Archive for February, 2008
New Action Bebo Platform Opens To The Public
Posted on Feb 29, 2008 05:30:43 PM
Today,
Bebo has opened their platform to all the app developers out there, ending the private development phase.
You can head over to the blog for all the details that make my little non-technical brain go “um… right…”. I do know you can set your apps to different privacy settings so you can work on it live on the site without users accessing it, and a bunch of other stuff that those of us who don’t work on apps don’t understand, but I am sure will excite those of you who do.
(via Bebo blog)
New Tutorial Fincham, Ousted Bbc Executive, Hired At Itv
Posted on Feb 29, 2008 05:30:39 AM
Today, Peter Fincham was seen as a success in his previous job until a row that followed the making of a documentary about Queen Elizabeth II.
(Link)
Update Commenting Further On Roi And Social Computing - Part Ii
Posted on Feb 28, 2008 04:25:14 PM
Admin wrote: As a follow up from yesterday’s weblog post, here is the second part of the series on commenting further on ROI and Social Computing from the various blog comments that people have been leaving in a couple of recent articles I have put together. This time around commenting on the incredibly helpful insights shared over at Making the Business Case for Social Computing - Part Deux. There are quite a few thoughts in there, so without much further ado, let’s get down to it. Then over the course of the next few days I shall be sharing over here some further insights from various different blog posts that have been linking to this blog so far on this very same subject. So here we go. First, you would be able to find the really good comments from Frank Jania, where he is introducing an equation that truly brings forward a new way to define ROI, imo, perhaps in a much more meaningful way, for Social Computing: "work(now) + delta = work(later)". At the same time he puts together a very relevant example of how social software has worked for him being able to collaboratively work with another colleague to win a deal with a customer that otherwise would not have happened since they both didn’t know each out outside of that social networking context. While I do think that it is a really good approach, I am not totally convinced, and perhaps that is because of my own perception of how I see social software and social computing in general. I am not sure about you folks, but to me, social computing is all about relationships, i.e. being able to build, nurture and mature them, both in a personal and business levels. Content is a by-product. An important one, indeed, but a by-product. What really matters with social software is its capability to help knowledge workers connect with one another, so that they are able to build further those relationships through those conversations and interactions. …
(Link)
New Script Comcast Acquires Car Review Site Vehix
Posted on Feb 27, 2008 07:45:40 PM
Today,
Comcast had added another web-based service to its suite of offerings. Car review site Vehix has just been acquired by the cable company’s advertising sales division, Comcast Spotlight. The move isn’t too much of a stretch as Comcast already owned a minority stake in Vehix. The remaining interest was purchased from a shareholder group, led by Ken Garff Automative Group, for an undisclosed amount.
Launched in 1996, Vehix began as an online portal for enabling consumers to research automobiles. The site has since grown to distribute automotive content across multiple platforms, including Comcast’s on-demand service. Considering Comcast’s growing interest in moving into the online sector for the purpose of combining its cable and web offerings, those web-based services that can easily overlap with Comcast’s television services (specifically its own on-demand tools), it’s clear that Comcast is aggregating as many portals as possible to bulk out its suite of services.
This is also a a move to expand Comcast’s advertising opportunities, across multiple platforms and devices. Seeing as Vehix already possessed an established presence across multiple platforms, the acquisition looks to be a no-brainer for the cable company. So while the larger web companies have spent the past few years building up their acquisition portfolios (and will generally continue to do so), other companies that are increasingly interacting with the online markets are making several acquisitions as well, for very similar reasons. Many would consider such acquisitions to be a good way to help bridge the gap between old and new media, and it appears to be a good bridge for the advertising industry as well.
New Source The Aura Of Apple Draws Customers To Its Stores
Posted on Feb 27, 2008 05:55:13 AM
Today, The party inside Apple’s store in New York, and in 203 others around the world, is one reason the company’s stock is up more than 135 percent for the year.
