The music group is called Merlin and negotiates deals on behalf of independent record labels around the world. Merlin chief executive officer Charles Caldas said in an interview recently that its music deal with MySpace had expired over a year ago. However, Caldas says that songs from more than 100 of its represented labels are still available on MySpace.

Caldas says that MySpace is using music without permission from three of the biggest independent record labels in the world including Beggars Group, Domino, and Merge. MySpace says that if songs from Merlin represented labels are still on its network, “they were likely uploaded by users.” In other words, MySpace is saying it’s not our fault.

MySpace says that if the music was uploaded by its members, the music would be removed if requested by the labels. MySpace has dropped in popularity significantly over the last several years. While MySpace was once the leading social network, Facebook has made MySpace an also ran.

[via NYTimes]

Timberlake previewed that design back in November 2011, with the site switching its focus from being a hub for your social life to a place where music is at the center of the experience. In fact, the new MySpace even promises to play nicely with the service that arguably killed it, Facebook, offering Zuckerberg’s system as a registration option.

Until today, invitations were required if you wanted to actually use the new MySpace, but now you can use your old credentials, Facebook, or Twitter, to get access. Linking it with your other social accounts allows you to funnel your listening information across to them, too.

Timberlake – whose single, Suit & Tie feat. Jay Z, will be the first released track from new album The 20/20 Experience expected for release later in 2013 – invested in MySpace back in 2011, along with Specific Media Group. Together, they paid around $35m for the once-mighty site, after News Corp ran it into the ground.

[via Engadget]

This study in 2012 shows the top 10 social networks to be Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, WordPress, and Linedin to start, with Facebook equalling nearly three times the amount of unique PC visits over its first competitor, Blogger. The list of 10 continues with Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr, MySpace, and Wikia, with each site from Linedin to Tumblr only having right around 1,000,000 unique visitors different between the two – but again, this is all via the PC market, people working from their desktop.

As for visitors from these social networks via their mobile browser presence, there’s a bit different story. Facebook remains in the lead, while Twitter takes over Blogger and Pinterest jumps 2 places to sit in a clear fourth. WordPress is the last of the top 5 with Linedin being the first with numbers under 10 million, it and Tumblr coming up short by less than 2 million each. The bottom three then are Wikia, Reddit, and MySpace – Reddit’s growth is notable at 153% over what it was a year before, the same for Tumblr at 162% over last year. Pinterest deserves the biggest applause in this category with a massive 4,225% growth rate year over year in the mobile app segment.

As for mobile users using apps, we’ve got a top 5 starting with Facebook and moving on the Twitter, then foursquare, Google+, and Pinterest. This chart shows that not only is Pinterest taking off like a rocket – winning the most improved in each category far and away, the whole mobile social network family is growing at a surprisingly fast rate. Have another peek at this study from a different perspective from earlier today.

[via Nielsen]

Not content with whispers of just one 1080p smartphone, the rumor mill churned out another concerning a 1080p device from LG, while today’s the day that the iPad mini LTE and 4th gen iPad went up for sale at AT&T and Verizon stores. We heard the good news that AT&T is hitting 4G LTE roll out milestones ahead of schedule, and Apple has been granted a rather controversial patent for page-tuning animation. The crew for the next Star Wars movie is beginning to assemble, while LucasFilm said that it will begin putting out 2-3 movies a year after the release of Episode VII.

We had a lot of video game news today, with Activision announcing that Black Ops II pulled in $500 million in sales on launch day, and Sony announcing that the PS3 has hit 70 million sales worldwide. Nintendo said it won’t have Nintendo TVii ready to go by the time the Wii U launches this weekend, and Hulu launched a brand new Games Hub which users can visit to check out new video game trailers. Nintendo launched a new Pokedex app on the Japanese iOS App Store today, while Microsoft and Sony both revealed the deals they have in store for Black Friday.

We found out that a poll which claimed lagging consumer interest in Windows 8 may not be entirely trustworthy, and a new Apple HDTV product was tipped for an incoming reveal. The Google Maps app for iOS is nearing the finishing touches stage of development according to a source close to the project, while Justin Timberlake showed off the new MySpace today. Apple is killing off the Messages beta for Lion users next month, and finally tonight, scientists have discovered that human ancestors were using spears as far back as 500,000 years ago. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy the weekend folks!

The redesign looks quite impressive, and you can definitely tell Timberlake and company were wanting to give it a sleek and modern feel to it in order for it to appeal to today’s youth. It has a clean interface and a very responsive design overall, with photos being a huge part of the site’s design — profile pages are filled with full-screen cover photos.

Of course, one of the biggest new features is the integration of music. Myspace has access to a music library that rivals dedicated music streaming services like Spotify and Rdio. It allows you to create playlists and share them with your friends. And you can even watch music videos, as well as launch customized radio stations. Timberlake mentioned how the new Myspace redesign can be great for musicians. A lot of the features will allow fans to engage more with artists. Timberlake says he thinks “about it as blurring the gap and how much you can discover through your fanbase and how much you can discover about yourself as an artist.” He emphasized that “quality of engagement” is more important than quantity.

However, we’re not sure if Myspace can rise from the dead and become a successful, popular social network again. Essentially, Facebook replaced Myspace, and we’re not so sure that Myspace can reclaim its territory again, especially since Facebook has over one billion users now. Then again, the folks at Myspace have put together an impressive redesign, so we hope it does well for them.

[via MTV]

Apple TV was upgraded to iOS 5.1 today, while the company reminded iCloud users that former MobileMe accounts will be downgraded to 5GB of free storage on September 30. Verizon says that its version of the iPhone 5 will remain unlocked, while iOS developers were sending out updates for their apps left and right. One of these developers was Google, which launched an iOS 6/iPhone 5 update for Google Chrome, with Sparrow promising that iPhone 5 support will be coming soon.

Samsung released a list of devices that will soon be updated to Jelly Bean, and T-Mobile was seen trying to pull attention to its 4G network, which is due for some upgrades soon. The Aakash Android 2 tablet was revealed today with a super low price tag, and Facebook did its best to dispel rumors that private messages are popping up on public timelines. Google’s stock hit an all-time high today, breaking company records set back in 2007, and Sony announced some new super-slim external batteries for mobile devices.

Toshiba had some skinny offerings of its own to show off, unveiling the new Canvio Slim 500GB hard drive, and camera samples for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2 leaked out today as well. Experts warned that BlackBerry growth has become stagnant and that BlackBerry 10 may not do much to help, while YouTube enhanced its caption translation tools for content creators. In one of the most surprising stories of the day, Myspace began showing off its incoming redesign, and it actually looks really good. Meanwhile, we heard about a particularly nasty Borderlands 2 bug, and Sony reiterated plans to support the PS3 through at least 2015.

