Smartphone users: Global youth market by gender

All countries tend to skew male in smartphone adoption with the exception of the US, where 55% of smartphone users age 15-24 are female. India has the most severe gender imbalance for smartphone use among subscribers 15-24 (80% male).

Twitter’s ad revenue ‘may triple to $150m this year’

Twitter’s ad revenue is likely to triple to $150 million this year as more companies use it to spread marketing messages, according to a new report. Twitter introduced its advertising program in April last year, and currently generates an estimated $50m per year in ad...

BBC to cut 360 online jobs as web budget slashed by 25%

The BBC is to cut about 200 websites in a cost-cutting drive, resulting in the loss of up to 360 jobs at the broadcaster over the next two years. The changes will see BBC Online’s budget cut by £34m. Among the sites to close include teen site Switch and...

Google takes on Groupon with ‘Offers’ voucher scheme

Google is testing an online voucher scheme called that would give users discounts for limited time deals, in a move that would place it in direct competition with Groupon, the firm it tried to buy late last year. Like Groupon, ‘Google Offers’ will sell...

Cold weather helps UK online retail sales beat expectations

Shoppers in the UK spent a total of £6.8 billion online during December, equivalent to £111 per person, with sales up by 7% on November and by 25% on December 2009, marking a record high, according to new research. The findings, from IMRG and Capgemini, round off what...

Amazon buys LoveFilm ‘for £200m’

Amazon has bought Lovefilm, in a deal that reportedly values the UK-based DVD rental and online video company at £200m. The move is largely seen as a defensive ploy on Amazon’s part against a planned international expansion by US video-streaming giant Netflix. The...

Heathrow express launches first iPhone train ticket

The first iPhone app enabling people to receive train tickets directly to their iPhone has launched in the UK. Heathrow Express has launched an app to allow passengers to purchase tickets and receive a barcode on their phone – saving time queuing up to collect paper...

Kelkoo unveils luxury shopping site ‘Select’

Kelkoo Select, the new luxury shopping website from Kelkoo, has launched a service in London offering its members access to handpicked daily offers for events and experiences in the capital. The website provides consumers with tailored offers to suit their lifestyle...

William Hill debuts Android app

Bookmaker William Hill has launched a brand new Android app for its mobile customers. The new application, which contains new features and enhanced graphics, will allow Android users to access over 40,000 pre match, in-play and speciality markets from William Hill...

I can haz $30m? Lolcats blog network gets funding boost

The Cheezburger Network, owner of popular blogs such as ICanHasCheezburger, FAILBlog and PunditKitchen, has raised $30 million in venture capital. The network, responsible for many of the internet’s most widely circulated memes, was formed in 2007 by Beh Huh, and has...

Groupon CEO sorry for Japan’s new year meal blunder

The CEO of group-buying discount site Groupon has apologised to Japanese customers Monday for a New Year’s deal gone wrong. The blunder involved a deal for delivery of ‘osechi’; a traditional New Year’s meal, which includes a variety of...

Zoopla debuts augmented reality property app for Android

Propery site Zoopla has launched an augmented reality app for users of Android powered smartphones, letting users search for property listings on the move. The Zoopla Android app, much like its iPhone counterpart, features hundreds of thousands of property listings,...

Apple CEO Steve Jobs confirms medical leave

Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs is going on a medical leave, the company has announced. “At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health,” Jobs said in an email to Apple employees. “I...