WRAL Tech Wire

Looking for better nightlife? There's an app for that

A new app - SceneTap - launched this weekend that will scan the faces of patrons in 25 bars across the city to determine their ages and genders. Would-be customers can then check their smartphones for real-time updates on the crowd size, average age and men-to-women mix to decide whether the scene is to their liking.

App checks venues for size, age, gender

SceneTap FAQ: How venue technology works

A new website, SceneTap, uses facial recognition software placed in a bar or other venue to calculate approximate ages as well as gender and to count the number of people inside. An FAQ at the firm's website explains how the technology works.

Tracking nightlife scene via web

Facebook's CEO has new status: 'Married'

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg updated his status to "married" on Saturday. Zuckerberg and 27-year-old Priscilla Chan tied the knot at a small ceremony at his Palo Alto, Calif., home, capping a busy week for the couple.

Nasdaq exchange takes a black eye in muffed Facebook IPO

SEC says it will review what happened at Nasdaq after Facebook's stock offering gets off to a delayed and troubled start.

Nasdaq

Like Facebook's Zuckerberg, more tech founders keeping company control

At least 10 of last year's technology initial public offerings included a special class of shares that give the founders more votes than new shareholders, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Mark Zuckerberg on Time's cover

ChannelAdvisor's Wingo likes Facebook, will 'jump in' IPO

Why buy shares? "Facebook has 900 million users - half of them use the service every day," says investor and entrepreneur Scot Wingo, whose business follows Facebook closely. "Never in the history of any online product has there been such adoption. When you think of how fast that has happened, relative to other ubiquitous technologies (cars, electricity, tv, computer, phone), they've reached this level in a crazy short time relatively."

Facebook data from its IPO filing

Dropping citizenship to save Facebook co-founder $67M in taxes

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin will save at least $67 million in federal income taxes by dropping U.S. citizenship. Those savings will keep growing if Facebook's shares increase after its IPO.

Facebook investors 'cashing out' more shares in IPO frenzy

"Everybody is cashing out," a hedge-fund manager says. "It's normal for private equities and venture capitals to cash out, but the obvious question is whether they are stretching it too far."

Facebook frenzy increases; 25% more shares being offered

On Tuesday, Facebook upped the price range for its IPO to as much as $38 a share. On Wednesday, the social media giant increased the offering to more than 421 million shares.

A Facebook co-founder renounces U.S. citizenship to save on taxes

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has renounced his U.S. citizenship, a move expected to save him hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes stemming from the company's impending initial public offering.

Lots to like: Facebook ups its stock offering price

In a regulatory filing Tuesday, Facebook upped the price range for its initial stock offering to between $34 and $38 from the original target of $28 to $34. Facebook could raise as much as $12.8 billion.

Buffett, Munger won't buy Facebook

Facebook kicks off its highly anticipated IPO road show Monday, but two high-profile investors won't be taking the pitch.

Valley buying frenzy; Apple's new maps; Apple co-founder wants Facebook shares; Linux creator hits GitHub; LightSquare woes

In the Bulldog blog: A frenzy of buying startups is driving up valuations for emerging companies; Apple is dumping Google Maps, report says; Apple's co-founder will buy Facebook shares regardless of price; Linus Torvalds doesn't care for GitHub - he invented Git; LightSquared nears bankruptcy.

Some investors have doubts about Facebook as IPO nears

Facebook said last week that growth in advertising sales isn't keeping pace with gains in users, many of them logging on from handheld devices, while some institutional investors have balked at buying Facebook stock, people with knowledge of the matter said. That adds to pressure on company executives to articulate their mobile strategy ahead of the IPO, due this week.

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