Finally tonight, we have a new column by Chris Davies that examines why iPhone 5 users may eventually save the poorly-received Apple Maps app in iOS 6. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, so go out and enjoy the rest of your night!

Right off the bat, it’s obvious that the new Myspace is going to be quite the departure from the Myspace we’re used to. The focus on music and entertainment remains in tact, but user profiles are getting completely overhauled. What surprises us the most is how beautiful everything looks, especially when Myspace is coming from a layout that can’t exactly be described as “gorgeous.”

Looking at the video below, it seems that Myspace designers have drawn inspiration from the likes of Pinterest and Microsoft‘s Metro UI. Everything comes together to form a really sleek look, and call us crazy, but this redesign may just do something to bring users back to the service, which has been suffering at the hands of Facebook for years now. Speaking of Facebook, it seems that the new Myspace will sport Facebook and Twitter integration to some degree. It also adds things like a dedicated music player and a persistent navigation bar, so yeah, this is going to be a pretty massive redesign.

No word yet on when this new redesign will land, but those who are interested in this redesign can leave their email address to “request an invite.” It’s unclear whether that invite will be for a beta or the full blown launch of the new Myspace, but we’re tempted to think it’s the latter. What do you think of this new Myspace design? Is it enough to get you to return to the social network?

[via The Next Web]

Webster noted that though no formal pitch process has been launched, they have been working with a set of agencies looking for solutions to MySpace’s lack of attention in recent years. Though the site has had a bad few years compared to their heyday, it does appear that they are in too much of a hurry, with Webster noting that their search for a new agency is in its “early days.”

“We’ve had a few exploratory conversations within the marketplace, but no formal pitch process is currently being undertaken. MySpace will look to roll out consumer-facing activity towards the end of this year, at which time we’ll most likely undertake a formal pitch.” – Webster

MySpace was essentially at its height in 2006 when visitors surpassed the vast bulk of the web, while its purchase in 2005 by News Corp heralded its steady decline through the years 2007 and 2008. News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch famously regretted making the move to pick up MySpace, famously labeling the purchase a “mistake” and saying that they’d “screwed up in every way possible”. Since then the purchase of the company by Specific Media and Justin Timberlake has seen a visually successful turnaround with the site leaving its social networking roots behind, so to speak, focusing instead on media.

The social network also settled charges regarding its subversion of EU “Safe Harbor” laws, which saw the company transferring user data to the US for processing despite being collected in Europe. The FTC has been bullish on user privacy concerns as of late, previously challenging Facebook and Google who have accepted similar deals to be audited over 20 years. Twitter also had a tangle with the FTC in 2010, and will see audits over the next 10 years.

It’s expected that the FTC will target Google again regarding the Safari hack that allowed it plant cookies that the browser would otherwise have ignored. Google could face huge fines if they’re found to be guilty of any wrongdoing, although there’s no indication right now as to when the FTC will pursue Google.

[via The Guardian]

The new owners at MySpace are Tim and Chris Vanderhook, and they plunked down $35 million to get their names on the deed. News Corp had paid $580 million for the site in 2005 and proceeded to run it into the ground admittedly making every mistake possible. The new owners have been working to turn MySpace around by emphasizing the site as music and entertainment hub, and apparently it’s working, to some extent, so far.

The NYT reports that MySpace is set to offer its first good news in a long while. The good news is that MySpace has attracted 1 million new users since the Vanderhooks took the site over. The million new users have come to MySpace since December, 2011, which was the same month MySpace unveiled a new music player. According to Chris Vanderhook, MySpace went from zero sign ups per day to 40,000 per day with the unveiling of the new music player. It’s also worth noting that the Vanderhooks other partner is Justin Timberlake.

[via NYT]

The company was off the ground in 2006, and by the early part of 2007 it was attracting millions of new users on a monthly basis. In case you never heard of this platform, iLike offered free music streaming and sought to offer recommendations and social sharing opportunities based on listening history. Think of it as a Pandora, Playlist.com, or Spotify. More than $17 million in funding went to iLike.

The problem was even though iLike was generating as much as 1.5 billion pageviews per month, it didn’t have a great revenue model. Therein lies the problem with so many other failed music services that offer so much to users but don’t do enough for themselves. Struggling, iLike was snatched up by Myspace in 2009 for a reported $20 million. But just like Myspace, iLike continued on a downward path. So long and rest in peace.

[via GigaOM]

If you fear that the information you share with the public on a daily basis will be read by the FBI and you’ll get targeted for it, you’re in for a sour surprise: they’ve been reading your posts since the internet was invented. What this tool will be for them is a way to be a bit more omnipotent about it all, it being a “secure, light weight web application portal, using mash-up technology” whatever that means, that “must have the ability to rapidly assemble critical open source information and intelligence that will allow SIOC to quickly vet, identify, and geo-locate breaking events, incidents, and emerging threats.” I’m not so sure their “cached and real-time proprietary data” request is all that realistic, but the rest seems like a task that could be attainable by a team of you industrious developers and engineers out there.

One of the main objectives of this future setup the FBI is requesting someone make is:

Provide a user defined operations pictures[sp] (ODOP) that are flexible to support a myriad of functional FBI missions. Examples include but are not limited to: Reconnaissance & Surveillance, NSSE Planning, NSSE Operations, SIOC Operations, Counter Intelligence, Terrorism, Cybercrime, etc.

The reason this comes to our attention is, of course, the specific listing of a set of websites that should, first and foremost, be able to be Searched:

Ability for user to create, define, and select parameters/key word requirements. Automated search of national news, local news, and social media networks. Examples include but are not limited to Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Another interesting layer lies in the “Map” category for requirements:

Ability to immediately access geospatial maps with coding in addition to providing critical infrastructural layers. Preferred maps include but are not limited to Google Maps, Google 3D maps, ESRI, and Yahoo Maps. The FBI will provide the layers to the selected vendor who must in tern incorporate the layer(s) on the respective geospatial map.

Finally there’s a category for requirements that’s called “Twitter and other Social Networking Monitoring:

Ability to instantly search and monitor key words and strings in all “publicly available” tweets across the Twitter Site and other “publicly available” social networking sites/forums (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, etc.).

Got your interest piqued? You’ll want to head to the Social Media Application listing “Packages Section” to find the PDF that contains the full listing. For the original listing (on the 19th of January, 2012,) head to the job post and go wild!

