Facebook acquires social media startup Branch, to build conversation group

Facebook acquires social networking startup Branch Media to focus on online forms.

Facebook has acquired New York based start up Branch Media to develop Facebook's conversations group. The financial details about the deal have not been disclosed yet but according to sources the deal is estimated to be worth about $ 15 million.

The social networking start-up was launched two years ago with backing from The Obvious Corporation, a firm backed by Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams. According to the deal New York City-based startup's twin social networks, Branch and Potluck, will continue to operate independently and work on Facebook conversations for helping people connect based on their interests.

Josh Miller, Branch's co-founder announced the acquisition in a Facebook post. "After two years building Branch and Potluck, I am thrilled to announce that we will be continuing our mission at Facebook," said Miller.

"We will be forming Facebook's Conversations group, based in New York City, with the goal of helping people connect with others around their interests. Their pitch to us was: "Build Branch at Facebook scale," he added.

Miller said that he is "incredibly bullish on Facebook". He added, "At the end of the day, social networks are valuable for the size and density of their network (of people)—not the volume of photos shared or messages sent," Miller wrote in a blog post. "In that regard, Facebook still reigns supreme, by far."

Facebook has recently acquired its first Indian start-up Little Eye labs that monitors building tools and performance analysis of mobile app developers. The acquisition is aimed to enhance the social networking giants revenue from its mobile business. The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed yet, but according to media reports the price was approximately $ 15 Million.

Supply & Demand: PS4 Is Worth More Than Xbox One

Adam Barnes

In the run up to Christmas, can you get hold of an Xbox One or PS4, and how much will it cost you?

Published on Dec 5, 2013

Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay. That's the saying, anyway, and judging by the hiked prices of the PS4 and the Xbox One, this is certainly looking to be true.

So while you would scoff at the idea of paying £700 for an Xbox One, a desperate parent looking to get hold of the console before Christmas likely would. In fact, it could well have already happened.

With the concept of supply and demand businesses can get a better judge of the value of a product. That's not to be confused with its price - in the case of these consoles the RRP of £349.99 for PS4 and £429.99 for Xbox One - but instead what a product is worth.

We tracked a large number of sales on both the US and UK eBay sites, and while the prices for these two consoles continue to rise what is most interesting is that - despite the price differences - the PS4 is actually worth more than Xbox One.

PS4's On eBay UK

First off, let's look at the supply of the PS4 and the Xbox One. In most cases supply can be looked at in two ways: either the supply is low, so the demand is high - and so, too, is the price - or the supply is high and so demand is being met, or even exceeded.

In the latter's case this results in prices around or below the RRP of a product.

But eBay has a large number of both next-gen consoles available for sale, while the price - too - remains high.

This is because those with spare consoles - either they purchased an extra console with intent to sell or are looking to make a quick buck - are the ones supplying the demand, not retailers.

Traditional means of purchase have an extremely limited number of PS4s and Xbox Ones available, meaning if you want one of these consoles your only option is to pay over the odds.

Interestingly, eBay UK has around 750-800 Xbox Ones available for purchase, while the PS4 has a considerable amount more at about 2,000-2,100.

The supply of the PS4 is considerably higher due to the higher demand, as eBay sellers look to capitalise on the consoles popularity.

As a result the cost of the PS4 has risen considerably, its value becoming way over the standard RRP for the console.

Though the PS4 sold upwards of £550 - usually when supplied as a bundle or with a game - the standard price for just the console itself had an average of £475.

At the lower end of the scale the PS4 went for £435 and at the highest it went for £505, with the majority of auctions including 40 or more bids.

This puts the PS4 at about £125 its RRP, a huge increase to its value.

Xbox One's on eBay UK

Meanwhile the Xbox One still boosted its value, though not to such great heights. Inexplicably one Xbox One sold for £707.00, but this was an unusual blip.

The average for the Xbox One is around £520, with its lowest auction coming in at £495 - only £65 on top of the Xbox One's RRP - though the majority of auctions broke £500.

It's not unusual to see an Xbox One sell on eBay UK for £550, either, though quite often these are the Day One Edition consoles, which also come with a copy of FIFA 14.

This is where the comparison becomes a little skewed. Though the average of £520 only puts the Xbox One at £90 on top of its RRP, even including the FIFA 14 bundles, it's impossible to ignore the difference you're getting.

In essence the value of the Xbox One is increased by £50 with the addition of a free game. Though the console's RRP does not include the FIFA 14 addition, the Day One Edition does.

Like for like, the PS4 auctions that came with a bundled game sold for over £500, with Knack bundles at around £495-505 while Killzone: Shadow Fall PS4 bundles sell for £510-520+

In essence a like for like sale alongside the Xbox One would put the PS4's value at £150 on top of the RRP at least, while the Xbox One often manages little more than £100-110 on top of its RRP.

