Early this morning we got word of what sounded like a pretty major change for YouTube: some users are seeing banners inviting them to “Sign up for YouTube with your Facebook account!“.
That sounds a whole lot like YouTube is allowing users to skip having to create a Google account by letting them simply log in with their Facebook accounts, which would be a strange move strategy-wise. As it turns out, it’s simply a case of some questionable wording.
I’m not seeing the banner myself, but a YouTube spokesman says that clicking it will take you to the standard YouTube registration screen, where you fill out your information as usual. Once you’ve done that, your newly created YouTube/Google account will automatically be connected to Facebook via Facebook Connect, so that it pulls in your friends’ shared items. → Read More
For the past few weeks I’ve been struggling. I’m addicted to all these location-based iPhone apps, but of the big ones, really only Loopt has had a native iPad app ready to go from the beginning. Today that changes with the launch of Gowalla’s iPad app.
As we first previewed a month ago, the app looks amazing. The main page is a giant Google Map, and on it you can see where your friends are nearby. Clicking on their faces reveals where they are — or where they were when they last checked in. And how long ago they checked-in at that location. There’s also a side menu (in landscape mode — or a pop-over menu in vertical) that shows the stream of all your friends’ check-ins. From here you can do some of the newer Gowalla functions such as comment on check-ins. And yes, of course, you can check-in yourself. → Read More
Two nights ago, three former PayPal execs took the stage at Startup2Startup to look back at the early days of the payments company (and some of their blunders), as well as the culture at their current companies. The speakers included: Max Levchin, who co-founded PayPal and is now founder/CEO of Slide; Jeremy Stoppelman, who was PayPal’s VP of Engineering and is now the cofounder/CEO of Yelp; and David Sacks, who was PayPal’s COO and is now founder/CEO of both Yammer and Geni. Moderating the fireside chat was Dave McClure (a former PayPal employee himself), who cofounded Startup2Startup with Leonard Speiser.
The PayPal alums talked at length about the company’s history, including some of the horror stories they took part in (Levchin recounted one incident where he accidentally wiped out the only copy of PayPal’s master secret key used to decrypt every credit card on file at PayPal). The conversation then turned toward company culture, and which hot companies in Silicon Valley seemed poised to breed the most entrepreneurs. We’ve embedded videos of the full discussion below. → Read More
This is an interesting little video. This fellow put his iPad down on his MacBook Pro to answer a phone call (hmm) and observed the bizarre behavior shown above. Seems inexplicable, but the only explanation is that the MacBook thinks its lid is being closed. There must be some element of the iPad that reacts with the magnet or sensor that detects the MBP’s lid is shut. Probably something to be aware of if you’re a big Apple fanboy and often stack one Apple product on another. → Read More
A good tripod head can cost you several thousand dollars, but this one isn’t just hand-made and high-quality. It’s freaking robotic. → Read More
The Federal Trade Commission is seriously thinking about blocking Google’s proposed $750 million acquisition of AdMob on antitrust grounds. A decision on whether this is where the government will make its antitrust stand against Google is expected in the next few weeks. But before the FTC makes that decision, it might want to take a look at Apple’s new licensing terms for iPhone developers. If I were Google’s lawyers, that would be Exhibit A to show how little market power AdMob and Google really have when it comes to mobile advertising.
In order to show that an AdMob-Google combination raises antitrust issues, the FTC would need to show how it would impede competition. Last year, the mobile ad market share of Google and AdMob combined was an estimated 21 percent. Google’s portion is mostly in mobile search, whereas AdMob’s is mostly in mobile apps, specifically iPhone apps. → Read More
Patents are always so much fun, and such a source of random speculation. Take for example this new LCD display from Nikon. What could it be? Is it for a DLSR? Maybe for video? No one knows, and of course Nikon isn’t talking, but it’s interesting to put your best guess out there. → Read More
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has modest goals. He wants to rule forever (term limits were ended last year). But he also wants to rule Twitter. His head of communications said as much a few days ago. Or, at least, those around him think he will rule Twitter. “I’m sure he’ll break records for numbers of followers,” Diosdado Cabello told Bloomberg. Of course, at the time, he didn’t yet have a Twitter account set up. Now he does. And he’s gaining users fast.
Chavez’s account (freshly verified) is here. As you can see he already has over 100,000 followers after just two days of tweets — and just two (rather mundane) tweets. That’s pretty solid considering that it took famous Americans Conan O’Brien and Bill Gates months to reach just 800,000 followers. Still, Chavez has a ways to go before he gets anywhere near the top of the Twitter mountain. Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears are currently racing to be the first users to 5 million followers. → Read More
You might have heard of Plugable Technologies before, they make USB adapters that allow you to plug a monitor into any device. This allows you to have multiple displays on systems that normally wouldn’t support them, such as a laptop or notebook. Plugable just announced two new display adapters to their lineup. Press release after the jump. → Read More
The Microsoft Courier will never make it out of Microsoft’s labs and into consumers hands. The project is dead. Kaput. Finished. At least that’s what two sources told Gizmodo.