[via New Scientist]

Currently, Don’t Be Evil is a bookmarklet that works on a per-visit basis to Google. Users click the bookmarklet and, rather than being shown Google’s specially crafted results, see a purer set of results that have not been refined according to the search company’s own social promotion.

That promotion has already got Google into hot water with regulators, with the FTC looking closely at “Search plus Your World” to see if it pushes the company into antitrust territory. Nonetheless, Google is ramping up its Google+ promotion; last week it announced it had passed 90,000,000 users of the social network, and that number is set to increase with more pressure to use Google+ put on new Gmail sign-ups.

The Don’t Be Evil add-on – its name a reference to Google’s unofficial motto – works in Chrome, Firefox and Safari and has been released under an open-source license. Already there’s a Chrome extension using the tech, with more likely in the pipeline.

Having spent over half a billion dollars on MySpace, News Corp. finally sold the social networking site in June last year for a mere $39m. Even that was something of a coup, with average bidding tipped at just $20m to $30m.

This week at CES, MySpace announced a deal with Panasonic to create MySpace TV, a socially-enabled networking system that allows viewers to communicate with friends and strangers about their shared watching experience. An accompanying Myspace Companion App makes suggestions based on your viewing profile. Supporting smartphones, tablets, laptops and the TV screen, MySpace TV even managed to coax Justin Timberlake on-stage to talk up its innovation.

Whether MySpace TV will be enough to turn around the network’s failing fortunes – and user numbers – compared to Facebook and Google+ remains to be seen. However it looks like Murdoch has written the whole experience off as a costly lesson as to how the internet can bite back.

With Panasonic as its partner, Myspace is being given a chance to revive its tarnished image with Myspace TV. As other social networking sites were seeing nothing but an increase in users over the last few years, Myspace has only seen their numbers dwindling. Even though Facebook has been victim of complaints for changing design, Myspace, with already dwindling numbers, was hurt even more with their questionable redesign.

Myspace TV lets users interact differently while watching TV by talking to friends or sharing videos. While watching live TV you can use your laptop, tablet or even the TV screen to talk with others. If you’re interested in the latest craze and want to see what other users are watching, Myspace TV will determine what is popularly viewed. Myspace TV in conjunction with the the Myspace Companion App, will filter its suggestions based on your own interests.

[via VenturBeat]

Let me tell you an epiphany I had earlier today: the reason Apple works and is more enticing than Windows for masses of consumers is that OS X is a tool that tells you what it can do and how you can use it, while Windows is just a tool. Windows Phone is catching on to this idea, and Android certainly had the idea right from their start as well, but iPhone is without a doubt based on this idea implicitly. The same is true of Facebook and Google+, to a degree, where Facebook is very easy to understand for a relative beginner and Google+ is pretty much the most confusing place in the world for those who don’t have the power to glean its abilities by exploring.

So Google+ became instantly rather popular not because it was easy to understand and fun to use, but because of Google’s brand power and the fact that it did not have an open door at first, invites handed out to sites like SlashGear for later contests and giveaways. Keep a line and people will stand in it, basically. Google+ is a tool that can be powerful, but because it does not inform the user properly how it can and should be utilized, it will never grow to the level Facebook has.

Over at TechCrunch you’ll find that Erick Schonfeld has found searches for the term “Google+” to be going down here at the tail end of 2011. In the timeline below this paragraph you’ll find that Google’s team for their social networking site never ever stops innovating and adding to the abilities of the site. Look into your heart and you’ll find that like MySpace, so too must this site eventually pass.

That slump, DreamGrow Social Media suggests, has seen Google+ go from 2.89-percent of all visits to Google at the start of August, to 1.84-percent today. Total traffic looks to have dropped by more than a quarter in the most recent two week period.

It’s worth noting that Pew’s figures are based on a 2,277 person sample, while DreamGrow’s analysis uses Alexa traffic stats. The latter relies on internet surfers who have the Alexa toolbar installed, and the numbers could be affected if Google’s other properties – such as Gmail or search – experience a surge in popularity that reduces the comparative impact of Google+ visits.

Official figures for Google+ adoption are still in short supply. Back in mid-July, Google itself said it had 10m registered users, while comScore suggested site traffic indicated 25m users (either registered or viewing public posts). Since then, however, Google has been quiet about service popularity, preferring instead to roll out tools for blocking and ignoring content as well as integrating Hangout support into YouTube.

Indictment files made in San Jose, California have said that Facebook servers were manipulated by Wallace, unsolicited mails being sent then to users from their “friends” accounts, these users never actually having sent the messages in the first place, messages then encourage users to click links leading to 3rd party sites that then collect Facebook information such as friends lists, these lists then used to continue the cycle of SPAM through the Facebook world. Also according to the indictment files, this operation took place between November of 2008 and March of 2009.

*This hack apparently has nothing to do with Facebook hacks we saw take place a few months ago to Facebook-based Farmville and the Zuckerberg profile page hack that preceded it.

According to a separate report, Wallace has previously been in trouble with Facebook, this time being sued by Facebook in 2009 for “compromising their servers,” this time the judge issuing a $711 million USD judgement against Wallace, also barring him from accessing the site. Authorities now say he violated that order. Chris Sonderby, one of Facebooks lawyers in such matters, released a statement reading: “[Facebook] will continue to pursue and support both civil and criminal consequences for spammers and others [attempting to harm Facebook users]”.

Wallace has been into Spamming internet users since the mid-1990s, a time when he headed a group by the crafty name “Cyber Promotions”, this working with SPAM through email. The 11 counts leveled against Wallace now include intentional damage to a protected computer, fraud, and criminal contempt for violating previous orders to stay off Facebook as well as MySpace. Wallace had previously gotten in trouble with MySpace as a federal judge found him guilty of creating 10,000 fake profiles made to redirect legitimate users to third-party websites, this crime resulting in a $230 million judgement on Wallace.

BONUS: the photo above is of Sanford Wallace himself posing in front of an Apple Macintosh computer with three SPAM cans on top on May 8, 1997

[via Christian Science Monitor]

As Anderson sees it, Facebook has shifted to an aggressive filtering algorithm so as to prioritize what it believes its users will be most interested in seeing, but simultaneously failed to make clear how more information – or manual controls over that information – can be unlocked by the users themselves. “I post something that used to generate some interaction,” he suggests, “and now I receive almost nothing.”

