Sparks continue to fly between ES 2013 organizers and the good folks at Ouya who set up shop in the parking lot. At the peak of the brouhaha on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department was called out to investigate Ouya’s unofficial booth across the street from the official ESA event being held in the Los Angeles Convention center.

As Ouya had announced in late May, the Android microconsole makers decided to host a three day event showcasing their work. The Kickstarter funded company claimed that they wanted to circumvent the industry-focused nature of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) event by refusing to rent space inside.

Kellee Santiago, Ouya head of developer relations, said at the time, “You’ll be able to demo your games to media, E3 2013 attendees and random people on the street who want to see what all the buzz is about. We’re going all out to ensure we get the best equipment, and we’re also engineering it with the elements of an outside location in mind.”

That’s all well and good, but where I come from it’s usually considered pretty unethical to cheat a big event’s organizers by keeping the booth fees in your pocket and holding your own sale or demonstration in the parking lot.

On the craft show circuit, they’ll just call security and if you don’t leave, it’s time for the police to ticket you and haul you off. But I guess it’s more complicated in the wild west game console development world.

ESA responded by renting the space directly in front of the proposed Ouya booth and parking a couple of semi-trailer trucks around it to block the convention attendees’ view of Ouya’s unusual location.

Ouya responded by renting the space around the trucks and hanging banners to direct people to their spot.

ESA then called LAPD. According to Ouya founder Julie Uhrman, the police officers checked her permits and then agreed that she was legal to keep the booth in that location.

It’s over to you guys at E3 2013, but I’d say that apparently Ouya actually does have permits and/or you guys didn’t pay off the right people to protect your convention in the first place.

What are your thoughts on the E3 2013 Ouya parking lot scuffle?

[ouya pinball game photo courtesy Ouya]

E3 2013: Ouya Parking Lot Conflict, Cops Called Out [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

SolePower shoe is a device that charges your phone while you walk – a possible lifesaver if your phone is about to die and you still have a few blocks before you reach your destination.

The device itself is an insole that fits into your shoe, capable of charging portable devices such as cell phones, MP3 players, and GPS units. An electrical wire runs from the SolePower insole, via your shoe and out through the laces. This wire connects to a portable battery that can be strapped to the side of the shoe, or around your ankle.

Just by walking around, the insole converts the energy from each of your steps into usable electricity, which is transferred to the portable battery. This can then be plugged into a device such as your cell phone – allowing you to make that all important call. Clearly a much better solution than finding an electrical outlet and sitting beside it for 10-20 minutes while your phone charges.

Right now, the sole prototype is rated to last 100 million steps. The ultimate aim SolePower is to develop a shoe that charges your iPhone while you walk – 2.5 miles for a full charge to be precise.

The startup began as a design project at Carnegie Mellon University and the team is now continuing development through Pittsburgh-based incubator called AlphaLab. The startup also hopes to mimic the success of TOMS Shoes’ buy-one-send-one offering by allowing customers to buy two pairs and send one to a developing nation.

SolePower is also using Kickstarter to try and raise $50,000 of funding, money that would allow further development of their prototype and help finalize the shoe. A limited number of backers who pledge at least $100 can be among the first to get the SolePower insole.

A shoe that chargers your phone while you walk could be a lifesaver, would you buy one of SolePower’s products?

SolePower Shoe Charges Your Phone While You Walk is a post from: The Inquisitr

Photo sharing service Albumatic has raised $4.5 million in a new round of funding. The company’s new cash flow was discovered in a recent SEC filing.

Named in the filing are RRE Ventures co-founder and principal Adam Ludwin and RRE managing partner Stuart Ellman.

Launched just three weeks ago the company’s Form D filing revealed that ten unnamed investors had already put cash into the startup. The company also reveals that of the $4.5 million in funding $4,045,002 has been sold.

Very few other details about the company’s funding round have been released at this time.

If you are unfamiliar with the platform, it allows users to share pictures with friends based on a specific event. Nearby friends can join in the “conversation” by adding more photos to event albums. Users far away can then watch the event album as it is created in real-time.

A real-time photo album tool is a unique idea and the fact that Albumatic is focused on the event and not creating friends connections that you barely utilize is a unique approach.

As Ludwin explains Albumatic is a “fun and done” platform that brings a new element to photo sharing.

Albumatic couldn’t arrive on the social platform scene at a better time. Social photo sharing platforms are attempting to redefine the space with new features and deeper social integration. Yahoo owned Flickr recently rolled out hashtag and photo filtering support and Twitter now operates its own photo hosting service.

The big underlying question will be whether or not users will invest themselves in yet another platform that shares their multimedia. Users will first need to find the value in returning to a platform that touts its ability to post an event and then be “done” with it.

