Startup Search News

September 10, 2007

2007-09-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the September 10 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrap-up. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: Multiply raises a large round, iPod touch reaches out to the Web, Silverlight lights up web video, and AMD speeds up servers.

Multiply raises $16.6 million

Social networking site Multiply announced a $16.6 million Series B financing on Friday. VantagePoint Venture Partners led the round with additional participation by Point Judith Capital and previous investor Transcosmos Investments. David Scott Carlick of VantagePoint, and former chairman of MySpace parent company Intermix Media, joins the Multiply board.

Apple introduces iPod Touch

Apple upgraded its entire line of iPods on Tuesday, including the new Wi-Fi enabled iPod touch. The iPod touch features the same built-in web browser as Apple's iPhone, connecting the world's most popular portable media device to the full Web on-the-go. Web companies developing special versions of their site for the iPhone now have a larger possible audience of mobile users with high-resolution 480 by 320 pixel multi-touch displays.

Microsoft releases Silverlight 1.0

Microsoft released the first version of its Silverlight browser plug-in on Tuesday. Silverlight is Microsoft's new cross-platform technology for rich Internet applications including compiled JavaScript, high-quality video, and .Net development extended to the web browser. Silverlight introduces new competition for Adobe's popular Flash Player and should gain popularity in online video and other applications.

AMD adds quad-cores to server lineup

AMD upgraded its server chip offering today with the introduction of Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors. These latest chips offer 4 computer processors on a single silicon die to speed up processing times and complex mathematical functions. Startups will receive more computing power for the same or cheaper pricing across all server processor families as a result of this latest release.

September 4, 2007

2007-09-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the September 4 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrap-up. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: Facebook measures user engagement, Digg redesigns for rich media, YourMinis get a new coat of Flash, and Twitter takes a walk around the block.

Facebook alters application rankings

Social networking site Facebook introduced a new ranking system on Wednesday for application listed in the Facebook Platform directory. Facebook shifted its focus away from the total number of unique users per application and will now focus on total user engagement. A Facebook user's engagement is measured by total application page views, link activity when integrated with Facebook features, form submissions, and Flash actions.

Digg revamps its homepage

Social news site Digg rolled out new changes to its homepage on Thursday. The new Digg.com highlights videos submitted by its members by adding on-site viewing, thumbnails, and playback features. This visual refresh also paves the way for the release of Digg Images expected next month.

YourMinis upgrades widget API

Goowy Media launched a major update to its YourMinis widget API over the weekend. YourMinis widgets are now programmable through ActionScript 3.0 libraries, the foundation of Adobe Flash Player 9 and the new Flash platform. YourMinis widgets utilizing this new API will notice faster load times, access to more data types, and new event connectors.

Twitter visualizes your neighborhood

Micro-blogging site Twitter released a new visualization tool on Friday. Twitter Blocks displays your friends' Twitter updates in a three-dimensional Flash interface. Blocks is is just one of the new tools Twitter has introduced to help its members better grasp the mountains of data created in their networks every day.

August 20, 2007

2007-08-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the August 20 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrap-up. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: communications outages, blocked web access, and two founders step down from well-funded companies.

Skype outage

Internet communications tool Skype was knocked offline last week due to a lack of peering nodes. Computers around the world downloaded the latest security updates for the Windows operating system and rebooted, causing an overwhelming number of concurrent login requests over a diminished peer network. Many startup companies use Skype's group text, voice, and video chat options to stay connected regardless of their location. Companies were forced to look for new group communications solutions such as SIP or IRC during the prolonged outage.

WordPress.com blocked in Turkey

Blog host WordPress.com is blocked in Turkey due to charges of defamation. The lawsuit demands WordPress.com remove any account names containing the first or last name of a Turkish author and his pen name in any combination. The lawsuit and subsequent government action highlights the fragility of international business and upholding the law of the countries where website members and readers reside.

Technorati CEO steps down, lays off 20%

Technorati founder and CEO David Sifry stepped down last week and the company laid off 20% of its workforce. Technorati will be governed by a triumvirate of finance, marketing, and engineering executives while their search for a new CEO continues. The company cited expense control and business transition needs as the primary drivers of this large change.

