VentureBeat |
- With Google’s involvement, digital newsstands set to make their mark in 2011
- Zynga’s CityVille becomes the biggest-ever app on Facebook
- VentureBeat’s top 10 tech trends of 2011 (vote for your favorite)
- A milestone for Android: Samsung sells 10M Galaxy S phones
- 7 ways to get a VC you don’t know to mentor you
- Exit activity leapt 25% in 2010, but is 2011 the “Year of the IPO?”
- Intel thumps its chest: 500 PC models have its new chip
- Facebook raises new funding at $50B valuation (report)
- Vizio looks to Android phones and tablets for leap past cheap TVs
- Lenovo tries to escape boring designs with new ThinkPad laptops
- Toshiba unveils glasses-free 3D on a laptop
- Investors bet $35M on AdKeeper’s “keepable” ads
| With Google’s involvement, digital newsstands set to make their mark in 2011 Posted: 03 Jan 2011 07:58 AM PST
Google is apparently trying to court publishers for a digital newsstand that would work across Android devices, the paper says. Publishers are already selling iPhone and iPad versions of their publications, but a proper digital newsstand would make it easier for consumers to find publications and for developers to charge for their content. Given the buzz we’re hearing about digital newsstands at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up making a big impact in 2011. At the moment, Apple’s iTunes store doesn’t support any sort of subscription model — consumers instead have to manually purchase new electronic newspapers and magazines when they’re released. A few publishers have put together subscription-like bundles, like Newsweek and the Economist, but those don’t offer the same benefits as real subscriptions. With subscription capabilities, publishers can charge consumers fees and offer discounts similar to paper subscriptions, and the digital content will be automatically delivered to users. Google has been in talks with publishers like Time Warner, Condé Nast and Hearst, according to those familiar with the discussions. The company has apparently tried to entice publishers by offering to take a smaller slice of sales (Apple currently takes 30 percent from all sales made on the iTunes store), as well as offering up personal data about app buyers. The latter point is troublesome given increased concerns about mobile app privacy. Apple is also considering something similar by asking for users to share their personal data when they purchase iPad magazines. It sounds like Apple is considering an opt-in method to share user data, meaning users have to choose to do so. We can only hope that Google follows suit. Like the current battle for ebook supremacy, both Apple and Google face competition from ereader companies like Amazon and Barnes and Noble when it comes to offering digital newsstands.It’s likely going to be a messy year for digital newspapers and periodicals, but hopefully it will lead to many options for consumers to purchase digital content and for publishers to sell their wares. Photo via Nicolas Nova Companies: Amazon, Apple, Barnes And Noble, Conde Nast, Google, Hearst, Time Warner
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| Zynga’s CityVille becomes the biggest-ever app on Facebook Posted: 03 Jan 2011 07:50 AM PST
CityVille debuted on Dec. 2 and it has been the fastest-growing app and social game on Facebook. In fact, it is the fastest-growing game in history, in terms of the numbers of users signing up to play it. The game is available for free and users can choose to pay real money for virtual goods such as more energy. Over the past week, the game has averaged gains of over 2 million monthly active users per day, according to Inside Social Games. So its total usage will likely keep breaking records. But not everybody is coming back on a daily basis. CityVille’s daily active user count is about 16. million, compared to FarmVille’s peak of 34.5 million daily active users. Overall, Zynga has 281.9 million monthly active users, which is either near or above its peak in the spring. The next-closest rival on Facebook is Takeoff Monkey, with just 57 million monthly active users. CityVille passed FarmVille’s current monthly active user count of 58 million on Dec. 24. In the game, you can build a town with homes, shops, farms and community buildings. Though the interactivity is limited, CityVille does a good job of creating the illusion of real-time play, where lots of things are happening on the screen at the same time. As you can tell from the screen shot, your friends can help you manage the city as well. It thus appears to be more social and interactive than a lot of other Facebook games,where you generally play by yourself, taking one turn at a time. In an interview with VentureBeat, CityVille’s lead Mark Skaggs said the CityVille team was formed from scratch in the spring and that 95 percent of the team had never worked on a game before. A few were veterans like Skaggs, who previously worked at Electronic Arts. The vision was to create a game that actually felt like you were controlling a city in real time.
