Archive for August, 2007

There are so many search engines on the web now that people are probably finding search engines by using search engines. But most of these search sites utilize a very basic algorithm to gather content, with Google, Ask, and Microsoft's Live being the biggest exceptions.

Today, in an effort to expand the abilities of online search, Amvona has launched what they call a “revolutionary” new media search engine known as Discovery, as part of the Amvona 720 social shopping and [...]

The music industry as we know it is dying. The problem is that the industry wants to keep the machines running as long as they can, while new technology is standing by waiting for the organ donations.
All that's necessary to come to this conclusion is to look at how the record companies have handled new technology. They had a virtual goldmine sitting in their laps with Napster, but instead, fear drove them to attempt to dismantle it, assuming P2P file [...]

Phoja is a new social community that is focused around photographs.
At first glance, it seemed like a Flickr-Digg mashup with its ranking system, but then I realized the differences, and the true potential that Phoja has.
This Melbourne-based startup was established in mid-2007 with an aim to encourage social discussion and community recommendations based on photographs.
The way I see it, there are 2 primary ways in which Phoja can be beneficial for users. Not including, of course, the benefits from [...]

Last night I synced my iPod (fifth gen, for those who care to know) to my iTunes library, disconnected, crashed on the nearest couch I could find, and found a new episode of MacBreak Weekly awaiting a listen on the device. The two hours that followed (it was 104 minutes in length precisely, but a few pauses pushed the session to somewhere around 120) were quite interesting indeed.
The topic around which the most discussion encircled was open source, and [...]

You may remember my recent post about how the joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal had earned a valuation of $1 billion, even though it had yet to be named since it's March announcement.
Well, now a decision has been reached. In news that is well overdue, NBC and News Corp. have now announced an official name for their joint venture.
Hulu. It's four letters that took five months to create. It sounds a little funny, but I think that [...]

A memo was delivered to the Profy editorial team recently, in which the creators of a new service of the feed-reading/social-bookmarking variety (I don’t know whether to call that a mismatch or a play on redundancy) asked for a review. While I don’t normally take such assignments, I decided to do so, particularly after taking a brief stroll through the website. Here goes.
The service, dubbed Feedest, is, in a word, terrible. Yes, terrible. Go, take a look for yourself. I’m [...]

Did you find it at all strange or perhaps a touch disappointing to find the world of cellular phone makers seemingly sitting around idly as Apple debuted it’s “revolutionary” mobile touch screen device back in late June? It was quite bizarre actually. There they were, about four or five big-name handset manufacturers – not to mention the creators of widely implemented mobile operating systems – none of which had anything close to an alluring answer to Cupertino’s finest new gadgetry.
Well, [...]

How do you prefer to watch television? As it comes, either over the airwaves or via a cable-based setup? Perhaps you like to record your favorite shows for viewing after they’re broadcast. How about on-demand, by way of a download process, via good ol’ Internet Protocol?
The last scenario is likely to be the least favored by the average individual. Nonetheless, it’s the model put forth as the soon-to-be “next big thing” by Google’s Vint Cerf. (Beware, the linked page [...]

Yesterday, Digg introduced a new layout. It’s one I welcome wholeheartedly.
Before, the menu at the top was arranged in decent fashion, but was nonetheless a bit too crowded. Categories were “smushed” close together. It wasn’t the prettiest it could be. The newest notch on Digg’s evolutionary timetable, however, is very lovely indeed. Much more so than its ancestor. Without question.
The new arrangement is undoubtedly more user friendly. Whereas one could previously travel to various sectors of the website [...]