Game developers are getting new tools from startup PaeDae that allow them to monetize through real-world branded rewards and distribute their apps through a promotion product. The service is trying to make its mark with very smart targeting of rewards. Read more »
Kickstarter rival Indiegogo is expanding its international presence by offering support for foreign currencies and languages and providing new localized sites in the UK, Canada, France and Germany. It’s way to stay ahead of Kickstarter, which is also expanding globally. Read more »
Mobile payment startup LevelUp is trying to be as open as it can be in what its chief said is an Android approach to payments. By offering white labels apps and an API, LevelUp is hoping to gain wide acceptance with consumers and merchants. Read more »
Forget about depositing a check by snapping a mobile picture of it. Mitek, the company that powers most mobile remote check deposits, will soon enable U.S. Bank customers to pay a bill by taking a picture of it with their smartphone or tablet. Read more »
Facebook will soon allow anyone to sign up for its Facebook Messenger App with just a name and a phone number instead of requiring users to have a Facebook account. The roll out begins on Android in select countries before going international and iOS soon. Read more »
Kickstarter is off to a solid start after launching internationally for the first time in the U.K. a month ago. The crowd-funding platform has raised $3.3 million in pledges for more than 400 projects. Read more »
Kik, the messaging app, is doing well as a back channel for social apps like Instagram. Now, with 30 million registered users, it’s pursuing its first update in a year and a half, creating a new way for people to add features like mini-apps. Read more »
Exercise nuts and data fiends are getting plenty of new mobile gadgets to track their movements and motivate them to better health. But the most sensor-packed competitor is now ready to hit the market. Basis, an activity and health tracking watch, is finally launching for $199, […] Read more »
Kickstarter has kicked off a movement, with crowdfunding startups popping up everywhere. We offer this guide to help you keep track of the new Kickstarter ecosystem. Read more »
Tapjoy has replaced its CEO Mihir Shah with Disney digital veteran Steve Wadsworth. The company helps developers monetize their apps through ads and offers and it also launched its own consumer portal for people to find and download apps. Read more »
Android shopping traffic over the holiday lagged iOS even though there are more Android smartphones. We look at why Android still produces far less engagement than iOS and what might be contributing to the gap. Read more »
Greycroft Partners closed its third fund for $175 million, which it said will be used to fund B2B and B2C internet and mobile companies. The firm previously invested in the Huffington Post, Buddy Media, Vizu, Adenyo and Babble, which were all acquired. Read more »
Foursquare is in the midst of raising a big round, but some potential investors are reportedly wavering based on Foursquare’s slowing growth and modest start with advertising. The company is said to be looking for a valuation of more than $700 million. Read more »
Consumers have better tools now to keep track of coveted items that go sale. A pair of New York City startups, Hukkster and Trunqit, are giving consumers sales alerts when saved items see a price drop. Read more »
Firefox is has released version 17 of its browser, which its new Social API. Users who update to the latest version can now connect to Facebook Messenger, the first service that will work in Firefox’s new sidebar. Read more »
Ribbon, an AngelPad graduate, is coming out of stealth with a commerce tool that lets people sell anything through a link. While it sounds like Gumroad and others, Ribbon is hoping to stand out through its ability to give a different experience on popular social platforms. Read more »
Chris Dixon, who founded SiteAdvisor and Hunch and invested through Founder Collective, is heading west to join Andreessen Horowitz as its seventh partner. Dixon said he will continue to invest in New York startups and will keep his apartment. Read more »
Branch, an online conversation tool, is making it easier for groups of people to organize their conversations. With groups, Branch users can more easily set up conversations among members. And fans can follow the conversations or ask to join in. Read more »
The Guardian said Monday that it gets more than 50 percent of its traffic from mobile devices at 6 a.m. in the morning and on 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Fab.com said more than 50 percent of sales early Saturday mornings happen via mobile devices. Read more »
Mobile app discovery service Appsfire is hoping its update to 4.0 will create the ultimate app discovery engine for users. It combines Appsfire’s previous discovery app with its Appsfire Deals app, which displayed apps that were free or on sale. Read more »
