Here’s the day’s action:
1) CNET sells its photo-sharing site Webshots at loss, may be ready to try again
2) Comcast isn’t the only ISP manipulating traffic
3) Apple may lose Warner Music, too
4) Yahoo’s Cammie Dunaway goes to Nintendo
5) Trusted Opinion, social recommendations, raises $1.3 million
6) JackBe, enterprise mashup software, raises $9.5 million
7) EchoSign, electronic signatures, takes $6 million
CNET sells Webshots to American Greeting for $45M — CNET bought Webshots, a photo-sharing site, for $70M in 2004, so the purchase apparently didn’t do much for the company. CNET itself is losing money, and also recently took on a $250 million loan, which may signal a desire for more (but hopefully better advised) acquisitions of internet properties.
Comcast isn’t the only ISP interfering with P2P — This post by Om Malik points out that other ISPs are probably also interfering with Net traffic. So much for Net Neutrality. Companies that rely on P2P traffic may have to count on lawmakers for relief if ISPs become bolder in their efforts to minimize certain traffic. Luckily, they’ve got congressmen like Rick Boucher, who has put the issue at the top of the House tech agenda.
Apple’s iPod aura wearing off with music labels — Last month it was Universal Music Group, this month it’s Warner Music. As record label’s contracts with Apple run out, the companies are deciding they don’t really want to be in a controlling relationship, and would prefer to see other distributors. Both Universal and Warner are shifting to a month-to-month contract with Apple that will allow them to strike deals elsewhere. If the companies have figured out yet that they don’t have to be in constant control of their own content, that might even mean a few crumbs for startups.
Yahoo-er Cammie Dunaway has indeed left for Nintendo — The New York Times confirms the rumor that Valleywag had the other week.
Recommendation-focused social network Trusted Opinion raises $1.3 million — More here.
JackBe, enterprise mashup software company, raises $9.5M more — The company, based in Fremont, Calif., raised the third round of financing from Harbert Venture Partners, Core Capital Partners, and existing investors Intel Capital, Darby Technology Ventures and Blue Chip Venture Company. The company’s Presto platform allows users to create applications by pulling in data from various sources, and faces numerous competitors, including Nexaweb and Xignite. It had previously raised $9.5 million.
EchoSign takes $6 million for signature automation — A month ago today, we reported that competitor DocuSign had taken $12.4 million to continue developing its electronic signature technology. We wouldn’t say they’re copying, but does anyone else hear an echo? (OK, sorry for that one.) This is EchoSign’s second funding, led by Emergence Capital and also participated in by previous investor Storm Capital.
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