BBM for Windows Phone is now live at the Windows Phone Store. Supports devices running on Windows Phone 8 and up. A closed beta has been running for a few weeks now. LINK
Pinterest Buys Icebergs, a Creative Collaboration Startup
Pinterest has made a fifth acquisition aimed at strengthening its team – the startup Iceberg, which “built technology to improve online visual curation and organisation of projects”. Size of the deal is undisclosed. Icebergs services will be soon stopped and the founders will join Pinterest. Pinterest had raised $200M in May and $764M in total as of now. LINK
InMobi to Shutdown its App Distribution Platform
“App Publish”, InMobi’s Android app distribution platform launched in 2013 will be shutting down on 4th of this month. The platform enabled developers to publish apps across 130 Android app stores. With the termination of services, all apps published via the platform will be unpublished from the app stores. They are trying for a solution to this. LINK
Twitter acquires image search startup – Madbits
Twitter has quietly acquired visual intelligence technology developing start-up Madbits. Twitter’s game plan is to use Madbit’s brilliant deep-learning-based computer vision technology with the images that are being uploaded every day to the social network. Madbit’s technology basically allows to assign relevant meta information to the raw images and bolster the image search. LINK
Intuit India Acquires Jaipur Based KDK Software
Intuit India has acquired Jaipur based KDK Software, a company that provides cost-effective software solutions to tax professionals and SMEs in the country. KDK has about 20k customers & serves 1 in 5 practicing chartered accountants in India, which gives Intuit the needed warchest to take on the competitors like Tally. Looks like Intuit wants to invade the Indian market now. Link
RBI Circular to shut down IT Startups and SMEs in India
RBI has released a circular that requires every exporter of software products or services to submit export invoices for certification to STPI (Software Technology Park of India), being the nodal designated agency irrespective of whatever value. This will enable multiple issues for IT and software startups in India. Basically, RBI wants to regulate and track incoming foreign exchange but that is quite well done as all payments coming in India are tracked anyway through bank. Read more
Airtel Crosses 300 Million Subscriber Mark
Bharti Airtel has crossed 300 million subscribers on its mobile, fixed line and DTH services. It had crossed the first 100 million in 2009 and 200 million in 2012. It is said to be the largest global consumer brand originated in India with operations in 20 countries. LINK
Apple to Buy Radio App Swell for $30 Million
Multiple resources report that Apple is close to buying the radio app Swell for about $30 Million. Swell’s iOS app created personalized streams of various podcasts and shows.The Swell app is to be shut down this week.Much of the Swell team is to join Apple. This deal is yet another in the string of content apps that Apple have picked up over the past few months. LINK
Russia Announces Contest to Crack Tor
The Russian interior ministry has made an offer of $110,000 to Russians who can crack the anonymity of Tor users (the anonymity network). The purpoted aim is to “ensure the country’s defence and security”. Tor was originally set up by the US Naval Research Laboratory and the US Department of Defense remains one of its biggest backers. LINK
Zomato CMO Alok Jain Quits
Zomato CMO Alok Jain has quit 10 months after his appointment. A replacement haven’t been announced yet. Zomato was trying to become a global brand and had stated plans of expanding to 22 new countries across Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Americas. Recently, they launched in Chile and acquired a New Zealand-based online restaurant guide. LINK
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