Zynga Puts Real Money Into Gambling Lobby
Zynga Inc. ZNGA -2.29% has begun investing in state and federal lobbying efforts around gambling with real money, even as the social-gaming firm predicts the U.S. won’t be an initial market for the potentially lucrative new line of business.
The lobbying investments by Zynga in Washington, D.C., and California come as the company eyes real-money gambling versions of games as a key opportunity amid waning investor confidence and a battered stock price.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390444508504577591352837759224-lMyQjAxMTAyMDEwNTAxODU3Wj.html
Facebook stock hits all-time low as insiders get first chance to sell
Facebook’s life as a public company has been a nightmare from day one, and the pain continued on Thursday as some company insiders got their first chance to dump shares.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/16/technology/facebook-stock-lockup/
Internet betting on Obama and Romney: why a huge gap has opened up between the online bookies
In the world of political prediction betting a huge gap has opened up between the London-based Betfair market and the US-focused Intrade on who is going to win November’s White House race.
The big movement was triggered on Saturday when Mitt Romney announced that the House Budget chairman, Paul Ryan, would be his pick for Vice-President.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/mikesmithson/100176837/internet-betting-on-obama-and-romney-why-a-huge-gap-has-opened-up-between-the-online-bookies/
With 3 Million Users, GetGlue Goes Big With A New Social TV App Built Just For The iPad
Social TV app maker GetGlue is already successful, with 3 million users and more than 500 million interactions with its mobile apps. That includes check-ins, likes, and reviews of TV shows and movies, showing pretty good engagement for its existing user base. But now it’s coming out with an iPad app that it believes will go above and beyond what it’s users have been able to do on the smaller screen.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/16/with-3-million-users-getglue-goes-big-with-a-new-social-tv-app-built-just-for-the-ipad/
WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange granted asylum in Ecuador
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government after taking refuge in its London embassy on June 19.
The asylum decision follows a U.K. Supreme Court ruling in May authorizing Assange’s extradition to Sweden to face questioning over alleged sexual crimes.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57494222-38/wikileaks-julian-assange-granted-asylum-in-ecuador/
Universal Music Uses Bogus DMCA Claim To Take Down Negative Review Of Drake’s Album
We keep talking about how the DMCA takedown process, all too frequently, is used to stifle speech, and defenders of the system claim that it’s ridiculous to bring up the First Amendment in a discussion on copyright. But here’s yet another (in a very long list) of examples. Henry Adaso wrote a short, but marginally negative review of Drake’s album Take Care. The review was posted to About.com last November. The entire review reads:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120814/16393220051/universal-music-uses-bogus-dmca-claim-to-take-down-negative-review-drakes-album.shtml
E-commerce startups
Very few successful e-commerce companies were started in the 2000s. Since then, e-commerce startups have enjoyed a revival. Dozens of companies have gotten traction and venture dollars have followed. Phrases like flash sales, social commerce, and subscription commerce have entered the startup lexicon.
http://cdixon.org/2012/08/15/e-commerce-startups/
Dish Network Said To Plan Nationwide Satellite Broadband
Dish Network Corp. is preparing to introduce a nationwide broadband-Internet service using a satellite from sister company EchoStar Corp. (SATS), according to three people familiar with the situation.
The EchoStar 17 satellite, launched into orbit July 5, can support download speeds of 15 megabits per second, although introductory nationwide packages will probably offer rates of 5 megabits so the system can take on more capacity, said one of the people, who declined to be named because the plans are private. Dish and EchoStar can handle about 2 million new Internet customers with the service, the person said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-15/dish-network-said-to-plan-nationwide-satellite-broadband-service.html
The Oatmeal’s latest crusade: Save the Tesla Tower
Nikola Tesla means a lot to quite a few Internet nerds, perhaps to no one more than Matt Inman, creator of The Oatmeal, the best damn website on the web.*
Ergo, as Inman revealed exclusively to Forbes reporter Greg Voakes today, he will be rallying his Internet army to save Wardenclyffe Tower, Tesla’s incomplete masterpiece intended for trans-Atlantic wireless transmission.
http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/15/save-the-tesla-tower/
Amber Alert Introduces Improved Device to Safeguard Your Kids
For parents who worry about their children’s whereabouts when they leave the house — there’s an app for that.
Amber Alert GPS introduced a device and corresponding app Wednesday that allows parents to rest easy when the kids are away. The new device boasts GPS technology, AT&Tconnectivity and a corresponding online portal.
http://mashable.com/2012/08/16/amber-alert-app/