Facebook has put so much emphasis on the “EdgeRank” algorithm, Anderson argues, that most users only see a fraction of their friends’ content. His fear is that algorithm-obsessed Google could end up doing the same thing with Google+ as the amount of content on the network increases.

“Facebook has tried to find different ways to bring the information users want to them, because the “Circles” concept when implemented at Facebook in 2008 (“Lists”) didn’t work. Facebook has assumed that users can’t handle the overload of information, and that EdgeRank is better than the “Most Recent” option. They’ve downplayed Lists, sorting and Newsfeed “preference” options more and more, so that most users don’t even know they exist.” Tom Anderson

Google+ arguably does need to improve its filtering and viewing systems – just as its Circles approach needs to be boosted to support organizing groups within groups, for instance – but relying too greatly on PageRank-style processes might take too much control away from users. Still, as Anderson himself admits, the search giant has a lot of experience to call upon. “Imagine if G+ could determine the semantic nature of a post, categorize it, and let users follow a subset of topics from a user, instead of an entire feed” he ponders, “e.g. follow Tom’s posts about Google+ and Apple, but not his silly .GIFs.”

[Image credit Zirta]

Google+
SlashGear 101: What is Google+, Circles, Huddle?
What Google+, Circles, Sparks, and Huddle will Mean for Me and You
A Google+ Guide from Top to Bottom
Google+ Mobile App Review and Hands-On [BETA]
Gmail and Calendar refreshed with Google+ matching themes

Facebook
Facebook To Thwart Google+ Excitement With An “Awesome” Launch Next Week?
Facebook To Launch In-Browser Skype Video Chat Next Week?

Microsoft
Windows Phone Mango seeded to developers from today
HTC Eternity leaks: 4.7-inch 1.5GHz WP7.1 Mango superphone?
Microsoft breaks 25,000 Windows Phone app barrier
Windows Phone Mango Won’t Require Physical Buttons?

Nokia
Nokia sells off Messaging service as Finns continue to slim
Nokia’s Windows Phone 7 Apps Will Work On Rival Devices
Nokia N9 photos look REALLY good

RIM
RIM ignores users and has lazy marketing accuses senior exec
RIM’s Damage Control was Blandly Inevitable
RIM To Consider Splitting Co-CEOs
BlackBerry Playbook 10-Inch Version Axed?

HP
HP confirms webOS licensing talks; Samsung tipped as suitor
HP TouchPad Review
webOS 3.0 Review

Apple
OS X 10.7 Lion Golden Master Version Seeded To Devs
OS X Lion And New MacBook Airs To Be Released July 14?
Apple To Ship 12-14 Million iPad 2s In Q3
Apple App Store Hits 100,000 iPad Apps Milestone
Happy 4th Birthday To The iPhone

Other…
Ricoh buys Pentax digicam business: Plans interchangeable lens cameras
MySpace Sold For $35 Million To Specific Media
Justin Timberlake To Bring MySpace Back?
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo All In Early Talks To Buy Hulu

Reviews:
Samsung Exhibit 4G
Acer Timeline X AS5840TG-640
WebOS 3.0
HP TouchPad
Google+ Mobile
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo
Neato XV-15 Robot Vacuum

It’s being reported that Justin Timberlake will be taking an ownership stake in the newly sold social platform. A press release confirmed that Timberlake will be playing a “major role” in the strategy and creative direction of MySpace, but does not give an exact figure on just how much the celeb has in stake.

“There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. Myspace has the potential to be that place,” says Timberlake. “Art is inspired by people and vice versa, so there’s a natural social component to entertainment. I’m excited to help revitalize Myspace by using its social media platform to bring artists and fans together in one community.”

It’s a bizarre event of fiction versus reality, considering the pop star recently played the role of Facebook president and infamous Napster founder, Sean Parker. The event has elicited plenty of sarcastic quips with some questioning whether Timberlake realizes he was “just acting and isn’t really Sean Parker.”

It could be a tall task for Timberlake, but it’s certainly one of the best things to happen for MySpace. The sinking site is in desperate need for something to hold on to and Timberlake’s attachment could be enough to spark other celebrity endorsements and revive interest as the site continues to refocus as a social hub for music and entertainment.

[via TechCrunch]

Sources familiar with the situation say that the deal is to be completed today, although nothing has been officially signed yet. The sale will let News Corp. hold onto a very small stake in MySpace of less than 5 percent. The sales price of $35 million certainly falls short of the $100 million that News Corp was hoping for and is pitiful compared to the original almost $600 million paid for MySpace back in 2005.

Specific Media is a lesser known advertising network and it intends to keep MySpace a social platform focused on music and entertainment. Other bids included those from original co-founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, as well as Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. But as of this week, the deal came down to either Specific Media or Golden Gate Capital. And if all goes smoothly today, News Corp. will finally get to offload the property and start afresh as its new fiscal year starts this Thursday.

[via AllThingsDigital]

MySpace was one of the most popular social platforms back in the mid 2000′s. However, over the years it was impacted by negative news of sex-offenders on the platform giving it a reputation as being a pervert haven. As Facebook leaped ahead, MySpace had to re-focus as a music and entertainment oriented social network, but has continued to lose money.

News Corp. is said to be closing a deal by this week and has so far had at least two bidders—Specific Media and Golden Gate Captial. Both bidders are lesser known with Specific Media being an advertising network and Golden Gate Capital being a private equity firm. Both buyers intend to continue MySpace as a social platform with a focus on music and entertainment. The bids, however, were very low at between $20 to $30 million.

Knowing that News Corp. may be attempting to offload MySpace before their fiscal year end, June 30, may also have given the buyers more bargaining chips. Additionally, there were rumors that News Corp. may just shut down MySpace entirely, although further layoffs and a bargain sale to a small player is more likely.

[via AllThingsDigital]

Though high, that number is apparently still less than what has been internally rumored at MySpace, where staff have been expecting up to 70-percent layoffs. The social network has suffered dwindling interest as Facebook rises in popularity, and has attempted to rebrand as a media hub; owner News Corp is expected to bill the staff cuts as an attempt to strip away “legacy” businesses and products while trying to find a buyer.

