Filed under: Feature | Tags: Facebook, Myspace, Google, Searching, Search Engines, News and Media, Social network service, Evite, Socializr, Pingg
WELL IT AINT EVITE
With the next edition of Jump!! speedily approaching, I thought I would investigate two alternatives to Evite because let’s face it, Evite hasn’t been updated with new features since it was created (i.e. it sucks). Help me stop the insanity and work with something a bit more refreshing. Above, check out an invite created using Pingg.
Below, check the same invite created using a site called Socializr.
The Comparison
- Maps: Socializr allows you to pick which mapping function you’d like to use to find the event location be it Google (obviously), Mapquest or Yahoo! On this one, I can be lenient to Evite because at least they wizened up and switched their mapping feature to Google.
- Sharing: Integration with social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter (see above). Socializr even provides the code for a quick Flash widget to be embedded on a MySpace or Friendster page (see below). Hott.
- Links: We bloggers know its all about the links. That’s why I love the fact that Socializr allows for easy linking from blogs, websites (as mentioned above) and phones. In addition, I can create a custom link for guests to find my invitation more easily: www.socializr.com/event/dailymarauder/jump3
- Calendar: Easily add to your Outlook Calendar. [sigh] Fabulous.
- Custom Features: Here’s where I’m really sold on this site: I added two YouTube videos from part 1 and part 2 of Jump!! so that guests could get a good idea of what we do in preparation for the third edition. I also added several photos and. . .ok. . .maybe this is a little too MySpace-esque, but I added a song to autoplay when the invitation is opened. I just can’t get Duffy’s Mercy out of my head. I mean. . .someone needs to de-throne Boozy Mc. Boozster Winehouse.
- Simplicity: The user interface on this site is simple and easy to use for the basic user. That said, being a more advanced user, I was frustrated that I couldn’t change more design elements.
- Calendar: Easily add to your Outlook, Google, iCal or Yahoo Calendar. Even better.
- Custom Features: I could add multiple photos and a single video on this invite as well. Unfortunately, one video is the maximum in comparison to the many allowed on Socializr. Additionally, no Duffy for this invite. Pingg doesn’t have an audio feature.
- Links: Like Socializr, Pingg creates a custom link for the event. In this case: http://dailymarauder.pingg.com/Jump3/index/wjkqy8keqn2 .
The Bottom Line
Both these services have Evite beat by a long shot but for the time being the IAC-owned Evite pummels the competition with 192 million online invitations sent in 2007. Evite is only bested by Facebook Events, an even more average tool connected to all of your friends through the popular social network. It seems for the time being that name recognition and social network connection trump features with their averageness. Using Socializr or Pingg at this point is like Mary Kate rockin’ a pair of over-sized sunglasses. No one gets it until they’re all doing it. Until then, I’m not RSVPing Evite.
Check out this intriguing article from the NYT Magazine for more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/magazine/13wwln-medium-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Time Warner, Arts, Sharon Osbourne, VH1, Charm School, MTV Movie Awards, Rock of Love Girls: Charm School, Lewis Black
Comedy Central renewed the weekly series Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil for a second season starting July 30 at 1030p. (Cynopsis 5/22) Zap2it.com (5/21)
Sharon Osbourne is hosting the second season of VH1’s Rock of Love Girls: Charm School where it will be Osbourne’s job to give the girls lessons in etiquette, proper manners and fashion. Last year’s host was actress Mo’Nique. (Cynopsis 5/22)
MTV will produce an array of VOD extras around films nominated for MTV Movie Awards this year for affiliates including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox and Charter. Look for making of featurettes behind-the-scenes clips, music videos, etc. There will also be a reprise of the best movie spoofs online UGC contest as well as the top nominated films from mtvU’s Best Film On Campus. (Cynopsis 5/22)
New York Times Op-Ed columnist Frank Rich has joined HBO as a creative consultant, and, according to the writer, his job will be “to bring ideas, to vet ideas [on] everything from comedies to documentaries.” Rich, a former film and TV critic for Time magazine, will continue to write his weekly newspaper column, but will not be able to write about HBO or corporate parent Time Warner. (The New York Times 5/22)
