22 July 2009

Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com

WEB NEWS innovation: adapting the best of Web 2.0 to work inside the firewall. But
this is one case where an enterprise company has moved faster than the
MindTouch: The First consumer Web to make change a reality.

Enterprise App to Get Power to the Programmers

Collaborative Video [Read Write As an open source platform, MindTouch has long-supported creating
custom applications for the software. But until now, there’s been no easy
Web] way to port those custom apps from one MindTouch instance to another.
JUL 22, 2009 05:00A.M.
“With this release,” said CEO Aaron Fulkerson, “the thousands of
developers building collaborative networking applications, enterprise
dashboards and composite applications on the MindTouch platform will
now be able to easily package and share their applications and mashups.”

MindTouch — the open source, wiki-based intranet — is the first

software to bring fully collaborative video to the enterprise. The new Discuss
feature comes from open source video platform Kaltura, which is also
developing video editing for Wikipedia. Through Kaltura, MindTouch
customers will be able to cooperatively edit, publish and syndicate video
both inside and outside the firewall, all with a complete revision history.

In addition to collaborative video editing, users can now package their WEB NEWS
applications and content for reuse on other installations. Developers will
be able create open source add-ons that operate just like those in Firefox,
IBM and The Internet of Things
and anyone can use a desktop GUI to select content for staging and
migration.
[Read Write Web]
JUL 22, 2009 03:19A.M.
Sponsor

Video, the Wiki Way

Kaltura is the first company on the market to offer an open source

collaborative video. While there are Drupal and MediaWiki modules
available in the Kaltura application gallery, we’ve seen little if any use of
In the Web world, you know that a trend has major traction when IBM is
them. The flagship use of the MediaWiki version (in Wikipedia) is yet to
all over it. Like any large Internet company, Big Blue is careful about
be seen.
which trends it latches onto. It was a good couple of years before they
were spotted at the Web 2.0 conference, for example. However in the
Regardless of any public implementations, MindTouch will be the first
case of Internet of Things, IBM is proving itself to be an unusually early
enterprise platform to host Kaltura’s technology. Most top-notch wikis
adopter.
and intranets already have easy video embedding, but none of them
include any substantial ability to edit video, and not in way that’s
I recently spoke to Andy Stanford-Clark, a Master Inventor and
transparent and collaborative.
Distinguished Engineer at IBM. Yesterday we wrote about how Stanford-
Clark has hooked his house up to Twitter. Today we delve more into
Even at its best, enterprise 2.0 is often thought of as second-hand
what his employer, IBM, is doing with the Internet of Things.

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

Sponsor

IBM is involved in some very interesting projects at the intersection of

two big trends we’ve been tracking in 2009: The Real-time Web and
Internet of Things. They have a website devoted to this topic, called A
Smarter Planet. As the name implies, it focuses on environmental
matters such as energy and food systems. Sensors, RFID tags and real-
time messaging software are major parts of IBM’s smarter planet
strategy. The catchcry for the site - Instrumented, Interconnected, and
Intelligent - is about outfitting the world with sensors and hooking them
to the Internet to apply the ‘smarts.’

IBM has a whole set of RFID and sensor technology solutions. But more
importantly it has been busy working with various manufacturers and
goods suppliers in recent months, to introduce those solutions to the
world.
As Andy Stanford-Clark explained to ReadWriteWeb, using RFID
technology to monitor temparature when transporting flowers ensures
that no short cuts are taken by some in the supply chain (e.g. turning off
the climate control for a while to save money). It gives more data to
make decisions, for example it may enable a retailer to refuse to accept a
shipment if the sensor data suggests the flowers are close to wilting.

IBM is also working with German car manufacturer Volkswagen to add

This month IBM made an agreement with Matiq, an IT subsidiary of
Norway’s largest food supplier Nortura. The project involves using RFID
(radio frequency identification) technology to track and trace poultry and
meat products “from the farm, through the supply chain, to supermarket
shelves.” This food tracking solution will help ensure that meat and
chicken are “kept in optimal condition throughout the supply chain.” The
system uses IBM’s WebSphere RFID Information Center, together with
IBM’s sensor and actuator solutions.
A similar project is one that IBM announced at the end of June with
Danish transportation company Container Centralen. By February 2010,
Container Centralen undertakes to use IBM sensor technology “to allow
participants in the horticultural supply chain to track the progress of
shipments as they move from growers to wholesalers and retailers across
40 countries in Europe.” Specifically this refers to transportation of
things like flowers and pot plants, which are very sensitive to the
environment they travel in. Having sensors as part of the entire travel
chain will allow participants to monitor conditions and climate during
travel. Essentially it makes the travel process very transparent.
sensor technology to its operations. The aim is to improve Volkswagen’s
material logistics operations through the use of sensor technology. For
example, shipping containers carrying auto parts for Volkswagen will be
fitted with RFID tags. So far about 3,000 shipping containers have been
fitted with RFID tags.
These are all exciting developments in the Internet of Things, because
they impact real-world processes. It’s great to see a large technology
company like IBM at the forefront of this trend. It’s a very smart move
(pardon the pun), because in 2009 we’re only at the very start of
connecting almost any object in the world to the Internet.
Imagine a world with millions, perhaps trillions, of sensors that use IBM
technology - because that’s what Big Blue is imagining.
Discuss

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
WEB NEWS
Google Wave: Is the World
Ready? [Mashable]
JUL 22, 2009 01:54A.M.
On May 28th, tech circles went wild when Google revealed Google Wave
at its Google I/O conference. The response to and the questions about
the new communication platform were staggering. Is it something I
should use? Is it a game-changer? Could it kill email itself?
This type of lofty rhetoric will always raise hopes and draw scrutiny. We
want to believe that new and radical technologies like Wave will change
the very way we live. And while our experiments with Wave have brought
us to the conclusion that this platform may indeed be a game changer, it
won’t happen if there isn’t widespread adoption. So instead of
asking whether Wave will kill email, the better question to ask is this: Is
the world ready for Wave-based communication?
It’s All or Nothing with Wave
I have used Wave extensively since the sandbox preview became
available, and I will tell you this: it breaks normal conversation
conventions left and right. While it looks and feels like email in many
ways, its unique hybrid of realtime and message-based communication
takes some getting used to. Using applications in-wave, editing other
people’s messages, and integrating robots into your conversations are
going to confuse and even scare people.
3
22 July 2009
We know that the early adopters will use this (and forgive its flaws) in a
heartbeat. The real question is whether or not its new approach to
communication is a dealbreaker for the early majority and late adopters
of the world.
Google Wave is asking people to do things that grind against the norm.
And, while Google won’t say it, its ultimate goal is to have you switch
from email to Wave, ushering in a new era of web engagement. If
Google’s at the center of every person’s web communication, it will build
immense influence and gain unparalleled information on the web’s
billions of users. However, with high stakes likes these comes a high risk
of failure.
Google Wave will either succeed spectacularly or completely
bomb. There is no middle ground for a tool that is supposed to be as
omniscient as email. If all of your friends aren’t using it, then Wave isn’t
as useful as email, which kills its purpose. But the opposite is also true: if
your friends switch over to wave communication and email dies off, you
have no choice but to get an account as well.
Is the world ready for Google Wave? The final answer to that question
could change the very foundation of the web.
One more thing: if you want to be in on the action, you better sign up for
an account soon.
More Google Wave Resources from Mashable
- Google Wave: A Complete Guide
- Testing Google Wave: This Thing is Tidal
- The Top 6 Game-Changing Features of Google Wave
- Google Wave Extensions: An Inside Look
- Could Google Wave Redefine Email and Web
Communication?
- Twave: Google Wave + Twitter
Reviews: Google, Google Wave
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

