SOMEWHAT FRANK

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.18.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-18-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

It's not a boom I tell ya... it's not! : The Jason Calacanis Weblog

Is there a beef between Jason Calacanis and John Battelle?

The Economy Of Buzz: Blogs Are Market Conversations : Robin Good's Latest News

Why do we talk?

Google, Your Long Tail is Showing : Micro Persuasion

Interesting Google observations from Steve Rubel.

Geneticists Claim Aging Breakthrough : Slashdot

Would you want to age slower?

What's a newspaper company worth? : Barry Parr

A common question in recent weeks.

Caribbean Island Envy In Cold Chicago

Caribbean Island Image sent to Somewhat Frank.

I just got this email from my sister who is in the Caribbean on the island of St. Kitts where she is attending a wedding. Bless her heart.

I love to hear from my sister but honestly I saw the picture and got instant island envy. Though the photo above is a little dark it is the last thing I wanted to see as I wrapped up another work week where going outside in Chicago was a struggle due in part to very cold temperatures and even snow flurries. Grumble. Grumble.

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.17.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-17-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

Hacking the Hybrid Vehicle : Wired News

Kits allow you to hack your hybrid for even better gas mileage.

I am NOT blogging about Google : Venture Chronicles

Good luck with your promise!

Yak Launches Free Video and Voice Service : Slashdot

Another free VoIP service that just launched.

What the In-Crowd Knows : WSJ.com

Here are a few influential blogs. Wait ... Somewhat Frank did not make the list?

Thanks to Web Ads, Some Find New Money in Domain Names : WSJ.com

Domain parking and other strategies make domain buying a business.

Buffett's investment company ups Home Depot stake fivefold

Can't get enough Home Depot...and maybe even Bed Bath and Beyond if there is enough time.

Nations Urge U.S. to Cede Internet Control

Who is driving the ship?

Yahoo to Add 5 Gawker Media Blogs to Web Site

Yahoo is further integrating blogs into its website.

Who's Running the Internet?

Solar Power? Windmills? Google?

Blogs On Demand Offered By Newstex

Newstex just launched a new product called Blogs on Demand that is going to help distribute choice blog content to blog networks and other media outlets. So what this means is Newstex is going to aggregate blog content from some choice bloggers and then redistribute it in an article format. According to the latest post on the Newstex blog:

"Blogs On Demand makes available full-text blog content from premier Weblogs for content distributors and enterprise customers. Unlike existing Web-based blog aggregation services, Newstex actually licenses influential blog content directly from bloggers and then takes in each carefully selected blog feed in text format and uses its proprietary NewsRouter technology to scan it in real-time. Each blog post delivered as part of Newstex Blogs On Demand is treated as a news story. Blog content is easily integrated into the applications that people use everyday, including content aggregator services, financial trading environments and customer relationship management systems."

I think it is an inventative approach and feel the fact that Newstex intends to build an offering to provide mainstream media outlets and other blog networks with blog content further underscores the value of grassroots blog content. I am curious as how the participating bloggers are being compensated for letting Newstex distribute their content.

For a couple of other sounds from the blogosphere check out these posts on Search Engine Journal and The Blog Herald.

Google Acquiring Riya Photo Service?

According to these reports on TechCrunch and Naill Kennedy's Weblog there is a strong indication that Google is close to acquiring the "smart" photo sharing service Riya, that I recently explained on Somewhat Frank in the post Riya Learns People In Photos. According to the reports the deal is going to go down soon and will be with close to $40 million dollars for the 12 employee Redwood City based company. We will see if the rumors are true very soon as Michael Arrington is hosting a launch party as his casa tomorrow night for Riya. Oh, what I would give to be able to attend the launch party, but it would be a bit of roundtrip commute from Chicago to California.

For a few more blogosphere perspectives on the latest Google rumor check out Affiliate Marketing News, Supr.c.ilio.us, NickStarr.com and TadSpot.

Windows for Supercomputers?

Microsoft recently announced that they will be creating a operating system for supercomputers. According to an AP report, Microsoft has a supercomputer initiative and wants to create an easy to use offering for small to mid-sized companies to use without having to be the most technically savvy. The product is called Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 and is supposed to be available within the first months of 2006.

I could see where this could be appealing to some companies that are light on UNIX administrators and technology staff. This will be interesting to watch since it is going go head-to-head with open source coding methods which appear to becoming to the forefront as the way to handle large coding efforts. There is definitely something to be said for usability. However, check out this report on the Benefits of Open Source. For additional information on supercomputing check out Supercomputing.org. 

To catch some of the blogosphere buzz on the Microsoft announcement check out these posts on StormCrow, Microsoft Weblog, Afrikanscientist.com, GameShout and Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog.

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.16.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-16-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

Sports Lounge LLC launches the Sports Cartel Blog Network : The Blog Herald

Sports themed blog network launched.

