Microsoft's Xbox 360 console sales rise 38 percent in third quarter

Microsoft reported today that Xbox 360 video game console sales are up 38 percent compared to a year ago. The company said in its earnings call that it sold more than 2.8 million consoles in the quarter. But the Xbox 360 has been enjoying a resurgence, growing at faster rates than the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii since Microsoft launched a redesigned console in June.

The Entertainment and Devices division reported revenue of … Continue Reading

Did Google TV move to YouTube? Not really (updated)

A Google spokesperson has issued the following statement denying claims made by the San Francisco Chronicle today that Google had transferred management of its Google TV operations to its YouTube subsidiary:

There is no correlation between the recent blocking by three US networks of Google TV accessing their full-length Web shows and a reorganization that YouTube did over a month ago. Google TV has been closely aligned with YouTube for years and its reporting structure … Continue Reading

$29 million to fight malware: How Endgame Systems hopes to secure the cloud

Cyber security company Endgame Systems announced today that it has raised $29 million in its first round of funding from a number of firms including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

The funding announcement comes in conjunction with its launch of IPTrust, a security detection suite for preventing malware and botnets — networks of infected computers controlled remotely by hackers — from affecting cloud-based applications. IPTrust provides real-time monitoring of security risks that IT professionals handling … Continue Reading

Friendship Pages will reveal the emptiness of my Facebook relationships

Facebook announced a new feature called Friendship Pages this morning, and I’m kind of scared of what it will show me.

The feature isn’t live for me yet, or for the rest of the VentureBeat team, but according to the company’s blog post, Friendship Pages will aggregate all the Facebook interactions between two friends. You’ll be able to see all the Wall Posts between the two of you, all the Events that you both attended, … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Saudi Arabia imports SolFocus's solar, Prop 23 could send VC investment to China

Here are the top cleantech stories we’re following today on the GreenBeat:

SolFocus announced it will build the first and largest concentrated photovoltaic solar system in Saudi Arabia,  delivering around 300 megawatt-hours of energy. Japanese thin-film solar company Solar Frontier will also provide 10 megawatts in a solar installation for a car park, Greentech Media writes.

Better Place announced it is bringing 61 electric taxis and four of its signature battery-swapping stations to San … Continue Reading

Oracle: Google stole our Java code and used it in Android!

The spat between tech giants continues with Oracle updating its lawsuit today, stating Google stole Oracle’s Java code for its Android mobile operating system.

Oracle is suing Google over the use of a third of Android’s Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) — which Oracle says are “derivative of Oracle’s copyrighted Java API packages.” Oracle filed the original lawsuit in early August.

Patent trolling seems like the thing to do this month when it comes to tech … Continue Reading

How Apple narrowly avoided another "antennagate" with white iPhone 4 camera

Apple may be holding back its promised white iPhone 4 in order to avoid a scandal surrounding the phone’s camera, according to the Apple fan site Cult of Mac.

An Apple source tells the site that the white case leaks in light, which produces poor quality pictures. The problem is apparently more pronounced when the iPhone’s flash is used. Since the back of the white iPhone is semi-translucent, pictures inevitably get washed out.

The issue … Continue Reading

Is Google's Nexus Two coming from Samsung on Nov. 8?

Google and Samsung may be gearing up to announce the Nexus Two Android phone at a press conference in New York on November 8, sources tell the Android site AndroidandMe.

Earlier this week, Samsung sent out invitations to the event for an unveiling of “a new Android device.” Given that the company just recently rolled out its high-end Galaxy S line of Android phones, the new device must be something special to warrant a media … Continue Reading

ZeniMax Media acquires studio of Japanese video game superstar Shinji Mikami

Continuing on its spree of buying up the highest-quality video game makers, ZeniMax Media is announcing today it is acquiring Tango Gameworks, the development studio of Japanese video game superstar Shinji Mikami.

Rockville, Md.-based ZeniMax didn’t disclose the purchase price for acquiring Tokyo-based Tango. But it is interesting to note that ZeniMax raised $150 million from Providence Equity Partners earlier this month. Providence previously invested $300 million in ZeniMax, and that led to the acquisition … Continue Reading

Vudu's streaming videos will be available on PC and Mac via Boxee's media software

As part of a plan to expand to new platforms, on-demand movie service Vudu (owned by Wal-Mart) is partnering with online video service Boxee to debut its streaming movies on the PC and Mac computers.