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice
Myspace facing up to 50% workforce axe tip insiders [BYE BYE MYSPACE]
Duke Nukem Forever pre-orders taken for May 31 2011 release [YEEEAH]
HTC Thunderbolt specs leak from German retailer? [Updated] [COOL WHILE IT LASTED - MAYBE COOLER NOW]
Notion Ink Adam Eden VIII Update: Apps without Leaves [NOTION INK LEAVES FTW]
[Rally With Us] to Fix the Android SMS Bug [KICK SOME BUG]
Android TV DIY Kit Details: Cost, Difficulty Level, Release Date, Bricking, Google TV? [DO WANT]

Slash Phone
Nexus S is Being Avoided By Korean Carriers
Sprint Security Paperwork Shows HTC EVO Shift 4G as Vertical Slider
Verizon Palm Pre 2 Make An Apperance On Best Buy’s System
Honeycomb Will Be Android 3.0 or Android 2.4
Motorola Cliq 2 Release Date Conflicted
Google Ignores Android Bug Which Sends SMS messages to Random Recipients

Android Community
RunKeeper Pro fitness app is free in January
NAND ROM Android install comes to HTC HD2
Maxthon mobile app for Android gets multi-platform sync
Ramos W15, W12 and W10 tablets teased ahead of CES 2011
HTC Thunderbolt specs leak from German retailer? [Updated]
Notion Ink Demos Adam Panel System and Desktop in Eden
Happy New Year from Your Friends at Android Community! [HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM AC]
[Rally With Us] to Fix the Android SMS Bug [RALLY]
Coby Kyros Android Tablets Come Stocked with X Rated Content
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Droid Streamer Beta Streams Shows Movies to Android Device with Ease
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Source Code for EVO 4G Maintenance Build Released via HTC
Notion Ink Adam Eden VIII Update: Apps without Leaves
Android TV DIY Kit Details: Cost, Difficulty Level, Release Date, Bricking, Google TV?
HTC Thunderbolt dummy photo leaked
SMS Messages Sent to Random Recipients Bug on Android Phones Being Ignored by Google
HTC Evo Shift 4G Shown as Vertical Slider in Sprint Security Paperwork

SlashGear
BitTorrent-based DDoS tool outlined at hacker convention
Apple file iPod nano patent for screen-off gesture controls
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ECG device connects to your iPhone to keep track of heart
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Clear iSpot 4G hotspot discontinued
FBI raids ISPs looking for servers used in Anonymous DDoS attacks
Space history being auctioned off by RR Auction
Researchers develop chips with solar cells directly on the surface
NASA finds more cracks in Discovery fuel tanks, launch still on track
Midland Radio Sub Zero and BT SKI headphones for cold climates surface
India starts BlackBerry investigation over RIM security denial
Grace Digital Audio color screen internet radio devices heading to CES 2011
Myspace facing up to 50% workforce axe tip insiders
Ramos W15 Android tablet packs Rockchip RK2918 Cortex-A8 SoC
Duke Nukem Forever pre-orders taken for May 31 2011 release
Clearwire chair resigns as 4G carrier streamlines modem options
Dell Windows 7 tablet rumors reignite amid enterprise push
LTE HTC Thunderbolt supposedly detailed: 1.2GHz dual-core & twin 8MP/5MP cameras? [Updated]
HTC HD2 gets MeeGo 1.1 install
Palm Pre 2 for Verizon Appears in Best Buy’s System, Still Not Available
Scientists Use Nintendo’s Wiimote to Measure Water Evaporation
OffHollywood Studio Head Mark Pederson’s RED EPIC Stolen from Chalet
The Cat’s In the Cradle and the PS3 [COLUMN]
Apple’s App Store Gross Revenue to be $2 Billion in 2011, According to Citibank
Notion Ink Demos Eden in Part Eight of Series, Shows Off 3rd-Party App Installation [Video]
Xbox LIVE Indie Game Developers Take Part in Winter Uprising
SlashGear’s 2010 Wrap-Up [COLUMN]
Potential Solution for Windows Phone 7 DRM Crack in the Works
WakeMate Bursts Into Flames Due to Issues with USB Charger

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

The leaks will come as little comfort to Myspace staff, the majority of which were put on mandatory leave in December in an attempt to save money. News Corp has been blunt about Myspace needing to shape up or face the chop; COO Chase Carey commented in November that “current losses are not acceptable or sustainable” and that the parent company “judge in quarters, not in years.” Myspace has declined to comment on the speculation.

The site’s set up so you can either be a buyer (free) or a seller (15% fee) and work your skills to make a bit of cash. More than likely the people who run the site will be less than willing to host your “escort” services, but it appears that basically anything else is up for grabs. Want a San Francisco Architecture tour for $20? Yes! Want to learn how to twist balloon animals for $120? Maybe not. Take a peek if you live in Southern California (presumably open to more areas soon), or set up a request for experiences you’d like to see for sale in the future.

[Via Skyara]

R3 Media Network

Android Community
Motorola Droid X, 2, & Pro with HTC Droid Incredible on Sale for 1 Penny at Amazon
POV Mobii TEGRA tablet offers more budget Tegra 2 Android
Pocket Legends MMO lands for Android devices [WHOOOA]
Schlage LiNK system gets Android app support

SlashGear
iPhone business alone worth more than all but 10 firms tip number-crunchers
Nook Color Unboxing and Hands-on [FEATURED]
Cox “Unbelievably Fair” wireless launches: pays cash for unused minutes
Google to wipe accidental UK Street View data to escape further inquiry
Urban Ears TANTO Multicolor headphones are thankfully limited edition [BLECH]
Amazon launches Kindle ebook gifting
Sony Ericsson dismisses Windows Phone 7 and tablet rumors
World iPad with multi-mode GSM/CDMA modem tipped for 2011
Geeks get Ubuntu working on Samsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung Orion tablet gets previewed ahead of presumed 2011 debut
Astronomers discover planet originating outside our galaxy circling a dying star [FIRST]
Advent Vega “unprecedented demand” sees slate sell out in hours [Updated]
NewerTech USB 3.0 Universal Drive Adapter makes any drive an external storage solution
ARM in Google TV talks over cheaper, energy-frugal STBs
Angry Birds devs admit lightweight version in works for underpowered Android phones
Advent Vega tablet now shipping: Tegra 2 slate for £249 [Update: Sold out!]
Myspace “mashup” opens door to Facebook invasion [THE END IS NEAR]
Verizon HTC Merge gets premature preview

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

The integration will be followed by Facebook’s “Like” button spreading across the whole of Myspace, and users will be able to friend each other direct from their Myspace profiles. According to the press release, over one million users have signed up to Myspace’s Sync with Facebook service in its first month of availability, a system which allows a single status update to be propagated to both sites.

The news was announced by Myspace’s CEO, Mike Jones, and Dan Rose, VP of Partnerships and Platform Marketing at Facebook; it seems the occasion wasn’t quite newsworthy enough for Mark Zuckerberg to turn up. Whether the partnership is enough to save Myspace remains to be seen.

