Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and the biggest threat facing Google is … well, Google itself, actually. That’s according to company co-founder and current CEO Larry Page. READ MORE
You’ve probably been hearing more about cloud-based customer relationship management software, and that’s not about to change anytime soon. According to a recent study by AMI-Partners, the SaaS CRM market already represents 570,000 small and medium businesses and is set to undergo double-digit year-over-year growth in the next five years. The marketing research firm says that during that time spending on SaaS CRM will outpace on-premises CRM by a margin of nearly 4 to 1. READ MORE
Box.net announced a new version of its Windows Sync client, and the first-ever version of Box Sync for Mac OS X. According to PCWorld’s Tony Bradley, the cloud storage, sync and collaboration company also unveiled a variety of security enhancements, and new social integration with Salesforce.com’s Chatter platform. READ MORE
“It’ll seem like a traditional browser, just a lot better and a lot faster.” That’s the bold claim for Amazon Silk, the new browser currently available nowhere, to be released exclusively on Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet coming in November. READ MORE
OK, it’s here. The long-anticipated Kindle Fire was announced today at a tempting price point of $199. Though apparently powered by Android, it’s a not-exactly-Android tablet that’s attempting to do exactly what Apple did: Create a closed ecosystem that gives users everything they want in an esthetically attractive format so easy-to-use it’s nearly brainless. And at this price, it’s a pretty tempting proposition. Here’s a quick look at how the Kindle Fire stacks up: READ MORE
Anonymous sources told VentureBeat earlier this that Box.net decided to turn down a $500 million offer. Company CEO Aaron Levie chose not to comment. The cloud-computing company raised $48 million in its most recent round of funding, which closed in February. READ MORE
Jesta Digital, a mobile-video group, has pledged $15 million toward creating a start-up incubator for businesses looking to move into cloud computing, social media, and mobile web technology. READ MORE
If anyone’s counting on start-up companies to spur massive job creation, they might want to rethink that. While the number of start-ups has increased or held steady during the recession, companies are launching with fewer employees than they did ten years ago, thanks to technology. READ MORE
When you spend a large chunk of your day, for three straight days, watching enthusiastic tech entrepreneurs distill their products and services into a six-minute quick pitch in front of a rotating cast of industry heavyweights, you start to recognize some basic do’s and don’ts. Here’s are five simple take-aways from TechCrunch Disrupt SF’s Start-up Battlefield: READ MORE
In the end, after three days and 31 start-up pitches, judge’s panels and interviews, there could be but one winner of TechCrunch Disrupt SF’s Start-up Battlefield. That title, plus a prize of $50,000 and the Disrupt Cup presented by Disrupt Battlefield NY winners Getaround, goes to … Shaker. READ MORE