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| VentureBeat’s top 10 tech trends of 2011 (vote for your favorite) Posted: 03 Jan 2011 07:00 AM PST
1. Apps spread everywhere – Sure, apps were a big story last year. But in 2011, they will be a tidal wave. Apps have become far bigger than the iPhone. Other smartphones have them. So do tablets and connected TVs. The Mac is getting apps, and so is just about every other hardware platform. It’s a shift in how we consume software, since nobody wants to take the time to download applications. People want to use apps on the go and in real time, as they need them. Apps work with a simple tap, not complex commands or a sequence of clicks. They are the quickest way to get things done. As they spread far and wide, we will need something to manage them. Discovering the right app is still going to be a tough problem, as no one has come up with the equivalent of search, which solved the problem of navigating through millions of web sites. As users embrace more and more platforms, they will want their favorite apps to be available on all of them. 2. Touch is just the start of new user interfaces — Gestures and touchscreens have come to the mainstream with products such as Microsoft’s Kinect motion-control system and Apple’s iPhone. New, more intuitive user interfaces are finally breaking the hold of the decades-old mouse and keyboard. Technology is finally adapting to the way humans play and work, not the other way around. In 2011, we can expect the Kinect interface to spread to the PC and the TV control systems. Touchscreens and motion controls will make our mobile gadgets easier to navigate. The user interface makeover will continue through the year and delight us with cool new products. The latest advances in computers that recognize your face and do something with that input have been chronicled in the New York Times. 3. WikiLeaks-style leaks make the world more transparent — The Obama presidency opened with a vow for more transparent government. But the WikiLeaks site gave that a whole new meaning as it leaked hundreds of thousands of documents, from insider tomes on the Afghan war to secret diplomatic cables about China’s suppression of Google. WikiLeaks may or may not survive, given the legal and financial troubles of leader Julian Assange. But it has demonstrated something that hackers have only dreamed of; it can publish whatever it wants and no one can stop it from doing so. State and corporate secrets will become more vulnerable to leaks in the future as more adopt its methods and its mission. For innovators, there are two outcomes. The market will favor tools that can make society more open, and there will be more demand for services that can keep data locked tight. In the words of internet activist Steward Brand, “information wants to be free.”
5. Apple still dominates but Android flexes its muscles – Steve Jobs has a lot of momentum as a creator of the iconic products of the digital age. The iPhone and the iPad will likely continue to find favor among developers and consumers alike. Apple’s hot products are likely to get big makeovers, starting with the iPad 2 coming in a matter of weeks. Verizon Wireless could be a big new launch pad for the latest Apple products as Apple finally diversifies beyond AT&T in the U.S. To date, Apple has been fighting with one hand tied behind its back. Android products will finally catch up and provide credible competition, but don’t expect that to put a dent in Apple’s profitability or its revenues anytime soon. Apple expects to ship 21 million iPhones in the first quarter alone. One big question is whether Jobs can figure out how to make apps on the TV work via the company’s Apple TV platform. The digital living room is one place where Apple has to catch up. And the big question after that is whether any of Apple’s success in these new platforms will rub off on the time-worn Mac platform. Apple will likely increase its market share for the Mac, but the numbers still aren’t that impressive. Apple’s toughest problem will continue to be sharing. If it doesn’t learn to do it well, rivals such as Google Android and Facebook will likely teach it a lesson or two. 6. Mobile devices push the wireless networks to the breaking point — As more people get smartphones, the data traffic on the networks will produce lots of headaches for users and operators alike. Other gadgets will also tap mobile networks, from eBook readers to connected cars. The arrival of 4G networks using LTE technology will help alleviate the growing bottleneck problem, but wireless operators will have to turn to Wi-Fi networks to offload data traffic so they can support the increasing volume of telecommunications traffic. You can expect a lot of innovation to focus on making the most efficient use of the available spectrum. The government may set aside more spectrum for wireless services, but don’t expect that to happen soon.
