MySpace COO Amit Kapur apparently meant it when he told me earlier today that MySpace is continuing to hire despite letting 5% or so of staff go in the coming days. He introduced five new senior executives this evening via an email out to all staff, the text of which was forwarded to me and […]

MySpace COO Amit Kapur apparently meant it when he told me earlier today that MySpace is continuing to hire despite letting 5% or so of staff go in the coming days. He introduced five new senior executives this evening via an email out to all staff, the text of which was forwarded to me and is copied below.

The new execs are Manu Thapar, SVP of Engineering (formerly Yahoo VP Engineering), Angela Courtin, SVP of Marketing, Tish Whitcraft, SVP of Customer Care, Jason Oberfest, VP of Business Development and Abe Thomas, VP of Online Marketing

All of the new execs seems to be eating the MySpace dog food by at least having a presence on MySpace. Except former Yahoo’er Thapar, that is. He’s MySpace-free for now. I wonder how long that will last.

Email is after the break:

Hey everybody,

MySpace has been on a hyper-growth track since our launch in January 2004. We’ve evolved into a stable, profitable business with amazing talent driving one of the most trafficked websites in history. Four years ago we started at a small office in Santa Monica with a few employees, and now we operate offices in 19 countries across the globe and support 29 localized communities across the internet.

This day we’re pleased to announce several new senior team members joining MySpace:

· Manu Thapar, SVP of Engineering
· Angela Courtin, SVP of Marketing
· Tish Whitcraft, SVP of Customer Care
· Jason Oberfest, VP of Business Development
· Abe Thomas, VP of Online Marketing

Looking back, this has been an astounding year of innovation and expansion—in the last few months, we’ve successfully developed and launched a number of major company initiatives strengthening our leadership position in the future of the social web. All of you’ve played a massive role in keeping MySpace in the driver’s seat of innovation.

Here are some of the initiatives we’ve rolled this year:

· MySpace Developer Platform
· Site Redesign
· Data Availability
· Formation of the MySpace Music Joint Venture
· MySpace Support for OpenID
· OpenSocial launch with Google, Yahoo and others
· Implementation of Google Gears for Mail Messaging and Sort

Looking ahead, there’s a lot more to come—this is going to be a large year!

Thanks!
Amit

Meet Our New Team Members:

Manu Thapar, SVP of Engineering

Manu Thapar serves as the SVP of Engineering for MySpace, the world’s premier social network. In this role Manu is responsible for overseeing the company’s infrastructure, security and high priority projects, as well creating an offshore development team for MySpace.

Prior to joining MySpace, Manu served as Vice President of Engineering for Yahoo!, Inc. where he was Responsible for software infrastructure engineering, operations, test, product and program management teams of more than 250 engineers. Manu also served as Sr. Director of Engineering for Cisco Systems where he oversaw all aspects of delivering huge scale network products used by high end customers for the development of sophisticated enterprise web sites.

Manu earned his PhD from Stanford University’s esteemed school of engineering in 1992.

###

Angela Courtin, SVP Marketing (www.myspace.com/acourtin )

Angela Courtin serves as SVP of Marketing for MySpace, the world’s premiere social network. In this newly created role, Angela is responsible for leading the marketing, branding, promotions, events, content and entertainment teams for MySpace with the objective of increasing growth and public awareness and driving revenue through marketing programs for the company.

Prior to Joining MySpace Angela served as Vice President, Integrated Marketing, for MTV Networks, responsible for overseeing the West Coast department. In this role she served as the liaison with production and series development as well as the West Coast client base.

An accomplished, creative, and vision-oriented marketing executive, Angela has developed key relationships with clients and production to create rich product integrations, branded entertainment and game-changing marketing executions. Her background in development and production have been key in understanding the creative dynamic in achieving authentic integration experiences for the audience, the client and the narrative.

Angela also served as Associate Producer on HBO’s Huge Love and also worked for Knollwood Productions in Development. Her MTV trajectory would intersect in 2004 when she served as Vice President of Rock the Vote, where she partnered with MTV’s Choose or Lose campaign and corporate America to bring civic participation and voter empowerment to young people across the country. Her work in politics spans the beltway, from the Human Rights Campaign to the Democratic National Committee.

