American Venture Magazine talked to Ilya Nykin, managing director of Prolog Ventures, about what his firm looks for when evaluating potential investments.
How long have you worked in the venture capital industry?
Over the past 20 years, I've been both an entrepreneur and an investor. I've launched and led my own companies, and now I help other entrepreneurs do the same. My partners at Prolog also have significant experience in both investing and operations.
What kinds of opportunities does Prolog look for?
Prolog focuses on life science investments. We've invested in biopharmaceuticals, medical technology, and other traditional healthcare areas, but we also look for opportunities in emerging fields such as nutrition, wellness, plant science, and bio-energy.
How do you screen companies when you receive requests for capital?
Most firms focus initially on two things: breakthrough products and strategic fit. At Prolog, we look for opportunities that meet a critical unmet need in the marketplace, and they must fit within our life science focus and our current investment strategies. We also tend to focus on very early-stage companies, where we can add the most value. And while we do screen incoming requests, we're very active in looking for investment opportunities ourselves.
What happens when you identify a company that meets your criteria?
We do some initial research to determine key risks and opportunities – competitive landscape, strength of the technology, etc. If we believe it's a good opportunity, we'll meet with the management team and assess their ability to lead the business...
More at:http://www.americanventuremagazine.com
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Eloqua has received $23 million in Series C funding
What Company is offering:
Eloqua provides on-demand applications and best-practice expertise for B2B marketers to execute, automate and measure effective marketing programs that drive revenue. Eloqua drives the entire marketing process from contact to close, while making prospect interest and intent visible at every step.
How Much They Got From VCs:
The leading supplier of automated demand generation applications and expertise for business-to-business (B2B) marketers, today announced that it has received $23 million in Series C funding. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners led the financing, with existing investors JMI Equity and Bay Partners also participating.
What Its Purpose For More Funding?
Eloqua will use this strategic funding to support the company’s rapid customer growth, extend its worldwide adoption – especially in key global markets – and to continue innovating for current customers across a range of vertical markets and industries.
More at:http://www.eloqua.com/
Eloqua provides on-demand applications and best-practice expertise for B2B marketers to execute, automate and measure effective marketing programs that drive revenue. Eloqua drives the entire marketing process from contact to close, while making prospect interest and intent visible at every step.
How Much They Got From VCs:
The leading supplier of automated demand generation applications and expertise for business-to-business (B2B) marketers, today announced that it has received $23 million in Series C funding. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners led the financing, with existing investors JMI Equity and Bay Partners also participating.
What Its Purpose For More Funding?
Eloqua will use this strategic funding to support the company’s rapid customer growth, extend its worldwide adoption – especially in key global markets – and to continue innovating for current customers across a range of vertical markets and industries.
More at:http://www.eloqua.com/
Needish lets users post a service or a product that they need
What Company Is Offering:
Needish provides an easy-use effective online service that allows you save time, save money and the possibility to be offered everything you need and/or desire.
How It Works:
Needish lets users post a service or a product that they need . Posting your need is easy; simply enter a subject and briefly describe what you’re looking for. Alternately, you can browse needs to see if anyone is in search of something you might be able to offer them. You can also search needs more thoroughly by keyword. You can sort the results by subject, number of offers received, or by expiration date. Like Craigslist, you can post and/or find anything on this site, from used digital cameras to apartments to airline tickets to London to a journalism intern. All final transactions are done off-site, but you can converse with those to whom you make offers. You don’t need to be a member of the site to make an offer, but you will want to sign up if you plan on responding to anyone’s need with a service or product of your own. Currently, the site operates principally in the metro Santiago, Chile area.
More at:http://www.needish.cl/
Needish provides an easy-use effective online service that allows you save time, save money and the possibility to be offered everything you need and/or desire.
How It Works:
Needish lets users post a service or a product that they need . Posting your need is easy; simply enter a subject and briefly describe what you’re looking for. Alternately, you can browse needs to see if anyone is in search of something you might be able to offer them. You can also search needs more thoroughly by keyword. You can sort the results by subject, number of offers received, or by expiration date. Like Craigslist, you can post and/or find anything on this site, from used digital cameras to apartments to airline tickets to London to a journalism intern. All final transactions are done off-site, but you can converse with those to whom you make offers. You don’t need to be a member of the site to make an offer, but you will want to sign up if you plan on responding to anyone’s need with a service or product of your own. Currently, the site operates principally in the metro Santiago, Chile area.
More at:http://www.needish.cl/
PiggyBankInc.com gives you a virtual piggy bank
What Company is Offering:
PiggyBankInc.com gives you a virtual piggy bank.PiggyBankInc.com could help you teach your children about the value of money and the importance of saving.Get an automatic weekly email reminder of their updated allowance balance
Update their balance yourself: withdrawals for when they make purchases, deposits when they do chores or they 'deposit' cash from other sources with you
Encourage them to save by giving them a weekly interest rate, teaching them first-hand about compounding interest
How It works:
At PiggyBankInc.com you can set up an account for your children that will record how much they earn, how much they spend and you can even give them weekly interest. Go to the site and create an account. When you create an account you can add as many children as you like. Go to the settings and choose how much their weekly allowance is, weekly interest rate, and when payday will be. Your child can then record deposits and withdrawals that will have the dates included in the statements. Your child can check their account history to see how much money they have left after a months allowance and a trip to the amusement park. PiggyBankInc.com is a great way for your children to learn how to appreciate money.
More at:http://www.piggybankinc.com/
PiggyBankInc.com gives you a virtual piggy bank.PiggyBankInc.com could help you teach your children about the value of money and the importance of saving.Get an automatic weekly email reminder of their updated allowance balance
Update their balance yourself: withdrawals for when they make purchases, deposits when they do chores or they 'deposit' cash from other sources with you
Encourage them to save by giving them a weekly interest rate, teaching them first-hand about compounding interest
How It works:
At PiggyBankInc.com you can set up an account for your children that will record how much they earn, how much they spend and you can even give them weekly interest. Go to the site and create an account. When you create an account you can add as many children as you like. Go to the settings and choose how much their weekly allowance is, weekly interest rate, and when payday will be. Your child can then record deposits and withdrawals that will have the dates included in the statements. Your child can check their account history to see how much money they have left after a months allowance and a trip to the amusement park. PiggyBankInc.com is a great way for your children to learn how to appreciate money.
More at:http://www.piggybankinc.com/
Unusual Business Idea
Play Date Atlanta has created an alternative to the typical club scene by offering Atlanta-area singles and couples a chance to meet one another in a casual atmosphere focused on playing games. No high pressure, no awkward introductions; rather, participants in Play Date Atlanta's monthly events just roll up their sleeves and enter into a little friendly competition. The games available span the spectrum from Monopoly and Yahtzee to Hungry Hungry Hippos and Musical Chairs. The setting is a function room in a local Crowne Plaza hotel, and food and drinks complete the picture. Participants pay a USD 10 entrance fee, which includes free parking.
The concept was created by Atlanta-based Green Light Entertainment, which hopes to bring the Play Date movement to other cities, too. Time to start facilitating grown-up play dates in your own neck of the woods? Let the games begin.
More at:http://www.playdateatl.com/
Via-uncommonblog
The concept was created by Atlanta-based Green Light Entertainment, which hopes to bring the Play Date movement to other cities, too. Time to start facilitating grown-up play dates in your own neck of the woods? Let the games begin.
More at:http://www.playdateatl.com/
Via-uncommonblog
Marketocracy for find the best investors in the world and then track, analyze, and evaluate their trading activity
What company is about:
Marketocracy Data Services is a research company whose mission is to find the best investors in the world and then track, analyze, and evaluate their trading activity. The company's affiliate, Marketocracy Capital Management, is the investment advisor for the Marketocracy family of mutual funds and uses the research generated by Marketocracy Data
What company's track record:
Marketocracy has recruited over 55,000 people to manage over 65,000 model portfolios at www.marketocracy.com that compete to become the best investors. For over 3 years we have tracked, analyzed, and evaluated their virtual trading activity and have accumulated a massive database; following over 10,000 stock positions at any one time and more than four million trades.
More at:http://www.marketocracy.com/
Marketocracy Data Services is a research company whose mission is to find the best investors in the world and then track, analyze, and evaluate their trading activity. The company's affiliate, Marketocracy Capital Management, is the investment advisor for the Marketocracy family of mutual funds and uses the research generated by Marketocracy Data
What company's track record:
Marketocracy has recruited over 55,000 people to manage over 65,000 model portfolios at www.marketocracy.com that compete to become the best investors. For over 3 years we have tracked, analyzed, and evaluated their virtual trading activity and have accumulated a massive database; following over 10,000 stock positions at any one time and more than four million trades.
More at:http://www.marketocracy.com/
CommentAnywhere is tool for sharing your own commentary on any Web page
What Company is Offering;
CommentAnywhere is tool for sharing your own commentary on any Web page with your Facebook friends.
How it works:
To use CommentAnywhere, you first install a toolbar, which allows you to leave comments on specific parts of any Web page. Then, when your friends visit the same Web page (and also have the toolbar installed) they can see the comments anyone in their Facebook network has left.
Beyond the basic functionality, CommentAnywhere also allows you to add pictures and video to the Web pages you decide to share. There is also a feature for filtering networks .
Will it Work?
I think the idea of CommentAnywhere is good, though it will take a pretty large critical mass of users to become interesting to use. The vision is pretty impressive though – imagine browsing the Web and seeing multimedia comments from your friends on the content you are browsing.
More at:http://www.commentanywhere.com/
CommentAnywhere is tool for sharing your own commentary on any Web page with your Facebook friends.
How it works:
To use CommentAnywhere, you first install a toolbar, which allows you to leave comments on specific parts of any Web page. Then, when your friends visit the same Web page (and also have the toolbar installed) they can see the comments anyone in their Facebook network has left.
Beyond the basic functionality, CommentAnywhere also allows you to add pictures and video to the Web pages you decide to share. There is also a feature for filtering networks .
Will it Work?
I think the idea of CommentAnywhere is good, though it will take a pretty large critical mass of users to become interesting to use. The vision is pretty impressive though – imagine browsing the Web and seeing multimedia comments from your friends on the content you are browsing.
More at:http://www.commentanywhere.com/
YuMe, which has raised $9 million
What Company is about;
YuMe provides a variety of online video ad formats, including pre, mid, and post-roll, as well as the interactive overlay style featured by the likes of VideoEgg. The company also offers its advertising solutions for different types of video, from online streams, to downloads, to mobile devices.
About VCs Deal:
An online video advertising network YuMe, which has raised $9 million from Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, and BV Capital.
More at:http://www.yumenetworks.com/
YuMe provides a variety of online video ad formats, including pre, mid, and post-roll, as well as the interactive overlay style featured by the likes of VideoEgg. The company also offers its advertising solutions for different types of video, from online streams, to downloads, to mobile devices.
About VCs Deal:
An online video advertising network YuMe, which has raised $9 million from Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, and BV Capital.
More at:http://www.yumenetworks.com/
Ancestry that looks to combine science with the company’s online database of family trees
What company is about:
Ancestry.com has launched a new service called DNA Ancestry that looks to combine science with the company’s online database of family trees.
How It works:
The service allows users to submit a DNA sample to Ancnestry.com, who will then analyze and compare it to results in their genetic database. The hope is that this can lead to users discovering more relatives, or, once and for all proving that their crazy second cousin isn’t actually related.
The site will soon start adding DNA results to existing family trees, making it possible to find other relatives down the road as more people submit tests. Another interesting twist is that by the end of the year, DNA Ancestry will offer a “Groups” feature so people with similar characteristics such as the same last name can get together and determine how they are related, if at all.
All of this genetic fun isn’t free – tests cost between $149 and $199. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting combination of science and social networking that could yield some fascinating results for people that want to explore their ancestry.
More at:http://dna.ancestry.com/
Ancestry.com has launched a new service called DNA Ancestry that looks to combine science with the company’s online database of family trees.
How It works:
The service allows users to submit a DNA sample to Ancnestry.com, who will then analyze and compare it to results in their genetic database. The hope is that this can lead to users discovering more relatives, or, once and for all proving that their crazy second cousin isn’t actually related.
The site will soon start adding DNA results to existing family trees, making it possible to find other relatives down the road as more people submit tests. Another interesting twist is that by the end of the year, DNA Ancestry will offer a “Groups” feature so people with similar characteristics such as the same last name can get together and determine how they are related, if at all.
All of this genetic fun isn’t free – tests cost between $149 and $199. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting combination of science and social networking that could yield some fascinating results for people that want to explore their ancestry.
More at:http://dna.ancestry.com/
Ukash is now offering an alternative to the Linden Dollar
What company is offering:
Ukash is a new, simple and secure way for you to shop, play and pay with cash online.
Ukash is now offering an alternative to the Linden Dollar for those wishing to engage in economic transactions on Second Life. The company bears a strong resemblance to well known eCurrency providers like PayPal, except that Ukash does not have a strict reliance on credit card or bank transactions like other online money brokers. Cursory searches across the internet also show that UKash doesn’t have reputation problems (at least as of yet), like so many other PayPal alternatives.
What's idea behind creating it:
According to Miark Chirnside, Ukash CEO, the alternative currency is growing in usage across Europe because of its ability to convert from cash. Ukash terminals are now available in the Bulido Money Service outlets inside Second Life, but those UKash isn’t limiting itself to simply just Second Life transactions. Ukash has real world terminals too, located in newsagents, grocery stores, post offices, and gas stations in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and The Netherlands.
How It works:
Like PayPal, Ukash makes their money by charging merchants a transaction fee. Their website bills the ability to spend your Ukash at several online outlets, phone companies, and online gambling outlets (which largely dominate the list of places to spend).
More at:http://www.ukash.com/
Ukash is a new, simple and secure way for you to shop, play and pay with cash online.
