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Source:Mashable!

We live in a world where we are surrounded almost nonstop from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep by advertising. From the magazines we read to the searches we do on the Web, advertising permeates it all.

With the software we use on a daily basis, it has been a common practice for some developers to offer up ad-supported versions of their software so users could use the programs without having to pay for them.

The idea being that if you wanted to get rid of the ads, you could buy a registered version that didn’t display any advertising. For the longest time web forums have carried advertising, but you could often buy a subscription that would serve you up an adless version. My own set of community forums over on my personal site operates this way.

Along with that, we have since the advent of AdSense become use to seeing text ads being displayed on our search result pages. The majority of Web 2.0 businesses are all based around an ad supported revenue model so we have gotten use to our web apps or services displaying ads of some sort. A great many of these web services also offer up what is commonly called the “freemium” option to their services, which means that the basic part of their service will display the ads, but you can buy a subscription that will remove the ads and some cases provide additional options.

In all this constant bombardment of advertising though, there has always been one place we could retreat to for a little while to escape this slicing and dicing of our activities used to serve up ads. Actually I should say that there use to be because even that last bastion of privacy is now opening its doors to advertising. The place I am talking about is of course our games. Whether it is online, console or computer we could immerse ourselves in those make believe worlds without the irritation of facing ads.

This changed in a very big way back in 2007 when Microsoft bought Massive and shortly after that inked a deal with Electronic Arts to supply ads within their games. Now today we have Google announcing the launch of their AdSense platform for game developers.

While some folks will probably see nothing wrong with this move to force even more ads in front of our eyeballs, I do have a problem with it. Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins makes a valid point about the idea’s possible success when he says in his post on Mashable

If you look at most online games, both casual and flash, most of the monetization is done through one the side bars, away from where most people are focusing their attention. Couple that with the fact that when you’re playing a game, the last thing you want to do is go check out that limited time offer blinking at you, and it’s no wonder that the low ad conversion rates on gaming sitesrival only those from social network.

However, I don’t care if the ads are successful or not. What is bothering me is that they are doing it in the first place. My objection isn’t so much that they are doing it but more of the fact that it all smacks more of greed and the fact, that in most cases the gamers are going to be paying twice for something. When it comes to Google’s entry into the marketplace they are primarily targeting online games and the problem here is that the vast majority of these game sites are already heavily monetized. Everywhere you look on these sites you will see ads. The sidebar, the header, the footer and now they will be within the game itself. When is enough really enough?

With Mircosoft’s play into in game advertising being centered around the Xbox platform and computer games this is even more irritating. After all haven’t we already paid for these games and now they want to force us to see advertising as well? When is enough really enough? In this case of the consoles and stand alone games the game developers are asking to be paid twice for the same game. First by ripping off your wallet and now by cramming ads down our throats.

At what point do we as consumers say enough is enough?

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:Google To Launch AdSense for GamesGoogle’s In-Game Advertising System Coming SoonKnibble Offers Free Games for iPhoneGreystripe Offers Hands-On Mobile Games for FreePalm Closing Java Support: Another Epic Fail?Pac-Man lives on; Now on 3G iPodYoYo Games Is a User-Generated Gaming Community

Source:Mashable!

Company Name:

Greenbox

20-word Description:

Greenbox Technology is creating an interactive energy management platform that enables households to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

CEO’s Pitch:

Greenbox founders tackle the challenge of global warming by designing an intuitive, information-rich, interactive Web-based platform that homeowners can use to track energy use in real time. Even small reductions in energy consumption can collectively amount to billions of dollars in savings. The Greenbox platform will also feature community interaction tools, making energy use reduction a neighborhood challenge.

Mashable’s Take:

Based out of San Bruno, California, and launched as a limited trial in the first half of 2008, Greenbox is premised on the simple idea that the ability to monitor one’s energy usage in the home, matched with per-client solutions on how to cut down on the proverbial carbon footprint, will help to propagate green living in a substantive way.

As many homeowners now recognize, the cost of energy is quite high. To the point that it’s financially beneficial to adjust consumption. Greenbox’s role as an Web-based energy monitor is to put a stream of data in the hands of its users in order that they keep informed of activity, rather than, say, having to consult with efficiency specialists as to their particular situation. Yes, the popular lightbulb swap to less hungry and more long-lasting lamps helps matters, but Greenbox’s place as consistent watchdog, so to speak. “We remove the guesswork,” is how the company phrases it.

Indeed, this is not a referral service, pointing you in the direction of products and services that will help you to quickly satisfy your eco-conscious mind. Greenbox is really akin to having a personal pedometer for the roof over your head, telling you how far you’ve gone with energy usage at any given moment. You can watch it any time you please, or register for email and/or SMS alerts relaying information regarding “high or unusual usage or changes in electricity prices”

Greenbox is still developing a very limited trial rollout to select registrants. VP of marketing Matt Smith said to The New York Times earlier this week that just two dozen households have reported lower energy bills as a result Greenbox’s implementation. But it invites people to sign up to be notified as to developments in their particular area or residence. It expects to be “regionally available” in the months ahead.

Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable - The Startup Review, Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Sponsored By: Sun Startup Essentials

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am and is filed under web, Web2.0 Startups, Web apps, StartupReview, recommendation, Channels, green living, energy, environmentally friendly, Greenbox. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.