Saturday, August 28, 2010

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New HTC Evo-Like Handset Leaks, Verizon Bound?

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 11:55 PM PDT

When Verzion’s roadmap leaked, we knew that we would be in for some new Android handsets, even a couple of tablets from the likes of Motorola and HTC. What we didn’t realise is that HTC were possibly going to be releasing a new Evo-like smartphone, a smartphone that the Boy Genius Report managed to get some secret shots of.

The smartphone is Evo-like in its construction, has a brushed aluminium finish and looks like it could be Verizon’s new flagship Android phone, especially when the source of the leak describes the device as making “the Droid 2 look like a kids toy.”

BGR think it the device will not be limited to the US, we tend to agree with them. HTC will not want to restrict sales to specific regions when the phone quite evidently sports an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, a kickstand, a 4.3-inch screen and a front facing camera.

For now we have to wait. We already know that Europe will possibly see the HTC Desire HD on the 15th September, we wonder how long it is until more information on this smartphone leaks.

Original title and link for this post: New HTC Evo-Like Handset Leaks, Verizon Bound?

I Can Haz Cheezburger CEO offers to buy Reddit – it is for realz

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 05:34 PM PDT

Could this be a match made in cheezburger heaven? I Can Haz Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh has publicly offered to buy Reddit from Conde Nast:

Condé Nast, I'm publicly offering to buy Reddit.

Hi TDWers, I'm Ben Huh, and I run the Cheezburger Network (which includes The Daily What, if you were too Prop 19'd to notice). I have made this offer privately to a few people associated with Reddit, and I'll say it publicly now:

I believe that Reddit is one of the best communities I have seen on the Internet. I also believe that Reddit would benefit from more resources and less corporate interference. We can offer all of the above. And we'd love to buy Reddit and all those pesky troublesome users that we love so much.

Condé, we'll be waiting for a call.

Cheers,

Ben Huh.

Reddit and Cheezburger fans, what do you think about that?

UPDATE: Huh has emailed us saying, “I’m totally serious about buying Reddit.” So that’s that (he also tweeted out his offer). Whether or not the Cheezburger Network has enough cash on hand to actually purchase Reddit is another question, but if not, perhaps Huh is thinking of raising funding if a) Conde Nast wants to sell Reddit in the first place and b) terms of a deal can be reached.

Original title and link for this post: I Can Haz Cheezburger CEO offers to buy Reddit – it is for realz

Bit.ly restarts @BitlyNow as @clickabit to share interesting trending links

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 04:59 PM PDT

Bit.ly, which despite many other new dedicated branded URL shortener services, especially Twitter’s own t.co, still accounts for a large chunk of shortened URLs. Well, today, Bit.ly has restarted what has been a long dormant Twitter account (@bitlynow which hadn’t really tweeted since September 2009) as @clickabit, as a curated list to share interesting links trending links that are routed through its service.

Bit.ly gave a few funny TGIF numbers in its blog post too, “approximately .05% of URLs shared through bit.ly include content about cheeseburgers. (An inclusive search for cheeseburgers and "cheezburgers" raises this figure to .07%.) By contrast, roughly .01% of URLs shared through bit.ly include content about automobiles.” The post promises to offer, “a wide variety of timely, bizarre, useful, and intriguing links.” Certainly one to follow.

Original title and link for this post: Bit.ly restarts @BitlyNow as @clickabit to share interesting trending links

Looking at Old School Technology for Inspiration

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 01:31 PM PDT

How old school? How about 3,000 years old. While working on a housing project in Labrador, workers uncovered tools, weapons, and other artifacts from a period where we don’t really know terribly much about how people lived. First, you’re wondering how this guy knows this. My undergrad degree is in Anthropology with a focus on Archaeology and Quaternary Geology (that’s the geology of the last 1.5 million years to the present) and my Masters degree is in paleoecology (past environments) and global climate change. Yes, the “so why are you writing tech stuff” is a question I’m asked a lot. Regardless, the second question you might be wondering (or should be wondering) is how this relates to technology now. Well that’s easy:

Inspiration and innovation.

Here’s an artifact from my own collection (I found it some backfill so it has little archaeological value):

Artifact from my personal collection, SD card for scale.

