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Specific Media Buys Myspace, Timberlake Takes Stake

Marking the end of a social era, ad network Specific Media on Wednesday announced the acquisition of Myspace. And in a strange twist, music star-cum-actor Justin Timberlake is also taking an undisclosed ownership stake in the company, and is expected to play a key role in re-imagining the MySpace brand.

While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, multiple reports put it at about $35 million -- far less than the $580 million News Corp. paid for the then-high-flying site back in 2005.

Per the sale, News Corp. is taking a minority equity stake in Specific Media.

What does Specific Media want with the fallen social network? "Myspace is a recognized leader," said Tim Vanderhook, Specific Media CEO -- but a leader in what he did not clarify.

What's more, "there are many synergies between our companies, as we are both focused on enhancing digital media experiences by fueling connections with relevance and interest," Vanderhook added.

"There's a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect," Timberlake stated. "Myspace has the potential to be that place."

Founded in 1999 by brothers Tim, Chris and Russell Vanderhook, Specific Media bills itself as a "global interactive media company."

In what now can now be seen as a sign of things to come, the company recently appointed Jim Knopf to a newly created position of entertainment industry lead.

With Myspace, Specific is also getting Myspace Music, which offers a catalogue of freely streamable audio and video content to users.

According to Compete.com, Myspace drew 30.79 million unique visitors last month, which represented a 54.47% drop year-over-year.

Myspace CEO Mike Jones on Wednesday said he would step down from his post immediately, but would likely work with News Corp. and its new parent company in an advisory role for a short time.

In a memo to staff, Jones also announced pending layoffs as part of the sale. "In conjunction with the deal, we are conducting a series of restructuring initiatives, including a significant reduction in our workforce."

Already a shadow of its former self, Myspace was reportedly planning to lay off nearly 40% of its remaining staff -- or about 150 employees -- this week. First reported by Gawker, the news was later confirmed by TechCrunch.

Apparent for some time, News Corp.'s desire to unload Myspace recently became palpable. "With a new structure in place, now is the right time to consider strategic options for this business," News Corp. COO Chase Carey told analysts in early February.

Carey's comments came on News Corp.'s latest earnings report, which included a $275 million writedown for its digital media business, which was said to have stemmed largely from Myspace.

Late in February, News Corp. brought in Allen & Co. to help unload Myspace, and was reported to have received "early interest" from about 20 parties -- the majority of which were private equity and venture capital firms.

Largely perceived as an effort to gussy up the company, Myspace laid off 47% of its staff -- or 500 people -- in January.

Myspace has not been the only digital asset that News Corp. has sought to unload. In early May, the media conglomerate decided to spin off IGN.com. Unlike Myspace, however, IGN is anything but a sinking ship. Indeed, IGN expects to earn more than $10 million this year on revenues of around $100 million.

Source:  Mediapost

Amelia's Book Room: Amelia Rules!

OK, no, this review is not about how awesome I am for coming back to you guys. (Or is it? No, it's not.) This is an actual comic series! Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules! is a funny and cute series all about fourth-grader Amelia McBride. After her parents' divorce, Amelia and her mom move in with her aunt Tanner--a retired rock star. She gets taken in by a ragtag group who call themselves G.A.S.P (Gathering of Awesome Super Pals), and craziness ensues.

Aside from getting into hilarious situations and bantering with her friends, Amelia is learning and growing throughout the series, and it's great to see that in a comic for kids. As Gownley says, 'Amelia would not be about childhood, it would be about growing-up.' From dealing with divorced parents to boy troubles, Amelia pulls through it all. This is now one of my favorite graphic novel series'!

You can start with The Whole World's Gone Crazy, then What Makes You Happy, and so on! Hope you guys enjoy them!

Amelia's Book Room: Anna and the French Kiss

Hey guys, I'm back! I had a pretty busy holiday season, dancing in the Nutcracker Ballet and getting a cold and lots of other fun stuff. But most importantly, I read lots of books! So let's get to it.

This week I bring you the first book I actually finished in 2011; I stayed up super late a few days after New Years reading it, it was so good! Anna and the French Kiss was actually recommended by Vlogbrother and young adult author John Green in this video; that was how I found out about it. And boy, am I glad he mentioned it! Stephanie Perkins' debut novel is fantastic.

