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TechCrunch Meetup 2008 – A Look Back

It has been two years since UK based TechCrunch co-editor Mike Butcher has payed the Swiss startup scene a visit. My recordings of the elevator pitches have been viewed over 5000 times. Some more often like Poken, with over 600 views, others with only 14 views. Now that two years have passed, I thought it might be a good idea and look back. Were any of the startups successful? Are they still around? Have some exited or joined the dead pool? To answer this questions I have created the following list with a quick status update for each startup, which presented. The list is in no particular order.

  • OptionRating: fabware, creating iPhone apps
  • FundExplorer: renamed to ETFexplorer?
  • Sobees: developed clients for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and others for various devices (iPhone, iPad, web)
  • mixin: never heard much of them, no real update since May 2009
  • groops: no progress or big update, seems to have stopped
  • dixero: not sure, page still asks for pre-registrations, not a very active twitter feed, blank pages on website
  • CulturePod: active, creating new interview and videos
  • Cassiber: doing fine
  • babyZbook: dead pool? no information found
  • Zattoo: sold to Swiss news paper group TA Media
  • yes: online radio with chat? still great domain name (yes.com)
  • wuala: joined French based LaCie (manufacturer of hard drives), stores over 200 million files
  • webnode: still running, not sure if this counts a Swiss startup
  • W2ML: no idea…
  • trigami: still located in Basel, still in the same business
  • swisspoll: no clue, they don’t have a CEO or anything
  • SwarmCast: no clue, last press release is from September 2009
  • Starfruit: create/buy goods in Second Life and let them deliver to your real life, dead?
  • six signs: no idea, no information found, dead?
  • Semacle: no updates since August 2009, dead?
  • routeRank: alive, no idea how well they are doing
  • Profession Web: not sure, blog?
  • procedural: doing pretty well, I suppose
  • poken: personally still not a fan, funding over 2 million Swiss francs, now based in San Francisco
  • playyoo: on autorun, last blog entry from August 2009
  • NewsCred: still active in creating custom online newspapers
  • LiberoVision: doing great, big presence in the 2010 World Cup
  • kleWel: active, no idea how well they are doing
  • key lemon: selling their software for CHF 19.95
  • holistis: no idea, not a clue
  • gbanga: product launched, expanding
  • Faircustomer: selling stuff
  • doodle: reporting 6 million unique users a month
  • bluewatchdog: still active, product works on new devices/phones
  • amiando: not really swiss startup, but doing great
  • amazee: launched their white label product
  • Supertext: doing very well

Popularity: 1% [?]

Posted in Startup.

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Unofficial Zattoo Android App (Android 2.2)

Warning: This app is in no way official or approved by Zattoo. I have just spend little over 2 hours to create this app. The data usage is like 6 megabytes per minutes. So make sure you use Wifi or a data flat rate if you watch TV.

Requirements

  • Android 2.2 (FroYo)
  • Adobe Flash Player 10.1 BETA (in the Android Market)
  • TV.Centerr (my app)

Screenshots

Download

Search for Zattoo or TV.Centerr or scan the QR code below. If you do not have Android 2.2 installed, the app will not show up!

Popularity: 20% [?]

Posted in News, android.

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Zattoo on Android Mobile Phones

I have created an Android Zattoo app!


I admit it, one thing that Android phones are missing are apps for live TV. There is a native app for Zattoo or Swiss newspapers offer apps to watch and record TV. But now thanks to Android 2.2 and Flash 10.1 for Android phones, I can now enjoy the full repertoire of TV channels on the Zattoo website.

The steam is very smooth, steady and the audio is great. The only problem are HiQ streams. Those are not synced and the video is not smooth. Other than that my quick test seems to be good. So get yourself Android 2.2, the Flash 10.1 BETA 3 and enjoy some Zattoo TV.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Posted in News, Technology, android.

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Gallery 3D (Froyo) for HTC Desire

After the 2.1 port of Gallery3D I quickly fixed and compiled the 2.2 Gallery3D app for the 2.1 HTC Desire device.

All the nice features you have seen are working. See screenshots below!

Download from android.centerr.com or via QR Code

Popularity: 16% [?]

Posted in android.

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Apple Refreshes Mac Mini – Goes Insane on Price Differences

First things first: Apple refreshed their Mac Mini computer. Nice upgrade I have to admit. But there is also a downside. And as so often it lies in the price…

Update: as journalist and Apple user Thomas Benkö just noted, are the new prices CHF 300.- higher than for the old system.

Country US-Dollar ($) Swiss Franc (CHF) Euro (€) Difference
USA $699 CHF 798 € 572  
Switzerland $876 CHF 999 € 717 + 25%
Germany $988 CHF 1’128 € 809 + 41%
France $976 CHF 1’113 €799 + 39%
Spain $952 CHF 1’085 €779 + 36%
Canada $725 CHF 828 €595 + 4%

Of course the US and Canada prices do not include taxes (usually around 10-15%). But even with that added, the Swiss Mac Mini is 10% more expensive.
I am particularly sorry for my German friends… :-)

Popularity: 8% [?]

Posted in Apple, News.

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70.3Ironman Switzerland 2010 in Rapperswil-Jona

Top Five Men

      Michael Raelert (GER) 3:47.47,2
      Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) 3:54.29,2
      Olivier Marceau (SUI) 3:55.16,6
      Romain Guillaume (FRA) 3:59.06,2
      Masimo Cigana (ITA) 4:01.52,8

Top Five Women

      Caroline Steffen (SUI) 4:19.29,5
      Nicole Hofer (SUI) 4:25.25,4
      Karin Thürig (SUI) 4:29.09,1
      Simone Benz (SUI) 4:34.12,6
      Eva Janssen (NED) 4:41.55,7

Popularity: 19% [?]

Posted in Event.

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