8. Shopping gets more fun as e-commerce is reinvented — The first generation of e-commerce sites were all about functionality. Amazon.com and eBay made it easy to start buying and selling things online. But now is the time for shopping to get fun, according to Jeremy Liew, a managing director at Lightspeed Venture Partners. That’s where social shopping comes in. Groupon’s popularity and its big market value (it turned down a $6 billion offer from Google) show that electronic commerce isn’t a moribund market. We just saw a record-setting holiday online shopping season where consumers spent $30.8 billion in the U.S. But that’s nothing compared to what could happen as more innovations hit the market and make shopping more fun. From gamification to changes in user interfaces, there is still plenty of innovation that could happen in the e-commerce market to transform online shopping into a more interesting and addictive experience.
10. Tech for aging boomers takes off — Baby boomers are just starting to turn 65. Logic suggests that products designed specifically for the tastes of baby boomers will take off. This means that all sorts of technologies that cater to older or retiring consumers will have a natural market. This could mean everything from more use of large buttons on smartphones to technologies that make it easier to track the health of seniors from afar so they can reside in their own homes instead of hospitals. You can laugh it off as geriatric tech for old timers. But those who take it seriously will be laughing their way to the bank. And here are a few honorable mentions: Cloud computing goes big — Cloud computing services are likely to grow from $68.3 billion in 2010 to $148.8 billion in 2014. That means everything from OnLive’s cloud gaming service to Amazon’s EC2 web hosting service will become a lot more popular. The cloud makes it convenient to launch new businesses, ride a big growth wave, and adapt to change. Cyber warfare erupts across the web — Just as WikiLeaks promised it was just getting started with document leaks, cyber warfare is also in its infancy. The attacks on Google China and the sparring over WikiLeaks were small examples of what could happen as governments and hackers square off against each other. Cyber warfare will likely hit an even bigger scale in 2011. Wintel falls apart — As Intel moves into software and Microsoft embraces other chip makers, the marriage of Intel chips and Microsoft Windows, known as Wintel, will slowly unravel into a marriage that is no longer convenient. The partner-swapping and backstabbing will continue until the companies are in a state of warfare. Emerging markets drive tech adoption — The days are long gone when users in emerging countries embraced older technology. With growing middle classes in Brazil, Russia, India, and China — and plenty of wealth in other regions has well — the demand for tech goods will continue to expand. That trend has been driving sales in tech for some time — 80 percent of Intel’s sales are overseas now. But it will also happen with web services such as social network games. Accel and Tiger Management’s recent $30 million investment in Vostu shows that the Brazilian social game market has a lot of potential. Success in an emerging market can generate the growth that a startup needs to get to critical mass. Be sure to weigh in below and explain your vote in the comments: Companies: Amazon, Apple, Google, Groupon, Microsoft, Netflix People: David Hasselhoff, Jeremy Liew, Stewart Brand
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| A milestone for Android: Samsung sells 10M Galaxy S phones Posted: 03 Jan 2011 06:38 AM PST
Samsung announced in late December that the company had sold 9.3 million Galaxy S phones, so it is no surprise that the company managed to reach its goal by the end of the year. According to Samsung Hub, the company has sold 1.4 million phones per month, or roughly 40,000 smartphones per day. Of the ten million smartphones, Samsung sold 4 million units in North America, 2.5 million units in Europe and 2 million devices in the Korean market. While making a milestone for Google’s operating system, the Galaxy S has not–yet–usurped Apple’s iPhone, which sold 14.1 million units worldwide in the quarter that ended in September. Apple still makes for stiff competition, as the company said in late December that it expects to ship 20 to 21 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2011, upping its original plans by 1-2 million units. But for Samsung, the phone maker that is set on becoming the number one mobile manufacturer in the world, this is good news indeed. Companies: Apple, Google, Samsung