Widgetbox investor replaces CEO

Widgetbox angel investor Michael Dearing has replaced founder Ed Anuff as CEO. Dearing, formerly a professor at Stanford's Design School, announced he will operate in an interim role while the company searches for a new leader.

August 13, 2007

2007-08-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the August 13 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrap-up. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: big media and social shopping, and a new way to search for people online.

Hearst acquires Kaboodle

Hearst Corporation acquired social shopping site Kaboodle on Wednesday for an unspecified amount. Kaboodle will become a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the Hearst Interactive Media business unit.

Spock launches

People search engine Spock launched on Wednesday to an overwhelming response. Spock focuses exclusively on people, pulling details from research sites such as Wikipedia, social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and some references from the general web. Spock members can add information for any person found in the database.

August 6, 2007

2007-08-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the August 6 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrap-up. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: vulnerabilities in the social web, new ways to submit online payments, Viddler gets more social, and Justin.tv's major site update.

DEFCON exposes web vulnerabilities

Presenters at last weekend's DEFCON conference in Las Vegas published security vulnerabilities affecting most of today's social Web. Security researchers demonstrated taking over a social networking account, collecting user names and passwords, and gaining access to remote computers using popular audio and video players.

Amazon launches Flexible Payment Service

Amazon Web Services launched a new payment service last week extending Amazon.com payment processing services to any developer on the Web. Third-party applications can quickly market services to Amazon's 69 million active customers with one-click checkouts and pre-stored payment information.

Viddler introduces groups

Video sharing site Viddler now connects publishers of similar interests through affinity groups. Site members can join a group covering topics such as coffee, music, or a recent event. Publishers can share new videos with group members for review and commentary.

Justin.tv redesign

Live video sharing site Justin.tv upgraded its site last week with new video browsing features and user submissions. The new video bar highlights video content from across the site's range of publishers and supports direct video playback. Site tips create a new way to stay up-to-date on the latest events in the publisher's lifestream.

July 30, 2007

2007-07-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the July 30 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrap-up. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: Digg signs a new ad partner, Twitter closes its first funding round, Sideshare adds audio, and Picnik shines in the spotlight.

Digg signs ad deal with Microsoft

Social news site Digg announced an advertising partnership with Microsoft AdCenter. Microsoft's advertising network will deliver highly targeted advertising from a deep inventory to Digg's over 17 million unique monthly visitors.

Twitter raises first round

Micro-publishing site Twitter announced its first round of funding led by Union Square Ventures, Charles River Ventures, and a group of angel investors. Twitter did not disclose the total size of the round or the full breadth of its investors.

Slideshare adds audio synchronization

Presentation sharing site Slideshare introduced SlideCasts: slide presentations with an accompanying audio track. Publishers who share their slide presentations online may now add MP3 audio to better describe their content.

Picnik featured in Wall Street Journal

Online photo-editing site Piknik was featured in Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg's Personal Technology column last week. Walt gave the site a glowing review, closing with "If you want to see how good a Web application can be, take Picnik for a spin." Site traffic to Picnik.com doubled in the two days after the favorable mention.

July 23, 2007

2007-07-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the July 23 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrapup. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: Pageflakes introduces a social network, WordPress users get social face-to-face, and Facebook makes its first acquisition.

Pageflakes gets social

Personalized homepage company Pageflakes released a major update incorporating social networking features into each user's shared module pages. Pageflakes users can update a profile, share customized sets of homepage modules, and discover similar Pageflakes members. The new release also includes an updated user interface, themes, and improved support for Apple's Safari web browser.

WordPress users gather for WordCamp

Blog software startup Automattic hosted its second annual WordCamp conference in San Francisco last weekend. The two-day conference brought together 400 WordPress users and developers from around the world.

Facebook makes first acquisition

Social networking site Facebook announced the acquisition of desktop software company Parakey last week for an undisclosed amount. Founders Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt will work on the development of Facebook Platform.

