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| Maybe: Kindle will have bigger screen by end of the year Posted: 11 Apr 2009 08:25 AM PDT
We could be all be reading the latest Twilight book on a larger-screen Kindle by Christmastime. So says the Wall Street Journal, citing people who said they "saw a version of the device." Exciting! I don't know if you'll find too many people who refuse to buy a Kindle because the screen is too small; perhaps because it's only black-and-white (not so great for photography and children's books, off the top of my head), or because their favorite books aren't available on Kindle (my reason). But good for Amazon for looking to continually improve. As it were, a larger screen would be beneficial to on-screen advertising. (Text books typically are larger, page area-wise, than your average hardcover book, so there's another benefit.) And who knows, maybe publishers will subsidize the price of Kindle books, which, in my opinion, should be a bit cheaper, if you sit there and view static image (or whatever) ad for one minute. In any event, yes, it's just a rumor, but hardly an unbelievable one. At ease. Go here to see the original: |
| Can the Statusphere Save Journalism? Posted: 11 Apr 2009 08:22 AM PDT
Recently, I enjoyed a refreshing and invigorating dinner with Walt Mossberg. While we casually discussed our most current endeavors and experiences, the discussion shifted to deep conversation about the future of journalism in the era of socialized media with one simple question, "are newspapers worth saving?" Walt thought for no more than two seconds and assertively replied, "It’s the wrong question to ask. The real question we should ask is if whether or not we can save good journalism." He continued, "Think about it. Of the hundreds, thousands, of newspapers around the country, there are really only a few that matter. Good journalism and journalists, on the other hand, are worth saving." Indeed. Perhaps good journalists, intuitive and ambitious journalists, might figure out how to survive this Darwinian state of media evolution on their own. Others may need the help of early risk-takers and success stories before being able to individually adapt to the socialization of content. My contemplative discussion with Walt explored the missteps of publishers and content producers and the corresponding opportunity for savvy individuals with relevant perspective combined with online social prowess. The persistent reverberation of those ideas in my head in the weeks to follow the exchange led me to explore the impact of the Statusphere on the authority of the blogosphere, as measured today. And it serves as my outline today. Whether it’s newspapers, television shows, or online mediums and networks, the shift is in consumption behavior, quality, relevance, and personality, not the production or distribution of content per se. As Walt said, "there are truly only a handful of media properties in print worth saving, the rest is comprised of great journalists and recycled national news." So what of those brilliantly articulate, passionate, and scintillating writers whom we identify, admire and connect with in each article they share? It’s not unlike the renaissance currently underway in the music industry. Artists are discovering that they have a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) channel to reach fans and cultivate relationships. Those in touch with technology and the cultures of online societies can bypass traditional music production and distribution altogether. I guess I’m saying that at a time when traditional routes to journalism careers are being questioned, exceptional journalists can create their own destiny. Their future is in their notepads (or laptops), ready to escape from paper to online and the real world. The connection with readers, once established, multiplied, and fed, is seductive and unquenchable. Personality, motivation, determination, and the ability to embrace risk and venture into unchartered and unpredictable territory is the only way to champion change and influence the direction of professional adventures. Stop the Presses Believe it or not, in the overall theatrical production playing out as the world watches media Darwinism unfold, in the end it really doesn’t matter whether or not newspapers survive. We are witnessing and building the future of media production and associated connections right here, right now. Advertising in newspapers as well as print and broadcast media in general is spiraling irrecoverably without any hope of salvation. Subscriptions are evaporating and quickly eroding the supporting infrastructure for printing and delivering paper publications. The Rocky Mountain News and Seattle Post-Intelligencer have shuttered their print businesses and they’re not alone. These industry staples are merely the first to topple, triggering a domino effect that will resonate and replicate worldwide. Newspapers are swinging the axe and cutting staffs as though they were invading hordes while many are also reducing their publishing frequency. The rich and influential 200 year-old history that defines the legacy of independent media empires is now writing its next chapter for the history books. The still-powerful empires of print media will become a footnote in the future of all published media as the much younger, 15 year-old online medium competes for limited advertising revenue. This is just the beginning. According to Paper Cuts, a Web site tracking the newspaper industry, more than 120 newspapers in the U.S. have closed since January 2008 and at least 21,000 jobs at 67 newspapers have vanished. I’m sure that the number is much more dramatic now. To get a real time glimpse into the bloodshed, The MediaisDying on Twitter also maintains a running public account of all media properties as they announce layoffs, closures, and firings. Hope What eludes publishers is the very thing that can save them: the new model for not only surviving the evolution, but also thriving in the future ecosystem of publishing and connecting content with audiences—where they congregate online. The new media economy will embrace a shift in content creation and revenue generation from a top-down model to a bottom-up groundswell. The socialization of the web is powered by not only the ability for citizens to publish and share content, but also the wherewithal and associated rewards for connecting with the real people and the personalities with whom we follow. This is