TechAddress

Mint 11: Hang With Celebs and Elites for Just $10 a Month

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:34:05 +0000

Plugins are great. As anyone who bothers to make their online lives enhanced with conveniences knows, browser extensions, also known as “add-ons,” are a fantastic way to streamline tasks.

At the same time, installation of such software can be annoying. The act of restarting Firefox, IE or Safari is simply a no-go in some situations. Fortunately, the invention of the “bookmarklet” has made inroads in the market over the past several seasons. And because we’ve seen a number of good ones crop up as of late, we thought we’d take a look back to see where we’ve come from and present our “best-of.” Be sure to share your favorites, too!

Delicious

Delicious - Along with Google Gears or Greasemonkey, Delicious is one of those essentials that are hard to do without once you’re hooked. And while it sports a full-featured plug-in for power users, the services offers a bookmarklet as an alternative. Aesthetically speaking, I happen to find it much more appealing than its “big brother.”

Faviki

Faviki - Another social bookmarking service, Faviki is one of those services that becomes more valuable the more invested you become with it. Some features are plain as day, while others are there when you’re least expecting you’d need them. Of course, the service’s bookmarklet only does so much, but its inclusion of a smart tagging feature is reason enough to register an account.

LaterLoop

LaterLoop - So you want to bookmark a bunch of stuff to access when you’re cut off from the Web, and would really enjoy the ability to read that material on your laptop or mobile phone or whathaveyou. LaterLoop helps you do this. Naturally, there are some discrepancies between the service’s plugin and the bookmarklet, but you pretty much end up with the same outcome.

Tip’d

Tip’d - Tip’d is a kind of Digg-like startup built exclusively for people interested in finance. Which, in the current economic climate, counts pretty much everyone under the sun. A bookmarklet allows users to submit links when away from the service. Which is a good thing, considering that Tip’d does not and likely never will achieve the ubiquity that its technical inspiration has managed to reach.

BitLet

BitTorrent? Check. No-plugin and no-software downloads? Check. How much better does it get than that? Not very! BitLet is pretty darn great.

Lizzer

Links are what make the Web as incredible as it is. No question about it. So why not empower Web users with a superfast method to search for and establish links with sites and services and individual webpages that can help enrich their own publications. Lizzer does exactly that. If you’re a prolific blogger and you copy and paste hyperlinks from your journeys online with so much regularity that it really becomes a tiresome practice, this will take the edge off. You might even say it’s a godsend.

Iminta

A FriendFeed-competitor (which also has its own bookmarklet), Iminta behaves pretty much how you’d expect a lifestreaming service to. It incorporates dozens of services into a singular view of what you like and what you do online. Some reviews, including our own, regarded its behavior as more detailed control panel to that of FriendFeed. Is that a good thing? You decide. If you can’t get into the waxing and waning hype over FriendFeed and want something else to chew on, this is a pretty darn good option to dabble in.

YouBundle

A service described as a Mahalo competitor for its aggregate, editor-influenced data collection process, YouBundle is a bit hard-edged compared to the beveled softness espoused by many Web 2.0 ventures today, but it’s certainly got some technical chops to show users. Oh, and it’s got a bookmarklet, too!

Zhiing

This one is about social networking in the real world. Found someplace online that you’d like to visit today or tomorrow with friends, be it for lunch, dinner, drinks, or dessert, or simply just to hang out at? Zhiing helps you get information passed around quickly, whether its by email or to friends’ mobile phones.

Bubble Comment

So there’s a webpage you’d like to share with friends or family, but you’d like to add some witty commentary atop the standard supply of content. (It might be a news article or a comic, for example.) If you can muster up a brief video explainer, Bubble Comment is a near perfect complement to what it is you’re sending along. The service allows users to input URLs on site if they wish, but a bookmarklet is provided for folks who can’t get away from the camera.

Source:Mashable!

I’m of two minds about about the world of to-do list applications populating the Web and our desktop and mobile devices. On one hand, there clearly are far too many. On the other, what suits Joe Taskmaster doesn’t necessary work for everyone.

