Skip to main content

Bebo Launches Five European Localizations

Bebo Launches Five European Localizations

Facebook might be the social networking platform du jour, but Bebo has always enjoyed a strong following in the UK and Ireland, and is now looking to expand its European footprint by launching new localizations in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch, as well as partnering with both new and established media brands to provide premium content in those langauges. And Bebo isn’t looking to be a walled garden: the service’s Lifestream feature enables users to keep up with their friends and favorites across a wide variety of services, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and others.

"The social networking audience is growing rapidly and our new sites will allow local users to connect with other users, entertainment and brands, both globally and locally," said Bebo’s international VP Nicole Vanderbilt, in a statement. "The richness of our experience lies in the user’s ability to express him or herself—as evidenced in our new Lifestory feature—and in the ability to connect to people, media and brands through the Lifestream and our Open Media Platform."

Bebo’s media partners for the expansion include AlloCine, RTL’s Clipfish, Telecom Italia-owned Yalp!, Diagonal View, and Preview Networks’ Filmtrailer: AlloCine will launch four channels on Bebo covering TV, movies, and film trailers, along four four channels in the UK. Clipfish will offer channels on Bebo Germany featuring everything from comedy to astrology, while FilmTrailer will offer localized versions of Hollywood releases.

Bebo currently operates in the U.S., UK, Ireland, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, and Canada and claims more than 22 million users worldwide.

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Microsoft’s new Edge browser has launched, and it’s finally worth switching to
Edge Browser

Almost a year ago, Microsoft shook up the computing world. But, it wasn't with a phone, tablet, or PC.

The company announced that it would release a new web browser based on Google's open-source Chromium engine, the same one that powers Google Chrome. In the months proceeding, the public was invited to get involved and download test the browser from one of many different "channels."

Read more
Wi-Fi 6 has finally launched. Here’s what that means for you
Linksys WRT3200 ACM router review

The long wait is over. Wi-Fi 6 has finally launched. But what is Wi-Fi 6 and what does its arrival mean for the average consumer?

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the Wi-Fi Certified 6 program is now available for devices “based on IEEE 802.11ax.” The Wi-Fi Alliance’s press release on the matter sheds some light on what customers can expect from Wi-Fi 6:

Read more
Apple Arcade will reportedly cost $5 a month when it launches this fall
apple arcade 500 million investment

Update 9/10: It looks like the rumors were right -- Apple just officially announced that Apple Arcade will offer more than 100 games for $5 a month. 
When Apple releases Apple Arcade to the public, it will likely come with a $5-a-month price tag.
The price was discovered by 9to5 Mac in the APIs used by the App Store app. According to a promotional message found in that code, Apple Arcade will be $4.99 per month, after a customer completes a one-month free trial.
The Apple Aracde service will also be available to everyone in a Family Sharing account, which means that low price tag will potentially allow six people to use the service. The service will offer support for traditional gaming controllers, such as those used on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Apple Arcade was announced in March 2019. The service will allow gamers to access a library of games for a monthly fee and then play those games across iOS, Mac, and Apple TV. Apple has said that the flat fee will cover the cost of the game in total, with no ads or additional in-app purchases. Downloading games from the service will work similarly to how users currently download games from the App Store.
Also similar to the App Store, games will have age, rating, genre rating, and size listed, so gamers will have some concept of what they’re getting into before they start that download.
The service is expected to have more than 100 games available, including a number of titles exclusive to the platform. That “download” mention is an important one. Unlike many other gaming services that stream they content, Apple will allow users to download games so they can be played offline as well.
And the downloads have started. Apple is currently running an internal access program for the gaming service that it is charging employees 49 cents a month to access.
The employee testing program has a note that the testing program ends with the launch of iOS 13, which suggests Apple Arcade might launch along with the new mobile operating system.
Apple has yet to make an official announcement as to when the Apple Arcade service will launch to the public. Apple has reportedly budgeted more than $500 million to acquire games for the upcoming platform.

Read more