Writer, rocker and TV personality Henry Rollins will produce three new “Uncut” documentaries for the Independent Film Channel. The 60-minute specials — which will follow Rollins as he visits post-Katrina New Orleans, Northern Ireland and South Africa — will premiere on the channel and its video-on-demand arm in October. (Broadcasting & Cable 5/21)
Time Warner may use the $9.25 billion payout from its cable unit spinoff to pursue acquisitions of assets like the Weather Channel or Discovery Networks. Also: Time Warner is considered the front runner to merge with NBC Universal. Execs at both companies “are thinking about it.” (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=anYFgGgjI9k0 5/21, http://www.cnbc.com/id/24758945 5/21)
NBCU’s push into iTV includes an integration with Dish Network’s interactive television platform. Dish DVR subscribers will be able to use the one-button trigger on their remotes to request additional info or discount coupons from sponsors advertising on NBCU’s 14 television networks and 10 owned & operated stations. (Cynopsis 5/22)
Subscribers to Cox Communications’ MyPrimetime video-on-demand service in certain parts of the country will be able to receive popular NBC and ABC primetime series such as “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost” and “Medium” at no extra charge. The offering applies to customers in Arizona; Roanoke, Va.; Kansas; and areas of Georgia. It may be expanded this summer to include Fox shows. (CED Magazine 5/21)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, News and Media, Steve Ballmer, Jerry Yang, CBSSports.com
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says the software giant is no longer interested in acquiring Yahoo. “We are trying to have discussions about deals with Yahoo,” he says. Also: Growing influence of investors suggests that Jerry Yang’s days as Yahoo CEO may be numbered. (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801572 5/21, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_22/b4086000351097.htm 5/21)
Twitter, the free micro-blogging service, is believed to be closing a new round of $15 million in funding, which is estimated to bring the company’s valuation to about $80 million. A new investor is said to be leading the round with existing investor Union Square Ventures also participating. (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/twitter-series-b-funding-done-raises-15-mm 5/21)
Fresh from its record March Madness streaming effort, CBS is forming a college sports-themed vertical ad network to deliver display and video ads across CBSSports.com, NCAA.com (produced by CBSSports.com) and the roughly 215 official college athletic sites operated by the CBS College Sports network (formerly known as CSTV.) CBS estimates the network reaches 10 million unique users, based on March metrics. (Cynopsis 5/22, http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2139155420080521 5/21)
“American Idol” is still the most-watched U.S. program, but this year people have less to say about it. Daily conversations about the Fox show have sharply decreased since last year, says a survey by Keller Fay Group, a research firm specializing in word-of-mouth analysis. (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=127222 5/20)
Facebook and MySpace aren’t translating their popularity into advertising revenue, “in spite of the media hype,” says eMarketer. The research firm is downgrading its ad-spend forecasts for the sector. Also: Valuations on social networks “are pure speculation,” says Barry Diller. (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/21/facebook.myspace 5/21, http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2008/05/21/social-nets-are-nice-but-wheres-the-money 5/21)
Disney, News Corp. and Viacom are settling a copyright lawsuit against the movie-sharing Web site ShowStash.com after owner Timur Azaev agreed to stop infringing films and pay damages of $2.77 million. The lawsuit’s aim was to stop “blatant and illegal activity.” (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aGN0v919uxD4 5/21)
YouTube is “very old news,” says former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, whose company Tornante is involved in online video through its Vuguru studio. “It is to the Internet what the nickelodeon was to the movies — a very preliminary installment of what is to come.” (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/139281.asp?from=blog_last3 5/20)
Michael Eisner divulged some details about Vuguru’s next big online series. (This one will launch during the 50-webisode run of Foreign Body, a prequel to the Robin Cook hospital thriller about medical tourism set in India, set to launch May 27.) Back on Topps stars Randy and Jason Sklar, former hosts of ESPN’s Cheap Seats, as two of a group of executives vying to succeed the fictional founder of their company, Marvin Topps. The yarn is constructed to synergize with Topps trading cards, acquired by Eisner last year. (Cynopsis 5/22)