Ukash is now offering an alternative to the Linden Dollar for those wishing to engage in economic transactions on Second Life. The company bears a strong resemblance to well known eCurrency providers like PayPal, except that Ukash does not have a strict reliance on credit card or bank transactions like other online money brokers. Cursory searches across the internet also show that UKash doesn’t have reputation problems (at least as of yet), like so many other PayPal alternatives.
What's idea behind creating it:
According to Miark Chirnside, Ukash CEO, the alternative currency is growing in usage across Europe because of its ability to convert from cash. Ukash terminals are now available in the Bulido Money Service outlets inside Second Life, but those UKash isn’t limiting itself to simply just Second Life transactions. Ukash has real world terminals too, located in newsagents, grocery stores, post offices, and gas stations in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and The Netherlands.
How It works:
Like PayPal, Ukash makes their money by charging merchants a transaction fee. Their website bills the ability to spend your Ukash at several online outlets, phone companies, and online gambling outlets (which largely dominate the list of places to spend).
More at:http://www.ukash.com/
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Covestor For Sharing Your Real Investments Decision And Earn Money ,Recognition As Well
What Company is About:
Covestor is:
A real-trade sharing service for proven self-investors. To share your real investment decisions, gain recognition and earn fees by helping others.
Where all data is private, normalized and anonymous, and membership is free.
How It Works:
Build a track record. Professional grade tools measure and display your normalized results. These validate your performance and build you a track record comparable to professional hedge funds. Our secure broker link makes it effortless to upload and update your holdings.
Choose how widely to share your activity. You choose whether to share your track record publicly or just with other Covestor members. Covestor 'widgets' also let you export your verified performance and rankings to your personal blog. Members get free access to all Covestor profiles, transactions, and commentary.
Get feedback and ideas from other Members. See what other members are investing in and why, in near real time. In addition you can benchmark your own performance, and see where you rank,
Earn financial rewards. Covestor will be adding a regulated investment service. If you choose to be compensated you will receive an annual data fee for every follower you have. Find out more.
More at:http://www.covestor.com/
Covestor is:
A real-trade sharing service for proven self-investors. To share your real investment decisions, gain recognition and earn fees by helping others.
Where all data is private, normalized and anonymous, and membership is free.
How It Works:
Build a track record. Professional grade tools measure and display your normalized results. These validate your performance and build you a track record comparable to professional hedge funds. Our secure broker link makes it effortless to upload and update your holdings.
Choose how widely to share your activity. You choose whether to share your track record publicly or just with other Covestor members. Covestor 'widgets' also let you export your verified performance and rankings to your personal blog. Members get free access to all Covestor profiles, transactions, and commentary.
Get feedback and ideas from other Members. See what other members are investing in and why, in near real time. In addition you can benchmark your own performance, and see where you rank,
Earn financial rewards. Covestor will be adding a regulated investment service. If you choose to be compensated you will receive an annual data fee for every follower you have. Find out more.
More at:http://www.covestor.com/
TokBox allows free video calling from any website,got $4 Million from Sequoia Capital and angel investors
What Company is About:
TokBox allows free video calling from any website.
TokBox allows you to talk face-to-face with anyone in a single click. And imagine you do not require registration, nor do you need to download software.
How It Works:
TokBox lets users send videomails to anyone with an email address, and embed video communication into any website.
By making it so simple to understand, quick and easy to use, the adoption rate may be very fast.
You may use Tokbox for free.
How Much They Got From VCs:
TokBox received $4 Million from Sequoia Capital and angel investors.
About site detail:http://www.tokbox.com/
About VCs:http://www.sequoiacap.com/sequoia-capital/
TokBox allows free video calling from any website.
TokBox allows you to talk face-to-face with anyone in a single click. And imagine you do not require registration, nor do you need to download software.
How It Works:
TokBox lets users send videomails to anyone with an email address, and embed video communication into any website.
By making it so simple to understand, quick and easy to use, the adoption rate may be very fast.
You may use Tokbox for free.
How Much They Got From VCs:
TokBox received $4 Million from Sequoia Capital and angel investors.
About site detail:http://www.tokbox.com/
About VCs:http://www.sequoiacap.com/sequoia-capital/
New Alternative for Generating Mad Cash for Websites
In 1998, a group of renegade entrepreneurs had the vision to enable websites to generate revenue by selling advertising on their site. They developed an advertising platform called L90/adMonitor. At the time, DoubleClick was the #1 competitor and adMonitor entered as the 7th horse in a 7 horse race. Within a few years, they grew from #7 to #2, delivered billions of ads each month for more than 3,000 companies, reached 65% of the Internet population, took the company public, and attracted a market cap of half a billion dollars before being acquired by DoubleClick in 2001.
The team went their separate ways, spurring innovation in the Internet world. Their leader, Frank Addante, a serial entrepreneur, started his 5th successful company. Craig Roah, who managed adMonitor’s extreme growth, built a company that eventually sold to ValueClick. Duc Chau, the mastermind behind the ad-serving platform, was the original developer of MySpace.com. And Julie Mattern, their resident industry veteran, developed some of the top online advertising platforms including YesMail.com, FastClick, ValueClick and Euroclick. (She’s vying hard to add “click” to the end of the company name for good luck.)
Earlier this year, the team regrouped. Amazed by the growth in the online advertising industry, they took a closer look at what’s changed and quickly realized the answer—not much. Except there was more: more advertising dollars, more ad impressions, more ad networks (e.g. Google AdSense, Yahoo!, Adtegrity, HispanoClick) selling more ads to more advertisers and more confusion for websites trying to make money from advertising. They identified two conflicting trends: first, the lack of advertising technology available for websites; second, the rapid growth of new ad networks.
They reunited to start the Rubicon Project, creating a self-serve solution for websites to generate mad cash from ads on their site. “Seven years ago, when we were in this business there were 15 ad networks. Two years ago, there were over a hundred. Today, more than 300,” said Frank Addante, CEO & Founder of the Rubicon Project, “The fact is that advertisers are spending money with all of them. More money is spread around to more places creating a large, yet highly fragmented and inefficient market.” There are small and large ad networks; CPA, CPC and CPM networks; text, display and now video networks; local ad networks and networks in other countries. Currently, 80% of online advertising goes unsold (directly) and that 80% is what’s sent to ad networks to monetize.
“Today’s online advertising market is like the stock market without a NASDAQ system,” said Addante, “it needs to be automated. That’s our mission.”
the Rubicon Project enables websites to optimize 300 ad networks in one place. The company’s self-serve solution, powered by its smart matching technology, understands the strengths of each ad network and matches each ad impression to the best money-making opportunity. The secret is that it deciphers ad space into 9,000 micro-segments using geographic, demographic and contextual information. “Our engineers write notes in 1’s and 0’s.” says Craig Roah, COO and Founder of the Rubicon Project, “Intelligently matching ad impressions to ad networks for thousands of sites and hundreds of ad networks is easier said than done, especially when you need to do it billions of times per day.” The company has ambitious plans, being that there are hundreds of thousands of sites on the Internet that make money from advertising. the Rubicon Project service is free to join.
Sites ranging from small blogs to the world’s largest online properties can be up and running with the solution in 10 minutes. Early tests with alpha customers have shown promising results. Until now, the company has been operating in secret-ninja mode (a.k.a. “stealth”). Today, the company launched its private beta invitation site for 500 websites to participate in the beta program.
Want to make mad cash? Join...
Want to be one of the first 500 websites to get a sneak peek before we let everyone in? It’s free to join. Don’t worry; sites not making the initial 500 will be first in line for the official public launch. To request an invitation to the private beta, visit www.rubiconproject.com.
More at:www.rubiconproject.com
Via-http://www.rubiconproject.com/press/mad-cash
The team went their separate ways, spurring innovation in the Internet world. Their leader, Frank Addante, a serial entrepreneur, started his 5th successful company. Craig Roah, who managed adMonitor’s extreme growth, built a company that eventually sold to ValueClick. Duc Chau, the mastermind behind the ad-serving platform, was the original developer of MySpace.com. And Julie Mattern, their resident industry veteran, developed some of the top online advertising platforms including YesMail.com, FastClick, ValueClick and Euroclick. (She’s vying hard to add “click” to the end of the company name for good luck.)
Earlier this year, the team regrouped. Amazed by the growth in the online advertising industry, they took a closer look at what’s changed and quickly realized the answer—not much. Except there was more: more advertising dollars, more ad impressions, more ad networks (e.g. Google AdSense, Yahoo!, Adtegrity, HispanoClick) selling more ads to more advertisers and more confusion for websites trying to make money from advertising. They identified two conflicting trends: first, the lack of advertising technology available for websites; second, the rapid growth of new ad networks.
They reunited to start the Rubicon Project, creating a self-serve solution for websites to generate mad cash from ads on their site. “Seven years ago, when we were in this business there were 15 ad networks. Two years ago, there were over a hundred. Today, more than 300,” said Frank Addante, CEO & Founder of the Rubicon Project, “The fact is that advertisers are spending money with all of them. More money is spread around to more places creating a large, yet highly fragmented and inefficient market.” There are small and large ad networks; CPA, CPC and CPM networks; text, display and now video networks; local ad networks and networks in other countries. Currently, 80% of online advertising goes unsold (directly) and that 80% is what’s sent to ad networks to monetize.
“Today’s online advertising market is like the stock market without a NASDAQ system,” said Addante, “it needs to be automated. That’s our mission.”
the Rubicon Project enables websites to optimize 300 ad networks in one place. The company’s self-serve solution, powered by its smart matching technology, understands the strengths of each ad network and matches each ad impression to the best money-making opportunity. The secret is that it deciphers ad space into 9,000 micro-segments using geographic, demographic and contextual information. “Our engineers write notes in 1’s and 0’s.” says Craig Roah, COO and Founder of the Rubicon Project, “Intelligently matching ad impressions to ad networks for thousands of sites and hundreds of ad networks is easier said than done, especially when you need to do it billions of times per day.” The company has ambitious plans, being that there are hundreds of thousands of sites on the Internet that make money from advertising. the Rubicon Project service is free to join.
Sites ranging from small blogs to the world’s largest online properties can be up and running with the solution in 10 minutes. Early tests with alpha customers have shown promising results. Until now, the company has been operating in secret-ninja mode (a.k.a. “stealth”). Today, the company launched its private beta invitation site for 500 websites to participate in the beta program.
Want to make mad cash? Join...
Want to be one of the first 500 websites to get a sneak peek before we let everyone in? It’s free to join. Don’t worry; sites not making the initial 500 will be first in line for the official public launch. To request an invitation to the private beta, visit www.rubiconproject.com.
More at:www.rubiconproject.com
Via-http://www.rubiconproject.com/press/mad-cash
Webcam avatar community fix8 has raised $3 million
What Company is About:
fix8 lets you create animated avatars with your webcam by reading your expressions and gestures. There are loads of tools that you can play around with, including fix8’s wide selection of avatars, and other accessories like voice manipulation, graphics and editing tools. These clips can then be embedded in your website or social networking profile, or use it for your instant messaging client like AOL, MSN, Skype or Yahoo Messenger.
About VCs Deal:
Webcam avatar community fix8 has raised $3 million in a series a round of funding from Vickers Venture Group, which is a Singapore-based private equity firm.
How They Are Going:
fix8 has recently teamed up with Pringo for distribution purposes, Stickam , also Shanghai Media Group to create AuditionsTV, which makes interactive tv audiences able to participate during live or taped programs. Coming up, fix8 will be offering a mobile solution, which will surely extend the ways in which its avatar creation tool can be used for communicative purposes.
More at:http://fix8.com/
fix8 lets you create animated avatars with your webcam by reading your expressions and gestures. There are loads of tools that you can play around with, including fix8’s wide selection of avatars, and other accessories like voice manipulation, graphics and editing tools. These clips can then be embedded in your website or social networking profile, or use it for your instant messaging client like AOL, MSN, Skype or Yahoo Messenger.
About VCs Deal:
Webcam avatar community fix8 has raised $3 million in a series a round of funding from Vickers Venture Group, which is a Singapore-based private equity firm.
How They Are Going:
fix8 has recently teamed up with Pringo for distribution purposes, Stickam , also Shanghai Media Group to create AuditionsTV, which makes interactive tv audiences able to participate during live or taped programs. Coming up, fix8 will be offering a mobile solution, which will surely extend the ways in which its avatar creation tool can be used for communicative purposes.
More at:http://fix8.com/
Budgeting and financial planning community MoneyTrackinhas launched a new section of its site for networking purposes
Budgeting and financial planning community MoneyTrackin‘ has reached a few milestones and has launched a new section of its site for networking purposes. As of last week, MoneyTrackin’ has now reached over 1 million transactions entered. With a launch earlier this spring, MoneyTrackin’ is still growing and still adding on new features for its community.
One of these new features is a community map, where you can mark places that help you save money. For instance, there’s an Aldo’s shoe liquidation store not too far from my house, where everything is 50% off the clearance price. We fondly and lovingly refer to it as the Promised Land. It would be the perfect type of store to place on MoneyTrackin’s new map, so others in the area can check it out and save money too.
The new map feature goes well with MoneyTrackin’s existing community tip features, which lets you vote for those hints and tricks that have been most helpful, and they will be pushed towards the top, like a Digg model.
More at:http://moneytrackin.com/
http://moneytrackin.com/map/#latitude/40.413496/longitude/-3.032227/zoom/1
Via-Mash
One of these new features is a community map, where you can mark places that help you save money. For instance, there’s an Aldo’s shoe liquidation store not too far from my house, where everything is 50% off the clearance price. We fondly and lovingly refer to it as the Promised Land. It would be the perfect type of store to place on MoneyTrackin’s new map, so others in the area can check it out and save money too.
The new map feature goes well with MoneyTrackin’s existing community tip features, which lets you vote for those hints and tricks that have been most helpful, and they will be pushed towards the top, like a Digg model.
More at:http://moneytrackin.com/
http://moneytrackin.com/map/#latitude/40.413496/longitude/-3.032227/zoom/1
Via-Mash
MyPacis.Eu Is Social Network For Peace
What Company says:
MyPacis.Eu ,"Our mission is to Promote peace and development in Europe and neighbouring Countries by linking people. Make a difference, join the first European Social Network with a social agenda".
