“Choose Your Own Adventure” Goes Web 2.0
December 30, 2007
An interesting site has gone live today. Called Protagonize, the creators behind this collaborative social network is looking to build the modern day, web 2.0 version of Choose Your Own Adventure. You remember those books, right? You read a few pages, and come to a fork in the road. As your main character tries to escape the bad guys, he could either hope on a moving boxcar or hid in the bushes hoping to avoid detection. The fun of it all is going back through the story to see how it will all end, depending on each varied route you decide to take.
Protagonize would like to update this concept, not only with the contributions of the users, but with a bit of web 2.0 mixed in there as well. While there are countless websites out there that have an ongoing, round-the-robin formats for collaborative stories. Protagonize puts some handy tracking tools in there so that you can better stay afloat with the stories you like and those that you create. It’s an approach similar to coComment: you’ve created content on a third-party site, and it’s interactive on multiple levels. Others can respond to your content, build on it, and take things in an entirely different direction.
With some tracking tools on Protagonize, you’ll be able to see the flow of your stories. The site also has some story markers so you can keep track of stories where you left off. Additionally, there is an internal rating system that incorporates responses to your content across the site, gathering data on all your snippets of story contributions that are layered into multiple stories. In this way, it’s also easier to follow authors in particular.
Now the site itself is somewhat unorganized, which I find makes it more difficult to follow the stories that users have created. Much of it actually reads like microblogging updates. Speaking of which, I’m sure some users wouldn’t mind some Twitter integration, along with some email integration that would enable users to submit their piece of a story via email response.
Google Maps on Amazon’s Kindle, In Case You Get Lost While Reading
December 30, 2007
Was Amazon’s Kindle holding out on us all this time? Turns out, an easter egg has been discovered, and it comes with a bit of interactivity, according to engadget. Access Google Maps with your Kindle. This integration even allows for you to find the nearest gas stations and restaurants, among other custom search options. There’s also a hidden picture viewer and slide show, which should make any types of books with graphics more enjoyable, but back to this Google Maps integration. Why?
As Mark and countless others pointed out, a major downfall (at least for this self-selecting, techie demographic) is the lack of interactivity that the Kindle provides. And I’m sorry to say that the inclusion of Google Maps doesn’t make it interactive enough to warrant all the hubbub.
The other question I’m dying to get an answer to is why Amazon didn’t advertise the images and the Google Maps integration. Google Maps seemed to be a pretty big selling point for the iPhone, which also happens to look way cooler than the Kindle, but still. Is this just a feature that the Kindle included, but decided not to promote, for whatever reason?
Perhaps it’s not finished, or maybe further integration with Sprint’s EVDO will come in the near future, making the Kindle a far more useful device and more easily justified in terms of Google Maps integration. Or maybe Google thought the Kindle’s non-backlit, color-lacking screen was too simple for even its minimalistic attitude, and told Amazon to keep mum on this one. Whatever the case, Google Maps on Kindle still won’t do you any good in Montana.
FlyRig Apartment Finder: Better than Craigslist?
December 30, 2007
FlyRig is a handy little mashup that’s making the task of finding an apartment a little bit easier. So far, FlyRig is limited to the New York City area, but the potential for this tool is quite extensive. FlyRig is geared towards brokers that represent property management companies–they often have the highest quantity of apartment listings. You’ll note that this is also the target demographic of Craigslist, especially for revenue purposes.
What FlyRig boils down to is an improved manner in which apartments can be searched, that leverages the need for renters to amass a collective amount of information. This is an approach that Zillow has taken for home buyers, and other networks like YourStreet that look to offer more than just a slew of listings.
That being said, FlyRig has accounts that renters can create in order to save listings they’re interested in. FlyRig will also save listings based on your cookies, if you’d rather not set up an account. The information you’ll receive from FlyRig’s posted listings incorporates information from the broker, as well as Google Maps. Throw in a search tool for local information based on an individual listing, and you’ve now got a Google Maps mashup that shows you the nearest post office, pizza and sushi restaurants, schools, and more. From there you can see all the listings from a particular broker, read the broker comments from other users or leave a couple of comments of your own, send a text message to the broker, subscribe to their feed, or email the listing out to a friend.
