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August 27, 2008

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Cisco to Acquire PostPath for $215 million
CNET
Cisco Systems announced Wednesday plans to acquire e-mail and calendaring software maker PostPath in a $215 million deal. The acquisition, which is scheduled to close by the end of October, is designed to bolster Cisco’s collaboration portfolio by including PostPath’s Linux-based e-mail and calendaring software with Cisco’s “software as a service” platform. Cisco’s collaborative platform includes instant messaging, voice, video, data, document management, and Web 2.0 applications. PostPath will be folded into Cisco’s Collaboration Software Group.
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WPP Bid for TNS Gets Boost
BROADCASTING & CABLE
Ad agency holding company giant WPP got encouraging news for its $2 billion unsolicited takeover bid for marketing data outfit Taylor Nelson Sofres, when a friendly TNS merger with GfK unraveled, reports indicate Wednesday. German based media information outfit GfK is poised to withdraw its merger agreement after being unable to secure financing, reports indicate. That gives WPP a clear path to press its own TNS offer consisting of $3.20 cash and 0.1889 of its own shares for each TNS share.
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TiVo Offers Entertainment Weekly Recommendations
REUTERS
Digital video recorder maker TiVo Inc is set to enter into an agreement with Time Warner’s Entertainment Weekly that will allow its users to automatically record shows suggested by the magazine’s staff, the Wall Street Journal said.TiVo expects to make the announcement on Wednesday, the paper said.The alliance is part of a push by TiVo to differentiate itself from digital video recorders offered by cable companies, which have managed to find a bigger audience.
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Warner Bros. Launches TheWB.com
SILICON ALLEY INSIDER
Today Warner Bros unveils TheWB.com. The major difference between the new site and those like ABC’s and Hulu, the Fox/NBC JV: There isn’t a WB broadcast network anymore. The network, which never had substantial ratings, folded into UPN in 2006 to create The CW. That looks like a disastrous move now, given the even smaller ratings at the CW. So Warner Bros. understandably wants to revive a brand it thinks still resonates with the 18-34 demo.
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blinkx Partners with Getty Images
TECHADDRESS
Multimedia search provider blinkx has announced a distribution partnership with Getty Images today. The partnership brings blinkx search technology to the Getty Images database. Apparently it’s easier to search for images on Getty using the blinkx search rather than the search on the Getty Images site. blinkx will use their ad platform, AdHoc, to serve ads next to the images from the Getty Images library. Revenue will be shared between both companies. Last month blinkx made an offer to acquire Miva and this year they have formed a variety of partnerships with Revision3 and the BBC.
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The Onion Launches CitySearch Competitor
TECHCRUNCH
America’s Finest News Source has launched Decider , a local entertainment site that includes interviews, event information, and restaurant reviews. The site is initially launching with content for Chicago , with plans to support more cities over the next few months.The site has a clean (albeit somewhat generic) interface, with integrated Google Maps pinpointing each reviewed restaurant and a calendar for upcoming events. In addition to regular editorial content, users will be allowed to post their own reviews and comments.
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Report: Russia has Fastest Growing Internet Population in Europe
CENTER NETWORKS
ComScore has released new stats for European Internet usage based on their World Metrix audience measurement service today. The report shows that Russia is leading Europe in Internet audience growth followed by France, Spain and Ireland. Russia’s Internet audience grew 27% from June 2007-June 2008. As for Internet penetration in Europe, The Netherlands leads with 82% of the total population online. The Netherlands is followed by Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Switzerland.
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Report: Data Shows US Mobile Data Usage Ready to Pass the UK
VENTUREBEAT
Before long, the United States may become the world’s top user of the web on mobile devices, according to analytics and billing firm Bango. The company is releasing figures this morning showing the US at almost 19 percent of the world total, just short of the top country, the United Kingdom, which has about 19.4 percent.In terms of absolute growth in each country, the US is growing much more quickly than the UK. Bango estimates that might happen within several weeks, as the trend picks up pace in the States.
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Lifetime Networks Acquires ParentsClick Network
PAIDCONTENT
Lifetime Networks’s digital push continues with its first acquisition-picking up privately held ParentsClick Network, Inc. both for its technology and its content. With it, Lifetime now is a player in the parenting and moms online category.The sites include MothersClick.com, which provides tools to find or start groups and share info, and MomBlogNetwork.com, a content aggregator and promoter with more than 2,500 registered blogs. ParentsClick’s dowry includes more than 200 parenting-related domain names. Terms weren’t disclosed.
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Surfing on the Sly with IE8’s New “InPrivate” Internet
ARS TECHNICA
In the run up to the release of the second beta of Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft has described a couple of new privacy features that will be in its new browser. Under the new InPrivate branding, IE8 will include a privacy mode to allow browsing without leaving a trace (”InPrivate Browsing”), along with a feature to block the various mechanisms used to track users across websites (”InPrivate Blocking”). These new features are part of Microsoft’s continuing Trustworthy Computing initiative to ensure that software and websites respect the user’s privacy.
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Dizzywood Raises $1 Million for Kids Virtual Worlds
PAIDCONTENT
Dizzywood, a new virtual worlds startup for kids, has raised $1 million from the European Founders Fund, citing a regulatory filing. The SF-based company has previously announced funding from Charles River Ventures and Shelby Bonnie. The company was founded by Scott Arpajian, longtime head of CNET’s Download.com, Sean Uberoi Kelly (ex-Wallop) and Ken Marden, previously at Hasbro.
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Zapoint Raises First Round for Talent Management Software
VENTUREBEAT
Zapoint represents job applicants with more than just a single number. Instead, there’s a graph called the Lifechart, which shows how many professional, educational and personal “zapoints” you’re worth and how that value has changed over time. The chart has a compelling simplicity. If the Lifechart is as accurate as Zapoint claims, it may provides a lot of useful information at a glance – arguably more than a resume.
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