Tuesday, April 26, 2011

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Google Chrome Can Now Clean Up Flash's Cookie Mess Top
I still don’t particularly like the fact that Google decided to bundle Adobe Flash with their Chrome web browser about a year ago. Apple preference aside, the last thing I want is the buggy, often insecure, and performance killing plug-in shoved in my face . More importantly, I think it’s a maneuver that will only serve to slow the transition to HTML5. But Google has their reasons. And today, we see one of the good ones. Google has maintained since they started bundling Flash that it was mainly to ensure they could make it more secure for their Chrome users. They do this by both sandboxing it and auto-updating it when the security patches regularly appear. But a new feature has just hit the Chrome dev builds which also now allows users to easily clear Flash cookies from within the browser. Normally, when Flash is run as a standalone plug-in (as it is with all other browsers), users have to visit an Adobe website to clear Flash Local Shared Objects (LSOs). In other words, almost no one ever did that. Worse, the vast majority of users probably didn’t realize you even could do this — or that you perhaps should . The newest builds of Chrome now bring this Flash cookie clearing right within the browser settings. In the “Clear Browsing Data” menu area (found at Wrench > Tools > Clear browsing data) you’ll now see the option to “Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data”. Selecting this will include Flash cookies. Better, you can also set up Chrome to clear all plug-in cookie data every time you close Chrome. Other plug-ins will be able to work with this browser feature too if they use the NPAPI ClearSiteData API baked into Chrome (Adobe is now using it with Flash 10.3). So, credit where credit is due — this is a solid move by Google (and Adobe) to further clean up the Flash experience. If they’re going to bolster the plug-in to the detriment of HTML5 ( and ultimately, I think, the web itself ), at least they’re improving it as well. CrunchBase Information Google Chrome Adobe Systems Information provided by CrunchBase
 
Exclusive: The Pioneer AppRadio Will Put The Look Of iOS On Your Dash Top
Pioneer is about ready to launch a car audio head unit that features an GUI remarkable similar to iOS, complete with apps, iTunes, and iPhone connectivity. Meet the Pioneer AppRadio, model number SPH-DA01. This unannounced double-din head unit hit the FCC database yesterday and a tipster wrote in to answer many of our questions. Obviously, given the name, this is a radio designed around iPhone and iPod. The UI features homescreens, each with two rows of three app icons each. (like the mock-up shows) We hear it feels “exactly like the iOS experience” but since it doesn’t actually run iOS we’re mighty curious how the AppRadio will sit with Apple corporate. Read More
 
Gideon Yu: "The Drama Of Being A Venture Capitalist Isn't Really For Me" Top
Gideon Yu, the former CFO of Facebook who left two years ago to become a partner at Khosla Ventures, is leaving venture capital to become the chief strategy officer of the San Francisco 49ers. “The drama of being a venture capitalist isn't really for me,” he tells me. But he insists, “I am absolutely not leaving tech.” Yu will remain on the boards of Square and Meebo, and says he works one day a week at Square. He wants to remain active investing and helping startups, but not as a full-time venture capitalist. One option was to become an affiliate partner, but that didn’t work out. Instead, he plans to keep investing his own money as an angel investor. The rumor in Silicon Valley is that he left Facebook with stock worth $500 million. He won’t comment on his net worth other than to say that he made more than he ever thought he would. Gideon is not universally loved. All it took was a few phone calls to hear rumbles that he was actually pushed out of Facebook and that perhaps the same thing is happening again. Certainly, he can’t seem to hold onto the same job for more than two years, and I’ve heard there was a campaign to actively block him from investing in Foursquare because of his reputation. “I am not pretending that I am a saint or everubody likes me,” he says of all the backbiting. “But there are definitely haters. I just try to add value where I can.” The truth is that it is just not that much fun to be a VC at a firm with a $1 billion fund who needs to put large amounts of capital to work when web startups simply don’t need that much capital. And there are plenty of angel investors and seed funds willing to give them less money. In some ways, Yu is a casualty of the changing structure of the venture capital industry. CrunchBase Information Gideon Yu Khosla Ventures Information provided by CrunchBase
 
Milk Completes $1.5 Million Angel Round, Packed with Valley Names Top
Kevin Rose has completed a hefty $1.5 million angel round for his new mobile development lab, Milk . Rose went for the more-is-more approach, pulling in a wide-syndicate of Valley elites, including TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington . Other angels include Ron Conway, Tim Ferriss, Dave Morin, Philip Rosedale, Evan Williams, Shervin Pishevar, Joshua Schachter, Anthony Casalena, Ashton Kutcher, Philip Kaplan, Chris Sacca, Gary Vanyerchuk, Tony Hsieh, Chamath Palihapitiya, Matt Mullenweg, Matt Williams, Tony Conrad and Rob Hayes. As we predicted, the list is rounded out by Floodgate’s Mike Maples and Greylock’s David Sze, two of Digg’s biggest investors who are betting on Rose again. Missing from the list are a few other Digg angels like Reid Hoffman and Marc Andreessen, but it’s an impressive mix of VCs, angels and Web personalities. Milk has also hired four new people, bringing its team to seven. Jeff Hodsdon, a former engineer at Digg, is joining Rose and Daniel Burka as a co-founder. David Peck and Amber Reyngoudt, co-founders of mobile app shop Skull Ninja, have also joined the company, along with Chris Hutchins, formerly in business development at SimpleGeo. That last one is interesting, as he was seemingly poached from SimpleGeo, where former Digg co-founder Jay Adelson is now the CEO. Last month, Rose said he wanted Milk to stay a skeleton team, and he says he’s likely done hiring. With a mission, office space, cash, and a team, all that’s left are those ambitious mobile products Rose promised when he launched the company last month. We’ll be watching closely. CrunchBase Information Kevin Rose Milk Information provided by CrunchBase
 