My sense is that it’s an axe or scraper from a period about (guessing) the same time as the ones in Labrador (maybe earlier). Now look at this another way, these artifacts started as rocks. Just a hunk of stone. Nothing. Then someone got an idea. What if it were sharper on one part? Maybe if it were shaped differently we could hold it better? Maybe if we used this rock (e.g. Flint or chert) instead of that rock (say, sandstone) the tool might work better? And this, friends and readers, is how technology still works. We see a problem and then someone finds a solution.

This is the challenge we all need to keep in mind. Is something not working? Can it work better? Do you have a great idea for how to fix it? We might not be bashing rocks together to make tools, but we certainly have a ton of tools to attack more and more challenges that we now. Looking at current technological landscape Canada, there is a lot going on and some really interesting developments (beyond the ever-present RIM). This is the mandate of The Next Web Canada: highlight the great stuff, challenge our ways of working and thinking.

It’s going to be a great ride.

Thumbnail photo credit: CBC

Original title and link for this post: Looking at Old School Technology for Inspiration

BBC iPlayer To Go Worldwide “Within A Year”

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 12:32 PM PDT

PaidContent is reporting that the BBC is currently looking to make its iPlayer video-on-demand service available to UK license payers whilst they are abroad, simultaneously developing an commercial version that would deliver BBC programming to audiences worldwide.

Talking at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson insisted that businessmen should be able to view a “UK version of the iPlayer wherever they are in the world”, despite a somewhat tepid response from existing iPlayer users.

BBC’s commercial wing, BBC Worldwide, already syndicates video-on-demand content to third-party aggregators like iTunes, where it has over 1,000 episodes available for purchase. Thompson indicated that an international commercial version of the iPlayer would launch “within a year” and had already been in the BBC’s plans for the past twelve months.

Having a branded international portal for BBC content would give content producers the opportunity to reach a worldwide audience, adding to popular programmes like Doctor Who and Top Gear which already attract large audiences in the U.S. An online portal would increase the number of programmes available, giving producers and the corporation the ability to earn more revenue from their content.

Original title and link for this post: BBC iPlayer To Go Worldwide “Within A Year”

Google not yet approved to help you fly the friendly skies.

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 12:32 PM PDT

Google may be one step closer to acquiring ITA Software, but the acquisition is by no means a done deal.

Just posted on their Public Policy blog , Google reports that they have received what’s called a “second request,” which means that the U.S. Department of Justice is asking for more information so that they can continue to review the deal."

ITA Software, according to their site, is a leading provider of innovative solutions for the travel industry.  Founded in the mid-nineties by MIT computer science graduates, ITA Software has pioneered a new generation of travel technology. Our world-class engineers and travel industry experts are solving the industry's most complex computing challenges, and in doing so reshaping its very foundations.

According to Google, the response they've received from the travel industry has been encouraging, with travel guru Arthur Frommer stating, 'the existence of so many competing airfare search engines convinces me that the field will remain competitive even after Google enters it."

Google's plans if the ITA acquisition comes to fruition, would have the company constructing "new tools that will make it easier for consumers to search for flights, compare flight options, and get you quickly to a site where you can buy a ticket."

What this means for the likes of  Kayak, Expedia, Orbitz and other online travel companies remains to be seen, but it can't be good if Google acquires ITA Software.  With the power of Google behind ITA's capabilities would make it difficult for other travel sites to compete, and moreover, succeed in growing each of their respective businesses.

One also has to wonder what impact Google's potential entry into this space will have on Facebook, who recently acquired nextstop, as both companies continue to move in similar directions which appear to have them headed for a collision to determine internet dominance.

What do you think?  If Google's ITA acquisition is approved, will Google become your default method by which you search for and buy airline tickets?

Original title and link for this post: Google not yet approved to help you fly the friendly skies.

Can 48ers beat Google in the realtime social goldrush?

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 11:55 AM PDT

Realtime social search is a fast-growing part of the web but is there room for another competitor? The team behind new search engine 48ers thinks so.

