2 shares and an additional 10 million Series Z preferred shares. Zynga hasn’t yet commented on the filing, which VC Experts Valuation and Deal Terms … Continue Reading

Call of Duty Black Ops to launch in November

Activision Blizzard announced today that it will launch Call of Duty Black Ops, the next big title in a series that has generated $3 billion in revenue, on Nov. 9.

The game preview trailer will be released tonight on GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley and will be available on this web site after the show airs. The game is being produced by Activision Publishing’s Treyarch game studio, which has made the Call of Duty: World … Continue Reading

Apple shuts down Lala music service. Will Google serve iTunes?

Search for a popular song on Google, and the first result is often a playable link to the song on Lala, a service launched by entrepreneur Bill Nguyen in 2006 and sold to Apple in December of last year.

Nguyen’s original business plan was to broker CD trades among music fans. He switched to a music-industry-approved streaming service in 2007. Apple acquired Lala for a reasonable $80 million.

Early Friday, Lala.com’ s home page announced … Continue Reading

GlobalEnglish wants to get your workers speaking the same language

At a time of globalization, learning English has never been so popular. That’s good for GlobalEnglish, a company that makes it easy for multinational corporations or small businesses to teach their employees English.

The Brisbane, Calif.-based company was started in 1998. It launched its first online learning platform in 2000. But in the past few years, it has seen its growth accelerate. In 2009, revenues were between $35 million and $40 million, and the compound … Continue Reading