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New Media News Every Morning

Zynga Buys Draw Something Developer For $200M

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Draw Something has been a runaway success since it became available for iOS and Android smartphone and tablet users. It has generated the kind of interest and rabid following that Words with Friends generated before.

Zynga, the creators of Words with Friends and other hit games (and arguably the top social gaming developer in the world), knows a hit when it sees it, so instead of developing a Draw Something clone to compete with the hit app, they made the best move they can make – buy the developer of Draw Something. [Read more…]

Apple iPad 2 now only $399

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Now that the new iPad has been announced, all of the attention of gadget lovers will be on this newest of Apple’s offerings, anticipating when it will finally be made available for sale. But while all of the attention is on the new kid on the block, the iPad 2 is still very much alive and at a new price point that may actually turn more than a few heads.

Apple has announced that it is not totally discontinuing the iPad 2 but will instead offer it a budget price. The iPad 2 will now only come in two variants the 16GB WiFi only version and the 16GB WiFi/3G version. The former will cost $399 and the latter will sell for $529. [Read more…]

Barnes & Noble to Release New Nook Tablet With Reduced Specs

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When Barnes & Noble announced its Nook Tablet a few months back, it placed a lot of emphasis on its features and how it is superior to Amazon’s Kindle Fire Tablet. It did have a lot going for it. It had a more RAM (1GB to 512MB) and storage (16GB to 8GB), and these specs were used to justify its price, which is more expensive than the Kindle Fire (the Nook Tablet is $250 while the Kindle Fire is $199). [Read more…]

Android Tablets Global Market Share Growing

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Strategy Analytics, a market analysis company, recently released its report on the global market for tablets for the fourth quarter of 2011. The company’s analysis showed that even though the Apple iPad is still the market leader with a very formidable 58 percent share of the market, Android tablets are fast gaining ground with Android powered tablets now getting 39 percent of the market. Windows powered tablets have also figured in the results, accounting for 1 percent of the global market share. [Read more…]

Zynga Acquires Four Game Companies

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Zynga is very intent on strengthening its already secure position as the top provider of casual games in the world. The company, who makes highly popular games like Words With Friends, has announced that it has recently bought four different mobile game companies over the last few months.

The acquisitions Zynga made, as told to Reuters, include Gamedoctors, a German company and the maker of the hit game ZombieSmash. Zynga also said that it has bought Astro Ape Studios, a New York based company. [Read more…]