Apparently the Courier team got an email from Microsoft execs that stated the project will “no longer be supported,” which pretty much means the project is dead. Even though it’s somewhat surprising that the project was axed seeing as it was reportedly close to completion, it’s not unheard of in other industries for companies to spend untold fortunes on a concept just for the hell of it. → Read More
Last October Yahoo apologized for having “female dancers” at its Hack Day event in Taiwan. They said “As many folks have rightly pointed out, the “Hack Girls” aspect of our Taiwan Hack Day is not reflective of that spirit or purpose. And it’s certainly not the message we want to send about our values here at Yahoo!. Hack Days are about making everyone feel welcome, including women coders and technologists.”
Yep, they’re sorry. But they still love the sex at Yahoo Taiwan. Check out this soon to be removed video which shows two people having one heck of a good time before the Yahoo guy shows up and sits on their couch. It’s all embedded in this Yahoo marketing site, too.
Good times. → Read More
Venture capital investments aren’t just picking up in the US, according to new numbers from Dow Jones VentureSource. The amount invested was up 13% globally in the first quarter of 2010. The sole exception was Europe: Where they fell 7%. It was the lowest number of deals since Dow Jones started tracking European deals in 2000 and the second lowest amount invested. Ouch.
This isn’t a huge surprise given the paucity of capital for new deals among London-based firms, and the fact that there’s bigger market growth elsewhere in the world. Like, say, China, which saw a staggering 35% increase in capital. The total invested in the quarter was $579 million, according to the numbers. So much for concerns about the Google debacle chilling relations between China and the Valley. → Read More
Good news all around. An initiative in the West Bank has an order for 500,000 PCs from the One Laptop Per Child organization. Several thousand have already been delivered, and the rest are hoped to arrive over the next couple years. Not in a hurry, I perceive: by then we’ll likely see the rumored OLPC tablet with Pixel Qi screen. But these kids aren’t gadget hounds, they’re kids, and hopefully the suite of activities and tools that comes with the OLPC will help the teachers there get some teaching done. → Read More
[Italy] A Moai statue couldn’t be more appropriate as a logo for an Italian venture capital firm. Like those big heads emerging on Easter Island’s otherwise flat landscape, Italy definitely needs new heads and brains (and money too) to appear in a fairly static VC market.
Milan-based Moai Capital Group is indeed a curious monolith on a remote island: It was founded by a 29-year-old entrepreneur, and the VC firm’s investments won’t be focused on national start-ups only. UK, France and Spain will get the biggest share of the pie, while just 20% of the fund will stay in Italy. It’ll have an eye on Eastern Europe too. → Read More
As far as Acer is concerned, life is good. Right now, they’re coming off the kind of high only good Q1 results can give, but they’ve got a not-so-secret plan to push even further into the black: Make a new mobile internet device Load it up with the new Shell 4.0 interface Throw in some 3G connectivity for good measure Make the next one smaller Repeat ad nauseam Brilliant plan, no? → Read More
If you can handle a bit of SSHing, it doesn’t take much work at all to exploit a Chumby One easter egg that turns the not-so-cuddly model into a 3G router. That’s pretty awesome. Of course since it’s not officially supported with a widget or software, there isn’t a GUI or any type of user interface. Here’s how you do it. → Read More
Oh, PETA.
While People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is just fine with Google using goats to cut their grass (as long as they get perks), the organization will not stand for applications in which you virtually hurt animals. As such, they’ve sent Apple CEO Steve Jobs a thank you note (below) and some vegan chocolate seals (I’m not kidding) to show their appreciation for Apple’s rejection of the app iSealClub.
“PETA was excited to read in your article that while the Canadian government is still fumbling for excuses to justify the bludgeoning of baby seals in its country, Apple CEO Steve Jobs won’t tolerate such cruelty in an iPhone app,” a PETA representative tells us. → Read More
“Forget what you thought you knew, because you’ve never seen a Droid like this.” is really just a nice way of saying “Oh, that Droid we spent millions advertising like 5 months ago? Old news. This one is the best one. Seriously. At least, for the next 5 months, unless it isn’t.” → Read More
Get on the Bus indeed, Microsoft. Folks from The Big M will be driving around on a bus throughout the U.S. and Canada next month, spreading the good word about Windows 7 and Office 2010. The tour begins on May 21 in Montreal and wraps up in Atlanta (“Hotlanta,” as the cool kids call it) on June 4. The tour swings by New York on May 25. Maybe I’ll bring a camera to record the goings-on? → Read More
