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lunes, 12 de mayo de 2008
Lily-shaped pads could generate solar energy in Glasgow
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Your iPhone Can Record Videos, Too
May 12, 2008 — 04:45 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — — 6 Comments
In an effort to make the iPhone a truly ultimate machine, DreamCatcher has created an iPhone Video Recorder, which takes audio and video recordings at a frame rate of up to 15fps to the compressed mpeg4 format, according to Podcasting News. The video will encode at the end of a recording session. And here’s something that’s convenient: the encoding can be paused at any time, and finished later on.
So, I’m sure plenty of you have been witnessing the phenomenal trends that straight-to-web services like Qik have provided us. Surely the pressure is on for more mobile devices to be able to support video recording on an optimal level, while also expanding encoding and delivery methods. The new DreamCatcher iPhone Video Recorder will not, however, be competing with Qik on this particular level, as there are no straight-to-web options for this application. You can create immediately available ringtones, though. And that’s cool.
But how much will Apple let third party developers take major steps in this direction before intervening with an application of its own? I’m sure at least some portion of that question will be answered in June (fingers crossed) when the next generation of the iPhone is released to the public. Until then, be wary of the iPhone’s missing flash and other camera quality issues when recording video. 
Yay! Strawpoll Lets Everyone Make Twitter Polls!
May 12, 2008 — 03:51 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — — 1 Comment
As if you don’t hear enough about Twitter (and the potential of the economy therein)… Twitter poll creation tool Strawpoll now has the ability to enable individual users to make polls. This is important because it really offers utility to every user out there, not just the developer that wants to make a Twitter-integrated application for their own purposes.
Such a feature is something I wanted to see when first looking at Strawpoll’s site, directly after its launch earlier this year. Extending the ability for everyone to create a poll using Twitter is a great and natural extension of Strawpoll’s existing service.
The highlights of such a service include increased simplicity in creating and broadcasting polls, mobile access and integration for users and their followers, and email integration as well. In comparison to some of the other Twitter poll services out there, Strawpoll had a few more features that help it stand out from the crowd, namely the aggregation capabilities of Strawpoll.
The aggregated poll results are still accessible only through Strawpoll, but tat’s easy enough to access. It’s also easy to set up your Strawpoll poll, making it slightly addictive, seeing as I often reach out to my Twitter followers in order to get their opinion on really important stuff, like what I should eat for dinner…
Metacafe Hires Mike Strambi as CFO. Let’s Monetize Online Video.
May 12, 2008 — 03:07 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — — 4 Comments
As with most video networks, Metacafe has brought on a seasoned industry veteran to help monetize content being distributed through the site. Metacafe has appointed Michael Strambi as its new Chief Financial Officer, with one major goal in mind–advance Metacafe’s focus on short-form video within a user-generated online community.
Strambi has over 20 years of corporate finance under his belt, and has served as vice president of finance for MobiTV. Before that, Strambi was involved at a high level for Macromedia and Blue Martini Software.
Strambi’s Plan of Action?
There are no precise details on how Strambi is expected to further Metacafe down the path towards monetization, but Strambi has had extensive experience in working with high-growth companies. This means that Metacafe is ready for its next major phase, and given Metacafe’s involvement with online video, that next phase most likely has a lot to do with monetization.
Better Monetization? All the Video Networks Are Doing It.
VideoEgg, Yahoo, and several others are actively seeking out improved ways in which to monetize their content, and Metacafe even has partnerships with some of these other networks. What Metacafe has been doing to build its brand and its reach is partner with other video networks as well as content creators, which helps its advertising potential to branch out across a wide web space.
An additional refocus on content creators being able to better promote themselves with their content means that individual users on the site can better use Metacafe for their personal purposes, which is intended to actually build out Metacafe’s brand even more.
Possible Plans for Metacafe
As the majority of money-making content creators are in fact earning cash from their own sites, the pressure is increasing amongst competing video networks to provide a more useful network that helps individuals achieve money-making goals internally. Perhaps Strambi will be keeping Metacafe on this course in hopes of achieving its goals.