We jump right into the story of Anna, whose father has inexplicably sent her away to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school. Anna barely speaks any French, and is homesick already, but luckily she gets taken in by sporty and sweet Meredith and her friends; Josh and Rashmi, the couple who, when they're not making out, are arguing about something, and Etienne St. Clair. Wonderful, funny, English, charming St. Clair... who has a girlfriend.

As St. Clair shows her Paris and the two become close friends, Anna tries her best, but it's hopeless--she falls head over heels for him. And it seems like he's falling too. But of course, there's his girlfriend, and Anna was just starting to get serious with a boy back home.

This is an adorable, sweet, hilarious romance, that I know you guys will love. Beautifully written, with lovable, real characters and just heartbreaking in parts, it's already my favorite book of 2011, and I have a feeling it'll be at the top of my list for a while!

It feels good to be back! Tell me, what did you all read over the holidays? I want to know :)

Amelia's Book Review: Goodbye for a while, readers!

Yours truly with just a few books from my current reading stack...

I have some rather unfortunate news this week; I will not be writing any reviews for the next few months! Volunteering at the library, more dance classes than ever, and now the busy Nutcracker Ballet season, are all making posting enjoyable, quality reviews difficult for me. Not to mention trying to make time to read so I actually have books to recommend!

I won't be gone forever; just till next January at the latest. I'll leave you with some reading suggestions! As you might have guessed, I really enjoyed reading the Percy Jackson series this past summer. It's one of my favorite series' now, and I have just added Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries to that list! I just finished book three, Princess In Love, tonight, and I plan to get number four right away.

I also finally got my hands on a copy of John Green and David Levithan's collaboration, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and I can't wait to start. Over the summer, I received advance reader copies of two books being released this month; Lian Tanner's Museum Of Thieves and TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow (which actually came out at the end of August. Oops!). I've only gotten a few chapters in, but they look pretty good so far, so keep an eye out for them!

Well, that's it for me; I look forward to writing for you all in a few months, better than ever! Thanks for reading :)

Amelia's Book Room: The Unwritten Rule

Sarah has always placed second when it comes to her and her best friend Brianna. Brianna is pretty, talented, and never has trouble getting a boyfriend. Sarah has never even had one. She does, however, have a crush: Ryan. And he seems to like her back. The only problem? He's dating Brianna.

The Unwritten Rule is a very true-to-life portrayal of the confusing situation of having to choose between a boy and your best friend. It also deals with Brianna's struggle between her divorced parents, who really don't seem to care about her.

Sorry this review is so short, but I think you'll enjoy Elizabeth Scott's novel! You can check out a cover story for it over at Melissa Walker's blog.

We're reading Susane Colasanti's Waiting For You this month for the Dekoposh Book Club; make sure you look for it at your local library or book store!

Amelia's Book Room: Mockingjay

Last week I told you about the latest and (sniffle) final Hunger Games book, Mockingjay. I finished it not long after that post. So, let's talk about it! It's pretty impossible not to spoil the events of Catching Fire, so if you haven't read that, you probably shouldn't read this.

When we pick things up in Mockingjay, everything seems to be falling apart for Katniss. District 12 is destroyed, Peeta has been kidnapped by the Capitol, while Katniss, her family, Gale, and the remaining survivors of 12 are refugees in District 13. Everyone wants her to be the Mockingjay of the rebellion, the face that will encourage the districts to fight back. What will make a reluctant Katniss step up to lead (albeit for show) the rebellion? The sight of Peeta on a Capitol broadcast, being used by President Snow to regain power over the districts.

This is a very dark, serious time of battle and loss for Suzanne's series; prepare to get your heart broken many times over. While the end is slightly dissatisfying for some, all in all Mockingjay is worth the read, with lots of suspense and drama.

I hope you've all been reading Scat by Carl Hiaasen; it looks like we'll be discussing it on the blog next Sunday! Stay tuned for details!

Amelia's Book Room: Just Released: Mockingjay!