How It works:
MyPacis.eu features articles on headlines in Europe, so you can keep up to date with what is going on in the world. Stay socially conscious by reviews the featured articles There are also groups for you to join, many of which have a social theme. MyPacis.eu features more than just groups on peach and development, it has a fun and lighter side as well. The site features photos, which you can rate, and also videos. There are funny videos of hamsters dancing, and there are sports videos as well. MyPacis.eu has chats, a blog, and an events section. Make friends and be part of a social network that focuses on peace at MyPacis.eu.
More at:http://www.mypacis.eu/
MyPacis.Eu ,"Our mission is to Promote peace and development in Europe and neighbouring Countries by linking people. Make a difference, join the first European Social Network with a social agenda".
How It works:
MyPacis.eu features articles on headlines in Europe, so you can keep up to date with what is going on in the world. Stay socially conscious by reviews the featured articles There are also groups for you to join, many of which have a social theme. MyPacis.eu features more than just groups on peach and development, it has a fun and lighter side as well. The site features photos, which you can rate, and also videos. There are funny videos of hamsters dancing, and there are sports videos as well. MyPacis.eu has chats, a blog, and an events section. Make friends and be part of a social network that focuses on peace at MyPacis.eu.
More at:http://www.mypacis.eu/
AdBidCentral deals with the sale of futures-oriented advertising, bringing together buyers and sellers of CPM advertising
What Company Says:
At AdBidCentral we make buying and selling online media easy and efficient. AdBidCentral is the only fully transparent, open marketplace where everything from posting, shopping, transacting, implementing and reporting takes place - all in one central location. Best of breed, our technology is designed behind people, not the other way around.
How It Works:
They set their own prices for ad space, and list it on AdBid’s Marketplace; continuous monitoring capabilities insure best-case trading outcomes, and payments may be received as early as three days from ad delivery. Buyers, on the other hand, can find their targeted audience with one click; ad orders are processed immediately and efficiently. Campaigns may be monitored in real time and instantly modified based on performance. In essence, AdBid has developed an digital ad market that’s ‘easy, efficient, and intuitive”. All transactions are transparent and take place from within one centralized marketplace. AdBidCentral’s marketplace can be used to complement direct enterprise sales while also providing the ability to purchase future campaigns based on impressions.
More at:http://www.adbidcentral.com/
At AdBidCentral we make buying and selling online media easy and efficient. AdBidCentral is the only fully transparent, open marketplace where everything from posting, shopping, transacting, implementing and reporting takes place - all in one central location. Best of breed, our technology is designed behind people, not the other way around.
How It Works:
They set their own prices for ad space, and list it on AdBid’s Marketplace; continuous monitoring capabilities insure best-case trading outcomes, and payments may be received as early as three days from ad delivery. Buyers, on the other hand, can find their targeted audience with one click; ad orders are processed immediately and efficiently. Campaigns may be monitored in real time and instantly modified based on performance. In essence, AdBid has developed an digital ad market that’s ‘easy, efficient, and intuitive”. All transactions are transparent and take place from within one centralized marketplace. AdBidCentral’s marketplace can be used to complement direct enterprise sales while also providing the ability to purchase future campaigns based on impressions.
More at:http://www.adbidcentral.com/
Yooplus offers tools and applications that will help companies, communicate better with the world
What Company Is About:
Yooplus is an Enterprise 2.0 company offering collaboration and communication environments, tools and services for team and project management for all sized business clients, faced with the challenge of getting things done.
How It Works:
We+ offers tools and applications that will help companies, communicate better with the world and co-worker to co-worker.
The applications have many features, such as; reducing emails by 30% or more, the tools are available in multiple languages, sharing calendar/information, real time information updates, customizable environments, making your company knowledge explicit and available, and more. We+ helps your company by focusing on collaboration, communication, and management. Creating and organizing your team projects is as easy as one click. Keep everyone informed with the calendar of tasks that need to be done, upload documents and communicate with the blog. Your company can be more productive by using we+.
More at:http://www.yooplus.com/
Yooplus is an Enterprise 2.0 company offering collaboration and communication environments, tools and services for team and project management for all sized business clients, faced with the challenge of getting things done.
How It Works:
We+ offers tools and applications that will help companies, communicate better with the world and co-worker to co-worker.
The applications have many features, such as; reducing emails by 30% or more, the tools are available in multiple languages, sharing calendar/information, real time information updates, customizable environments, making your company knowledge explicit and available, and more. We+ helps your company by focusing on collaboration, communication, and management. Creating and organizing your team projects is as easy as one click. Keep everyone informed with the calendar of tasks that need to be done, upload documents and communicate with the blog. Your company can be more productive by using we+.
More at:http://www.yooplus.com/
Monday, October 15, 2007
Dripbook is a community for artists that can express themselves visually
What Company is offering:
Dripbook is a community for artists that can express themselves visually, through photos. So you won’t be able to upload videos. This is reflected in the genres that are featured on Dripbook, which consist of areas of expertise like photography, illustration, street art, and interior design. When you sign up for a Dripbook account, you can indicate your area of expertise, or sign up as a viewer, which allows you to simply enjoy the work showcased on the site without the necessity of an online portfolio.
How It works:
There’s a multiple file upload option, similar to Facebook, but one neat thing about Dripbook’s file upload is that you can go do other things on the site, like organize your album’s content, while you wait for your files to fully upload to your account.
For a portfolio’s books, users can leave comments, add it to their favorites or their shortlist (this lets you check out the artwork later without having to save it to your favorites folder), show or hide associated captions, and send the artist a private message. Dripbook will also keep track of your recent history. This, along with the shortlist, appear as mini feeds in your main menu for site navigation.
More at:http://www.dripbook.com/
Dripbook is a community for artists that can express themselves visually, through photos. So you won’t be able to upload videos. This is reflected in the genres that are featured on Dripbook, which consist of areas of expertise like photography, illustration, street art, and interior design. When you sign up for a Dripbook account, you can indicate your area of expertise, or sign up as a viewer, which allows you to simply enjoy the work showcased on the site without the necessity of an online portfolio.
How It works:
There’s a multiple file upload option, similar to Facebook, but one neat thing about Dripbook’s file upload is that you can go do other things on the site, like organize your album’s content, while you wait for your files to fully upload to your account.
For a portfolio’s books, users can leave comments, add it to their favorites or their shortlist (this lets you check out the artwork later without having to save it to your favorites folder), show or hide associated captions, and send the artist a private message. Dripbook will also keep track of your recent history. This, along with the shortlist, appear as mini feeds in your main menu for site navigation.
More at:http://www.dripbook.com/
The Mod Shop
What Company is About:
The Mod Shop,Maximum PC is launching a semi-social network online for modders to show off their designs and projects, this new site is heavy on contests in order to get users to publish their products and interact on the site.
Set up like an NCAA tournament, these contests operate as battles where you choose which mod you like better. The monthly tournament has a total prize pool of $2,000.
How It works:
As a registered user, you can post details of your products, which looks to include text, links and images, but not videos. The hope is that Mod Shop users will chronicle the progress of their projects, and the online community will become a hub for innovative ideas. So far there aren’t many ways in which this type of collaborative innovation can go down. Sharing and navigation on this site is pretty much a one-way road, and serves as little more than an online attraction that highlights a singular feature from the Maximum PC publication.
More at:http://www.modshop.net/
The Mod Shop,Maximum PC is launching a semi-social network online for modders to show off their designs and projects, this new site is heavy on contests in order to get users to publish their products and interact on the site.
Set up like an NCAA tournament, these contests operate as battles where you choose which mod you like better. The monthly tournament has a total prize pool of $2,000.
How It works:
As a registered user, you can post details of your products, which looks to include text, links and images, but not videos. The hope is that Mod Shop users will chronicle the progress of their projects, and the online community will become a hub for innovative ideas. So far there aren’t many ways in which this type of collaborative innovation can go down. Sharing and navigation on this site is pretty much a one-way road, and serves as little more than an online attraction that highlights a singular feature from the Maximum PC publication.
More at:http://www.modshop.net/
HowStuffWorks is the latest acquisition by Discovery Communications, for $250 million
What Company is About:
HowStuffWorks is an online reference tool with a reported 11 million users around the world and 3.8 million unique US visitors per month.
Why Its in News?....
because the reference site will be merged with Discovery’s video content, as well as its future programs. This is all in an effort to improve Discovery’s own websites, which are in need of an update and help building out vertically. HowStuffWorks was a well-funded company, raising a total of $125 million over three rounds, with investment from Carl C. Ichan, and international funding from venture companies in China and Brazil.
There’s a number of reference sites being acquired by traditional media companies as they look to leverage the existing networks for additional information to be incorporated into their ongoing programming and for their web presence. Lonely Planet, which produces content for Discovery as well, was recently acquired by the BBC.
About VCs deal:
HowStuffWorks is the latest acquisition by Discovery Communications, for $250 million. Included in the purchase are HowStuffWorks’ entire network of online properties, including a map database. While the map database doesn’t seem to be figured into the overall price of this particular acquisition, as it’s not yet profitable, this is Discovery’s largest online acquisition.
More at:http://www.howstuffworks.com/
HowStuffWorks is an online reference tool with a reported 11 million users around the world and 3.8 million unique US visitors per month.
Why Its in News?....
because the reference site will be merged with Discovery’s video content, as well as its future programs. This is all in an effort to improve Discovery’s own websites, which are in need of an update and help building out vertically. HowStuffWorks was a well-funded company, raising a total of $125 million over three rounds, with investment from Carl C. Ichan, and international funding from venture companies in China and Brazil.
There’s a number of reference sites being acquired by traditional media companies as they look to leverage the existing networks for additional information to be incorporated into their ongoing programming and for their web presence. Lonely Planet, which produces content for Discovery as well, was recently acquired by the BBC.
About VCs deal:
HowStuffWorks is the latest acquisition by Discovery Communications, for $250 million. Included in the purchase are HowStuffWorks’ entire network of online properties, including a map database. While the map database doesn’t seem to be figured into the overall price of this particular acquisition, as it’s not yet profitable, this is Discovery’s largest online acquisition.
More at:http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Venture Report
According to the Exit Poll report by Thomson Financial and the National Venture Capital Association, venture-backed companies racked up $8.63 billion in disclosed value exits in the third quarter of 2007. Through the first three quarters of the year, venture-backed companies have yielded $23.3 billion in value, topping the $21.8 billion in all of 2006 and the $20.5 billion total in 2005.
A similar report — the Quarterly U.S. Liquidity Report — released by Dow Jones VentureOne, put that number even higher with $10.5 billion in M&A transactions and $662.5 million raised through initial public offerings.
According to the Thomson/NVCA Exit Poll, the third quarter logged 67 M&A deals. Of that number, only 34 had a disclosed value, totaling $7.7 billion: a 104% increase from the year-ago quarter, when 41 disclosed deals rang up $3.8 billion in value. Additionally, the average disclosed acquisition value was at its highest level since the fourth quarter of 2000.
Tech buyouts were the most prolific, as 45 deals with disclosed values garnered approximately $3.8 billion, while life sciences and other sectors accounted for $1.2 billion and $2.7 billion of the total dollar volume, respectively.
The slow summer months followed by a volatile stock market in September chocked off what had been a hot venture-backed IPO market. Only 12 companies went public, raising $945.2 million in the third quarter, a significant drop-off from the prior quarter when 25 offerings raised $4.1 billion.
The largest IPOs of the quarter were Masimo Corp.'s $202.6 million offering in life sciences and Athenahealth Inc.'s $113.2 million issue for the tech sector. Athenahealth has gone on to become one of the best-performing IPOs of the year, gaining 88% from its offering price.
In spite of the recent slowdown, the profits that venture firms are reaping on IPOs of their portfolio companies appear to be rising, as the public markets are putting increasingly higher valuations on VC-backed offerings, according to John Taylor, vice president of research at the NVCA.
"The valuations of companies able to go public is quite strong. In 2005 the median IPO valuation was $203 million; in 2006 it rose to $255; and for the three quarters of this year it's $365 million," said Taylor. "The median we're looking at now is higher than any year on record; it's actually higher than the median valuation at the height of the [tech] bubble for the full year."
Part of that rise can be attributed to self-selection, as Sarbanes-Oxley makes it harder for smaller companies to go public. But on the flip side is the rebound in IT spending in corporate America.
"IT was in the doldrums until around 2003, so we have a lot of companies that only really started selling products in 2003-2004 and are now are coming into their maturity," Taylor continued. "There is an increasing supply of these companies that are at the point in their maturity cycle where they're good candidates to go public."
In addition to the rising valuations, there is a huge number of venture-backed companies poised to go public. The NVCA reports that there are currently 72 venture-backed companies in registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while the VentureOne report said that in the third quarter another 46 venture-backed companies (including 22 healthcare companies) filed to go public, further setting the stage for a blockbuster fourth quarter.
A similar report — the Quarterly U.S. Liquidity Report — released by Dow Jones VentureOne, put that number even higher with $10.5 billion in M&A transactions and $662.5 million raised through initial public offerings.
According to the Thomson/NVCA Exit Poll, the third quarter logged 67 M&A deals. Of that number, only 34 had a disclosed value, totaling $7.7 billion: a 104% increase from the year-ago quarter, when 41 disclosed deals rang up $3.8 billion in value. Additionally, the average disclosed acquisition value was at its highest level since the fourth quarter of 2000.
Tech buyouts were the most prolific, as 45 deals with disclosed values garnered approximately $3.8 billion, while life sciences and other sectors accounted for $1.2 billion and $2.7 billion of the total dollar volume, respectively.
The slow summer months followed by a volatile stock market in September chocked off what had been a hot venture-backed IPO market. Only 12 companies went public, raising $945.2 million in the third quarter, a significant drop-off from the prior quarter when 25 offerings raised $4.1 billion.