In any case, the Albumatic platform offers a beautiful user UI and easy event album creation which should help users feel right at home with the platform should they choose to give it a try.

Have you tried out the Albumatic experience? What do you think of the platforms unique take on traditional social photo sharing?

Albumatic Photo Sharing Service Raises $4.5 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

Education startup Babbel is wasting no time in its attempts to develop an international presence. The company on Thursday announced the acquisition of San Francisco based PlaySay.

An announcement from PlaySay on its website announced the acquisition and asks its users to give Babbel.com a try.

The move by Babbel will allow it to expand internationally, a big part of the company’s strategy for growth.

PlaySay is a social language learning app for the iPhone that uses real conversations and pronunciation feedback from native speakers of each language it teached.

Babbel currently has a worldwide reach that now includes more than 15 million users. Babbel CEO Markus Witte has announced that the company has already received more than 8 million downloads of its mobile apps. Babbel’s business has been increasing annually by an average of 200 percent.

PlaySay, in the meantime, is a veteran service in terms of the mobile space. The company was founded by Ryan Meinzer in 2008. PlaySay Inc. would go on to become a finalist at the 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt conference. PlaySay ultimately became the #1 rated app in the education category in the USA and nine other countries.

In announcing the acquisition, Markus Witte proclaimed, “Education is going mobile. This acquisition represents a continuation of our strategy to offer a complete range of mobile solutions to language learning and the possibility to leverage market share in the US.”

Ryan Meinzer is joining the Babble.com team to help run Babbel’s US operations.

In its press release, Babbel writes:

“With an affordable price point and focus on mobile,babbel.com is poised to usurp giants like Rosetta Stone who have neglected the majority of the users in the USA market that spend <$100/year on self-study language learning products. The winner of the race in language learning software will be the one that does mobile the best and babbel.com will be well positioned in the principle USA market armed with the acquisition of PlaySay.”

PlaySay will leave its application running for at least 45 days.

Babbel Has Acquired Language Learning App PlaySay is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kim Dotcom and the team at MEGA have launched a Firefox add-on that allows users to easily upload their files to the new file storage platform.

The browser extension has already been “preliminary reviewed” by Mozilla and has been labeled as “secure and invisible.”

Firefox users who have already registered with MEGA will be prompted to download and install the add-on right when they launch the Firefox browser.

According to MEGA, the dialog box that pops up promises “vastly improved download performance” and will allow users to “batch-download an unlimited number of files without any size restrictions.”

So far, more than one million users have uploaded more than 50 million files to the company’s new cloud storage services. MEGA is offering a whopping 50GB of storage for free users, far eclipsing the likes of Dropbox and Microsoft Skydrive.

MEGA already offers a web based browser file system and a download app for Google Android smartphones.

In announcing the new Firefox add-on, Kim Dotcom sent out the following tweet:

Firefox is now #MEGA. Install our extension and enjoy blazing transfer speeds. On your next visit you will get an option to install it

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) February 9, 2013

MEGA is already a far different platform compared to Kim Dotcom’s former MegaUpload service. Unlike the former, the new platform actively stops illegal file sharing and focuses on user and enterprise services that are fully encrypted directly from a users browser window.

Will you be taking advantage of the new MEGA Firefox add-on for your file storage needs?

Kim Dotcom’s MEGA Launches Firefox Extension is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tailly the wearable tail is probably one of the weirdest fashion gadgets you’ll see in a while.

Tailly is a wearable belt “which uses sensors on the inside of the belt to measure the user’s heart rate. Normally the tail hangs down, but when the user gets excited and their heart rate increases, the tail starts wagging, and when they calm down and their heart rate decreases, the tail swings slowly.”

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, wearable devices that measure brainwaves and other biological features are starting to become popular. The InterAxon Muse allows users to control their tablets and smartphones with just their minds. But such devices can also have applications in the fashion scene.

The creator of Tailly, Shota Ishiwatari, has development experience with neurowear like the already available Necomimi, a set of brainwave controlled cat ears (and now devil horns). He seems to believe the world of automated appendages should not stop at the head. After working with Neurowear and NeuroSky, he has struck out on his own to create the Tailly.

The Tailly project is advertising itself through Indiegogo, which is a crowd funding website similar to Kickstarter except that it’s usually easier to get a project funded on a smaller scale. The Tailly project has a fundraising goal of $50,000, which would allow the Tailly project to deliver their Taillys to supporters in September 13. The manufacturing cost of their initial lot of Taillys is actually $100,000, but they have negotiated with a trading company to contribute the other half of the project cost if the fundraising goal is met.

While I’m sure Tailly might become a niche success in the USA if sold at a retail outlet like Hot Topic, I’m not sure well it’ll do otherwise. The furries will of course be buying one to compliment their full body animal costumes.