Tags: email, Google, Google Wave The current app store layout, as MacRumors points out, is unfair to more
expensive applications. While they may not be purchased by hundreds of
thousands of people for $0.99, they are just as important, if not more
important, to the iPhone experience. Yet they don’t often appear on the
top 100 paid apps list because they don’t get the purchasing volume
cheaper apps experience.
WEB NEWS
More expensive apps like the $9.99 DopplerPad (which we reviewed
Apple Needs to Fix the iPhone earlier today) need a fairer system for getting into the App store
rankings. There needs to be additional ways to organize application
App Store’s Race to the Bottom content that is easier on the user. In addition, there needs to be a new
method for determining the top paid apps in the iPhone app store.
[Mashable]
JUL 22, 2009 01:10A.M. Until Apple fixes this, quality apps won’t get the fair shake they deserve.
We’re glad Mr. Cook acknowledged that Apple can do better, which is
hopefully an indication of improvements in the near future.

Tags: apple, iphone, iphone app store, iphone apps

WEB NEWS

HOW TO: Bring Animal

Drawings to Life [Mashable]
JUL 22, 2009 12:30A.M.

Earlier today, Apple revealed its second quarter earnings. And while the
company beat expectations (once again) and had a record quarter (once
again), that’s not what caught our attention during their conference call.
It was actually this answer, given by Apple COO Timothy Cook, to a
question posed to him about the App Store:

Q: Charles Wolf (Needham & Company): Okay, well, let

me ask a question about the App Store then — in terms of
application prices, there appears to be a race to the
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights
bottom. I’ve noticed that there’s an increasing number of
a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup
$0.99 offerings. Do you regard this as a concern and if so, are
considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made
you taking any steps to enable consumers to separate quality
possible by Microsoft BizSpark.
apps from the garbage?

Timothy D. Cook (Apple): Charlie, we are always looking

for ways to categorize apps differently and we do have some
ideas in this area. As you know, today we do it by type of App
and also have show popular apps and top-selling apps, et
cetera.

We realize there’s opportunity there for further

improvement and are working on that.

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

grader in using Shidonni, but it won’t take long for him or her to catch on
and find cool things to do (like drawing an entire landscape). It also
teaches good aesthetics and responsibility, though the app is primarily
built for fun.

Shidonni is simple but ingenious, and it is fun without being frustrating.

We got a kick out of it, and hopefully you (and your kids) will have a fun
time with it too.

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

Name: Shidonni

Quick Pitch: Shidonni is an online virtual world where kids draw their
BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the
virtual pets and play with them as they pop to life.
latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a
nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront
Genius Idea: While Shidonni may not reorganize your finances or
costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old,
connect you with friends, this web app will unleash your inner creativity
and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign
and nurturing instincts – it doesn’t matter if you’re 8 or 80 years old.
up today.
The concept’s simple but so entertaining that you can’t help but smile:
you can draw your own virtual pet and bring it to life. And like the old
Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for
Tamagotchi craze of old, you can feed, play, and take care of your new
their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced
creation.
the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for
hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a
The entire website is clearly designed for kids (specifically 6-12 years
USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”
old), but that doesn’t make it unusable or unappealing. In fact, its design
is one of its strongest points. And because it’s meant for kids, getting
Reviews: PHP
starting is very simple.

Tags: art, bizspark, shidonni

Step 1: Draw your character. Shidonni has a simple but
usable image editor. Draw anything from a stick figure cat to
a beautiful dragon. Add color, depth, and a smiley face to
your pet.

Step 2: Your Shidonni pet comes to life. Seriously, once you WEB NEWS
finish drawing, your work of art will move around, sit, shake
its tail, and more. It’s really quite stunning how well the Wetoku: Record on a Webcam
system imitates a living, hopping creature.
& Embed, Do Not Pass Go, Do
Step 3: Play, feed, and take care of your pet. There are
requirements like drawing it food, which it will soon gobble Not Collect $200 [Read Write
up (I created a blueberry for my pet, “Nat,” whose name I
shall explain at a later date). You can take him on trips across Web]
rainbows, play minigames, dance to the beat, and traverse the JUL 21, 2009 11:30P.M.
Shidonni galaxy and see the pets that others have brought to
life.

I found that Shidonni brought out the inner kid in me – it’s just fun
seeing your creation come to life. The design, the functionality, and the
music match as well. A parent may need to guide a young second or third

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

jolie@readwriteweb.com and include a link to your blog.

Discuss

WEB NEWS

DopplerPad: Music Remixing

This evening, we’ve been testing a groovy new startup site called Wetoku.
It allows you to almost instantly record and embed video in blog posts and Sampling on the iPhone
such as this one.
[Mashable]
Although the sound and video quality are not yet stellar, we’re very JUL 21, 2009 10:17P.M.
impressed with the concept. This is the kind of thing that would make
remote, instant video journalism possible. Click a link, speak your peace
with another webcam user, end the recording, and you are presented
with an embed code the second the recording is over. Read, watch, and
get registration code info at the end of the post!

Sponsor

Here’s one of the first tests with affiliate marketer Robert Sterling of
Richmond, Virginia:

And here’s a chat with New York IBMer Mauricio Godoy:

No review of a new Internet video service would be complete without

commentary from the godfather of video blogging, Steve Garfield:

We knew you could make great music on the iPhone. With instrument
As mentioned, we’d like to see better sound and audio quality, and there
apps such as Smule’s Ocarina and Leaf Trombone. Still, while they’re
are a few site bugs. But we’d also love to get a simple, in-browser video
cool and surprisingly rich mobile instruments, they’re not all that
editor to clip the ends of recordings or even merge two separate
practical for creating, sampling, and recording musical compositions on
recordings together. Better yet, we’d also like to see a downloadable
the fly.
format so the chats can be pulled into a desktop video editor and
remixed with other media, as well.
DopplerPad [iTunes Link] is a turntable-like instrument iPhone app
built by one of the two creators of FourTrack [iTunes Link]. Unlike some
As for the embedding part, we’d like to see more customization options,
other apps, this one doesn’t feature just one instrument – it has 37. It
especially for colors and sizes. We’d pay for that, and also to see a version
doesn’t just play notes; it lets you sample them, no matter where you are.
without the Wetoku watermark in the top right corner. Other features
And most of all, you can record and combine the beats to create your
we’d pay for include preroll and postroll, for branding and
own electronic remix.
recommendation of other videos, respectively.

