Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Bloody Thursday: Google Deadpools slide all goods except for one

MG Siegler at TechCrunch to write for the 2009 year. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, almost all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch it covers different technologies beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

google-slide-zurich-copy

Because we need more big tech news this week. Yes, it's true that Google just brought down the hammer on the slide, as Liz Gannes AllThingsD was first reported earlier this evening. Yes, it is true that Max Levchin leaves. Now we know the fate of all products slide. And it's not pretty.

They all went out of business, except for one, we have learned. This means the slideshow products to Google's acquisition of the company a year ago, and new to slide command builds within Google over the past year. Yes, it includes new products like Disco, pool party, incoming video and just started last week Photovine. They are all dead.

The lone exception Prizes.org (which we reviewed here), we have heard. The reason is that it was elaborated by a group of slides in China for Google, and they will keep is, apparently.

It was only in August last year, Google bought slide for about $ 200 million after employee bonuses. The idea is to get more serious about social gaming, and get a proven entrepreneur Levchin on board. But much has changed in the past year — on the one hand, Eric Schmidt is no longer a Director. For another Google now has Google +.

The slide has been running as a fully autonomous unit is broken down into smaller groups inside of Google. During the time that seemed like a good strategy that can keep Google prompt. Now it just looks kind of silly.

The slide was so autonomous that many work on products that compete with features that were part of the Google +. Many of the applications created iOS first, and does not work at all on Google Android platform.

For its part, Google has only the following statement:

Max decided to leave the slide, and use other features, and we wish him success. Most of the commands from the slide stays on Google to work on other opportunities.

This is also true that slide commands not to learn about this bloodshed before this afternoon. Can you help but feel bad for those commands-especially Photovine command, which is really just run their spots photo sharing app a week ago. Unlike other projects slide Google even gave them both PR resources to get the word out about app. eight days later, dead.

Larry page was clearly not messing around with his efforts to streamline Google as much as possible and trim any fat. While Google said that the majority of the members of the Group slide will remain on Google, I wouldn't be surprised to see the outcome pretty quickly.

Update: slide just put up the following blog post to let customers know about cancelled the product:

We wanted to give you all in advance in the coming months the resignation of a number of products and applications of the slide. This includes slide in products such as slideshows and SuperPoke! Pets, as well as more recent products such as Photovine, video of the Inbox and pool party. We have created products with a view to providing a fun way for people to connect, communicate and share. Although we are incredibly grateful to our users and for all the wonderful feedback over the years, many of these products is no longer as active or has not yet caught as we initially expected.

Most importantly we would like to take this opportunity to assure you that we are committed to help our users save their data as easily as soon as possible. We recognize that many of you are valuable content with us and want to assure you that, whenever possible, you'll have plenty of time to load this information or transfer it to another service.

For example, Slide.com, we will allow users to upload their photos, or export them in Picasa account. We are working to release this function exports in the coming weeks, and after adding, users will have several months to take advantage of the translation of their photos.


Google provides search and advertising services, which together seek to organize and monetize the world's information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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Slide was founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, makes widgets that help people express themselves. The company took a big risk in 2006 year, when they gave users the ability to ...

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Ness serves up their first personal search app to open a restaurant

MG Siegler at TechCrunch to write for the 2009 year. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, almost all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch it covers different technologies beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

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Last night I went out for lunch. But I didn't get where I was going, Ness did. Location was good. Only one for Ness.

We previously covered Ness calculations in July, when talking about technologies that will power their possible applications (as well as their funding). Today, the first such app has gone live in the App Store, called simply, Ness. This is a personal search engine, meals in restaurants. And that's fine.

While most of the food and restaurant recommendation apps focus on ratings from the general population, Ness adapted around social, as well as your own taste. Others have tried this before as well, but Ness seemed to have nailed it thanks to a ton of data they've been pulling up the app even started.

They can do this because they hook into Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter (as well as several other smaller sources) find signals some of the restaurants. People tweeting about liking them? Users check out there much? These sorts of things. This helps determine which restaurants Ness must show you within an application.

When you first load up the app, you are asked to assess ten places you have visited. This helps calibrate points "Likeness" of the key recommendations. Those scores likeness appear as probability percentage that you like the restaurant shows. This, together with the proximity and social data to determine what restaurants are provided to you.

But the application from a search engine in the more traditional sense. You can easily search for different types of food, whether General or specific. And you can choose to search in other cities. Or you can change the search options to limit your search by price and weed out the more circuits, for example.

