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In China, Alibaba now lets you invest money in TV and movie projects

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 10:06 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, Product Launches

Chinese Internet firms are getting more creative at targeting customers with new products — they have rolled out various investment funds and even virtual credit cards which the government put a stop to — and now e-commerce giant Alibaba is letting users invest in TV and movie projects. Alibaba announced today the launch of Yu Le Bao, which lets people invest as little as CNY100 ($16) to earn returns from popular TV and movie projects with expected annualized returns of seven percent. The first batch of projects is accepting pre-orders starting today — users can access the Yu Le Bao page via…

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Tencent increases its focus on mobile gaming with $500m investment in Korea’s CJ Games

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 9:08 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Asia

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Chinese Internet giant Tencent is stepping up its commitment to mobile social games as it announced plans to acquire a 28 percent stake in Korea’s CJ Games for $500 million.  CJ Games is known for its portfolio of mobile games, which includes ‘Taming Monster’ by Seed9, ‘Modoo Marble’ by N2Play, ‘Everybody’s ChaChaCha’ by Turnon Games, and ‘Everybody’s Dungeon King’ by Bluepepper. As part of the deal, CJ Games will also acquire and merge Netmarble, a game distribution division of its parent firm CJ E&M. Tencent already has an extensive history in the gaming industry — considering that it’s already well known for online…

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Chauffeur portal Blacklane officially launches in the UK for upmarket rides in 8 cities

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 9:00 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, UK

Limo
Blacklane, a portal for booking chauffeur-driven cars, has officially launched in the UK today, after sucessfully completing a beta test of the service. First introduced eight months ago, the service allows users to book high-end transport for trips across town (or anywhere else) or to book a driver and car by the hour. It’s currently available for rides in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh or Glasgow. Unlike, say, Hailo or other traditional taxi apps, Blacklane isn’t going after the lower-end of the value chain. Instead, it focuses on high quality vehicles and high value trips. However, similarly to those…

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Selling to Facebook is no longer ‘selling out’ — but you can still expect a backlash

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 8:41 am
Posted In: Around the Web

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Facebook has again created waves in the tech world after announcing a $2 billion deal to acquire Oculus VR, the virtual reality gaming company that began life as a Kickstarter project less than two years ago. The deal has created controversy among Oculus VR’s loyal fanbase, many of whom are wary of Facebook’s ad-based business model and its track record on privacy. Users go head-to-head on a split screen, with the one who racks up the highest score winning. These responses to the Oculus VR blog post announcing the deal are ironically made using Facebook’s comment system — although, on a…

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Google’s new online tools will keep voters in India and Indonesia informed ahead of upcoming polls

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 8:25 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, elections, Google, India, Indonesia

Google Opens New Berlin Office
Google has launched a series of tools as it seeks to make itself useful to 1 billion Indian and Indonesian voters, who are heading to the polls next month. These tools listed on the respective Elections Hub pages provide easier access to the latest news, videos, and practical details about the coming elections. In India, Google has rolled out a series of Hangouts on Air with India’s political leaders. It is also letting Indians submit an interactive Pledge to Vote on the map and make a customizable video to explain the importance of voting. Meanwhile in Indonesia, non-governmental organizations Perludem and The Asia Foundation are using tools on Google Maps…

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