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The New York Times announces new low-cost curated subscription and Premium plan

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 10:27 am
Posted In: Around the Web, FTMedia2014, Insider

The New York Times Co. Post An 82 Percent Decline In 2nd Quarter Profi
The New York Times is adding two new subscription strings to its proverbial bow, one of which includes a new curated ‘budget’ app targeted specifically at mobile users called NYT Now. Mark Thompson, New York Times’ President and CEO, was in the house today at The Financial Times’ Digital Media 2014 event in London to make the official announcement. The New York Times is often held aloft as the poster child of successful media paywalls after it adopted a metered model to try and tempt more readers from around the world on board. Kicking off on April 2, NYT Now…

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Dots, the addictive mobile game, now lets you compete head-to-head with friends

Mar26
by on March 26, 2014 at 10:22 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Mobile

Dots has been out a while and, though it is a fantastically addictive game — we rate it highly — the nature of mobile gaming dictates that titles get less interesting over time. That’s probably why Betaworks is breathing new life into Dots by adding a challenge mode. The new game format lets you play against friends using Facebook or email. Rather than merely plodding along on your own against the clock, players go head-to-head for 60 seconds. If, like me, you were a fan of the game but found your interest waning as other titles came out, then this…

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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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