Getting close to the iPhone: how it will go down
Apple Computer (AAPL) is more determined than any other company in Silicon Valley to use secrecy to its advantage – and the result is that product announcements from its CEO awaken a glee in the tech press that can be compared only to a kid under the tree on Christmas morning.
Continue reading "One month to the iPhone: how it will go down" »
Location-Based Services Heading in the Right Direction
Turn-by-turn directions on mobile are hot. Hotter than stand-alone GPS-enabled devices, and definitely hotter than rolling down the window to ask for directions. Just look at the flurry of recent announcements — from Cingular to Sprint, everyone's launching location-based services (LBS). And, actually, I'm not talking just turn-by-turn directions. GPS chipsets, an increasingly common component of cell phones, are enabling a host of other features, like family finder services for kids and seniors (haven't seen granny in a week? Buy her a cell phone, and you'll never again have to worry about her whereabouts).
Continue reading "Location-Based Services Heading in the Right Direction" »
Does Microsoft Own RSS?
If you've added headlines from a news site to My Yahoo, or subscribe to blogs on a site like Bloglines, you've used RSS, a technology that's growing increasingly popular for distributing headlines and articles from blogs, news websites, and more. But now, two recently published patent applications reveal, Microsoft (MSFT) is claiming it invented RSS.
The applications, filed last June but just made public yesterday, cover subscribing and discovering what Microsoft calls "Web feeds." That comes as a bit of a shock to anyone who's been working on RSS, which has its origins in a format developed seven years ago at Netscape Communications.
Browsers go head-to-head
The top two browsing programs of net users got a big update this month as Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) and Mozilla unleashed Firefox 2.0. Here we take a quick spin through some of the features to be seen in the new versions.
Copying own CD's should be legal
A think-tank has called for outdated copyright laws to be rewritten to take account of new ways people listen to music, watch films and read books. 
Wallflower at the Web Party
Did Friendster miss out by not taking Google's offer. Judge for yourself here.
Google in talks to buy Web video site YouTube
The WSJ reports that Google's in talks to buy up YouTube, most likely to supplement or replace their flailing Google Video.
Podcasting's Reluctant Evangelist
Even if he's not excited by the responsibility, Leo LaPorte is the face of podcasting. His fans say he can do no wrong. By Steve Friess.
Browse Craigslist Photos with Listpic
Listpic is a cool mashup that lets you browse classified listings on Craigslist by just looking at the photos. The service works for the For Sale, Housing and Personals sections of the classifieds site. There's a slider near the top that adjusts the size of the thumbnails on the page.
The Battle Over YouTube
The video-sharing site is the hottest start-up since Google. Is it worth a billion dollars, or is it just another company in need of a business model?
Widgetbox
Widgetbox is an online directory of web widgets for blogs and other web pages. They work with Typepad, WordPress, Blogger, MySpace and most other blog, sidebar or website. No plugins needed...and they're free.
IBM Warms Up to Social Networking
Can MySpace show IBM how to sell collaboration software? Lotus GM Michael Rhodin thinks so.
Logitech's diNovo Edge Looks Like Hig Art
Logitech's diNovo Edge keyboard looks like it belongs in a museum of modern art, what with its glossy finish and illuminated keys. Due this November, the keyboard's letters and numbers are blank until activated, at which point they light up, revealing the letter or number. Fancy techno-art cannot be constrained with wires, so the Bluetooth is not only appreciated, but pretty much expected. One of the more unique features on the keyboard is the inclusion of a touch disc, which frees users from having to stretch six inches and reach for the mouse.
The diNovo Edge comes with a stand that doubles as a recharging dock of sorts. It should be available in the U.S. this November for a retail price of $199.99.
Logitech Introduces DiNovo Edge Bluetooth Keyboard [Geekzone]
Startup Watch: Weblo (A Social Network For Speculators) 
It's official. The domainers have taken over the asylum. Next week, a new social network/ virtual world called Weblo will launch where members can buy digital real estate (including cities and states), manage celebrity fan pages, and own Weblo domains (that only exist within the social network). Each piece of real estate is tied to an actual property in the real world—Buckingham Palace, the Taj Mahal, your house.
Rumor Mill: Apple iPhone-Cingular Deal?
Will the much lusted-after Apple iPhone finally show it's pretty little face in early 2007? ThinkSecret predicts an exclusive launch with Cingular after the holidays. (Note: image on right is just a fake mockup).
