Gree is putting its money where its mouth is.

This week, word surfaced that Gree International Inc., a giant in the Japanese mobile gaming industry, wants to become an even bigger player in the genre. And to that end, the company is acquiring San Francisco, California-based mobile game developer Funzio Inc.

The price tag for the acquisition is said to be $210 million.

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This week, Distimo has published its latest report, one that compellingly probes the rise of a major name in the digital world today: Instagram.

“The Rise of Instagram and the Significance of the First Billion Dollar App Acquisition” highlights how the acquisition of Instagram by Facebook signals a significant milestone in the app store landscape.

Looking at how Instagram became successful, if, and how the app spread across the world, and how app usage compares to the number of downloads offers interesting insights to other developers.

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On Tuesday, Twitter payment and commerce platform Chirpify had no shortage of critical developments to boast about.

In addition to landing new financing from the likes of Voyager Capital, the CEOs of HootSuite and BuddyTV, and others in the tech and social media industries, Chirpify also unveiled its new Twitter Commerce for Digital Content platform.

“Twitter is a tremendous platform for brands, retailers, politicians, musicians and others to engage fans, yet with more than 140 million users there’s still no way to directly exchange goods and currency,” said HootSuite CEO Ryan Holmes. “Chirpify provides a unique approach to fill this void by processing transactions without ever having to leave Twitter.”

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Boy, are times changing in professional sports.

As MMW reported earlier today, not only are the Denver Broncos tossing their traditional 500-page printed paper playbooks in favor of using the iPad, other professional sports teams are embracing technology and social media to an unprecedented speed that almost boggles the mind.

Now we can add to the mix the Cleveland Indians – or, as they are also known, one of baseball’s “most Twitter-friendly teams.”

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Proving once again that major players in the social space can play nicely with one another, today social gaming leader Zynga announced that Draw Something, a hugely popular mobile game, is becoming more social than ever.

Zynga unveiled a slate of new features and functions on Thursday, including comments and share.

The updated version allows gamers to post their drawings to Facebook and Twitter, a development that truly makes “Draw Something” social in every way, shape, and form.

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On Wednesday, entertainment legend Dick Clark died at the age of 82.

According to the earliest of published reports, Clark suffered a massive heart attack following a routine outpatient procedure at a California hospital.

As word of Clark’s passing traverses the globe, celebrities and prominent music and entertainment industry veterans are turning to the mobile web to instantly honor the fallen television pioneer on Twitter.

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Is anything more powerful and potentially lucrative to an emerging brand than a major celebrity endorsement?

This week, UsTrendy is learning first-hand about the power of celebrity endorsements. The fast growing eCommerce site for boutique fashion, has partnered with Jennifer Lopez for a Spring Style Contest.

Jennifer Lopez asks her fans to browse through the thousands of affordable great fashions on the UsTrendy website and select the item which best embodies their style this spring.

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