Apps like Google Now, Bounce and Twist are helping people get to where they’re going on time. The apps use GPS, calendar, traffic and other data to help determine when the best time to leave is. Read more »
Facebook is going big with its Gifts product for the holidays, announcing a bunch of partners including Baby Gap, Dean & Deluca, Fab, Pandora and Mondavi Winery. The Gifts feature, which is now available to tens of millions of U.S. users, is rolling out over time. Read more »
Deals site for moms, babies and kids Zulily raised a whopping $85 million in a Series D round led by Andreessen Horowitz. While daily deals sites like Groupon are struggling, Zulily is growing and now has 10 million daily users. Read more »
Even as usage of mobile devices explodes, spending on mobile ads still lags spending on online ads by a huge margin. Will that gap narrow anytime soon? Here’s a look at some of the strategies that mobile marketers are using. Read more »
UPDATED: Kickstarter backers were having trouble backing project Thursday morning after receiving error reports from Amazon Payments, which processes payments for Kickstarter in the U.S. Kickstarter said the problems have been resolved and pledges are flowing again. Read more »
DataSift is partnering with Bitly to give its customers a way to understand not just what social content is being shared but what is actually being clicked on. That can give brands and publishers a way to create content that is more engaging. Read more »
Percolate, a social software startup in New York, has just raised $9 million to build out its service. The company helps brands figure out what to share through their social channels and how to communicate like a real social media user. Read more »
LevelUp said it’s the first mobile payment service to serve every point of sale in a major sporting venue. It’s launching at the KFC Yum Center in Louisville, where users can pay with LevelUp at 200 concession stands. Read more »
Square has had a whirlwind year, inking a deal with Starbucks, raising $200 million and pushing its annualized processing rate to $10 billion. Now it’s looking ahead to 2013, when it will establish itself as a global brand. Read more »
HTC is going big with a stunning 1080p 5-inch Droid DNA, which will be offered through Verizon Wireless. The $199 device puts out 440 pixels per inch, sports a Snapdragon quad-core processor and also includes wireless charging. Read more »
Video conferencing is about to get more panoramic and interactive. Stealth startup Altia Systems is introducing a new system that stitches together video and creates a panoramic viewing experiences that viewers can zoom and interact with. Read more »
PlayHaven, a monetization and customer management platform for mobile game developers, has raised $8 million led by GGV Capital. The company is working to build out its service by adding more customer insights. And it’s looking to expand to Europe and Asia. Read more »
Visa’s digital wallet V.me is exiting beta and gearing up for a big holiday season with 50 banking partners and about two dozen merchants. V.me helps simplify transactions online and on mobile and will move to in-store point of sale next year. Read more »
Bank of America is launching its own Square competitor called Mobile Pay on Demand, which comes with a payment dongle and offers 2.7 percent transaction fees. It’s a me-too product but it represents how competitive it’s getting in the mobile payment acceptance market. Read more »
Tabbedout, a mobile payment system for the hospitality industry, is arming its merchants with customer relationship management tools so they can better understand who their guests are and offer them more personalized service. Read more »
Google is reportedly poised to follow PayPal’s lead by introducing a plastic payment card. The moves show that payment systems can find value in plastic cards, which can be accepted everywhere and can get around hardware limitations that hold back some technologies like NFC. Read more »
Research in Motion is planning a Jan. 30 launch event for BlackBerry 10 and the first devices to run on the platform. It’s the start of a huge turnaround effort for RIM, which needs to make up a lot of lost ground in the smartphone market. Read more »
Betaworks’ new Swirl iPhone app gathers hashtagged photos from on Instagram and Twitter to create photo albums. Users can see photos from the same event from their friends. Read more »
Pursway says it’s not about identifying the people with the biggest social presence or the ones who spend the most. It’s about using transactional data to look for people who impact the purchase decisions of others. Read more »
Desti, a spin out from SRI International, is trying to become a smart travel guide that uses natural language processing, semantic search and travel specific knowledge base to give users recommendation. Read more »
