What you need to know - 04/12/11

NYTimes.com traffic floundering post-paywall; the first authorized Steve Jobs biography is coming

Amazon announced its cheapest Wi-Fi Kindle yet--one for $114 ($25 off) but supported by ads.

Leading book publisher Simon & Schuster announced that the very first authorized biography of Steve Jobs, “iSteve: The Book of Jobs,” by Walter Isaacson, will be published in early 2012. A former executive at CNN and TIME magazine, Walter Isaacson has written biographies on a number of history’s greatest achievers, including Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Henry Kissinger.

Unfortunately for the Winklevoss twins, their second lawsuit against Facebook didn’t go over as well as the first. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss and associated defendants will have to live with a $100 million settlement.

eBay agreed to acquire additional shares in GittiGidiyor, the leading online marketplace in Turkey, after which it will own 93 percent of the company.

KIT digital, a premium software and technology services provider for multi-screen video delivery, agreed to acquire 100 percent of the capital stock of ioko for total prospective net consideration of approximately $79.4 million, including future performance-based incentive payments.

After seven months, Kiip finally emerged from stealth mode to finally say definitively what it does. CEO Brian Wong’s nebulous definition of Kiip as a bridge between “mobile advertising and mobile gaming” actually translates to an in-game rewards system that delivers real branded rewards at the moment of achievement in a game, such as reaching the next level or solving a tough problem.

Chinese group buying site Lashou closed a $110 million Series C funding round led by Mileston Capital, with participation from Richemont’s affiliates Reinet Fund SCA FIS, Remgro Limited, and previous investors GSR Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners and Tenaya Capital.

French game publisher Mediastay secured a €15 million ($21.5 million) investment from Iris Capital and Idinvest Partners (formerly AGF Private Equity).

Two weeks since the New York Times implemented its much criticized and analyzed paywall, Hitwise says traffic  is down across the board.

Scoutmob, a location-based group deals company, has secured a first round of funding for $1.5 million, according to New Atlantic Ventures representatives.

Stylistpick, a personalized women's fashion e-commerce site,  secured £5 million ($8 million) in a Series A round co-led by Accel Partners and Index Ventures.

Txteagle raised an $8.5 million Series A round of venture capital for a market-research and advertising platform designed to reach emerging-market consumers via text message. Spark Capital of Boston led the round.