Google will be dissolving Slide, a social apps company it acquired for $182 million, to focus its efforts on Google+. Slide, which was founded in 2005, was acquired in 2008. The company operated independently out of Google’s offices. Slide’s founder and Google vice president Max Levchin will leave as a result. READ MORE
Tumblr has nearly amassed between $75 and $100 million in venture capital, possibly reaching a market value of $800 million. The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the big venture capital firms involved was Greylock Partners, who has invested in Groupon and Airbnb. READ MORE
To compete with Instagram, a photo-sharing application, Facebook is adding filters to its mobile application in the coming months. READ MORE
Amazon kicked off its new daily deal offerings, AmazonLocal, for Manhattan and Brooklyn today with offerings like discounted Cirque du Soleil tickets and one-month passes at Bikram Yoga Harlem. READ MORE
Nokia and Samsung rolled out cheaper smartphone models — just after sources said Apple is planning to release a more cost-effective version of the iPhone 4. READ MORE
Ticketmaster is adding new features to make its seating charts even more interactive by allowing users to see where their Facebook friends are sitting. READ MORE
Twitter users will soon see photos they’ve uploaded to third-party sites such as TwitPic and yFrog in image galleries on their profiles. Beginning Monday, Twitter is adding “user galleries” to profiles to display last 100 images someone has tweeted since Jan. 1, 2010. READ MORE
Apple’s Asian suppliers have started manufacturing cheaper versions of the iPhone 4 with a smaller flash drive, two sources close to the story told Reuters. READ MORE
Google has begun launching a new badge program for celebrities, public figures, and others who have been added to many circles, to verify their identities on Google+. READ MORE
Skype will acquire New York-based GroupMe (and Inc. 30 Under 30 honoree), a group messaging service for mobile phones, in a move to strengthen the Internet phone company’s text and photo messaging services. READ MORE