Google's Classified Play Launches : Online News Squared

Ironically, this post mentions how Google's founder was puzzled by the Newspaper online classified ads a few years back and now Google has launched GoogleBase, its own classified ads project, of sorts. Additionally, I posted about GoogleBase on Somewhat Frank back in September and then again in late October in the post titled Google Base To Take On Craigslist, eBay, and Newspapers.

Amazon to sell individual book pages : Phil Bradley's Blog

One page at time...via Amazon.

Microsoft to remove Sony BMG malware

Microsoft is removing DRM from Sony CD's after a bug was found which opened PC's up to hackers!

Porn industry gears up for mobile phones, iPods

Wireless air waves are preparing to blast porn to phones, iPods, and other devices.

TiVo Netflix RSS Reader : tins ::: Rick Klau's weblog

This download allows Netflix users to view their account via the TiVo on your TV by putting it in RSS format.

State of the Blogosphere, Follow up : The RSS Blog

According this post, Mark Cuban has listed some things IceRocket is doing to combat Splog.

37 Signals, 1 Clear Message

One clear message = keep it simple!

"Spend less money, hire fewer people, work fewer hours, and -- most surprising of all -- offer fewer features."

PAL vs. NTSC

Excellent overview of PAL and NTSC formats if you are into video editing and need to figure out the best option for your project needs.

As Blogs and Citizen Journalism Grow,  Where's the News? : Poynter Online

An interesting article on blogs and citizen journalism.

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.15.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-15-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

The $100 Laptop Moves Closer to Reality : WSJ.com

I wrote a post called Are $100 Laptops A Reality back in September so it's nice to see it in the news again.

Microsoft Launches Search for Businesses : Yahoo! News

Businesses can search their desktop, e-mail, network with Microsoft's search.

Why Your School Has Hope : WSJ.com

This article highlights a trend in college football and how this years lousy college football team could be the next to win!

The Google Story -- An Excerpt From David A. Vise's Book

I just added this book to my Amazon Wish List and Shoposphere pick list...I think it is worth a read.

A Boy, His Site and His Civil Liberties Lawsuit

A High School student set up a site ripping his school and thus he was suspended, now he is cashing in on lawsuits since his rights were violated.

Tribune Taking MetroMix Brand National : PaidContent.org

A little more info on the "new" Metromix sites.

Pajamas Media Closes $3.5 Million Venture Round

Another blog network gets some VC money.

Backpack Blackberry Hack : Signal vs. Noise

A "how to" on enabling your Crackberry to use the 37Signals Backpack application.

Google Integrates Free Analytics Service With AdWords, Offers Some Free Tools To Non-Partners

Google just keeps pumping out new products and services...it is simply amazing!

Yahoo Shoposphere Launched

Just in time for the holiday shopping season Yahoo has launched a new beta product in its shopping section called Yahoo! Shoposphere. Shoposphere's key feature is the ability to create a "My Pick List" which is very much like a wedding registry or wish list that you might have created before on another site. According to the Shoposphere website:

"A Pick List is just about the best way to share the products you love with others on Yahoo! Shopping. And see what others are raving about. It's an     organized list of products that you select, describe, and then publish so others can benefit from your opinions and experiences."

So really it sounds like Yahoo has integrated tagging and list making into Yahoo! Shopping. Additional features of Shoposhere include the ability to:

• Organize your favorite products in lists
• Share your opinions and know-how with the world
• Keep track of your experience with every product
• See the products others are raving about
• Email your Pick Lists to friends

I just filled out a quick Somewhat Frank Shoposphere pick list...feel free to get me whatever you would like off of it.

For additional buzz from the blogosphere about the new Shoposphere product check out these posts on TechCrunch, Micro Persuasion, LifeHacker and MicroContent Musings. 

With Google Analytics, Google Is Watching

I was surprised yesterday (November 14, 2005) to hear Google's move to make the previously pay metrics offering called Urchin free with the change of the name to Google Analytics. I really do not know why Google's move would surprise me. It shouldn't. It just seems like Google has a project underway relating to every aspect of the Internet and life, so that they can continue to release a new product every other week, forever.

I found Google Analytics grand once I got past the idea that by participating I was enabling Google  easier access to traffic information related to my blog, thus Google is watching. Though I began to realize Google already has similar access in a different format with Google Sitemaps, Adsense and Search result metrics. So I guess the new analytical offering just ads another item to Google's arsenal of information. Does it bother you that Google is watching? Or am I just being overly sensitive to my online freedom and privacy?

To see some other perspectives from the blogosphere on the new Google Analytics offering check out these posts on Roblog, Geekzone, netgeek.com, A Different Perspective and Jesse Newland.

New Hip National Entertainment Site With Local Flavor Launched

The Tribune has launched a new "edgy" national entertainment site under the Metromix brand. Metromix is a well known Chicago entertainment website brand but now its going "national" with local flavor and a sharper edge  and voice with the launch of site for Baltimore and Orlando site.