(Link)
New Scripting Mtv Gets Vertical With New Mobile Network
Posted on Feb 26, 2008 09:05:05 AM
Admin wrote:
MTV Networks is appealing to bi-cultural Latinos by partnering with Intercasting Corp. to use its ANTHEM platform for the creation of a mobile network, called Con3xion. This will be giving a mobile extension for MTVN’s bi-cultural Latino network Tr3. It’s a first for Intercasting, in working with another large company, so the pressure is on. MTVN is very youth-focused, and will need a good mobile offering vertical.
Depending on the success of Con3xion, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more niche mobile networks for many of the same areas that MTVN has branched out in terms of its online web properties as well. That includes the LGBT crowd and other niches. But the numbers (MTV’s, that is) show that Latino’s with media-capable cell phones are more likely to watch video content on their handhelds compared to non-Latinos.
So it’s pretty clear why MTV is starting this particular mobile vertical with Con3xion. It seems to be a going trend, especially towards teens who may have easier access to web content via their cell phones than a connected computer. And for the teens I know, that means during class, on the bus, when they’re stuck at a family dinner or their little sister’s piano recital… this list is never-ending.
Looking at MTV’s plans to return to a better focus on media, and ramping up its mobile efforts, I think these new mobile verticals are a good move for MTVN. In other ANTHEM news, the platform was used by Virgin Mobile for offering access to a handful of existing social networks via their mobile phones.
New Networking Advertisers Open Weight Loss Campaigns As The New Year Begins
Posted on Feb 25, 2008 10:30:19 PM
Admin wrote: Both Weight Watchers and Special K sponsored electronic billboards in Times Square, the most televised (and, perhaps densely populated) location on New Year’s Eve in the United States.
(Link)
New Networks Qloud Among The First To Launch Bebo Application
Posted on Feb 25, 2008 10:01:01 AM
Admin wrote:
Qloud has launched its popular social music application, My Music, on Bebo today, as one of the introductory applications now available on Bebo’s open platform. Having become quite successful on Facebook, Qloud has some experience in making attractive applications that are integrated with social networks. And considering Bebo’s use of Facebook standards for its own open platform, it was really easy for Qloud to launch its app on Bebo’s network.
We first took a look at Qloud’s application here. You may recall that Qloud lets you display your iTunes playlist, hear songs and videos from libraries and check out what others have in their iTunes playlist as well. Very similar to Last.fm, Qloud leverages this communal library to help determine what’s hot, and offer up recommendations for additional music discovery. Qloud also has an application on Friendster, which released its open platform last week, and the company has also indicated that it will be launching yet another application on a well-known social network in the very near future (could it be MySpace?)
Whatever the case may be, Qloud is one of the more popular applications that’s been ready, willing and able to take part in the larger open movement, across multiple networks. How could its collective data bring about a more useful aggregated look at what’s going on across networks? It will be interesting to see how developers take advantage of its potential omnipresence to come up with some pretty interesting products, recommendation tools, independent applications, and advertising networks.
New Scripts Cisco To Buy Stake In Femtocell Maker Ip.acess
Posted on Feb 24, 2008 10:50:46 PM
Today, The companies did not give details on the size of the Cisco investment or how big of a stake the U.S. company would hold in the British maker of small devices that improve indoor cellphone coverage.
(Link)
Network Adult Book Discussion…now Online!
Posted on Feb 24, 2008 10:10:03 AM
Today, Whether you attend the monthly Tuesday evening Adult Book Discussion at the Library or not, you can now join the discussion online!The monthly book selection, featured on the Library’s website, includes links to the discussion on the Library’s social network.A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell is the the topic for the next Adult Book Discussion (February 19). Read the book, join the Network, then click on the Groups tab and join the Tuesday Evening Book Discussions Group to start the discussion online.It’s new! It’s fun! It’s your Library - right in your computer! (Source: What’s New @ Roselle Public Library)
(Link)