Angry

Angry Birds to fly into Starbucks?

Rovio is closing in on a deal with Starbucks that will bring the company's famed franchise, Angry Birds, into the coffee shops.

According to an interview Bloomberg conducted with Rovio Senior Vice President Wibe Wagemans, the Angry Birds maker could soon bring electronic leader boards to Starbucks stores to promote top-scoring players. In addition, the companies will offer Starbucks customers exclusive in-store promotions, including virtual goods.

"It's tying in the real world with the virtual world," Wagemans told Bloomberg. "Retailers get new customers who've not been to their stores yet, and repeat customers."… Read more

Bump hits 50 million downloads

Bump, the iOS and Android application that allows people to quickly share contact information by bumping smartphones together, has been downloaded 50 million times, its developer said today.

But while the contact information sharing feature of Bump is the most well-known, its 10 million active users--who, its developer said, have made the app the seventh most popular free iOS app of all time--have access to a group of other features as well. And Bump Technologies today released a set of numbers about how the application has been used.

One thing that users can do with the app is share songs … Read more

What's next for Angry Birds publisher Rovio?

SAN FRANCISCO--At the TechCrunch Disrupt conference here today, Angry Birds publisher Rovio's new general manager of North America danced around the big question on Rovio's future growth. That question: What can Rovio do other than extend on Angry Birds?

During an onstage interview, Andrew Stalbow kept bringing the discussion back to the success of Angry Birds itself, and all its offshoots. He rattled off impressive stats: Angry Birds games get 300 million minutes of gameplay a day, and the company is selling a million T-shirts and a million plush toys a month.

But what's next for Rovio? &… Read more

The 404 900: Where we have sweet dreams of rhythm and dancing (podcast)

Mark Licea transports us back to the '90s on today's 404 Podcast, which also happens to be our 900th episode! How appropriate that the penultimate episode would also fall on Jonathan Taylor Thomas' 30th birthday.

The '90s theme rolls through the show as Mark sings today's "Tang That Tune" music trivia segment, and we'll also reveal details about Nike's Back to the Future sneaker, as well as Rolling Stone's ranking of the worst songs of the '90s. We have a few selections of our own to add!

Finally, we spend a minute talking about a clever algorithm that helped arrange the names on the 9/11 memorial wall. The memorial planners hired a local media design firm to develop a network of names organized by interpersonal relationships.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The 404 Digest for Episode 900

An algorithm helped arrange the names on the 9/11 memorial. 9/11 memorial guide. No power laces = 100% fail; back to the best shoe Nike never made. Rolling Stone ranks the worst songs of the '90s. This matters: JTT reunites with "Home Improvement" cast to celebrate 30th birthday. Justin's Daily Bathroom Entertainment: dog loop.

Episode 900 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Angry Birds theme park game may not anger Rovio

It looks like Angry Birds developer Rovio is thinking, "If you can't beat 'em (by firing one of those toucan-beaked boomerang birds at them in court), join 'em.

It's not a big scoop that Angry Birds is already an international phenomenon complete with multiple sequels and lots of merchandise.

When reports circulated that the Window of the World theme game in Changsha, China, launched a real-life version of the game this month, legal action from Rovio seemed inevitable.

However, rather than sending an exploding black ball of feathers into Beijing, Rovio is reportedly looking to partner with the theme park to make the attraction legal--as long as everyone involved can get their beaks wet. … Read more

Angry Bunnies

Bunny Shooter is an Angry Birds-style game that pits you against a pack of malicious bunnies trying to steal your prized carrots. Armed with a bow and a set of arrows, your job is to wipe the smiles off of those smug bunnies' faces.

Swipe your finger across your bow's string to load it up, then rotate the bow to change your arrow's trajectory. Sometimes you can shoot a bunny straight away, but in many cases, you'll have to bank your arrow off of obstacles or cause chain reactions to destroy the bunnies. Similar to Angry Birds, … Read more

HP update to boost TouchPad 'functionality'

Hewlett-Packard told CNET on Monday that it will deliver a future update to boost the TouchPad's functionality. HP also said it has seen "huge spikes" in TouchPad activation in the wake of the decision to discount the tablet.

On August 19, HP slashed the price of the 16GB TouchPad to $100, setting off a buying frenzy at stores like Best Buy and online. HP's action came after announcing the shuttering its WebOS device business. The TouchPad uses the WebOS operating system.

"We expect that HP TouchPad owners can look forward to an over-the-air update that … Read more

Report: Rovio funding talks suggest $1.2B valuation

Angry Birds has been a breakout success for Finnish developer Rovio, and a new report says the company is considering capitalizing on that by taking a strategic investment that would put its value at around $1.2 billion.

Citing two people with knowledge of private discussions, Bloomberg reported today that Rovio is in investment talks with "a company in the entertainment business," who's looking to get a piece of the action.

In early March, Rovio announced that it secured $42 million in funding as part of a Series A round led by venture capital firms Accel Partners … Read more

Angry Birds through the seasons

Angry Birds Seasons lets you play the popular birds vs. pigs game, but with themes that match every season. You can play among jack-o'-lanterns and white-sheet ghosts in the fall; snowmen and Santa-capped pigs during the winter; or brightly colored eggs and bunny hats when it gets close to Easter. You can play whichever season you want right away--you won't need to unlock every level in order to unlock new themed worlds. With that said, the gameplay is no different than you've come to expect with Angry Birds, but maybe that's a good thing--most people love … Read more