paramount as publishers and journalists can learn from the ongoing documentation in the art and science of online community building. Perhaps the reinvention of the publishing model starts with journalists who become the ambassadors for content and the flagship brand they represent. Why? There’s a direct correlation between the attention captured online and the loss of newspaper readers and subscribers as well as television viewers for that matter. Yes, many media properties are creating sophisticated web infrastructures and networks and are succeeding in attracting and maintaining visitors. Online advertising is the healthiest segment of advertising and it’s not entirely tied to the recession. The hunger for relevant, inspirational and compelling content is insatiable and potentially recession proof. To broaden revenue horizons, publishers are experimenting with the idea of micro payments, charging consumers a few cents to view stories and also resurrecting pay walls, which serve as a tollbooth between readers and deeper content. Because of the severity of the revenue blood loss, new ideas are introduced, reviewed, and tested almost daily. Adapting vs. Reinvention Content producers are scrambling to integrate social technologies and platforms to spur readership volume and interactivity among visitors and also between reporters and readers. And truthfully, this story is now years in the making. Maybe, just maybe, the existing model for generating, distributing and monetizing content could benefit from a Ctrl-Alt-Delete reboot. While newspapers and publishers explore new models for reversing the downturn, the real story resides with the very people whom they employ, the standout reporters and journalists who are worth saving. Waiting and hoping are not the catalysis for reinvention however. Taking control of individual destiny is a personal choice and commitment to change and shape the outcome of what lies ahead. It requires an immediate shift from operating behind the scenes to self-championing individual compositions. The most well-known, successful and celebrated journalists figured this out long ago. And those more assertive journalists who see the window of opportunity today aren’t necessarily waiting for approval or for existing processes to adapt to the new world order. Time waits for no one. Personality + Insight + Promotion + Interaction = Visibility and Community The socialization of the Web has given way to the era of personal brands. We are all now responsible for the creation, direction, perception, and management of our online personas, reinforced by what we share and how we interact across The Conversation Prism. This is incredibly poignant for journalists as they not only need to maintain a watchful eye on their media employer but also now compete against a new generation of bloggers and content producers who do not abide by or embody the classical rules and training of journalism. It’s survival of the fittest predicated by what you stand for and how hungry you are to build and sustain a community around you and your work. What’s taking place right now is an incredible opportunity for good journalists to humanize their stories and project an outward extension of their persona to connect with existing and potential readers at the point of attention aperture, the window of opportunity to engage someone on their own terms and in their own time. And, it’s no different than the tactics used by innovative, enterprising, and determined bloggers who aspire to create a congregation around their perspective. This was and is, all about people and a new breed of social journalism. To cultivate a personal brand or invest in online interaction is time consuming as the required investment is beyond one’s daily routine. It is however, rewarding and measurable. Michael Arrington and Erick Schonfeld interact with readers on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks to stay connected, converse with peers, and also to meet people at events local and around the world. There’s a reason why 350,000 people follow TechCrunch on Twitter (being on the suggested list doesn’t hurt either). CNN’s Rick Sanchez boasts more than 75,000 followers on Twitter and uses the micro medium to source story ideas and interact with viewers. Also Anderson Cooper has cultivated a loyal following of 93,000 on Twitter by sharing interesting content through his timeline. Reggie Aqui uses Facebook to interact with viewers as well. Mary Louise Schumacher and Tannette Elie of the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel participate on Twitter in relevant conversations while also hosting and attending Tweetups to extend their personal brands online and in real life. Kirk Yuhnke, News Anchor for Fox 13 in Salt Lake City interacts with viewers and also those who share his views outside of his home base. He’s reaching a wider audience because of Twitter. John Byrne, Editor-in-Chief of BusinessWeek show’s us the human side of running the editorial side of a global media powerhouse NPR Scott Simon’s 167,000 followers on Twitter relish in his personal updates and responses. Ryan Squire of NBC 4 in Columbus leverages Twitter followers to collaborate on stories as well as simply engaging in real world conversations. Kara Swisher of AllThingsD and the Wall Street Journal shares updates, new thoughts, and also talks to people regardless of social stature. She’s built a global reputation through her work and insight, strengthened by her interaction across multiple social networks. Ron Sylvester, an award-winning journalist at the Wichita Eagle, tweets directly from the courtroom. He also blogs and connects with people on Facebook. The list grows every day. And, while many of these examples showcase Twitter and Facebook, the truth is that your community of potential viewers, readers, and stakeholders are engaging in multiple networks such as personal blogs, blog comments, Ning, Google and Yahoo Groups, Yelp, Upcoming.org, FriendFeed, and many others that surface with simple Web searches. Journalists and reporters benefit from reminding the world that they’re real people who are learning that genuinely connecting and participating online, outside of traditional walled gardens, allows the rest of the world to appreciate who they are and what they stand for. Participation also empowers an influential group of content ambassadors who broaden the reach of their own personal and media brands and associated stories by willfully sharing and