BTW, Apple launching an iPhone by January 12, 2007 is one of the events we are trading at BizPredict. Last time I checked, the crowd was giving that a 62.5 percent probability of happening. If you think the probability is higher, register for a free account and buy that event at $62.50 a share. It pays out at $100 if it turns out to be true. It's all play money, but you can build your reputation as a business prognosticator.
Yahoo Buys Web Video Editing Startup
Adding to its arsenal of Web 2.0 startups, Yahoo just bought Jumpcut. This gives Yahoo a whole new Web-based set of video remixing tools.
Gizmo Project for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
GizmoProject is like Skype, in that you can call other Gizmo users for free and their PC client has instant messenger functionality, but it gets better.
Navigadget gives us a hands-on preview of the Viliv P2. Just to recap, this player supports MPEG-1/2/4, H.264, DivX, WMV 7/8/9, XviD, MP3, WMA, OGG, AC-3, and WAV formats. It’s powered by an AMD processor (400MHz) and offers 60GB of storage space. Other features include a 4.3-inch widescreen LCD display, GPS receiver (optional), and USB 2.0 connectivity. Video after the jump.
PodTech.net
PodTech is on the air, on the ground, and on the go, bringing to you fresh, defining voices in digital lifestyle, innovation, and thought leadership from frontline events, newsmakers, and experts.
Fuji Xerox has announced a prototype electronic paper called "E-Paper Visual Index Card." The ultra-thin e-paper reduces electrical consumption because it does not need electricity to maintain its display configuration. The e-paper is made of photoconductivity seats that contain an LCD layer, and is expected to come out next year. :: Story on CNet.
More on e-paper at Wikipedia.
Advice For Those Trying To Create The Next YouTube Killer
Everyone is looking for a YouTube killer and the truth is that nobody is going to find one! YouTube holds the market share and for the foreseeable future will continue to hold it. If you want to post a video you should visit YouTube or one of the many "YouTube Killers" out there. If you are interested in editing and mixing videos then visit eyespot.
Details Emerge Concerning Microsoft's So-Called iPod Killer
Microsoft's Argo device is reportedly being developed within the Xbox group under the leadership of Xbox co-founder J Allard. The device is expected to go on sale during the 2006 holiday season and will go head to head with Apple's iPod.
Apple Rumored to be Working on Talking iPod
According to a patent filing, Apple is billing the talking-iPod technology as a safety feature that will eliminate the need for eye-to-iPod contact in settings, such as driving a car or walking across a street, that require full attention.
Firefox 2.0 Beta Set to Launch This Week
Samir Bhavnani, director of research at Current Analysis, downplayed the new features in Firefox 2.0, saying users might not see a whole lot of difference between 2.0 and earlier versions of the browser. "A lot of 
changes are background changes, which are security in nature," he said.
How Google Works
Google is more than just a leading search firm. It's a pioneer that may be definining information management for the next generation of Web-centric businesses.
YahooLocal adopts microformats
Upcoming.org's Andy Baio discusses a better way of browsing.
More about microformats.
Netvibes - Personal Homepage
Netvibes, a project started in France by Florant Fremont, is the latest web-app based on the idea of personalized homepages and like some others (like Start and Google’s personal homepage), it is powered by some nicely developed Ajax. Their goal: The aim of it is to provide a place on the internet where you can set just the content you like, a super easy way of building your personnalized homepage, available anywhere, anytime. No registration is needed, however if you want to access your page from another computer you’ll be able to do it by registering with your email address and a password.
Addtional links:
Netvibes development blog
Netvibes API documentation
Netvibes Ecosystem (official list of modules, feeds, iCal files, and tabs)
Yahoo gives One.org a Web 2.0 upgrade.
As part of an employee volunteer program, Yahoo has upgraded the Web site of a prominent charity. Read here.
eBay dives into Web 2.0
eBay, arguably the original Web 2.0 company, is latching onto the newfangled 2.0 stuff. It has announced eBay Wiki, with service hosted by JotSpot. It's intended to allow members to offer their own expertise on any eBay topic they know about, and for people to find answers to questions that eBay itself may not have anticipated. That's on top of eBay Blogs, also announced today, that let members create their own blogs to promote their business or indulge their collectible passion. They're both naturals for a site that has rightly prided itself on enabling a community to be formed around commerce.
Riya supersizes plan: will become a "visual" search engine
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The move was signaled today by chief executive Munjal Shah, who told us in a phone call that he has radically transformed the company in recent days to go after this new goal. It will take about three months to crawl the entire Web, collect images and then process them to identify their various qualities so that they are searchable, he said.