This leaves me with one conclusion. Bring ‘em on. The count is so large already, what’s the harm in another making its debut? With that said, we shine some light on Wipee List, a simpleton among others in the field.

Simple and Shareable

Though I can’t say I’m a fan of the name, its visual and technical delivery is decent enough that I’m resigned to accept that part of it. Account creation is simple and quick, requiring user name, a password and country specification. Once you get the confirmation email, you’re ready to go. Add items, edit them, check them off, delete them from view with an easy drag-and-drop motion. If you’d like to share your list, you may.

In addition to the present set of options, the developers plan to allow users to customize the style of their lists, and they’ll be launching AIR- and iPhone-compatible applications as well as an API for enhanced utility.

A Dinghy in a Sea of Yachts (and Lots More Dinghies)

For such young public release, the creators have done the unusual and stamped Wipee List with a 1.0 label sans any beta designation, which may seem a bit premature to some users given the rundown of improvements and extensions planned. But the job so far is a fairly decent one. If Remember The Milk or 37signals’ Ta-da List or Todoist aren’t your thing, perhaps this one will suit your better.

Source:Mashable!

There’s social networking of the MySpace and Facebook variety, and then there’s social networking of the premium, “classy,” “sophisticated,” “not-for-everyone” kind that carries a price to join. The latter formula is what Mint 11 is proposing.

Something tells me that this might not work out very well as a business. Unless the membership is pretty loaded, in which case it might be just fine.

Admission is a Bargain, But the Devil is in the Details

You don’t have to be laden with cash to join, mind you, seeing as its monthly membership runs a mere $10.00. But invitations to “posh private parties, celebrity concerts & shows in top destinations such as New York, Miami, and The Bahamas” will only take you so far. If you truly want to keep up with the Joneses, I imagine your billfold is going to have to be pretty thick-sized.

But hey, if the promise of an exclusive network of just “thousands” of users and VIP access to gatherings that play host to “celebrities and the world’s elite” grabs your interest, there’s a registration form ready for entry. Wine tastings, private cruises, the “hottest nightclubs,” and weekend getaways are all on the menu, awaiting your perusal. Store discounts, too, apparently.

For the record, payments and networking aren’t a fresh formula by any means. The entrepreneur-friendly E.Factor has a premium aspect to it. And the model photography service Zivity carries precisely the same subscription cost as Mint 11. Plus, there’s been plenty of discussion had about the pros and cons associated with a potential shift of, say, a LinkedIn or Facebook to a member-financed paradigm. After all, social networking services have become regarded as applications and developer platforms, and there’s a considerable amount of paid-for webware currently in play. For some businesses it’s simply a given that advertising can’t be the sole revenue driver.

Success is Anybody’s Guess

But there’s the active part of Mint 11 that only leaves me thinking, “really?” So we’ll see what comes of it. I’m not bullish about it, yet there’s enough silent wealth out there that may just make it a sustainable pursuit. It’s a toss-up, and fairly adventurous one, you might say.

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Free WiFi at McDonalds?

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:30:20 +0000

Source:Mashable!

AT&T has purchased Dallas-based WiFi hotspot operator Wayport for a stunning $275 million in cash. The privately held company administers over 10,000 WiFi hotspots for various hotel chains like Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club and Four Seasons as well as McDonald’s restaurants nationwide.

I caught this bit of acquisition news a little late (it’s been on the PR wires for about fifteen hours now), but I got pinged by Austin Startup on the news early this morning, and it made me wonder if the same deal that’s been proffered to Starbucks customers will also be extended to McDonald’s patrons.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a coffee-addict, and I’ll use any excuse to hang out in a coffee bar for extended periods of time to suck down that sweet, sweet nectar of the gods.. but as a father who happens to be a web worker, I more often find myself setting up shop at a McDonald’s than the Starbucks across the street. To that end, I’d be far more likely to start up a tab there and set myself up with a McDonald’s Card if it came with two free daily hours of WiFi (and I imagine I’m not the only one in that boat).