The largest IPOs of the quarter were Masimo Corp.'s $202.6 million offering in life sciences and Athenahealth Inc.'s $113.2 million issue for the tech sector. Athenahealth has gone on to become one of the best-performing IPOs of the year, gaining 88% from its offering price.
In spite of the recent slowdown, the profits that venture firms are reaping on IPOs of their portfolio companies appear to be rising, as the public markets are putting increasingly higher valuations on VC-backed offerings, according to John Taylor, vice president of research at the NVCA.
"The valuations of companies able to go public is quite strong. In 2005 the median IPO valuation was $203 million; in 2006 it rose to $255; and for the three quarters of this year it's $365 million," said Taylor. "The median we're looking at now is higher than any year on record; it's actually higher than the median valuation at the height of the [tech] bubble for the full year."
Part of that rise can be attributed to self-selection, as Sarbanes-Oxley makes it harder for smaller companies to go public. But on the flip side is the rebound in IT spending in corporate America.
"IT was in the doldrums until around 2003, so we have a lot of companies that only really started selling products in 2003-2004 and are now are coming into their maturity," Taylor continued. "There is an increasing supply of these companies that are at the point in their maturity cycle where they're good candidates to go public."
In addition to the rising valuations, there is a huge number of venture-backed companies poised to go public. The NVCA reports that there are currently 72 venture-backed companies in registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while the VentureOne report said that in the third quarter another 46 venture-backed companies (including 22 healthcare companies) filed to go public, further setting the stage for a blockbuster fourth quarter.
E-mail specialist M3 Technology Group raised $6.5 million
E-mail specialist M3 Technology Group raised $6.5 million in expansion funding from Charlotte, N.C.-based Frontier Capital in the first outside equity investment in the five-year-old company's history.
The new investment will allow M3TG to expand new deployments and ongoing service of enterprise class e-mail systems featuring customized access, security and reliability features.
The new capital gives Charlotte-based M3TG a post-money valuation of $21 million and is expected to be the final outside equity the company will raise.
M3TG founder and CEO Michael Byrnes said the company has been profitable since its inception in 2002 and that he has rebuffed previous offers of expansion capital in favor of internal growth. But the company currently has annual sales of about $12 million, and Byrnes said he saw an opportunity to accelerate growth with additional capital as more companies require customized e-mail deployment and maintenance.
"When we started, we saw that e-mail was the heartbeat of any corporation and saw an opportunity to put a laser focus on that," Byrnes said. "Because it has become so mission critical, more companies recognize that it has to be up 100% of the time and has to be monitored for security and reliability."
Andrew Lindner, managing partner of Frontier Capital, said the firm had been following M3TG since its formation. Frontier was attracted by the capital efficiency the company demonstrated in building sales above $10 million and saw opportunity to bring capital and management experience to maintain growth, which has averaged around 50% annually.
"As e-mail systems get more complex when you add mobile devices and they become even more critical, companies increasingly need somebody to manage systems," Lindner said. "We like their scrappiness in getting to where they are on bootstrap financing, but this capital will allow them to hire bodies ahead of the curve and to build out the management team, and with extra cash on their balance sheet they can be more disciplined in the customers they take on and on pricing."
Byrnes said M3TG currently has about 100 employees, with operations throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he said there would be no need to make acquisitions for geographic expansion. He said the company will use the new money to fund product development initiatives, to expand its professional and enterprise services teams and to boost sales and marketing.
"Over the past two years, we have experienced phenomenal and consistent growth. In the process, we have become a go-to partner for some of the most trusted and influential technology companies in the world," Byrnes said. "With this round of funding, we will be able to add more resources to enhance our innovative technology processes, build out our operations and increase the testing and implementation of new technology solutions that continue to improve the way our communications information is stored, secured and delivered."
More at:http://www.m3tg.com/
The new investment will allow M3TG to expand new deployments and ongoing service of enterprise class e-mail systems featuring customized access, security and reliability features.
The new capital gives Charlotte-based M3TG a post-money valuation of $21 million and is expected to be the final outside equity the company will raise.
M3TG founder and CEO Michael Byrnes said the company has been profitable since its inception in 2002 and that he has rebuffed previous offers of expansion capital in favor of internal growth. But the company currently has annual sales of about $12 million, and Byrnes said he saw an opportunity to accelerate growth with additional capital as more companies require customized e-mail deployment and maintenance.
"When we started, we saw that e-mail was the heartbeat of any corporation and saw an opportunity to put a laser focus on that," Byrnes said. "Because it has become so mission critical, more companies recognize that it has to be up 100% of the time and has to be monitored for security and reliability."
Andrew Lindner, managing partner of Frontier Capital, said the firm had been following M3TG since its formation. Frontier was attracted by the capital efficiency the company demonstrated in building sales above $10 million and saw opportunity to bring capital and management experience to maintain growth, which has averaged around 50% annually.
"As e-mail systems get more complex when you add mobile devices and they become even more critical, companies increasingly need somebody to manage systems," Lindner said. "We like their scrappiness in getting to where they are on bootstrap financing, but this capital will allow them to hire bodies ahead of the curve and to build out the management team, and with extra cash on their balance sheet they can be more disciplined in the customers they take on and on pricing."
Byrnes said M3TG currently has about 100 employees, with operations throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he said there would be no need to make acquisitions for geographic expansion. He said the company will use the new money to fund product development initiatives, to expand its professional and enterprise services teams and to boost sales and marketing.
"Over the past two years, we have experienced phenomenal and consistent growth. In the process, we have become a go-to partner for some of the most trusted and influential technology companies in the world," Byrnes said. "With this round of funding, we will be able to add more resources to enhance our innovative technology processes, build out our operations and increase the testing and implementation of new technology solutions that continue to improve the way our communications information is stored, secured and delivered."
More at:http://www.m3tg.com/
Zuzzid allows users to share their insurance experiences
What Company is About:
Zuzzid allows users to share their insurance experiences, good and bad, it provides a way for them to hold insurance companies a little more accountable.
How It works:
Registered users on the site can not just rant but also rave, as well as ask questions and learn from the collective experiences of others. A comparison feature totals all the bad and good comments about each particular company, presenting a quick ranking of where they all fall. A price engine, meanwhile, uses collective data to predict what a particular user will have to pay for a particular type of insurance.
The site is aimed at consumers just in the UK, and it’s actually run by UK-based insurer Norwich Union—which is also among the many companies rated. That slightly covert affiliation helps explain why the site doesn’t feel like a genuine grassroots one would—there is no “About Us” section to speak of, for instance—and suggests at least the potential for less-than-pure intentions. But it’s a great model for opinion-sharing sites in any number of like areas. For the companies being discussed, such sites could also make customer surveys obsolete with their wealth of information about the real word of mouth. Web-savvy entrepreneurs: which other industries can you unleash transparency tyranny on?
More at: www.zuzzid.co.uk
Zuzzid allows users to share their insurance experiences, good and bad, it provides a way for them to hold insurance companies a little more accountable.
How It works:
Registered users on the site can not just rant but also rave, as well as ask questions and learn from the collective experiences of others. A comparison feature totals all the bad and good comments about each particular company, presenting a quick ranking of where they all fall. A price engine, meanwhile, uses collective data to predict what a particular user will have to pay for a particular type of insurance.
The site is aimed at consumers just in the UK, and it’s actually run by UK-based insurer Norwich Union—which is also among the many companies rated. That slightly covert affiliation helps explain why the site doesn’t feel like a genuine grassroots one would—there is no “About Us” section to speak of, for instance—and suggests at least the potential for less-than-pure intentions. But it’s a great model for opinion-sharing sites in any number of like areas. For the companies being discussed, such sites could also make customer surveys obsolete with their wealth of information about the real word of mouth. Web-savvy entrepreneurs: which other industries can you unleash transparency tyranny on?
More at: www.zuzzid.co.uk
e.l.f. where all cosmetics cost just USD1
What's The Idea Of Company:
Take a high-margin product like cosmetics, and cut prices by at least half. Now add online accessibility with customization, community and values. Throw in a pinch of demystifying expert advice, and you've got e.l.f., short for "eyes, lips, face."
Launched by New York-based JA Cosmetics roughly three years ago, e.l.f. appears to be turning the cosmetics industry on its ear.
How It Works:
All cosmetics cost just USD 1, and customers can create personalized profiles that generate product recommendations and customized looks. A "beauty secrets" section is filled with tips and expert advice, and a blog section fosters community and discussion. The site also supports the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), promising not to use animal testing on any products or ingredients.
e.l.f. currently ships only to US and Canadian addresses, but versions of the site have recently launched for both the UK and Australia. The company's products are also available in US stores, including Target and a variety of drugstores and convenience chains.
It also makes you wonder when the rest of the industry will wake up and realize that their customers have entered the 21st century—this isn't your father's consumer base! Online community, customization, values and, most of all, the clearcut bargain pricing: everything for a dollar. Time to copy this recession-proof recipe to other countries? Which segment of products can you sell for a euro, 10 yuan or 2 reais, in a thoroughly modern way?
More at: www.eyeslipsface.com
Take a high-margin product like cosmetics, and cut prices by at least half. Now add online accessibility with customization, community and values. Throw in a pinch of demystifying expert advice, and you've got e.l.f., short for "eyes, lips, face."
Launched by New York-based JA Cosmetics roughly three years ago, e.l.f. appears to be turning the cosmetics industry on its ear.
How It Works:
All cosmetics cost just USD 1, and customers can create personalized profiles that generate product recommendations and customized looks. A "beauty secrets" section is filled with tips and expert advice, and a blog section fosters community and discussion. The site also supports the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), promising not to use animal testing on any products or ingredients.
e.l.f. currently ships only to US and Canadian addresses, but versions of the site have recently launched for both the UK and Australia. The company's products are also available in US stores, including Target and a variety of drugstores and convenience chains.
It also makes you wonder when the rest of the industry will wake up and realize that their customers have entered the 21st century—this isn't your father's consumer base! Online community, customization, values and, most of all, the clearcut bargain pricing: everything for a dollar. Time to copy this recession-proof recipe to other countries? Which segment of products can you sell for a euro, 10 yuan or 2 reais, in a thoroughly modern way?
More at: www.eyeslipsface.com
Bizner an online bank for entrepreneurs ,just announced a new service BizBalance
What Company is About:
Bizner, which started in February as an online bank for entrepreneurs, just announced a new service. Bizner is the first bank in Europe to offer complete integration of banking and accounting, which it calls . The aim of this financial hybrid is to save customers the time and hassle of booking transactions twice.
How It Works:
Bizner developed BizBalance with Reeleezee, which creates of online accounting applications. By integrating Reeleezee's bookkeeping software with Bizner's online banking, entrepreneurs (or their accountants) no longer need to book outgoing invoices and incoming payments separately. Invoices are created in Reeleezee, and are automatically marked as paid as soon as money's in the bank. Same goes for incoming invoices and outgoing payments: users book an invoice to be paid, and a bank transfer is simultaneously set up and parked in a payment queue.
While various forms of integration between banks and accounting systems already exist, most either require significant IT investments or, on a smaller scale, involve manual importing and exporting of data. By offering a integrated, online solution, Bizner claims customers will have a far better real-time insight into their finances. To access BizBalance, entrepreneurs need to sign up with both Bizner and Reeleezee. Bizner charges modest banking fees, and Reeleezee has a monthly fee of EUR 24.95–49.90, depending on a customer's transaction volume.
Bizner is an independent unit of Dutch Rabobank Group. BizBalance isn't the fledgling bank's only innovation: it works without branch offices or account managers, and enables customers to do most of their banking business without human intervention. Opening new accounts, acquiring bank guarantees or taking out loans: entrepreneurs use Bizner's self-service approach to get what they need from their bank, whenever they need it. One to look into if you sell financial products to SMBs in other countries.
More at:
www.bizner.nl
Bizner, which started in February as an online bank for entrepreneurs, just announced a new service. Bizner is the first bank in Europe to offer complete integration of banking and accounting, which it calls . The aim of this financial hybrid is to save customers the time and hassle of booking transactions twice.
How It Works:
Bizner developed BizBalance with Reeleezee, which creates of online accounting applications. By integrating Reeleezee's bookkeeping software with Bizner's online banking, entrepreneurs (or their accountants) no longer need to book outgoing invoices and incoming payments separately. Invoices are created in Reeleezee, and are automatically marked as paid as soon as money's in the bank. Same goes for incoming invoices and outgoing payments: users book an invoice to be paid, and a bank transfer is simultaneously set up and parked in a payment queue.
While various forms of integration between banks and accounting systems already exist, most either require significant IT investments or, on a smaller scale, involve manual importing and exporting of data. By offering a integrated, online solution, Bizner claims customers will have a far better real-time insight into their finances. To access BizBalance, entrepreneurs need to sign up with both Bizner and Reeleezee. Bizner charges modest banking fees, and Reeleezee has a monthly fee of EUR 24.95–49.90, depending on a customer's transaction volume.
Bizner is an independent unit of Dutch Rabobank Group. BizBalance isn't the fledgling bank's only innovation: it works without branch offices or account managers, and enables customers to do most of their banking business without human intervention. Opening new accounts, acquiring bank guarantees or taking out loans: entrepreneurs use Bizner's self-service approach to get what they need from their bank, whenever they need it. One to look into if you sell financial products to SMBs in other countries.
More at:
www.bizner.nl
EasyProjects.net. offers you project management solutions that will allow you to finish and manage multiple projects at once
What Company is Offering:
Easy Projects .NET is a product developed by Logic Software, Inc. - Toronto-based custom software development company.
Logic Software, Inc. is one of the leading custom software development and software outsourcing companies in its field. Some of the world's most successful Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have relied on our company to complete their projects on time and within a budget.
How It Works:
EasyProjects.net. offers you project management solutions that will allow you to finish and manage multiple projects at once. EasyProjects software is easy to use so you won’t waste your time trying to figure out how the software works. EasyProjects software can help you manage any type of project you need to work on. EasyProjects has many features that help you and your company, such as, message boards, issue and request tracking, statistics and reports, email notifications, and more. When your company uses EasyProjects, all team members will be able to communicate and review the project. Be more productive with EasyProjects software.