It's an interesting insight in the demand for the PS4 over its otherwise more expensive competitor.

PS4s & Xbox Ones On eBay US

As another example we decided to see what the Americans market was looking like for PS4s and Xbox Ones this Christmas and here it was much worse for the Xbox One.

There are around 3,500 Xbox Ones for sale on the US eBay, followed up by 4,900 PS4s. Though the PS4 had the lead on supply, it's fair to say there are plenty of consoles available.

This has had an effect on the value of the Xbox One. Since eBay US has many more Xbox Ones - almost all of which are new - the need to go through traditional retailers is negated somewhat.

As such Xbox Ones typically sell for around $580, not much more than its RRP of $499 in the US.

It's not unusual for an Xbox One to top $600 or slightly over, but as many sell for less.

This is particularly harsh when compared to the PS4, which seemingly sells for around the same price as an Xbox One on US eBay.

Though it's rarer for a PS4 to push over $600 it is still fairly common and the average selling price of the PS4 is still around $580-590 - an embarrassing revelation considering the US RRP of $399 for the PS4.

PS4s & Xbox Ones On Amazon

While eBay is perhaps the best test for valuing the market, Amazon Marketplace - which allows users to sell their own products for a set price - is also a handy comparison to make.

Here the price is set by the user themselves, so the market helps figure out the acceptable value when a middle ground is found.

It's here that Xbox One fairs a little better. Though it's not quite as easy to create an average since Amazon Marketplace almost always features a stupidly high price - in this case £999.99 - there is a general 'accepted' price.

For the Xbox One the lowest price is £580.00 with the price increasing to around £610.00 before it starts escalating excessing. This is with 11 consoles available.

The PS4, however, has 58 consoles available through Amazon Marketplace, with £495.00 as the lowest price. This hovers up to around £530 before reaching a large number of PS4s at £550, after which the cost increases sharply.

This is harder to evaluate due to the nature of the system, it is nonetheless interesting to see how the limited availability of the Xbox One on Amazon's Marketplace (with only 11 available through secondary sale) has increased the overall value of the console.

PS4 Is Worth More Than Xbox One

Ultimately it's clear there's a higher demand for the PS4 than the Xbox One.

Not only are more PS4s available for sale through secondary means (rather than direct from a retailer) than the Xbox Ones, but it still manages to maintain a higher value than the Xbox One.

Sales of the PS4 are considerably higher in value than the Xbox One, suggesting that consumers are willing to spend much more than RRP to get hold of a PS4 than they are of an Xbox One.

As stock for Christmas presents begins to dwindle it will be interesting to see how - if at all - this market pattern evolves, but we'll be sure to keep track of it.

Xbox One Indie Policy Criticised By Developer

Indie developer Vlambeer has criticised the terms of Microsoft's ID@Xbox indie program.

Published on Dec 5, 2013

Microsoft has been trying to bolster their reputation regarding indie developers with the ID@Xbox program, which aims to help indie developers to get their games onto the Xbox One. 

Unfortunately for Microsoft, prominent indie studio Vlambeer, who are signed on to ID@Xbox, has criticised the terms of the Xbox One's indie publishing program.

The clause that has drawn Vlambeer ire is one that states that games must be released on Xbox One at the same time as on other platforms - something that is very difficult for indie developers with small teams. 

"Microsoft was doing reach-out to certain developers back in the early days of ID@XBOX, and we discussed potentially bringing Nuclear Throne to Xbox One with them," Ismail said in an interview with Joystiq.

"There had been mentions beforehand that there was a launch parity clause in the contract, with the exception of games that were already signed to another platform during the announcement of their self-publishing program," Ismail said.  

"Thus, before we signed with Microsoft, we e-mailed Sony that we quickly wanted to sign Nuclear Throne with them with a month of exclusivity."

"We'd rather Microsoft allow us not only the freedom to self-publish, but also to publish in whatever order we prefer. We'll keep pushing for Microsoft to drop the clause, and we'd recommend any other developer to do the same," Ismail continued. 

However, Ismail also had some praise for Microsoft and their changing attitude to indies. 

"To be honest, we're in the ID@XBOX program mostly because we think [ID@Xbox director] Chris Charla is a person that genuinely cares about games and because we feel that with our visibility, it might be a good idea to go through the gauntlet and report back on whether it's a risky or unpleasant experience," Ismail explained. 

"So far, there's nothing but good news when it comes to the program - Microsoft seems to have taken the cue from Sony and joined the platforms that allow for self-publishing," Ismail said. 