Her work was recognized in 2004 in Out Magazine’s OUT 100, the annual list of the year’s most interesting, influential, and newsworthy LGBT people. Angela earned a B.S in Civil Engineering and an MBA from Oklahoma Say University.

###

Tish Whitcraft, SVP of Customer Care (www.myspace.com/tishwhitcraft)

Tish Whitcraft recently joined MySpace as SVP of Customer Care responsible for delivering a world-class user experience to the 250 million + MySpace users. In her new role, she’ll be responsible for building scalable global customer support, user experience and satisfaction and driving the user feedback loop back to the business. In addition, Tish will focus on building and implementing a new online self-help strategy which will grant MySpace users to get answers and help by delivering more accurate and relevant information right when users need it and want it.

Most recently, Tish served as Vice President of Global Customer Experience and Operations at ooma, a consumer voip start-up, where she had overall P&L responsibilities including day-to-day business operations, business development, marketing and sales and product development. The primary focus was to ensure the highest quality customer experience from product to post-sales. Prior to joining ooma, Tish served as the leader and operational executive responsible for Global Customer Operations and Customer Experience at online giant Yahoo! Inc., leading customer care and experience for Yahoo!’s 850 million users in 48 markets across 68 different product categories.

With extensive experience in the communications and outsourcing sectors, prior to ooma and Yahoo!, Tish has held executive management positions with inServ e-Customer Solutions, Aegis Communications, Lexi International, and Communique Telecommunications. At Aegis, Tish served as COO and Senior Vice President of Operations, overseeing the P&L for this $250M outsourcing firm, servicing communication, technology, software and financial service industries with clients such as ATT, Macromedia, SBC, Nextel, Directv and the Dish Network, IBM, Toshiba and American Express.

###

Jason Oberfest, VP of Business Development (www.myspace.com/joberfest)

Jason Oberfest serves as Vice President of Business Development for MySpace, the world’s premier social network. In this role, Jason is responsible for structuring and negotiating deals to drive revenue and support the launch of innovative new products. Alongside the company’s business development team, Jason oversees the commercial aspects of the MySpace Developer Platform and MySpace’s Data Availability APIs.

Prior to MySpace Jason served as Managing Director of Business Development and Product Management for Los Angeles Times Interactive. In this role Jason launched a redesign of latimes.com and structured deals with leading startups including Netvibes, Aggregate Knowledge, Eventful and Mixx.com.

From 1999-2005 Jason served as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Blast Radius, an interactive bureau. In this role Jason founded the strategic planning division of the company and led the design and development of media and commerce websites for Sony, Nintendo, Viacom, Warner Music Group, A&E TV Networks and others. Jason worked with AOL from 2002-2005 developing AOL Shopping, AOL Search, AOL.com, and other products. Blast Radius was acquired by the WPP Group in 2007.

###

Abe Thomas, VP of On the web Marketing (www.myspace.com/abethomas08)

Abe Thomas serves as Vice President of On the internet Marketing for MySpace, the world’s premier social network. In this role Abe is responsible for developing the overall strategy for acquiring new customers through on the internet advertising, affiliates and search marketing. Working closely with the company’s creative group, database engineers and product marketing teams Abe spearheads companywide initiatives geared towards driving loyalty from existing customers through email, direct mail and on the website, using effective segmentation and promotional strategies and tactics.

In 2006, Abe spent a year in Mumbai, India leading eBay India’s Internet Marketing team. With Google still in its infancy in India, successful optimization of eBay’s Search program resulted in a high representation of eBay pages in Google’s Paid Search program and Google’s Natural Search results.

In Jan 2007, Abe moved to PayPal Merchant Services where he was focused on marketing PayPal to our largest merchants.

Prior to joining eBay, Abe held multiple business development, product marketing and consulting positions at AltaVista, Palm, IBM Consulting and Motorola.