July 16, 2007

2007-07-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the July 16 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrapup. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: large financing rounds, measuring video and widgets, open financial data, and an online chat update.

Ning raises $44 million

Social network provider Ning announced a $44 million Series C investment led by Legg Mason hedge funds. Ning, formerly known as 24 Hour Laundry, was founded in October 2004 and operated for almost three years with funding from founder Marc Andreessen and a few outside angels.

Quantcast tracks widgets and online video

Web metrics company Quantcast added support for video and widget metrics last week. Quantified video publishers will now have access to distribution statistics, audience demographics, total media consumption, and site overlaps.

Wesabe API

Online financial community Wesabe released its first API for authenticated memebers. The Wesabe API lets members download and manipulate data collected by Wesabe for processing in any script or application. Members now have direct access to proxied bank and credit card data collected by Wesabe in over 30 countries.

Meebo announces system statistics

Meebo announced updated usage statistics from across its online chat portfolio. Over 7.65 million screen names have been created on the service. The average user spends 65 minutes inside the web application per login. Meebo delivers over 126 million messages a day!

July 9, 2007

2007-07-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the July 9 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrapup. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. The Independence Day holiday slowed down startup release schedules but we still have some interesting news emerging from the trenches. In this week's issue: library milestones, large publishing partners, and executive replacements.

LibraryThing keeps growing

Book sharing site LibraryThing now catalogues over 15.7 million books with over 20 million tags. That makes the online community's virtual bookshelves the second largest collection in the United States, behind only the Library of Congress.

Widgetbox partners with Forbes

Widgetbox built branded feed widgets for publishing site Forbes.com. The Flash-based widgets may be embedded on personal homepages, social network profiles, blogs, and more. Widgetbox's online directory will feature Forbes content as a preferred partner.

Technorati management changes

Two members of Technorati's senior management team announced their resignation last week. VP Engineering, Adam Hertz, and Chief Technologist, Tantek Çelik, have left the company for consulting and other opportunities. The company continues its search for a new CEO.

July 2, 2007

2007-07-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the July 2 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrapup. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: live Internet broadcasts of iPhone anticipation, how GPL v3 affects the Web, and Meebo finds new partners.

Apple iPhone lines streamed live

Apple released the iPhone last Friday at 6 p.m. ending months of anticipation from the technology community. Lines outside AT&T and Apple retail locations wrapped around the block as fans camped outside for days to be one of the first people in their city to own the new mobile computing device. Lifestreaming companies Justin.tv and Ustream.tv provided live capture and streaming distribution for a few fans waiting in line, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers in the 24 hours before the phone went on sale.

GNU GPL v3

The Free Software Foundation released version 3 of the GNU General Public License on Friday, the first major update to the popular open source license in 16 years. The GPL license governs the use of the Linux kernel, compiler software, and 66% of open source software projects tracked by Freshmeat.net.

The latest version of the license addresses the intellectual property landscape, software patents, and compatibility with other open source licenses, among other issues. Companies shipping GPL-licensed software must not block or refuse to communicate with modified software. The new license affects companies such as TiVo and DRM providers from interfering with modifications. The new license also includes a software as a service clause and lets software authors specify additional restrictions and requirements for their contributions.

Meebo Rooms adds commercial partners

Web-based chat company Meebo upgraded its new Meebo Rooms product with support for paid member features and partner integration. The Meebo partners program hosts interactive chat rooms for partner brands such as Capitol Records, RockYou, and VH1. Partners can customize their chat room's look and feel with custom skins, receive increased room capacities, and can track traffic and advertising performance.

June 25, 2007

2007-06-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the June 25 edition of the Startup Search Weekly Web Wrapup. Each week we summarize news and announcements affecting the web technology ecosystem. In this week's issue: sharing your slide deck, signing on to MySpace, finding long-lost relatives, and a financial planning site boosts its own finances.

Google acquires Zenter

Google announced the acquisition of Zenter, an online slideshow creator and sharing application. The company participated in Y Combinator's winter 2006 seed program but had yet to publicly launch. Zenter features support for PowerPoint importing, drag-and-drop editing, live slideshow broadcasts, and charting. The software collects live and archived viewer feedback via on-site comments, e-mail, SMS, or live site chat. Google acquired Tonic Systems in April, a company focused on back-end production of online presentation services.

