Archive for June, 2008
Brand New Software Ultimatums On Facebook: Change You Can Believe In?
Posted on Jun 30, 2008 07:56:17 PM
Admin wrote:
Recently funded site, The Point, is an online petition service of sorts, where you can join various movements in order to show your support. Mark interviewed the founders of The Point a couple of months back, so you may recall that the differentiating factor is the site’s approach to allowing a certain number of people to join the movement before action is taken. It’s the tipping point, where action will be most beneficial.
Today, The Point releases its Facebook application, called Ultimatums. The useful part of this new application is the ability to turn to your existing network of friends and acquaintances in order to rally support for a particular cause. That’s what people love to do on Facebook, right?
There are already a number of groups that have formed around various causes, so you may be wondering why Ultimatums is even coming out as a Facebook application. The centralized format of Ultimatums lets you search for causes that other Point users have created, so you can join an existing cause and invite your friends to join. You can also keep track of your own Ultimatums and those you’ve joined.
Unlike groups, The Point’s Ultimatums are pledges to take action once the cause has reached critical mass. It’s a concept from which TipIt has taken a cue, from a monetary pledge standpoint. However, it would be nice to be able to link these Ultimatums with Facebook groups in some fashion, especially as this would tie in more readily with existing concepts around Facebook’s rally-loving users.
Brand New Article Eu Moves Toward Ruling On German Gambling Law
Posted on Jun 29, 2008 08:50:33 PM
Today, The law banning online betting except for on horse races sets Germany apart from other European Union countries.
(Link)
New Networks How To: Block Project Beacon
Posted on Jun 29, 2008 01:47:44 AM
Admin wrote:
Project Bacn Beacon is obviously in full effect now, and it only took a day for folks to progress through varying states of emotion and spring into action in terms of finding a way to prevent it. Nate Weiner, the man who appears to have solved the problem of sending data over to Facebook on user surfing habits, isn’t alone. His story has hit front page status on Digg, with around 415 votes.
It started when he was playing some Desktop Tower Defense, and Kongregate notified him that his game playing was being sent over to his Facebook Profile.
He found that by simply utilizing the JavaScript blocking feature in Firefox, he was able to prevent his browser, and thus the Group of 12, from sending usage and shopping data to his Facebook profile.
From Nate’s site:
1. Download and Install the BlockSite plugin for Firefox.
2. After restarting Firefox select ‘Add-ons’ from the Tools menu.
3. Click the ‘Options’ button on the BlockSite extension
4. Click the ‘Add’ button
5. Enter http://www.facebook.com/beacon/* into the input box
6. Click ‘OK’
7. Click ‘OK’ again and you are good to go.
Alternatively, you can wait for Kongregate to enact the ‘never show’ setting in your Kongregate account. Of course, this will only affect data sent from Kongregate, and blocking the script entirely will prevent the Group of 12 and all other later Facebook partners from sending data, as well.
Problem solved. Take that, Facebook.
[via the Idea Storm]
Impressive Network Fatigue And The Remixable Web
Posted on Jun 28, 2008 02:50:33 PM
Admin wrote: That’s what it’s all about …. lets keep an eye on these developments!The DataPortability technical blueprint uses OpenID to provide decentralized identity. OpenID 2.0 Attribute Exchange (AX) is utilised for discovery of user service details. XRDS/YADIS are utilised to provide the details of the various services a user employs.As users, our identity, photos, videos and other forms of personal data should be discoverable by, and shared between our chosen (and trusted) tools or vendors. We need a DHCP for Identity. A distributed File System for data. The technologies already exist, we simply need a complete reference design to put the pieces together. (Source: heyjude)
(Link)
New Internet T-pain Launches Online-only Record Label
Posted on Jun 28, 2008 04:52:40 AM
Today,
A few months ago,
Having emerged from the early-’80s Amerindie movement, an assemblage of rock’n’roll bands with a combination of optimism and hardheadedness that mirrored the very best of the open source movement, R.E.M. knows it can’t compete with what’s at the top of the charts. It’s unlikely that fans of the current flavors — Miley Cyrus, Flo Rida, or T-Pain — will be moved by R.E.M.’s music.
The pop and hip-hop communities of artists are just as quickly wising up to modern social media trends as the aging rockers of old, though, and they are all ending up competing on similar playing fields.
Interestingly enough several of the very same public figures have since had very public forays into social media and Internet promotion. Of course Miley Cyrus has been marketing herself on social networks, though not exactly in the ways her handlers would have her do, but T-Pain has taken cues from the Radioheads and REMs and smartly used the broad and diverse platform of the Internet as a promotional vehicle for music distribution.
Today, the number one hit selling artist announced the creation of Nappy Boy Digital, and independent record label for distributing music primarily via the Web. They don’t plan to discriminate, either, with relationships with every major online distributorship either in place or in the works at launch.
“My life and career so far has been about breaking barriers and this label allows me to continue that by delivering hit songs in real time, no red tape, just good music,” said T-Pain. “You’ll hear us in the clubs and on radio too, but you can discover our tracks where people spend most of their time, online. I’m very proud to be out front on an idea like this.”
Obviously T-Pain will be using the label for distribution of his own high-profile collaborations. In addition, he’ll be joined by a bevy of other artists of varying levels of notoriety. Tay Dizm is the frontman artist they seem to be pushing, a South Florida native who’s had appearances on T-Pain records in the past. Also joining the lineup are Jay Lyriq, Sophia Fresh, and Young Ca$h.