What do you think about the wearable tail belt gadget called Tailly?

Tailly…. First the ears, now the tail. Personal cyber-animatronics on the move. #furry http://t.co/QY4GhOmB

— Space Marine Krin (@Krin_o_o_) January 30, 2013

Tailly, The Wearable Tail That Wags When You’re Excited is a post from: The Inquisitr

Though it isn’t strictly new, Twonky is an often-overlooked (and free) app that allows a user to seamlessly share any type of media content across any device in a wireless-connected home.

Available for iOS and Android, Twonky users are able to transfer online video content from a tablet or mobile device to a television at the touch of a button. The app works with just about every living room device you can imagine, including the Xbox 360 video game console, Roku streaming players, Apple TV, AT&T U-verse, multiple types of connected televisions, and legacy DLNA devices.

Twonky works across brands, bridging the gap between your mobile devices and your home entertainment system. Imagine sitting on your couch playing with your smartphone or reading a book on a tablet or iPad. Someone sends you a trending video link on YouTube, or the website to a movie you’re looking forward goes live with the trailer. Using Twonky Beam, all you do is press “beam,” and you’re watching it on your flatscreen TV a few feet away in all its HD glory.

You can beam music or photos from devices in the home network, browse for online content, find new videos, and best of all, you don’t need to fumble with an HDMI cord to plug your laptop into the computer. You don’t even have to get up. Just “beam” and connect your smartphone or tablet to your nearest home TV.

Oh, and as we mentioned above, Twonky Beam is free. You can download here.

Here’s a demo video:

CES 2013: Twonky Beam Broadcasts Content To All Devices, And It’s Free [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Muse from InterAxon is a brainwave-sensing headband that offers “Thought Controlled Computing” to the masses. Crowdfunded startup InterAxon announced plans to begin selling Muse to consumers in spring 2013.

According to Tech Spot, InterAxon has been around since 2007, but they will be the first company to offer a commercially viable device for Thought Controlled Computing. The idea is that the Muse headband will interpret electromagnetic waves emitted by the human brain. The headband then uses Bluetooth to connect to your tablet or smartphone to allow for advanced functionality.

The asking price for the Muse will only be $199. For anyone wanting to save money now they’ll have until December 7 to make a contribution to the startup’s Indigogo crowdfunding campaign. A contribution of $135 or higher will guarantee contributors at least one Muse headband of their own when the brainy device finally ships.

InterAxon has previously demonstrated mind-controlled objects and thought-driven games with the funniest example being a mind-controlled beer tap. InterAxon says over the next 10 years, it’ll be focusing on brain-controlled toys, games, and more. In the past, I’ve seen similar products intended for PC gaming, which allows users to control First Person Shooters such as Halo with thoughts and eye movements.

Currently, mentally manipulating objects with Muse is something that’s still in its infancy. There is also a learning curve to properly using such devices for advanced tasks. In the long term, InterAxon hopes this device might help disabled people who are physically limited. A future Muse headband might allow a disabled person to drive and steer an electric wheelchair … perhaps even a car.

Because of these limitations, InterAxon is currently marketing the Muse as a useful brain training tool. When Muse wearers are intensely focused, feeling relaxed, glowing with happiness, or floundering off task, the headband will be able to tell. One funny feature was the ability to write mood-colored texts, so the recipient gets an idea of how you’re feeling. InterAxon says the Muse can provide cues for when users lose focus on important tasks. For business managers, this feature could be a valuable tool for developing better productivity habits.

Here is hoping that The Inquistir slav … editors, cough, do not discover the Muse as a means to increasing writer productivity. Then again, if the Muse ever gets to the point of allowing for hands and voice free typing, then I will probably be the first person in line.

InterAxon Muse: Brainwave Headband Offers Thought Controlled Computing is a post from: The Inquisitr

Penfield, New York- Sometimes all you want is a good cuddle and Jackie Samuel is here to help fulfill that need with her new business, The Snuggery. You can get an hour’s worth of non-sexual snuggling and cuddling for $60.

Samuel, a 29 year-old University of Rochester graduate looking to master in social work, started The Snuggery last month with the ending of her spring semester, reports the Henrietta post, and it’s already gathering national attention. Jackie has been on Fox News, CNN, and she is set to appear on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” and Sirius XM Radio’s Playboy Radio channel. But Samuel had no idea it would take off like it has.

“What I like to do is cuddle, so I figured it was a good thing to do. A lot of people didn’t like the idea so I figured it would be kind of an underground small-scale operation and provide a little extra income.”

She started dabbling with the business idea at the start of grad school just for something interesting to do. Samuel and her sister even tried selling hugs on the street once for a dollar each, they made $80 in an hour.

