Loku, a local discovery service, is launching its first mobile app and it starting first with an HTML5 mobile Web app with native apps to follow. The company believes that HTML5 has matured enough that it can power all its mobile apps. Read more »
Amazon is turning on a key money-making tool for developers in its Appstore for Android, letting app makers offer in-app purchase through Amazon. The service allows developers to easily sell in-game currency, upgrades, content and magazine issues with one-click checkouts. Read more »
Dataminr, a New York-based start-up that has been quietly building a global sensor network powered by Twitter, is now introducing its technology to the public today, showing how its real-time engine can act as an early warning system for enterprise and government customers. Read more »
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Pontiflex, a mobile sign-up ad platform that allows consumers to pick what kind of ads they want to see, is introducing an HTML5 API that will enable mobile ad networks and publishers of mobile websites to offer signup ads without having to install an SDK. Read more »
Isis, the joint mobile payment venture between Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, has been taking a slow approach as it heads towards a limited launch in two cities this summer. But the methodical pace appears to be setting Isis up to be a long-term player. Read more »
Two years after Sprint and HTC enjoyed a winner with the original Evo 4G, the two are back at it with the Evo 4G LTE, a variant of the One X phone that will serve as a flagship for Sprint’s emerging 4G LTE line-up. Read more »
PayPal is organizing its payments products into one service for small businesses called PayPal Payments that is meant to provide an array of tools for online, in-person and mobile payments. It takes what PayPal has done online and marries it with its mobile and in-store tools. Read more »
Flickr announced it will use photo-editing tool Aviary to replace Picnik, the soon to be retired service from Google. The partnership is a big win for Aviary and fills a need for Flickr, which was looking at how to keep providing editing services for its users. Read more »
GoPago, a cloud-based mobile payment system backed by Chase allows consumers to order and pay ahead from their mobile app and essentially skip the line at all kinds of businesses. It is now launching publicly in San Francisco, the start of a nationwide rollout. Read more »
Draw Something has gotten a big boost from China, an unlikely market for a game that asks people to draw English words and phrases. But the game is a top 10 hit and it looks like users are finding creative ways to play the game. Read more »
Goodsie, a New York City-based start-up that launched a year ago, allows small businesses to create simple and elegant online store fronts without knowing any code. Now, it’s vying for a bigger piece of the pie by adding some key tools for small businesses. Read more »
Warby Parker, the New York maker of hip glasses, had an amazing year in 2011 with its stylish designs, low prices, customer service and social mission. The success comes down to the work the company did in building a coherent brand that has resonated with consumers. Read more »
While Square has been known for its credit card reading dongle, the company is showing even more attention to its payment app, which is being relaunched today as Pay with Square. The mobile wallet app holds the future for Square and its bid to remake payments. Read more »
UPDATED: Angry Birds Space is another huge hit for Rovio who said Thursday is won’t be building a version for Windows Phone, according to Peter Vesterbacka, the chief marketing officer of Rovio. Rovio, however, reversed course Friday and said they would develop a WP7 app. Read more »
“Anticipation denotes intelligence.” Zubin Dowlaty, VP and head of innovation and development of analytics-outsourcing firm Mu Sigma, said at Structure:Data that’s what companies need to be striving for and in this era of big data, the barriers to achieving that have fallen away. Read more »
Mobile gaming conjures up images of people playing on subways, waiting in line and walking down the street. But you’re much more likely to find mobile gaming happening at home and in bed, according to two new surveys. Read more »
Next-generation online banking service ZestCash uses data to help qualify people for short term loans. The company explains at Structure:Data it has been giving $300 to $800 loans to users based on thousands of variables, which are boiled down to 10 models. Read more »
Companies are grappling with how to make use of all their data, facing the challenge of teasing out insights quickly and with flexibility. Moving to the cloud opens up security and privacy questions. But the effort can be worth it, says Google’s Ju-kay Kwek at Structure:Data. Read more »
BlackBerry Partners Fund, a mobile focused, platform-agnostic fund backed by RIM, Thompson Reuters and others, is now being followed up by a second $150 million fund aimed at doubling down on mobile. ATP Capital, which managed the BlackBerry Partners Fund, is also rebranding as Relay Ventures. Read more »
Beats Electronics, the headset manufacturer founded by rapper Dr. Dre and now majority owned by HTC, has reportedly bought up online music service MOG. The acquisition could help HTC or Beats launch their own music service, something HTC is reportedly working on. Read more »