Services like OneRiot and Topsy are carving out a niche by helping to make sense of what’s happening online right now. Google is serious about realtime too; only yesterday it gave its social search results their own page and some new tools.

Recently entering the fray, 48ers claims to be faster and return more results than the competition. Its interface is clean and easy to understand. Simply enter a search term and after a short wait to return results, it brings back the latest updates from Twitter, Facebook, Buzz, Digg and Delicious.

The standout feature is the ability to quickly filter by source. What are Facebook users saying about the latest hot news story compared to Twitter users? With 48ers it’s easy to see. There are also quick links to trending topics and common ‘useful searches’, such as “Breaking news” and “% discount” for helping to find deals.

UK-based co-founder Mike Whyley says that 48ers returns more results than OneRiot and Topsy. Our tests appear to confirm that claim, certainly in terms of the speed that they are returned. It’s worth noting, though that 48ers is concentrating purely on tweets, status updates and other microblog-type updates, whereas OneRiot and Topsy return results from the broader web too.

As for Google’s latest move in this space, Whyley isn’t concerned. “Based on our testing, their results are still not as ‘realtime’ as ours so we still feel that ours offers a competitive advantage here.” At The Next Web, our tests found them to be pretty much on a par in terms of recency of results, with Google being faster to load initial results. Besides speed, the choice between the two comes down to the type of filtering you prefer. 48ers can filter by source service, while Google offers location, recency and images as filters.

For the future, Whyley says they have some interesting plans to develop 48ers with sentiment analysis, an API, alerts and location search. “We also have (in development) what we hope will be a great feature which is allowing a filter which allows users to ‘filter the noise’ – so that the more prominent realtime discussions and comments around a brand or particular term rise to the fore.”

As for the unusual name? There’s a bit of a story there. Whyley explains: “The Californian Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848 at Sutter’s Mill, in Coloma, California. Some of the earliest fortune seekers were known as the ‘49ers’, but the very first pioneers were known as the ‘48ers’. These gold-seekers uncovered nuggets of gold worth thousands of dollars. We named our service after them as our aim is to help our users find nuggets of gold from conversations across the web.”

So now you know. 48ers is in beta and open to use now.

Original title and link for this post: Can 48ers beat Google in the realtime social goldrush?

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sues Apple, Google, Facebook, 8 others for patent infringement

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 11:44 AM PDT

Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and who invested around $100 million in the 1990’s in a now long closed tech incubator called Interval Research, is suing Apple, Facebook, Google, AOL, Yahoo, eBay, Netflix, YouTube, Staples, OfficeMax and Office Depot over patent infringement from patents Allen still owns from Interval Research.

Not surprisingly, Allen isn’t suing Microsoft.

According to the Wall Street Journal;

“The suit lists violations of four patents for technology that appear to be key components of the operations of the companies—and that of e-commerce and Internet search companies in general. The technology behind one patent allows a site to offer suggestions to consumers for items related to what they’re currently viewing, or related to online activities of others in the case of social-networking sites.

A second patent, among other things, allows readers of a news story to quickly locate articles related to a particular subject. Two others enable ads, stock quotes, news updates or video images to flash on a computer screen, peripherally to a user’s main activity.”

We’ve had a lot of frivolous lawsuits recently from unknown companies claiming they own patents that huge companies are infringing on, but a lawsuit from Paul Allen is a whole different matter entirely. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

UPDATE: Thanks to one of our commentors below, we now have the actual complaint:

Patent Suit vs. Google, Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Yahoo!, YouTube, Office Depot, Staples, AOL, OfficeMax, eBay

Original title and link for this post: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sues Apple, Google, Facebook, 8 others for patent infringement

Google buys Angstro to add another exec to build Google Me

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 11:13 AM PDT

Google now has at least a triumphrate of executives now to run/build Google Me (or whatever it is called), adding Rohit Khare after acquiring his company Angstro, which among other things, provided tools to export data from Facebook.

Khare joins Vic Gundotra (the Caesar of the triumphrate) and Slide’s Max Levchin plus you know, everyone that built Google Wave and now has to do something else. So now they have a long time Googler in Gundotra, and two people that have worked on/with Facebook in Levchin and Khare.