The first IndieFlix MyFestival is in conjunction with Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). MyFestival will host and stream 10 features and 10 shorts for the duration of this year’s SIFF. Watch the films on the MyFestival site and vote for the best. Winner in each category will receive a cash prize that end of the fest. (http://www.independentfilmsdirect.com/content/view/2538/51 5/21)
RDF Digital is producing original webisodes based on RDF’s faux Japanese game show format Banzai, which will have an exclusive home on MySpaceTV for the first 30 days before being syndicated to popular U.S. platforms YouTube, Hulu, MetaCafe and Dailymotion. The show, which has aired on Fox, USA, Comedy Central and G4 in the U.S., has attracted an array of celebrity guests including Angelina Jolie, Kelsey Grammar and Bill Murray. (Cynopsis 5/22)
ABC.com is upgrading its full-episode broadband player with new features for the fall season. Among the bells and whistles: the ability to send video links that can be embedded on blogs and social networks. ABC.com was the first full-episode player online when it launched in 2006. ((Iwantmedia 5/22, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6003c2212b7640e814abce567d4006c1 5/22)
Newly renamed and reorganized KIT Digital (formerly ROO) will announce the acquisition of digital video content creator Kamera today, adding mobile content to its suite of IPTV solutions for the first time. Kamera offers video content to over 100 clients, including 40+ mobile operators and 70+ broadband media publishers, enabling companies such as Vodafone, MSN, Orange, Telefonica, O2, Hutchinson and China Mobile to deliver IPTV channels and content to their customers over mobile and online networks. (Cynopsis 5/22)
Netco MediaPass has acquired Gigantic, a shingle founded by musicvid and blurb helmer Kevin Kerslake, and the merged entity has created a series of skeins for broadband and mobile distribution. Among the shows in the pipeline: “The Shop,” an action sport reality skein shot in the Rockies; “Get Over It,” a funkier version of “Laguna Beach”; and a music docu series revolving around concerts across the country. (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986298.html?categoryId=20&cs=1 5/21)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Crime, Google Maps, Handhelds, iPhone, News and Media, Smartphones, SpotCrime, Website
SpotCrime is a mashup that plots recent criminal activity onto Google Maps, allowing users to shy away from seedier parts of towns they may not be familiar with. The company has offered a website for a few months now, and has just introduced an iPhone version (annoyingly, you have to manually navigate to http://www.spotcrime.com/iphone.php). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/21/spotcrime-keeps-you-on-the-right-side-of-the-tracks 5/21)
Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Flash, Fox Interactive, Google, IGN, Newgrounds, News Corp, News Corporation, Tom Fulp
News Corp. is said to be interested in acquiring Newsgrounds.com, an online video game company, through its IGN division. The Glenside, Penn.-based Newgrounds, founded in 1995, receives 500,000 unique visitors per day and describes itself as “the largest Flash portal on the Web.” (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://pulse2.com/2008/05/21/rumor-news-corp-wants-to-acquire-newgrounds 5/21)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: CNET Networks, Hardware, Hewlett-Packard, Ink cartridge, LG Electronics, South Korea, The Wall Street Journal, us
The highly competitive South Korean firms Samsung and LG Electronics have announced plans to work together on a digital-TV project for the U.S., among other potential initiatives. The surprise gesture pleased analysts, who say the well-known rivals are poising themselves for better competitiveness through cooperation. (The Wall Street Journal 5/22)
The D2545 is constructed of 83% recycled plastic and also uses ink cartridges made of recycled materials. The $45 printer is part of a new line of environmentally conscious accessories from Hewlett-Packard called Eco Highlights. (CNET 5/21)
Filed under: MISC | Tags: George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount Pictures, Shia LaBeouf, Steven Spielberg
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” from Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, may set a box-office record for the Memorial Day weekend. The movie, which opens Thursday in 3,900 theaters, will be a “monster hit,” predicts Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com. (Iwantmedia 5/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aUdUfUDO_F68 5/22