Want to make a techno beat?

The folks we tested the site with pointed out the similarity to TinyChat.
In terms of ease of use - this, too, is the ultimate one-click webcam
experience - the two services are quite similar. However, TinyChat videos
disappear second by second, never to be seen again unless the user in
DopplerPad takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of its
question has a pro account. Will Wetoku recordable, embeddable video
interface, there’s actually a lot you can do. It uses touch-based responses
chat be a free service? What do you think of the concept so far?
in order to create an instrumental piece. The 37 instruments we
mentioned earlier are almost all techno or electronic-based beats: FM
We have a limited number of registration codes for the private beta. If
Bass, Cymbals, and even “Space Oddity” are available. You can fine tune
you’re interested in testing the site, please email

6
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
the tone of the instruments as well.
Once you’re ready, the key to it is picking a beat count, a tempo, and
recording your music. You’re only allowed up to 16 beats, which is a little
disappointing but more than enough to get the job done (and
considering you can record more pieces, you can just combine them all
later).
Each time you touch the screen while recording, DopplerPad remembers
it and plays it back the next time around. This allows you to add
instrument after instrument. The DopplarPad video above gives you a
good idea, although we want to note that it will take a lot of work
before you can make music like they do on the video.
At $9.99 though, this app may be a bit too expensive for most people’s
tastes. And because it focuses specifically on electronica beats, the music
it can create may not be for everyone. If you’re just a guy who likes to
make funky sounds, DopplerPad works, but you really get the full benefit
if you use it to create actual music and remixes. The app is strong enough
to make a good dance club beat, but it’ll take a bit of practice before you
knock the socks of your friends at your next party.
Tags: DopplerPad, iphone, iphone app, music
WEB NEWS
Three Steps to Building an
Online Brand [Read Write Web]
JUL 21, 2009 08:49P.M.
This is one post/chapter in a serialized book called Startup 101. For the
introduction and table of contents, please click here.
The three steps to building an online brand are:
1. Look good,
2. Get noticed,
7
22 July 2009
3. Build trust.
In the long run, only the last one matters. Enron’s logo was just fine, and
it got noticed, but on that last count, well...
Sponsor
Look Good
You need to do many things on the cheap. but there is one thing on
which you should spend as much money as you can afford. Spend for it
in cash if you have it. Spend for it in equity if you don’t. Do it yourself if
you are brilliant at it. If you are lucky enough to have a friend who is
brilliant at it and will do it for free, well, good for you (but the fair thing
would be to give her or him some equity).
The thing we’re talking about here is logo design. Your logo will set the
theme of your site’s design. It will visually key off the story that you tell
in words.
Yes, you can re-design it later when you have the money. But when you
need to get noticed and you need those first impressions to be good ones,
a great logo really does matter.
Get Noticed, Part 1: Don’t Rely on PR Mechanics
When you are established, you can be a “PR mechanic” and do the basics,
such as:
• Send emails to bloggers,
• Announce news via wire services,
• Send press releases with embargoes.
Those mechanical tasks are fine when you are big and established and
well known. But they are totally pointless when you are working out of
your garage and no one has heard of you. You can do these things
yourself — they don’t cost much time or money — but just don’t rely on
them for results.
When starting out, you need to be a PR artist. You need a bit of magic to
get noticed. You cannot delegate this. You or your partner have to do this
because, first, you cannot afford to hire a PR person yet (at least not a
good one) and, secondly, anyone who picks up on your story will want to
speak to the person who was passionate enough to build the service.
You have to begin with an insanely great Web service. PR artistry won’t
help a poor site. Some people might take a look, but then they will ignore
it just as fast.
If you have a great service, then getting noticed is very easy. You tell
someone, who tells someone else, who tells someone else... That happens
fast in a networked world.
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
Get Noticed, Part 2: Study the Networking Science of PR
Artists
Magic is merely a science you don’t understand yet. The magic of PR
artists is understanding how networks of influence work and getting into
those networks wherever they can.
If you are a serial entrepreneur and your last venture was a roaring
success, simply contact a few mega-hubs of influence. They will surely
listen to you and get the word out, even if your new service is rubbish (in
which case, it will die after a short burst of hype).
But for you, the first-time entrepreneur, who doesn’t know anyone
famous, just getting anyone to listen to you is a small victory. Luckily,
today you have a couple of amazing social media tools to traverse those
networks of influence. The one you choose depends on your service:
• Twitter for a consumer service,
• LinkedIn for a business service.
Some fans may be annoyed that I left out Facebook, but there is a reason.
Facebook is designed to communicate with your friends. Those friends
may or may not be able to help you. If they can, that is probably a
coincidence. And relying on coincidence to build a business is not good.
Twitter is the easiest way for your consumer service to get noticed
because it is so open. Find experts in your area; it’s not hard. Google
around until you find some people who write intelligently about your
market. Then find those people on Twitter; they are probably there, but
if not, don’t worry: plenty of other experts will be.
Following those experts does not mean that they will follow you back.
But you can look at who they follow. Choose the ones who are experts in
your subject, and follow them too. See what hash tags they use, and put
out some tweets using the same tags. Re-tweet some of what they say;
they will notice it on their wall of vanity.
If one of the people they follow mentions you, your target expert may
notice. If two or three mention you, they certainly will.
This is certainly much, much easier and more effective than cold calling,
cold direct-mailing, or cold emailing.
Similar techniques are possible on LinkedIn. But by the time you read
this, they may be overused, ineffective, and regarded as spammy, and
LinkedIn or Twitter may have put in place controls to block certain
techniques.
So, as you look at the current social media world, just remember:
• Everything is a network. Traverse the network until you find some
entry points, and then start from there.
• Everything social revolves around conversations, and
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22 July 2009
conversations often start with a story and move on to a question.
Get Noticed, Part 3: Tell a Good Story and Ask a Question
Now you have a great site and a great logo. All you need now is a great
story. All three have to be in harmony. You need to be able to get that
story across in:
• One sentence in an email. 140 characters is as good a limitation as
any.
• 30 seconds verbally, at any F2F event when someone is in front
you. (If you are lucky enough to trap them in an elevator in a tall
building, you may have plenty of time. But you will more likely be
at a cocktail party after a conference and have far less time.)
• One page, or five minutes, once you have the person’s attention.
People have been telling stories ever since they have been hanging out in
caves, and all stories tend to have these characteristics:
• A beginning, middle, and end. Being a startup, you can tell only the
beginning. But you are claiming to know how the middle and end
will play out. You are spinning a science-fiction tale.
• Protagonists, tension, good vs. evil, with good winning out in the
end.
Corny? Sure. Effective? Definitely.
Whatever you do, though, don’t waste a good story-telling opportunity
with bland corporate-speak, PR-washed, yawn-inducing, click-away
drivel. Ask any journalist or blogger friend to send you the most cringe-
inducing examples of this to scare you straight. Keep the story human
and real and simple.
Once you’ve told your story, have a question ready. That is how you
engage in a conversation. The questions come at strategic points in your
flow. When you have finished your 140-character, 30-second story, ask a
question. Ask another question once you have finished your one-page,
five-minute version.
Here is the golden rule of questions:
Questions must be open-ended.
A closed question invites a “No.” You make it too easy for the person to
walk away. Basically, the question should be something along the lines
of:
“Well, what do you think?”
No, this won’t work every time. It won’t even work most of the time. You
will have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince.
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
Build Trust
Once you get noticed, you will have to build trust. In the end, a brand is
simply a representation of trust. You trust Red Bull to keep you awake
without damaging your system too much. (Okay, maybe not. Not
everyone trusts every brand.)
With a website, you are promising four things:
• This is not a scam.
• We will not abuse your privacy in any way at all. Period.
• We will not waste your time with buggy code, clumsy user
interfaces or long-winded articles that promise more than they
deliver.
• We will give you something either useful or entertaining (or better
yet, both, which would be magic but is not imperative).
Discuss
WEB NEWS
LendingTree Launches
MoneyRight to Challenge Mint
in Personal Finance [Mashable]
JUL 21, 2009 08:48P.M.
Personal finance tools on the web have been booming with both features
and users. The combination of more powerful web technologies and a
stinging recession have led people to tools like Mint, perhaps the hottest
company in this sector.
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22 July 2009
Meanwhile, LendingTree, the online lending exchange behind the well
known “when banks compete, you win” commercials, has been furiously
bringing its website into the Web 2.0 age. And while their website and
design have been cleaned up, they quietly took a different product out of
beta yesterday: MoneyRight, a new tool that helps you understand your
financial situation and provides financial advice based on your finances
and goals.
MoneyRight: A Virtual Financial Advisor?
MoneyRight has two core aspects: to show you where your money is and
to show you what your money means. On the first point, LendingTree’s
new tool works like Mint: it pulls in data from your banks and credit
cards and provides a simple overview of how much you have in income,
how much you spent, the status of your savings, and where you’re
spending it. It’s not as feature-rich as Mint in this department, but it
doesn’t skimp on features either. Its dashboard view is easy to
comprehend.
The second part, though, is where it separates itself from its competitors.
The system has something called “moneywise,” which provides you with
information on whether you’re meeting spending goals, the status of
your financial health, and even can help you figure out how much $200
invested in retirement today (rather than spent on a new iPhone 3GS)
will impact your financial future.
MoneyRight and the new MyLendingTree suite are essentially virtual
financial advisors. Their premise is that you don’t need to go to an
expensive financial planner when you have all the tools necessary to
understand your finances on Lending Tree. It seems that Lending Tree’s
taken the time to think out the implementation so that it has the
information you need without overwhelming you.
So now you may be wondering: is it better than Mint? Truthfully, there
isn’t a yes or no answer to that question. If you want better visualization
and management of your data, you’re better off with Mint. However, if
you like the idea of being able to plan out your finances (i.e. there’s a tool
that will tell you how many days you have until you’re broke if you’ve
been laid off), then LendingTree’s MoneyRight app is a free and
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