At the Google Voice in Gmail press conference on Wednesday, we asked Google if this new implementation has anything to do with Google Me, and they predictably answered that they won’t comment on rumors of speculation. However, as many people have speculated (we’ll comment on speculation), Gmail is the most likely platform for Google to center its social strategy around. We also expect Google Profiles, Buzz, YouTube, Places and mobile/Android apps to heavily feature in Google Me. So yeah, the kitchen Google sink.

Original title and link for this post: Google buys Angstro to add another exec to build Google Me

Tungle Asks: What Does the Calendar of the Future Look Like?

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 10:21 AM PDT

Montreal-based Tungle has gone around asking such tech luminaries as Robert Scoble, Don Dodge, Ellen Levy, and Ed Brill about what they think the Calendar of the Future should look like. Paired with an intro video, Tungle has wrapped an entire site around this premise with interviews with tech influencers on various facets of how we use (and don’t) calendars to schedule our lives.

I remember first trying Tungle when it was in pre-private beta (back in my Blognation Canada/Maple Leaf 2.0 days) and honestly I fell out of using it. I revived my Tungle.me profile this morning while working on this story and wow it has come a long way since those early days. If you haven’t used Tungle before, here is the idea. You have a bunch of people (or even one) that you need to schedule a meeting with. We all know what kind of special hell that is, especially when one or two people are extremely busy, so what Tungle does is to map out when everyone looks like they are available and suggests potential meetings. You can mark some people as required and others as optional (i.e. They if they can’t make a time, they aren’t a show stopper) then find the times that fit. Amazingly cool, simple and subtly effective.

Now Tungle is asking the bigger question:

We haven’t messed with the idea of how we use calendars in years (centuries?), we have all this tech now, so can we make it better?

After watching the intro video, one thing is for sure, Tungle has some heavy hitters thinking about the idea. Now, will it catch on? Can we really rethink how we use our calendars or are we just going to wind up stuffing more data into them? My take is that Tungle certainly has the people to do it, but I don’t think people are really ready for the jump yet. There is something very simple about how we use calendars now. Yes, I agree, it would be great to put more information in behind the scenes to be able to drill down when I need to, but over all I often just need to know if my wife or I are busy at a particular time. However…if part of the goal of the Calendar of the Future is to get people thinking about how they manage their time and calendars and start trying/using Tungle (it is free after all), well I think that will be a smashing success.

Original title and link for this post: Tungle Asks: What Does the Calendar of the Future Look Like?

App Store War: Android Rules Free, iOS Dominates Paid

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 10:15 AM PDT

New data is showing that the differences between the Android and Apple app stores run more than skin deep. Besides the usually touted total app discrepancy, some 150,000 apps difference between the two, there is a another marked difference to be found: Android apps tend to be free while iOS apps tend not to be.

That sounds rather vague, let’s look at the numbers: 64% of Android apps are free while only 30% are free on Apple devices. That of course implies that 36% of Android apps are paid, and 70% of iOS apps are paid. Quite the disparity.

Before we get into possible reasons as to just why this is true, does it matter? Perhaps for the new user the Android store could have an edge. Showing up in an app store with majority free applications can feel like the proverbial child on a sweet shop. Then again, if most of the apps are free on Android, are they of a similar quality level?

Look at it in this way: if 30% of iOS apps are free, out of some 250,000 total iOS applications that implies that there are some 75,000 free iOS applications. Following along, if 64% of Android apps are free, out of the total 95,000 Android applications, there are 60,800 free apps. Even with a huge tilt towards paid apps, there are more free iOS than Android applications.

The last thing we have to think about is this: why are more apps free rather than paid on Android? The simplest answer is that only developers from 9 countries can sell apps in the Android store. Developers from other countries can only release free applications, perhaps pushing the majority to follow the free route.

Whatever the reason, there seems to be a perhaps cultural, and at a minimum systemic, difference between the Apple and Android app stores in regards to free versus paid applications. If Android can keep pace with total app growth, then perhaps their tilt towards free could be a boon in the years to come.

Thanks to Pingdom for the numbers.

Original title and link for this post: App Store War: Android Rules Free, iOS Dominates Paid

Have you heard about the TwitWebSurf for iPad bird?