More at:http://www.easyprojects.net/
Easy Projects .NET is a product developed by Logic Software, Inc. - Toronto-based custom software development company.
Logic Software, Inc. is one of the leading custom software development and software outsourcing companies in its field. Some of the world's most successful Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have relied on our company to complete their projects on time and within a budget.
How It Works:
EasyProjects.net. offers you project management solutions that will allow you to finish and manage multiple projects at once. EasyProjects software is easy to use so you won’t waste your time trying to figure out how the software works. EasyProjects software can help you manage any type of project you need to work on. EasyProjects has many features that help you and your company, such as, message boards, issue and request tracking, statistics and reports, email notifications, and more. When your company uses EasyProjects, all team members will be able to communicate and review the project. Be more productive with EasyProjects software.
More at:http://www.easyprojects.net/
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Become Rich Through Spoofing....................
If you've ever made or received a call using a calling card, you've probably noticed one of the side effects of these payment systems: instead of your number showing up on the recipient's Caller ID screen, a number owned by the card's issuer appears. Now a company called SpoofCard has decided to capitalize on this discrepancy by selling calling cards that are specifically designed to spoof Caller ID systems.
For about 17 cents a minute, SpoofCard lets you send any numeric string as your Caller ID code. The service goes even further, providing realtime voice-changing capabilities and call recording. Although SpoofCard's Privacy Policy specifies that the service shouldn't be used for illegal activities and that the company reserves the right to hand over your personal info if they're subpoenaed, we won't be surprised to see this shut down soon. In the meantime, here's your chance to really confuse those wiretappers.
More at:www.spoofcard.com
For about 17 cents a minute, SpoofCard lets you send any numeric string as your Caller ID code. The service goes even further, providing realtime voice-changing capabilities and call recording. Although SpoofCard's Privacy Policy specifies that the service shouldn't be used for illegal activities and that the company reserves the right to hand over your personal info if they're subpoenaed, we won't be surprised to see this shut down soon. In the meantime, here's your chance to really confuse those wiretappers.
More at:www.spoofcard.com
eSchedule.ca offers professional services, training services and customer services relating to schedule management
What Company Is Offering:
Achieving success in your eSchedule.ca deployment requires planning, implementation, and reinforcement. Our Training Services are designed to provide assistance at every turn as your company starts using our services. With both instructor-led and web-based self-service lessons, you can rest assured you'll have the training required to effectively use our eSchedule Employee Scheduling Solutions.
How It Works:
eSchedule.ca offers professional services, training services and customer services relating to schedule management. The professional services provided at eSchedule.ca can be customized to your specific company. There is a training service so that everyone that uses eSchedule.ca can get the most out of it, and if there are further questions you can ask go to customer services to help you. eSchedule.ca offers scheduling templates that will save you the time you spend on making schedules. eSchedule.ca offers vacation management, internal messaging for easy communication, and real time shift trading so you can trade shifts with other employees. You can get all of eSchedule’s solutions and services for only $99 per month. Don’t let scheduling take up all of your time go to eSchedule.ca to get easy solutions.
More at:http://www.eschedule.ca/
Achieving success in your eSchedule.ca deployment requires planning, implementation, and reinforcement. Our Training Services are designed to provide assistance at every turn as your company starts using our services. With both instructor-led and web-based self-service lessons, you can rest assured you'll have the training required to effectively use our eSchedule Employee Scheduling Solutions.
How It Works:
eSchedule.ca offers professional services, training services and customer services relating to schedule management. The professional services provided at eSchedule.ca can be customized to your specific company. There is a training service so that everyone that uses eSchedule.ca can get the most out of it, and if there are further questions you can ask go to customer services to help you. eSchedule.ca offers scheduling templates that will save you the time you spend on making schedules. eSchedule.ca offers vacation management, internal messaging for easy communication, and real time shift trading so you can trade shifts with other employees. You can get all of eSchedule’s solutions and services for only $99 per month. Don’t let scheduling take up all of your time go to eSchedule.ca to get easy solutions.
More at:http://www.eschedule.ca/
ki work for "global outsourcing market"
What Company is About:
ki work is the next generation trusted online marketplace and operational platform for clients and professionals of services in the global outsourcing market, powered by a network of accredited experts.
ki work enables specialised experts to derive substantial value from their working relationships by acting as trusted intermediaries between clients and professionals within their primary areas of expertise.
How It Works:
KiWork acts as the intermediary. Founder Members develop categories, for example software architects, which they manage and expand, earning revenue for second level outsourcing; each founder uses their expertise and networking skills to accredit experts in their category; each accredited expert can in turn accredit others. When person X needs a software architect they can turn to any one of these trusted professionals under the management of Founder A. X will have to pay a small fee to contact an expert, but the savings he will realize make it well worth his while. For each person hired, the Founder gets 15% of the search fees and a fee from their accredited experts. The expert gets more visibility and develops a solid reputation. So there you have it, everyone gets what they want in this flat world economy.
More at:http://www.ki-work.com/
ki work is the next generation trusted online marketplace and operational platform for clients and professionals of services in the global outsourcing market, powered by a network of accredited experts.
ki work enables specialised experts to derive substantial value from their working relationships by acting as trusted intermediaries between clients and professionals within their primary areas of expertise.
How It Works:
KiWork acts as the intermediary. Founder Members develop categories, for example software architects, which they manage and expand, earning revenue for second level outsourcing; each founder uses their expertise and networking skills to accredit experts in their category; each accredited expert can in turn accredit others. When person X needs a software architect they can turn to any one of these trusted professionals under the management of Founder A. X will have to pay a small fee to contact an expert, but the savings he will realize make it well worth his while. For each person hired, the Founder gets 15% of the search fees and a fee from their accredited experts. The expert gets more visibility and develops a solid reputation. So there you have it, everyone gets what they want in this flat world economy.
More at:http://www.ki-work.com/
ITKong Is source for finding IT developers, projects, jobs, events and software solutions
What Company says:
Your source for finding IT developers, projects, jobs, events and software solutions.
How It Works:
You can search for a job by location, salary, or key words. Go to the forum section to see what other ITKong users are talking about. You can browse around the site, take a look at the daily Kong articles, browse through freelancing post and job opportunities, but in order to get the most out of the site you need to register. Once you register and create a profile you can post events, respond to job posts and see user’s full profile. ITKong.com can be about more than just work, there is a social section where you can look for ITKong users that may have potential of being your next romantic interest. If you are looking for IT connections and opportunities ITKong.com may be the site for you.
More at:http://www.itkong.com/
Your source for finding IT developers, projects, jobs, events and software solutions.
How It Works:
You can search for a job by location, salary, or key words. Go to the forum section to see what other ITKong users are talking about. You can browse around the site, take a look at the daily Kong articles, browse through freelancing post and job opportunities, but in order to get the most out of the site you need to register. Once you register and create a profile you can post events, respond to job posts and see user’s full profile. ITKong.com can be about more than just work, there is a social section where you can look for ITKong users that may have potential of being your next romantic interest. If you are looking for IT connections and opportunities ITKong.com may be the site for you.
More at:http://www.itkong.com/
Graphwise.com is a search engine for all “table data” that is found on the Internet and then shows the data in graphic form
What Company Is About:
Graphwise.com is a search engine for all “table data” that is found on the Internet and then shows the data in graphic form. Searching is simple and provides a wide variety of results and options to help narrow the search. Once the ideal graph is found it appears with the original source URL and can be used in presentations and further research endeavors. The data available has no boundaries, meaning that is if the data is anywhere on the web, you can have access to it.
How It Works:
Every data table data found by the GraphWise web crawlers is broken down into its rows and columns. Then applicable bar, line, pie, area, map, and scatter graph thumbnails are automatically displayed next to the table data.
Click on a thumbnail plot in your search results to add it to the GraphWise workbench. As you search and find other data you can add those plots to the workbench with a simple click. GraphWise will automatically adjust the axis of the graph for different data types and, if needed, will add up to three axis representing different scales to help you better visualize your information.
Click the Zoom button under the workbench and you will be able to customize the graph. You can change the title, what data points and graph components to display, and you can add watermarks and change color themes. Your finished graphs can be emailed to a friend, downloaded for use in business presentations or homework, or embedded in your blog by using the provided permalink.
More at:http://www.graphwise.com/
Graphwise.com is a search engine for all “table data” that is found on the Internet and then shows the data in graphic form. Searching is simple and provides a wide variety of results and options to help narrow the search. Once the ideal graph is found it appears with the original source URL and can be used in presentations and further research endeavors. The data available has no boundaries, meaning that is if the data is anywhere on the web, you can have access to it.
How It Works:
Every data table data found by the GraphWise web crawlers is broken down into its rows and columns. Then applicable bar, line, pie, area, map, and scatter graph thumbnails are automatically displayed next to the table data.
Click on a thumbnail plot in your search results to add it to the GraphWise workbench. As you search and find other data you can add those plots to the workbench with a simple click. GraphWise will automatically adjust the axis of the graph for different data types and, if needed, will add up to three axis representing different scales to help you better visualize your information.
Click the Zoom button under the workbench and you will be able to customize the graph. You can change the title, what data points and graph components to display, and you can add watermarks and change color themes. Your finished graphs can be emailed to a friend, downloaded for use in business presentations or homework, or embedded in your blog by using the provided permalink.
More at:http://www.graphwise.com/
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Click2Voice allows you to make free outbound long distance toll calls to almost any telephone number in the world
What Company Is Offering:
Click2Voice allows you to make free outbound long distance toll calls to almost any telephone number in the world.
How It Works:
Simply input your calling data, including country code and telephone number, and the country code and telephone number you wish to be connected to. Click2Voice will connect the calls using high-quality VoIP technology, using the telephone device you already have. Registered Click2Voice members have access to their call history, personal profile, and are able to make free 15 minute telephone calls. Click2Voice also allows users to remain anonymous, and unregistered users are able to make calls up to 10 minutes in duration.
More at:http://www.click2voice.com/
Click2Voice allows you to make free outbound long distance toll calls to almost any telephone number in the world.
How It Works:
Simply input your calling data, including country code and telephone number, and the country code and telephone number you wish to be connected to. Click2Voice will connect the calls using high-quality VoIP technology, using the telephone device you already have. Registered Click2Voice members have access to their call history, personal profile, and are able to make free 15 minute telephone calls. Click2Voice also allows users to remain anonymous, and unregistered users are able to make calls up to 10 minutes in duration.
More at:http://www.click2voice.com/
RankTracer is a subscription based service that allows users to track, graph, and monitor and analyze their products sales performance on Amazon
What Company Is Offering:
By creating an account at RankTracer.com, and purchasing a subscription, you will be able to track the sales information for any product sold on Amazon. Our user interface (or WorkStation) allows you to build a range of graphs to compare sales figures and trends for your products, and delivers sales estimates according to your specifications. We can also send you weekly or monthly reports which contain easy to read graphs and important sales rank trends and information. That's not all, there are a number of other features and facilities that we provide and we are continually adding to our service. We are more than happy to discuss your individual requirements if they are not met by our site as is.
How It Works:
RankTracer produces Sales Estimates based on the sales rank data collected. Already a world first in this regard, RankTracer combines this feature with a powerful analysis and graphing tool that allows users to make comparisons and draw meaningful conclusions from their product's sales rank information. Currently, obtaining accurate sales information from other companies can cost thousands of dollars, but at $2 per subscription per month, RankTracer provides good estimates at very affordable prices. Regular reports as well as a variety of stats and alerts make up the rest of a well rounded service.
More at:http://www.ranktracer.com/
By creating an account at RankTracer.com, and purchasing a subscription, you will be able to track the sales information for any product sold on Amazon. Our user interface (or WorkStation) allows you to build a range of graphs to compare sales figures and trends for your products, and delivers sales estimates according to your specifications. We can also send you weekly or monthly reports which contain easy to read graphs and important sales rank trends and information. That's not all, there are a number of other features and facilities that we provide and we are continually adding to our service. We are more than happy to discuss your individual requirements if they are not met by our site as is.
How It Works:
RankTracer produces Sales Estimates based on the sales rank data collected. Already a world first in this regard, RankTracer combines this feature with a powerful analysis and graphing tool that allows users to make comparisons and draw meaningful conclusions from their product's sales rank information. Currently, obtaining accurate sales information from other companies can cost thousands of dollars, but at $2 per subscription per month, RankTracer provides good estimates at very affordable prices. Regular reports as well as a variety of stats and alerts make up the rest of a well rounded service.
More at:http://www.ranktracer.com/
OneBuckWiki where you can buy pages at only one dollar for a Limited Time
What company is Offering:
Once you own a Page, you control the content of the Page and own it permanently for the "lifetime" of this site guaranteed for at least 15 years.
How It Works:
The One Buck Wiki is a community of entrepreneurs, web marketers, and normal people who want to promote their businesses online and benefit from the collective traffic that's generated by other page-owners and this site’s viral marketing. Join and benefit from being part of a community that works as a team to bring traffic and promotions. You can buy a page for only 1 dollar where you can promote your blog, e-store, or any other website. The page(s) you buy will solely have your content and no one else’s.
More at:http://onebuckwiki.com/
Once you own a Page, you control the content of the Page and own it permanently for the "lifetime" of this site guaranteed for at least 15 years.
How It Works:
The One Buck Wiki is a community of entrepreneurs, web marketers, and normal people who want to promote their businesses online and benefit from the collective traffic that's generated by other page-owners and this site’s viral marketing. Join and benefit from being part of a community that works as a team to bring traffic and promotions. You can buy a page for only 1 dollar where you can promote your blog, e-store, or any other website. The page(s) you buy will solely have your content and no one else’s.
More at:http://onebuckwiki.com/
The Spiders Webb is a new idea based web site whereby people pitch ideas, people vote on ideas, and people bid on ideas
What Company Is Offering:
The Spiders Webb is a new idea based web site whereby people pitch ideas, people vote on ideas, and people bid on ideas.
