Reuters Apple's music marketing tactics under scanner The Hindu Apple is by far the largest seller of online music in the US, with 69 per cent of the market, according to data from the NPD Group, a marketing consultancy. … Apple Is Said to Face Inquiry About Online Music New York Times US DoJ looking at Apple's iTunes for antitrust issues in music Apple Insider Apple music practices assessed by U.S.: N.Y. Times MarketWatch Daily Beast
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here . The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Name: Quirky Quick Pitch: Quirky is a social product development company founded in June 2009 by 23-year-old entrepreneur Ben Kaufman. Genius Idea: At its core, Quirky builds consumer products. It sells cable organizers , a modular spatula system , and double-sided USB sticks . It’s how they create and develop their products that really makes them stand out, though. Quirky describes itself as a “social product development company.” It essentially crowdsources product ideas and then places them at the mercy of Quirky’s thousands of users. The community votes on which ones they want to develop and then adds its input on things such as product aesthetics, design, logo, and even its name. The best ideas are then taken by Quirky’s team of engineers and designers and turned into 3D renderings. The next step is the most important one: the product is then placed on pre-sale, where anyone can buy the product. However, Quirky will only sell something if it hits a minimum number of sale commitments (usually under a thousand). Once that number is reached, the product is made and person who submitted the original idea gets a piece of the revenue pie. There are a few things to know before you go off designing tons of products for Quirky. First, it costs $99 to submit an idea. Second, even if your product is selected by the community, it doesn’t mean it will become a major hit. Finally, many products on Quirky still have yet to hit their minimum purchase requirement, and some of the products on sale on the site aren’t cheap. In the end though, we believe that Quirky is a killer tool for both entrepreneurs without the means to bring an idea into production and for geeks looking to buy useful — if not odd — products. The best ideas find their way to the top and are vetted by the community, which brings multiple perspectives and opinions to a product’s development. Quirky was founded by Ben Kaufman, who is the creator of Mophie , the popular iPhone and iPod accessory company, so it has some serious brainpower behind the company. You can learn more about the Quirky process here . Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today . Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* ( please see website for official rules and guidelines ).” For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , PHP , Twitter Tags: bizspark , Crowdsource , Product Design , Quirky , shopping
Telegraph.co.uk Management Shake-Up At Microsoft Mobile Division InformationWeek (blog) The Windows Mobile side of the business though has been kicked around by Apple and more recently, Android, as both focused on a segment of the business … Report: Microsoft to restructure consumer unit CNET Who will be Microsoft's next 'boy genius'? ZDNet (blog) Brains Behind Xbox and Zune Leave Microsoft Mashable (blog) GameSpot
According to new data from consumer electronics company Retrevo, iPads might be putting a significant dent in netbook sales. Tablets in general are newer, sexier and sleeker than netbooks, their hardworking if relatively old-school counterparts. When iPads were announced, many consumers put off their netbook purchase plans in order to try out and consider buying an iPad instead. And for folks currently considering a smaller, portable computer, an overwhelming majority are leaning more toward iPads. That being said, laptops are also holding a steady lead in the portable computer market. In the past year and the current year, 65% of consumers who had to choose between a netbook and a laptop went for the latter in the end. If you had to choose between a laptop, a netbook and an iPad, which way would you lean, and why? Do you think netbook sales will suffer further when non-Apple tablets are released? For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: apple , ipad , netbook , sales
Fast Company US DoJ looking at Apple's iTunes for antitrust issues in music Apple Insider The US Department of Justice is looking into Apple's negotiating tactics with music labels related to sales and marketing within the … Apple Is Said to Face Inquiry About Online Music New York Times Apple Reportedly Under Investigation for Bullying Record Labels, Boxing Out Amazon Fast Company Apple : DOJ Examining Apple Tactics In Music Biz, NYT Reports Barron’s (blog) Electronista (blog)