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New Software Aol Will Buy Bebo, A Popular Social Networking Site In U.k.
Posted on Jun 27, 2008 06:30:35 PM
Admin wrote: AOL said it had agreed to buy Bebo for $850 million and planned to turn it into the “cornerstone” of its efforts to attract more Internet users and advertisers.
(Link)
New Tutorial Wirenode: Create Mobile Sites In Facebook [the Startup Review]
Posted on Jun 26, 2008 08:02:07 PM
Admin wrote:
Editor’s Note: If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion in “The Startup Review” series, please see the details here.
STARTUP DETAILS:
Company Name: wirenode
Company Website: http://www.wirenode.com/
CEO’s 20 word description: Wirenode is a platform for mobile publishing. Create mobile friendly websites very easily, with no technology knowledge.
CEO’s 100 word description: Wirenode is a startup from the Prague, Czech Republic. It’s platform for mobile publishing. Everybody can create mobile friendly website very easily, with no technology knowledge in their web browser. Created mobile websites are immediately accessible from all types of mobile phones. You can create mobile website with multiple pages, images, mobile RSS etc…
Free version of the service is used by individuals, who created more than 6000 mobile pages. Premium version is used by marketing agencies and mobile operators for creating landing pages and small mobile portals for mobile marketing purposes.
Mashable’s Take: Most mobilization services target web publishers that may need a mobile version of their sites, but WireNode is looking to tap into the individual content creators that may want a mobile presence as well. In the same way that personal websites have become the norm for the Web, WireNode would like to create a similar ubiquity for mobile content.
The way in which your mobile site is created is similar to having a mobile startpage, customized with the content and media that’s of interest to you. There is less of a directory feel to WireNode, however, and a larger emphasis on the creation of your own content-rich mobile site. You can then promote it through widgets and SMS.
Other mobilization sites, and even companies with growing mobile interfaces, are heavily leaning towards the personalized portal approach as well, though it’s often within the parameters of re-arranging its own available content. WireNode has also created an accompanying Facebook application that lets you make a mobile website from within your Facebook account.
Starting from your personal website (blog) or your LinkedIn account, you can build out a mobile site from there. The application is easy enough to use, and can be rather customized if you’re willing to put in the time to change things like font, color, etc.
Sponsored by Sun Startup Essentials
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New Internet Reporters Say U.s. Networks Put Wars On Back Burner
Posted on Jun 26, 2008 05:35:42 AM
Admin wrote: Almost halfway into 2008, the three network evening newscasts have shown 181 weekday minutes of Iraq coverage, compared with 1,157 minutes for all of 2007.
(Link)
Brand New Script Microsoft Sued; Christmas Comes Early For Z4 Technologies
Posted on Jun 25, 2008 07:00:57 PM
Admin wrote:
Microsoft is succumbing to patent trolls today, as they’re being ordered to pay over $140 million for, get this, asking for two passwords. The original award was ordered in April last year by a federal jury in Marshall, Texas, widely known as the friendliest court for patent trolls. There Microsoft and Autodesk were saddled with $158 million (plus attorney fees) for asking users to “input two passwords during the process of activating newly installed software with the aim of deterring piracy.”
Somehow, two weeks ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision in its entirety. This begs two questions in particular.
Did Microsoft Save Money?
Just setting aside the inestimable losses they took with their corporate attorneys, did they really stop the piracy of their software with the addition of an additional password? I’m guessing not. I can spend five minutes digging through Google and various crack sites and find a way to get a free copy of just about any version of Windows or any Microsoft product. The extra password isn’t fooling anyone.
The obvious answer, is no. Not that I’d *ever* pirate a Microsoft product, but from what I hear, its pretty rampant. Need further proof? Look at Vista’s Chinese sales numbers.
Evidently, adding layers of annoyance doesn’t really prevent piracy, then… which leads us to the other question:
Should the two password process of DRM be patentable?
I’m not a patent law expert, it seems to me that if the process is something a pre-schooler would come up with, it isn’t exactly something particularly cutting edge. As such, it shouldn’t be patentable.
Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster said, “Windows Vista and Office 2007 are not affected by the appeals court decision” and that “the company does not have to make any technical changes to Windows XP or Office 2003.” Clearly Microsoft came to the conclusion, based on the levels of piracy of previous software products, that asking for a second password didn’t do much to curtail piracy; they don’t even use that technology any longer (if you want to use the term technology charitably here).
Z4 Technologies, the patent holder in this case, does not even offer any actual services or products that utilize their patents, making them a patent trolling company (that is, a company who creates or acquires patents for the express purpose of suing companies that later use the ideas). As such, they are a perfect illustration of why the patent and intellectual property system is completely broken in America. Patents are supposed to encourage and promote technological advancement, not curtail them.
By granting fines payable companies that troll through the patent system in America, the barrier to entry for new technological participants is raised. Part of what truly cutting edge tech companies must account for now is the legal fees they must pay to either defend their products or pay the patent extortionists who come behind them and try to milk them with overly broad patents.
[via Silicon Valley]
Internet Mgm Faces Steep Hill In Effort To Become Major Player Again
Posted on Jun 25, 2008 05:50:34 AM
Today, MGM plans to roar into theaters with as many as 12 of its own movies in 2010, but it faces huge financial challenges.
(Link)