Boxee has its own set-top box (pictured right) to hook up to a TV, due to launch in November. But you can also download Boxee’s free media center software to a PC or Mac machine and then view the videos … Continue Reading

BilltoMobile signs up AT&T for direct mobile payments

BilltoMobile is announcing today it has partnered with AT&T to allow mobile phone users to purchase goods online via their mobile phone accounts.

Rivals Boku and Zong have also announced similar deals with AT&T.

Just as the company’s name suggests, BilltoMobile lets you pay for something you want online by billing it to your mobile phone. You simply indicate that you want to pay with your mobile phone number and enter the phone number. Then … Continue Reading

Nintendo reports loss due to weak sales and 3DS handheld delay

Living up to its downbeat forecast, Nintendo reported that it lost money for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, largely because of a strong yen, weak sales of the Wii and the company’s games, and a delay in the launch of the 3DS handheld gaming system.

Nintendo reported sales of 363 billion yen, down 33.7 percent from 548 billion yen a year ago. Operating income was down 48 percent to 54 million yen from a … Continue Reading

Filmmaker James Cameron wants us to be technologists with a conscience

In a conversation with Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, film director James Cameron urged technology-minded people to become better stewards of the planet. That was a fundamental message of Cameron’s blockbuster film Avatar, and it’s also the advice he has for people who have their heads down building cool technology in Silicon Valley.

The two men spoke on stage at the Churchill Club dinner Wednesday night in San Jose, Calif.

Schmidt is a model for … Continue Reading

Why two more Avatar movies will be good for tech innovation

Movie maker James Cameron announced today that he will make two more Avatar movies as follow-ups to the biggest blockbuster of all time. That’s going to be a good thing for Silicon Valley because Cameron is the biggest advocate for the advancement of 3D technology and he has invented many cool 3D technologies that will be useful to the rest of the technological world.

Cameron made the announcement on stage at the Churchill Club dinner … Continue Reading

James Cameron says 3D TV will come, but it requires better tech and content

Director James Cameron said that he believes stereoscopic 3D, like the kind in his blockbuster film Avatar, will eventually become pervasive, but a lot of things have to fall into place first.

“Well, we see the world in 3D,” Cameron said at the Churchill Club dinner Wednesday night in San Jose, Calif. “To me, there are no barriers to 3D TV in homes in five to ten years.”

In a conversation with Google chief executive … Continue Reading

AppToU gets $1.8M for mobile application startup

AppToU, a Palo Alto startup, has raised $1.8 million of an expected $2 million in equity and debt funding. Charles Moldow of Foundation Capital participated in the funding round, based on a filing with the SEC.

Though the company is tight-lipped about its product, AppToU’s site states it is working on “simplified personalized ubiquitous application delivery.”

Founded in October 2009, the startup is led by CEO Milind Gadekar. Based on his LinkedIn profile, Gadekar is … Continue Reading

BlackBerry Partners Fund makes an even bigger bet on mobile

The BlackBerry Partners Fund is a bit confusing. It’s managed by both JLA Ventures and RBC Venture Partners (the investment arm of the Royal Bank of Canada), and it invests money from BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion, Thomson Reuters, and RBC. JLA and RBC make their own investments separate from the fund. And, oh yeah, portfolio companies don’t have to focus on BlackBerry devices.

The fund is cutting down on some of that confusion today, with … Continue Reading

Dropbox CEO: Why search advertising failed us

Dropbox founder and chief executive Drew Houston offered some details this afternoon about how he grew the company to more than 4 million users. In its early days, the document synchronization startup did all the things that startups are “supposed” to do, like buying ads on Google’s search results through AdWords and hiring a public relations firm.

Houston said the results were “horrific”.

Before launching, the company already made a splash with a demo video … Continue Reading

Investor Marc Andreessen wants "everything but love notes" in the cloud

[Update: Corrected to reflect exact wording of Andreessen's quote]

Marc Andreessen, partner of venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, is sick of carrying his wallet around. What, is all that money he made founding Netscape and Opsware and investing in startups weighing him down?

He’s waiting for the day that everything just happens through his phone, he told PayPal X Innovate 2010 attendees in San Francisco today.

The way to achieve that is to bring … Continue Reading