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| 7 ways to get a VC you don’t know to mentor you Posted: 03 Jan 2011 06:00 AM PST (Editor's note: Larry Chiang is CEO of Duck9 and is also co-moderating the upcoming ReverseVC Pitch Panel and Dinner at Stanford. He submitted this column to VentureBeat.) Catching the eye of a venture capitalist is hard enough. Convincing him or her to mentor you – especially if they're not familiar with you and your work – is a much more difficult proposition. It's not impossible, though. What it takes is accelerated networking skills that allow you to beat the Catch-22s that so often trap entrepreneurs. Here are seven tips that will help you get your foot in the door. Don’t ask for a coffee – I believe that anyone in this world can be gotten to and networked with. The first step is rarely ever a coffee. A coffee connotates a 90-minute minimum time commitment for a VC. A better first step is a 5-10 minute phone conversation. Before you get that coveted ten minute wedge of phone time, though, you’re going to need to do some work. When the student is ready, the teacher appears - I think I first read that phrase in a fortune cookie – but that doesn't make it less true when it comes to mentorship. Tactically, this might mean ambushing a VC at a party, conference, panel or party. I mention parties twice since they're a favorite hangout for many VCs. And by ambush, I mean combine your elevator pitch and charm as you solicit an invitation to further interact. Your goal is simple: Get yourself mentored. Pre-network with a VC via a portfolio company introduction – There's a phrase I coined called "the transitive property of influence". Essentially, it means charming once and transitively conveying it to the end target – the VC you want to have help you. How it works is pretty simple: You reach out indirectly to a VC by directly romancing the CEO of one of his or her portfolio companies. If that executive makes an email introduction, you’re in. Woo by reading – In Star Trek, Spock would do the Vulcan mind meld to get insight into someone’s thoughts. You can go one better without risking the assault charge by reading what your would-be mentor reads and reading what they write. I used this practice to woo Roelof Botha after he mentioned, “MoneyBall” on a panel I chaired. Read the books, blogs and other material they recommend to build rapport. The more you have in common, the better. Mentorship as a funding vehicle – I moderated a panel at SXSW where VC and 500 Startups founder Dave McClure gave some cogent advice to the audience: “If you want a VC to consider giving you money, ask for mentorship first.” The VC's risk is mitigated when you take their coaching. It is, in many ways, a trial by mentorship, allowing them to augment your shareholder equity before they invest. And it increases their confidence in the likelihood of a positive outcome. Ace the initial conversation by mentoring them – Mentorship goes both directions. The student/teacher dynamic often includes some role reversal. In the end, if the mentor is good, the student surpasses the mentor pretty quickly. In the interim, here are ideas to get you started mentoring your mentor
Kiss VC Butt – Read the following verbatim and try to minimize your gag reflex: “Hey I read all about you at Stanford Business school website and I think you’re an incredible genius. I have dreamt of one thing and that is to get a call back from a thought leader like yourself”. Do VCs have massive egos? It's hard to say. But I do know that after you magnanimously kiss ass like that, it rarely hurts your chances. You don't, of course, want to be the obvious brown-noser in the room. My hack is to sincerely compliment them on something undeniably true, so it comes across as genuine.
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| Exit activity leapt 25% in 2010, but is 2011 the “Year of the IPO?” Posted: 03 Jan 2011 04:00 AM PST
However, although the amount of successful exits was up, they are still lagging in size dollar-wise, as “blockbuster” events stayed largely out of the headlines because VCs are holding onto the companies they view to have the most potential. That could make 2011 the “year of the IPO” if several well-known Silicon Valley stars decide to go public. "Exit activity is staging a comeback but capital netted lagged as large M&As and IPOs were still uncommon in 2010," said Jessica Canning, director of global research for Dow Jones VentureSource. "While it isn't clear if companies with blockbuster potential – like Facebook and Groupon – will come to market in 2011, there is a healthy IPO pipeline. Currently, 44 companies are registered to go public, up from 25 at this time last year." The data also showed that for now, buyouts of venture-backed companies by private equity firms remained steady year-over-year. In 2010, private equity