It takes effort to explain the significance of a new product when the immediate benefit to consumers may not be so obvious, and the awkwardly named “pipes” from Yahoo! is no exception. The product name is taken from the world of UNIX where a pipe is a conduit for the transfer of data between applications, while with the Yahoo product it is a conduit for data between web services. In a basic form Yahoo! Pipes allows you to take data from one or more sources and to bring it together, for example – to aggregate a group of feeds. But Yahoo! Pipes goes beyond what just pipes are and what pipes do though as the application provides functions (or as they are called in the app – modules) that will perform a variety of different actions. There are modules available to prompt the user for input (a variety of input types), different operators to count, loop, cut, count, sort and merge data along with a variety of string and date functions. Because of this already broad base of available functions, Yahoo! Pipes is more akin to a shell scripting environment for the web rather than just a simple conduit between applications. It works like a visual procedural programming language with the output of the process dropping out at the bottom, in the form of text output, RSS, SMS alerts of even JSON. You can use feeds, user input or other pipes as input. The beauty of the application is with its simplicity – a user can take any sources, user input requests or the above mentioned module and drag+drop them into place and then connect the pipes. Within minutes I had built an application (also known as a pipe, they should probably change the name as not everything can be a pipe) that would search for ‘Techcrunch’ in a variety of feeds, bring that data together, sort it and filter it for unique results. I saved the application and published it, from where I can now execute it at any time and receive the output in a variety of formats. I can take a copy of an existing pipe (application, argggh) and use it as a base template for my own pipe and I can browse an existing library of pipes. Pipes can take any feed as input, and combined with the already available list of functions proves to be → Read More
Facebook released an API last year and new startup Mosoto is putting it to good use. Mosoto is a Flex 2.0 application that sits on top of your Facebook account via the API and allows you to share files, chat with friends, and discover new ones. The app has a desktop layout, where you control different mini applications for sharing files, chatting, discovering friends, and sharing music. The chat client controls most of the action, listing which of your Facebook friends, friends of friends, and Facebook networks you’ve joined. By hovering over the names, Mosoto alerts you to the similarities between your profiles. If you find someone that looks interesting, you can befriend and poke them right through the chat window. Chatting is one on one, with groups of friends, or even all of your friends within a network. From within the chat roster, you can share files with your friends using a free 1GB Box.net account. You can share and open files like pictures, songs, and videos using their in-browser file list and file viewers. The most interesting type of file sharing Mosoto does is with music. Mosoto lets you upload songs into your Box account and string them together in play lists your friends can play through and remix. The music player lists all the music and lists your friends have, and lets you mix songs from your friends accounts into your own play lists. Mosoto is looking to release in the middle of March, but is still taking beta testers through their Facebook group. The project is self funded and was created by a of a team of five recent University of Arizona graduates: Girard Kelly, Seth Lesky, Louis Tran, Srinivasan Chandrasekharan, and Paul Chung. See the video below for a great overview of the product, with the cheesiest background music ever. → Read More
Monster.com is a fat target. It has a market cap of nearly $7 billion and generates over $1 billion per year in revenue. All that revenue is largely generated on paid job listings, starting off at $475 for a single listing. Hotjobs and a bunch of other services provide similar services, all for a fee. Even Craigslist charges for job listings in many markets. Seattle-based Jobster, which has raised nearly $50 million in venture capital, previously had a similar model – charging employers a lot of money to help them find qualified candidates. But late last year they made a decision to try something different. They went through a round of layoffs earlier this year and are making a dramatic business model shift starting tonight, by making all job listings free (and much more). Their goal is to do what PlentyOfFish is doing to Match.com. PlentyOfFish is a dating site very much like Match, but doesn’t charge its users to hook them up. The company is doing quite well based solely on advertising revenue, and has been a serious thorn in the side of the for-pay dating sites. By reducing the cost of a job listing to zero, Jobster hopes to make a large dent in Monster’s billion dollar a year revenue stream. Jobster is also a social network, and is more like Facebook or LinkedIn than Monster.com or other job sites. Like LinkedIn, it’s a place people can keep their resume up to date at all times, even when they aren’t looking for a job. Users also tag themselves (your top five tags are called “supertags”), and Jobster will notify you of jobs that may fit your profile. See CEO Jason Goldberg’s profile page for an example. All of this tag-based matching comes from Jobby, a company Jobster acquired last year. Tags also help users match with other users, and additional information. Employers can start listing jobs immediately and for free. The form (see image below) has just five fields (Company, Title, Location, Description, Tags). The employer will immediately be alerted to potential candidates based on the tags, and candidates will also see the opportunity appear within their profile. Jobster is also syndicating these listings out via RSS and other methods, so job search engines like Simply Hired and Indeed will be able to add these to other listings from around the web. Edgeio (a company I co-founded) will → Read More
The folks over at eSnips have created a simple website for tracking “Web 2.0″ traffic trends. The website uses Alexa data. I’d love to see someone create a similar website that ranks these Web 2.0 websites (or rather, these ones) by using various other measurements, such as # of backlinks in Technorati and # of mentions on blogs indexed by Technorati. Editor’s Note: This post was written by guest contributor Steve Poland, whose blog Techquila Shots brainstorms web start-up ideas. → Read More