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 09:43 AM PDT

TNW Quick Hit

TwitWebSurf for iPad is a scrollable, multi-paged web browser, with added Twitter functionality.

Love It: Can view 5 web pages simply by scrolling and keep up with Twitter feed as well.

Hate It: Can only use one Twitter account at a time, and icons sometimes failed to work.

Overall: 3/5

The Details:

TwitWebSurf for iPad (free) is a multi-paged web browser with capabilities optimized for the official Twitter site.

Through the app you can swipe between 5 web pages, with your bookmarks imported from those you've bookmarked through Google Bookmarks.

Once the app is launched, you'll notice the following icons on the bottom of the screen:

  • TimeLine You Follow – New Tweets automatically update.
  • @Mentions to You – See them as they happen.
  • Your Own Tweets – All of your Tweets collected in a single place
  • A List You Follow – Also automatically updated
  • Retweets – Retweets of your tweets, automatically updated
  • Favorites
  • Direct messages – Automatically updated
  • Google – Surf to any WebSite, and Tweet about it! Page Title and goo.gl shortened URL automatically copy to the embedded Tweet panel

Additionally, the app provides:

  • Full functionality provided by the official Twitter site, no API bugs, inconsistencies or limitations.
  • Multi-Touch experience of Safari Browser, including Pinch Zoom in/out, Copy and Paste, etc.
  • Tweet anytime from the application’s embedded Tweet pane
  • Quote of original message automatically copies to Tweet panel along with shortened URL of the Tweet when you Reply
  • Webpage title automatically copies to Tweet panel along with shortened URL of the site when you Tweet a WebSite
  • Realtime Tab-Bar Notification (with Sound) for New @Mentions and Direct Messages
  • Easily switch between StandardMode and MobileMode of the Twitter site
  • No server-side process by the application. Your log-in information is strictly handled by only the Twitter Website and the build-in Safari browser cookie

TwitWebSurf, bad name, even worse opening screen (it frightened me), is a nice app for web browsing and Twitter management.  One warning, it can be buggy, but for a free, multi-paged, web browsing alternative with added Twitter functionality, it is worth trying and won't cost you a dime.

Original title and link for this post: Have you heard about the TwitWebSurf for iPad bird?

Miss a daily deal? Have one to sell? Lifesta is your new best friend.

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 08:18 AM PDT

TNW Quick Hit

Lifesta is helping you to buy or sell your daily deal certificates from sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial.

Love It: 15% go unused. Might as well make some money back!

Hate It: Like most sites that associate with daily deals, it is still very new and lacking user-generated deals in some cities.

Overall: 4/5

The Details

I’m guilty of being a Groupon addict. While I sometimes have bought things fully intending to use them, other times I’ll take a deal because it’s simply too good to pass up. The problem, however, is that often those will sit in my email until they expire.

Apparently, 15% of all deals do, so I’m not alone. Lifesta is hoping to help those of us who buy what we don’t need, by allowing us to safely sell it to those who do.

We’ve all seen the ads on CraigsList, right? You know the ones – “Will meet at Waffle House. Cash only.” The problem with selling through sites like that is that there is no assurance to either side of the deal. With Lifesta, you can sleep easily knowing that the site will handle the payment, the voucher handover and even guarantees the purchase for both parties.

Lifesta works both directions. Say that you miss a deal you’d really like to have. It’s likely that someone on Lifesta has the certificate for the deal that you want, so you don’t have to worry about missing out.

The site has only been around since the first of July, so there are still some cities that aren’t covered because users haven’t submitted deals for them yet. However, business is picking up pretty swiftly, so you’re likely to find some great deals, no matter where you live.

Original title and link for this post: Miss a daily deal? Have one to sell? Lifesta is your new best friend.

GeekStyle: What’s Hip and What isn’t

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 08:16 AM PDT


Welcome to GeekStyle, a column that will discuss the ins and outs of geek fashion. Many of you are returning from your summer vacations round about now. Time to put those swimming trunks back into the closet and focus on what you are going to wear to the office this year. Hard choices right? Well, don’t fret, we are here to help. This is The Next Web GeekStyle Guide which will answer your style questions and provide you with some practical tips on what’s hip (and What is Not), for geeks.