How It Works:
There are thousands of ideas people come up with that never get noticed, or that dont get funding. the Spiders Webb will give you an opportunity to display you ideas free of charge, form a communuity; whereby everybody can advise you on your idea - maybe to make it better or just helpful tips. With thousands of investors hitting the site, they will get an opportunity to see who out there has the next big ideas. Based on the highest votes the investors start bidding and batteling for the chunk of the pie.Members can vote, describe, comment, bid, and market all their brilliant ideas within Spider’s interface. SpidersWeb aims to be a perfect breeding ground for the growth and development of ideas; the community style nature of the site makes it ideal for sharing and encouraging idea makers, while also providing a primed audience for marketing and getting investors to take notice. The ultimate goal is of course to attract investors into a bidding war--once all the votes are tallied, the idea follows that venture capitalists and the like will be stepping over each other to get a piece of the action.
More at:http://www.thespiderswebb.com/
The Spiders Webb is a new idea based web site whereby people pitch ideas, people vote on ideas, and people bid on ideas.
How It Works:
There are thousands of ideas people come up with that never get noticed, or that dont get funding. the Spiders Webb will give you an opportunity to display you ideas free of charge, form a communuity; whereby everybody can advise you on your idea - maybe to make it better or just helpful tips. With thousands of investors hitting the site, they will get an opportunity to see who out there has the next big ideas. Based on the highest votes the investors start bidding and batteling for the chunk of the pie.Members can vote, describe, comment, bid, and market all their brilliant ideas within Spider’s interface. SpidersWeb aims to be a perfect breeding ground for the growth and development of ideas; the community style nature of the site makes it ideal for sharing and encouraging idea makers, while also providing a primed audience for marketing and getting investors to take notice. The ultimate goal is of course to attract investors into a bidding war--once all the votes are tallied, the idea follows that venture capitalists and the like will be stepping over each other to get a piece of the action.
More at:http://www.thespiderswebb.com/
Henary Copeland ,CEO Of BlogAds Says :To Make Money At Blogging,Rein In Comments
CEO and founder Henry Copeland stirred up the audience at Wednesday’s Networked Journalism Summit with two points about blogs and advertising. First, he told attendees of the conference, which was organized by CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism, that only “dozens” of the 1,500 sites he works with can can sustain their sites solely with ad revenues. Then, he said that the only blogs that attract significant brand advertising are those that can keep the ads separate from comments, which tend to make marketers uneasy with their unpredictability. Many felt that by suppressing comments in order to garner ad revenue was antithetical to the foundation of blogging. After the session, Copeland discussed that, among other issues:
Making Blogs Safe For Ads: The appeal of blogs to marketers is their singular brand identity, making it possible to accurately target their ads. Copeland: “Advertisers say, ‘I know I can trust Blog X, but I also know that Blog X has 100,000 readers - and God knows what those 100,000 readers are going to say.’ It’s not me, it’s the advertisers who are saying this.” And so, BlogAds,which handles advertising for Perez Hilton, Cute Overload and DailyKos, offers to quarantine ads away from the comment pages. “If you look at Perez Hilton, there’s certain kinds of ads that can run on the front page where you can’t see comments. And then on pages where you can see comments, there are other kinds of ads. That is exactly what is occurring.” He praised Gawker publisher Nick Denton for maintaining a controlled environment around its sites’ various comment pages. For one thing, Gawker Media requires commenters to formally apply and those that break the rules can have their commenting privileges immediately revoked.
Still Better Than Before: As for being able to make a living by blogging, Copeland amended his earlier statement, saying that “less than 100” of the bloggers in his network can live off their blog’s ad revenue. “I think people expect too much… I’m disappointed by that number, on the one hand. But to have a whole lot of people making a living out of blogging - and they weren’t doing that five years ago - is a wonderful thing… and to a lot of people, an extra $200 a month makes a lot of difference.”
Via-Paidcontent
Making Blogs Safe For Ads: The appeal of blogs to marketers is their singular brand identity, making it possible to accurately target their ads. Copeland: “Advertisers say, ‘I know I can trust Blog X, but I also know that Blog X has 100,000 readers - and God knows what those 100,000 readers are going to say.’ It’s not me, it’s the advertisers who are saying this.” And so, BlogAds,which handles advertising for Perez Hilton, Cute Overload and DailyKos, offers to quarantine ads away from the comment pages. “If you look at Perez Hilton, there’s certain kinds of ads that can run on the front page where you can’t see comments. And then on pages where you can see comments, there are other kinds of ads. That is exactly what is occurring.” He praised Gawker publisher Nick Denton for maintaining a controlled environment around its sites’ various comment pages. For one thing, Gawker Media requires commenters to formally apply and those that break the rules can have their commenting privileges immediately revoked.
Still Better Than Before: As for being able to make a living by blogging, Copeland amended his earlier statement, saying that “less than 100” of the bloggers in his network can live off their blog’s ad revenue. “I think people expect too much… I’m disappointed by that number, on the one hand. But to have a whole lot of people making a living out of blogging - and they weren’t doing that five years ago - is a wonderful thing… and to a lot of people, an extra $200 a month makes a lot of difference.”
Via-Paidcontent
ByteSwap platform users can store and organize a myriad of information formats including web links, photos, contacts, any file format
What Company Is Offering:
Through the ByteSwap platform users can store and organize a myriad of information formats including web links, photos, contacts, any file format. Clusters of information can then be shared with other ByteSwap users.
What's new:
The most recent additions to the service include a “look later queue” for interesting but not imperative links; a list of routine sites available to the public; groups to locate information communities with similar interests; discussion forums; mini-blog; and also a profile section. The core elements of a social networking destination are evident through these add-ons to the primary functions of organization and storage. Visit the company’s blog for further updates.
How They Will Improve ?
If the mission of ByteSwap is to form a repository for information, Wikipedia and connected sites like Wikimedia are dedicated to chronicling large amounts of data in different formats. The wiki’s easily editable pages complete with hyperlinks, audio, video, etc are increasingly familiar as well. It will be interesting to see how ByteSwap carves a niche for themselves.
More at:http://www.byteswap.com/
Through the ByteSwap platform users can store and organize a myriad of information formats including web links, photos, contacts, any file format. Clusters of information can then be shared with other ByteSwap users.
What's new:
The most recent additions to the service include a “look later queue” for interesting but not imperative links; a list of routine sites available to the public; groups to locate information communities with similar interests; discussion forums; mini-blog; and also a profile section. The core elements of a social networking destination are evident through these add-ons to the primary functions of organization and storage. Visit the company’s blog for further updates.
How They Will Improve ?
If the mission of ByteSwap is to form a repository for information, Wikipedia and connected sites like Wikimedia are dedicated to chronicling large amounts of data in different formats. The wiki’s easily editable pages complete with hyperlinks, audio, video, etc are increasingly familiar as well. It will be interesting to see how ByteSwap carves a niche for themselves.
More at:http://www.byteswap.com/
Clipstar is a new community that’s set out to find the world’s undiscovered talent
What Company Is Offering:
Clipstar is a new community that’s set out to find the world’s undiscovered talent. There will be contests on Clipstar with a $10,000 cash prize given out every 3 months, with an opportunity to win $1 million for the yearly finals.
How It Works:
In order to help users gain traction with their profiles, there are several options for sharing content and saving it to your own favorites. Video clips can be embed on other sites, and you can also save clips to your own playlist. The sharing stops here, however. Playlists cannot be embed, which would be another good way to help users help themselves when it comes to spreading content across the web. Users get a blog and a calendar as well, which can be used to mark new content they’ve added to their profile.
Where They Could work More:
There aren’t many differentiating factors for clipstar to play up.
More Detail At:http://www.clipstar.com/
Clipstar is a new community that’s set out to find the world’s undiscovered talent. There will be contests on Clipstar with a $10,000 cash prize given out every 3 months, with an opportunity to win $1 million for the yearly finals.
How It Works:
In order to help users gain traction with their profiles, there are several options for sharing content and saving it to your own favorites. Video clips can be embed on other sites, and you can also save clips to your own playlist. The sharing stops here, however. Playlists cannot be embed, which would be another good way to help users help themselves when it comes to spreading content across the web. Users get a blog and a calendar as well, which can be used to mark new content they’ve added to their profile.
Where They Could work More:
There aren’t many differentiating factors for clipstar to play up.
More Detail At:http://www.clipstar.com/
Friday, October 12, 2007
Electronic Arts Inc to acquire VG Holdings for $860 million
About VCs Deal:
Electronic Arts Inc. sealed a deal with private-equity firm Elevation Partners to buy a videogame-development company for $860 million, bolstering its pipeline of action, adventure and role-playing titles with 10 yet-to-be released games.
How The Deal Is?
Elevation Partners will sell its VG Holdings Corp., the parent company of game makers BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios, which has produced hit titles such as Destroy All Humans! The deal -- the largest in EA's history -- includes two new games generating buzz in the industry, Mass Effect and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.
Six of the 10 games under development are fully owned by VG .
The deal is EA’s largest and will add six more video games to the 10 EA is currently developing. The acquisition, which follows last week’s acquisition of gaming apps provider Super Computer International, reflects EA’s strategy of maintaining the rights of the games it publishes, rather than sharing ownership with outside parties like film studios.
Under the terms of the deal, which was negotiated by Elevation Partners, EA will give VG’s stockholders up to $620 million in cash, with $155 million in equity to certain of its employees, based on performace.
More at:http://www.ea.com/
Via-WSJ
Electronic Arts Inc. sealed a deal with private-equity firm Elevation Partners to buy a videogame-development company for $860 million, bolstering its pipeline of action, adventure and role-playing titles with 10 yet-to-be released games.
How The Deal Is?
Elevation Partners will sell its VG Holdings Corp., the parent company of game makers BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios, which has produced hit titles such as Destroy All Humans! The deal -- the largest in EA's history -- includes two new games generating buzz in the industry, Mass Effect and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.
Six of the 10 games under development are fully owned by VG .
The deal is EA’s largest and will add six more video games to the 10 EA is currently developing. The acquisition, which follows last week’s acquisition of gaming apps provider Super Computer International, reflects EA’s strategy of maintaining the rights of the games it publishes, rather than sharing ownership with outside parties like film studios.
Under the terms of the deal, which was negotiated by Elevation Partners, EA will give VG’s stockholders up to $620 million in cash, with $155 million in equity to certain of its employees, based on performace.
More at:http://www.ea.com/
Via-WSJ
Do people behave politely in virtual worlds than on blogs, forums and chat rooms on the Web?
Do people behave better in virtual worlds than on blogs, forums and chat rooms on the Web?
A group of virtual world advocates say "yes." They just can't prove it yet.
"Character rancor is much different on blogs, Twitter, (and so on)...It can get very petty," Jaron Lanier, scholar in residence at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley, said here Wednesday at the AlwaysOn technology conference.
"In Second Life, it's almost more like theater," Lanier said. "I don't see people getting into petty interpersonal knots with each other. But this is anecdotal."
His theory is that people behave better in virtual worlds because they can be economically tied to their property, for example, and as he described it, they have "more to lose if they're creepy." Lanier's other theory is that seeing people, even in the form of an avatar, evokes empathy.
Lanier, a pioneer of virtual world technology who coined the term "virtual reality," acknowledges he's biased. In the 1980s, he founded VPL Research, the first company to sell virtual reality products; its patents were acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999. His most recent venture, animation software company Eyematic Interfaces, was bought by Google. And he's an adviser to Linden Lab, creator of the popular virtual world Second Life.
Lanier played host to a panel at Stanford University that included Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Lab; Irving Wladawsky-Berger, vice president at IBM; and Chris Melissinos, chief gaming officer at Sun. To be sure, all of the panelists have a stake in seeing virtual worlds take off more widely with Internet users, corporations and advertisers, so that they can become viable economic engines. A major factor in that growth will be in showing the intangible benefits of virtual worlds, such as fostering human relationships that are more polite than say, anonymous posts in Internet forums, according to the panelists.
"We've studied this," Rosedale said. "We have forums and we watch them fight in forums and then see them be civil to each other in Second Life."
Wladawsky-Berger backed up this notion by saying that virtual worlds present information technology in a much more human way. "As a result, we'll be able to do a tremendous amount more. Enterprise resource planning will be reinvented for virtual worlds," he said, giving the example that hospitals could manage their operations in a virtual world in a way looks more like their hospital.
IBM has 5,000 employees in Second Life, and according to Wladawsky-Berger, "virtual worlds are a godsend for meetings." He said that IBM has a code of conduct for staff in Second Life that they need to "be nice" and dress their avatars "appropriately" in meetings. But when among friends in the virtual world, they can do whatever they like, he said.
"Training and meetings are the killer apps of virtual worlds. Don't underestimate any technologies that help us do those things in a more human way," Wladawsky-Berger said.
Lanier joked that IBM staff "can't help it that they compulsively go to meetings."
Share what you all think....
Via-ZDNetnews
A group of virtual world advocates say "yes." They just can't prove it yet.
"Character rancor is much different on blogs, Twitter, (and so on)...It can get very petty," Jaron Lanier, scholar in residence at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley, said here Wednesday at the AlwaysOn technology conference.
"In Second Life, it's almost more like theater," Lanier said. "I don't see people getting into petty interpersonal knots with each other. But this is anecdotal."
His theory is that people behave better in virtual worlds because they can be economically tied to their property, for example, and as he described it, they have "more to lose if they're creepy." Lanier's other theory is that seeing people, even in the form of an avatar, evokes empathy.
Lanier, a pioneer of virtual world technology who coined the term "virtual reality," acknowledges he's biased. In the 1980s, he founded VPL Research, the first company to sell virtual reality products; its patents were acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999. His most recent venture, animation software company Eyematic Interfaces, was bought by Google. And he's an adviser to Linden Lab, creator of the popular virtual world Second Life.
