PlayStation Vita: THE hardware review

There is something extravagant about the release of a new game system: the promise of new and previously unheard of software experiences … hardware that is faster, better, and more capable. It is something that will be around for years …

Taser unveils new wearable police cameras, starting with BART

For geeks, small head-mounted cameras streaming to iPhones seem like cool, sci-fi inspired gadgetry. For cops, they may be the best way to record incidents, avoid lawsuits, and stay one step ahead of disastrous PR and public outrage.

On Tuesday, …

The DeanBeat: Crowd-funding gives hope to mid-size game developers

Double Fine Productions turned video game funding practices upside down last week when it raised more than $1.75 million through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter in record time. That money will go toward the development of a new adventure game that …

Why iCloud integration on Apple’s Mountain Lion OS fails

Apple is making a big deal about how its newly-announced Mountain Lion operating system comes with built-in iCloud syncing and storage. But if you cut through the deafening hype, iCloud is still a woefully limited solution that most consumers and …

How Hulu could kill off Nielsen ratings and improve television

Hulu is staying silent about the initial viewership of its first scripted original series Battleground, which premiered its pilot episode on Monday.

But the company has a plan to measure viewership in a new way, one that could make …

Your address book is mine: Many iPhone apps take your data

Path got caught red-handed uploading users’ address books to its servers and had to apologize. But the relatively obscure journaling app is not alone. In fact, Path was crucified for a practice that has become an unspoken industry standard.

Facebook, …

Cloud on fire: The burn rate on Tumblr’s big backend is building fast

Tumblr has been spending several million dollars per month on web hosting, sources tell VentureBeat.

“You wouldn’t believe the amount they are spending just to keep the site up and running,” said a source familiar with Tumblr’s expenses. “It’s crazy …

How Google plans to avoid Facebook’s “games ghetto” with Google+

“We’ve seen communities ruined by games,” said Google+ engineering director David Glazer to a room full of app developers.

“How do we find that balance between people who are interested in games… without having the problem of more spam?”

Glazer …

Facebook woos photographers with new lightbox viewer, launching end of week

Facebook is rolling out its new lightbox photo viewer feature to all 840 million users by the end of this week, a spokesperson for the company has confirmed to VentureBeat. The new display helps make photos more attractive by showing …

Yelp advertising is a rip-off for small advertisers

Yelp!

That word could be coming out of the mouths of small-business owners when they hear how much the online reviews site is overcharging them for advertising. At a time when much online advertising is being sold for 60 cents …