impressive choice (however, Mint Financial Fitness is also good for
improving your financial wellness).
See Also: HOW TO: Reorganize Finances Using the Web
Reviews: Mint
Tags: lendingtree, mint, personal finance
Sample tips include how to dress appropriately, dine properly, and meet-
and-greet people. For example, Travel Etiquette says not to be surprised
by social situations in Argentina that involve swearing.
...Don’t be alarmed or surprised to hear what you might
consider to be name-calling or swearing amongst friends. In
this instance, political correctness certainly does not rule
supreme, and Argentines might readily use phrases such as
‘fat’ or ‘big balls’ when talking to friends. No harm is meant,
it’s simply the culture and friendly banter!

The site also provides more general tips like how to behave in hotels and
airports, and also offers tips for blending in with the locals.
WEB NEWS
Have you traveled to a foreign country and learned some local customs
Travel Etiquette Site Explains in the process? Save your fellow readers from possible embarrassment by
sharing below. And since odds are you’ll be carrying a map, learn how to
How to Behave in Different fold one like a pro before you go.

Countries [Travel Tip] Travel Etiquette [via AppScout]

[LIfehacker[Travel Tip]]
JUL 21, 2009 08:00P.M.

WEB NEWS

Wait … Microsoft Had Its Own

Version of YouTube?
[Mashable… Microsoft Had Its
Own Version of YouTube?]
JUL 21, 2009 07:37P.M.

Every culture has its distinct customs and traditions. Web site Travel
Etiquette breaks them down by country to help teach you how to behave
before you head off on your trip so that you can represent yourself and
your home country well.

Photo by Ed Yourdon.

So far the site has over 60 articles including tips on how to behave when
in any place from Morocco and Japan to South Africa and Portugal; new
locations (including U.S. destinations) are added regularly. To find tips,
Is there any industry where Microsoft isn’t competing with bitter rival
you can type in the country name using the search box or just scroll
Google? Think about it: Bing vs. Google Search, Google Docs vs.
through the continents and countries listed in the sidebar. The site also
Microsoft Office (soon to be online), Gmail vs. Hotmail, Windows Mobile
lists featured articles on its homepage.
vs. Android, and let’s not forget Windows vs. Google Chrome OS.

10
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

With all of these high profile battles, you really can’t blame us if we’re
saying “meh” to the news that Microsoft is closing Soapbox. Wait, what’s
Soapbox you ask? Why, that’s their version of YouTube, and part of the
far more popular MSN Video website.

The YouTube clone opened up in early 2007, not long after Google
bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. It just hasn’t gained much traction
though – thus why you’ve probably never heard of it. And when you’ve
had a product out for over two years and you fail to make any inroads on
your much larger competitor, it’s a good time to quit.

But hey, I hear Microsoft’s embarking on a new venture: retail stores.

Maybe they’ll have better luck there.

The votes have been tallied and we’re back to showcase the top GPS
device from last week’s best GPS devices roundup. Sporting a
widescreen, easy-to-read at-a-glance visual indicators, and a host of
other perks (like the gas-saving EcoRoute mapping tool), Garmin’s Nüvi
line of in-car GPS devices takes home the prize for best GPS device.