Samuel’s main reason for starting the Snuggery? According to the Snuggery Site:

“Jacqueline established The Snuggery because she believes in the healing power of touch. The Snuggery is a place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life and focus on the simple restorative pleasure of touch. Though science has unquestionably supported the psychological and physical benefits of non-sexual touch, Americans distinctly lack it. It’s time for change. At The Snuggery, Jacqueline provides individuals with private snuggling sessions. She aims to make the world a gentler place, one snuggle at a time.”

Samuel tells the Metro though she has been unable to find a way to get certified for her snuggle sessions, The Snuggery owner has studied the “Cuddle Sutra.” While she is open to the more than 100 positions detailed in the book, she generally just does what comes naturally.

“There are different kinds of cuddling positions, but I typically always start out spooning and I am pretty small, so usually I’m the little spoon…It tends to be pretty improvisational.”

Would you pay for a good cuddle?

The Snuggery: Jackie Samuel Snuggles With You For $60 An Hour is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paydiant has announced that they have raised $12 million toward their white label mobile payments and offers program.

The Boston-based company was helped by Stage 1 Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners, who pooled funds together, allowing the startup to raise $7.6 million in February 2011, according to ZD Net.

Paydiant announced Tuesday that the company will use the money for product development, sales, and marketing efforts. BostInno reports that Chris Gardner, co-founder of Paydiant, explained the company’s purpose by saying:

“Consumers want to be able to pay with their mobile phones. It’s a huge market opportunity but the most hyped approaches have some fundamental stumbling blocks. One, they require merchants to upgrade their point-of-sale infrastructure at a huge cost. Two, they require retailers and banks to share an incredibly valuable asset – their customer transaction data. Paydiant gives retailers and banks control over this critical customer touch point and all the incremental revenue and customer loyalty opportunities that come with it. We believe this approach will accelerate the adoption of mobile payments and offer redemption and all the advantages they offer for consumers and retailers.”

The platform will provide banks and retailers with a motile payment solution, which will help them quickly move out a branded, contactless mobile wallet, mobile payment, and cash access platform, which will appeal to users who want to make payments using their phones. David Baum, Managing Director at Stage 1 Ventures, who helped with the latest round of funding, stated:

“Stage 1 Ventures has a number of investments in the retail offers and mobile offers arena. We believe that Paydiant’s solution is unique in its ability to deliver integrated mobile payment, offer redemption, and e-receipts today, and have it work with the payment terminals and smartphones available both today and in the future. It’s very well positioned.”

Venture Beat notes that Paydiant is in regional trials with five of the 15 top U.S. banks, and will begin to work on gathering retail partners with the new funding for its mobile payments platform.

Mobile Payments Platform Paydiant Raises $12 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

Video conferencing company Blue Jeans Network announced on Wednesday that it has raised $25 million in a joint effort put forth by NEA, Accel and Norwest Venture Partners.

A large chunk of the newly raised capital will go into an advertising campaign meant to woo corporate customers away from their current enterprise solutions for video conferencing and towards the Blue Jeans Network.

The Blue Jeans Network already features a giant billboard in San Francisco and the goal will now be to woo firms away from pure audio conferencing to an affordable video conferencing network. Among its clients are Facebook and Match.com.

With its new funding in hand the Blue Jeans Network has now raised nearly $50 million.

Using it’s already earned funding the Blue Jeans Network recently launched a browser-based conferencing solution that is inter-operable with Skype, Google Hangouts, Polycom and Cisco. The Blue Jeans Network has also added the ability to create customized log-in pages and single sign-on for employees. In announcing its new $25 million in funding ($48.5 million through series C funding) the company also announced that the beta version of its browser program was now available for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari.

The company’s newest and most affordable product to date is meant to end the reign of MCUs or Multipoint Control Units which can cost $250,000. Company’s using the Blue Jeans Network video-conferencing service can buy plans starting at just $299 per port (per party involved in each call).

Do you think the Blue Jeans Network will have a successful run? Considering its founder has already successfully sold two company’s to Cisco I’m not going to bet against it.

Blue Jeans Network Raises $25 Million, Announces Web Browser Beta Program is a post from: The Inquisitr

Reddit has blossomed into one of the largest website destinations in the world and through its use may social issues have been addressed, friendships have been formed and problems have been solved. It’s the latter outcome of Reddit that has led the Pentagon into building a Defense Department-approved version of Reddit called “Eureka.”

The new website according to Defense News will launch next month and instead of sharing strange stories from Gawker and naked photos inside sub-reddits, the website will focus on solving real-time issues brought forth by military members who will each be given access to the platform via a personal account.

