AllThingsD 2012-05-15 03:01:05 »
They are going to have to think about whether they can continue with the motto “Done is better than perfect.” – Altimeter Group’s Susan Etlinger, talking about Facebook in the New York Times
Archive for the ‘AllThingsD’ Category
Lenovo Looks to Bridge Business and Consumer With New »
ThinkPad laptops have long been associated with boxiness, durability, good battery life and a broad appeal for business users and schools. Now, Lenovo, which bought the ThinkPad brand when it acquired IBM’s personal computer business in 2005, is stripping away some of the weight of the ThinkPad, with a new lightweight model that falls into
Leave the Gun. Take the Cannoli: It’s »
At today’s all-hands meeting for Yahoo employees — in the wake of the dramatic ouster of its former CEO Scott Thompson — what pop culture icon did new interim CEO Ross Levinson use to loosen up the crowd? Why, a little Al Pacino from the movie classic “The Godfather,” of course — the go-to guy solution menu for
Meet the 22-Year Old College Student Who Hopes to »
John Mardini still has another year left before he gets his college degree, but he’s already onto his third business, and this time he’s aiming big. Mardini, with the backing of family and friends, is launching Voyager Mobile, a start-up that aims to bring cut-rate cellphone services to the masses. The company is launching with two
Investors Told Facebook IPO Will Be in $34 to $38 »
According to several sources close to the situation, investors are being told that the IPO price range for Facebook will be from $34 to $38 a share. That means the highest valuation will be just over $100 billion, fully diluted. That is up from a much lower price of close to $31 a share last month, in filings related to its pending acquisition of
Adobe Expands Board by Three to an Even Dozen »
Adobe’s going to need a longer table in the executive conference room with the addition of three new directors to its board of nine. Aboard as of today are Amy Banse, Comcast SVP and managing director and head of funds for Comcast Ventures; Frank Calderoni, executive vice president and CFO of Cisco; and Laura Desmond, global chief executive
At 28, Few Tech Titans Could Hold a Candle to Zuck »
It’s a big week for Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook, his baby of the past eight years, is expected to go public on Friday morning. He’s just coming off a cross-country road show speaking to investment banks hungry to scoop up shares of Facebook stock. And on top of it all, it’s May 14 — Mark’s 28th birthday. Aside from
Facebook Alums Use Buzz to Push New Site »
Days ahead of Facebook Inc.’s initial public offering, the company’s network of former executives and investors are doing their own deal-making. Quora Inc., a question-and-answer site started by two of Facebook’s earliest employees, Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, has raised $50 million in a new financing that values it
Tweeter’s Digest: Twitter Rolls Out Weekly Recap »
It’s hard out there for a Twitter user. With the massive influx of tweets coming at users throughout the day, unless you’re using an application like Tweetdeck, it’s difficult to stay on top of what’s happening in your stream. Which is why Twitter is launching a weekly email tweet digest to users, essentially a summary of
Here’s Yahoo’s Official Parting With »
As I reported earlier today, former Yahoo Scott Thompson left the Silicon Valley Internet giant with no severance. The reason for the agreement was that the company was claiming “cause” for the parting, due to a fake computer science degree on his resume, as well as other issues that were raised from the controversy. Yahoo said in
Facebook Tweaks Mobile News Feed, Photos »
Facebook on Monday introduced a minor redesign to its News Feed product for mobile phones, changing the way photos and posts are displayed on users’ handheld devices. The tweaks come as Facebook continues to figure out a solid way of monetizing mobile access to its app, a method of entry more and more users are shifting to, according to the
Groupon Smacks Naysayers With Earnings Over Forecast »
Groupon on Monday announced revenues that topped the company’s prior forecast as well as analyst expectations. The Chicago-based company, which has had a bumpy road of late, said that it took in $559.3 million in revenue during the first quarter 2012, compared with $295.5 million a year ago. Operating income was $39.6 million, including an
Court Issues Mixed Ruling in Apple-Samsung Patent Case »
In a mixed ruling, a federal appeals court on Monday revived Apple Inc.’s bid to block U.S. sales of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab tablet computer, but rejected other Apple legal claims that sought to bar sales of Samsung smartphones. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled a California trial judge was too quick
SilkRoad, Another HR Software Service in the Cloud, »
One of the evolving themes of the year has been the heat coming from the otherwise sleepy world of human-resource software — applications that companies use to manage their people and payroll. For years, the applications were traditional on-premise software — you’d run it on a server or a series of desktop machines wherever the
LightSquared Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy »
LightSquared Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, hours ahead of the expiration of a deal to keep hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone’s venture from defaulting on its debt. LightSquared reported assets and debts each exceeding $1 billion, according to the petition it filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. Read
A Ray of Light for the New York Times »
It’s easy to write dour predictions about the state of the newspaper industry. So here’s a relatively sunny one: One day, not that far away, the New York Times’ growing subscriber base will make up for its shrinking ad business. That will happen in the middle of 2014, says Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar, when circulation
Shutterstock Shoots for an IPO »
Image licensing agency Shutterstock has filed plans for an initial public offering worth up to $115 million, intending to use the proceeds for capital expenditures, working capital and maybe a little shopping.