Press Release:

MYSPACE INTRODUCES MASHUP WITH FACEBOOK

Myspace Users Can Easily Create Highly Personalized, Entertainment-Focused Streams Based on their Facebook Profile

Beverly Hills, November 18, 2010 – Today, Myspace announced Mashup with Facebook, a new feature that allows Myspace users to easily create a personalized stream of entertainment content. With a simple one-click set-up, the likes and interests of a user’s Facebook profile are ported over to Myspace, enabling a user’s stream to become immediately populated with the entertainment content they already love. Users also have the ability to program their own streams based on recommendations and trending topics bubbling up on Myspace, while also engaging with other fans that share the same interests and passions in music, celebrities, TV, and movies.
“We are thrilled to further our collaboration with Facebook through Mashup with Facebook. This new feature is a great illustration of our strategy around social entertainment and enabling the real-time stream. The stream is one of our most popular features on Myspace, and it is now delivering an even richer entertainment experience of relevant content for our users to enjoy,” said Mike Jones, CEO of Myspace. “I’m particularly excited because so many people will be able to have the immediate satisfaction of enjoying their own entertainment program that they have customized themselves as well as connecting to all their passions and to the Myspace community at large.”
“Sharing entertainment and music interests is part of many of our friendships, online and off,” said Dan Rose, VP of Partnerships and Platform Marketing, Facebook. “Myspace is giving people an easy way to bring their favorite bands, celebrities and movies from Facebook to create a personalized experience on Myspace from the start.”
About Mashup with Facebook
Mashup with Facebook is an opt-in feature that is quick and easy to set up. Users can visit Myspace.com and click on the Mashup with Facebook button to begin. In just a few simple steps, a basic Myspace profile is created and users can immediately begin building their personal profile based on information they’ve listed in their Facebook profile. Built into the feature are robust algorithms that help enable the discovery, expression, and connection to entertainment content for a user to customize their Myspace profile. Specifically:
Facebook “likes” and “interests” are matched to relevant Myspace topic pages, profiles, video programming and other content in entertainment categories such as, music, celebrities, TV, and movies
Tailored recommendations of new topic pages and profiles are surfaced in real-time to enable discovery of new entertainment experiences and greater customization
Subscriptions to a broad array of entertainment programming, including originals, exclusives and content from around the Web are automatically enabled based on personal preferences and settings
Passionate fans within the Myspace community are connected through “friending” and “following” features of Myspace topic pages and profiles
Mashup with Facebook builds upon Sync with Facebook, a recently introduced popular feature that enables the syncing of a Myspace status update with a Facebook profile or Page. In just one month, Facebook Sync has reached over one million Myspace users and growing.
Mashup with Facebook is available now to Myspace users globally. Myspace will also soon be implementing the Facebook Like button across the site to give users an easy way to share their entertainment interests with their friends on Facebook.

I’ve been playing with the Motorola DEXT for the past couple of weeks, the European version of the CLIQ (you can read our review here) and the first device to feature MOTOBLUR, the company’s attempt to corral social networks into one easily-consumed stream. Unlike HTC Sense, MOTOBLUR keeps network updates – which it calls “happenings” – front and centre, with a main feed of news together with individual widgets and inboxes for consuming them separately.

MOTOBLUR’s strength is its integration and breadth, or at least the promise of it. Like Sense, contacts using various different networks are combined into single address book entries – either automatically or manually – but there are far more platforms supported and Motorola are promising to add further networks (such as LinkedIn) as the system matures. Conversations started via one medium can, in theory, be continued from any other, and the record of “recent contact” for each person is carrier agnostic.

Unfortunately, there’s a feeling that the people who designed MOTOBLUR aren’t heavy users of the various services. Take the two networks probably most commonly used, Facebook and Twitter: any updates – including profile photo changes, status changes and new galleries – are thrown into the happenings stream with no thought about their relative value. Only the most obsessive of users will keep up with all the new news, and there’s no way to prioritise certain people or themes. MOTOBLUR pulls out direct messages (DMs) from Twitter to include in its “universal inbox” – which also features regular email, Exchange account messages and Facebook messages – but treats @-replies, more frequently used than DMs, just the same as regular tweets. Given how most people use Twitter, that means it’s all too easy to miss replies from the people you follow, and since there’s no searching across the rest of the Twitterverse for mentions of your username (as even the basic web UI offers) you’ll definitely miss comments from people you’re not following.

There’s also no thought to the relative load of each network. Sticking with Twitter and Facebook as our examples, there’s no way to tell MOTOBLUR that you’re more interested, say, in Facebook updates than you are tweets. I follow a few hundred people on Twitter but have kept my Facebook friends more sparse; it’s pretty easy for a status change from the latter to be lost among the flood from the former, when arguably it’s the close contacts on Facebook that I’d be more interested in hearing about. Other people might have the ratios reversed, or use other networks, but the overarching problem is the same: MOTOBLUR only uses time to organise content.

To be fair, it’s a problem shared by pretty much all of the “integrated” social networking aggregators on smartphones right now. Palm’s webOS and HTC Sense each deliver some degree of the same functionality (only Motorola attempt to throw everything together in one stream) but haven’t addressed the relative value issue. I raised it – separately – with Motorola at the launch of the DEXT and with HTC CEO Peter Chou at the launch of the HD2 (the first Windows Mobile device to feature HTC Sense), and their responses were pretty similar. Motorola pointed out that MOTOBLUR is a first-generation attempt at the mobile social networking issue, the undertone being that, like further platforms, they’d look to add in better handling of news later. Chou, meanwhile, admitted that the issue was something HTC engineers were aware of, and that iterations of Sense down the line would look to more intelligently manage social networks.

Neither could tell me exactly how it might be achieved, however, and in fact the most promising attempt I’ve seen so far has been from Nokia. Tucked into a corner of the Nokia Research showcase at the company’s The Way We Live Next 3.0 conference a few weeks ago was their Linked Internet UI Concept, a prototype software platform which attempts not only to funnel in social networking content but to recommend the information most relevant to the individual user. Running on a modified N900, the system both forms contextual links between content – so photos taken by, or featuring, the same person will be linked to the appropriate individuals, as well as geographically with other images taken in nearby locations – as well as learning the user’s habits and, over time, percolating the information it believes will be of the most interest to the top of the homepage.