introducing links to their personal network. These lessons are also critical for students who are learning about the past and the future in a real time collision of textbook cases combined with current online examples shared from peers and mentors in the field. The Statusphere is the Future of Social Syndication We’re shifting into a rapid-fire culture that moves at Twitter time. Attention is a precious commodity and requires a personalized engagement strategy in order to consistently vie for it. The laws of attraction and relationship management are driven by the ability to create compelling content and transparently expose it to the people whom you believe benefit the most from it. The Statusphere is the new ecosystem for sharing, discovering, and publishing updates and micro-sized content that reverberates throughout social networks and syndicated profiles, resulting in a formidable network effect of activity. It is the digital curation of relevant content that binds us contextually to the statusphere, where we can connect directly to existing contacts, reach new people, and also forge new acquaintances through the friends of friends effect (FoFs) in the process. Twitter, Facebook News Feeds, FriendFeed and other micro communities that define the Statusphere, are driving action and determining the direction and course of individual attention. It is inducing a more participatory, engaging, and enlightened community of media-literate information socialites. I’d also argue that the Statusphere will ultimately replace bookmarks and RSS feeds as a traffic driver for the masses, as we increasingly rely on friends and peers to serve as our social seismograph for relevant and contextual data. Journalists must tap the Statusphere in order to earn awareness for their work and more importantly, build relationships with those who share affinities for the topics they cover. While traditional media models lived and breathed through the sharing of content directly to the existing readership, new media will thrive from those individuals who reach people where they interact and hand-deliver relevant information directly to them. News Feeds and Timelines serve as our centralized attention dashboard and determine what we read, what we say, and who responds simply by the information that continually flows through it. We’re engaged at the point and place of introduction and bound by context and time. Noticeable content sparks curiosity and dictates our next move and subsequently the next moves and reactions of friends and friends of friends (FoFs). For journalists, it’s now their job to identify who these influencers are in order to establish an effective contextual network. With each new connection, journalists can appear in multiple, dispersed timelines to syndicate content across the social graph and social networks. Worthy content combined with evangelism and clever promotion will earn visibility and expanded syndication through retweet (RT), link shares, Diggs, Stumbles, bookmarks, tweetbacks, Likes, and other forms of social syndication. With each new instance of sharing, content reverberates through extended social graphs. Content becomes a social object that inspires communication and action. The Human Network and the Future of Socialized Journalism The Human Network is powered by context. We learn by listening to relevant signals to learn from others who share our interests and passions. The idea is to complement individual connections with the creation of community around your personal brand supported by your associated views and perspectives. We identify uniquely with different individuals across varying topics, but the timing of each update we share, which serves as the disruption point, combined with the state of the extended attention aperture of friends and FoFs are perhaps the most important factors in determining the thread and viral opportunity for potential conversations surrounding content. It is the Social Effect that determines actual reach, resonance and the course for individual content. If you are a journalist, it’s now your responsibility to create a dedicated tribe that supports, shares, and responds to your work and personal interaction in both the Statusphere and also at the point of origin. It’s the only way to build a valuable and portable community around you and what you represent. Savvy publishers and content producers will also benefit from the extended visibility and vibrancy of the supporting conversations and should in turn build and support campaigns and presences that promote the individual in addition to the media brand to create a dynamic and blooming human collective. Monetization is then influenced by the earned social capital and currency that is valued and measured through relationships and dialogue. The humanization and socialization of journalism will create a viable platform for meaningful engagement that builds a new era of trust, loyalty and community around the media brand, one person at a time. Concurrently, it establishes a vibrant and collaborative highway to source and share stories by the people for the people to shape stories that matter beyond the assignment desk. Consumers are then vested in media and boast a sense of ownership and pride to have earned the opportunity to help shape its direction. Content, and the reporters and journalists who produce it, must migrate to the individual attention dashboard in order to trigger a reaction that reverberates across the social graph and become gathering points for individual tribes. The key is held by perceptive and enterprising individuals who can attract, build, and foster flourishing audiences, and must be empowered to do so in order to lead viewers, friends, and friends of friends back to the original font of information—creating a new source of information stakeholders from the outside in. Thanks for reading this far. If you would like to continue this conversation, connect with me on Twitter, Jaiku, LinkedIn, Plaxo, FriendFeed, or Facebook. (Photo by swanksalot). Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily. Go here to see the original: |
| 4th Gen Zune coming to compete with iPod Touch? Posted: 11 Apr 2009 08:06 AM PDT
Engadget got a hold of some artwork of the new Zune HD. At first it was believed to simply be a concept, but there are rumors coming from “sources close to Zune” that this is indeed the next Zune. The Zune 4th Generation will be a bit smaller than the iPod Touch, and have competitive features.