I was fortunate enough to be on the strategic planning committee for this project at Tribune Interactive which has been going on since November of 2004. I worked primarily on the music strategy as well as lent my technology expertise in every possible way I could throughout the duration of the project. So I am happy to finally be able mention the project publicly.

The site offers a number of entertainment categories which include music, movies, bars & clubs, restaurants, and TV. Additionally, the new entertainment site offers downloads of ringtones, mp3's and movies. The site also offers user posted comments and commentary on just about every article.  I am hopeful the site is a success since it was such a magnificent team effort at Tribune. So what do you think about the new edgy entertainment site?

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.14.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-14-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

It's showtime for Trib's quiet CEO

More talk of Tribune taking action.

A Breakthrough Few Months for Portable TV

A good recap of the feats of television in the last few months. Geez, times are a changin'.

Blogpulse Top List Spammed

Sounds like Blogpulse could use the services of Splog Reporter to assist in cleaning up their directory of blogs.

Tagging By Bloggers, A Small Study : Napsterization

This is an interesting post on tagging by Mary Hodder.

Press Release for Syntagma Media Launch : SYNTAGMA

New blog network recent launched by John Evans.

AOL to Have Reruns on Demand

Old TV favorites on demand via AOL.

Crack Down On Prostitutes Using Website

Is Craigslist acting as an online pimp?

Attack of the Blogs : Forbes.com

This is a thorough overview on blogging and the influential powers of the blogosphere.

Windy Sunday Afternoon At Soldier Field

Soldier Field Photo uploaded via camera-phone by Somewhat Frank.

I am bundled up with my girlfriend at Soldier Field watching football on a windy day in Chicago,  as the Chicago Bears take on the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are far removed from the dominate days of Montana, Young and Rice. Let's hope fellow Purdue alum Kyle Orton and the solid Bears defense can lead the team to victory in Chicago today (November 13, 2005).  GO BEARS!

GAME UPDATE: The Bears win 17 to 9 but lose rookie Texas running back Cedric Benson to a gruesome looking knee injury. We saw an usual record setting play as a missed 52 yard field goal by the 49ers was knocked out of the air by the dusty winds and returned 108 yards from the end zone by the Bears Nathan Vasher. This was an amazing play and is the longest return in NFL history.

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.13.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-13-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

10 Most Powerful Women in Blogging : Jack of All Blogs

Top woman bloggers ... congrats to all!

Warren Buffett, Unplugged : WSJ.com

A wonderful article highlighting Warren Buffett  and his "hands-off" approach. Also gives 5 investing tips worth reading.

10 Best Entrepreneur Blogs : Lifehacker

Entrepreneurs cannot miss these blogs.

Jesus Juice Label : Doc Searls Weblog

A couple of winemakers are trying to make it big off of the king of pop and his sick and twisted world.

WiMAX Won’t Catch 3G? : Blogola

Interesting study results on WiMAX adoption.

Regulating Search Conference @ Yale : SEO Book.com

This might be worth attending at Yale.

Google expands Wi-Fi Coverage : googlecrumbs

Google's wi-fi bubble growing larger in California.

Companies Have Four Choices : by Josh Hallett

This is something all businesses should read, understand and act on!

Somewhat Frank del.icio.us Bookmarks (11.12.05)

del.icio.us bookmarks for 11-12-2005 by Somewhat Frank (a.k.a)  Frank Gruber

Child Still for Sale on Craigslist?

This is just so wrong! A mother tried to sell her 4 year old child on Craigslist for $500.

10 Best Entrepreneur Blogs : Lifehacker

Entrepreneurs cannot miss these blogs.

Cuban : SteelCityBlog

I heard that Mr. Cuban was interested in purchasing the Pirates Pirates baseball team and they turned him down...are the Chicago Cubs next on the list?

Ten Technorati Hacks : Micro Persuasion

A great resource for Technorati hacks presented by Steve Rubel.

"BLOODBATH" : Breaking the Media Code

This chart shows the drops in newspaper circulation numbers...it's NOT pretty folks!

This is a blog… : Blog Maverick

Exactly, sometimes people take things too seriously!

Blogging from Flock : Chris Galfi’s Report

Offers bloggers perspective on using the "social web browser", Flock, and its toolkit to write blog posts.

Audible unveils podcast-monitoring service : News.com

Audible could really help companies determine how many users are actually listening to podcasts not just downloading them.

Warner Music Turns to Web

More flocking to the online music industry.

Don't Manage Time, Manage Yourself

Great advice and quotes by David Allen , Founder of David Allen and Company.

Forty Faces

This is a little project I was able to be a beta blogger for hence my ugly mug shows up when I write a blog post. I think it is an artistic and cool project.