China Mobile Called A Halt to Jego, its One-month-old Skype/WeChat Competitor

China Mobile Called A Halt to its One-month-old Skype/WeChat Competitor, Jego

By Annie Wang on June 24, 2013

China Mobile called a halt to Jego, a Skype-like appreleased early this month, by disabling new user registration and stopping voice and video calling service in mainland China, according to a statement issued by China Mobile International (in Chinese). This has added some more spice to the talking of messaging lovers. This app, at first, aimed to provide users from home and abroad, with free messaging services like text/voice chats, pic sharing, video calls etc. Why was Jego a flash in the pan? Many wondered. Some of the insiders said the mainly cause was the disputes between different departments of China Mobile, as Jego was released and promoted by the Hong Kong-headquartered China Mobile International (in Chinese). Another speculation is the app may cannibalize two of its revenue generators, text message and calling services. China Mobile acknowledged that they were suffering the consequences of the rise free messaging apps, and even wanted to charge WeChat, one of the most popular of the likes. Jego actually was revamped from the push-to-talk software designed for volunteers during 2008 Olympic Games, as disclosed by employees from China Mobile.

Connecting People, Data and Machines: The next great leap in technology will see the Internet play a huge role in production, former China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou says

06.24.2013 17:14

Connecting People, Data and Machines

The next great leap in technology will see the Internet play a huge role in production, former China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou says

By staff reporter Qin Min

(Beijing) — Many company leaders have seen that the development of the Internet is bringing about a new revolution in the means of production. As General Electric chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt has said: “[It is] an open, global network that connects people, data and machines. The Industrial Internet is aimed at advancing the critical industries that power, move and treat the world.” Read more of this post

Uber Continues Asia Expansion With Seoul Test Runs

Uber Continues Asia Expansion With Seoul Test Runs

CATHERINE SHU

posted 2 hours ago

Uber has begun testing its taxi calling app in Seoul, the startup’s second stop in Asia.

Uber has been promoting its app and premium car service in South Korea since the beginning of May, right after it started looking for a community manager and operations manager in Seoul. The San Francisco-based company kicked off its Asia expansion with the start of its Singapore trials in January.

Uber launched its testing phase in trendy Gangnam district with its first celebrity passenger, footballer and Olympic medalist Koo Ja-cheol. The company will spend the next few weeks testing out its operations in South Korea’s capital with a limited fleet of cars. Read more of this post

What is behind Snapchat’s $800 million valuation?

What is behind Snapchat’s massive valuation?

By Dan Primack June 24, 2013: 1:25 PM ET

Venture capitalists have valued Snapchat at more than $800 million. Why?

FORTUNE — Snapchat is one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile apps, with users sharing more than 200 million “snaps” per day. For the uninitiated (or those over 30), “snaps” are instant messages/photos that self-destruct ten seconds or less after being viewed.

It also has one of the mobile world’s fastest-growing valuations, with multiple reports out today that the company has raised $60 million in new VC funding at an $800 million pre-money valuation (the company confirmed the deal, sans financial specifics).

What Snapchat doesn’t have yet, however, is revenue. Nor does it have easily identifiable paths to revenue. Read more of this post

Oracle’s Power of Prophecy Fades; corporate customers are struggling to organize data that aren’t so easily structured but Oracle databases are suited best to information that is easily categorized in rows and columns

June 24, 2013, 5:33 p.m. ET

Oracle’s Power of Prophecy Fades

By ROLFE WINKLER

Larry Ellison says his products aren’t the problem. Except that they are. What’s worse for investors, Oracle may be making imprudent investments as a result.

Explaining why his company missed its own fiscal fourth-quarter targets, Oracle’s chief executive pointed to “weakness” across each of the company’s core offerings. “So it was clearly an economic issue,” he said, “not a product competitive issue.” Read more of this post

Hulu Faces a Nebulous Future as It Seeks a New Owner

June 23, 2013

Hulu Faces a Nebulous Future as It Seeks a New Owner

By AMY CHOZICK and BRIAN STELTER

This year Hulu reached a milestone: viewers streamed more than one billion videos on the site in a single three-month period.

But the valedictory lap did not last long. Even as the number of views were adding up, so were concerns within the company about the site’s future. Read more of this post

Fab.com’s Ascent to $1 Billion Valuation Brings Missteps

Fab.com’s Ascent to $1 Billion Valuation Brings Missteps

Fab.com Inc., valued at more than $1 billion dollars after just two years in existence, is suffering growing pains from its rapid expansion as it applies a culture of meticulous control to a global business.

The online retailer — a darling of the New York startup scene for its uniquely designed home goods, art and jewelry — has made five acquisitions, expanded its staff to 650 people and spent tens of millions of dollars on marketing. It’s also lost or fired at least 11 of its executives in the past year and missed its targets for revenue by almost 20 percent. Read more of this post

Microsoft Web-based computing service will start offering Oracle database as an option as the companies cast aside a longstanding rivalry to attract businesses moving their software online

Microsoft Joins Oracle in Cloud-Computing, Rivalry Thaws

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s Web-based computing service will start offering Oracle Corp. (ORCL)’s database as an option as the companies cast aside a longstanding rivalry to attract businesses moving their software online.

Microsoft will offer businesses using its Windows Azure cloud-computing service the ability to run Oracle’s widely used database software, application-connecting middleware and Java programming tools, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer and Oracle co-President Mark Hurd said in a statement. Read more of this post

Apple Falls Below $400 Amid IPhone Slump, low morale causing employee departures.

Apple Falls Below $400 Amid IPhone Slump, Worker Exits

Apple Inc (AAPL). dipped below $400 for the first time since April as a glut of unsold iPhones prompted Jefferies & Co. to lower its target price, and Global Equities Research said low morale is causing employee departures.

Apple, the world’s most valuable technology company, fell 2.7 percent to $402.54 at the close in New York, after earlier dropping as low as $398.05. The shares have declined 24 percent this year, compared with a 10 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Read more of this post