When you find your favorite place you can go deeper to get hours, phone numbers, website, etc. you can also save space to return later. And you can share restaurants with friends with the click of a button.

They key to app, though, is the ease of use and data accuracy. I constantly find similarity ratings were roughly correct what my actual rating be for restaurants, I was in and the system will only get better, how do you appreciate more space.

The appearance of the application is also beautiful. I said that we can thank the initial team member iPhone Apple previously and now with Ness, to do so.

Remember that restaurant recommendations just step one of Ness hopes to offer. Next steps will indicate similarity engine to shops, music, nightlife and entertainment. All that can be done in one killer, subjective mobile search system.

You can find the Ness in the App Store here. Unfortunately, it is only for United States at the present time.


Ness mission – to make calculations of personal search. Combining an understanding of human nature on their experience in search, recommendations, and social networks, the company can deliver the experience ...

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XYDO, Web social network for news, brings daily, custom sticky notes to your Inbox (invites)

RIP Empson-writer at TechCrunch. He did not find friends here, he is here to win and you don't forget it. You can contact him at rip [at] techcrunch [dot] com ? more

Screen shot 2011-08-25 at 3.15.58 PM

Where do you get your news (TechCrunch, of course)? Some of you may be familiar to the tactile experience of newsprint, ink on my fingers, but chances are that your news consumption is largely online — or on a mobile device. But thanks to content fire hose, which is the Internet, there are a lot of irrelevant junk floating around out there, and thus focus digital readers and content distributors has improved filters, aggregators and readers of this channel noise in the signal.

Whether your go to resource for real-time news will be Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, or TechMemes the world we all are looking for simple, curator, and social, way to use content from the sites we believe — as we would like to, but not so frequently visit.

XYDO, run, which began in May and raised $ 1.25 from EPIC ventures and many of the angels in June, hopped in the space of social news, user experience, which combines the best parts of sites like Digg, and Hacker News in an effort to serve you with relevant, curator and social news from top content houses.

XYDO met with early success (over 750000 unique visitors in August only) from this very idea: he wanted to be news, which effectively prioritizes content that really matters to you. Firstly, it does so through its Web platform. But what if we don't want to click over XYDO.com each time we want to get the latest news?

To expand its mission news personalization and try to hit the user with a virtual version of rolled up newspaper directly at home, launching today announces the launch of XYDO brief, which seeks to deliver a personalized and relevant news based on the user's social interactions, networks, and traces all email, place they may constitute at least once a day.

News by email? And this is nothing new, you might say. And you'd be wrong. But XYDO hopes to offer a value proposition and an opportunity to rethink that position, combing your social network to ensure a truly just and real-time Web method to get the news through the Inbox. A brief XYDO uses the same social, sourcing mixed with actual human curation techniques that it uses its flagship product.

Each piece of content that enters the system (from more than 100000 content sources) is scored based on the recommendations of its launch 2 million + contributors and curators. Using the secret sauce of social network aggregation and prioritization, mixed with crowdsourced Conservancy, XYDO serves its users in between personalized News 10-12 in each email is passed these guidelines have been tested to ensure social news you get in your Inbox you want to see news.

The default value for the XYDO a brief — one message per day, but users can navigate to and select the different categories of explosions (whether "technology" or "policy"), they would get, as well as how many of these notes they wish to receive, and what time of day. For those who live on the wire this seems very similar; This e-mail version widely available.

Thus, for those of us who in one way or another to spend all day in our mailboxes, being able to tinker with a simple service, which you configure in an attempt to provide a simple way to read news without having to go look for our social networks and favorite content sources — is of paramount importance.

Also note: XYDO provides readers with TechCrunch with 500 exclusive (and free) should check their new product. To test the service for yourself, click here. Then come on back and let us know what you think.


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Microsoft patenting multi-touch Screen, multi-touch gestures

Jordan Crook studied English literature at the University of New York before entering the tech space. Prior to joining TechCrunch Crook dabbled in mobile marketing and mobile apps, as well as doing reviews of devices for MobileMarketer and MobileBurn. Kruk, fascinated with the production of alternative sources of energy and greentech. It is currently for CrunchGear writer. ? Read More

msftbezel

(Update: the patent is not granted, only recently released.)

Back in February 2010, Microsoft, applies to the number of patents related to touch screen gestures on the tablet. Many of them relate to the dual screen device, conjuring up images of slate courier times greatly anticipated. Other mainly framed gestures. These patents went public today, though they do not actually have been provided yet.