firms spent $1.9 billion to buy 23 venture-backed companies, roughly the same amount as the $1.1 billion PE firms spent to buy 23 venture-backed companies the year before. That spike in valuation is a potential sign of health in the VC arena, with the $46 million median amount paid for a venture-backed company in 2010 booming to 70 percent more than the $27 million median paid in 2009. There was also good news on the amount of time it took for a venture-backed company to exit via a merger or acquisition, with 2010 seeing companies successfully exit at 5.2 years, slightly less than the 5.5-year median in 2009. Buyout size was also larger. During the fourth quarter, three buyouts grabbed $184 million, a jump from three buyouts that netted $76 million during the same period last year. "After holding back on acquisitions the last couple of years, corporations found themselves with a significant amount of cash on hand and the need make strategic acquisitions to maintain a competitive edge," said Scott Austin, editor of Dow Jones VentureWire. "Combined with rising valuations that made investors and entrepreneurs more inclined to sell, M&A picked up – a trend likely to continue into 2011." Companies: dow jones venture source, dow jones venturewire, Facebook, Groupon People: Jessica Canning, scott austin
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| Intel thumps its chest: 500 PC models have its new chip Posted: 03 Jan 2011 12:26 AM PST
The company is making the announcement in advance of the Consumer Electronics Show, the biggest tech event of the year which starts on Tuesday in Las Vegas. At CES, dozens of computer makers will introduce 500 new computers based on what Intel calls its second-generation Intel Core processor family. With the Sandy Bridge design, computer makers don’t have to add separate graphics chips from Advanced Micro Devices or Nvidia — at least for laptops that don’t need stellar performance. AMD is also debuting its Fusion combo chip this week, making CES 2011 one of the most competitive computer events in a long time. Altogether, Intel has 29 new Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. The new graphics-heavy approach for Sandy Bridge is a recognition of how much users need 3D graphics and fast video performance in this day and age. Sandy Bridge can quickly convert video from one format to another, though not as fast as standalone graphics chips can. The first chips available from Intel will be quad-core Sandy Bridge models, which have four microprocessor cores, or brains, on one chip. The chips also feature version 2.0 of Intel Wireless Display, which can transmit what’s on your laptop’s screen to a TV in high-definition 1080p resolution. With a feature called Intel Insider, the chip can unlock premium high-definition content such as movies on a computer. The platform aims to help studios distribute their content with less risk of piracy. Systems using the first Sandy Bridge chips will be available on Jan. 9 and more dual-core models will be available in February. Intel is building the chips with its 32-nanometer manufacturing technology. The chip isn’t necessarily going to kill standalone graphics chips. The Intel chip can handle DirectX 10.1 graphics, but it can’t do the most advanced graphics standard, DirectX 11. That means a lot of games won’t run properly on Sandy Bridge machines. Companies: advanced micro devices, Amd, Intel, Nvidia
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| Facebook raises new funding at $50B valuation (report) Posted: 02 Jan 2011 11:06 PM PST
Goldman invested $450 million, while DST (which has already invested about $500 million into Facebook) provided the remaining $50 million. Goldman also plans to create a "special purpose vehicle" to pool its clients and invest another $1.5 billion in Facebook without triggering the Securities and Exchange Commission's 500-shareholder threshold, The Times says. (Companies that break the threshold are required to disclose more information publicly.) When I emailed Facebook for confirmation, a spokesman told me the company has no comment. Facebook's valuation has been climbing steadily on the secondary markets where shares are sold. (The SEC is now investigating those markets.) Early Facebook investor Accel Partners recently sold off some of its shares at a $34 billion valuation. Facebook is expected to have its initial public offering as soon as 2012, although the company hasn’t said anything specific on the matter. It reportedly brought in $2 billion in revenue in 2010, and chief Mark Zuckerberg has said that the company is barely profitable, because it’s not focused on profits yet. Last month, the second-hottest social networking company, Twitter, raised $200 million at a $3.7 billion valuation. Companies: Digital Sky Technologies, Facebook, Goldman Sachs People: Mark Zuckerberg
