Company

Facebook to be Aquired by Big Company for Big Money

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Social networking start-up Facebook is apparently in talks with Yahoo!, Microsoft and Viacom to sell-out for big cash reports the WSJ (Subscription).

Facebook was in the news recently because of its users rioting against a new feature. What will the Facebook users do when Yahoo! owns them?
mySpace survived the buy-out by Murdoch, and I guess so will Facebook.

Facebook's founder is 22 year old Mark Zuckerberg. As the WSJ article reveals he likes to sleep in and work late.
Apparently Yahoo! already made an offer valued at $1 billion for Facebook. Read more

Posted on Thu, 21 Sep 2006 05:22:22 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Nokia Buys German Mobile Navigation Software Company Gate5

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Mobile phone giant Nokia buys German navigation software company Gate5.

Navigation will become a standard feature in mobile phone in the next few years. Nokia is bringing that know-how now in-house with the purchase of Gate5.
Gate5 offers navigation, routing and mapping products as well as Smart2Go a location-based services platform. Read more

Posted on Fri, 1 Sep 2006 12:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

THQ Spawns New Company For Next-Gen

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THQ, the well-known video game publisher, famous for games like the Spongebob Squarepants series, announced today that they've created a brand new development team that's going to work exclusively on titles for the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Called Incinerator Games, the first title they're working on is Cars for the Wii and 360, based on the Disney/Pixar movie. THQ isn't exactly a blockbuster company, so it's good to see that they're willing to really invest in the next generation with its higher level of entry costs. Of course, Incinerator has no announced PS3 titles in the work yet. Read more

Posted on Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

PS3 Development Costs Cause Company To Bail on Game

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We've heard Nintendo say that their consoles are the "developer's consoles" because of the friendly (read: low) development costs for new games. Microsoft and Sony have yet to make similar self praises. In fact, a recent move from a low-capital company brings to light a frightening potential for game development in the next generation.

Track7Games, who announced work on the multi-platform next-gen game Theseis a while ago, is now apparently abandoning operations on the PlayStation 3 version of the game because of excessively high development costs for the platform. Read more

Posted on Thu, 29 Jun 2006 05:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Loremo News: Malaysian Kosmo Motors Invests in the 157MPG Car Company

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The German based Loremo AG just announced that Malaysian Kosmo Motors takes a 26% stake in the Loremo AG.

When I published the initial story about the 157MPG lightweight diesel powered passenger car, I got tons of emails from US consumers asking to let them by a Loremo now, they want one really badly.

It is kind of surprising that a Malaysian investor sees the potential of this innovative efficient car and not a European or American one.

CEO of Loremo AG Gerhard Heilmaier says about the deal: "we appreciate the engagement of Kosmo Motor in the Loremo AG. It will be a fruitful cooperation for both sides. We win a competent and strong partner in the Southeast-Asian market and Kosmo Motor’s R&D benefits from the technology exchange." Read more

Posted on Fri, 26 May 2006 08:46:32 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Wireless Location Company Wherify Scores $35 Mio. Investment

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Wherify secured a package of equity financing where the Company can access up to $35 million of common stock equity over a two-year period, subject to effective stock registration and other terms of the agreement, from Dutchess Private Equities LP.

We reported about the Wherify Kids locator Wristwatch the first time way back in 2002. It is good to see that they well stick around.
Wherify will use the funds for marketing efforts and expanding global operations toward the upcoming launch of its Wherifone GPS Locator Phone, assisted-GPS technology platforms, and continued product development.
The Wherifone G550 (photo) is the world’s smallest GSM/Enhanced-GPS Locator Phone. Read more

Posted on Fri, 10 Feb 2006 02:52:25 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Vonage Goes IPO as First VOIP Company

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VOIP service provider Vonage filed for IPO to raise about $250 million.

Vonage is supposed to have 1.4 million subscriber lines. The issue is that cost per subscriber is raising and Vonage is making losses. I am not sure if the IPO market is ready to take on loss making companies already again. Additionally as recent news about Skype loosing 50% market share within 12 month in Europe indicates the VOIP market is still highly voilatile.

Vonage hired Mike Snyder former President of ADT, part of Tyco Fire and Security. He replaced Founder Jeffrey A. Citron, who will assume the role of Chairman and Chief Strategist. I guess he has his work cut out: get profitable. Read more

Posted on Thu, 9 Feb 2006 05:06:20 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Coffee Company Tchibo Sells Low-Cost Floor Cleaning Robot

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Updated 08/16/05
German coffee chain Tchibo is selling beginning tomorrow a floor cleaning robot for a low 89,90 Euros (~$110USD).

Update:
Review of Tchibo Robot available now.

Tchibo is a very big chain in Germany that besides selling coffee has every week a new theme store selling anything from clothes to gadgets. This week it will be a low-cost floor cleaning robot similar to the iRobot Roomba. Only difference, which I did not realize when I wrote the story first, is that this robot is only brushing and is in fact no vacuum cleaner. The iRobot Roomba is brushing as well, but also has a vacuum feature.

Tchibo robot features push sensors to avoid obstacles. It features 3 modes to handle rooms int he size of 10 to 30 m2. The batteries hold for 90 mins. This robot has sensors to detect stairs. Interesting is also a rotating brush on the border to get close to walls.
The red colored robot measures 37x10x33cm.

The low price on this robot and the feature-set are worth enough for me to go and pick one up for testing it this week. So stay tuned to see if this cheapo floorvac is any good. Read more

Posted on Mon, 15 Aug 2005 12:54:15 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

NTT DoCoMo aquires Stake in MontaVista Linux Software Company

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We reported about NTT DoCoMo offering Linux powered Mobile phones like the N900iL and the N901iC. Now NTT DoCoMo aquires a piece of Montavista Software Inc. which provides the embedded Linux version for NTT. NTT invests 3 Mio. USD into the 182 employee strong Linux company.

The support of NTT in Linux is interesting and strengthens Linux to compete with Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Nokia's Symbian.
More details in NTT Press-Release. See also MontaVista's site.

Read more

Posted on Tue, 21 Dec 2004 05:52:12 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Vonage VOIP Company offers Linksys Gear

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Linksys Vonage PAP2 $49.94 at Staples.com Vonage, the leading broadband phone company and Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced new VOIP devices.

Vonage subscribers will be offered a choice of the Linksys (PAP2) Phone Adapter with 2 Phone Ports or the (RT31P2) Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports. In a few weeks, Linksys will also make available a Wireless-G Router with 2 phone ports (WRT54GP2).
More details in Vonage Press-Release.

Also Vonage just raised a boat load of money. They raised 105 Million USD from NEA, 3i, Meritech Capital Partners and existing investors. Guess they are getting ready for IPO soon. More details in this Press-Release.

I use Vonage since a while and I cannot complain, it works really well. See my Vonage Quick Review.

Read more