Abe received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, a MSEE from USC and then an MBA from the University of Chicago. He lives in San Jose with his wife and two girls aged 3 and 6. He adores playing Basketball, Cricket, cooking and spending time with his children.

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Google has acquired Atherton, CA based startup Omnisio, the companies are announcing this afternoon. Omnisio, which is a Y Combinator company, first demo’d to us in early March 2008, and it launched later that month. The price is not being disclosed, but we hear the deal is all cash and is in the $15 […]

Google has acquired Atherton, CA based startup Omnisio, the companies are announcing this afternoon. Omnisio, which is a Y Combinator company, first demo’d to us in early March 2008, and it launched later that month. The price isn’t being disclosed, but we hear the deal is all cash and is in the $15 million range.

The company was founded by three Australians (Ryan Junee, Julian Frumar and Simon Ratner). The service lets users annotate videos, mash various clips up, and synchronize Slideshare presentations to videos (great for conference presentations). Omnisio users can extract sections of clips they find on the internet (currently only those on YouTube, Google Video, or Blip.tv). They have the ability to then take those clips and stitch them together to form new, embeddable compilations.

This is yet another liquidity event for Y Combinator, which invests small amounts of capital in very early stage companies, usually at the idea stage. Reddit was acquired in late 2006, TextPayMe was bought by Amazon in 2007, and Auctomatic and Anywhere.FM were snapped up earlier this year.

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This post is syndicated with permission from Gadgetoholic.com I’m a DVR nut and record everything — even if I plan to watch it right then. I like to let the show get about 15 minutes ahead of live Television so I can skip all of the commercials. I also have children so we tend to […]

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I am a DVR nut and record everything — even if I plan to watch it right then. I like to let the show get about 15 minutes ahead of live Television so I have the ability to skip all of the commercials. I also have kids so we tend to collect gobs of Dora episodes as well. When we start running out of space on the DVR, everyone gets nervous that their programs will be deleted.

Hitachi has announced some new hard drives that are aimed at the DVR user in its CinemaStar line. The more interesting of the two new drives is the CinemaStar 7K1000.B. This drive has a huge 1TB storage capacity and can hold 247 hours of MPEG-4 encoded HD video and support ten simultaneous data streams. My pathetic DVR drive can only hold 30 hours of HD programs.

In addition to the 1TB behemoth Hitachi also announced a CinemaStar 5K320 that uses CoolSpin technology. CoolSpin grants for a quieter and more efficient drive that Hitachi claims is one of the most power efficient and quiet hard drives available. Both of the new drives have mechanics designed to run 24/7 without failure and can operate in expanded temperature ranges to allow operation in fanless DVR designs. The CinemaStar 7K1000.B will be available in August and the 5K320 will ship in September. I would like to see Seagate bring its newly announced and sufficiently huge 1.5TB drive to the DVR market as well.

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As one of the most popular forms of communication in the world, SMS has become a favorite channel for advertisers to reach out to their audience. Everywhere we go, billboards and Television shows try to convince us that we should “Text MAGIC to 9340″, with promises of goodies like free ringtones and coupon codes. Now […]

As one of the most popular forms of communication in the world, SMS has become a favorite channel for advertisers to reach out to their audience. Everywhere we go, billboards and TV shows try to convince us that we should “Text MAGIC to 9340″, with promises of goodies like free ringtones and coupon codes.

Now Tagga, a Canadian startup launching this day, is looking to help you create your own SMS campaign. The service is currently live in Canada, but is still smoothing some things out with American carriers so it may not work quite yet on your phone (the company says any issues should be resolved over the next few weeks).

To create a campaign, users first designate what keyword they’d like to use. For example, we might select to use the word “Tech”. From then on, any user to text “Tech” to 82442 (it spells TAGGA) would receive whatever content we’d decided to distribute. The company says that users won’t be allowed to namesquat the keywords, as it will delete any accounts that are inactive for too long.

For most people, Tagga offers two pricing plans. The first option allows users to create free campaigns, but 80 of the 160 characters on each text messages are reserved for ads from sponsors. The site also offers a paid premium account at 20 cents per message delivered which eliminates the ads.

