Ex-Googlers Launch MightyText, An iMessage For Android Users | [Updated] Microsoft Surface vs Apple iPad: the battle of the specs | They Work! Facebook Mobile Ads Are Clicked 13X More, Earn 11X More Money Than Its Desktop Ads | Finally, a hot Android phone: Galaxy S III is hard to get | Watch Out Pandora, Spotify Just Introduced A Free, Streaming Radio Service In The U.S.

Ex-Googlers Launch MightyText, An iMessage For Android Users

Posted by TechCrunch
During their lengthy careers at Google in both senior technical and product management roles, Maneesh Arora and Amit Sangani were able to geek out on products like AdSense, AdWords, and the now-defunct Google Health. Arora tells us that, while his time at Google was defined by smart people and ambitious ideas like these, in development there was often a tendency to “over engineer” without thinking about “the average user.” He said that, while Google employees always had Gchat open and used Google Voice (or Wave while it was still alive), none of these products were able to effectively address the true value prop of communication tools for a mainstream audience: Syncin[...]
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[Updated] Microsoft Surface vs Apple iPad: the battle of the specs

Posted by VentureBeat
[ updated June 19 with new specs ]
Yes, we know the spec is dead. It’s all about the user interface, the product ecosystem, the entire user experience of a product and a brand.
But still.
Here’s a comparison of the new Microsoft Surface and the Apple iPad. I’ve grouped the iPad WIFI and 4G models, as they are almost feature-for-feature identical. And I’ve added the Surface Windows 8 version here, but it’s almost a product in a different class, with a full desktop operating system, stylus support, and more.
I’ve kept the comparison to the device itself, but arguably should include the very slick keyboard cover that Microsoft unveiled.
Finally, please note:[...]
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They Work! Facebook Mobile Ads Are Clicked 13X More, Earn 11X More Money Than Its Desktop Ads

Posted by TechCrunch
How will Facebook monetize mobile? Its organic-seeming Sponsored Stories ad format may be the answer. Mobile Sponsored Stories are getting over 13 times the click-through rates and earn 11.2 times the money per impression (eCPM) on mobile compared to all of Facebook’s desktop ads, and 1.93 times the CTR and 2.65 times the eCPM of Sponsored Stories on the web in the two weeks since Facebook began selling them separate from web ads.
The data comes from new studies by�TBG Digital,�AdParlor, Nanigans, and�Spruce Media, three of Facebook’s biggest Ads API partners that help brands buy ads.�Since Sponsored Stories slip into content feeds so seamlessly, Facebook may actually be better e[...]
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Finally, a hot Android phone: Galaxy S III is hard to get

Posted by Gigaom
Looking to buy a Samsung Galaxy S III in the U.S.? You do have a choice among five different carriers, but you’ll either be waiting for your phone or paying more than you thought. Due to inventory constraints the Galaxy S III is already experiencing stock shortages at two carriers and is priced much higher at another. While this says something about Samsung’s production�capabilities�and limitations, it also speaks to the idea of a single Android smartphone finally generating enough interest to rival that of Apple’s iPhone.
Sprint had planned to begin in-store sales on Thursday, but it is delaying due to “overwhelming demand,” according to Engadget. Those who pre[...]
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Watch Out Pandora, Spotify Just Introduced A Free, Streaming Radio Service In The U.S.

Posted by TechCrunch
Music streaming service Spotify is rolling out a new feature for U.S. users today, which looks like a direct swipe at Pandora: it’s introducing a free mobile radio service. The update is only available in the iOS versions of the app at present (iPhone and iPad), but gives free users access to unlimited music from Spotify’s catalog of 16 million songs.
The feature provides a different way to listen to Spotify, which before was very much about mirroring the iTunes-like experience via cloud-streamed music. You would locate songs you liked and organize them into playlists, for example, as opposed to the more passive “I’m just listening” feeling that radio music apps[...]
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