As reported on InformationWeek, the worldwide social network for professionals, LinkedIn has on Monday launched a mobile-ready version of its website for use by its member base of more than 19 million. The release is in Beta and allows members with a web-enabled mobile device to perform the sites common functions which include searching profiles with photos and bios, making introductions, inviting others to join a network, and receiving updates from the site and a user’s groups or colleagues on the site.
Professionals worldwide use LinkedIn to create trusted networks with colleagues and other professionals, and to share expertise, business contacts, and job opportunities. LinkedIn is backed by several investors, such as Sequoia Capital, Greylock, the European Founders Fund, and Bessemer Venture Partners.
A new deal between Google and Japan’s largest mobile phone operator DoCoMo will see its handsets using search, email and other services such as YouTube and Picassa from the search giant. The deal, reported on the Washington Post website, will help Google’s overseas growth whilst giving DoCoMo an edge in Japan’s highly competitive mobile market.
The two firms, which also plan to launch a Linux-based mobile handset in Japan, aim to reap joint advertising revenues of 10 billion yen “as soon as possible,” they said, without disclosing how they plan to split revenues.
“Japan’s mobile Internet services lead the world,” DoCoMo senior Vice President Takeshi Natsuno said at a news conference. “It’s no wonder that big U.S. companies are paying attention to Japan.
Google’s video sharing website YouTube which currently runs on just a few mobile phone handsets is reportedly expanding this service to a far wider audience by enabling it on phones from Motorola, LG Electronics, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson. The move will enable millions more potential viewers and offers the same experience as browsing the site on a normal desktop computer. (more…)
The latest innovation from the team at Google Maps, among a flurry of other announced features, is “My Location” that uses fancy-pants triangulation between mobile phone transmission towers to help you find yourself on a google map by browsing the web from your phone (to within a certain approximated area that is - but hey it’s still pretty nifty!).
The service is in Beta testing currently. This video from the Google channel on YouTube explains how it works;
CNET News.com reports that movie rental chain Blockbuster is in talks with all the major mobile phone makers about partnerships aimed at making it easier for consumers to watch movies on the go. “We’re talking with virtually all of the major manufacturers about the opportunity to provide greater mobility and convenience,” Chief Executive James Keyes said on Tuesday.
Blockbuster is looking for new ways to expand its business as consumers, including himself, have an increasing number of entertainment options besides renting movies at the store. “The challenge is how do I make this convenient for everybody,” the CEO said.
In this video from Google’s YouTube channel, Sergey Brin and Steve Horowitz discuss the availability of the Android SDK, that it will be open source in the future, and demo applications on the Android platform - Google’s open source platform for mobile phones. Sergey also mentions the prizes for developers that we previously talked about.