Stacey Higgenbotham over at GigaOm sees it as more of a move by AT&T to aleviate the load off the mobile data network than as a value add for McDonald’s customers:

Buying Wayport and offering 20,000 hot spots (including in airports and McDonald’s restaurants) in the U.S. allows AT&T to provide its customers with more places to do their bandwidth-sucking applications. Already, AT&T is willing to let iPhone and BlackBerry users access its Wi-Fi hotspots free at Starbucks. It also means AT&T can hold out a bit longer before deploying its 4G LTE network, which is designed for data.

While that’s likely the rationale being used to justify the purchase, one hopes that they see the opportunity here to continue to expand their reach and build up business for their host partners.

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Meetup Founders Launch Wee Web: Multimedia Microblogging for Babies

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:32:29 +0000

Source:Mashable!

from The New York Times

It seemed like November 4th, 2008 would never get here, but at long last it has. The campaigning is done, the yard signs will start coming down, and we will (hopefully) awake tomorrow to news of who the forty-fourth President of the United States will be. In the meantime, here are eight of the best Election Day photos from around the Web.

Share links to your favorite Election Day photos from around the Web below in the comments.

from UPI

from The Huffington Post

From New York Daily News

from The Associated Press

from Fox News

from USA Today

from Krispy Kreme

Source:Mashable!

Wee Web is a new startup entering the increasingly competitive market of social networking for babies. Of course, it isn’t the babies that actually do the networking, but rather their parents, who are eager to share the latest developments in their newborn’s life, along with pictures and videos.

And by adapting some of the microblogging principles of Twitter, multimedia updating, and a strong pedigree (the company is co-founded by Matt Meeker and Peter Kamali who previously started Meetup), the site has a chance to succeed in this crowded space.

Like Twitter, Wee Web offers a timeline view of your updates, though it prompts you with a variety of random questions, such as “What makes your baby giggle?” or “How much does your kid weigh now?” These updates are limited to 140 characters, but alternatively you can enter in a long-form story, more like a traditional baby blog. The site also has its own simple photo uploader, as well as an option to embed videos of your kid.

As for sharing the content on Wee Web, it’s all invite-only. You specify who you want to have access to your kid’s pages, and when those users sign up and login, they can see the updates either on their homepage or on their “Friend’s Kids” page (akin to the “my timeline” or “friend’s timeline” views on Twitter). Friends are then able to leave comments on any of the individual updates. Those friends can also specify how often they want to receive updates via email – as they happen, sometimes, or never (ouch).

There are a lot of sites that do similar – like Totspot, Kidmondo, and LilGram’s – just to name a few (see also: 35+ Sites for Web Savvy Families). However, where Wee Web stands out is simplicity, and as a passive user who is currently just reading email after email about other people’s kids as opposed to producing my own babies content, the non-intrusive update style that Wee Web offers is a big plus. It’s sort of like Cliffs Notes for keeping up with your friend’s kids – assuming they start using it.

Let’s not forget that Meetup also took an incredibly simple concept – organizing gatherings for people with similar interests – and turned it into one of the most popular real-world social networking sites on the Web. With the same founding team at the helm of Wee Web, it certainly has a chance to make a splash in the baby networking niche.

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LunchTimeDeals Dishes Local Coupons to Your Inbox

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:30:37 +0000

Source:Mashable!

So you live in a major American city like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, or Chicago. You’re hungry. You know you’ve got tons of lunch menu options in a given area to choose from. But do you go for a standard recipes, or do you seek out one of the day’s specials?

If you’re on the prowl for something new, Lunchtimedeals might help to simplify and streamline your decision making process. The idea behind the service is to give restaurants a platform by which to reach potential customers with discounts and special dishes.

You can visit LunchTimeDeals and simply seek out featured items as they come. But if you want to give it the least bit of effort, a quick sign up of your email and location can give you regular messages about things being pushed out by neighborhood eateries. Of course, this entails names in the food business to join the fold and push highlights to a select segment of the site’s audience. But Lunchtimedeals is young. If it manages to connect to the right set of “early adopters,” it could grow fast quite soon.

