Roundup: Hammerhead’s tale, web ad stats and more
The tale of Hammerhead Systems — A Cisco competitor, it got as far as inking deals with major telecommunications companies during its seven-year run, but now it’s closing up shop. It had received more than $110 million in funding and promised superior routing technology. The San… Continue Reading
American Idol teams up with Habbo for an Idol-themed virtual space
In a sign that the Internet is becoming a key magnet for major brands, American Idol is teaming up with Habbo the world’s biggest online world for teens.
FremantleMedia Enterprises, which is the brand extension arm of American Idol co-producer FremantleMedia, will create an Idol-branded community… Continue Reading
Habbo issues new kind of currency for its virtual hotel
Habbo has built one of the most successful virtual worlds with its simple, two-dimensional animated avatars and hotel rooms that users can decorate. Now it’s tweaking its monetization strategy by adding a new kind of currency for its 10 million unique monthly visitors.
Sulake, the Finnish… Continue Reading
Roundup: Uber closes down, Yahoo speaks on Yahoogle and more
Uber, an also-ran social network turned microblog platform, closes down — Investors included Universal Music Group and Sterling Stamos Co-Investors fund. The company claimed that it closed down due to economic issues, as you can read on its site. More on PaidContent.
Mobile payment company Transaction Wireless… Continue Reading
Austin game event: Lively by Google could be expanded to include games
The Austin Game Developers Conference featured one of the first official public dissections of the Lively by Google virtual world (or virtual room), and I got a chance to sit down with the project’s creative director, Kevin Hanna in advance of that talk.
One of the… Continue Reading
Gaia Online raises $11 million to finance massively multiplayer online game
Gaia Online has raised $11 million in a third round of funding to complete its massively multiplayer online game as a supplement to its “hangout” site for teens and young adults.
Institutional Venture Partners led the round. In the past five years, the San Jose, Calif.,… Continue Reading
Gaia Online tees up its massively multiplayer online game
Gaia Online has built one of the biggest online hangouts for teens over the past five years. Think of it as an online shopping mall full of kids who express themselves through cartoon-like avatars. Today, it is taking the hangout one step further by revealing… Continue Reading
Roundup: Google tests a new social network-esque homepage, Apple ups iPhone orders and more
Here’s the latest action:
Google tests out a new, more functional iGoogle (with a friend update stream) — The company’s personalized homepage service is looking more and more like a — dare I say? — social network. The latest version has side tabs that can contain elements… Continue Reading
WeeWorld’s WeeMee’s gather momentum
The Nintendo Wii may be getting a lot of attention. But the have you heard of WeeWorld and its WeeMee’s? They’re the kind of things that make you smile. Especially for teens and young adults.
A WeeMee is a virtual avatar that you can use as… Continue Reading
Roundup: Microsoft ads for News Corp., Paramount’s virtual goods, and more
1. WSJ Digital Network hires Microsoft for ads
2. Paramount Pictures, live in virtual world Habbo
3. Tim Draper raising fund for entertainment startups
4. MPAA downplay claim of movie piracy at colleges
5. Southern Cross first Aussie VC firm to open Silicon Valley office
6. How to find private… Continue Reading