Aside from delivering listings in a more personal, usable manner that appeals to all ends of the market, FlyRig is hoping to reel renters in by giving up all that surrounding information that really helps a user make a final decision on where they want to live. So far, this is pretty basic, outside of what I’ve already mentioned in terms of the Google mashup. For instance, there’s a market tool that shows the average rental prices based on location and number of bedrooms. There’s also a set of discussion boards where members can chime in on larger conversations regarding a particular area.
While basic so far, there’s a great many directions in which FlyRig can venture down, adding onto its mashup capabilities. Layering in other community-based content such as reviews and rankings for items searched and displayed on a Google map will offer even more context for a potential renter. Being able to create a personalized map based on individual searches and necessities would offer a pretty amazing visual for a potential renter as well. Turning itself into a hub for all renter information, such as providing renter’s applications as PDF files available for download could enable FlyRig to streamline the process and make things more automated for brokers and renters.
Though there is a lot of potential for FlyRig, its overall offering is still pretty basic, and has a lot of room for growth. One thing that Craigslist undeniably has is critical mass and a mainstream appeal, which is always difficult for a newcomer to topple. As we’ve seen with other neighborhood approaches to real estate, this slight reform in the approach is still somewhat slow to adopt. Should Craigslist begin to support such map mashups, the road would be even more difficult for FlyRig.
Thunderbird-based Outlook Clone
December 30, 2007
Software development company Synovel is working on a Thunderbird code-base email client with the look and feel of Microsoft’s Outlook named Spicebird. The software is currently in Alpha (v .4 coming soon), but several screen shots and feature lists are presently available from the company website.
The software package intends to have Thunderbird email handling with Lightning calendar extensions included to handle scheduling requirements. As a bonus, Jabber functionality will be included, which will allow the user to share and subscribe to web-based iCal calendars.
Also planned for inclusion is RSS subscription functionality, as well as a blog posting client. To take a gander at what they have in store for the initial release, check out Synovel’s web demo.
[via Download Squad]
Digital Media Use Increases 50% for Consumers. Time for New Ad Strategy?
December 30, 2007
A survey conducted by Deloitte & Touche shows that of 2,081 consumers questioned, 38% watch television shows online, while 36% use their cell phones as entertainment devices, and 45% are creating online content such as websites, videos and blogs. The study, which was conducted between October 25-31 for American consumers, aims to look at the advertising potential of the web, television, and mobile devices.
While the full report hasn’t been released, I’m inclined to wonder what constitutes as mobile entertainment? It’s a rather broad statement to say that consumers use their cell phone as entertainment devices when this could mean that they play games that were pre-loaded on their phones, or that they text message friends using a mobile IM client.
As for the change over time, Deloitte & Touche conducted the same survey between February 23 and March 6, 2007. The results indicate that there’s a steady growth in usage across the three sectors looked at, with varying increases depending on age demographics. Consumers age 25-41 saw the largest increase for mobile entertainment use, up 47%, while those in the 13-24 age bracket saw a similar 46% increase.
As I noted briefly in a previous paragraph, one goal for this survey is to provide useful data to advertisers, as they need to go where the consumers are. So when Deloitte & Touche asked their consumers what type of ads were most effective, an 85% majority found television ads to work best on their buying habits but Internet ads were second best. 65% of the surveyed consumers felt that Internet ads have the most impact, beating out magazine ads, at 63%.
When it’s all said and done, Deloiite & Touche Vice Chairman and national sector leader, Ken August, smartly noted that advertising campaigns will need to have a multi-device strategy. How novel. Considering that this isn’t the only recent study to suggest the actual coming of true mobile social networking, advertisers have been ready for some time, testing the waters with heavily targeted campaigns through networks like AdMob.
The Daily Poll: What Was Your First Web Browser?
