Goodbye, LaLa.
LaLa.com is closing it’s doors. But not in the sense you might think. They were purchased by Apple in December of 2009 for an “officially undisclosed” amount (17M is the latest figure I could find). Thanks, TechCrunch!
There’s a great post byEd Bott going over some of the initial steps Lala was taking in mid-April to start to disable some of the bigger features of the service (uploading your music library to be able to stream it from anywhere to name one).
Currently visitors are greeted with a page stating:
The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st, 2010. Unfortunately we are no longer accepting new users. Members, you can still use Lala through May 31st 2010. Log in for details.
Once logged in, users are shown a page detailing what the shutdown means for their users, and offers iTunes gift cards for “web songs” (web-play only), unused “wallet” balance or unredeemed gift cards. Lala is asking users to send in requests for check refunds of unused wallet balance by May 31st (be nice and submit early though, ya dope).
There’s also a link to the “Credits” page which goes over the refunds and credits rules in more detail.
What does this mean for paying users?
If you have purchased web songs on Lala or have an outstanding wallet balance as of May 31st, 2010, an iTunes Store credit code will automatically be sent to you after the service is shut down. Click here for more information on iTunes Store credit including the terms and conditions”
We’re still waiting to hear from Apple or any clued-in bloggers about what will happen with Lala’s intellectual property, and when.
Joel
Foursquare Day Post
Foursquare is an app that lets people find out who and what are around their current location. http://foursquare.com (it’s best on iPhone if you have one).
The app has an avid following due to the compelling game mechanics involved. Checking in at certain locations unlock “badges” that users rack up and can show off to their friends. The app also uses points to allow friends to compete for leaderboard position among other things. Business are now using the app as a way to market to customers directly when they check in and when they check in nearby (for example, checking in at McDonalds and getting a blip about a Burger King foursquare-only special on your phone.
A group in Tampa, FL (http://4sqday.com) decided that since 4 squared = 16, April 16th should be Foursquare day to celebrate how social media can bring people together and help people find new hotspots and places around them. They started a website to catalog all the participating venues and have been very active on Twitter (http://twitter.com/4sqday) and Facebook (http://twitter.com/4sqday) promoting the event.
All day long vendors and merchants all over Portland and other major cities will be offering discounts to Foursquare users when they check in to their locations. The deal specifics are on the event website, http://4sqday.com and the regular foursquare deals (not limited to 4sqday) are at http://foursquare.com/businesses .
Portland has been getting the ball rolling by starting a facebook page (http://facebook.com/foursquaredayPDX) and Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/4sqdayPDX) to coordinate efforts and share news regarding the event.
THE BIG PITCH: Whiffies fried pies on SE 12th and Hawthorne is hosting a Foursquare Day “SuperSwarm” party from 10PM to 1AM. A Foursquare “Swarm” is when 50 users check in to one location. A superswarm is when 250 users all check in to the same location. Among the basic foursquare deal (when 10 users are checked in, everyone gets $1 off their first pie), Whiffies is going to be giving away Free Pie for a Year to one lucky Foursquare user to commemorate the event if the SuperSwarm badge is achieved. There will also be a swarm event at Lion’s Eye Tavern from 8PM to 10PM with Buy One Get One Free beer on your first check in and many more deals at http://4sqday.com/city/portland).