The goal is to have military members post and vote on problems hindering military efficiency. The more upvotes a problem gets the faster it will be looked at and suggestions will be considered.

According to one military official:

“Sometimes we need that infusion of great ideas coming in from an external source.”

To keep military members active on the website the Pentagon is taking the idea of Reddit one step further, offering competition and even compensation for troop members who come up with good ideas and post on a regular basis.

One skeptic of the program is Reddit’s general manager who tells Wired:

“It could be powerful if done right, but getting the critical mass of active engagement necessary to make something like this work is tough.”

Whether or not the program will be a success doesn’t really matter, what does matter is that the military after years of overspending and inefficiency is finally trying to find 21st century solutions for 19th century problems.

Pentagon Building Its Own Military Version Of Reddit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Red Sox Legend and three time World Series champion, Curt Schilling is basically flat broke after investing his baseball fortune in his own video game outfit 38 Studios. 38 Studios filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 7th. The company’s inability to raise funds cost them about 400 jobs and $75 million dollars from taxpayers due to loan guarantees from the government of Rhode Island.

The Company had used projected future sales to pay off current debt obligations, a formula which has investors calling for Schilling’s head and saying he ran a Ponzi scheme. The company had an asset base of $21.7 million dollars and liabilities of $150 million to the State of Rhode Island and more than 1,000 investors.

Schilling told his family recently that he had put more than $50 million dollars, money he had earned playing baseball, into the company and that it was all gone. The Games Industry International reported Schilling as saying,

“The money I saved and earned playing baseball is probably all gone. Life is going to be different,”

Schilling almost had a light at the end of the tunnel. An investor nearly wrote a check for about $15 million, to be raised to $20 million if Rhode Island offered 38 Studios $6 million in tax credits and renegotiated its loan guarantee so that the investor would be among the first to be repaid. The State of Rhode Island refused to agree to those types of terms.

Schilling claims that a public announcement by Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee that the Company was close to insolvency scared away investors and caused the $35 million dollar deal 38 Studios had with Electronic Arts for release of “Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning” to fall apart.

Sales from the action-packed sequel couldn’t be tapped for dividend payouts because 38 Studios had to repay Electronic Arts, which had issued the company an advance in March 2010.

Red Sox Legend Curt Schilling Accused of Running a Ponzi Scheme is a post from: The Inquisitr

Startup company Übi is using Microsoft Kinect technology in a new and exciting way that could point to the future of business and school based presentations. By connecting its own software and hardware to the Kinect system and a computer Übi has managed to turn any surface into an interactive touchscreen.

Based out on Munich the startup claims that its technology can be applied to virtually any surface, allowing for interactive touchscreen presentations without the need for a clicker, mouse, pointer or any other type of hardware based device.

Übi built its system using Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows software development kit and the project was partially funded by Microsoft’s Kinect Accelerator program.

Übi uses the Kinect to capture images and then its own software analyzes and processes those images in order to create a touch-friendly display. The software generates commands from gestures which allows users to click, drag and edit screen elements as if they were doing so on a traditional touchscreen based device.

According to the startup the software can be retrofitted into any existing projection system without too much effort.

The Übi project is still in development and the company is not offering any hints at the availability of the system although it claims the platform will have a low cost of acquisition once ready for mass sales.

Here’s a diagram that provides a basic explanation of the Übi systems setup:

Is the Übi Kinect touchscreen system you would be willing to use for business or school presentations?

[via WiredUK]

Übi Turns Any Surface Into A Touchscreen Using Microsoft Kinect is a post from: The Inquisitr

Peter Thiel, who launched PayPal with two other associates, wants to “launch” another venture: A floating, visa-free city in international waters for start-up entrepreneurs from around the world to do their thing without interference from government regulations.

The libertarian-minded Thiel is putting big bucks into Blueseed, a company that aims to build a high-tech offshore luxury barge in the Pacific Ocean by 2014.

The artificial city will anchor some 12 nautical miles from the Northern California coast–thereby placing it outside U.S. jurisdiction–which would, however, allow global entrepreneurs to enter the U.S. mainland if necessary on a six-month business visa to work with their American counterparts in Silicon Valley.

According to the Blueseed website, “Instead of reinventing the wheel, Blueseed will extend Silicon Valley to the world, fueling innovation, economic growth, and job creation that would otherwise not exist due to immigration restrictions.”

Under the plan, entrepreneurs accepted by Blueseed will need to pay about $1,600 a month in some combination of rent and equity to live and work there. Yahoo reports that “The Blueseed vessel will be more of a floating city than an actual ship, and will come complete with work and living spaces, outdoor areas, and sports and leisure activities. ”

Blueseed claims that the venture will offer…

living and office space in an elegantly designed modern tech environment so compelling that it will be called the “Googleplex of the Sea”, attracting top entrepreneurial and technology talent from all over the world to Silicon Valley, where they can create companies and jobs, and develop disruptive and innovative technologies.