With the IP wars rage around the world, it's definitely worth taking a look at the technology that Microsoft is trying to claim. So off we go:

Off-screen gestures to create on-screen input:

This is pretty interesting. It basically brings the bezel into the equation, as gestures go. A patent provides the single touch gestures, multi-finger hand gestures and multi-finger gestures by various parties, all of which can run along the border, the transition from from the inside or the outside inside. Now all Microsoft needs for multi-toe various foot gestures and frame belongs to them. There is also mention of frame gestures, stirring up a drop-down menu.

We have already seen something similar to this on a BlackBerry PlayBook. The device wake-up Pavement you slide your finger up the screen bezel. -Mul'tizadacnost' requires the same gesture, but the party slate in the screen.

Radial menu frame gestures:

So, we have another patent related to the frame, this time dealing with a radial menu. It basically describes how access, navigation and use of a radial menu on the screen by using frame gestures. We haven't seen a lot of pie radial menu, with the exception of Microsoft Surface and a little taste of one in honeycombs in the browser. Honeycomb pie menu works by placing half of a finger on the screen, half on the front panel while the screen is only part of the device to receive input.

Multi-finger gestures:

However, another frame of the patent. But the last of the bunch, I promise. This really is very similar to the first there, but covers exactly what the name suggests: multi-finger gestures. It also covers the use of multi-finger gestures associated with one or more drawers exposable (and perhaps custom). It also disseminates gestures for use on a device with multiple screens.

And with this we can head on over to another package of patents completely focused on the multi-screen gestures.

Multi-screen Double Tap gesture:

This next patent focused mainly on classic double-tap, and how it is used on two-(or multi-) screen of the device. From what I understand, it looks like it handles double-tap as a way to transition to full-screen mode and Microsoft is calling "pocketing" knocked object. That's when the device uses a combination of cross display screen. However, if the device is in split-screen mode, double-tap displays knocked the image in full screen on one display and compressed, on the other.

Multi-Screen pinch and expand gestures:

Another classic touch gesture, but with the added awesomeness multi-screen system: pinch zoom. Unlike the double-tap a patent, it doesn't seem to be any mention of funky pinch zoom split screen commands. There's nothing really super new about it, except for the introduction of multiple screens.

Multi-screen bookmarks hold gesture

This is very interesting. This particular patent describes a way to bookmark certain "magazine" page on the device through a corner of the page history on the first screen, and perform a rolling motion on the second screen to confirm that the bookmark. We assume that the use of the term "inner page" refers to all content types. Then choose the link tab on the first screen and be identified by a log portion of the page, showing how the bookmark icon.

Multi-screen retention and page flip gesture:

Retention and page flip patent has to do with split screen viewing. By holding one finger on the screen whose content you would like to continue to view and run any movement of unspecified "input" on another screen content above the fold "will," while the content on another screen will change, or "flip".

Multi-screen retain and Tap gesture:

And last, but definitely not least we have the hold and use the patent. This one is the relationship between the two screens. In one case, a display object on the first screen and conversations will move second said object from the first screen on the second screen, right where you are. As another example, retention and TAP gesture can be used to copy the object held on the second screen. If the display object on the first screen happens to be a function and this function and the second screen will apply this function displays an object on the second screen.

Who knows when, if ever, these patents will be crowned with success? But Microsoft is trying to control technology, other designers tablet should take note of these patents. Especially if the multi-screen device in the works (read Sony).

[via Microsoft news]


Microsoft, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is a veteran software company, best known for its Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office suite of ...

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Local business reviews site Angie's list of the files for an IPO of $ 75 million

Leena Rao is currently working as a writer for TechCrunch. She recently finished graduate school Medill School of journalism at Northwestern University, where she studied business journalism and videography. From 2004 to 2007 she helped lead Congresswoman Carloyn Maloney advocacy and community relations in New York. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003, where it was ... ? Read More

angies-list

After Jive IPO filing, $ 100 million yesterday, local business reviews site Angie's list is throwing its hat into the ring, S-1 this afternoon. Volia raises $ 75 million, according to the filing.

As we wrote in the past, Angie's list offers consumers the ability to analyse and evaluate physicians, contractors and service companies on the Internet. The company started in 1995, with an emphasis on House, yard and car services in the field, is located at the intersection of local search, user generated content and subscription based services. Today, Angie's list has created nearly 100 million dollars from battery ventures, t. Rowe Price, city investment group, Cardinal enterprises and others.

