mob

When the long-expected development of smartphones and handheld devices into primary computers reaches maturity, Google wants to make sure it occupies just as strong a position on the small screen as it does on the big one.

Google set the stage for that future Monday when it announced a $750 million all-stock deal to acquire AdMob, which is considered one of the strongest ad network providers for the mobile-computing world. It's a familiar strategy; just as Google bought DoubleClick in 2007 to blend search ad expertise with display ad expertise, so it plans to add AdMob's network of … Read more

Updated at 9:53 a.m. PST with additional details. See subsequent story for more analysis on the buy.

Google's back on the acquisition front, spending $750 million in stock Monday to acquire mobile display ad company AdMob.

AdMob is perhaps best known for serving display ads on iPhones, but it also recently started a business unit focused on ads for Android phones. The start-up would appear to fit well into Google's advertising business model, giving Google a leg up in the still-small but fast-growing world of mobile advertising.

"I'm excited because I believe this will … Read more

Twitter’s “suggested users” list is a Who’s Who of Twitter celebrities, featuring the likes of Al Gore, Lance Armstrong, Ashton Kutcher, John McCain, Martha Stewart, and others with millions of followers. The New York Times claimed that a spot on the list would guarantee 500,000 additional followers and reported that social media guru Jason Calacanis had offered $250,000 to be listed.

Last Friday, Twitter did something remarkable. It added a number of well-known social entrepreneurs and innovators to this list, among them Social Edge, Skoll Foundation, Kiva, Matt Flannery (Kiva co-founder), Acumen Fund, Jacqueline Novogratz (Acumen … Read more

According to a recent survey from AdMob, more than half of Google Android users (55 percent) have never downloaded a paid application. The amount is double the 23 percent of iPhone users who have chose not to purchase apps.

So what is preventing Android users from spending their cash? Though many people from other countries still lack access to paid applications, some developers are blaming the structure of the Android Market. Currently, customers can only purchase applications using Google Checkout, which requires a Google account and a credit card.

The iTunes App Store also requires a credit card for purchases, … Read more

Facebook users haven't exactly been reticent about their dislike for Facebook's recent redesign. And Facebook staff want you to know they're listening.

Facebook has been deluged with feedback on its new layout, much of it negative but constructive, according to a blog posted Tuesday by Product Director Christopher Cox. Hundreds of thousands of people gave the redesign a thumbs-down in a user poll. And groups like "MEMBERS WANT THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!" have formed to voice their discontent.

While the social network isn't reverting back to the old page design, they are making a … Read more

Mobile advertising start-up AdMob announced on its blog on Thursday that it has added $12.5 million to the Series C funding round that it began amassing last fall.

The money comes from the Draper Fisher Jurvetson Growth Fund and Northgate Capital, adding to the round's existing lead investor Sequoia Capital and repeat investor Accel Partners. The funding brings its Series C total to $28.2 million.

AdMob recently launched a business unit specifically to handle advertisements on Google's Android platform. The reason for the Series C round, the company said, is to keep up growth, even as … Read more

AdMob put out a call Tuesday for Android developers, as it unveiled an ad unit specifically for applications running on Google's smartphone.

AdMob's ad unit is designed to allow third-party developers to generate revenue from the applications they create for Google's Android mobile phone. AccuWeather, Jirbo, and TapJoy developers have already put AdMob's Android ad unit to work, the company said.

"We are already seeing strong interest in developing applications for Android-based devices, similar to what we saw with the iPhone last summer," Ali Diab, AdMob vice president of product management, said in a … Read more

Crowdsourcing worked for restaurant reviews, so it's got to work for testing mobile apps around the world, right?

That's the premise behind Mob4Hire, which presented at Under the Radar on Wednesday.

The pitch began with a compelling use case: You need to test the app on 20 handsets in another country where you don't have an office. Mob4Hire's Web site connects testers all over the world with developers who need their apps tested on multiple handsets and operating systems.

Mob4Hire takes a 15 percent cut, PayPal takes its customary 2.9 percent service fee plus 30 … Read more

AdMob and reportedly Like.com have managed to go against the grain, landing additional venture funding rounds in sectors that are now under great pressure.

AdMob, which supplies banner advertising to mobile devices, received $15.7 million in a third round of funding led by Sequoia Capital and participation from existing investor Accel Partners, the company said Wednesday.

For AdMob, its funding round is particularly interesting, given it serves the advertising industry, which is currently facing challenging times in the tumultuous economic climate. In addition, its lead investor was Sequoia, which recently issued a dire warning to its portfolio companies … Read more