Guido Grassel, leader of Nokia Research’s Web User Interface and User Experience team, explained that there are two main types of usage paradigm: either users take the time to flag up or “favourite” their key contacts, or they simply leave the system to handle them themselves. The Linked Internet UI Concept can cope with both: starred contacts are automatically given higher priority, or you can leave the device to learn what sort of information is of most use. Status updates from my Facebook friends, therefore, would gradually be given more priority than tweets; however the phone might also learn that certain people I follow on Twitter, or certain hashtags or geographical locations mentioned, are also of greater importance to me, and so make those more visible too.

Unfortunately there’s no real timescale to get the Linked Internet UI Concept off the prototype and into a shipping device. In the meantime, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that manufacturers and software developers realise that just because users demand the desktop experience on their mobile devices, it doesn’t mean a straight port across is sufficient. At the very least we should be able to flag up keywords – whether that be our own username, the name of our employer or the blog we write for, or the school or college we attend – as something we want highlighted. I want to be able to weight certain people or companies – either manually or, preferably, automatically – the news from and about which I’m most interested, and I don’t want to have to consciously shift between applications to consume, save or share that information.

MOTOBLUR – and HTC Sense, and webOS, and the rest – will get better, and platform developers themselves are learning that social networking integration is of growing importance to device users; Android 2.0, for instance, links address book entries with Facebook profiles, functionality that Google seems to have learnt from HTC and the rest but which now is baked into the core OS. What’s important is that while we use the same networks while mobile as we do while on our desktops and laptops, we do so in a different way. A straight port across isn’t good enough, and if we want use of these tools to spread beyond the power-users and the social-obsessed, they need to better cater to the bite-size demographic who aren’t willing to invest hours of eye-time into their phones.

Once that’s done, any drive plugged in to any of the four USB 2.0 ports (or, indeed, even more drives using a USB hub) can be accessed via the web interface, either locally or across the internet (either from a computer or certain smartphone mobile clients).  There’s automatic synchronization between the Pogoplug account and iTunes, iPhoto or Windows Media Player libraries, together with more straightforward browsing and even a global search function that turns up content no matter which volume it’s stored on.

Pogoplug have also made sharing with third-parties – such as friends and family – easier, thanks to a new addressbook that automatically remembers anybody you previously shared a folder with.  Shared slideshows can be created using drag & drop within the browser, and video  - just like music on the first-gen model – can be streamed directly through the browser.

The company expect the second-gen Pogoplug to ship in time for the 2009 holidays, and are taking pre-orders now with an MRSP of $129; there are no ongoing service fees.

Press Release:

Second Generation Pogoplug™ Unveiled Today

Next-generation Hardware Design and Software Provide Enhanced Storage, Multimedia and Social Media Capabilities

San Francisco, Calif. – November 19, 2009 – Cloud Engines, Inc. unveiled the second generation of the award winning Pogoplug multimedia sharing device today giving consumers more flexibility to store personal content safely in the home and access, manage, and share it from anywhere on the Internet. The new Pogoplug hardware sports a new design boasting multiple USB ports supporting up to 4 external drives for expanded data capacity. The new Pogoplug also gives users improved sharing capabilities, an easy drag-and-drop interface to create engaging multi-media slide shows, seamless media playback, and enhanced sharing with friends on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Pogoplug acts like a gateway from your home or office through the Internet. It allows you to access, share and even stream your personal digital media directly to anybody, anywhere in the world. Your content always remains physically in your home or office, making it secure, convenient and available on your terms. Pogoplug is perfect for those individuals with increasingly mobile lifestyles and small businesses in need of simple, inexpensive mobile data access solutions.

“The reaction to the Pogoplug has been incredible. By listening to user feedback and following our own product roadmap, we are bringing a great second-generation product that gives our customers access to a host of new features that both improve the function of the Pogoplug, and add to the fun of using it as well.” said Daniel Putterman, CEO of Cloud Engines, Inc. “We are committed to giving our customers the best way to access their data from anywhere in the world, pushing the envelope with both product quality and design aesthetic. The result is what you see here today.”

NEW HARDWARE
The new Pogoplug design retains the simplicity and ease of use of the original while listening to consumer feedback and adding the ability to directly connect up to 4 external hard drives at once. The resulting product boasts an improved design with greatly improved functionality for users with multiple drives and an increasing need for easy synching and sharing of their digital libraries. This upgrade turns the Pogoplug into an even more prominent feature in the modern digital home or small business.

NEW FEATURES

Automatically Synchronize Photos, Videos, Music and Other Selected Content
Users can synchronize their Pogoplug with their PC or Mac to automatically import new content from popular applications such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, and iPhoto. This feature allows Pogoplug owners to “set it and forget it” and always have access to new photos, videos and music from anywhere on the Internet.

Drag-and-Drop Music and Photo Slideshows
Users can easily create and share fun and engaging slideshows using their stored photos, videos and music. Creating a slideshow with Pogoplug is as simple as drag and drop, and sharing these slideshows is just as easy as ever. Once a user’s link is shared and viewed, their slideshow will immediately begin with the photos, videos and music they selected, playing seamlessly in the viewer’s browser.

Easier Sharing with Pogoplug Address Book
Pogoplug Address Book greatly improves the speed and ease of use of sharing with a user’s friends and family. Pogoplug automatically remembers all email addresses entered in a user’s previous shares – even if that share no longer exists – and makes them available in an easy to use address book to make sharing truly one click away.

Global Search Across Multiple Drives and Pogoplugs
With support for multiple drives on a single Pogoplug (and multiple Pogoplugs on the same account) Pogoplug has added “global” search support across all of a user’s Pogoplugs and drives. Search filters are now a distinct feature, allowing users to view all of their photos, videos and music in a single organized view, or to search for a specific file across all Pogoplugs and drives.

Organize Your Music, Photos and Videos
Pogoplug automatically displays music by Album, Artist and Genre, and shows cover art for quick access to a user’s favorite music. Photos are now displayed by photo timeline and videos are only a click away, including the ability to watch a preview in the thumbnail itself.

Play movies directly from my.pogoplug.com, or even to the iPhone
Pogoplug now supports the playback of videos directly from a Pogoplug, with support for the most popular cameras, video cameras and mobile phones. Movies can be shared and viewed directly from the Pogoplug website – or even from an iPhone!

Pricing and Availability
We are currently taking Pre-Orders for Pogoplug at www.pogoplug.com Units will ship before the end of the year – just in time for the Holiday Season. The Pogoplug has a suggested retail price of $129, with no additional service fees.