The Zune is Microsoft’s entry into the portable multimedia device field, and has always been overshadowed by Apple’s iPods. The Zune 4th Generation would offer users a touchscreen display and other features similar to the current iPod Touch, though it remains to be seen if there will be an Application Store for the Zune like there is for the iPod Touch. Microsoft released the first Zune in 2006. The first generation featured a 30 GB hard drive, WiFi for sharing music with friends, and a radio FM Tuner. While many view it as a decent music player in its own right, Apple’s penetration of the music player market has been too great for the Zune to overcome in any sense. [Via Engadget] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
See the original post here: |
| Cyberdyne said to be mass producing $4,200 HAL robotic suit Posted: 11 Apr 2009 08:02 AM PDT  Years after the HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) suit first debuted, it seems that Cyberdyne’s pride and joy is about to get really real. According to a report over at HPlus Magazine, the company is linking up with Daiwa House in order to “begin mass production” of the cybernetic bodysuit. You already know what it does — inflates the ego, boosts your strength and scores you loads of nerd dates — but here’s the crucial part: $4,200. Of course, there’s no hard date on when the first of the 400 annual units produced will be made available, but we’d probably get up with someone about a pre-order if you’re serious about going bionic. [Thanks, Phil] Read the original: |
| iTunes Gift Code Hackers Turn Attention to iPhone App Developers [Software] Posted: 11 Apr 2009 07:05 AM PDT
The all-too-easy-to-crack iTunes gift code has led to a flooded market, making the codes essentially unprofitable. So they’ve now turned their attention to the App Store to find new, underhanded ways to screw Apple. Because iTunes’ gift codes are so easy to crack, hackers can often only get 1% of the supposed value of their codes (so a $200 gift code could only sell for $2). In an effort to increase that percentage, some pirates have started contacting iPhone app developers, offering to “purchase” their app as many times as desired in exchange for a 50-50 cut of Apple’s per-purchase pay. This kind of tactic undermines what’s so cool about the App Store— a nobody can make something hundreds of thousands of people will love, and make money doing it, just on the merits of the creation. That’s rare in the software industry, where software is pirated almost on principle, and it’d be a shame to see the App Store corrupted. [AppleInsider and Ars Technica] Go here to see the original: |
| Gigabyte T1028 netbook / tablet gets the hands-on treatment Posted: 11 Apr 2009 06:07 AM PDT
We’ve already seen Gigabyte’s T1028 netbook / tablet up close, and even gotten a glimpse of the user manual, but the folks at UMPC Portal have now finally come though with a proper hands-on of the device, which looks to confirm that it does indeed deliver the goods, if not quite justify its $600+ price tag. What’s more, as welcome as that swiveling touchscreen is, it looks like it’s the little touches that really push this one over the edge, including an all too often omitted ExpressCard slot, built-in 3G, 802.11n WiFi, some actually accessible upgrade options, and an apparently faster than usual 2.5-inch hard drive. Hit up the link below for the complete rundown (including some benchmarks) and, of course, plenty of pics. Original post: |
| Live from the PragueCrunch II Meet-up Posted: 11 Apr 2009 04:34 AM PDT Welcome to PragueCrunch II, Prague's foremost party held in Prague every year around the time TechCrunch writers feel like going to Prague to drink great beer and talk start-ups, tech, and gadgets. We'll be streaming live through Qik and posting images throughout the day. If you're still vacillating and you're in Prague, come on down! We'll be at Hergetova Cihelna from 2pm until late in the evening. Confounded as to whether to come at like 11pm? Check my Twitter Updates to see if we're still at the event or if we've moved on. Otherwise, expect to see Robin and I there all night. Special thanks to the venue and all the great sponsors. Click through for live video feeds throughout the evening. Special thanks to these fine folks: Gold Sponsor:Dial Telecom Dial Telecom provides services for both the wholesale and the retail sectors. Our wholesale sector specializes in providing cable ducts, dark fibre and backbone capacity to international and national carriers, ISPs, and ASPs. Dial Telecom also provides IP-based services to regional ISPs over its own fibre network. The company has an exceptionally well-developed Ethernet