The honors don’t fall exclusively to dedicated GPS devices however.

Second to the Nüvi was the iPhone. On top of the convenience of having
your GPS device pocket sized and with you all the time, the iPhone also
gets a popularity boost from the wide variety of applications available
through the App Store which take advantage of the GPS functionality.

For more information on the winners and other contenders, check out
the full Hive Five.

Reviews: Android, Gmail, Google, Google Docs, YouTube, bing

Tags: bing, microsoft, Soapbox, youtube

WEB NEWS

Remains of the Day: The iPod

WEB NEWS
touch with a Microphone Is
Best GPS Device: Garmin Nüvi
Basically an iPhone Edition [For
[Hive Five Followup]
What It’s Worth]
[LIfehackerüvi [Hive Five
[LIfehacker[For What It’s
Followup]]
JUL 21, 2009 07:30P.M. Worth]]
JUL 21, 2009 07:00P.M.

11
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

WEB NEWS

10 Impressive New
Implementations of Facebook
Connect [Mashable]
JUL 21, 2009 06:46P.M.

We ready to watch tonight’s eclipse online, spot video and photo

integration with Google Docs, and get excited about a VoIP iPhone
known as the iPod touch with a built-in microphone and camera.
Photo by michaelll.
• Eclipse of the Century Live Online Tonight
• “The century’s most dramatic solar eclipse will be visible along a
narrow swath of Asia and the Pacific Ocean later today. And,
thanks to some University of North Dakota researchers, it’ll be
visible on the internet, too. The live webcast begins at 5:15 p.m.
Pacific time.” [Wired]
• When will you get Windows 7 RTM?
• The short answer: Lots of different times—but much to Microsoft’s
dismay, it’ll probably hit BitTorrent relatively quickly. [Windows
7 Blog]
Facebook Connect is an
exceptionally useful technology for web developers. Not only can they
offer Facebook users one-click registration and sign-in, but by accessing
profile and social graph information, Facebook Connect gives developers
a way to create a richer experience for their visitors and gives publishers
a brand new promotional channel.
In January, we brought you a list of 10 great Facebook Connect
implementations, and developers across the web have been busy since
then coming up with new and innovative ways to integrate with
Facebook. So below is a list of 10 more great implementations of
Facebook Connect that stand out for their creativity, their usefulness, or
their seamless integration.
1. Watchmen on Blu-Ray

• Google Docs New Feature?

• Lifehacker reader xdreamwalker spots that Google Docs may
soon include Photos and Video. [Flickr]

• iPhone Push problem broadcasts your AIMs to random recipients,

could affect jailbroken/unlocked phones
• That can’t be good. [CrunchGear]

• BlackBerry Desktop coming to the Mac

• ...in September. We can wait. [CNET]

• Apple Preparing iPod Touch With Camera, Microphone: Source

• Can you say VoiPhone? [Wired]

12
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
Back in May, Warner Bros. announced that the special Director’s Cut
Blu-ray edition of the movie Watchmen would utilize Facebook Connect.
The disc arrived in stores today, and it does indeed feature Facebook
Connect features for those with BD-Live enabled Blu-ray players. That
means that people with both Facebook accounts and BD-Live players can
invite friends for live viewing parties, exchange comments, and update
their Facebook status.
Yes, that’s a lot of prerequisites, but still, the possibilities here are pretty
neat. As we noted in May, the new Watchmen integration is “a huge step
forward in bringing our social graph to entities beyond the Web.”
Also arriving today is a special edition Blu-ray version of the film 300
that also includes integrated Facebook features (300 and Watchmen
were both directed by Zach Snyder).
2. Frenzied Waters
13
22 July 2009
One thing we’re starting to see more and more is the use of Facebook
Connect for clever, and in the case of the Disovery Channel’s Frenzied
Waters, exceptionally unsettling marketing campaigns. A couple of
weeks ago, the Discovery Channel sent out packets to a handful of
bloggers containing some gnawed swim trunks, a key with a floating
keychain, a warning sign advising against swimming at the beach, and a
copy of an obituary customized with personal details about the blogger
the package was sent to.
One final item in the package was a shark tooth attached to a piece of
brass with the web address “FrenziedWaters.com” stamped on it. It was
clearly an invitation to visit the web site, where of course, the
ghoulishness continued. Frenzied Waters is an interactive flash movie
designed to make watchers feel like they’re in the water being attacked
by a shark. If you click on the floating jar all the way to the right (on the
splash screen), the application will ask you to connect with Facebook,
where it will pull photos and information from your account to create a
montage about your death by shark attack.
Our best guess is that Frenzied Waters is a promotional campaign for the
Discovery Channel’s upcoming Shark Week (which runs on the network
annually in August). If that’s the case, it is definitely brilliant — very,
very creepy, but brilliant nonetheless.
3. The Prototype Experience
Like Frenzied Waters, the Prototype Experience uses Facebook Connect
as a way to personalize a media campaign and insert you into a starring
role. The site is a promotion for the “Prototype” video game from
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

Activision and scores huge points for taking the normally static concept
of a trailer and making it interactive.

Once you connect with Facebook, the Prototype Experience pulls in

photos and other information from your profile in order to customize the
trailer and insert you into the video game’s world. The site adds a viral
element by asking you to “infect” your friends in order to enter for a
GirlsGuideTo is a social network just for girls that uses Facebook
chance to win an Xbox 360.
Connect as its only login option. By using Facebook Connect, the site is
able to make sure the network actually stays girls only.
4. Beware of the Doghouse

Because the vast majority of people don’t lie on their Facebook profiles,
Beware of the Doghouse is a brilliant marketing campaign for retailer
GirlsGuideTo is able to fairly accurately determine the gender of people
JCPenney from ad firm Saatchi & Saatchi that utilizes Facebook Connect.
trying to access the site and keep the guys out. The creators of the site
The site allows anyone to punish their significant other for a wrongdoing
plan to open a sister (brother?) site for guys in the future, and invites any
by putting them in the doghouse using Facebook.
male user attempting to get into GirlsGuideTo to sign up for beta
notifications.
Once notified that someone has placed you in the doghouse, users can
view a hilarious video about what life in the doghouse is like (above) or
Sorry guys, we are still in our beta but the Guys Corner will
they can find out how to get out of the doghouse… by buying diamond
be open soon. The “GC”, as we call it, is where you can post
jewelry from JCPenney, of course!
content, give advice, lend your perspective and provide real
time advice. Please fill out this form and we will send you a
5. Eventbee
notice as soon as the Guys Corner is open. Thanks

