New Zealand

News Byte

Spotify Launches in Australia

Peter Kafka in Media on May 21 at 1:46 pm PT

Spotify opened for business in Australia and New Zealand today. The move broadens the streaming music service’s reach as it raises a new round of funding that should value the company at $4 billion by the time it closes. Last month rival service MOG announced an Australian expansion but hasn’t launched yet.

RIM Corners the “You’ll Use BlackBerry 7 and That’s an Order” Market

John Paczkowski in Mobile on May 18 at 4:00 am PT

Well, at least one part of RIM’s business is on the upswing.

Here Are Some More Yahoo CEO Choices: Liddell, Rosenblatt, Desmond

Kara Swisher in News on December 27, 2011 at 4:12 am PT

Let’s throw a few more names on the fire!

Viral Video: The Making of “The Hobbit” — Part Five

Kara Swisher in Media on December 27, 2011 at 12:19 am PT

Back to Middle-earth!

Viral Video: First Trailer for “The Hobbit” Movie

Arik Hesseldahl in News on December 22, 2011 at 9:09 am PT

Still suffering withdrawal from an annual holiday-season Hobbit habit? Hope is but a year away.

News Byte

Facebook Timeline Finally Starts to Roll Out — in New Zealand

Liz Gannes in Social on December 6, 2011 at 6:43 pm PT

Earlier this week we chided Facebook for delaying its new Timeline feature, which the company said was only a few weeks from launch when the glossy new design debuted with much fanfare in September. Today, Facebook said it is finally making Timeline available to a broader audience — in New Zealand, a country with a total population of just 4.4 million and something like two million Facebook users (but lots of scenic places to take pretty cover photos!). Other people are to get access to Timeline “in the near future,” Facebook said.

Viral Video: More “Hobbit” From the Vlog Files of Peter Jackson

Kara Swisher in Media on November 9, 2011 at 12:10 am PT

Who doesn’t want more “Hobbit”? No one, that’s who!

iPhone 4S Headed to 15 More Countries

John Paczkowski in Mobile on November 1, 2011 at 7:15 am PT

Apple’s iPhone 4S is currently available in 29 countries. By the end of next week, it will be available in 44.

iPhone-4S-models-and-pricing-with-Phil-Schiller-380x253

Viral Video: Inside “The Hobbit” — Part 2

Kara Swisher in Media on July 15, 2011 at 1:01 am PT

Back in April, director Peter Jackson, master of the “Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy, decided to do a production video blog from the set of “The Hobbit,” which is filming in New Zealand now. This is his second one.

Study Finds More Young Kids Can Work a Smartphone Than Tie Their Shoes

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 24, 2011 at 10:05 am PT

A new study also found that 2-to-5-year-olds are also more likely to be able to open a Web browser than swim on their own. Mobilized thinks it is time to make cellphones waterproof so these kids can text for help if they ever fall out of a boat.