MySpace alters authentication pages

MySpace changed their authentication behavior last week, changing the way third-party sites inject widgets and other content into the site's social networking profiles. Some viral and automatic posting features of MySpace widget sites were offline for a few days as product teams adjusted to the new changes.

Geni public search

Search outside your family tree with Geni's new public search feature. Genealogy site Geni now lets members opt-in to public profile sharing including member photos, geographic location, and family members. Geni members can now receive private messages from visitors hoping to get back in touch, researching a family tree, or any curious observer.

Digg launches new comment system

Social news site Digg.com introduced a threaded comment system on Thursday, redesigning one of the most active commenting communities on the Web. The new system takes advantage of Ajax technologies for loading additional comments and comment posting to create smaller initial page loads.

Wesabe raises $4 million Series A

Personal finance social network Wesabe announced a $4 million funding round led by Union Square Ventures. Union Square Ventures partner Brad Burnham joins the Wesabe board of directors.

Coming this week...

Apple's highly anticipated iPhone goes on sale this Friday, June 29, at Apple Stores and AT&T retail outlets across the country. Expect many announcements from startups over the weekend touting site and service compatibility with the iPhone's mobile Safari browser and its 320 by 480 pixel multi-touch display surface.

WebGuild hosts the Searchonomics conference this Wednesday, June 27, in Santa Clara. New product announcements are expected from search engines and web analytics companies presenting at the event.

June 17, 2007

2007-06-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first edition of the Weekly Web Wrapup (WWW). Each week we'll summarize the biggest news in the web technology startup ecosystem. In this week's issue:

WebKit on Windows

Apple and Adobe are collaborating on new browser technology for the Windows platform. Apple announced the immediate availability of its Safari web browser for Windows XP and Windows Vista on Monday during the Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference. The Safari browser will be distributed with Apple's QuickTime and iTunes software products. Windows users downloaded more than 1 million copies of the Safari beta during its first 48 hours of availability.

Adobe's Apollo project has a new name. Adobe Integrated Runtime (Adobe AIR) bundles Adobe Reader, Flash Player, WebKit, and SQLite into a single desktop application development platform.

Adobe AIR, QuickTime, iTunes, and Apple Safari are all based on open-source browser engine WebKit. Safari availability on the Windows operating system will help startup companies easily test their web application performance and layout in Apple and Adobe applications.

Kyte.tv receives funding, expands to Facebook

Mobile streaming site Kyte.tv announced a strategic investment from Nokia Growth Partners on Tuesday for an unspecified amount. Kyte's parent company decentral.tv has raised three rounds of venture capital over the past year from both sides of the Atlantic. Strategic investments from both Swisscom and Nokia should help the startup gain new users and partner traction in European's 3G data market.

comScore highlights photo widgets

Internet measurement firm comScore released its first Widget Metrix report on Wednesday. The report tracks Flash widget usage across comScore's observed user base of about 2 million consumers. Startup companies Slide and RockYou came out on top, reaching 13.8% and 9.7% of the April online audience measured by comScore respectively. Slide and RockYou distribute hosted images through Flash photo slideshow players.

Rifftrax acquires Cuts.com

Video comedy site Rifftrax acquired video editing site Cuts on Tuesday for an unspecified amount. Cuts' CutMaker software let anyone remix an online video with new sound effects and voice overs. Rifftrax publishes feature-length voice-overs for popular movies from Mystery Science Theater star Michael Nelson. Rifftrax visitors will soon be able to edit and remix their own comedic voice-overs using the online CutMaker software.

Events next week

The Supernova conference takes place Wednesday-Friday in San Francisco. Supernova mixes web practitioners with business school academics for a three-day examination of the social web.

O'Reilly Media hosts its annual Foo Camp at its corporate headquarters Friday through Sunday. About 200 technologists from the open source, Web, and publishing world come together for a weekend of ad-hoc sessions and schmoozing.