Do you think that this seaborne start-up incubator will actually ever get built and if so, will it serve to fundamentally enhance innovation as intended?

PayPal Co-Founder Peter Theil’s Plan For a Modern-Day Atlantis is a post from: The Inquisitr

A thirteen-year-old girl has launched a potentially lucrative business built around her innovative cure for hiccups.

Kievman’s idea for a hiccup cure came after she was afflicted with a stubborn case of the hiccups two years ago and decided to test a number of folk remedies from sipping water out of an upside-down cup to drinking salt water. Eventually, after curing her hiccups, the future doctor combined her three favorites in order to form her own patent pending cure for the annoying ailment.

Her three part cure is composed of sugar, apple cider vinegar, and lollipops. While she claims she is still in the process of “tweaking the taste,” her invention has already received a considerable amount of attention and resulted in her enlistment of M.B.A. students, who will assist with launching her start-up.

Hiccupops is the name of the innovative new hiccup-stopping lollipops which are scheduled to hit the market this summer.

A serial entrepreneur, Danny Briere, who founded Startup Connecticut, currently has Mallory Kievman’s new company in their start-up incubator. Briere was quoted by the NY Times having said:

“It’s very rare, when you’re evaluating businesses, that you can envision a company or product being around 100 years from now. Hiccupops is one of those things. It solves a very simple, basic need.”

After meeting with Mallory at the annual Connecticut Invention Convention last spring, Briere stated:

“I went there, and I knew it would either be a hit or a miss project. People would either like it, or they would think I was crazy.”

What do you think of Kievman’s hiccup curing lollipop, Hiccupops?

Mallory Kievman’s Hiccupop: 13-Year-Old CEO Invents Cure For Hiccups is a post from: The Inquisitr

Draw Something, a smartphone game by Omgpop which quickly became the most popular game on Facebook since its release, has proven once again that in the fast-paced world of technology start-ups, those with a good idea can go from rags to riches in a short period of time. As was the case with Draw Something’s makers Omgpop, who were purchased by social games giant Zynga Inc. last week for an astounding $180 million.

Zynga, a company perhaps best recognized for their hit social games such as FarmVille and Words With Friends, claims that the Draw Something game has been downloaded in excess of 35 million times since the game was released on February 6, 2012.

Charles Forman founded the New York-based company behind the Draw Something game and it wasn’t exactly what you might have in mind. The company, Omgpop, originally started out as a dating website at which users could auction themselves. In regards to the original website which started it all, Forman was quoted by the NY Times saying:

“The entire company started as a joke, honestly.”

Eventually, Forman decided to capitalize his dating website’s audience by converting the website into a game site which was then renamed Omgpop.

Omgpop was able to raise $17 million in investment capital to fuel the creation of roughly 35 games. Up until now, the company appeared to be well on track to running out of money later this year. Were it not for the incredible success of Draw Something, the company could have very well been shut down.

While Forman had no direct involvement in the development of the Draw Something game, perhaps due to his leaving the company a year ago, he did maintain his stake in the company which has left with what he says is “way more” than $22 million. Forman was quoted saying:

“I had $1,700 in my bank account yesterday, and now I have a whole lot more.”

What do you think of Zynga’s recent acquisition of Omgpop and Charles Forman’s overnight success?

Draw Something Video Review:

Zynga Purchases ‘Draw Something’ Maker Omgpop For $180 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ya, ya, the name alone will probably send scads of you into fits of snickering but this is some serious stuff folks. This isn’t just some knock off or parody site you know, this is all about the serious business of making adult entertainment items. After all why should Kickstarter have all the fun.

Now that the snickering has stopped (at least until I type in Offbeatr again) this project is very similar to the whole Kickstarter idea wit hthe idea of being a legitimate platform for the adult entertainment industry.

Projects in Offbeatr get their own project page and like Kickstarter people can pledge money to the projects and if the project gets the funding within the specified time period then the users will be charged the amount of their pledge.

Offbeatr is a project from Extra Lunch Money (NSFW) and while CEO Ben Tao admits that there is not really anything original about his idea he also says that there is nothing like this for the adult industry, hence the creation of Offbeatr.

You will need to request an invite in order to participate on the site.

via Geekosystem

Porn gets their own version of Kickstarter called Offbeatr is a post from: The Inquisitr

As with any growing social network, acquisitions can come often to further enhance the service. With Summify, a social aggregator, that’s definitely the case.