7. Tweetpo.st

Facebook has an amazing platform for virally publicizing events, but

right now, it doesn’t have any way to support ticket sales. Eventbee
solves that problem using Facebook Connect in a very clever way. Not
only can events be promoted on Facebook via your friends’ news feeds,
but Eventbee offers a way to turn your Facebook friends into ticket
sellers.
After your friends have connected to Eventbee via Facebook, they can
become “Partners,” and begin promoting your event to their own
networks on Facebook. You can allow your partners to offer their friends
a special discount rate on tickets and can even give Partners a sales
commission on the event tickets they sell.
6. GirlsGuideTo
For those of you who find yourselves spending more time on Twitter
these days, but still don’t want to give up on Facebook, there’s
Tweetpo.st. Tweetpo.st is an application that uses Facebook Connect as a
way to automatically update your Facebook status based on your
tweeting activity. The site will post any tweet (except @replies and those
containing !fb) to Facebook as a status update, but has some nifty
features to make your tweets read better on Facebook.
For example, tweets that include a URL can be posted on your Wall as a
shared link instead of as status updates, and tweets containing an
@username can automatically swap out the username for that person’s

14
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

Twitter “real name.” Further, tweets containing links can automatically

be encoded with Awe.sm, for users of that service.

8. Drop.io

Drop.io’s Facebook Connect integration essentially allows you to share

files and other media through your Facebook news feed and status
updates. Once you’ve connected your drop to Facebook, any time you
add new media to the drop, your friends will be notified via a status
update included in their news feeds. They can then click-through to the
drop and interact with the media or download the file you’ve shared.

For users that don’t want to publicly share their files, Drop.io offers a
“Friendlock” feature, which allows users to specify which friends get
invited to a certain drop and get notifications of new media added to the
drop.
9. Brightkite
In June, the Washington Post pushed out Facebook Connect integration.
On the surface, this just adds a way for Facebook users to get by the
annoying registration wall the paper puts on its content, and a way to
easily share stories from the Post site with your Facebook friends.

But on a deeper level, Facebook Connect could theoretically be very

valuable for the newspaper. They could get better ad targeting
information from user profiles, for example, or they could increase traffic
by syndicating user actions (like commenting) back to Facebook, or they
could personalize news based on your age, location, interests, or work —
the possibilities are really endless, and show how Facebook Connect
could be important for the future of the newspaper business.

BONUS: Xbox Live

Location-based social network Brightkite is one of those obvious

candidates for Facebook Connect integration, and they’ve done a
wonderful job with it. Once you create an account and sign in (which can
be done via Facebook Connect), visit your settings page to grant
Brightkite deeper access to your Facebook account.

You can specify settings for your checkins, notes, and posted photos, and
whether you want those automatically added to your Facebook status,
news feed, or photo albums. (Brightkite can also sync each of those types
of updates with Twitter.)

10. The Washington Post

Starting this fall, Xbox Live will get an update that will allow you to
connect to Facebook directly from your console. That unlocks all sorts of
possibilities — sharing scores with Facebook friends, challenging buddies
to online games, making photo albums of in-game screenshots, etc.

The actual details are a bit hazy now, so we’ll have to wait until the
update is rolled out this autumn to know for sure how cool (or lame)
Facebook Connect on the Xbox really is.

More Facebook resources from Mashable

- 5 Great Examples of Facebook Connect on the iPhone

15
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
- FACEBOOK FAIL: How to Use Facebook Privacy Settings
and Avoid Disaster
- HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on Facebook
- 9 Fantastic Facebook Pages for Fashion
Reviews: Blu, Brightkite, Facebook, Twitter
Tags: brightkite, drop.io, eventbee, facebook, facebook connect, frenzied
waters, girlsguideto, jcpenney, Lists, prototype, tweetpo.st, washington
post, watchmen, xbox, XBox live
WEB NEWS
Seven e-Learning and Teaching
Resources [Read Write Web]
JUL 21, 2009 06:19P.M.
While the down economy continues to hurt funding to our schools, more
and more teachers are looking to web-based services to help educate
their students. Whether its through open resource projects like CK-12,
virtual classrooms like those in Second Life, or through the repurposing
of tools like Twitter, millions of teachers are finding innovative resources
to engage their students. If you’re a teacher, here are seven great tools to
get you started.
Sponsor
1. Scitable: Geared towards advanced high school and college science
students, Nature Education launched Scitable to provide free online
access to more than 180 overviews of key scientific and genetics
concepts. The tool consists of a 220 article content library (often cited
from members of the Nature Publishing group, more than 200 virtual
classrooms set up by teachers across the globe, and an mentor network
of experts poised to answer student questions. Educators and students
can upload their own content for exploration and discussion while the
16
22 July 2009
content library provides a number of articles accepted as valid sources at
the university level.
2. Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundation launched
Edutopia in the hopes of creating educational best practices for
multimedia in the classroom. The site includes online polls, curated
blogs, assessment tools and a dedicated magazine for educators at the K-
12 levels. The 2009 Webby Award winning site’s best content is in its
library of high-production videos for teachers and educators.
3. LearnHub: LearnHub is a network where members can create their
own communities, share lessons, chat, create tests and tutor each other
online at no cost. Schools create their own virtual classrooms where
students complete assignments, play games and share photos and text.
One of the great features of this site is that the site’s report generator
allows teachers to track users’ progress. While the content is not as in-
depth as Scitables, this is a good site for standardized test preparation
and basic K-12 education exercises. For more examples of test
preparation sites see our RWW list of resources.
4. Moodle: Moodle is a free open source course management platform
designed to help teachers create better online resources. Microsoft
Education Labs recently announced a new Live@edu plug-in for Moodle.
Now in addition to providing lesson plan tools, assignment and quiz-
making tools for teachers, schools also gain access to Outlook Live for e-
mail, Office Live Workspace for document sharing, Windows Messenger
for chat and Windows Live SkyDrive for 25 GB of storage. This tool is
slightly more advanced than some of the others in the industry, but it
does offer a number of scalable solutions.
5. Edmodo: Edmodo is a private micro-blogging service for schools that
allows teachers to edit privacy options within their virtual classrooms.
Educators generate a join code and students log-in to chat, link to files,
share notes and check their collective calendars for upcoming exams,
quizzes and Pro-D days. While some of the other tools we’ve presented
offer an open access learning environment, this invite-only service offers
students the chance to utilize web-based multimedia tools while allowing
teachers to control an online discussion’s security.
6. YouTube Edu: YouTube Edu is a allows students and educators to
access lectures from leading educators across the country. For example,
Yale and Brandeis University professors upload their lessons for public
enjoyment. One of the most popular Channels is the National
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning - a collaboration

