Netflix to offer more streams at once with family plans

Netflix will soon offer “family plans” for its streaming video service, according to the company’s investors relations page.

While details of the plans were not disclosed, it is likely that a family plan would allow Netflix customers to add multiple users to a single account at a discounted price.

From the Investors FAQ:

The evolution toward individual memberships will take time, and we are still thinking about how to best do it. One option would … Continue Reading

Microsoft brings cool Photosynth app to iPhone, but not Windows Phone

Microsoft’s innovative Photosynth technology, which can be used to create and share immersive 360-degree panoramic photos, landed on the iPhone today.

But Windows Phone 7 owners, arguably the users that Microsoft should be bending head over heels to please, are still waiting for their own Photosynth app.

Microsoft’s decision to prioritize iPhone development for Photosynth is indicative of a bigger problem that it’s facing with Windows Phone — is it better to deliver cool technology … Continue Reading

Wal-Mart may have paid $300M+ for Kosmix

It looks like Wal-Mart is making a serious investment in social shopping.

Kosmix, a startup that has developed semantic technology that it uses in a number of online services, announced today that it has been acquired by Wal-Mart. Now, AllThingsDigital reports that the acquisition price was more than $300 million.

When I emailed co-founder Anand Rajaraman to confirm the price, he declined to comment. If that’s the real amount, it would be an impressive outcome … Continue Reading

New discovery could lead to cheaper and more efficient solar power

A new discovery about the magnetic fields of light by University of Michigan researchers could lead to a new way of producing solar power that doesn’t require the use of semiconductor solar cells.

The discovery, which overturns a hundred years of scientific theory that assumed the effects of light’s magnetic field were so weak that they could be ignored, could result in a cheaper way to produce solar energy.

Traditional solar energy requires manufacturing solar … Continue Reading

MindJolt acquires Social Gaming Network and Hallpass Media

MindJolt, the social game company headed by MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe, has acquired both Social Gaming Network and Hallpass Media, according to the New York Times. The move is part of DeWolfe’s ambition to create a second social empire with much of the same team that turned MySpace into a leading social network.

Los Angeles-based MindJolt operates a portal for social games on Facebook and the web. With SGN, it gains one of the pioneers … Continue Reading

Web video delivery startup Envivio plans to raise $69M in IPO

Envivio has filed to go public and raise as much as $69 million in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The South San Francisco company specializes in video compression and internet protocol video networking technology. Its “TV without boundaries” technology enables service providers and content providers to offer high-quality video on the web. The company isn’t making money, so it seems like it’s trying to cash in on the frothy investment environment in … Continue Reading

Apple files patent suit against Samsung over Galaxy phones and tablets

Opening a new front in a wider intellectual property war, Apple is suing Samsung, alleging that the Korean company’s Galaxy phones and tablets violate Apple patents and trademarks.

The suit was filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court in Northern California, alleging patent and trademarket infringement and unfair competition. Apple is seeking injunctions and damages. The lawsuit is one of many between different makers of smartphones and tablets.

Apple’s spokesperson told Mobilized, “It’s no … Continue Reading

Are Twitter and UberMedia duking it out for TweetDeck?

It looks like TweetDeck, a popular desktop application for Twitter users, has become a big prize for acquirers — specifically UberMedia and Twitter itself.

Twitter is in “advanced talks” to acquire TweetDeck for $50 million, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal that cites “people familiar with the matter.”

The news may sound a bit familiar or confusing, since TechCrunch and others reported in February that UberMedia was finalizing a deal to acquire … Continue Reading

What naughty stuff will get your video game into ratings trouble? (NSFW)

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board came up with a questionnaire today that it hopes will address the need to provide appropriateness ratings for the growing number of downloadable online games. Now game developers will have a better picture about what is OK to submit in terms of racy, violent, or other potentially offensive content.

The issue is an important one, as objections to game content could slow down the growth of the industry, and because … Continue Reading

iPhone 5 said to have 8MP camera; white iPhone 4 appears in UK

Here’s the latest round of iPhone gossip: The iPhone 5 may pack an 8 megapixel camera, dual-network antenna, and minor redesign, AppleInsider reports.

Meanwhile, it appears that the fabled white iPhone 4 was up for order this morning in the UK, according to Recombu.

The iPhone 5 info comes from supply chain sources who spoke to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with Concord Securities. The sources confirmed many of the rumors we’ve been hearing for some time. … Continue Reading

Zillow files for a (small-ish) IPO

Online real estate company Zillow will join the wave of consumer Web companies filing for initial public offerings. The Seattle-based organization, which first made a name for itself by publishing price estimates for homes, just filed an S-1 outlining its plans for a $51.75 million IPO.

Zillow has been expected to go public for a while now, thanks in part to hints from the company’s executives. In September, VentureBeat’s Owen Thomas speculated about whether the … Continue Reading

Paul Allen on 60 Minutes: Bill Gates a task-master, challenging to work with

Having recently published his autobiography, “Idea Man,” co-founder of Microsoft and billionaire Paul Allen sat down with Leslie Stahl in an interview aired last night on 60 Minutes.

In the interview — as in the memoir — the 58-year-old billionaire attempted to tell his side of the story of the founding of Microsoft, perhaps still showing some amount of animosity toward his co-founder, Bill Gates.

Talking about the company’s humble beginnings, Allen remembered approaching Gates … Continue Reading

ContentAide helps tongue-tied brands on Facebook

I suspect most companies know by now that they need to engage their customers on Facebook — but what are they actually supposed to say? A new startup called ContentAide promises to help, by showing brands what content is catching on across Facebook.

The Bridgeport, Conn. company was founded by Cody Barbierri, a social and digital media strategist who writes frequently for VentureBeat. Customers sign up by providing information about their company, their competitors, and … Continue Reading

Microsoft brings cloud productivity to all with Office 365 beta

Microsoft’s cloud-focused Office 365, a subscription service that brings online Office apps and other Web tools to small businesses, has opened up to public beta testing today, the company announced this morning.

Office 365, which is expected to launch later this year, represents a major shift for Microsoft because it’s more than just another major Office release. Instead, it combines features like subscription access to desktop Office software (Office Professional Plus, to be exact); Office … Continue Reading

Content ratings board to evaluate downloadable games — with help of computers

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board, a group that rates the age-appropriateness of video games, has created a new automated system for rating downloadable game content available on the consoles’ online stores.

The effort — aided by automatic appraisals from a computer program — reduces the amount of manual labor involved in evaluating whether a game is appropriate for young audiences. And it promises a way for a small industry-funded ratings board to keep up with … Continue Reading

Yahoo announces the death of Buzz on April 21, but nobody cares

As part of Yahoo’s plans to shutter several major services, the company has announced that it will shut down Yahoo Buzz, its social news Digg competitor, on April 21.

But perhaps more interesting than Buzz’s imminent death is the fact that Yahoo announced the service’s closing several weeks ago on April 4, but nobody seems to have noticed. It wasn’t until this morning that TechCrunch reported on the shutdown, and other than a few scattered … Continue Reading