over fibre network and DWDM connections to most major regional capitals. Dial Telecom is connected to the world's largest Internet exchanges (most notably to DE-CIX and KleyerEx in Frankfurt am Main, AMS-IX in Amsterdam, LINX in London and ECIX in Düsseldorf). Naturally, it is also connected to Czech NIX.CZ and Slovak SIX.SK. The Dial Telecom company is part of the well-established international Dial Telecom Group (Dial Telecom CZ, Dial Telecom SK, eTel SK and Telecom Austria Czech Republic (Volný, a.s.). The group actively contributes to the consolidation of the fixed telecommunications market. The most significant acquisitions in the last year have been eTel Slovakia and Telekom Austria Czech Republic (Volný brand). Adamantium Sponsors: Ataxo has offices in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. We provide expert Search Engine Optimization and manage several thousand Pay-per-Click Campaigns for our clients from these countries as well as outsource Pay-per-Click Campaigns for clients from other parts of the world. Binary Age Geewa Kerio Learn10 Learn10 is the work of a European team of four, split between Birmingham, UK and South Bohemia, CZ. It is inspired by the efforts of three of the founders to learn Czech, and informed by experience in advertising research analysis & English teaching. With 27,000 members this self-funded project is one year old. After extensive testing based on the prototype - LearnItLists - they have re-branded to Learn10 and are ready to launch. TasteKid WebExpo 2009 Wirenode Zeality Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware. Read the rest here: |
| Bandai’s Project A.i.R. is a $525 blue grid that blows up Posted: 11 Apr 2009 04:03 AM PDT  Okay Bandai, we get it. After over 50 years of making cheap toys and video games you want to show the world you can make overpriced stuff too. As if your $2,200 Ginza diorama wasn’t enough of a statement, now you’re producing a $525 box that lights up and blinks like a miniaturized monochrome disco floor. It’s called Project A.i.R., or Art In the Room, and it’s basically a 5 x 5 grid with blue LEDs covered by some sort of translucent fabric. Inside each square in the grid is a fan that makes the cloth billow, slightly increasing the brightness of that section of the grid. It’s an interesting effect for sure, but as you can see in the video below its functionality is somewhat… limited. But is it art? [Via CrunchGear] Read more from the original source: |
| 75-megawatt solar plant to power “first solar city” in Florida Posted: 11 Apr 2009 02:11 AM PDT  Given that Florida has accurately been coined The Sunshine State, it’s not at all shocking to hear that America’s first “solar city” will be built in the state’s southwest corner. Or, at least that’s the plan. According to a new report, West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners is currently developing a new city near Charlotte County, which will get juiced by a massive 75-megawatt solar plant. Said plant will cost around $300 to build and will be installed by Florida Power & Light; if all goes well, homes will begin construction on a sizable plot of land dubbed Babcock Ranch by 2011. If things don’t go so well, we’re told that the actual power plant will still be erected and fed into the larger grid. In other words, Florida’s gettin’ some solar power, with or without this newfangled concrete jungle. [Via Fark] Read more from the original source: |
| BrewTroller simplifies homebrewing, makes it doable while inebriated Posted: 11 Apr 2009 12:06 AM PDT  It’s been a mystery for ages, but at long last, it seems a simple DIYer has found a solution. We all know that the best beers are the ones brewed at home, but after a given amount of “test sips,” things can easily get a little out of control. In order to simplify the homebrewing process, the brilliant BrewTroller was concocted during a short stint with sobriety. In essence, the system utilizes a Sanguino microcontroller platform which was inspired by the tried-and-true Arduino in order to give brewers complete control over temperature and the like. When connected to a simple menu-driven display, it removes the need to bang out a paragraph of code while tipsy in order to tweak the flavor ever so slightly. Hit up the read link to have a look at the progress, but make sure you strap on those Beer Goggles first. [Via HackedGadgets] Read the rest here: |
![itunes iTunes Gift Code Hackers Turn Attention to iPhone App Developers [Software]](http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/04/itunes.png "iTunes Gift Code Hackers Turn Attention to iPhone App Developers [Software]")
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