We mentioned a few cities that Lunchtimedeals lists in its database. Other locations include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. Yet it should be said that New York is essentially the only place worth searching. All others are devoid of entries. (Or, to be thematic about it, entrees.) This can certainly make the site feel empty and host some unnecessary linkage, but just as long as you recognize its informational limitations, it might serve you well.

Naturally, the creators of LunchTimeDeals are as eager for consumers as they are for producers in the great big (prepared) food chain we have in this country, so they provide basic “Tell a Restaurant” and “Tell Your Friends” Web forms for people to interact with. If all goes as planned, it’s not unimaginable to think it will be long before LunchTimeDeals manages to diversify its day-to-day attentions to breakfast, brunch, and dinner, too.

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Want a Free TV? Purchance It.

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:35:12 +0000

Source:Mashable!

Qoof, a company specializing in video-enhanced commerce for retailers on the Web, à la HSN or QVC, is expanding on its toolset this week to include what it regards as an “all-in-one” platform showcasing products in detail surpassing that made possible with a smaller application the company introduced earlier this year.

Furthermore, Qoof is able to distribute retailers’ content through ad networks and to sites like Facebook, MySpace, and iGoogle, along with video integration within an existing storefront. A site uniquely designed for a retailer’s video offerings can also be created. The company plans to move into the mobile realm in the early months of 2009.

Having toured a sample implementation of the new system, it definitely becomes clear to what extent a Qoof client can serve a retailer’s needs. Some items may benefit from such exposure. Others less so. But there are really plenty of areas in which the platform could prove useful. Jewelry sales, as was shown when we first featured the company in July, is prime for such a reveal, as you can see in the example here.

Whether the design of the application is fitting for use in numerous places, it’s hard to say. If a seller intends for the device to have a central purpose to the customer’s experience, it’ll likely work quite well. Front page placement might be ideal, too. The inclusion of a product browser and detail panel allows it to serve as a hub of activity.

Again, much depends on what it is a retailer opts to do with its wares insofar as video production. But I imagine there’ll be a place reserved for the application in a good number of interesting settings. So far, Buy.com, Ice.com, Knot, and Gaiam are said to be signed on for the launch. The revenue model for Qoof being employed is one of pay-per-performance.

Source:Mashable!

In a time of stock market crisis, bailouts and a weak dollar, LinkedIn still raises $22.7 million in funding. How? It’s a relevant site with a number of useful resources for professionals and businesses. Meanwhile, the launch of the site’s application platform last week puts the spotlight back on this phenomenally useful social network.

Many folks involved in social media are so ADD driven to the latest social network, they fail to fully explore and make use of the networks that they are already part of. Enter LinkedIn, a haven for professional networking with an executive representation of all of the Fortune 500 companies. LinkedIn has a lot to offer regardless of where you are in your career, especially with the economy the way it is.

What Exactly is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has been around all the way back since 2003, and many people use it differently, so I asked the Twitterati, “What exactly is LinkedIn?”

As we can see from the replies above, some people consider LinkedIn to be a full-fledged social network, while others see it as a mere contact list or business network. The devil is in the details.

Should Businesses Care About LinkedIn?

Of course they should. LinkedIn has over 20 million members. LinkedIn can be used by businesses and departments of any shape and size, and requires little social media know-how. Search Engine Guide’s Jennifer Laycock recommends LinkedIn to small businesses that are looking to start using social media but just don’t have a lot of time to do so. Here’s an HR perspective from Jim Stroud of The Recruiter’s Lounge:

“LinkedIn is a tool recruiters cannot ignore. Recruiters who do not want to be bogged down with resumes turn to LinkedIn to find quality candidates and their peers. On the flip side, some recruiters use it to build up a massive list of contacts that they can use for email campaigns. This of course, is not the intention of LinkedIn, but its a fact of life. LinkedIn is becoming the next “Monster” with more and more recruiters turning to it.”

How Do You Get the Most Out of LinkedIn?

The old adage that “it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know” still holds value. LinkedIn takes this thought one step further, making it “who you will know soon to be of utmost importance.” Using LinkedIn, I’ve trained small businesses to spread their wings and get connected with companies that they might otherwise have thought were beyond reach, and to the persons they were looking for in those companies.

