VentureBeat

Funambol acquires Zapatec for an age of “sync and push” mobile apps

In hopes of creating a new kind of mobile business, Funambol is announcing today that it has acquired Zapatec, a maker of web-based application technology. The combined companies hope to launch what they call a new generation of “sync and push” apps for mobile devices.

Redwood… Continue Reading

Parallels launches latest software to blend Mac and Windows apps

Parallels is one of those little companies that could make some big companies very nervous. The Renton, Wash.-based software maker is launching its Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac today.

The software enables an Apple Mac computer to run Windows applications in a seamless environment. Not only… Continue Reading

Tired of benchmarks, Futuremark launches its own 3-D online game

Futuremark made a name for itself by creating benchmarks that measured exactly how fast a personal computer could run a game with rich 3-D graphics. Its benchmarks were the gold standard that helped game fanatics buy the computer that was a match for the best… Continue Reading

Linden Lab launches enterprise version of Second Life virtual world

Second Life is going corporate. The virtual world already has more than 1,400 companies staging meetings and conferences inside its virtual landscapes. But Linden Lab is now taking Second Life into the companies themselves with an enterprise version of the virtual world that sits behind… Continue Reading

World of Warcraft ordered to shut down in China again

The Chinese version of popular game World of Warcraft is a cash machine for its maker, Activision Blizzard. But the massively multiplayer online game’s fate is up in the air again.

A Chinese government agency, the General Administration of Press and Publication, has once again revoked… Continue Reading

Offers controversy stirs reactions across social networking industry

A relatively obscure part of the social networking business has come into the limelight. It’s about special ads known as “offers” that are used to monetize free social games. These offers are like the ads that promise you a discount on your Amazon.com purchases if… Continue Reading

Interview with Offerpal Media CEO Anu Shukla on the offer “scandal”

We interviewed Anu Shukla, chief executive of Offerpal about her views on the advertising offers that fuel the social gaming industry, which have been hit by controversy.

Here’s the context: Online social games are one of the hottest areas of our economy. Millions of users are… Continue Reading

PlaySpan teams up with PayPal to make game payments easier

PlaySpan, a maker of virtual goods platforms for games, is launching a new way to pay for goods using eBay’s PayPal technology for electronic payments. The result will make it easier for consumers to pay for virtual goods — from better weapons to fancy clothing… Continue Reading

Blabbelon launches free voice chat for online gamers

If anyone can appreciate the quality of voice calls over the web done right, it’s gamers. That’s the bet that Blabbelon is making as it launches a free voice chat system for game fanatics. The service is based on Skype’s Silk voice-chat codec, which tries… Continue Reading

SugarSync launches small business cloud storage service

Online storage firm SugarSync is launching a new version of its backup service for small businesses today.

The San Mateo, Calif.-based SugarSync already offers a consumer service that backs your data to the cloud, or web-connected data centers. Now it will offer a SugarSync Small Business… Continue Reading

FXI and Atmel to put games on cell phone flash memory cards

FXI Technologies and Atmel are announcing today they are putting games on the flash memory cards that can be plugged into cell phones. They call it the world’s first MicroSD Gaming Console for mobile phones, although that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

First, Nokia’s own N-Gage… Continue Reading

Rival eBook reader maker sues Barnes & Noble for allegedly copying eBook reader design

Spring Design has filed a lawsuit against Barnes & Noble, alleging that the bookstore chain copied the features of an electronic book reader that is about to hit the market.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Spring Design said it showed off its Alex eBook reader (right) to B&N under… Continue Reading

Cinema Now movies-on-demand service to be built into Best Buy’s web-connected gadgets

CinemaNow has had moderate success with its movies-on-demand service, which lets users download movies over the web. But it’s announcing a real coup today with the nation’s biggest electronics retailer that could make the digital downloading of movies into a mass market phenomenon.

Best Buy is… Continue Reading

Marvell’s new chips will bring cost of eBooks to under $100

The eBook readers from Amazon.com and Sony have been clunky. They turn pages slowly and don’t have many bells and whistles beyond wireless communications and black-and-white displays. Over time, that’s going to change as chip makers and others apply their talents to new electronic book… Continue Reading

GlobalFoundries chairman Hector Ruiz steps down after insider trading allegations

Hector Ruiz, one of the most respected statesmen in the chip industry, had his reputation tarnished last week after he was identified by unnamed sources for tipping off Galleon-related traders who used the information to make illegal insider trades.

Now he is stepping down as chairman… Continue Reading

Worldwide chip sales show gains in third quarter

Worldwide chip sales were up 19.7 percent in the third quarter to $61.9 billion, compared to the second quarter. The increase shows that tech industry recovery is continuing, since chips are used in everything electronic.

Sales compared to the third quarter of 2008 were down 10.1… Continue Reading

Intelleflex gets an engineering team from big chip maker and raises $8M

Silicon Valley has the rarest of things today: a silicon company with a new infusion of funding. Chip maker Maxim Integrated Products is spinning out one of its engineering teams into the chip startup Intelleflex in return for an equity stake. On top of that,… Continue Reading

McAfee says piracy has tripled even in wake of Pirate Bay prosecution

The number of new piracy sites on the web has tripled in the third quarter, despite prosecution of the owners of the controversial Pirate Bay file-sharing web site, according to security software maker McAfee.

McAfee said it detected a 300 percent jump in the creation of… Continue Reading

Metaplace launches audio chat in its 70,000 virtual worlds

Metaplace is launching audio chat in its user-generated virtual world platform today, letting users chat with one another in the 70,000 virtual worlds they have created.

The San Diego-based company has developed a platform that lets users create their own characters and virtual worlds, which are… Continue Reading

Video of day two of the Virtual Goods Summit: updates on Asia, Facebook, and the iPhone

Here’s the video we shot on Friday at the Virtual Goods Summit, where we heard how Asia’s virtual goods market is seven times bigger than the U.S., that Facebook developers are worried about its new rules curbing game notifications, and that iPhone developers are excited… Continue Reading