TechCrunch editor defaults in libel case by former employee
TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington is known for being opinionated and blunt. Add the high profile within the tech industry of anything he publishes, and it’s surprising that Arrington and TechCrunch haven’t been legally threatened more often than the half dozen times Arrington listed in a post last year.
But ZDNet reports this morning that last Thursday, Arrington and TechCrunch were handed a default judgement by a British court which claims Arrington and his publication libeled a former employee, TechCrunch… Continue Reading
Touchscreen CrunchPad due in November, but price has crept up to $400
The touchscreen tablet PC that TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington decided to build himself will be available in November, according to an article in Singapore newspaper The Straits Times. Arrington launched the project a year ago, on his sense that the public demand for a $200 tablet PC was so strong, yet so overlooked by the tech industry, that there was a huge business opportunity for a product that could be launched with relatively low capital…. Continue Reading
Michael Arrington’s plan to save The New York Times: The best writers should quit
It seems like everyone has a plan to save The New York Times, but TechCrunch founder and editor Michael Arrington proposed something a little different today: The best writers should just quit and start their own blog.
“If the top 50 journalists out of The New York Times walked out the door, raised $100 million from a hedge fund and started a site, it would be profitable.” Arrington said, speaking at the AlwaysOn Summit at Stanford.
The… Continue Reading
Apple tablet rumor is now credible for early 2010
The rumor that Apple has a tablet computer in the works is one of the oldest running tales told by gossips who claim to have secret knowledge of the hypothetical gadget. But AppleInsider now claims that “people well-respected by AppleInsider for their striking accuracy in Apple’s internal affairs” are sure that a tablet product is being readied for launch in the first quarter of 2010. In a post this morning, AppleInsider writer Kasper Jade explained… Continue Reading
TechCrunch / August Capital party photos
The patio behind August Capital’s office at 2480 Sand Hill Road has a commanding view of the hills between Stanford University and the tree-guarded mansions of Woodside. Standing on the back patio at sunset with a properly chilled beverage is one of the more pleasant ways to pass a Friday evening. August’s portfolio is a wonky collection of technology firms, which is just how we like it around here. I haven’t mastered the photo layouts on… Continue Reading
Roundup: Yelp allegedly extorts, Twitter embraces its origins, Tesla CMO defects and more
Here’s the latest action:
The downturn finally hits HP — The company announced a 10 percent drop in earnings yesterday and plans to cut salaries. CNet has more.
Yelp accused of extortion, again — Local business owners report that the trendy review site offers to hide negative critiques in exchange for cash. And it’s not the first time Yelp has been called out for this.
TechCrunch reviews 2008 — Erick Schonfeld offers up insightful snapshots of last year’s startup, venture and… Continue Reading
Let the games begin: DEMOfall, TechCrunch50 and you
Welcome to our first day of covering the season’s two big startup conferences — DEMOfall 08 and TechCrunch50. Here’s a little primer on the two conferences, and how VentureBeat is covering them.
DEMOfall, of course, is the fall arm of the DEMO conference, a well-established launching pad for many startups — 72 this time around, and located in San Diego. TechCrunch50, on the other hand, is the second, expanded iteration of tech news juggernaut TechCrunch’s conference,… Continue Reading
Trouble in conference land: TechCrunch50, DEMO happening at the same time
The dates are out for the next TechCrunch conference, and surprise: TechCrunch50, in its second year, will be held on almost the exact same dates as venerable — or some might say vulnerable — tech-startup conference DEMO, which is about to enter its second decade.
DEMO had previously announced that it is being held from September 7th to the 9th. TechCrunch50 has scheduled for September 8th to the 10th.
This is an important story for the startup… Continue Reading
Google’s blind-spot: wild ideas
Google’s badly named Google Image Labeler made us scratch our head this weekend. The clunky title is one more reminder that Google remains vulnerable despite its invincible image — something that start-up expert Paul Graham also points out in a recent interview.
One advantage that big companies have is leverage. Google, with its many millions of users, is now attempting an end-run around other Web 2.0 photo search sites, by launching a game (Image Labeler) that… Continue Reading
Roundup: 37Signals, MetroFi, CaliSolar & Duffield’s taxes…and more
37signals, the jazzy Web 2.0 company, takes funding from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — See the company’s announcement here about why. We last mentioned the company here. The company boasts: Since we launched Basecamp we’ve been contacted by nearly 30 different VC firms. We’ve never been interested in the typical traditional VC deal. With a few exceptions, all the VCs could offer us was cash and connections. We’re fine on both of those fronts. We don’t… Continue Reading