I'm afraid I don't have a regular review this week; I'm too busy reading the final Hunger Games novel!

If you're even a little into young adult books, chances are you've heard of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Today, the third and last book in the trilogy, Mockingjay, came out. I've been reading it pretty much all day since I got my copy in the mail, so hopefully next week I'll have a full-fledged review for you. So far, I'm liking it a lot!

Don't forget; we're reading Carl Hiaasen's Scat for the Dekoposh Reading Club, and will probably have a meeting to discuss it near the end of August! Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: Fairy Haven And The Quest For The Wand

A while back, I reviewed Gail Carson Levine's Fairy Dust And The Quest For The Egg; now it's time for the sequel!

We meet up with our favorite Never Fairies once more: Tinker Bell, Rani, Prilla, Queen Ree, Terrence, and Vidia. This time, Rani has made a promise to find a Fairy Wand for the mermaid Soop; but this is proving difficult to do. Soop is getting impatient, and soon, she rashly uses her magic to bring a flood to Fairy Haven! With the fairies of Never Land endangered, Rani, Ree, and Tink fly to the mainland to retrieve a wand from the Great Wanded Fairies. However, they are in danger of being overcome with Wand Madness; the power to have whatever you wish for is intoxicating, and our heroines--and Terrence, who is head over wings for Tink--learn the hard way that you should be careful what you wish for.

Once again, Levine's storytelling and David Christiana's lovely illustrations make Fairy Haven And The Quest For The Wand a great read. The story felt a little more fast-paced than the first novel, but it was still enjoyable. Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: Aphrodite's Blessings

As you know, I've been way into the Percy Jackson series, which involves the Greek Gods and myths. So, when I saw Aphrodite's Blessings on the shelf while volunteering at the library, I knew I had to read it!

Clemence McLaren retells the stories of three young women of the Greek myths, whose destinies are all touched by the Goddess of love, Aphrodite. In Running From Love, we meet Atalanta, an oddly-raised princess who, instead of practicing embroidery and wearing traditional robes, is well trained in sports and prefers a man's tunic. She feels terrible when dozens of male athletes begin competing against her for the grand prize: if they win, they have her hand in marriage; if she wins, they are put to death. And Atalanta is too good!

The second tale focuses on the beautiful Andromeda, whose father has picked her a very unsavory husband, and in the final story, Psyche must venture into the land of Hades to earn her soul mate's love. If, like me, you recently finished Rick Riordan's hit series and you're hungering for some more Greek mythology, this is the book for you!

Don't forget, we're reading Carl Hiaasen's Scat this month for the Dekoposh Book Club, and will have a meeting to discuss it at the end of August. Happy reading, and don't let your busy new back-to-school schedules keep you from the books you love!

Amelia's Book Room: Kissing Vanessa

Every once and a while I like to just pick a random book off the library shelf; I've found some good ones this way, such as Guitar Highway Rose, which turned out to be one of my favorite books. And, this week, I've got another good find: Simon Cheshire's Kissing Vanessa!

Kevin Watts is your average wallflower; he's not the guy your eyes would immediately snap to when surrounded by his classmates. He prefers to keep to himself and spend time working on his photography. But when a new girl comes to school, the beautiful, smart, photographically talented Vanessa Wishart, he finds himself falling head-over-heels for her, and his only hope of catching her attention? Standing out from the crowd.

With the maybe-not-so-helpful help of his best friend Jack, Kevin tries to make himself appeal to Vanessa. But he has a lot to learn about love--and girls--including that most people like you best when you're just being yourself. Kevin is a quirky and lovable protagonist, and Cheshire drops the poor guy into a lot of painfully awkward situations that make you almost squeeze your eyes shut in horror, yet keep you turning the pages to see Kevin to the hopefully happy end of his quest.

This is a quick and fun read, and I enjoyed it a lot; I hope you will too! A quick announcement; we will be starting the Dekoposh Book Club back up in August! Next month we'll be reading Carl Hiaasen's latest young adult novel, Scat! If you liked the previous two, Hoot and Flush, this one's sure to be good.

Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: The Sea Of Monsters

This summer I've been speeding through the Percy Jackson books--just two weeks ago I reviewed book one, The Lightning Thief--so this week I have the second book in Rick Riordan's hit series, The Sea Of Monsters! Just to warn you, though, if you haven't yet read the first novel, you might not want to read this review.

A year after finding out that he is a Demi-God, a son of one of the Greek Gods; Poseidon, to be exact, Percy Jackson has just about survived his best year of private school yet. He's excited to have a peaceful, normal trip back to Camp Half-Blood, the training grounds and safe haven for Demi-Gods. That's not the case, of course. On his last day of school, Percy and his friend Tyson get attacked by a gang of monsters, right in the middle of a game of dodge ball. Fortunately, his good friend Annabeth shows up and rescues them, but she brings bad news: something is wrong at camp!

To make matters worse, Percy dreams that his best friend, Grover, is in trouble: captured by a Cyclops and being held prisoner. It's up to the two campers, and Tyson--who is more than he appears--to rescue Camp Half-Blood and everyone's favorite Satyr. This is my favorite out of the Percy Jackson series so far; I'm only on book three, though, so that could change! I love Annabeth's character in this book, and Grover is even more lovable, if possible. Not to mention its got lots of action, and some comedy, too!

I hope you guys are having a good summer; happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: Fairy Dust And The Quest For The Egg

This week we have a book from the wonderful Gail Carson Levine--author of Ella Enchanted and Fairest, as well as many other fairytale re-imaginings and original stories--this one involving our favorite little fairy from Peter Pan: Tinker Bell! Tink has some new friends, and we meet the fairies of Neverland in Fairy Dust And The Quest For The Egg. We follow the story of the new arrival, Prilla, who is obviously a little different from the others. Every fairy, upon arrival in Neverland, immediately knows their talent, the activity they will specialize in. Prilla, however, is clueless as to what she's good at.

But before she can get properly worried about this, a hurricane comes to Neverland; a hurricane that destroys Mother Dove's egg, the thing that keeps all creatures from getting old on the island. Prilla and her water-talent friend, Rani, and the less-than-friendly fast-flier Vidia, set out on a quest to heal the egg, and the island.

This charming novel is enhanced by some pretty amazing illustrations; just lovely! I hope you guys enjoy this book; it is followed by Fairy Haven And The Quest For The Wand. Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: The Lightning Thief

You've probably heard of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, what with the recent movie starring Logan Lerman. I just recently got into the series, starting, of course, with The Lightning Thief!

Percy Jackson is your average 12-year-old boy--well, as average as he can be. He goes to a different boarding school every year, usually getting expelled before the end of each term. Strange things have always been happening around Percy, and he usually gets blamed for them, resulting in his expulsion. This year, his teacher turns into a winged creature, and he kills her with a pen-turned-sword--and suddenly everyone denies that the teacher ever existed.

When Percy and his mom go on vacation, things turn even stranger: his best friend, Grover, shows up, and reveals himself to be a Satyr: half-goat! One thing leads to another, and Percy finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, and learns that he is a demi-God: the son of a human and a Greek God. He teams up with fellow camper Annabeth, and the two of them, along with Grover, set out on a quest to find Zeus' master lightning bolt.

This was a very entertaining--and educational!--book, and I can't wait to read the rest. On their quest, our heroes meet some pretty wacky mythical characters, just hanging out among humans. The series continues in The Sea Of Monsters!

Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: Animorphs

Someone's probably asked you at some point: if you could turn into any animal, what would you choose? Well, in K. A. Applegate's Animorphs series, for five kids--and one alien--the answer is part of their every-day life!

When Jake, Rachel, Marco, Kassie and Tobias are walking home one day, they witness something you don't see every day: an alien spaceship coming in for a landing in an abandoned construction site. A dying Andalite named Prince Elfangor tells them about the Yeerks, yucky parasitic slug-aliens that plan to take over Earth by crawling into human brains and taking control of them. This all might sound like a cheesy sci-fi TV movie, but trust me, it's good! Before being hunted down by the Yeerks, Elfangor gives the kids the power to fight them: the ability to morph!