Twitter acquired the company for an undisclosed sum and as far as what they plan to use it for, well, signs point to the same way it was used before, just with the Twitter branding, give or take a few changes.

In their own words, “Summify creates a beautiful daily summary of the most relevant news from your social networks, and delivers it to you by email, web or mobile.”

Via Wired:

“Considering the torrent of information Twitter delivers on a real-time basis — to say nothing of all the other social networks where we work and play — the possibility of integrating a product like Summify makes a great deal of sense. The product is essentially a daily bulletin of pertinent information, using algorithms to separate the ‘wheat’ it thinks you want to read from the ‘chaff’ you don’t. And if you’re a voracious news and social information consumer like the average Silicon Valley techie, Summify functioned as a great way to get your fix of what you’ve recently missed.”

For existing users and those looking to join, the service is unfortunately no more as it gets integrated into Twitter.

Starting today, the following changes will take effect:

• We’re removing the ability to make your summaries public (i.e. all summaries will be private)
• We’re removing profile pages and influence pages
• We’re removing the auto-publish feature
• We’re disabling user registration from the website, iPhone and Hootsuite apps

What do you think of Twitter’s latest interface? Like it, hate it?

Twitter Acquires Summify, Social Aggregation Tool is a post from: The Inquisitr

GetGlue, a popular start up that has an app available for Android and iOS, announced that they’ve successfully raised $12 Million in new funding which was led by RHO Ventures.

Previous investors such as Union Square Ventures, Time Warner Inc., and RRE Ventures participated again. What is GetGlue? Essentially, users can “check-in” and let people know they’re watching a TV show, movie, playing a game, listening to music, even what they’re reading or what they’re thinking about.

The company has done really well with crossing the 2 Million users mark and scoring 100 Million check-ins in 2011. In November of 2010, they raised $6 Million.

Via Reuters:

“GetGlue founder Alex Iskold said as many as 75 TV networks like Walt Disney Co’s ABC, News Corp’s Fox and Comcast Corp’s NBC use GetGlue’s marketing dashboard to reach fans of nearly 700 shows. The fans are rewarded with incentives like virtual stickers and actual gifts for checking in, while the networks hope to mine valuable user traffic data which goes beyond traditional viewership data.”

In regards to profitability, this is, again, a startup in it’s early phase. The company is at least 18 months from making a profit says the founder. Also, as far as what the $12 Million in new funding will pay for, Fast Company has the details:

“The new cash injection will help “the main goal of building up the product, and our user base,” and in 2012 GetGlue also plans to launch new innovations which includes targeting TV guides. Iskold said those have become “stale and impersonal, and we want to change this by introducing the next gen of the guide which is personal and smart and knows your habits and knows your tastes”–and ropes in social facets.”

GetGlue Raises $12 Million, The Foursquare Of Much More is a post from: The Inquisitr

I don’t know about you but I have never understood how drug companies are able to sell drugs where a side effect can be death. I mean seriously people why are they allowed to do this, and not only that but advertise those drugs with their double speed side effects disclaimers on television. It is no wonder we are living in a world where prescription drugs are the drug du jour for kids and where the things the drugs are suppose to be fighting are fighting back; and winning.

Of course the big pharma companies only let you know what side effects a drug might have under duress and public pressure; because we all know the government and the FDA wouldn’t do squat about the problem without that pressure; and even when they let you know it is the barest details that are hidden away in the small print.

When it comes to the drugs that we are told that we need in order to stop our legs from shaking or our scalp to stop itching we have no easy way to know what they are, what side effects they have, or how prevalent the danger of those drugs are.

Well, a new start-up in California called AdverseEvents is looking to change that and in the process they are going to cause many a drug company executive some sleepless nights.

AdverseEffects has created a centralized database of how many side effects have been reported from what drugs, as well as what the patient outcomes have been, which according to co-founder Brian Overstreet is scaring the crap out of the pharmaceutical companies.

“The FDA has some of this [side effect] data, but it’s unstructured, not searchable, and not standardized,” explains Overstreet. AdverseEvent’s proprietary algorithm, which took 18 months to build, takes into account data from the FDA, direct patient reporting, and even information from social media sites (AdverseEvents analysts are alerted to side effect discussions on patient discussion boards, for example, and try to extract data).

AdverseEvents also has an internal alert system, so that the company can track potentially dangerous side effects and alert the FDA if necessary.

The result: a clean, easy-to-read database for both health-care professionals and patients.

via FastCompany

To give you an idea, here are the results for Lipitor, a drug that the doctor says I need to take. First AdverseEvents gives a break down of the drug, its known names, manufacturer, and common conditions:

Then comes the Top 10 adverse events list

Then just out of curiosity I decided to check some of the medications my wife has to take and all I can say is that between the two of us we are going to be having a serious discussion with our doctor very soon.