Lanier played host to a panel at Stanford University that included Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Lab; Irving Wladawsky-Berger, vice president at IBM; and Chris Melissinos, chief gaming officer at Sun. To be sure, all of the panelists have a stake in seeing virtual worlds take off more widely with Internet users, corporations and advertisers, so that they can become viable economic engines. A major factor in that growth will be in showing the intangible benefits of virtual worlds, such as fostering human relationships that are more polite than say, anonymous posts in Internet forums, according to the panelists.
"We've studied this," Rosedale said. "We have forums and we watch them fight in forums and then see them be civil to each other in Second Life."
Wladawsky-Berger backed up this notion by saying that virtual worlds present information technology in a much more human way. "As a result, we'll be able to do a tremendous amount more. Enterprise resource planning will be reinvented for virtual worlds," he said, giving the example that hospitals could manage their operations in a virtual world in a way looks more like their hospital.
IBM has 5,000 employees in Second Life, and according to Wladawsky-Berger, "virtual worlds are a godsend for meetings." He said that IBM has a code of conduct for staff in Second Life that they need to "be nice" and dress their avatars "appropriately" in meetings. But when among friends in the virtual world, they can do whatever they like, he said.
"Training and meetings are the killer apps of virtual worlds. Don't underestimate any technologies that help us do those things in a more human way," Wladawsky-Berger said.
Lanier joked that IBM staff "can't help it that they compulsively go to meetings."
Share what you all think....
Via-ZDNetnews
Does Size Matters?
As the world's top condom experts convene this week to update international standards, one American entrepreneur has a simple message: Size matters.
It's shaking up an industry that has generally taken a one-size-fits-all approach.
Frank Sadlo, founder of TheyFit, which makes what he claims are the world's first custom-fit condoms, is pushing for updated standards to allow greater variation in condom size.
It's not just about well-endowed men in cramped prophylactic quarters, Sadlo told a meeting Thursday of delegates from 21 countries under the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization.
When given a choice, he said many men prefer condoms smaller than the standard minimum 6.3 inches long, with more than half ordering those less than 5.12 inches.
At the session in Seogwipo on South Korea's Jeju Island, more than 100 representatives — including leading manufacturers, government standards bodies and aid groups — pored over 42 pages of specifications and testing requirements for condoms.
Standards are especially crucial — failure could mean the spread of potentially deadly diseases or unwanted pregnancy.
"Our job is to do away with inferior condoms," said Eng Long Ong, meeting chairman and deputy head of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council, which estimates 13-14 billion condoms are made each year.
Getting quality condoms can be especially difficult in places like Africa, where they are a major part of AIDS prevention campaigns.
Ian Matondo, an adviser to the Malawi Health Ministry, said the issue of condoms breaking in Africa had nothing to do with the size of men's penises but was due to poor manufacturing.
The standard for testing condom strength is to fill it with air, a technique pioneered by the Swedes in the 1950s. Condoms of the standard length and width must hold at least 4.76 gallons of air — far more than it would ever be expected to contain under normal use.
Varying condom size would require standards and test equipment to change and is expected to require another a year for approval, Sadlo said.
The length issue is just one of many being debated at the five-day meeting, the 24th such session since 1975, where delegates were creating new standards for synthetic and female condoms.
Synthetic polyurethane condoms are an alternative for people allergic to rubber latex and can be thinner without losing strength. They also conduct heat better for "much more sensitivity with lovemaking," said Grant Burt, international division director for Japan's Sagami Rubber Industries Co.
Female condoms are seeing increasing use in Africa, where they are often distributed for free so women can take control of disease prevention, said Matondo.
Innovation for male condoms has focused on adding textures to enhance sexual pleasure, or offering different colors or lubricants. At the meeting, South Korean manufacturer Unidus displayed its "Long-Love" condom — featuring desensitizing cream inside to prevent premature ejaculation so men "make a lasting impression."
Widths vary but condom length is usually standard, as it believed latex can stretch to fit all men. The average adult penis is 5 to 6 inches long, experts said.
Sadlo said his inspiration for custom condoms arose from his days playing baseball at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where locker room tales of exploits with the opposite sex often failed to include use of condoms due to complaints they did not fit.
A more comfortable condom contributes to men actually using them, said Michael Reece, director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University.
"Typically, when a man complains about condom fit, we have assumed that he means that condoms are too small and we have often just ignored this complaint because we think that men are bragging about the size of their penis," Reece said via e-mail.
He said men also have problems with condoms being too large.
"It is time for those who establish condom manufacturing standards to consider whether an expanded range of condom sizes is necessary," Reece said.
Sadlo offers a "fit kit," a sheet of paper printed from a computer for sizing — and advising the user to watch out for paper cuts. The chart only runs from long to longer.
The product was offered from 2003-2006 in the United States before he withdrew it to upgrade from 55 to 95 sizes. Changing international standard would make it easier to widely offer the product, rather than seeking approval in each country.
Sadlo said it has been difficult to transform the condom industry.
"In order to bring about revolutionary change, you need to have the mind-set of a trailblazer, you need to keep focused on your vision," he said.
Via-USA Today
It's shaking up an industry that has generally taken a one-size-fits-all approach.
Frank Sadlo, founder of TheyFit, which makes what he claims are the world's first custom-fit condoms, is pushing for updated standards to allow greater variation in condom size.
It's not just about well-endowed men in cramped prophylactic quarters, Sadlo told a meeting Thursday of delegates from 21 countries under the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization.
When given a choice, he said many men prefer condoms smaller than the standard minimum 6.3 inches long, with more than half ordering those less than 5.12 inches.
At the session in Seogwipo on South Korea's Jeju Island, more than 100 representatives — including leading manufacturers, government standards bodies and aid groups — pored over 42 pages of specifications and testing requirements for condoms.
Standards are especially crucial — failure could mean the spread of potentially deadly diseases or unwanted pregnancy.
"Our job is to do away with inferior condoms," said Eng Long Ong, meeting chairman and deputy head of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council, which estimates 13-14 billion condoms are made each year.
Getting quality condoms can be especially difficult in places like Africa, where they are a major part of AIDS prevention campaigns.
Ian Matondo, an adviser to the Malawi Health Ministry, said the issue of condoms breaking in Africa had nothing to do with the size of men's penises but was due to poor manufacturing.
The standard for testing condom strength is to fill it with air, a technique pioneered by the Swedes in the 1950s. Condoms of the standard length and width must hold at least 4.76 gallons of air — far more than it would ever be expected to contain under normal use.
Varying condom size would require standards and test equipment to change and is expected to require another a year for approval, Sadlo said.
The length issue is just one of many being debated at the five-day meeting, the 24th such session since 1975, where delegates were creating new standards for synthetic and female condoms.
Synthetic polyurethane condoms are an alternative for people allergic to rubber latex and can be thinner without losing strength. They also conduct heat better for "much more sensitivity with lovemaking," said Grant Burt, international division director for Japan's Sagami Rubber Industries Co.
Female condoms are seeing increasing use in Africa, where they are often distributed for free so women can take control of disease prevention, said Matondo.
Innovation for male condoms has focused on adding textures to enhance sexual pleasure, or offering different colors or lubricants. At the meeting, South Korean manufacturer Unidus displayed its "Long-Love" condom — featuring desensitizing cream inside to prevent premature ejaculation so men "make a lasting impression."
Widths vary but condom length is usually standard, as it believed latex can stretch to fit all men. The average adult penis is 5 to 6 inches long, experts said.
Sadlo said his inspiration for custom condoms arose from his days playing baseball at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where locker room tales of exploits with the opposite sex often failed to include use of condoms due to complaints they did not fit.
A more comfortable condom contributes to men actually using them, said Michael Reece, director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University.
"Typically, when a man complains about condom fit, we have assumed that he means that condoms are too small and we have often just ignored this complaint because we think that men are bragging about the size of their penis," Reece said via e-mail.
He said men also have problems with condoms being too large.
"It is time for those who establish condom manufacturing standards to consider whether an expanded range of condom sizes is necessary," Reece said.
Sadlo offers a "fit kit," a sheet of paper printed from a computer for sizing — and advising the user to watch out for paper cuts. The chart only runs from long to longer.
The product was offered from 2003-2006 in the United States before he withdrew it to upgrade from 55 to 95 sizes. Changing international standard would make it easier to widely offer the product, rather than seeking approval in each country.
Sadlo said it has been difficult to transform the condom industry.
"In order to bring about revolutionary change, you need to have the mind-set of a trailblazer, you need to keep focused on your vision," he said.
Via-USA Today
MyPRGenie is the leading press release distribution service for pdf, text, pictures and video releases
What Company Is Offering:
MyPRGenie is the leading press release distribution service for pdf, text, pictures and video releases. With the basic FREE MyPRGenie solution, you can go online to order a PR package that distributes your press release to up to 4,000 reporters and editors. For the premium MyPRGenie solution, you can substantially increase your exposure and distribute your news to up to 10,000 search engine and web directory submissions, maximize your search engine rankings and target key editors and reporters.
How It Works;
In general , PR firms were hired to write up releases and get the word out, at a significant cost. MyPRGenie is bound to change the way the system works. They’re making it easier, automating the process for a fraction of the traditional cost. More than that, MyPRGenie specifically targets the right people, reporters, publications, etc. to get maximum buzz. They offer a basic service which allows distribution to up to 20 sources for free. For about $100 they’ll get the word out to 120 different resources in one industry; to target the entire industry list you’ll need to shell out $199++ (up to $750). Each plan allows for posting on the site itself, images and multimedia attachments, RSS feeds, customization options, and targeted distribution. The service is targeted at small to medium sized businesses; current clients range from social networks to non-profits all over the world.
More at:http://www.myprgenie.com/
More at:
MyPRGenie is the leading press release distribution service for pdf, text, pictures and video releases. With the basic FREE MyPRGenie solution, you can go online to order a PR package that distributes your press release to up to 4,000 reporters and editors. For the premium MyPRGenie solution, you can substantially increase your exposure and distribute your news to up to 10,000 search engine and web directory submissions, maximize your search engine rankings and target key editors and reporters.
How It Works;
In general , PR firms were hired to write up releases and get the word out, at a significant cost. MyPRGenie is bound to change the way the system works. They’re making it easier, automating the process for a fraction of the traditional cost. More than that, MyPRGenie specifically targets the right people, reporters, publications, etc. to get maximum buzz. They offer a basic service which allows distribution to up to 20 sources for free. For about $100 they’ll get the word out to 120 different resources in one industry; to target the entire industry list you’ll need to shell out $199++ (up to $750). Each plan allows for posting on the site itself, images and multimedia attachments, RSS feeds, customization options, and targeted distribution. The service is targeted at small to medium sized businesses; current clients range from social networks to non-profits all over the world.
More at:http://www.myprgenie.com/
More at:
"Video Jobs Ads" are a great way of getting an inside look at companies
What Company Claims:
These video job ads are a great way of getting an inside look at companies; get a feel for what they're doing, what they're about and why you might want to work for them. Enjoy the videos, and tell us what you think.At StandOutJobs.com you can get a whole lot more information about companies and positions by seeing job opportunities that feature videos.
How It Works:
At StandOutJobs.com you have a list of current employment opportunities and along with the traditional descriptions of ; responsibilities, qualifications, and brief company bio’s you get a video that describes the position and company. This visual information gives you a better feel of the company because usually a company employee is giving the speech or tour. You can get an idea of the company environment and the type of people who work there by watching the video. Users can also post comments on the job opportunity voicing their opinion on the video or company in general. If you are a company hiring StandOutJobs.com gives you another way to get potential employees’ attention. Attract professionals by placing a video ad on StandOutJobs.com. Find interesting jobs by looking at interesting job ads at StandOutJobs.com.
More at:http://standoutjobs.com/
These video job ads are a great way of getting an inside look at companies; get a feel for what they're doing, what they're about and why you might want to work for them. Enjoy the videos, and tell us what you think.At StandOutJobs.com you can get a whole lot more information about companies and positions by seeing job opportunities that feature videos.
How It Works:
At StandOutJobs.com you have a list of current employment opportunities and along with the traditional descriptions of ; responsibilities, qualifications, and brief company bio’s you get a video that describes the position and company. This visual information gives you a better feel of the company because usually a company employee is giving the speech or tour. You can get an idea of the company environment and the type of people who work there by watching the video. Users can also post comments on the job opportunity voicing their opinion on the video or company in general. If you are a company hiring StandOutJobs.com gives you another way to get potential employees’ attention. Attract professionals by placing a video ad on StandOutJobs.com. Find interesting jobs by looking at interesting job ads at StandOutJobs.com.
More at:http://standoutjobs.com/
MyLifeBrand received $750,000 in seed money
What Company is About:
MyLifeBrand, the recently launched social network that offers a private label solution as well as several other tools for online community-building.
How It Works:
This particular social networking tool has cast a particularly large net, covering several bases and many aspects of online social networking. It’s got a profile aggregation tool, a group-formation tool, private label options and more. In this way, it looks to appeal to individuals that already have existing profiles on other networks, those that would like to create their own network, businesses that are looking to offer an online group for networking purposes, and businesses that would like to incorporate social networking modules into their existing website.
How Much The Got From VCs:
They received $750,000 in seed money from an undisclosed source.EVP Dan Scalisi discussed the funding in an interview with socalTech.com and said the company is also pursuing a new round for an unspecified amount.
From the web-based service to the software service, MyLifeBrand has started out this year with a very ambitious goal. Shortly after its launch late this summer, MyLifeBrand teamed up with the Utah Jazz to offer a branded social network for team fans.
More at:http://www.mylifebrand.com/
MyLifeBrand, the recently launched social network that offers a private label solution as well as several other tools for online community-building.
How It Works:
This particular social networking tool has cast a particularly large net, covering several bases and many aspects of online social networking. It’s got a profile aggregation tool, a group-formation tool, private label options and more. In this way, it looks to appeal to individuals that already have existing profiles on other networks, those that would like to create their own network, businesses that are looking to offer an online group for networking purposes, and businesses that would like to incorporate social networking modules into their existing website.