Amazon Will Add At Least Nine Fulfillment Centers In 2011 To Meet Demand Top
Amazon reported earnings today , posting strong sales results but missing on net income. Sales came in at $9.86 billion in the first quarter, which is up 38 percent from the same quarter in 2010. On the earnings call CFO Thomas Szkutak said that Amazon is planning to open at least nine fulfillment centers to meet growing demand in sales across the globe. Amazon’s fulfillment centers enables the company and third-party merchants to store inventory and fulfill orders. He says that at least one of the nine fulfillment centers is currently operational, and another one should be up and running imminently. He expects seven more to open this year, and Amazon may add more if demand grows. Amazon currently has over 50 fulfillment centers across the globe. As a basis of comparison, Amazon added 13 fulfillment centers last year. Szkutak seemed optimistic about that with the current growth rate, he expects that Amazon will add more than nine fulfillment centers this year. He says there is more demand for capacity both from Amazon’s core retail business and its fulfillment business for third-party merchants. CrunchBase Information Amazon Information provided by CrunchBase
 
Google Survey: 39 Percent Of Smartphone Owners Use Their Devices In The Bathroom Top
Google recently commissioned a survey (in partnership with market research firm Ipsos OTX) to gain insight into the usage and behavior of U.S. consumers with regard to their smartphones. According to Google, the goal of the research was to understand how smartphones are used in consumer's daily lives and specifically how it has influenced how consumers search, shop and respond to mobile advertising. The study confirms what most of us already know. The report finds that in terms of general usage, 93% of smartphone users use their phones at home; 81% browse the Internet and 77% search on their phones, 72% of smartphone users use their phones while consuming other media. One-third of smartphone owners use their phones while watching TV. And 45% of smartphone consumers use their phones to help them to manage and plan activities, such as for dinner plans, travel arrangements and finances. Google says that 39% admit to having used their smarpthone while going to the bathroom and one in five users would give up their Cable TV in order to keep using their smartphones. Of course, search giant Google examined how smartphone users interact with search. Search is the number one website type visited among smartphone users (77%), and search is used to help consumers access a wide variety of information, including: News (57%), Dining (51%), Entertainment (49%) , Shopping (47%), Technology (32%), Travel (31%), Finance (26%) and Automotive (17%). Nine out of ten smartphone searchers have take action as a result of a mobile search, with over half leading to a purchase (53%). Search also influences other types of actions; for example, 24% have recommended a brand or product to others as result of a smartphone search. And 53% continue to research online by looking for more information on their computers. Local is, unsurprisingly, a huge component in activity on smartphones. For example, 95% of smartphone users have looked for local information. 61% call a business, 59% visit a business and 44% actually make a purchase. And users who are seeking local information are quick to take action—88% of local information seekers take action within a day. In terms of mobile commerce and purchases, it’s no secret that smartphones have become a shopping and purchasing tool. The survey reports that 79% of respondents use their smartphones to help with shopping and 70% use their smartphones while in a store. Of those who do user their smartphone for shopping purchases, 74% of smartphone shoppers wind up making a purchase. Smartphones are influencing purchases across all channels, with 76% purchasing in store, 59% purchasing online via a computer and 35% purchasing on their phones. Interestingly, 27% of smartphone purchases were made through a mobile website and 22% were made through apps. Smartphone shoppers spent a median of $300 on purchases made on their smartphones in the past year. Entertainment, electronics and apparel items lead as the most popular purchased items. Users actually pay attention to and engage with mobile advertising, the report finds. Google reports that 71% of users search on their smartphones because of an ad they saw, whether from traditional media, online ads or mobile ads and 82% of users notice mobile ads. And 42% of those who notice mobile ads click on the ad, 27% contact the business, 35% visit the website and 49% purchase. While this is only a survey, those finds are impressive. CrunchBase Information Google Information provided by CrunchBase
 
YouTube To Partner With Fox In Movie Rental Expansion [Update: Not Yet] Top
As yesterday’s reports of YouTube’s expanded Hollywood partnerships are still making waves, we’re hearing that Twentieth Century Fox will also be making a deal with YouTube to license its movies for YouTube Movies. Fox will be joining Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers and Universal in the initiative, as well as independent studios Lionsgate and Kino Lorber. While there’s still no word on Paramount and Disney, the service will have enough critical mass to launch with Fox’s participation. Fox notably blocked Google TV back in November, so this deal would be a change of tune for the studio in its dealings with Google. Having as many major studios on board for this initiative is crucial, as it means the difference between having inventory that people want to watch and being stuck with  Ronald Reagan: An American Journey. Update: We’re hearing that the plan was to launch next week but there was a clause in the partnership deal that Google could not launch without Fox. According to one source, Google is sending out a release draft of the announcement that has no studio names in it. But if the service is going to launch, that means Fox is on board so it is a process of elimination. Update 2: According to another source, Fox has not yet signed a deal with YouTube. It’s possible that our original source was misinformed as there is a lot of spin going on around this. The leaks today may have been an effort by other studios to get Fox on board. The plan is still to officially announce next week. CrunchBase Information YouTube Google Information provided by CrunchBase
 

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