Veodia Gets $8.3M to Grow Live Streaming Video
May 12, 2008 — 02:42 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — — 2 Comments
It’s been about a year since we’ve heard any major news from live streaming video service Veodia, but today’s news warrants the wait. Veodia has raised an $8.3 million Series A round of funding from Clearstone Ventures Partners, the D.E. Shaw group, and an angel group led by iParadigms chairman Steven Berger. The overall online video space has grown significantly in the past two years, and that includes the online streaming video space as well.
In this increasingly competitive segment of online video broadcasting, Veodia began with a relatively limited set of tools when compared to the current offerings we’ve grown accustomed to for similar services. With expanded support across devices, Veodia has managed to stay competitive, and has targeted certain business, school and professional demographics to grow its user base.
The funding will be used for product development as well as bringing on new team members, which already includes Etay Gafni as Veodia’s new Vice President of Products. Gafni previously worked at SAP, and has more than 13 years of experience in product development.
Sounds like Veodia is really hoping to continue a focused effort on targeting certain clients for the use of the Veodia product, but growing all the while. According to Veodia, this will include a particular product strategy and “user experience” that promotes Veodia’s advanced options for creating live and on-demand video content.
As Mashable has recently begun to delve into the live video space, I recognize the need for a good broadcaster and viewer experience, as well as support for a wide array of devices and overall ease of use. Veodia’s integrated features for things like distribution across other networks and devices like iPods means that the work is cut down on the user end.
Such features ensure that Veodia is on the right track for improving user experiences, and it’s probably a good strategy to continue to focus on specific audiences that can use Veodia’s video services for well-defined purposes.
Exhibit Hall for Internet Week New York - Updates and Call for Sponsors
May 12, 2008 — 02:00 PM PDT — by Adam Hirsch — — Add a Comment
In conjunction with Internet Week New York (June 3 - 10th), Mashable is hosting an Exhibitors Hall at Touch on Friday, June 6th from 6-10pm.
The event is OPEN and FREE to the public, and it will be the only exhibitor’s hall throughout Internet Week NY. Join Mashable’s Pete Cashmore, Adam Ostrow and Adam Hirsch, over 14 showcasing exhibitors, and the large mix of attendees including local New York startups and entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, Web 2.0 companies and established New York institutions. Feel free to join the Facebook event page for updates and more information.
What: Mashable’s Exhibit Hall for Internet Week NY
Why: Exhibit Hall + Party!
Where: Touch, 240 West 52nd Street, New York City (Across from Roseland Ballroom)
When: Friday, June 6th from 6:00 - 10:00 pm
RSVP?: No Need, OPEN AND FREE (”Cash Bar”)
Sponsorship opportunities are available: *To become an exhibitor or sponsor please send an e-mail to events [at] mashable [dot] com for more information
Exhibitors Already On Board*
“Next New Networks is a new kind of media company, combining the best elements of television and the web for targeted communities online. Catch the best of their Webby Award nominated programming as highlights from Indy Mogul, Threadbanger, Barely Political, Channel Frederator, Fast Lane Daily, and Veracifier play through out the evening.”
“E.Factor Entrepreneurial Minded; Socially Charged. Submit your business plan to over 70 actively-seeking investors.”
“kluster empowers groups to collaborate + decide through three channels: projects, consults, brands”
“CafeMom is the largest social-networking/community site for moms, letting moms connect through cool features like photo-sharing, micro-blogging, widgets and polls.
“Atlantic Metro Communications is a full-service Internet solutions provider. We offer scalable and cost-effective solutions, such as nationwide IP transit, collocation, content delivery and voice solutions, tailored to meet your needs and help grow your e-business.”
“Edopter combines your insight and worldwide buzz to tap into the next big trends”
“ConcertAttack is a community where artists and fans share their concert experiences through their concert pictures, reviews, videos and tour journals.”
*To become an exhibitor or sponsor please send an e-mail to events [at] mashable [dot] com
Media Partners
CenterNetworks is the leading NY-based social media online resource covering the latest news, startup reviews, industry insights and expert interviews.
Silicon Alley Reporter is the #1 resource for Technology, Internet, Web 2.0 and New Media professionals for Events Calendar, Directory of Companies & Services, Job Listings & more in and around New York City.
Internet Week New York is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in cooperation with City of New York and The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting.