Apple Preparing Upgrade to iCloud »
Apple Inc. is preparing an upgrade of its online service iCloud that includes new photo-sharing features, according to people familiar with the matter. The new features, expected to be announced at Apple’s world-wide developer conference beginning June 11, will allow iCloud users to share sets of photos with other iCloud users and to comment
Nvidia, Intellectual Ventures Scoop Up Some Wireless »
The market for wireless patents continues to be hot, hot, hot. The latest evidence came Monday, as Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures teamed with chipmaker Nvidia to buy approximately 500 patents from IPWireless. The patents include some related to 3G and 4G technologies, including LTE, the companies said. Terms of the deal, which
Best Buy Founder to Step Down in Wake of Inquiry »
Best Buy Co.’s founder, Richard Schulze, will step down as chairman next month after an internal probe found that he didn’t alert other directors that his handpicked successor as chief executive, Brian Dunn, was allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. The struggling electronics retailer disclosed that its
Twilio’s Danielle Morrill Leaves to Found »
Danielle Morrill, the well-known young director of marketing at developer-focused cloud communication start-up Twilio and its first employee, has left to found her own company: Referly. 27-year-old Danielle Morrill is co-founder and CEO of the new start-up Referly. Referly aims to introduce incentives into discussions by regular people about
Kickstarter Bug Exposed Unreleased Projects, but »
For the last three weeks, Kickstarter had a security hole that allowed viewing of unreleased project proposals — but no account or financial info — through its API. The Wall Street Journal, which discovered the problem, downloaded 77,000 projects and drafts from the site. But aside from that, Kickstarter said in a blog post, only 48
Going on Vacation? Ditch the Paper Guidebook and Try »
The restless mind only rests when the body is in transit — that’s what I tell myself when my feet are feeling particularly itchy. Fortunately, the summer travel season is upon us, and vacation isn’t too far away. So, over the past week, I tested a couple of iPad apps for travel. To be clear, these apps aren’t geared toward finding
Yep, the Wireless Industry Actually Lost Contract »
iStockphoto | italianestro The analysts thought this might happen — and it did. The titans of the U.S. cellular industry managed to see their total number of on-contract customers drop last quarter. Typically, the major carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, see some shift in their share but manage to post a cumulative
Twilio Taps Say Media Vet Kirkpatrick as CFO »
Something is going on at the telephony software start-up Twilio, and I guess the word to use is “growth.” Barely two weeks after hiring former Jive exec Lynda Smith as its chief marketing officer, today it will announce that it has a new CFO. It’s Lee Kirkpatrick, and he’s leaving Say Media, where he had the same title. He
Yahoo’s Parting With Thompson Will Be for »
According to numerous sources, Yahoo is claiming “cause” in its parting with former CEO Scott Thompson, related to the fake computer science degree on his resume. Such a determination will mean the company is not obligated to pay him the large severance that would have been due to him otherwise. In his offer letter on January 3, Yahoo
Ross Levinsohn’s Yahoo Plan: Back to the Future »
Ross Levinsohn wants to be known as more than a deal guy. Now he gets his chance. Assuming Yahoo gives its interim CEO real power — either by making him its actual CEO, or at least letting him behave as if he has the job — then he’ll finally have full control of a giant media company. That’s something he’s been
Here’s New Yahoo CEO’s First Note to »
Here is the first missive to Yahoo’s troops from new interim CEO Ross Levinsohn, which I obtained from 653 sources at the company. (Joke alert! Sort of!) “Importantly, today’s announcements lay to rest the unfortunate and serious distractions surrounding our senior leadership and the composition of our Board going
Yahoo Officially Confirms ATD Report on CEO Changes »
Here you go, on what I reported earlier today on Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson stepping down, being replaced by current global media head Ross Levinsohn on an interim basis, the naming of board member Fred Amoroso as chairman and director changes related to the settling of its proxy fight with Third Point’s Daniel Loeb. The company is confirming
LiqhtSquared Moves Toward Bankruptcy »
Hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone’s LightSquared Inc. venture is preparing for a potential bankruptcy-protection filing, as negotiations with lenders to avoid a potential default faltered, according to people familiar with the matter. The two sides still have until 5 p.m. Monday to reach a deal that would keep LightSquared out of bankruptcy