Tagga also has a plan in place for “publishers”, who can use the service to offer their readers a sort of short form RSS. Publishers can select to include ads as part of their message campaigns, but unlike the standard program, they receive a revenue share from each ad. To participate, members have to prove that they’re actually generating very special content, as opposed to spamming someone else’s blog material.

Tagga has a massive market to try to capitalize on: there were an estimated 1.9 trillion text messages sent in 2007 alone. But the company will face steep competition from a number of more mature services that do almost the same thing, like Mozes, which recently shut an $11.5 million round of funding. To help differentiate itself, Tagga is offering keywords for free (Mozes charges $5 per month), but this plan may backfire if Tagga is unable to handle the rush of name squatters.

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By Andrew Liszewski While technically you can turn anything into a ‘fireplace’ with just a pile of fuel soaked rags and a book of matches, this Travelmate portable fireplace is probably a much safer substitute. While it looks like a briefcase, it’s actually made from black powder-coated steel with glass panels on the sides and weighs […]

By Andrew Liszewski

While technically you can turn anything into a ‘fireplace’ with just a pile of fuel soaked rags and a book of matches, this Travelmate portable fireplace is probably a much safer substitute. While it looks like a briefcase, it’s actually made from black powder-coated steel with glass panels on the sides and weighs about 55 lbs, so it’s not exactly the lightest thing to carry around. But it’s absolutely self-contained and is smokeless since it burns bio-ethanol liquid fuel instead of firewood. And as an added bonus, if you do select to use it as a briefcase, it seems like the perfect place to permanently “file” any incriminating documents you don’t want falling into the wrong hands.

It’s available from Unica Home for $3,300, and at that price you’d think they’d at least throw in a bottle of liquid fuel, but I’m afraid it’s not included.

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By Luke Anderson I like The Simpsons, I’ve been watching it pretty regularly for years. Despite my love for the Springfield family, there is no way you would every find these Homer Simpson USB Monitor Lights anywhere near my desk. Yes, Homer is funny and he does a lot of crazy stuff. But just the thought of […]

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I like The Simpsons, I’ve been watching it pretty regularly for years. Despite my love for the Springfield family, there’s no way you would every find these Homer Simpson USB Monitor Lights anywhere near my desk.

Yes, Homer is funny and he does a lot of crazy stuff. But just the thought of trying to do anything on a personal monitor covered in these things makes my eye twitch. If you don’t mind not being able to see things like your tool bars and address bars, then by all means grab this USB lights for around $32.

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Goober is an instant messenger developed by a team of Germans now officially based in Delaware that’s going up against the large guys (Skype, MSN, ICQ, etc.) with a desktop client that overflows with features - some useful, some more superfluous. The cross-protocol Goober client (available for Windows and soon Mac and Linux as well) can […]

Goober is an instant messenger developed by a team of Germans now officially based in Delaware that’s going up against the big guys (Skype, MSN, ICQ, etc.) with a desktop client that overflows with features - some useful, some more superfluous.

The cross-protocol Goober client (available for Windows and soon Mac and Linux as well) can be used to instant message with both peers on the Goober network and those using ICQ, MSN, or Jabber. Its built-in VoIP abilities can also be used to place calls, although video chat is still under development. We’re told that the company is intent on keeping its client software up-to-date on all platforms, including Java for the mobile, so that users enjoy the same experience regardless of device.

So far, so good - even though nothing terribly special. Goober differentiates itself primarily by providing a suite of widgets that can be used to solicit communications through the client. An email widget can be placed in the signature of messages and a so-called “portal” widget can be put on social network profiles and other webpages. Both present buttons for one-click instant messaging, VoIP calling, and file transferring with the user who distributes them. An additional “classifieds” widget assists those trying to conduct business on the web who want to be reached through more synchronous means than email.

Goober has also integrated entertainment features into the client. The company draws upon free video channels and radio stations found on the internet and grants for the playback of them at the bottom of the client. The quality of this content isn’t superb and I’m not sure why you’d want to use your IM client for media consumption, but there it is anyway.