June 30, 2011, the company offered its service for paying members of 170 local markets in the United States. Angie's list has grown to 820000 paid membership, whose growth was primarily due to its national advertising strategy. However, shelling out big bucks for the maketing advertising, marketing expenses for the acquisition of new members in 2010, and, accordingly, 30.2 million and $29,2 million in the first six months of the year 2011.

In 2010, and six months ended June 30, 2011 year, Angie list income amounted to $ 59.0 to $38,6 million, respectively. In the same period, the company had a net loss of $27,2 million and $25,8 million, respectively.

The company alleges that since 1995, the site gathers feedback from 2.2 million of local services suppliers from members.


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Taboola raises $ 9 million power recommendations of online video

Jason Kincaid is currently working as a writer at TechCrunch. He grew up in Danville, California and later moved to Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, where he studied biology with a minor in "society and genetics". You can contact him at jkincaidtc@gmail.com (it has other addresses too, so don't worry if you have another). ? Read More

taboola-1

Taboola, a service that supports many video recommendation widgets, you will find on the Internet, has raised, 9 million series b round of financing. Round led by Crescent point, which is based in New York and Asia, as well as Evergreen VC, who participated in previous rounds.

This round brings total financing of Taboola to 15 million dollars (she had previously raised $ 4.5 million round in November 2008, and 1.5 million round in November 2007).

Taboola gives publishers a turnkey product for consideration and for recommendation of any video platform, they use (integrated with Brightcove, Ooyala & other services). It is actually easier said than done — surfacing related videos is hard enough and then there's the question of assessing whether they people really want to watch the video. Taboola is in and he landed a lot of notable clients, including the New York Times, USA Today, CNN and Bloomberg.

Service makes extensive analytics on the performance of each video, creating the scores for each called ' EngageRank ' (he is also trying to adapt the recommendations for each user).  And this often leads to more clicks, the company said the disks as in 2.5 times more video, watch at Bloomberg.

In addition to financing, the company announced a new milestone: now generates recommendations 250 million per day throughout its publisher partner sites.


Taboola's mission is to organize collections in the world of online video and convert video discovery experience in a simple and pleasant. Taboola is a supplier in the world ...

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Photographer spends hundreds of thousands to create an 8 × 10 digital sensor

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | Custom manifest | Our great sin his personal ????-coldewey.cc. ? Read More

Maxback-Feinberg

Mitchell Feinberg – a photographer who specializes in beautiful shooting very expensive things. Cars, luxury watches, that sort of thing. He shoots at 8 x 10 film that expensive enough that you'll usually need to get it right the first time. Therefore, he shoots test shots at the moment 8 x 10 Polaroid film, make sure the exposure and focus right. At $ 15 a pop, 7 or 8 shots in test photo and dwindling supplies of Polaroid film itself (although it is impossible to draft seeks to tinker with it), it became apparent Feinberg that he could not continue to do things this way.

In such a way that he did? No, he doesn't buy worksheet or Hasselblad. He decided that he would Commission the world's large color digital back. After some haggling and the assurance that Yes it was serious, the prototype was together in 2010 and its production unit delivered in early 2011.

He calls his Maxback. This is totally 8 × 10; to compare the best digital back, Hasselblad and CFV-50, 36.7 x 49.1 mm. Feinberg said that the largest available backs about 4.5 x6cm. Here is a comparison to show you how it corresponds with the Maxback:

Yes, quite a difference. Interesting bit is that the Maxback not intended for the production of many pixels. In fact this entire huge sensor only produces 16-bit, 10-megapixel images. This 10-megapixel image quality, of course, because of the quality of the lens and pixel size, but still not large enough for high-precision printing posters, magazines and so on.

It takes a few shots with a digital back (which he equipped with his large-format installation exactly), then just switch it out for the film 8 × 10, when he is satisfied.

The cost was ... and I explain: "Feinberg, development and production of two backs (I like to have spare) was equal to the cost of a good size House – pre-accident housing". We therefore speak of half a million dollars is likely.

The point is that he spent $ 50,000 on Polaroids every year. He hoped that it will pay for itself and now, design and testing is done, the costs to manufacture more must be "in the low six figures." so it can be accelerated to break even by selling a couple of other large format photographers with money to throw around.

I wonder if expensive, solution to this problem and the result is impressive to say the least. If you have a minute, check out some of the shots Feinberg — can recognize multiple, but there are some beauties in there I have not seen, especially in Esquire wristwatches.

I love that word too.

[via PetaPixel]


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