First up, this week’s two top tips:

T-Shirts are still hot
All your base are belong to usYes, you can still purvey your unique sense of humor by buying a T-Shirt with a pre-formatted joke that only you, and your geek friends, truly ‘get’. Just make sure the joke is deep enough to cause a moments thought and stay away from those wannabe geek shirts.

The ‘All your base…‘ joke is way past its expire date so stow that one and keep it for your kids. Should be retro in about a year or 10. Goatse still works but I doubt you are brave enough to joke around with that. If you are, send photos, or it didn’t happen.

Out with the mustaches guys
Mustache RingIt was fun while it lasted but give the facial hair a rest unless you are willing to go full beard. You might think a mustache turns a geek into a man but let me assure you: a mustache just turns a geek in a less desirable geek.

So, unless the meme of the week involves a mustache, a good cause is served and all your are doing is applying the mustache to your avatar keeps those cheeks clean and shaven gentlemen.

Now, onto readers questions. First up, our very own Alex Wilhelm.

My question is this: how offensive can my tshirt be, and still be ok to wear to conferences? – Alex Wilhelm

Dear Alex, offensive t-shirts can be wonderful eye grabbers, particularly when most people are walking around in plain T’s. You need to be careful though, you don’t want to be a wearing a t-shirt so inappropriate that people don’t feel comfortable speaking to you – probably the most important part of any conference. If I were you, for conferences, keep it funny but not offensive…ok maybe a little offensive you can get away with, but nothing sexist or racist.

Patrick de Laive : I’m wearing my iPad as a fashion statement but I’m getting mixed reactions. It is a great conversation starter but does it make me sexier or geekier?

Dear Patrick, you seem to assume that sexier and geekier contradict each other. Not true. Geek is the new black. Geeks and nerds are smart, sensitive and potential paper millionaires. But back to the iPad; yes, carrying one is a great way to get talking. My guess however is that you aren’t necessarily talking to the right group of people, if you know what I mean. It might be smarter to bring the iPad, lay it on the table but then read a magazine so you won’t look too preoccupied with your new gadget.

And now for our question of the week
This weeks (anonymous) question is about body odor:

“Dear GeekStyle, I’m a well adjusted geek working at a medium sized technology start-up. My co-workers are nice and friendly and in my role as intermediary I speak to everybody in the company about our technology roadmap. No problem so far. My experience however is that inside the geek offices my body odor (a badge of honor after pulling an olnighter) is accepted and expected. Outside of my geekcircle it seems to be frowned upon. What do I do?”

Dear anonymous geek, body odor could be a symptom of being nervous or anxious. What causes your anxiety around the office? Your body odor? Aha! You are stuck in an endless loop! Feel less insecure about your sweat glands and exit this loop. In fact: go overboard and slap some extra water on your face before you make your rounds. Alternatively stock up on some extra deodorant and invest in a few extra T-Shirts. In most cases it will be the shirt that stinks, not the geek.

Yes, we also do questions. Have a geek style question you want to have answered? Don’t want to bother your mother? Just ask GeekStyle.

Original title and link for this post: GeekStyle: What’s Hip and What isn’t

Local DC bloggers transform Tea Party attacks into PR opportunity for the city

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 07:17 AM PDT

On any given day in Washington, DC protesters march along the city’s streets and sidewalks with signs and synchronized chants. Not 50 feet away from me there are union construction workers walking in circles outside a nondescript building; they’re protesting the “unfair” wages allegedly doled out by the corporate overlords within it. Protesters are so commonplace, in fact, that most DC natives hardly notice them and for the most part the local media ignores them. That includes local DC blogs, which range from you hyperlocal neighborhood bloggers to your restaurant food critics. Why, then, are so many local bloggers and Twitter users giving pre-coverage of the Tea Party event this Saturday?