Venmo first popped up two years as an emerging mobile payment start-up, helping users pay each other through text messages. Now, after two years of testing and tinkering, the once private beta service is open to the public though it faces a lot more competition now. Read more »
A new survey of consumers in the U.K. and the U.S. found that one in 10 people would consider banking with Apple, and 43 percent of existing Apple users would. Banking would be a stretch for Apple though a mobile payments service could be possible. Read more »
Zynga is reportely looking at picking off its newest rival in OMGPOP, maker of the new hit mobile app Draw Something. According to TechCrunch, Zynga is looking at acquiring the New York-based OMGPOP, which just hit 30 million downloads of Draw Something on Friday. Read more »
Draw Something, the No. 1 paid and free app right now on iOS and Android, is listed as a game but it’s not really a game at all. OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter, who designed the app, explains how it succeeds using cooperation, rather than competition. Read more »
Fab.com said iPad users represent 15 percent of its customer but make up 25 percent of revenue. And 40 percent of iPad users make their first purchase within 3 months. IPad app users are expected to bring in twice as much revenue as non iPad users. Read more »
PayPal Here, the payment giant’s new Square-like payment system, is a solid competitor but won’t take down Square immediately. But with PayPal’s assets and larger strategy to win over real-world payments, it’s got a shot to overtake its rivals. That is if it can execute. Read more »
Amazon Appstore for Android, which helped lay the foundation for a big Kindle Fire launch, is celebrating its one-year anniversary and has now eclipsed 31,000 apps, up from 4,000 at launch. That’s a strong first year for an app store that began as an alternative to […] Read more »
Boku, which recently introduced a white label platform called Boku Accounts with Mastercard that allows operators to offer in-store mobile payment services, has received $35 million in new funding from New Enterprise Associates and Telefonica Digital, to help it go after offline payments. Read more »
Start-up Pixykids is emerging out of stealth and is hoping to become the Facebook for kids with a platform that blends social networking, virtual worlds, video chatting and self-expression and invites the entire family to participate in a child’s activities. Read more »
Bloomberg is confirming our earlier report on PayPal’s plans to announce a Square-like mobile card reader. The new reader will be a blue triangle device designed by Yves Behar. And PayPal will charge a fee of 2.7 percent on transactions, undercutting Square. Read more »
iCache is working to help people leave their wallets behind using an innovative iPhone case called Geode, that can digitize all of a user’s payment cards and loyalty cards and provides a simple way to present them at checkout at all stores. Read more »
Led by former Intuit CEO Bill Harris, Personal Capital has set its sights on giving people control over their money and investments. Now the company is expanding its online service with an iPad application that makes it easier for users to see and touch their money. Read more »
PayPal’s plans to announce a solution for small businesses at an event this Thursday includes a mobile payment dongle that would compete against Square and others, according to sources we’ve talked to. The dongle will allow small business owners to process credit card swipes. Read more »
Twitter announced it has acquired blogging and sharing platform Posterous in what appears to be acquisition of talent. No details about the acquisition were released but Posterous Spaces will remain up and running for the time being, though it’s unclear how long that will last. Read more »
TextPlus, maker of the popular TextPlus communications apps, is betting on Windows Phone 7 over BlackBerry. The company released its TextPlus messaging app on Windows Phone and expects to roll out its TextPlus Free Calls VoIP companion app in the first half of this year. Read more »
City Maps has built an incredibly detailed online map of New York City, down to the block level showing every restaurant, parking lot, hotel and business. Now, it’s introducing an iOS app, an update to its website and an expansion to San Francisco and Austin. Read more »
Based on metering of 5,000 smartphone phones, Nielsen said five top retailers found that smartphone users during the holidays preferred mobile retail sites 51 percent to 28 percent for native apps. The findings suggest retailers need to focused on both native apps and the mobile web. Read more »
PayPal hasn’t done much to overhaul the consumer experience of its digital wallet. But the company is poised to launch a redesigned experience, which it will provide a sneak preview of next week at South by Southwest in advance of a big launch this summer. Read more »
Isis, the mobile payment joint venture of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, is showing off its service for the first time to consumers at SXSW. The NFC mobile wallet has been lining up the necessary components for a limited launch this summer. Read more »
The future of location-based services is in commerce, payments and deals, said Sam Altman, founder of Loopt. He just sold his startup to pre-paid card provider Green Dot and is working on mobile payment products. That’s where he said location will have the biggest impact. Read more »