USEFUL LINKS
• Pogoplug web site: www.pogoplug.com
• Product photos: www.flickr.com/photos/pogoplug
• Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/pogoplug
• Pogoplug online community: www.pogoplugged.com

ABOUT THE POGOPLUG
The Pogoplug is a device that connects up to 4 external hard drives to the Internet. It is designed for consumers who have an external hard drive and have high speed Internet. Consumers can securely access and share all of their content [Files, Photos, and Video] from any Web browser or enabled mobile device with no additional monthly fees. Free your inner drive.

ABOUT CLOUD ENGINES, INC.
Founded in 2007 by experienced entrepreneurs from the digital media and security industries, Cloud Engines is located in San Francisco, California. The company was formed with a mission to change the way personal content is stored and distributed over the Internet. The Cloud Engines philosophy is that by making a product simple, open and affordable, the community will participate in making it better. For more information, please visit our Web site, www.cloudengines.com.

You know how to get to Facebook, we’re sure, but if you want to try out the fresh new version, head on over to lite.facebook.com, and get set up on the diet. As of right now, if you’re anywhere else but the USA and India, you won’t have access. Of course, we can think of somewhere else that probably needs it, but we’re sure that Facebook intends to get it out to other markets, but there’s no official word on that as of yet.

The Lite version isn’t just a light modification. No, its a pretty distinct variation on what most people have come to know and love. Applications are removed, and most of the other shiny things are gone as well. Though, if you make the transition from old to new, you’ll keep your friends, photos, and the like. Sharing and status messages are still in tact, too. It looks like the Lite version is for both the slow connections, and the fast-paced lifestyle that many are falling into. Like Twitter, it seems that Facebook knows that some people just want to get in and get out, with no real need to sit on the site for hours.

Developers wishing to update their applications distributed through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile app-store will be able to do so without charge or penalty, now, while users will be able to return purchased apps within 24hrs for a refund.  Other developers onboard include MySpace, Namco, Pandora and Sling Media, Spb Software and Netflix.

As for the new, colorful theme, that’s been created using the Microsoft Theme Generator, which will make creating custom wallpapers and color-schemes more straightforward.  This particular theme is by Mizrahi, but Microsoft plan more designer themes by the Design Museum London and Council of Fashion Designers of America.  More at SlashPhone.

We’ve also got minimum specs for existing Windows Mobile 6.1 devices looking to upgrade to 6.5.  Smartphones will need at least a 400MHz processor and 128MB of RAM, though the final decision to officially release the OS is up to the manufacturer/licensee as Microsoft won’t be making WM6.5 available to individuals.

That means access to profiles, messaging and photos, together with blogs and comments.  Users will be able to browse their friends-list, see online statuses and upload photos directly from their smartphone.  Developers will also be able to develop Silverlight-based apps using the MySpace Open Platform.

MySpace for Windows Mobile will be available on Windows Mobile 6.1 handsets over the summer, before making an appearance in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile in the fall of 2009.  LG have announced that they will be pre-installing the app on their Windows Mobile handsets. 

Press Release:

MYSPACE ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR MICROSOFT PLATFORMS

LG to Preload the MySpace Mobile App on the Next-Generation of Windows Phones

World’s Premier Social Portal Works With Microsoft to Launch Open Source Kit for Silverlight Developers

LOS ANGELES—March 30, 2009—MySpace, the world’s premier social portal, today announced support for Microsoft Windows Mobile and Microsoft Silverlight. The new MySpace mobile application, available this summer, will run on Windows phones and utilize Silverlight, Microsoft Corp’s free browser plug-in that powers rich Internet application (RIA) experiences, into the MySpace Open Platform.

“We are pleased to bring MySpace users the benefits and flexibility of Microsoft’s platforms,” said Aber Whitcomb, chief technology officer of MySpace. “Our relationship enables app developers to use Silverlight to create engaging MySpace apps and allows Windows Mobile users to have a more personal MySpace experience on their phone.”

Today’s news is in conjunction with the CTIA Wireless 2009 in Las Vegas from April 1-3 and the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco March 31—April 3. MySpace and Microsoft will present a session at the Web 2.0 Expo on Silverlight on the MySpace Open Platform. The 50 minute session will take place on Thursday, April 2nd at 1:30pm PT and will focus on how developers can build Silverlight applications on MySpace using the jointly released Open Source kit for Silverlight.

Windows phones + MySpace
The companies are in close collaboration to offer a MySpace for Windows Mobile application which will be available for download later this summer. The application is fully optimized with a user-friendly interface and will deliver rich content and data to MySpace users on the go. It integrates MySpace’s main social features and functionality with the Windows operating system to provide access to the community in a way that’s familiar to the Windows Mobile user.

“Talking to family, sending pictures and connecting with long-lost friends is important to our customers, and we are giving them the option to do that on the go by teaming up with MySpace,” said Stephanie Ferguson, general manager Business Experiences Team, in the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft Corp. “MySpace is a pioneer in the social networking space, and the MySpace application will be a tremendous asset to the collection of applications you can access on your Windows phone.”

The MySpace application will be available on Windows Mobile 6.1 phones later this summer and then in the fall of 2009 through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, directly through phones, and the Web. LG will preload the MySpace application on their Windows phones, making it even easier than ever for users to gain real-time access to their global MySpace network. The new Windows phones are expected to be available in the second half of 2009.

Through this relationship, MySpace is further committed to mobile as a central element of the MySpace global business strategy. Today’s news also further solidifies MySpace’s leadership role in the market establishing a unique position for the company in providing applications for all major smart phone device platforms including iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Sidekick, Palm, Nokia, and now Windows Mobile. MySpace has more than 20 million worldwide mobile users.

Silverlight + MySpace
The introduction of Silverlight into the MySpace Open Platform empowers MySpace developers with more freedom and flexibility to design OpenSocial applications using the tools and technology they want. Silverlight and the MySpace Open Platform will enable developers to rapidly create and deliver sophisticated MySpace applications with a custom look and feel through the flexible skinning of controls and data.

Microsoft and MySpace have released an Open Source kit that makes it easy to develop OpenSocial applications using Silverlight that run on the MySpace Open Platform. To learn about this kit and how designers and developers can use it to create interactive, engaging apps on MySpace, please visit http://www.myspace.com/silverlightonmyspace, and read the blog post about MySpace’s support of Silverlight at developer.myspace.com.

“Microsoft is pleased to work with MySpace to enable developers to create compelling and custom OpenSocial applications using Silverlight,” said Brian Goldfarb, director of the developer platform group at Microsoft. “By utilizing the Open Source kit released by Microsoft and MySpace, developers can now harness the power of the rich media features in Silverlight to take the user experience to a new level for the MySpace community.”