By Jessica Roy 5/21 1:48pm

Slim Shady

(Photo: News.co.au)

Eminem Publisher Sues Facebook for Allegedly Using One of His Songs in Facebook Home Ad

Mark Zuckerberg and co. have been acting a little slim shady (heh) recently, at least according to the keeper of rapper Eminem’s extensive musical catalog. The Detroit Free Press reports that Eight Mile Style, the publisher of Eminem’s songs, is suing Facebook and its ad agency for using a song that sounds suspiciously like the artist’s 2000 jam “Under the Influence” in an ad that streamed during Zuck’s announcement of Facebook Home on April 4th. Read More

By The Editors 5/17 5:36pm

shameless rumormongering

(Photo: Tumblr)

Rumor Roundup: Betabeat Becomes a Bunch of Glassholes, Prince Harry Hails a Hailo and Zuck Celebrates a Bday

Glasshole Missed Connection Betabeat finally had the distinct pleasure of trying the dorky looking face computer we love to mock so much at a party last night at Meetup HQ. We (only slightly drunkenly) approached a tall white dude donning Google Glass and timidly asked if we might be able to try it on. When we slipped on the device (in slate!), the display was incredibly blurry–not due to our eyesight, but because Glass specifically calibrates to the wearer’s eye. It was hard as hell to see, but the voice commands worked almost seamlessly, impressive since we were at a loud party.

The device’s functionality is fairly limited: you can take a picture, record video and get directions to and from places. It also has the added benefit of making you look like a complete dork while somehow also attracting swaths of attractive ladies to get up real close to your face. Read More

By Jessica Roy 4/29 8:55am

Linkages

GOOD MORNING. (Photo: Google+)

Booting Up: Jack Dorsey Wants to Disrupt Your Big Mac

News broke late Friday night that daily deals site LivingSocial was hacked, exposing the personal data of 50,000,000 users. [New York Times]

Robert Scoble showered in his pair of Google Glass and everyone on the Internet cried themselves to sleep. [Google Plus]

Jack Dorsey has a new plan for world domination: revamping how McDonald’s charges you for that Big Mac. [USA Today]

Facebook is losing users quickly as many decamp for new social network experiences on platforms like Path. According to one study, just last month the site lost 6 million U.S. users, a 4 percent drop. [The Guardian]

What you Google can predict how the stock market behaves. Time to buy all the stocks in “Sergey Brin arms” then? [BBC]

Zuck apparently wears a t-shirt while swimming in the ocean. Who’s surprised? [Valleywag]

By The Editors 4/26 5:16pm

shameless rumormongering

(Photo: Instagram)

Rumor Roundup: Zuck’s in Hawaii, While Kevin Systrom Looks So Maj Next to Rachel Zoe

Hawaii Zuck-O Look who ditched the hoodie (but kept the Adidas sandals). Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was recently spotted indulging in a little Hawaiin R&R with wifey Priscilla Chan. US Weekly reports the pair “looked excited to be spending quality time together,” which makes sense since it’s pretty easy to be happy when you’ve escaped the maw of Silicon Valley. The Zucks also “chowed down” on something called “beachside burgers” at a “picnic table.” Stars: they’re just like us (but rich). Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 4/16 1:00pm

It's Zuck's World We're Just Living In It

Dr. Evil (Photo: Wikipedia)

Aren’t You Just So, So Excited for Video Ads in Your Facebook News Feed?

Did you think that, in the rush to ship Facebook Home, Zuck & Co. would forget about their reported plans to introduce video ads–with autoplay–to your News Feed? Guess again! Ad Age says that Facebook is currently meeting with ad agencies, in the hopes of signing up clients in advance of a June or July launch. (This, despite the fact they’re still finalizing the product.)

Yes, we hear your wailing and gnashing of teeth at the thought of a News Feed cluttered with autoplaying videos, like some sort of early-Internet horror show. But don’t expect Facebook to listen to your complaints, because the company stands to make out like absolute bandits: Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 4/11 7:53am

Linkages

$$$! (Photo: CashCats.biz)

Booting Up: Talent Agents Come to Silicon Valley to Say Show Me the Money

The personal computer business ain’t what it used to be, and Windows 8 might be hurting sales by simply confusing customers. [Wall Street Journal]

Yesterday, in an op-ed, Mark Zuckerberg announced the formation of FWD.us, an immigration reform advocacy group. In the piece, he also revealed that he teaches entrepreneurship at a local after-school program.  Wonder what he told ‘em about booted cofounders? [Washington Post]

It seems Silicon Valley is a little confused about its coordinates in California, because there’s now an agency devoted to representing software developers. [Businessweek]

“Explorer Edition” models of Google Glass will ship to developers within the next month. Get ready to see so many more randos sporting future specs! [TechCrunch]

Matthew Keys’ arraignment in the Anonymous case has been delayed until late April. [Huffington Post]

By Kelly Faircloth and Jordan Valinsky 4/04 3:15pm

It's Zuck's World We're Just Living In It

Screen shot 2013-04-04 at 2.11.05 PM

Chat Heads Rule Everything Around the New Facebook ‘Home’

The highly anticipated Facebook phone is finally here and it’s not a phone at all.

Instead it’s slick-looking software that wants to assume mass control of Android phones everywhere. It’s going to be available for download on April 12 in the Google Play store. HTC will be releasing the first Facebook Home optimized phone on the same day.

“It’s a family of apps and you can install it and it becomes the home of your phone. So we’re calling this, ‘Home,’” announced Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg from under a sheen of sweat. Read More

By Jessica Roy 4/04 7:57am

Linkages

(Photo: Angelfire)

Booting Up: Zuck’s First Website Was Just as Embarrassing as Yours

Digital music licensing revenues surpassed those from radio for the first time ever, mostly thanks to Google Play and Xbox. [The Guardian]

If this really is Mark Zuckerberg’s first ever Angelfire page, it’s just as mortifying as yours was. [Gizmodo]

Q1 of 2013 yielded a strangely low number of IPOs: only eight companies went public in the three-month period. [Silicon Valley Business Journal]

Not to be eclipsed by Microsoft, Samsung is getting its own brick and mortar stores, but with a twist: they’ll exist solely inside Best Buys. Guess they really like the Geek Squad? [AllThingsD]

The Facebook phone is expected to be announced today. Yay? [New York Times]