So if you or someone in your family, is on medication and you want to know exactly what the risks are then you need to bookmark AdverseEvents. Seriously. I have.

A new start-up strikes fear into the hearts of Big Pharma – Ya! is a post from: The Inquisitr

Fresh food is a rare commodity in some areas of American cities. Even Walmart has recognized this and is looking to open smaller stores in areas not normally use to having small supermarkets anymore and bring fresh produce to area where it is easy to get a McDonald’s hamburger than it is a head of lettuce.

Enter Stockbox Grocers.

The company is a Seattle start up that want to take old shipping containers and convert them into mini-stores selling a range of fresh food, meat and dairy products. These mini-stores are intended to be set up in parking lots around these food deserts within every major city. They have already opened up their first prototype two weeks ago in the Delridge area of Seattle and plan on two permanent sites in early 2012, and with more to follow.

Carrie Ferrence, Stockbox’s cofounder, says the response so far has been promising. “The community has been really supportive of having access to good food. There is a level of education we need to do. But in the short period we’ve been in Delridge, we’ve been blown away by the level of engagement people have around food, and this as a food option.”

Stockbox picked Delridge because car-less residents currently have a 45-minute bus ride to the nearest decent grocery store.

“It’s mostly gas stations and convenience stores. There aren’t even many restaurants. While there are stores within a couple of miles, there are no direct bus lines. It’s difficult to get out of the community, and get somewhere with greater access,” Ferrence says.

via Fast Company

The company founders are graduates of Bainbridge Graduate Institute and the Institute’s MBA program which fosters “sustainable business” entrepreneurs. Carrie Ferrence and her partner Jacqueline Gjurgevich came up with the idea during their second year and have raised $50,000, including $20,000 via Kickstarter.

Recycled shipping containers to bring fresh food to America’s food deserts is a post from: The Inquisitr

Federated Media Publishing has introduced DailyBuzz Luxe, its latest addition to owned and operated properties.

DailyBuzz Luxe offers a fresh perspective on luxury, serving as online “content launch pad” for curated hottest trends in luxury travel, dining, leisure and products. Site contributors include from well-known online properties like Uncrate, NOTCOT, Trend Hunter, Apartment Therapy, Leftlane News, Architizer and ThisNext.

The new site joins Federated Media’s DailyBuzz Series properties Foodbuzz, BigTent, DailyBuzz Moms and DailyBuzz Style further expanding the company’s already deep lifestyle offerings.

Deanna Brown, chief executive officer of Federated Media Publishing, in launching the new property said:

“With the introduction of DailyBuzz Luxe, we offer a new destination as a one-stop-shop for luxury content. At the same time, we’re giving high-quality brands a transparent, authentic and turnkey way to reach people who both live in luxury and those who aspire to a luxury-filled lifestyle.”

Content of DailyBuzz Luxe will be organized according to specific areas of interest including:

Go: travel
Taste: dining, cocktails
Dwell: home, architecture, design
Get: clothing, gear, toys, automobile
Attend: culture, entertainment

Federated Media also announced that those who want to join the DailyBuzz publisher communities should apply via the company’s prospective publisher form.

Federated Media Launches Site to Curate Luxury is a post from: The Inquisitr

They disrupted TechCrunch Disrupt New York 2011 so much that $3.4 million in seed funding flowed in to Getaround led by the controversial CrunchFund of Michael Arrington. Other investors include Netflix founder Marc Randolph, Time Warner’s largest shareholder Vivi Nevo, Redpoint Ventures, among others.

Getaround enables car owners to “un-idle” their cars and offset the cost of vehicle ownership by sharing with friends, co-workers, and neighbors, while people seeking cars are provided easy, affordable access to vehicles everywhere. The Getaround Carkit combines GPS, Wi-Fi, and keyless remote technology to allow safe and simple sharing of cars and is the first device designed exclusively for peer-to-peer car sharing.

More than 5,000 car owners nationwide have signed up so far to share their car through Getaround.

Jeff Brody, founding partner at Redpoint Ventures, has this to say about Getaround:

“Getaround is a great example of what we look for in a portfolio company—tangible IP that can be efficiently commercialized to address an existing market problem. What Getaround has introduced is a solution that makes car sharing convenient for users, while enabling car owners to make money off their underutilized cars.”

According to Sam Zaid, CEO of Getaround, the funding will be used to build out their platform, produce cutting-edge technology that would make peer-to-peer car sharing even more accessible and to plan the company’s expansion into new communities.

We can only hope that this service do not suffer the bad publicity that’s hounding Airbnb because of unscrupulous members.

Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Getaround Nabs $3.4 Million Funding is a post from: The Inquisitr