Apple: Google Warned Samsung Against Copying Us
When Apple’s patent battle with Samsung heads to trial next week, the iPhone maker plans to build its case using its Korean rival’s own words against it. An unredacted version of Apple’s trial brief bluntly states that Samsung was well aware that its smartphones and tablets bore a striking resemblance to Apple’s iPhone and iPad and that the issue was one the company discussed internally.
http://allthingsd.com/20120725/apple-google-warned-samsung-against-copying-us/
Facebook Is Said To Work With HTC On Mobile Phone For Mid-2013
Facebook Inc. (FB), owner of the largest social network, is working with HTC Corp. to build its own smartphone for release as soon as mid-2013, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The companies had intended to release the device as early as the end of this year, and pushed back the timetable to give HTC more time to work on other products, said some of the people, who requested anonymity because the plans aren’t public. Facebook is also developing a modified operating system for the device and has assembled a team of former Apple Inc. (AAPL) programmers to improve its iPhone application, people said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-25/facebook-is-said-to-work-with-htc-on-mobile-phone-for-mid-2013.html
Roku Becomes Pay TV’s Streaming Box Of Choice, Raises $45 Million From News Corp, BSkyB, And Others
When Roku first entered the streaming video market, it was seen as a boon for cord cutters, who could watch streaming content from online distributors like Netflix and Hulu Plus on TV. But lately, it’s begun courting app makers from traditional content producers, securing apps for premium networks like HBO and working with pay TV providers like DISH to bring their content over-the-top. With that in mind, Roku has raised a giant new round of funding, led by a couple of impressive strategic investors from the old media world.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/25/roku-45-million-news-corp-bskyb/
Entrepreneurs Have Control When Things Work, VCs Have Control When They Don’t
I did an interview yesterday in Buffalo, NY where I was the past couple days for the launch of the Z80 incubator.Grove Potter, the Business Editor for the Buffalo News, interviewed me for something like an hour. It was a fun talk.
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2012/07/entrepreneurs-have-control-when-things-work-vcs-have-control-when-things-dont-work.html
Bump launches Flock so you never have to ask “Can you send me that photo?” again
I’m a big fan of photosharing apps, and I mean fanatical. I shared my thoughts a while back in a piece called “What are we going to do with all of these photos?” and popular app and company Bump has come up with an answer. The company has launched a brand new iOS app called Flock (not to be confused with the social web browser), and it’s for sharing photos with friends, but in collaborative albums with context.
http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/07/26/bump-launches-flock-so-you-never-have-to-ask-can-you-send-me-that-photo-again/
Apple-Amazon War Heats Up
The long-simmering war between Amazon.com Inc. AMZN +0.43% and Apple Inc.AAPL -0.10% is starting to boil over.
The two technology giants are going head to head in an increasing number of areas as they move to consolidate their positions as control points to consumers’ digital lives. And their battle stands out from other tech rivalries because of the combatants’ similar playbooks—from the tight control they exert over software to their secretive corporate cultures to the breadth of their customer data.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390443295404577547070376968192-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwNTAyODU3Wj.html
The Olympian Infrastructure Challenge
The 2012 Summer Olympics in London will be the most connected Games in history. As the athletes of the world gather to test their skills, tens of millions of sports fans will test the capacity of the city’s telecom and data center infrastructure. Will the broadband, Internet and wireless systems be able to handle the demand? Here’s an overview of key systems and their readiness for the Olympics, which commence with Friday’s opening ceremonies.
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/07/25/the-olympian-infrastructure-challenge/
Twitter currently ‘experiencing issues,’ engineers working on a fix
Just as Google was able to restore service to Google Talk, Twitter has gone down for many users. The company acknowledged the issue on its site status page, saying that engineers were working hard on a fix.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/26/3188693/twitter-experiencing-issues
Apple’s New Dock Connector Could Turn This Industry On Its Head
Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) next iPhone will do away with the wide dock connector used in the company’s mobile devices for years in favor of a smaller one, according to a Reuters report.
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/how-apples-new-dock-connector-could-turn-an-industry-on-its-head.html/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Interesting
FundersClub Wants To Bypass VC And Let YOU Invest In Startups
FundersClub is going to change how companies get funded.The website is designed to let anyone with as little as $1000 make equity investments in startups and earn money if they succeed.
For now you have to be an accredited investor with a net worth over $1 million or yearly earnings over $200,000 to use FundersClub. But an industry source familiar with the Y Combinator startup gave me an exclusive rundown of its whole roadmap. For example, if the JOBS Act goes into effect or FundersClub pays to set up a mutual fund, literally anyone will be allowed to use it to invest and profit if a startup successfully exits.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/25/fundersclub/