launched by the Indian Institutes of Technology and Science in
Bangalore.
7. ESL Video: ESL Video allows language educators to create a quizzes
from virtually any video on the internet. From here they can embed their
quizzes into their classroom sites or redirect students to the ESL Video
domain. Teachers tailor their video quizzes to specific learning units or
create simple vocabulary quizzes like the one I made below using
YouTube videos. While this tool may not be as sophisticated as some of
the above services, its merit comes from the fact that teachers can
incorporate pop culture products into their lesson plans with very little
effort. Judging by the fact that the below Miley Cyrus video has more
than 92 million YouTube views, teachers may be able to harness this tool
to ignite a love of learning.
Miley Cyrus 7 Things Quiz
Let’s be honest here, you’re the educators! If you’ve got your own favorite
resources, add them in the comments below.
Before the integration was announced, hundreds of Salesforce CRM
customers had requested that some bright AppExchange developer take
advantage of the FreshBooks APIs. Despite the popularity of
Salesforce.com, FreshBooks had first been connected to four other CRM
systems.
In terms of functionality, it looks like converting contacts and
opportunities in Salesforce.com to invoices is fairly easy. In addition to
simply moving data from one platform to the other, the Connector
creates a tab within your CRM to monitor activities on your 20 most
recent invoices. There’s a 15-day free trial for the app, but after that it’ll
cost you $50/month per organization.
Overall, this new app is a match made in heaven, for sales at least. If
you’re seeking to try it out however, you’ll have to get it direct from
FirmCloud, since it’s strangely hidden as a private feature in the
AppExchange.

Discuss Discuss

WEB NEWS WEB NEWS

AppExchance Win: FreshBooks MyBoneYard Rewards You for

Now Connects with Recycling Your Old Electronics
Salesforce.com [Read Write [Recycle] [LIfehacker[Recycle]]
JUL 21, 2009 06:00P.M.
Web]
JUL 21, 2009 06:07P.M.

Today, the Salesforce AppExchange has acquired one of the most-

requested additions to Salesforce.com CRM: integration with
FreshBooks, the popular Web-based invoicing software.

Built by cloud development agency FirmCloud in collaboration with

FreshBooks, the FreshBooks Connector for Salesforce allows an
enterprise to smoothly create an invoice for a contact or opportunity
within their CRM.

Sponsor

17
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

WEB NEWS

Google Wave Opens to Non-

Developers in September [Beta
Beat] [LIfehacker[Beta Beat]]
JUL 21, 2009 05:45P.M.

Eager to get your hands on Google Wave, the new idea from Google
that’s “what email would look like if it were invented today“? According
to the Official Google Wave Developer Blog, they’ll be extending 100,000
invites to regular old users on September 30th. In the meantime, take a
Need more incentive to recycle your old or unused electronics? Web site
closer look at Google Wave with our highlight reel and hands-on Wave
MyBoneYard recycles your electronics and, if you’re lucky, will offer you
Q&A. [Google Wave Developer Blog]
a reward too.

Recycling your item through MyBoneYard is free via a printable shipping

label. Depending on the model and condition of your item, you could get
an additional little reward for recycling. Start the process by clicking on
the “What Can I Recycle?” option. Choose your item, enter its
information—brand, model, condition—and you’ll find out what your
reward for recycling is—whether it’s money or just the knowledge that WEB NEWS
you’re helping the environment. Fill out your personal information, print
out your label, and ship off the package. Keeping tabs on it—and your
Digg Stops Hijacking Your
reward—can be done via the status screen.
Twitter Links, Not Sorry About
The whole “reward” concept here is a little sketchy, since it seems
obvious that they’re offering the reward because they plan on reselling
It [Mashable]
the item—so it’s probably more accurate to say that the site buys or JUL 21, 2009 05:10P.M.
recycles your old or unused electronics. Still, it’s nice to have a one-stop
shop for doing both, especially if you just want to unload something
rather than spending time trying to sell it. MyBoneYard is currently US
only.

MyBoneYard [via MakeUseof]

This weekend, Digg quietly made a small change to its Digg.com URL

18
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

shortener with big implications. Instead of Digg short URLs directing
you to the source of a story, they started directing you to a landing page
on Digg.com. This also applied to URLs that were created months ago. In
other words, Digg hijacked our Twitter links.
The result was an uproar by content publishers and Digg’s users. Blogs
were steamed about the situation and Digg users pushed our story
confirming the change past 1300 diggs while dropping over 230
comments, most of them critical of Digg.
Digg, It’s About Trust
The entire controversy could have been avoided if Digg had announced
the change prior to implementation. It would have been even better if
Digg had not misled its users about the purpose of DiggBar URLs and
the publishers that work with it, regardless of whether or not it was
intentional.

Now, Digg is back-peddling on the issue, sort of. Although links created
before the change will now direct to the source, going forward, short
links will continue to direct to Digg for non-logged in users. Nonetheless,
the result is a shortsighted decision that breaks the trust that Digg had
built with publishers and users.
Digg’s Reasoning
When the Digg URL shortener launched, Digg’s founder Kevin Rose said
the following about it (I’ve embedded the video above):
“The second I hit enter, now I am redirected to the same
page but this time with the DiggBar at the top and a new,
short Digg URL. This of course, is perfect for sending
around email or sites such as Twitter or Facebook.

The problem now is that Digg URLs are not perfect for sending links to
your friends because you have no idea what page it’s going to lead
them to. If it’s an old URL, it’ll lead you to the original story. If it’s a
new URL, it could lead you to the original article, or maybe it’ll lead you
to Digg if someone has already submitted it. Oh, and it gets even more
complicated if you’re logged in. Does anyone else see the problem here?

In a blog post, Digg’s CEO attempted to clarify their stance on the issue.
Digg’s change may help with traffic in the short-term, but long-term it is
We have quoted part of the post and bolded the parts we believe to be
a shortsighted move that continues a slow deterioration of trust between
most important below:
users and the people that make the site function. While users and
publishers aren’t going to be abandoning Digg over this, they will think
“As we’ve stated in the past, the DiggBar is meant to
twice when trusting Digg’s word or any of its new products. These types
streamline the Digg experience and provide our registered
of decisions are the type of thing that can destroy a brand – let’s just
users with the opportunity to catch up on comments, related
hope that they remember that before making changes like this in the
stories and additional source content. Our strategy with
future.
Digg short URLs is to facilitate sharing of Digg
content, not to be a conventional redirection service.
Reviews: Digg, Facebook, Twitter

Last week, we made a change that began directing

Tags: digg
non-logged in traffic generated from Digg short
URLs to Digg story pages where they can view the
comments and related content. In response to feedback, all
short URLs that were generated *before* today will
now behave as they did prior to last week’s change by
taking the user directly to the source content. Logged-in Digg
WEB NEWS
users will continue to be directed to the source content with
the DiggBar (if they have it turned on). Of course, if the
content has never been submitted to Digg, viewers will
Internet Explorer Determines
continue to be sent directly to the source.” Which Add-ons Slow Down
We’re glad that Digg had the sensibility to reverse its retroactive changes
and old Digg links will go back to linking directly to the source. But the
Browsing [Internet Explorer]
damage has been done, and worse yet, it’s only the latest saga in a series
of questionable decisions by the popular social media site. Back in April,
[LIfehacker[Internet Explorer]]
JUL 21, 2009 05:00P.M.
Digg’s DiggBar was (rightly) accused of hurting website SEO (search
engine optimization), users began to block the DiggBar, and finally Digg
caved to the pressure.

