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).

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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.

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Nokia E62 for Cingular

Are smart phones ready for the masses?

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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A think-tank has called for outdated copyright laws to be rewritten to take account of new ways people listen to music, watch films and read books.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. – Nicholas Deleon

Logitech Introduces DiNovo Edge Bluetooth Keyboard [Geekzone]

A New gen of peer-to-peer file sharing services

Below is a list of new commers that will allow you to easily share webpages, photos, videos, and movies.

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.

Viliv P2 Hands-On

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.

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