Sprint has acquired Handmark, reports AllThingsD. Handmark is a mobile app and services company perhaps most well known for its Pocket Express app for Palm smartphones. In recent years, Handmark has turned toward mobile advertising, and it is this expertise that attracted Sprint's attention. "As a long-time partner of Sprint, we've worked together on some of the mobile industry's most successful initiatives," said Handmark founder and CEO Augie Grasis. "Joining forces is a natural progression to our relationship and will help scale our mobile media business." Sprint will put Handmark's assets to use with its Pinsight Media advertising unit.
Source: AllThingsD
According to a new report from AllThingsD, citing “sources in position to know”, one of Google’s top Android executives is leaving the company. The report states that Hugo Barra, who was the vice president of product management for Android, will soon be departing the company to join Chinese phone maker Xiaomi. Xiaomi produces its own high-end Android-based devices, though with a heavy custom skin on top. Barra originally joined Google in 2008 as a group product manager, having previously worked for speech firm Nuance, and has moved up the totem pole since then.
This news comes on the heels of Andy Rubin, the creator Android, stepping down from his position earlier this year. Given that Android is Google’s top product right now, Barra’s decision, especially when coupled with Rubin’s departure, will undoubtedly cause some tension within the company. Barra often appeared on stage at Google events, most recently at the second-generation Nexus 7 unveil.
Source: AllThingsD
According to a source familiar with the situation, business networking app LinkedIn will purchase newsreader app Pulse for a price somewhere between $50 million and $100 million. Pulse launched in 2010 and is owned by Alphonso Labs, based in San Francisco. The app has 20 million viewers that read more than 10 million stories daily. Earlier reports had Microsoft and Yahoo both trying to steal Pulse away.
LinkedIn has been trying to increase the mobile advertising it displays. Last quarter, the "marketing solutions group," which includes traditional advertising, accounted for 27% of LinkedIn's revenue. Pulse's app competes with Flipboard, Google Currents and some other lesser known names in the battle for eyeballs. One competitor, Zite, was purchased by CNN in 2011 for $20 million.
Pulse has added some new features that allow its users to share with Facebook, Twitter, Google+ Flickr, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr right from Pulse. LinkedIn has also been adding features to its service including customized news feeds for users, which would seem to fit perfectly with Pulse.
Source: AllThingsD
