Holiday Roundup: Apple devices for store purchases? Digg, and more
The VentureBeat team is mostly taking a much-needed holiday break this week. In the meantime, here’s some of the latest news:
1. Apple devices to offer payment service?
2. Digg tells BusinessWeek that “no acquisitions are in the works” but we’re sticking by our story
3. Amazon Music Store to sell Warner Bros. music
4. Apple’s iTunes to rent Fox Studios movies
5. Web analytics service Compete examines Kayak-Sidestep travel site merger
Apple devices to offer payment service? — The company… Continue Reading
Travel sites Kayak and Sidestep merge, aim to become market leader
Updated
Travel search engine Kayak has taken on $196 million in additional funding from a prominent group of investors.
It has separately purchased main rival SideStep for $180 million, as well as $20 million in the company’s bank account for a total of $200, Techcrunch first reported. [Update: We now hear from a source that the total sale was for slightly less: $175 million plus $18 million in cash, for a total of $193 million.]
Together, the companies… Continue Reading
Kango makes travel search personal and raises $4mm
Kango, a travel search engine that finds lodging and activities that match your personal preferences, is launching a closed testing version and announcing that it raised $4 million from Shasta Ventures earlier this year.
This area is extremely competitive. Companies like Kayak and Sidestep, which search multiple sites for the best ticket prices, have raised millions from marquee VCs; cFares, which finds wholesale plane tickets at discount rates, recently raised $4.5 million. TripIt makes it easy… Continue Reading
Sidestep expands into social networking, buys TripUp
Travel search company SideStep, of Santa Clara, Calif., has acquired social networking site TripUp, of Los Angeles, for an undisclosed amount
TripUp is a travel social network launched last year, that includes things like blogs, review, maps and photos/video. Techcrunch reports.
SideStep raises $15M to do battle in online travel search
SideStep, the travel search engine, has raised $15 million in a third round of funding to help it stay competitive and to venture into other areas.
The travel industry is packed. Other players offer search. But they also make money from selling travel tickets, something SideStep doesn’t do. These companies include Expedia, Travelocity. There’s Kayak, which offers a similar search engine. There are niche sites too, such as fare-prediction site Farecast and user-generated site, RealTravel.
Sidestep’s funding… Continue Reading