December 30, 2007
Today brings word that Netscape Navigator has finally reached the end of the road and will be discontinued by AOL in February. The first browser to gain mass popularity, Navigator has long since been surpassed by Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, with other upstarts like Safari, Opera, and Flock also claiming small pieces of the market. But, given my own memories of Navigator as my first Web browser, I thought I’d throw out a nostalgic poll question today:
Meneame and CoRank: The Great Digg Joke
December 30, 2007
The big holiday story this week was that Meneame and CoRank, two Digg-like sites, were set to be acquired by Digg. Mashable brought the story to the English-speaking blogosphere thanks to a tip-off from a Spanish reader, but mails to both companies confirmed that Digg was not involved. And today, the two sites announced a merger to form “Menearank”. Except that it’s all a big joke. Here’s a mail I received from CoRank yesterday, with the request that I kept things quiet until the joke played out:
Pete,
You may get tips that the news Meneame and coRank were to announce is that the two companies have merged. Don’t write anything about it.
Why? Today is December 28th (in the US is still 27th but in Spain it’s already 28th). Why is that significant? This day Spain celebrates the equivalent to April 1st in the US.
So now you know what happened. The oher day we tried to stir the Spanish blogosphere by both, Meneame and coRank saying “we have some big news coming up” before the actual “news” would come, but then some people started to speculate about the news being Digg acquiring both companies, someone tipped you about that, and then you know the rest.
Metacafe Brings On Former Yahoo Executive
December 30, 2007
Metacafe has brought on former Yahoo and Disney executive Scott Bushman as its new Vice President of Business Development. Bushman will be making the connections that work for Metacafe, getting other media companies involved from around the world. This goes for licensing deals, and other “growth opportunities” for Metacafe.
Bushman brings along 15+ years of experience in media and entertainment, with his most recent position being that of senior director, business development, global publisher solutions at Yahoo, where he navigated and executed strategic distribution partnerships with major media partners across sports, music, television, gaming and social networks.
As Internet television grows, and as the influence of online video continues to take over Internet culture, we’ve seen several mergers and partnerships across content providers, distributors, major media companies and advertisers. I guessed some time ago that these mergers would continue, for consolidated distribution purposes, as certain techniques, technologies and players get weeded out.
But with the distribution options that the Internet provides media companies, it’s the partnerships that will help businesses like Metacafe grow. The desire for additional partnerships for growth and distribution is evident with Metacafe’s new addition to its executive team. Perhaps this could even lead to the fruition of Pete’s prediction that Metacafe would be acquired, albeit a year too late?
AOL Says Goodbye to Netscape Navigator
December 30, 2007
Netscape Navigator, once the dominant Web browser back in the 1990s, will no longer be supported as of February 1, 2008. In a posting to Netscape’s blog, Tom Drapeau writes:
“While internal groups within AOL have invested a great deal of time and energy in attempting to revive Netscape Navigator, these efforts have not been successful in gaining market share from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Recently, support for the Netscape browser has been limited to a handful of engineers tasked with creating a skinned version of Firefox with a few extensions.
AOL’s focus on transitioning to an ad-supported web business leaves little room for the size of investment needed to get the Netscape browser to a point many of its fans expect it to be.”
AOL originally acquired Netscape for $4.2 billion in November 1998, a landmark event in the first Web boom. For an interesting glimpse back in time, check out CNET’s original coverage of the deal.
In any event, what remains of Netscape now is a fairly generic portal that is co-branded with AOL. For a while, Netscape had re-modeled itself after social news site Digg, but that effort has since been re-branded as Propeller.
Nonetheless, Netscape will always have its place in history, especially for those of us that first found our way onto the Web in the 1990s. As I recall, my first Web browser was Netscape Navigator 2.0 which ran on an IBM personal computer that had a 133mhz processor with brand spankin’ new Windows ’95 as the operating system.
Navigator made it all the way up to version 9, which launched in June of this year.
Our 30 Must-Read Tech Stories of 2007
December 30, 2007
2007 was a heck of a year here at Mashable. When the year got rolling, it was just Pete slogging away through all the news and press releases, but now there’s a whole team of us attempting to bring you the information you crave.
Throughout the year there were some standout stories based on any number of criteria. This list is a sampling of 30+ of the stories that shaped the year behind us. (more…)