Droid Incredible which I am currently writing review (soon to be released) is hard to order or get anywhere! After all, you are talking about powerful phone that beats Droid, Nexus One and any other… [{To Read More, Click On The Link Above]]
Telegraph.co.uk Psst: Dell's Streak Isn't an Android Tablet PC World The Dell Streak is far more comparable to a device like the HTC EVO 4G than it is to Apple's iPad. First, let's take a look at what the Dell Streak is. … VIA-powered $100-$150 Android tablets due 2H 2010 Android Community (blog) Dell Unveils Android-Based 'Streak' Tablet PC Magazine Dell Streak Is Precursor To Tomorrow's Smartphones ITProPortal Fudzilla
US Inquiry on Apple Music Tactics Reported New York Times Apple is by far the largest seller of online music in the United States, with 69 percent of the market, according to data from NPD Group, a marketing … and more
Not everyone can pull off an iPad vest , which is why we’re relieved that someone finally came out with a line of fashion staples that will look good on anyone — well, anyone who wants to carry around their iPad on their person at all times, that is. iClothing is described on its website as “a modern take on old classics,” and features a line of t-shirts and little black dresses outfitted with massive, massive pockets. Next up, the iPad tux? One can only dream… [via TUAW ] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: Gadget , ipad , tech
Dating site OkCupid sent an e-mail to some of its users late last week informing them that they’ve been placed in the top half of users in terms of attractiveness by its algorithms. As a result of the categorization, the attractive users will be more likely to see one another in match searches, while the users who are in the lower tier will not see a change. The e-mail (which was sent by the “OkCupid Summer Interns”) specified that the determinations were made through analysis of clicks on users’ photos and reactions in the Quiver and QuickMatch features. Those two tools ask users to quickly respond positively or negatively to photos accompanied by segments of profile text. When users are presented in searches, QuickMatch or Quiver, their pictures are featured most prominently, but some profile data is included as well — usually just one paragraph. You can’t get a sense of who someone really is from that paragraph, of course, but a user may write someone off because of poor spelling or other factors that are apparent in the clips. So sure, it’s not entirely based on looks, but they’re probably the biggest factor. Is OkCupid Shallow? People who don’t believe in “leagues” of attractiveness might find this division a little crass, but others will see it as a win-win move for the dating site and its users. A dating site needs attractive users to thrive, of course. They’re more likely to remain active on the site if they’re easily able to reach men and women they consider desirable prospects. And since they’re attractive themselves, their continued presence will drive pageviews. Just think: When an attractive user’s photo shows up in a search of currently active users, it’s more likely to receive clicks than a photo of an unattractive member. OkCupid is primarily ad-supported, and those extra clicks and pageviews generate more revenue. Unattractive users won’t notice a difference — except, perhaps, fewer messages from attractive ones, but they probably weren’t receiving those messages to begin with. The Thinking Person’s Dating Site The Boston Globe called OkCupid “the Google of online dating.” That’s not because it’s the biggest dating site (it’s not), but because it’s arguably the most innovative and cerebral in its approach and features. OkCupid tracks data very closely, just as Google does in many cases, and it maintains a blog called OkTrends where it applies user data research to come to fascinating and helpful conclusions about how people approach online dating. Subjects have included how different approaches to profile pictures affect the amount of messages received, why young men should try to date older women and what the best first messages say. OkCupid also just launched a site called MyBestFace , which is like a very elaborate, almost-scientific Hot or Not -type tool that invites users to tag themselves and then vote on photos. The person who uploaded his or her photos eventually receives a report sharing which photos fared best with which kinds of people so he or she can make an informed decision about which ones to feature more prominently. Add that to the blogging features, a newsfeed and detailed matching algorithms, and you have an approach to dating that’s unique to the web-driven twenty-first century. Just don’t screw it up with any Facebook dating faux pas after other websites have found you the love of your life, alright? image courtesy of iStockphoto , CREATISTA For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Google , Twitter , iStockphoto Tags: dating , okcupid , online dating , romance , sex