Whatever animal they touch, they can turn into. But they have to be careful; if they stay in their animal forms for more than two hours, that animal becomes their primary form. This, unfortunately, is the fate of Tobias; he gets stuck in the form of a red-tail hawk.

With a variety of characters--my favorites are Tobias and Rachel, pictured on the cover above--there's something for everyone in this interesting series. It begins with The Invasion, continued in The Visitor, and on for a total of 54 books! There are several other side-series' as well.

All in all, some very enjoyable books for any sci-fi fan, or bookworm! So, if you could turn into any animal, what would it be? Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: Beyond The Deepwoods

I recently praised illustrator Chris Riddell's Ottoline books; if you liked those detailed, charming pictures, then you'll like The Edge Chronicles, too!

In the first of Riddell's collaboration with Paul Stewart, Beyond The Deepwoods, we get to know Twig, a young boy who was raised in a village of woodtrolls in the wild, sprawling Deepwoods. He's always been a little different; and we find out why: he's not a woodtroll at all. He's a human, left on the doorstep of his adoptive parents when he was little. Soon after discovering this, he is sent off to spend some time with a relative. Woodtrolls are taught never to stray from the path, for fear of the many deadly creatures, and even plants, in the heart of the Deepwoods. So what does Twig do? Yup, he leaves the path.

The woods have a lot in store for poor, confused Twig; from venomous hover worms to flesh-eating bloodoaks; ferocious wig-wigs to termagant trogs; and worst of all, the terror of the Deepwoods himself, the Gloamgloazer. This book is action-packed; talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire, and back again! Twig is a very endearing character, and the many details of the creatures of the land of the Edge are amazing. The Twig trilogy in the Edge Chronicles continues in Stormchaser. There are many branches to the series, however, which you'll want to check out as well!

Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: The Luxe

Get ready to be immersed in the world of 189o's high class New York in The Luxe!

In the first of four books in Anna Godbersen's series, there is a lot of romance going on! We meet Elizabeth and Diana Holland, two sisters who really couldn't be more different. Elizabeth, the elder, is in the middle of a secret romance with a lower-class coachman; her entire reputation would be ruined if she was found out. Diana longs for a way out of the refined life she finds so dull and mundane; she wants adventure and romance. Elizabeth's rather poisonous best friend, Penelope, longs to tell her all about her affair with the rich and handsome Henry Schoonmaker, but before she can, Henry is forced to propose to Elizabeth! And Henry finds himself falling for unique, mysterious Diana.

Okay, okay, I haven't lost you, have I? This may all sound pretty confusing, but trust me, this story is addictive! We get a view into the lower class as well, with Lina, Elizabeth's personal maid, who is puzzling over how their friendship suddenly turned so cold. This is a highly entertaining book, and I myself can't wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series, Rumors.

I hope you're all getting lots of reading done in the summer! Tootles!

Amelia's Book Room: The Tale Of Despereaux

You probably heard a lot about this lovely novel by Kate DiCamillo when the movie adaption came out a while back, but I didn't get around to reading it till just recently. Well, rather, I listened to it, on one of these handy-dandy 'Playaways' from my local library; a compact, portable MP3 player with just that audio book programmed in, ready for you to listen to on the go. I will have to check out the hardcover edition sometime, though, as I'm eager to see the illustrations!

The Tale Of Desereaux is a charming story about an extremely small and large-eared mouse, Desereaux Tilling. Our hero is quite unlike the other mice; he has no passion for scurrying, thinks about the oddest things--like music!--and would rather read books than eat them! All very unusual for a mouse. He pulls the last straw in the mouse community when he sits in plain view of the human king and his daughter, and promptly falls in love with the Princess Pea.

And so, Despereaux is banished to the dungeons, where the terrible rats live. This is where we meet Roscuro, a rat who prefers light to darkness, and a grand adventure ensues, which I won't spoil you about! This was really a wonderful book; I wish I had had time to read it sooner!

I wanted to tell you guys that for the past couple of weeks, I've been volunteering at my local library. It's a really fun experience for me, and I'm learning a lot about how much work goes into it all! I know some of you teens and tweens have to do community service in the summer for school; if you like working with books, I suggest looking into helping out at the library!