So, how do you meet people? Well, you can’t throw sheep or sick your zombies after them. There’s also no chat. And guess what? That’s totally fine. Many who use instant messaging aggregate different chat networks into a single app such as Digsby, Trillian, or Pidgin. So who needs another chat app?

Here are seven features LinkedIn does have that you should take advantage of:

Quick Lookup - Look up who you are having that next business meeting with. You’ll be able to break the ice right away.

Q&A - Post questions to others in your industry. The Yahoo Answers look and feel of this feature has definitely made LinkedIn more active and interesting. A public question can be responded to by anyone that works in really any discipline. Such was the case where Derek Edmond spotted a discussion occurring about the trustworthiness of SEO.

Recommendations - Have clients or co-workers post recommendations, which future employers and clients can view to gauge your skill and level of trustworthiness. Conversely, if you’re an employer, these imply trustworthiness for a potential freelancer or new hire.

Background checks - Look up potential new hires or freelancers. This should be right up there in an HR manager’s toolbelt.

See what your competition is up to - Keep track of what others in your industry are up to. Network updates gives you a feed of recent activity, so you can see who your connections have friended, groups they have joined, and the people they have recommended. You’ll even be able to see when people are switching jobs.

Introductions - Use people you already know to help make introductions. It’s a great way to get in the door with a company you need to contact.

Open Networking - Go out and become a LION! You are an open networker.

What’s Next?

LinkedIn has made a lot of recent updates and additions, including:

Group mania - LinkedIn has been making great strides in the groups area, having added search within groups, discussions within groups, groups you might like, and sharing groups. When you think about how much engagement and adoption groups have brought to Facebook, you’ll really begin to appreciate these changes.

Profile page - since most LinkedIn users spend a great deal of their time on profile pages, the subtle UI (user interface) changes done to the profile page are a great update.

iPhone app - LinkedIn has a pretty spiffy iPhone app that’s worth trying out.

While I really appreciate these additions, I think it would be great for LinkedIn to tell beginner users more about why to use the service. Similar to Twitter using the CommonCraft show’s Twitter in Plain English, LinkedIn could use its LinkedIn CommonCraft video to make beginner users see LinkedIn’s true value of building connections to help accomplish your business goals.

What are your thoughts?

How do you get the most out of LinkedIn? Tell us about success you’ve had on the service in the comments.

Brian Wallace is a social media consultant - get it touch with him on his blog, or follow him on Twitter and Plurk. And yes, he’s on LinkedIn too.

Source:Mashable!

You know those sweepstakes that go on in malls and on oceanside boardwalks? Organizers might ask you to offer up $50 for a single ticket with a chance to win a car when the final lottery drawing is made. Purchance is kind of same idea.

Only, you’re actually buying something to start with. Like a concert ticket from StubHub, a piece of electronics from J&R, or a Hotels.com reservation. So, in effect, Purchance is really a roll-of-the-dice refund machine. If any such thing even existed in the real world.

The service is a young thing, with no listed winners to speak of yet. But its founder, Matt Kritzer, an individual described to be an “online marketing professional,” promises whatever returns your initial purchase price entails.

For what it’s worth, the tag line that sits at the bottom of Purchance’s main page reads: “This ain’t your mamma’s cash back site!”

The rules of the game being played (which I’m not certain is a legal operation, given the fact that the site is 1) based in New York City, and that 2) wins are not guaranteed, and thus are a gamble) are interesting as well. The odds for each game are published for all to see. Aif a visitor decides to play his hand, so to speak, he/she must then make a purchase at a store featured within the site’s director. An account will need to be created at Purchance to make the gears move, but it’s fairly simple from there on out. Once you’ve complete these steps, you’re told to refer back to the service in seven day’s time to see whether the number you chose prior to moving through the retail rigmarole was touched by Lady Luck. If she did, then…you must wait.

Wait for 90 days, in fact, after which an “Available” tag will purportedly grace your account, allowing you to then request a check. The site’s creators claim checks are to go out every week, with a pledge for complete safety for user information. So say the FAQs, anyway.

