Archive for April, 2012
Friendster reborn as a gaming site, wishes Facebook cared
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/friendster-reborn-as-a-gaming-site-wishes-facebook-cared/
Friendster’s as good as dead to the western world (it hasn’t really crossed our radar since 2005), but Forbes reports that the site is still huge in Southeast Asia — though not for the reasons you might think. It was the original social network when in launched in 2002, but its acquisition by e-payment provider MOL Global in 2009 led to its reincarnation as a top online gaming destination for countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The new Friendster just officially emerged from beta as a game-centric site, and the remaining vestiges of its social networking past — you can still add friends, after all — are gamified with reward points. Moreover, owner MOL Global has added e-payments to the mix, letting users buy Friendster Coins to purchase virtual goods. Given predictions that the Asian gaming community will exceed 1 billion by 2016, the site’s future is looking rosier than ever. That might lessen the sting of being plum blown out of the social networking game by the big dogs.
Friendster reborn as a gaming site, wishes Facebook cared originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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www.forb es.com/sites/limyunghui/2012/04/25/friendster-is-the-largest-online-gaming-platform-in-southeast-asia/”>Forbes | | Email this | Comments
Google’s gunning for web spammers, bans us from mentioning Bieber
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/google-targets-seo-spam/
Google’s changing its search algorithm to punish sites that emphasize search-engine optimization over quality. Mountain View’s data centers will exclude sites that offer no useful content, have articles written in keyword-sprinkled gibberish or only link to sites within a cluster. If the computers find it, the site’s pagerank will be demoted, with the company expecting to affect around three percent of all English language queries when it goes live later this week. The company isn’t providing more details (lest it help those trying to game the system), so just get all of those gratuitous Justin Bieber references out of your system before Friday, okay?
Google’s gunning for web spammers, bans us from mentioning Bieber originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/in-ticketing-cellphone-credit-card-reader-inhand/
Converting a cellphone into a credit card reader is nothing new, but transforming one into a box office for live events could shake things up a bit — or, at least provide a bit of friendly competition for NFC-based alternatives. In Ticketing has just launched InHand Box Office software for use at live events. The company claims to be one of the greener ticketing outfits out there, and plans to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a device capable of wirelessly processing payments (and printing out paper receipts, unlike Square or PayPal Here) at independently run concerts or festivals. Potentially reducing time spent in line and preventing congestion at the entrance translates into more people inside the venue, and using your phone instead of a difficult-to-establish credit card merchant account should reduce the friction in throwing such an event. As long as you tend to carry the appropriate iDevice with In Ticketing’s ! new app installed, you can marry it to that iAPS Sled you see above to create your own personal CC processing machine. The only issues? Convincing Gotye to play your house party instead of Coachella next year, and that awkward lack of support for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.
In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple’s Mind-Blowing Margins In Context (MSFT, AAPL, GOOG)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-google-microsoft-apple-operating-margins-2012-4
The most important thing to come out of Apple’s earnings was the fact that its operating margins were so strong, said Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope.
As you can see in this chart from the always insightful Horace Dediu of Asymco, Apple’s margins are better than Microsoft, which is a software company, and Google, which is an Internet company.
Apple is a hardware company. The fact that its margins beat software companies and internet companies is mind blowing.
(The chart below shows margins from 2 quarters ago.)
Want more mind-blowing information on Apple? Then take a look at this >
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The Scariest Thing For Anyone Thinking About Buying The Facebook IPO
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-revenue-growth-ahead-of-ipo-2012-4
Here’s the scariest thing to come out of Facebook’s updated financials yesterday: The company’s growth is rapidly decelerating.
Last quarter it was only up 45%. The quarter before that it was 55%, and the quarter before that it was 104%. 45% is good for most companies, but for a company that’s supposed to be a hot IPO it’s underwhelming, as is the growth trend.
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Video Ads Destroy TV Ads in Effectiveness
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5904552/biotech-company-blamed-for-bee-collapse-buys-leading-bee-research-firm
Monsanto, the biotech company whose proprietary genetically modified corn has been fingered as the possible culprit in the collapse of the bee population, has gone ahead and purchased Beelogics, a research firm committed to “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination.”
How very, very convenient. It’ll be much easier to keep the blame off them, now that Monsanto owns its enemy. [GlobalResearch - Image via SimonG/Shutterstock]
An Enormous Pharmaceutical Firm Is Taking Legal Action To Make UK Hospitals Use A $1000 Drug Over A $97 One
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/novartis-uk-macular-degeneration-lucentis-avastin-2012-4
LONDON (AP) — Drug maker Novartis says it is taking legal action in Britain to make hospitals use an eye drug that costs 700 pounds ($1,130) per shot instead of a cheaper one that costs 60 pounds ($97).
According to the U.K.’s health watchdog, Lucentis is the only drug recommended to treat the eye problem, macular degeneration.
However, the much cheaper Avastin, a cancer drug, is widely prescribed for macular degeneration, though it is not officially approved. Last year, four hospitals in southern England decided they would pay for Avastin when it was prescribed by a doctor.
Both drugs are made by Novartis.
In a statement Tuesday, Novartis said it was demanding a judicial review to make the hospitals use Lucentis rather than Avastin.
Patient groups called for an independent appraisal to determine which drug should be used.
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Facebook updates S-1, adds Q1 earnings, revenue up 45% over last year
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/facebook-updates-s-1-adds-q1-earnings-revenue-up-45-over-last/
Facebook just filed an amended S-1 (that all important document that officially announces its public offering plans) with some new financial info. Now included in the charts and graphs is everything you wanted to know about Q1 of 2012 at Facebook (but were afraid to ask). The new SEC filing reveals that revenues are way up at the social network over last year (a whopping 45 percent higher than Q1 of 2011), but down slightly from last quarter (six percent), settling at a more than respectable $1.058 billion. Of the cash it took in, $872 million of it was ad revenue, which is down from Q4 of 2011 ($943 million) but up significantly from Q1 of last year ($731 million). Facebook was even able to slap a per-user amount on its 900 million active monthly members — $1.21 — that’s the average revenue for each person with an account at the site. Of course, membership has continued to grow, with 532 million stopping by daily, up from 372 million just a year ago. As for that Instagram purchase, it looks like the widely reported $1 billion figure wasn’t entirely accurate — at least not when talking cold, hard cash. Only $300 million was turned over in immediately spendable currency, the rest of the deal involved 23 million shares of common stock. If you’re a sucker for financials hit up the source link.
Facebook updates S-1, adds Q1 earnings, revenue up 45% over last year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AmazonSupply launches, offers up lab and janitorial supplies in same convenient location
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/amazonsupply-launches-offers-up-lab-and-janitorial-supplies-in/
If you’re like us, there’s nothing you hate more than having to go to different sites to pick up your pneumatics and abrasives. Thankfully, Amazon, that aggregator of all things with a price tag, has launched AmazonSupply, a site serving a broad range of industrial and business categories, including such favorites as fasteners, power & hand tools, fleet & vehicle maintenance and cutting tools. The site also offers up such Amazonian favorites as free shipping for Prime customers. AmazonSupply features some 500,000 plus items at present and 365-day returns. More info can be found in the press release after the break.
AmazonSupply launches, offers up lab and janitorial supplies in same convenient location originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Digital Consigliere
Dr. Augustine Fou is Digital Consigliere to marketing executives, advising them on digital strategy and Unified Marketing(tm). Dr Fou has over 17 years of in-the-trenches, hands-on experience, which enables him to provide objective, in-depth assessments of their current marketing programs and recommendations for improving business impact and ROI using digital insights.
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