How Much The Got From VCs:
They received $750,000 in seed money from an undisclosed source.EVP Dan Scalisi discussed the funding in an interview with socalTech.com and said the company is also pursuing a new round for an unspecified amount.
From the web-based service to the software service, MyLifeBrand has started out this year with a very ambitious goal. Shortly after its launch late this summer, MyLifeBrand teamed up with the Utah Jazz to offer a branded social network for team fans.
More at:http://www.mylifebrand.com/
Commentt is a video widget that you can place on your blog or website in order to accept video and audio comments from other users.
What Company is Offering:
Let your place be more interactive! Our free widget lets visitors place their own audio and video messages on your site, blog or profile.In Other words:
Commentt is a video widget that you can place on your blog or website in order to accept video and audio comments from other users. This offers a comment thread that appears in the form of video clips that are submitted by site visitors. There’s an option for audio clips to be left as well.
How It Works:
As with most video widget commenting tools, you can only leave a comment if you’re equipped with a webcam or microphone–no uploading of files for commenting purposes. There’s also an option to email a comment. Each widget comes complete with a direct link and embed code for sharing options. This widget tool is very similar to blipback, and Your Truman Show is moving in this direction as well.
More at:http://commentt.com/index.html
Let your place be more interactive! Our free widget lets visitors place their own audio and video messages on your site, blog or profile.In Other words:
Commentt is a video widget that you can place on your blog or website in order to accept video and audio comments from other users. This offers a comment thread that appears in the form of video clips that are submitted by site visitors. There’s an option for audio clips to be left as well.
How It Works:
As with most video widget commenting tools, you can only leave a comment if you’re equipped with a webcam or microphone–no uploading of files for commenting purposes. There’s also an option to email a comment. Each widget comes complete with a direct link and embed code for sharing options. This widget tool is very similar to blipback, and Your Truman Show is moving in this direction as well.
More at:http://commentt.com/index.html
Gifts.com, the leading online provider of gift ideas, announced the purchase of GiveFun.com.
What Company is About:
Gifts.com, the leading online provider of gift ideas, announced the purchase of GiveFun.com. Adding the gift card functionality of GiveFun to the high level partnerships of Gifts.com is a sensible move for IAC, holding company for a variety of one-stop solution sites including Ask.com, Evite, RealEstate.com, and others.
How It Works:
Users of Gifts.com can now customize gift certificates for a variety of retailers including GAP, Brookstone, Macy’s KB Toys, etc without leaving the main site. This move solidifies Gifts.com as a primary player in online gifts and also injects another personalization tool to compliment existing services like “Personality Profiler” and “Wish List.”
GiveFun will continue to accept orders for the immediate future, but will gradually migrate all operations to a featured section on Gifts.com.
More at:http://www.gifts.com/
Gifts.com, the leading online provider of gift ideas, announced the purchase of GiveFun.com. Adding the gift card functionality of GiveFun to the high level partnerships of Gifts.com is a sensible move for IAC, holding company for a variety of one-stop solution sites including Ask.com, Evite, RealEstate.com, and others.
How It Works:
Users of Gifts.com can now customize gift certificates for a variety of retailers including GAP, Brookstone, Macy’s KB Toys, etc without leaving the main site. This move solidifies Gifts.com as a primary player in online gifts and also injects another personalization tool to compliment existing services like “Personality Profiler” and “Wish List.”
GiveFun will continue to accept orders for the immediate future, but will gradually migrate all operations to a featured section on Gifts.com.
More at:http://www.gifts.com/
IncBizNet For Creating An Online Social Network For CEO's Of Top 5000 Inc Companies
What They Are Offering:
Inc. Magazine is the latest in the printed media industry to create an online social network. This one is ultra niche, honing in on the CEOs of private companies that are on Inc.’s 5000 list, making them the cream of Inc.’s crop. The site, IncBizNet, is currently in private beta, and you can request for your company to be added to the network if it’s not already “on the list.”
How It Works:
So for the actual community features, you’ll get a profile for your company, a free press release option through IncBizNet’s wire feed, and a company blog. Discuss topics with other CEOs in facilitated boards or connect on an individual level. Share multimedia items as well, including documents, video and images.
So will CEOs find value in such an online network? This isn’t the type of tool that needs to look to other social networks for leveraging purposes, and could be seen as merely a file-sharing intranet for executives. Does Inc. plan to offer additional resources for these people that rarely have time for online networking?
More at:http://incbiznet.com/
Inc. Magazine is the latest in the printed media industry to create an online social network. This one is ultra niche, honing in on the CEOs of private companies that are on Inc.’s 5000 list, making them the cream of Inc.’s crop. The site, IncBizNet, is currently in private beta, and you can request for your company to be added to the network if it’s not already “on the list.”
How It Works:
So for the actual community features, you’ll get a profile for your company, a free press release option through IncBizNet’s wire feed, and a company blog. Discuss topics with other CEOs in facilitated boards or connect on an individual level. Share multimedia items as well, including documents, video and images.
So will CEOs find value in such an online network? This isn’t the type of tool that needs to look to other social networks for leveraging purposes, and could be seen as merely a file-sharing intranet for executives. Does Inc. plan to offer additional resources for these people that rarely have time for online networking?
More at:http://incbiznet.com/
Thursday, October 11, 2007
On Becoming Second Life Entrepreneur
In the simulated world of Second Life, in which 9.6 million "residents" or registered users create the world around them, standing out is paramount.
"I have 500 different skins," says Arikinui Adria, a virtual fashion designer who is referring to various looks that can be worn by her "avatar," a character that she and anyone who registers for Second Life can create. "Just like real people change their lipstick to match their outfits, I change my hair style, my hair color and my skins to match mine."
Armed with a graphic-design tool and image-editing software, Adria creates fashions for herself and for sale in her virtual store, Nuclear Boutique, from which she earns between $1,500 and $3,500 each month. Granted, the real life 39-year-old Cocoa, Fla., resident who asked that her real name not be used, says, "I'm not making the millions Ralph Lauren is making." But the fact that a population of avatars admires her design skills is rewarding, she says.
In Second Life, "you can do anything you want, create anything you want and be whoever you want to be," says Daniel Terdiman, author of "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life," which is due out in November. Since the fantasy word's inception in 2003 people have gotten married, taken classes, thrown parties, watched movies, gone shopping, built homes — and now, they're testing their entrepreneurial mettle. What makes Second Life so unusual compared to many other interactive 3D games (such as those played on Microsoft's Xbox) is that the virtual society uses a currency and thus an economy has begun to take shape.
Second Life poses a big opportunity for entrepreneurs, says Terdiman. "It is a virtual world in which personal expression is important," he says. Since there is no limit to what people can create, he estimates that "several hundred thousand consumers" will likely want to spend money on the latest designs for anything from vehicles that fly to enhanced body parts.
Entering the "metaverse" — a term used to describe immersive 3D virtual spaces such as Second Life — may not make much business sense for every would-be digital entrepreneur as it takes the same amount of hard work and stamina as owning a real-world business. But for those with an eye for design and technological acumen to boot, taking a second look at virtual worlds might, in fact, be worth the effort.
A Primer on Second Life
In 2006, according to demographers from Linden Lab, the San Francisco-based creator of Second Life, more than $93 million worth of transactions took place in Second Life. Additionally, in the last 12 months 2,082 entrepreneurs selling anything from cars and fashion accessories to parcels of their own private island made $20,000 or more. And just last month, 1,615 resident-business owners earned $1,000 to $2,000 and another 1,058 earned between $2,000 and $5,000.
Getting a Second Life is free. However, a computer, Second Life software, and a high-speed Internet connection are generally necessary for optimal use. A premium membership in which users can buy land and receive a weekly stipend is also available for $9.95 a month. The currency, known as "Linden" dollars, may be purchased using a credit card and earned during the game. Lindens can then be converted into real dollars via online currency exchanges.
Virtual worlds including Second Life and "World of Warcraft," an online role-playing game, are receiving massive inflows of money. According to a recent report about technology trends in small businesses from Intuit, it's estimated that more than $200 million real-world dollars are funneled through virtual worlds each month.
And entrepreneurs like Elizabeth Foshion, are capitalizing on the trend. Four years ago, Foshion, or "Surreal Farber" as she's known in Second Life, and her business partner entered the virtual community as content creators. "We started making stuff for ourselves and people liked it," she says. From there, the two invested in their own island, which today might cost $1,675, plus a $295 monthly maintenance fee.
More at:http://secondlife.com/
Via-Uncommon Business Blog
"I have 500 different skins," says Arikinui Adria, a virtual fashion designer who is referring to various looks that can be worn by her "avatar," a character that she and anyone who registers for Second Life can create. "Just like real people change their lipstick to match their outfits, I change my hair style, my hair color and my skins to match mine."
Armed with a graphic-design tool and image-editing software, Adria creates fashions for herself and for sale in her virtual store, Nuclear Boutique, from which she earns between $1,500 and $3,500 each month. Granted, the real life 39-year-old Cocoa, Fla., resident who asked that her real name not be used, says, "I'm not making the millions Ralph Lauren is making." But the fact that a population of avatars admires her design skills is rewarding, she says.
In Second Life, "you can do anything you want, create anything you want and be whoever you want to be," says Daniel Terdiman, author of "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life," which is due out in November. Since the fantasy word's inception in 2003 people have gotten married, taken classes, thrown parties, watched movies, gone shopping, built homes — and now, they're testing their entrepreneurial mettle. What makes Second Life so unusual compared to many other interactive 3D games (such as those played on Microsoft's Xbox) is that the virtual society uses a currency and thus an economy has begun to take shape.
Second Life poses a big opportunity for entrepreneurs, says Terdiman. "It is a virtual world in which personal expression is important," he says. Since there is no limit to what people can create, he estimates that "several hundred thousand consumers" will likely want to spend money on the latest designs for anything from vehicles that fly to enhanced body parts.
Entering the "metaverse" — a term used to describe immersive 3D virtual spaces such as Second Life — may not make much business sense for every would-be digital entrepreneur as it takes the same amount of hard work and stamina as owning a real-world business. But for those with an eye for design and technological acumen to boot, taking a second look at virtual worlds might, in fact, be worth the effort.
A Primer on Second Life
In 2006, according to demographers from Linden Lab, the San Francisco-based creator of Second Life, more than $93 million worth of transactions took place in Second Life. Additionally, in the last 12 months 2,082 entrepreneurs selling anything from cars and fashion accessories to parcels of their own private island made $20,000 or more. And just last month, 1,615 resident-business owners earned $1,000 to $2,000 and another 1,058 earned between $2,000 and $5,000.
Getting a Second Life is free. However, a computer, Second Life software, and a high-speed Internet connection are generally necessary for optimal use. A premium membership in which users can buy land and receive a weekly stipend is also available for $9.95 a month. The currency, known as "Linden" dollars, may be purchased using a credit card and earned during the game. Lindens can then be converted into real dollars via online currency exchanges.
Virtual worlds including Second Life and "World of Warcraft," an online role-playing game, are receiving massive inflows of money. According to a recent report about technology trends in small businesses from Intuit, it's estimated that more than $200 million real-world dollars are funneled through virtual worlds each month.
And entrepreneurs like Elizabeth Foshion, are capitalizing on the trend. Four years ago, Foshion, or "Surreal Farber" as she's known in Second Life, and her business partner entered the virtual community as content creators. "We started making stuff for ourselves and people liked it," she says. From there, the two invested in their own island, which today might cost $1,675, plus a $295 monthly maintenance fee.
More at:http://secondlife.com/
Via-Uncommon Business Blog
Yuwie.com Is First Site Which Pays You For Networking
What Company is Offering:
Yuwie.com is an online social networking service that allows members to set up personal profiles for the purpose of linking to friends and sharing information, videos, blogs, and pictures. Yuwie also pays members for based on the amount of activity they have, and based on the activity of their referrals. To enrich members' experience, we request and display some personal information to other members and visitors, which allows our users to identify each other and expand their network of friends. Yuwie members can change their profile information at any time and can control if and how other members and the service communicates with them, and views their information.
How It Works:
Every action a member takes, and the actions resulting there from are compensated. This means everything from updating your profile, posting a video, picture or a new blog post, and getting profile views earns members money. Yuwie decides on the 15th of every month how much it will dole out to its members. Total amount earned can be tracked in the ‘earnings’ section of each member’s profile. While users aren’t exactly hitting the mother-load, the very prospect of earning cash merely for networking has already attracted a fair number of users. Apart from the financial bit, Yuwie’s got a vivid member search method: you can actually search for users not only by the standard age, gender, and location routine, there’s also a specific search for body type (ranging from ‘a little fluffy,’ to ‘scales are my enemy’), and income, religion, smoker/drinker, and education. Capitalism and all its vices in a nutshell.
More at:http://www.yuwie.com/
Yuwie.com is an online social networking service that allows members to set up personal profiles for the purpose of linking to friends and sharing information, videos, blogs, and pictures. Yuwie also pays members for based on the amount of activity they have, and based on the activity of their referrals. To enrich members' experience, we request and display some personal information to other members and visitors, which allows our users to identify each other and expand their network of friends. Yuwie members can change their profile information at any time and can control if and how other members and the service communicates with them, and views their information.
How It Works:
Every action a member takes, and the actions resulting there from are compensated. This means everything from updating your profile, posting a video, picture or a new blog post, and getting profile views earns members money. Yuwie decides on the 15th of every month how much it will dole out to its members. Total amount earned can be tracked in the ‘earnings’ section of each member’s profile. While users aren’t exactly hitting the mother-load, the very prospect of earning cash merely for networking has already attracted a fair number of users. Apart from the financial bit, Yuwie’s got a vivid member search method: you can actually search for users not only by the standard age, gender, and location routine, there’s also a specific search for body type (ranging from ‘a little fluffy,’ to ‘scales are my enemy’), and income, religion, smoker/drinker, and education. Capitalism and all its vices in a nutshell.
More at:http://www.yuwie.com/
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