今日科技：安息吧，Flip、Flock和Download Squad
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• 官方消息：Flip视频摄像机部门准备关闭（永垂不朽的Flip）。2009年，思科（Cisco）耗资5.9亿美元将新创企业Flip收入囊中，不过如今，由于思科重组其消费性电子产品部门，该公司准备将Flip关闭，同时裁掉Flip的所有员工，共计550人。思科此举让人颇为遗憾，因为Flip目前仍是消费性视频摄像头领域的主导者。（All Things Digital） • 事情还没有完，Flock也宣布停止开发。Flock是一款聚合了社交网络和媒体功能的浏览器，曾在2005年名噪一时。其开发团队实际上早在今年1月份就被休闲游戏开发商Zynga收购，不过Zynga与Flock的停止开发无关。（TechCrunch） • 最后一条噩耗，在完成了对赫芬顿邮报（Huffington Post）的收购后，美国在线（AOL）关闭了旗下两家科技站点：专注于软件方面的科技博客Download Squad和综合性科技网站Switched。（Download Squad和 Switched） • 新闻集团（News Corp）正向潜在买家发放MySpace的项目建议书，而TechCrunch似乎得到了该建议书。MySpace是从社交网站转型成为娱乐资讯平台。TechCrunch表示，2011财年，MySpace的营收将仅有1.09亿美元，而支出约为2.74亿美元，这将导致1.65亿美元亏损；该公司预计，2012年其收入将下滑至8400万美元（尽管预计将取得1500万美元利润）；而2013年，收入将上升至1.01亿美元；2014年则为1.19亿美元。不过，TechCrunch表示，要达到上述目标，MySpace很可能需要裁员。（TechCrunch） • 苹果（Apple）代工商富士康科技集团（Foxconn Technology Group）可能向巴西投资120亿美元，这是富士康在深圳之外扩张业务的又一举动。[路透社（Reuters）] • 基于位置的签到是最新技术趋势之一，Foursquare、Gowalla和Loopt等服务是该领域的领跑者，不过，这项技术会在今年消亡吗？ReadWriteWeb的一位用户似乎这样认为。请登录ReadWriteWeb网站查看他的文章。（ReadWriteWeb） • T-Mobile将提供一项不限语音、短信和数据业务的套餐，起价为59.99美元。不过该套餐有一项限制：如果用户的数据流量超过2GB，那么T-Mobile将降低用户的数据接入速度，直到下一个账单周期到来。（Silicon Alley Insider） • 由Flickr联合创始人斯图尔特•巴特菲尔执掌的在线社交游戏开发商Tiny Speck，获得了来自Andreesen Horowitz和Accel Partners的1070万美元投资。(VentureBeat) 译者：项航 |
• It's official: The Flip digital cam is dead. (Long live, Flip.) Cisco, which bought the startup behind the product line for $590 million back in 2009, will close down the business and lay off all 550 staffers as part of a restructuring of its consumer electronics division. The move comes despite the fact that the Flip remained the leading consumer video camera company. (All Things Digital) • But things didn't end there... Flock, which made a splash back in 2005 with a web browser that aggregated social networks and media, also got the boot. The team behind it was actually acquired by Zynga back in January, though the casual game maker was not involved in the product's quiet death. (TechCrunch) • And last but not least, software-focused blog Download Squad and general tech site Switched became the latest digital brands to get shuttered by AOL post-Huffington Post acquisition. (Download Squad and Switched) • TechCrunch supposedly got its hands on the MySpace pitch book News Corp. is floating around to potential buyers of the social network-turned-entertainment hub. According to the tech blog, MySpace's revenues for fiscal year 2011 will be just $109 million, while expenses will come in around $274 million, resulting in a $165 million loss. Moving forward, the company expects sales to decrease further to $84 million (albeit with $15 million in earnings) in 2012, then climb back up to $101 million in 2013 and $119 million in 2014. For all that to happen, however, TechCrunch says layoffs are likely. (TechCrunch) • Apple products manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group may invest $12 billion in Brazil towards expanding its operations outside of the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. (Reuters) • Will location-based check-ins, one of the latest tech trends pioneered by services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and Loopt, die off this year? One user over at ReadWriteWeb seems to think so. Hear him (or her) out. (ReadWriteWeb) • T-Mobile is offering an unlimited voice, text and data plan starting at $59.99, but the deal comes with a catch: use more than 2 GB of data, and the wireless carrier will slow down the connection speed until the next billing cycle. (Silicon Alley Insider) • Online social game maker Tiny Speck, headed by Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield, just raised $10.7 million from Andreesen Horowitz and Accel Partners. (VentureBeat) |