Video start-up One True Media lands $5 million from Kleiner Perkins
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Yahoo Hack Day
Yahoo has had a a couple of regional “Hack Days”, which are day long events where engineers stop everything they are doing and just build stuff that they think is cool. The idea was first popularized by Jot last year, and a number of companies have picked up on the idea as a great way to stoke innovation and creativity in a semi-organized way. The goal? Take something from idea to prototype in 24 hours.
Today at noon, however, Yahoo got serious about Hack Days by making it Yahoo-wide. Every Yahoo engineer is invited to participate, and other employees are joining in as well. Anyone with an idea is encouraged to gather a team up and spend a day coding. Tomorrow (Friday) at noon, the hacking stops and everyone will get together to review what’s been built.
The effort is being led out of Bradley Horowitz’s product strategy group, with Chad Dickerson and Caterina Fake organizing the event.
(Article from TechCrunch)
Where 2.0 Conference: June 13-14
Everything Happens Somewhere. Be there when it happens here. The Where 2.0 Conference brings together the people, projects, and issues leading the charge into the location based technological frontier.
Vidblogs
A video blog is the new hot way for people to stick their personal lives on the internet!
See some people's lives, and consider joining in on the fun here at vidblogs.com.
AOL Music
Looking for a new channel to listen and see your favorite music artist? Check out AOL Music's website. Checkout their Top 11.
Two Giants Connect
Yahoo and eBay are gunning for Google, whether they'll admit to it or not.
Nike + iPod
Nike and Apple today announced a partnership bringing the worlds of sports and music together like never before with the launch of innovative Nike+iPod products.
Visit nikeplus.com where you can maximize the Nike+iPod experience.
Why VOIP is headed for your cell phone
For millions of users, voice over Internet protocol, or VOIP, is lowering phone bills for calls they make from their PC or land-line phone. But soon VOIP could cut cell-phone bills, too - most of all for international users.
The Next Net 25
A new Web revolution is picking up steam, and the next Google or Microsoft could emerge from the companies that are in the vanguard.
Details Unfolding on Microsoft's Origami
As rumors unfurl about a new gadget upcoming from Microsoft, the company's Origami Project is starting to take shape as a very small tablet computer, one perhaps affordable enough to appeal to mainstream consumers.
Geekcorps: A Peace Corps for techies
How do you bring the Internet to countries like Mali, where more than 70 percent of the population is illiterate and the telecommunications infrastructure barely exists?
Navigating the aftermath of the customer revolution
"Tiering doesn't work anymore!" a friend and Chief Marketing Officer for a cell phone manufacturer told me the other day, summing up what he experienced in the market.
Uberfuze...Email Profiles
Uberfuze is a free service that lets you and your friends keep in touch better, through personalized buddy profiles in email, private buddy lists, and more!
Update on MashupCamp
Here's additional information on MashupCamp and a link to it's web site.
Techies converge to talk mashups
Hundreds of technologists, reporters and investors are expected Monday morning in Mountain View, Calif., for MashupCamp, the first conference devoted to discussions about the custom programs that come from merging multiple application program interfaces.
Additional Mashup informatin:
Google Maps Mania
Mashup (web apllication hybrid)
The Population Hourglass
Your future is older, browner, and more feminine than you might have realized. That will make for some major lifestyle changes ("Welcome home, Mom!") and lots of huge opportunities for business.
Wondering about upcoming trends. Check out this community website. Treadwatch, focused on Internet marketing and related technologies.
PSP Audio Roundup
Extremetech is featuring a rundown of the PSP and all of its audio capabilities. If you have a PSP and use it for music listening, this is definitely worth a read. They discuss all of the firmware changes, optimizing sound, transferring music and even a little bit of hacking. Check it out, yo.
Apple Drops Hints of iPod Phone
Four trademark applications submitted earlier this month by Apple are adding grist to the rumor mill concerning the launch of an iPod phone, which has been the subject of speculation almost since the launch of the company's popular digital-music player.
The Farkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is a boat lift designed to connect the Union Canal with the Forth and Clyde Canal 25 m below.
Surveillance Cameras for Dummies
WiLife has developed a new security product called LukWerks.
Yahoo! Widgets
Bring some fun to your desktop with stylish and useful Yahoo! Widget Engine.
Google Goes for Web Video
Google is upping the ante in the online video gold rush, allowing content owners to set their own prices in a bid to create a more flexible alternative to Apple Computer's pioneering iTunes store.
It's Time for 2006 International CES
Check out what new gadgets will be coming out this year!
Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
For such a small device, the 770 is loaded with features. In the original release, its system software packaged with items such as a web browser, an e-mail manager, a news reader.