Qualcomm Toq smartwatch gets Soon On World Market

Qualcomm Toq smartwatch gets December 2 as the release date

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The Qualcomm Toq smartwatch was announced at the IFA 2013 along with the Galaxy Gear, but the former has been missing in action ever since even though the Samsung contender and a couple of others have already hit the market scene. Nevertheless, the wearable gadget is now all set to go up for sale. The company has revealed that it will hit store shelves on December 2.

One of the key highlights of the device is its Mirasol reflective display technology that makes use of the light in the surrounding area, instead of backlighting. And this precisely is the reason why the watch’s display continues to deliver clear visuals even in bright sunlight. And that’s not all, it even reduces the power usage and makes it capable of coughing up usage time of more than a couple of days.

In addition to this, the compact and lightweight Toq smartwatch doesn't have any ports or an on/off button. It is like your conventional watch and you merely have to glance at the screen to see your notifications. All the software upgrades are sent directly to the application on your smartphone to keep the wearable gadget updated.

Users also get optional wireless stereo headsets along with the Toq and it goes without saying that the music can be controlled via the watch itself. The accessory designed for comfort also features a woofer and a tweeter. Both the wearable devices can be charged wirelessly on the same charger.

The Qualcomm Toq smartwatch will be available next month for a price of $349.99 in the US.

Logitech G440, G240 gaming mouse pads launched in India

• Accessories By Keval Shah - Dec 6, 2013

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Gamers will truly understand the importance of a mouse pad and to provide them with right options that suit their preferences, Logitech has launched G440 and G240 pads. Both the accessories have already been made available in India.

First up is the G440, a hard mouse pad with rubber base and polymer core that cuts down on friction. This in turn claims to offer a high DPI while gaming and even facilitates enhanced mouse control. Precise cursor placement is one of the main requirements while playing and this accessory strives to fulfill it along with offering improved sensor performance. It is meant for you if you have to make subtle mouse movements or apply minimal force.

The surface texture is consistent and devoid of unwanted patterns and designs that can hamper sensor’s performance. You can use it with optical or laser mice and its three-layer construction make it apt for gaming. The G440 measures 340 x 280 x 3 millimeters and weighs in at 229 grams.

As for the G240, it is a cloth gaming mouse pad and works towards proffering the ideal surface friction that facilitates low DPI gaming. It is great for those who need to stop rapid movements during the game immediately. Just like its aforementioned sibling, this accessory has a consistent texture as well as a rubber base that is firmly bonded with the cloth. This pad tips the scales at merely 90 grams and has dimensions of 340 x 280 x 1 millimeters.

The Logitech G440 and G240 gaming mouse pads can now be purchased for Rs 2,125 and Rs 1,595, respectively.

With focus on 3G markets, Idea launches Dual-SIM, Android smartphone Aurus 4 for Rs 8,999

With focus on 3G markets, Idea launches Dual-SIM, Android smartphone Aurus 4 for Rs 8,999
TT Correspondent |  |  06 Dec 2013
With an eye on the emerging 3G markets. Idea Cellular, India’s 3rd largest mobile operator launched the Aurus 4, a dual-sim, 3G  smartphone in India. The smartphone is priced at Rs 8,999. Idea said that it plans to sell the new Aurus 4  through its own retail and service outlets across major 3G markets, Gujarat, Maharashtra & Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Kerala, UP West & East, Haryana, J&K and HP. Idea Aurus 4 features a 11.4 cms (4.5”) TFT display with 16 m colors. It runs on Android Jelly Bean (4.2) and is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor.It sports a 5MP primary camera along with video calling facility and 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. It packs in 1800 mah battery and also offers long hours of talk and idle time. It comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card and 512MB of RAM. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular said, “The young and savvy youth of India has a huge appetite for content on mobile, but is deterred due to highly priced smartphones in India. Idea is bridging this gap by offering 3G smartphones packed with high-end features at relat4ely low price. Idea Aurus 4 is the latest addition to our growing portfolio of 3G devices which is enabling a large base of Idea users experience 3G for the first time in India.” Aimed at the youth the Aurus 4 is the latest addition in Idea’s popular Aurus series of 3G smartphones which the company said are rich in features and smart on price. Idea in the past launched number of 3G phones including  ULTRA, the company’s first smartphone in the 12 cms (5”) category. It said that it sold over 6 lakh devices from a dozen models in the 8.89 cm (3.5”), 10.16 cm (4”) and 11.43 cm (4.5”) categories, in the Indian market. Idea Aurus 4 key specifications Android 4.2 Jelly Bean 4.5-inch TFT display with 480x854 pixels resolution 1.3GHz dual-core processor 512MB of RAM 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card 5-megapixel rear camera 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera Dual-SIM device (GSM+GSM) 1800mAh battery