All things considered, if you do ever take Purchance up on one of its offers, be sure that it is for something you intend to pay for regardless. And if in fact you do see reimbursement for that $1000 flat screen television, well, righty-o. Just remember that such a pricy exchange will inevitably bring the tax man into the fold.

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Qoof Goes All-in-One With Video Retail. Outta the Way, QVC.

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:32:12 +0000

Source:Mashable!

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10+ Ways to Track Your Marathon Run

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:30:17 +0000

Source:Mashable!

Some people make goals for themselves to reach every day. Like an hour-long bike ride, or a walk or jog around the neighborhood each morning, noon, or night. Others like to work themselves up toward bigger things. Like climbing Everest. Or rowing across an ocean. Or running a marathon.

Now seems a fitting time to spotlight that last endurance sport, given that this is the eve of the annual NYC Marathon, set to begin in less than 24 hours. Whether you’re in the main pack, watching from the sidelines, or simply feel inspired to boost your own level of performance, these are some networks, applications, and services that will help move you forward faster and longer yet.

If it’s the NYC Marathon that you’ve got your eyes set on, the main NYC Marathon page will give you much of the information that you need to know about the race happening tomorrow, November 2, 2008, and anything else happening around the big event. Will, or anyone you know, be taking part the marathon? Tell us in the comments!

The Universal Sports website will feature live coverage of the NYC Marathon from 9AM ET until the finish, and will offer streams from three live views. (Remember to account for Daylight Savings Time.)

There is also the storied Boston Marathon to consider, of course. The 113th edition of what is called the world’s oldest marathon is set to hit the city’s streets on April 20, 2009. Better get prepared!

Want to start pushing yourself toward a particular goal, be it as a runner or otherwise? Mecanbe is a great place to network with people and manage a kind of collaborative success. When you’ve got someone to nudge you on when you’re feeling ready to retire from your efforts, that’s when a place like Mecanbe can make quite a difference.

There are a number of other services that can network you to other runners, if only just to socialize and brag about how easy (or excruciating) it was to get past that 20 mile marker and continue moving them limbs. Favorite Run is one such environment, which claims to maintain a membership of nearly 70,000.

LogYourRun is another. It is a Web application that charts routes, sports GPS tools, as well as a forum, Facebook application, mobile-friendly and iPhone-compatible features, blogs, a calendar, and more.

MapMyRun functions much the same way, thought some users may find it to be a more easily navigable environment.

RunningNetwork delivers any news having to do with the sport. National news, photos galleries, videos, training tips, and resources aplenty.

You might like to listen only to your surroundings as you maintain a pace to the finish line, but if you prefer to get through mile after mile with some beats, an interactive and slightly social service championed by the most ubiquitous name in sporting goods the world has ever seen, a trip down Nike+ lane and all it entails might prove handy to experience your training any eventual “big day” in an interesting way. You can trace your speed and share songs for playlists with other users. An iPod is a must, and, depending on your personal setup, you might need a special pair of shoes to make the system complete, but if you’re up for it, you might get that extra umph from your earbuds that songbirds and the sound of thousands of rubber soles hitting tarmac couldn’t quite match. There are also several Facebook apps which connect with the Nike+, all of which you can find here.

Speaking of gadgets, if you’ve got an Android-equipped T-Mobile G1 on hand, perhaps Breadcrumbz may do the trick for logging your route. Concentration might be hard to keep as you travel further along your journey, but hey, it’s all fun, right?

Meanwhile, in iPhone world there exist several downloads, some free, some paid. Pacemaker [iTunes URL], for example, is free and simply calculates time for a set pace and distance. This can be useful if you want to see when you can expect to “make it there” - wherever “there” might be. Alternatively, the App Store showcases a duo of applications named iRun [iTunes] and iRunPro [iTunes]. They are $0.99 and $1.99, respectively, and essentially provide a user with a pace meter. The pricing option gives you a pace graph and audible alarms.

Imagery provided by iStockPhoto/nico_blue

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