Happy reading!

Amelia's Book Room: The Inside Story

Hey folks! I told you last week I would be reading and reviewing the latest Sisters Grimm book, and here I am! (Warning, if you don't want to be spoiled about the previous books, you might not want to read this!

Just to get you caught up: sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm used to be normal kids living in New York City; when one day, their parents were kidnapped, leaving behind a red hand print as the only evidence. The girls were tossed from one horrible foster family to the next, till finally they ended up with Relda Grimm, an old woman who, apparently, was the grandmother they never knew. They go to live with her in Ferryport Landing, and soon discover that it is no ordinary town. The majority of its inhabitants are real-life fairy tale characters! They also learn that they are the descendants of the famous Brothers Grimm, fairy tale detectives. Since then, they've been (slightly reluctantly) doing their detective duties, along with Mr. Canis (AKA the Big Bad Wolf), the fairy prankster Puck, and other friends.

In book eight, The Inside Story, we pick up where we left off last time: Sabrina, Daphne and Puck chasing the Master of the Scarlet Hand and the girls' recently discovered baby brother into the pages of the mysterious Book of Everafter. They find themselves thrown in recreations of famous stories like The Wizard Of Oz, Alice In Wonderland, and Aladdin. They have to find the Master before he gets to his own story-- because, using the book, he could change history forever. But they must also be quick as they race through the tales--whenever something is changed too much, the Editor sends his Revisers, creatures that erase everything in sight!

This was an excellent addition to Michael Buckley's series; it left me anxious for the next book! I really enjoyed Sabrina's character in this book, more so than in the past. And Daphne and Puck were awesome as always. It's a must-read! (Once you've read all the other books, of course.) Have a good week!

Amelia's Book Room: Ottoline Goes To School

I'm back to swoon over Chris Riddell's gorgeous sequel to Ottoline And The Yellow Cat: Ottoline Goes To School! At a glance, these books by the amazing illustrator and sometimes writer, may look like just another kid's series. But I'm 15 years old and I very much enjoy them!

Aside from the quirky writing and wonderful characters, what draws me in to these books is the illustrations; I never noticed just how much detail Riddell puts into his drawings! As an artist myself, I can only hope to one day have the patience to etch out each squiggly leaf in several rows of hedges, or every detail in a map of a park frequented by Ottoline.

It is in Pettigrew Park that this story begins, and where Ottoline meets a new friend: Cecily Forbes-Lawrence III. (And her Patagonian pony, Mumbles.) Our heroine soon learns that Cecily goes away to school, and she decides that she would very much like to go, too. And so she heads off to the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted. But there are some rumors floating around that the school is haunted; who better to find out the truth but Ottoline Brown and her best friend Mr. Munroe!

I hope even you older readers will swallow your pride and pick up this delightful book, and look out for the next one, Ottoline At Sea. Happy reading!

P.S. What's this? The latest Sisters Grimm book, The Inside Story, has been out since May 1st and I didn't know? Ridiculous! Buying it tomorrow; review soon!

Amelia's Book Room: Take Me There

Here comes another great book from Susane Colasanti, author of When It Happens! Yup, I recently finished her third novel, Take Me There.

Narrated in sections by the three main characters, Rhiannon, Nicole, and James, Take Me There explores the many perils of relationships, break-ups, love, and karma. Rhiannon's boyfriend, Steve, just inexplicably broke up with her, and she is desperate to get him back. But her friend Nicole, who recently broke things off with her own boyfriend, knows a secret about Steve. Meanwhile, she has a secret of her own: she's got a wild crush on her Jude Law-esque math teacher. And James, Rhiannon's best friend, is slowly discovering that maybe he wants to be more.

This may sound like your typical teen love story, but you'll soon find it goes a lot deeper than that, as we discover something very dark in Nicole's past. This was a highly enjoyable novel, and kept me paging for hours at a time! Once again, Colasanti has created a story I think us teens will really like, and relate to. I was just browsing her homepage, and discovered something very cool: a photo tour of locations from the book! So great! You can also follow Susane on twitter here, and don't forget to look out for her latest book, Something Like Fate.

Happy reading!