The last major Tea Party protest in the city occurred on September 12 last year, but despite round-the-clock Fox News coverage, it wasn’t until a Texas Congressman issued a rather ironic complaint regarding the city’s metro system that most DC bloggers seemed to care about it. But for nearly a week now DC residents have been storming blog comment sections and Twitter to opine on the upcoming Tea Party extravaganza. “I sure hope Glenn Beck tbaggers visiting DC this weekend refuse public transportation and clean up after their signs and trash #Socialism” wrote someone with the Twitter handle @DCdebbie. It was retweeted by more than 50 people.

Most the bloggers I spoke to about this sudden interest traced it back to a single source: a blog post — written by a local Tea Party member — offering itself as a guide to DC for visiting protesters. Titled “So you are coming to the 8/28 Glenn Beck March on Washington?” the post triggered national attention mostly for the parts of DC it warned visitors to avoid. “If you are on the Blue or Orange line do not go past Eastern Market (Capitol Hill) toward the Potomac Avenue stop and beyond; stay in NW DC and points in Virginia. Do not use the Green line or the Yellow line. These rules are even more important at night. There is of course nothing wrong with many other areas; but you don’t know where you are, so you should not explore them.” Many noted that the neighborhoods along the Green and Yellow lines have large percentages of blacks and hispanics and others pointed out that the blogger had effectively banned Tea Party members from visiting virtually the entire city.

“I completely forgot that this whole Glenn Beck Sarah Palin thing was coming up this week until this guy wrote his little Tea Party guide for the District,” DCist blogger Martin Austermuhle told me in a phone interview. Austermuhle had been one of the first to notice the “guide,” and his DCist post on it has gathered close to 300 comments. “Every other weekend there could be a protest in DC and you kind of get used to it. I don't think a lot of District residents pay attention to what’s down by the [National Mall] where the protests happen. The protest itself is kind of insignificant from a local angle but what this guy wrote is more of a story.”

Part of what offended Austermuhle was what he considers an unfair portrait of the city, particularly its crime rates. “He just said avoid entire parts of the city, especially at night, because the chances of you getting robbed, shot, raped, stabbed, any of that, it's most likely going to happen,” the blogger explained. “Anyone who's been in the District for the last 10 years knows that that's not true. Even 20 year ago when the District was as dangerous as it was, it wasn't like you walked out on the street and you were going to be shot on sight. It's a pretty unlikely occurrence. He basically condemned anyone who read his piece to absolute fear.”

He also felt that the “guide” gave poor recommendations for food and entertainment, and regardless of the Tea Party’s political beliefs Austermuhle wanted them to enjoy their stay in DC. “I would be more happy if they did their protest thing — see Glenn Beck, see Sarah Palin — and then go look at the rest of the city and see that it's not at all as bad as they've been told. This is an interesting area with interesting, dynamic people and they just have to go and meet them.”

Ben Rome, a blogger for We Love DC, viewed the controversy as a PR opportunity for the city. Rather than mocking the Tea Party guide, he used it as a springboard for a mostly tame post defending the area. “Does DC have issues?” he wrote. “Yes – but then again, so does every other city around the globe. However, many cannot claim to be the most photogenic, or the most picturesque, or one of the best caretakers of a national heritage. Washington, DC can make a very strong claim for any of these titles.”

“I found it kind of annoying that someone who claims to have lived in DC for decades has such a closed-minded view of the city,” Rome told me. “And that personally to me made me kind of angry. I've been living here coming up on five years — I used to live in Pittsburgh until I moved here — and now this is my favorite city ever. And I felt as if my family was getting impugned by some guy who painted us with such a really broad brush.”

But even though the blog District “guide” spawned so much pre-coverage of the Tea Party event, does that mean that local bloggers will cover the protest itself? Both Rome and Austermuhle seemed skeptical. Yes, many outside the nation’s capital have delighted in attending Tea Party protests to take pictures of their misspelled, ungrammatical signs. But when it comes to DC protests, local residents have pretty much seen it all.

Original title and link for this post: Local DC bloggers transform Tea Party attacks into PR opportunity for the city

Scitable goes mobile. Social science research comes to your phone.

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 06:07 AM PDT

At the beginning of August, we went out on a limb and told you about a social network named Scitable. The going on a limb part was because it’s a very niche site that caters primarily to those interested in science. Little did we know how well it would be received.