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| Vizio looks to Android phones and tablets for leap past cheap TVs Posted: 02 Jan 2011 09:49 PM PST
The planned announcement, first reported Sunday night in the Wall Street Journal, shows just how easily companies with no experience in the mobile arena can deliver products powered by Google's Android OS. It's also a sign that the market for Android devices will become even more crowded and confusing for consumers in 2011. Nothing about Vizio's new mobile devices is as surprising as the fact that they exist at all. The Via phone will sport a 4-inch screen, front-facing camera, and 8 megapixel rear camera. The Via Tablet will be WiFi-only (meaning it won't feature any mobile internet capabilities like the iPad or Galaxy Tab), will sport an 8-inch screen and it will also have dual cameras. By this point, we can expect the majority of other Android tablets and phones announced at CES to resemble Vizio’s mobile device specs, making it difficult for any of them to stand out. Vizio says it will once again rely on low prices to push its Via devices, and they will also integrate with its televisions by acting as mobile remote controls and feature HDMI ports to output video. The company says it hired mobile specialists from Nokia and other mobile manufacturers to work on the devices. A team of less than ten people have been developing the phone and tablet over the past year and a-half. The company is also planning to unveil 3D HDTVs below $300, and a video service dubbed "Vizio on Demand" which will work across multiple devices, at the Consumer Electronics Show. Companies: Vizio
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| Lenovo tries to escape boring designs with new ThinkPad laptops Posted: 02 Jan 2011 09:01 PM PST
These machines reflect the attempt by computer makers to create machines that crossover between business and consumer uses. Lenovo wants you to use its machines all of the time. Lenovo is striving to get away from boring designs, but I wouldn’t say that this design stands apart from the pack. Compare it, for instance, to Apple’s lust-inducing MacBook Air. The new line-up includes the ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s laptops, which are thin, curvy machines that cater to business professionals who don’t want to carry a boring laptop. They feature Lenovo’s “infinity screen” displays, a matte black finish that is soft to the touch, and “metal accents,” or strips of metal along the sides of the machine. The machines also feature the latest Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. They also have Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience 2.0 for fast booting and a range of wireless connectivity options. And they feature Dolby Home Theater audio (for serious play, as opposed to serious business) and high-definition video conferencing. Lenovo says the Enhanced Experience 2.0 lets you boot your machine 30 percent faster than normal. The E220s has a 12.5-inch screen while the E420s has a 14-inch screen. The E220s is less than an inch thick and weighs 3.5 pounds. The E420s is an inch thick and weighs four pounds. The keyboard is spill-resistant, and the E420s has a slot-loading DVD player/burner. The E420s will sell for $749 and the E220s will sell for $899. Both will be available in April, and a stripped-down E520 model will be available in April for $599. Companies: Lenovo
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| Toshiba unveils glasses-free 3D on a laptop Posted: 02 Jan 2011 09:01 PM PST
The Japanese tech company is making the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show. Toshiba has designed the laptop with the same kind of screen it has used in 3D TVs on sale in Japan. With these models, you don’t need to wear special glasses to see images in 3D. They will allow users to view 3D applications such as games and movies. Toshiba launched a 12-inch 3D TV that can display stereoscopic 3D images without the need for 3D glasses in Japan in December. The company plans to introduce a 40-inch version in the spring. To see the 3D effect on the TVs, users have to sit within a 40-degree angle of the front of the TV. Otherwise, they won’t be able to see the images properly. The same is likely true for the 3D laptop. I saw a demo of the screen and it worked fine, although it’s clear the image quality is still undergoing refinement. The prototype had a 15-inch screen which operates at 120 hertz, meaning it flashes images on the screen 120 times a second. It does so to create the slightly offset images of a scene necessary to experience the images in three dimensions. The product will debut sometime in 2011.