19
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
Internet Explorer 8 only: Internet Explorer may be the least popular
browser among our readers, but weblog IEBlog demonstrates how to
determine which add-ons are slowing down your IE page loads with a
tool we wish other browsers would pick up on.
Internet Explorer 8 added a column for load time to the Manage Add-
ons dialog; this shows you how long each add-on takes to load, on
average, each time you open a new tab. To open the dialog, click Tools ->
Manage Add-ons. You can sort the add-ons by load time by ungrouping
them (right-click the column headers, then choose Group By -> None)
and then clicking the Load time header. Once you find the culprit(s):
If you do not want to keep a slow loading add-on around, you
can disable it, and it won’t be loaded the next time you open a
new window or tab. You can also open Add/Remove
Programs and remove IE add-ons that you are not using. This
removes the add-on for all users on the computer.
The article mentions Skype 4.1 as a known offender, but sound off in the
comments if you’ve found other Internet Explorer add-ons that make
tabs load slower than molasses. As for the rest of you browsers—this
feature would be invaluable for hunting down your own bloat-inducing
extensions. (We’re looking at you, Firefox.)
How to make IE open new tabs faster [IEBlog]
WEB NEWS
Are Your Tweets Straight or
Gay? [Mashable]
JUL 21, 2009 04:58P.M.
20
22 July 2009
Much like San Diego’s Pride festival, which just occurred this past
weekend, Stockholm Pride is Sweden’s annual festival celebrating gay
pride. With the event right around the corner, they’ve created a harmless
and silly little web app that analyzes your tweets and tells you how hetero
(or not) you are.
The appropriately named How Hetero? is a simple little app that lets you
enter the Twitter name of you, your friends, or your favorite Tweeting
celebs, and find out their heterosexual percentage based on the words
they use in their tweets.
There’s nothing extra special to the How Hetero? app, but depending on
your curiosity it could prove to be a pretty entertaining distraction. Once
you find out your score, or the score of anyone else, you can grab and
embed the mini pride badge, publish the results on Facebook, or tweet it
out to your followers.
Even if you’re not the pride celebrating type, you have to admit that it’s a
pretty cute way for Stockholm Pride to spread buzz about the event and
their mission. So how hetero are your tweets? Feel free to share your
score with us in the comments.
[via Gawker]
Reviews: Facebook, Twitter
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
Tags: gay pride, how hetero, stockholm pride, twitter
WEB NEWS
Australian Police Save
Residents From Their Unsecure
WiFi Networks [Mashable]
JUL 21, 2009 04:18P.M.
As more and more people set up their personal/home WiFi networks,
opportunistic WiFi hijackers are finding themselves free to roam around
cities in search of unsecure networks. At the very least they’re attempting
to piggyback off the internet connections of unsuspecting individuals,
but there’s also the risk of far more serious issues like identity theft.
The Queensland, Australia Police are wise to this growing trend, and in
an effort to educate citizens and combat cyber crimes, they’ve decided to
do something about it. Police in the area are now going on what they call
“wardriving” missions to actively search for open and unsecure wireless
networks so that they can notify people at risk.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Queensland Police efforts
are preemptive measures to protect their citizens, as would-be WiFi
exploiters have criminal interests and are “now sharing information on
satellite maps showing vulnerable areas with large numbers of unsecured
networks.”
Queensland Police believe that they are the first department in the world
to undertake wardriving. We’re not sure if this is the case, though we’re
yet to hear of anything similar happening stateside, and we’re impressed
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with their foresight and concern in protecting citizens from identity
theft.
Of course, it is a little unsettling to think about police roaming around
trying to detect how secure our WiFi networks are (especially if you’re
not a fan of big brother), but we can only hope that the information is
used for good, and that Queensland Police efforts help spread awareness
around the issue.
See Also: A Guide to Protecting Your Online Identity
Tags: crime, cyber crime, identity theft, queensland police, wardriving,
wifi
WEB NEWS
Wikis Get Enlisted in Military
Experiments [Read Write Web]
JUL 21, 2009 04:10P.M.
For many branches of the U.S. military, it’s the year to bring Web 2.0
inside the war room. Flagship experiments in many a division are using
open source wiki software like MediaWiki and MindTouch.
In both free and paid deployments, these collaborative networks are
proving to be a favorite testing ground for a new way to manage the
knowledge of soldiers. In some ways, these rigidly hierarchical
organizations are displaying an real willingness to experiment, compared
to the civilian businesses declaring themselves enterprise 2.0.
Sponsor
In late June, the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate and the Battle
Command Knowledge System (shorthand for “no one outside the
military knows what we actually do”), made public their efforts to allow
soldiers to update Field Manuals via wiki.
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com
The real source of knowledge for any field manual, military or civilian, is
the people on the ground. The process of gathering and filtering that
information to put it in to official Army Field Manuals typically takes
three to five years, and the wiki experiment is tasked with seeing if they
can reduce that time frame. It’s no surprise they’re emphasizing the real-
time capabilities of sharing information: after all, wiki means quick.
This initial pilot is built on MediaWiki, the free and open source software
behind Wikipedia, and will let Army personnel get their hands on seven
Field Manuals already in use.
This isn’t the first time the U.S. military has tried the wiki way. For some
time now, RDECOM in the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, the US
Marine Corps, and the Defense Language Institute have been
MindTouch customers.
There’s no doubt that wiki software of all kinds has been used on a
departmental basis within the military for years. But this summer’s test
is the first time the Army itself has gone public with one. No doubt they’ll
find the software and the collaborative culture it inspires transformative.
Discuss
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22 July 2009
WEB NEWS
Take Screenshots of Your
Android Phone [Android]
[LIfehacker[Android]]
JUL 21, 2009 04:00P.M.
If you’ve ever wanted to share an image of what you are seeing on your
Android phone’s screen, the Simple Help blog runs down the process of
taking a screenshot from your Windows PC.
To take a screenshot, you’ll be required to enable USB Debugging under
the settings, install the Android software development kit, and then
connect to the phone with a debug tool so you can take a screenshot. The
process sounds long and painful, but it’s actually just a few steps, and the
Simple Help guide walks you through it easily—and the next time you
want to share a screenshot with a friend, you’ll be able to do so.
Hit the link for the full walk-through, or check out how GetPDAScreen
takes screenshots of your Windows Mobile device.
How to take screenshots of your Android based phone from Windows
[Simple Help]
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR craig.kirchoff@gmail.com 22 July 2009

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