King

Star Apps: eBay's Steve Yankovich

When an Apple rep initially contacted eBay about developing a proprietary app back in 2008, the latter hadn't even heard of the iPhone or Objective-C. But seeing the potential of mobile software, a number of eBay employees believed that developing a mobile app would profit the global commerce and payments leader in the long run. In early 2009, they began raising funds for the formation of a mobile-specific group and commissioned an outside company to build the first eBay app.

Many software releases later, the app has helped the largest online marketplace blast off into mobile commerce, as eBay'… Read more

The technical joy of Burger King's hands-free Whopper holder

Your cell phone has shown your hands that they can be free.

You can talk into it, while scratching your face, driving your car, or conducting the New York Philharmonic.

Purveyors of fast food have been slow to offer you a similar sense of liberty. Conduct the Philharmonic while trying to eat a Big Mac, and it will be a messy experience for both you and the lead viola.

Burger King wants to redress your balance. It has created a holder in which you can slip your Whopper and leave your hands free to do what they must.… Read more

Twitter users in Bahrain jailed for allegedly insulting tweets

The Bahraini government started the process of revising its penal code last month to allow officials to jail anyone who insults King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, according to Amnesty International.

It appears that the government is now taking action.

Six people were sentenced to one year in prison on Wednesday for allegedly insulting the King on Twitter, according to Al Jazeera.

The criminal court ruled that these people were "misusing the right of free expression" and their tweets were "undermining the values and traditions of Bahrain's society towards the king on Twitter."

Bahrain, which … Read more

Crushing competition, Candy Crush creator crowns itself King

King.com, the company behind Facebook's No. 1 game Candy Crush, is rebranding and changing its name to simply "King."

It's fitting, considering that the 10-year-old company, relatively unknown just two years ago, is a top game for Facebook.com and in mobile, thanks to its 5-month-old candy-themed puzzle game.

"It's not a .com company, it's a multi-platform company," according to King CEO Riccardo Zacconi. King announced today that its games are played 12 billion times a month. King's games have more than 108 million monthly players on all platforms, desktop … Read more

Burger King Twitter account hacked, defaced

The Twitter account associated with the fast-food chain Burger King was suspended after an apparent hack defaced the page with messages that the account had been sold to McDonald's.

The @BurgerKing account name was changed today to "McDonalds" and the Golden Arches logo was added to the page, as was a message that the account had been sold to McDonald's "because the whopper flopped."

The page has since been taken down, but images of the defacement are still visible on Web cache.

Before the feed's suspension, hackers posted tweets that included racial epithets … Read more

Amazon to stream CBS show based on Stephen King novel

Amazon has scored the rights to stream a new CBS TV series called "Under the Dome."

Based on a Stephen King novel and produced by CBS and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, the new show will air on CBS TV starting June 24. And just four days after that, the series will be available for streaming to Amazon Prime members.

The deal between Amazon and CBS (which is also the parent company of CNET) means that Amazon Prime Instant Video will be the exclusive online home for "Under the Dome." Amazon Prime subscribers will be able … Read more

King's Landing from 'Thrones' gets the Minecraft treatment

Do you love "Game of Thrones"? Do you eat, sleep, and breathe to the tune of the epic HBO television series based on George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels?

I know times are tough, especially since the new season doesn't start until March 31. But we might have something to tide you over until then. … Read more

Facebook 'Likes' King.com's new mobile puzzle game

King.com, a fast growing developer of Facebook games, unveiled its second Facebook synchronized mobile game tonight, displaying the type of gaming experience Facebook says its wants more of.

King said that Candy Crush Saga, which has nearly 5 million daily active players and 15,600,000 monthly active players on Facebook, launches on mobile in November.

Sean Ryan, Facebook's director of games partnerships, said the game is an example of how popular Web games can successfully translate to mobile games. Candy Crush Saga will be available on iOS devices and synchronized with Facebook. This means players can pick … Read more