Such experimentation is one byproduct of the company’s decision to merge its U.S. TV and PC businesses into one division. “We think that the merger of consumer electronics and laptops is a fantastic one that will use technology from both sides,” Osaki said. The 21.5-inch all-in-one PC has a TV tuner, built-in speaker bar at the bottom of the unit, and almost looks more like a consumer electronics device in its design than a PC. For now, Toshiba is not using a touchscreen in the device, which may be a disadvantage compared to Hewlett-Packard’s TouchSmart all-in-one PCs. The all-in-one is expected to be introduced in the second half of 2011. Companies: Hewlett Packard, Toshiba People: Phil Osaki
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| Investors bet $35M on AdKeeper’s “keepable” ads Posted: 02 Jan 2011 09:00 PM PST
The round brings New York-based AdKeeper's total funding to $43 million. That's an impressive sum for a Web startup that hasn't even launched its first product yet. (It's currently in private testing, with plans for a full launch early this year.) But the company has a unique and compelling idea — that we see many online ads at the wrong time, when we're not interested in clicking a link or don’t have time to fill out a registration form. With AdKeeper, ads will have a "keep" button embedded in them, which users can click to save interesting ads for browsing later. The company says it has enlisted "the largest group of charter advertisers for any new media launch, ever," including Allstate, Ally Bank, AT&T, Best Buy, CBS, Ford, Gap, General Mills, InterContinental Hotels Group, JetBlue, Kia Motors, Kmart, Kraft Foods, Macy's, McDonald's, Pepsi, Sara Lee, Sears, Showtime, The Advertising Council, The Home Depot, Unilever, and Warner Bros. Chief executive Scott Kurnit's background and connections are probably attractive for investors, too. He founded the company that became About.com, and when I interviewed him in December, he offered an ambitious vision for how AdKeeper might transform the way we measure advertising, where the amount of times an ad has been “kept” might become as important to advertisers as views and clicks. The new funding was led by Oak Investment Partners. Previous investors DCM, True Ventures, Spark Capital, and First Round Capital also contributed to the round. Companies: AdKeeper, DCM, First Round Capital, Oak INvestment Partners, Spark Capital, True Ventures People: Scott Kurnit
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With Apple readying 
Who would have thought that a simple city simulation would become the biggest-ever app on Facebook, eclipsing FarmVille? 
We’ve done a little gazing into the crystal ball for 2011. It seems like optimism is on the upswing, and that’s good because it’s going to take a lot of continued growth and forward momentum to make these trends come true. Here are VentureBeat’s top 10 tech trends of the coming year. Please vote for your favorite in our poll at the bottom.
4. Facebook keeps growing without an IPO — There are other social networks besides Facebook, but Facebook is the one that matters. Mark Zuckerberg had a big year in 2010, scoring big with Time magazine naming him Person of the Year and not so big as the inspiration for The Social Network movie. But Zuckerberg’s fame will likely keep growing in 2011 as Facebook continues to absorb new features and grow toward 600 million users. Although government regulators don’t like it, Facebook has found ways to stay privately held as a company, postponing what could be a very big initial public offering. Facebook will likely defeat any efforts by Google to expand into social networking, and MySpace may find itself under new ownership. But the great social networking wall of China will remain in place, blocking Facebook’s march toward a billion users.
7. Quality wins — When it comes to digital entertainment, quality wins. That’s the way it has always been in the content business. The next Harry Potter movie coming in 2011 will be a blockbuster, because it’s based on a great story. The Call of Duty video game coming in the fall of 2011 will hold gamers spellbound. While these reliable entertainment properties aren’t original anymore, consumers embrace them because they know that the brands have come to mean a rollicking good time. Whenever a company wants a new technology to take off, it can’t forget about the quality of the content that it will enable. If you want to launch a great game console, you have to make great games. This makes plenty of sense, but it’s easy to forget about the quality of content when there are so many other things to worry about, like technology, distribution, business models, and marketing. Netflix may be riding high now, but it won’t last if it can’t get access to the best movies. The Xbox 360 is doing great, but where will its big hits come from if Microsoft allows the best developers — such as Halo creator Bungie — to leave the fold? Another implication of quality is that it will not only help with acquiring new users, it will also help retain them. In 2011, this trend will rule as consumers sniff out the good stuff.
9. Cars drive themselves — For those of you who always wanted a car like David Hasselhoff’s smart car, KITT, from 80s TV show Knight Rider, your dream may be getting close to coming true. 
In a successful end-of-the-year push, the South Korean phonemaker 
Successful exit activity for venture-backed companies rose 25 percent in 2010 from the previous year, reaching levels close to those seen before the recession and netting $39 billion in liquidity for 514 companies, according to 
Facebook is now worth $50 billion, 
We're expecting to see many new tablets and phones this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, and one new player in the market has already made its plans public: Vizio will be rolling out its Via Android phone and tablet later this summer. It’s a bold change for a company best known for bargain-priced HDTVs.
In another first for Toshiba, the company is showing off its concept design for an all-in-one PC. Right now, Toshiba focuses only on selling laptops, not desktop computers. But the all-in-one is becoming much more popular and Toshiba believes it can offer a good product in that segment, said Phil Osaki, product marketing manager at Toshiba’s U.S. division.
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