*To become an Media Partner please send an e-mail to events [at] mashable [dot] com
Public Relations Partner
Totlol: Parents Pick Sesame Street Clips for Kids
May 12, 2008 — 12:12 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — — 1 Comment
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: Totlol
20-word Pitch: Totlol is a community-moderated video website designed
for those between the ages of 6 months and 6 years.
CEO’s Description: Many new parents discovered that watching online video with their tots is a great way to spend time together.
Most video websites however, are not intended for children. They provide limited tools to find and filter content. Sites that are designed for kids usually offer only a limited selection.
This is where Totlol steps in. Using the YouTube API, Totlol offers access to a vast selection of videos. Parents can then scout, submit and screen those videos via a special interface.
This community-moderation process creates an ever-growing and appropriate video selection to be enjoyed by tots in a safe environment.
Mashable’s Take:
Even as cable and satellite TV becomes more niche with programs for green living and babies that can barely sit up on their own, nothing enables niche content consumption like web communities. Totlol is one that is a video aggregation site that’s full of content for toddlers.
This isn’t the first site to create such a network, and you’ll often find such networks within larger services such as Magnify. Totlol, which is still in private beta, is hoping to stand out from the crowd by creating a completely self-contained, community-regulated video network. That means that content shown on the site doesn’t go through an internal editorial process, but instead is screened by parents on the site prior to the clips becoming available for viewing on the site.
That means that Totlol isn’t limited to certain videos, and there is no production aspect of its site either. Videos are submitted by users, and then screened by other users. The result is a site that’s full of YouTube clips showing Sesame St. episodes, among other shows. While there’s a potential for this to raise some eyebrows amongst the traditional media executives, I do think that Totlol’s setup is primed for independently produced content.
Should a production company want to create shows that pertain to the toddler demographic, Totlol becomes an ideal testing ground that lacks some of the hassles involved with completely regulated sites. From this perspective, Totlol becomesNew Visual Search Engine Picitup Needs to Pick Up Its Game
Roi Carthy
15 comments »
Visual search and image recognition is one of the holy grails of consumer Internet technologies. Picitup
is jumping into the deep end of this space by announcing the launch of its public beta.
Unlike Like.com (formerly Riya) which focuses on likeness, Picitup focuses on attaining matching images. This differentiation is important as it sets the company on a completely different trajectory in terms of both offering quantifiable value to users, as well as delivering a business model at the end of the day.
An image search on Picitup begins with a textual search actually queried on Google or Yahoo. Picitup will display a set of results only from one of the two—the basis of the decision is the speed and quality of the results. The user can then select which image Picitup should fetch similar images for, or filter the results by Faces, Products, Landscapes and Color. The analysis is made in real time and is based on 100+ parameters including a propriety color space the company developed.
Erick recently wrote that:
It’s hard to compete in the search engine market, but one approach taken by several startups is to sit on top of the big search engines and try to improve their results or interface. Why reinvent the wheel when you can simply add new spokes?
From a practicality point-of-view, relying on the likes of Google and Yahoo makes sense, but it should be noted that they forbid the reordering of their results, a sticking point that surely has a negative effect on the quality of results Picitup ultimately delivers.
Picitup claims it shortens the number of pages needed for an image search from 10 to 2. However, from my experimentation its engine’s match reliability was shaky. Results were pretty good for Ford Focus, but not even close for this Running Shoe. Note that all images should theoretically correspond to the top left-hand image.
Another issue that left a sour taste in my mouth was CelebrityMatchUp, an attempt to add some light-hearted fun to the beta interface. The idea here is that users upload photos of individuals and have Picitup produce results of people they resemble. This doesn’t exactly work. For instance, consider that Michael Arrington’s photo brought back results that he resembles both Barack Obama and John McCain. Huh?
Erick Schonfeld’s photo results are also somewhat curious, although the bright side is that Erick’s wife should be delighted to know she married a Kevin Costner look-alike. For a company claiming its forté is in image matching, Picitup should not have opened this door.
Alon Atsmon, co-founder & CEO, believes the company’s technology is compelling enough to drive revenue both from ads and through licensing a white label version of the engine for integration into ecommerce sites.
True, my initial impressions of Picitup are not necessarily positive ones. However, considering Atsmon is a serial entrepreneur I’ll remain optimistic and wait for Picitup to iterate a couple of more times before I cement my judgment.
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