Among Goober’s various other bells and whistles is a micropayments system that can be used to pay either Goober for VoIP services or whoever has white labeled Goober for its own business (perhaps a media company that wants to deliver its video through the client for a fee). A Jajah-like feature connects two landlines via VoIP to cut down on the cost of long distance calls. And users can send SMSs, MP3s and screenshots to each other from within the client.

Overall, Goober is a respectable IM client, although I find tiny that would actually entice me to switch over from Skype and AIM. The entertainment features don’t do anything for me, and the widgets are only moderately useful. The user interface could also use some cleaning up, as it confuses and doesn’t look the most professional. However, those who regularly communicate across several protocols should check it out, especially once Goober adds AIM and Gtalk support (both planned).

A special beta access page has been set up here - the first 5000 TechCrunch readers to download the client through there will receive a $5 voucher that can be used to try out the client’s VoIP abilities.

Also see the recent upgrades to Skype’s IM client, which has moved further in the video chat direction.

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This post is syndicated with permission from Gadgetoholic.com Digital cameras are getting smaller, cheaper and growing megapixels all the time. It’s funny to think about how expensive digital cameras with 10-megapixels were not so long ago and now even the cheapest entry-level cameras sport 10-megapixel resolutions. For example, Pentax announced its Optio E60 digital camera that will […]

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Digital cameras are getting smaller, cheaper and growing megapixels all the time. It’s funny to think about how pricey digital cameras with 10-megapixels were not so long ago and now even the cheapest entry-level cameras sport 10-megapixel resolutions.

For example, Pentax announced its Optio E60 digital camera that’ll retail for under $140 when it launches in October. The camera has a 10.1-megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens. In addition to shooting still images, the camera can also record video.

Sensitivity for the camera is from ISO 100 to 6400 and can be fixed at specific settings or set to auto mode. Digital shake reduction is offered in both photo and video modes and the camera features Face Detection. Images are stored to 6.3MB of internal memory and SD/SDHC memory cards. On the back of the E60 is a 2.4-inch LCD and the camera has a shutter speed of 1/2000 - 1/4 of a second. Sure, the E60 isn’t as cool as the Samsung TL9 with its analog gauges, but the E60 is half the price.

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By Luke Anderson Have you ever been somewhere and thought to yourself “man, I wish that I had a couch”? I know, I think that all the time too. Well if you need to satisfy those urges to sit with some friends, or just lie down for a bit, then you need the SofaBox. This mystical box […]

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Have you ever been somewhere and thought to yourself “man, I wish that I had a couch”? I know, I think that all the time too. Well if you need to satisfy those urges to sit with some friends, or just lie down for a bit, then you need the SofaBox.

This mystical box is more than just an ordinary box for storing things in. Open the lid and gaze in wonder at the cushions that appear, then sit upon them and rejoice. Of course you’ll need to haul this thing around whenever you might want a seat for three, and lets face it, no one wants to keep something like in their automobile (not that it would fit, unless you’ve got a big SUV or truck). If you’ve got $2,700 burning a hole in your pocket, and you really like having a sofa with you, then by all means buy a SofaBox.

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Amie Street, the indie music store that prices songs by their popularity, has pre-released The Walkmen’s new album You & Me three weeks before its scheduled launch date. The entire album is available for $5, with all proceeds going to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as part of the site’s “Download To Make a […]

Amie Street, the indie music store that prices songs by their popularity, has pre-released The Walkmen’s new album You & Me three weeks before its scheduled launch date. The entire album is available for $5, with all proceeds going to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as part of the site’s “Download To Make a Difference” campaign. You can download the album here.

The pre-release is the first to come from Amie Street’s recent deal with The Orchard, a digital music distributor with a catalog of over 1 million songs and a number of big-name artists. The release underscores how much the industry stands to gain from novel indie stores like Amie Street, which are able to experiment with promotional programs like this - boosting banding exposure while helping out a good cause.

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