As the month has gone on, Scitable has been hard at work to provide a highly-accessible mobile version of its site. That hard work, it seems, has paid off and now Scitable has a mobile version of its site that allows access to nearly every phone.

According to Vikram Savkar, SVP and Publishing Director at Nature Publishing Group:

“We’ve been working to find a way to put our high quality content library in the hands of the millions of students throughout the developing world who don’t have consistent access to personal computers and broadband. With the launch of our mobile site, any student with a cell phone, even a very basic device, has access to a simplified version of the site that includes a wealth of quality, citable information.”

While that’s certainly true, those who have more advanced smartphones are treated to an even greater amount of content, including full video and audio capabilities, a built-in glossary and in some cases full ability to use Scitable’s networking system with fellow students.

Overall, it’s a really clean (if somewhat plain) mobile site. But the true story here is ease of access to an increasing number of people. For that, Scitable is certainly to be commended.

Original title and link for this post: Scitable goes mobile. Social science research comes to your phone.

YouTube Launches Dedicated Full-Length Movie Section

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 04:09 AM PDT

After striking deals with Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures in the US and UK movie service Blinkbox, YouTube launched a free new movie service with an initial catalog of 400 full-length movies available on-demand.

Simply entitled “Films”, the new section has its own YouTube URL and offers mainstream releases, classics and also Bollywood hits. At the time of writing, the front page offers a couple of Jackie Chan films, Ridley Scott’s Life In A Day YouTube project and a number of independent films.

YouTube head of video partnerships, Donagh O’Malley spoke to The Guardian:

“This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows.

We hope film lovers enjoy the range of titles in this free library, whether catching up on a mainstream hit or delving into the vast archive of classic films from decades past.”

YouTube’s deal with Blinkbox sees around 165 of it’s films, normally priced at £1.99 and upwards, available for free. These films will have advertising incorporated into the films, I noticed a trailer for a 3D film on one of the videos I viewed.

I imagine there will be a number of films that will excite some readers, but on the most part the selection is very limited at present.

Original title and link for this post: YouTube Launches Dedicated Full-Length Movie Section

Blockbuster “prepares to file for bankruptcy”. Netflix, Lovefilm and Redbox wield the knife

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 03:46 AM PDT

Home video rental giant Blockbuster is reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy next month as it struggles to cope with competition from Netflix, Lovefilm and Redbox, companies who have revolutionised the rental industry with their postal and on-demand services.

Sources close to the matter to the LA Times that Blockbuster executives and senior debt holders held meetings with six major Hollywood movie studios to discuss the option of a “pre-planned” bankruptcy in September, which would allow the company to drop its most under performing stores and look to push its efforts to gain a larger share in the growing digital distribution market.

Netflix and Redbox, digital and postal rental companies in the US, and Lovefilm, a postal rental business in the UK, have been enjoying huge success as customers increasingly look to choose their rentals online and either have them shipped to them or delivered instantly via an internet stream.

Netflix already streams it’s digital catalog to Xbox Live, PS3, Nintendo Wii users, as well as offering a dedicated app for both iPhone and iPad owners (with an Android port currently in development). Blockbuster has offerings in these fields but has continued to preservere with its bricks and mortar stores, perhaps too much as it now has an estimated $1 billion from its costly leases and dwindling sales.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Blockbuster though, the majority of movie studios have backed Blockbuster, signing deals that will give the company films 28 days before its competitors ensuring its remaining 5,800 worldwide stores will keep a steady flow of new releases.

If it can exit bankruptcy, Blockbuster will also speed up its roll out of DVD kiosks, aiming directly for Redbox, offering rentals for $1 a night, reducing overheads and allowing customers to pick up movies quickly and cheaply.

Whilst Blockbusters efforts to shift its strategy from its stores to more convenient rental methods, we feel its just a matter of “too little, too late”. Netflix, Redbox and Lovefilm have made such significant progress in the online and kiosk rental market, it might only be a matter of time until your local Blockbuster finally shuts its doors.

Original title and link for this post: Blockbuster “prepares to file for bankruptcy”. Netflix, Lovefilm and Redbox wield the knife

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