Angry Birds at 500 Million Downloads

NOV. 2, 2011 • Since it release in 2009, Rovio Mobile’s Angry Birds has registered more than 500 million downloads on various platforms. Rovio also says 300 million minutes a day are played in the game globally. That popularity has enabled the developer to ship more than 10 million Angry Birds toys across the world, and even publish a cookbook. Impact: Angry Birds is clearly a huge multi.....

Sony Buys Out Sony Ericsson

OCT. 27, 2011 • Sony Corp. is buying out its Swedish partner for €1.05 billion ($1.45 billion) to assume full control of the Sony Ericsson mobile phone joint venture. The acquisition transfers a range of patents to Sony, and better enables the consumer electronics maker to better int.....

Amazon Kindle Fire Debuts

SEPT. 29, 2011 • Amazon.com introduced its Kindle Fire tablet. The unit is the online retailer’s first color touch-screen model that comes with a seven-inch screen, and wifi connectivity for $199. Fire uses a substantially altered Android system that optimizes access to Amazon’s digital and hard products. Impact: At $199, the Fire is a scary device. HP discovered how well that pric.....

Peter Dille Hired by Tapjoy

SEPT. 7, 2011 • Mobile monetization firm Tapjoy has hired former Sony Computer Entertainment America executive Peter Dille as its chief marketing officer. More than 10,000 apps feature Tapjoy’s service that inserts ads into iOS and Android gameplay. Dille was a senior VP  at SCEA before leaving in March. Impact: This is the sign of another major shift in the game industry.  Increasingly lo.....

U.K. Smartphones Access Internet

AUG, 31, 2011 • According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom, 45% of people surveyed said they accessed the Internet via their smartphones, compared with 31% in 2010. Respondents between 16 and 24 years old went online using their mobile phones. The ONS also reported that 77% of British households now have access to a net connection, up 4% from 2011. Impact: It is.....