VKontakte founder launches Telegram, a new instant messenger service

Aug 29, 2013 | Central & Eastern Europe, News, North America, Russia

East-West Digital News Digital Fortress, a US-based software developer with Russian roots, rolled out its inaugural mobile app in mid-August, an English-language instant messenger named Telegram. The app is now available on iTunes. Digital Fortress owner Pavel Durov,...

Apple confirms acquisition of Swedish data compression company AlgoTrim [u]

Aug 28, 2013 | News, North America, Western Europe

Apple Insider 28 August Apple has confirmed the purchase AlgoTrim, a Swedish startup that specializes in data compression, in a deal that could allow the company to make services such as iTunes more efficient for mobile devices like the iPhone. Update: After word of...

Apple’s Embark acquisition could bring transit information to Apple Maps

Aug 28, 2013 | News, North America

Apple Insider 22 August 2013 Apple has acquired yet another mapping company, this time snapping up Embark, a move that has the potential to bring public transit information to Apple’s in-house Maps app. Sources familiar with the deal say that Apple acquired...

Speakaboos Interactive Storybooks Service Raises $6.2M

Aug 28, 2013 | News, North America

TechCrunch Speakaboos, an ed-tech startup offering a subscription based service for children’s interactive storybooks, is today disclosing its seed and Series A funding totaling $6.2 million from New York-based digital media venture development platform [212]MEDIA...

Amgen seeks to bolster drug pipeline with $10.4 billion Onyx buy

Aug 27, 2013 | News, North America

Reuters 25 Aug 2013 Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) struck a deal to buy cancer drug maker Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc (ONXX.O) for about $10.4 billion on Sunday, as it moves to restock its product pipeline in response to declining sales of its flagship anemia drugs. The acquisition...

Statoil Eyes Russian Shale over U.S. Fields

Aug 26, 2013 | Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, News, North America, Russia

The Moscow Times OSLO — Statoil, one of the most successful oil explorers in recent years, sees offshore Angolan and Russian shale as the industry’s next big plays and considers U.S. shale oil overhyped, its exploration chief Tim Dodson said. The firm, which has...