Alright, this shouldn’t be new to anyone who reads the site regularly, but Windows Mobile 6 is coming. We’ve already reported tons of information on Crossbow, but today there is a little more. Namely by the way of an official announcement: → Read More
We Mac users have been left out in the cold when it comes to 3G wireless for the most part, but Sprint and Novatel are here to settle the score. The EX720 ExpressCard is an EV-DO Rev. A card that grants your MacBook Pro the ability to access the Internet on the go at an impressive 1.4Mbps via its ExpressCard slot. And it will ship with OS X drivers. This means no insane Googling for third party or OEM drivers, an evil currently necessary for OS X users. In addition to drivers, the card also includes GPS software for the Mac, and will be available “soon” from Sprint retailers and online for $179.99 with contract. Sprint to offer EV-DO Rev. A card for MacBook Pros [MacWorld] → Read More
. Instead of using clear-headed thinking and admitting that DRM is a problem and not a solution, the RIAA thinks that Apple just needs to open up its DRM to competitors. On the surface, the RIAA’s complaint makes sense, the idea being that there should be an industry-wide, single standard for DRM. This would make any portable device compatible with any music store. The problem is that this gives the RIAA direct control over the license clearinghouses, meaning that they would have ultimate control over your songs, not Apple, Microsoft, URGE or anyone else. So really, what the RIAA is saying, is that Jobs’s idea of DRM-free music isn’t the answer to getting people to buy more, but that universal a DRM is the key. The RIAA, again, isn’t seeing the forest for the trees. Music industry group fires back at Apple [BusinessWeek] → Read More
If you’re concerned that your porn downloading habits are bad for the environment, then your idea of conscience is more mixed-up than mine. But it might feel better after you pick up this keyboard by Genius. With a built-in solar panel, the wireless keyboard charges with ambient light instead of using off the shelf batteries that poison the ground and kill your family. Sadly, the included mouse needs these toxic lead acid cells, but at least you’re half-responsible. Of course, you don’t get a lot of light in your mom’s basement, so maybe this isn’t for you. But if you live in, say, a greenhouse, or on top or a mountain, or a city besides Seattle, then you might get enough sunlight to make this thing worthwhile. Genius Green Solar-Powered Keybord… kewl [Everything USB ("kewl" is their word)] → Read More
We like PDAs, and we like laptops, but the combo of the two, the UMPC, sucks. The idea is sound, but the execution tends to be lackluster. However, we’re changing our tune after seeing the UREN A1 by Innowell. Taking the UMPC form factor, with its 7-inch touchscreen running Windows XP, Innowell adds two things that have kept us from finding these portables sexy: real wireless connectivity and GPS. Flaunting HSDPA, the A1 gives you access to full-on Web browsing from pretty much anywhere you can find coverage, and the GPS can help you track it down. These two things combined with the ultra portable size mean that you can now quite literally be connected anywhere, and know exactly where that is. Don’t look for it here any time soon, but the innovation should ripple through other developers, meaning these new features could become standard before too long. 7-inch UMPC with HSDPA connectivity available for 700,000(KRW) [Aving USA] → Read More
Facebook is testing virtual gifts – small icons that you can give to other Facebook members to be displayed on their pages in the “wall” section as well as a new gift area. The test is running with members from just a couple of select schools at this time. The gifts icons were designed by Susan Kare, the designer of the original Mac icons. Gifts can be sent publicly or privately (public gifts will show everyone the name of the giver, private gifts only show the icon). Each virtual gift costs $1, although right now they are free. In a brilliant marketing move to kick this off, Facebook is donating the February net proceeds from the virtual gifts to charity. After that, they’re keeping the money. I would expect this to be a significant revenue generator for them by year-end. The reason I say this is because “poking” is already such a big activity on Facebook, where you reach out to other users. When you pay money to do the same thing, it will mean more, and people will be sucked into doing it. If and when Facebook launches premium gifts, people will be buying those, too. I’d also expect them to sell really high end “limited edition” icons as well in limited supplies. → Read More
Pocketec has announced a pocketable 12GB USB drive in a one-inch form factor. That itself is slightly lust inducing, but what’s really peculiar is the stats listed at AVING: compatibility with Windows 98 through Vista, and Mac OS 8.6. Wait, what? Yah, we don’t get it either, but we do like the switchblade action of the USB plug and the 1.7-ounce weight. It looks to be constructed fairly well, too, so it won’t crush in your pocket like every other damn pocket drive I’ve owned. We’ll expect it sometime later this year, most likely OEM’ed as some other brand for somewhere around $200. Pocketec Drive [Avaing USA] → Read More
The iPhone phone you should lust over is now official. According to sources inside Meizu, the M8 is in the pipeline and apparently Meizu wants to market it as an MP3 phone, but that’s sooo three years ago. Most of the specs that were rumored seem to hold water. It will be a 3.3-inch VGA touchscreen for GSM and TD-SCDMA networks. It will also supposedly run the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows for mobile devices, Windows CE 6.0. No word on price or launch date so we’ll just keep this one on the back burner for now. Quite frankly I’m surprised we haven’t heard Apple crying foul on this, but then again it’s only been ‘official’ for a day or two. If the M8 does launch I may have to call in some favors over in HK. M8 [Digitpedia via Digg] → Read More
Oh, England, you jerk! Making us all jealous. Not only do you guys get castles and high tea, but you also get the LG Shine before we do. The Shine is the one phone on our radar that might compare to the iPhone as far as sexiness goes, and you’ve got it first. Well, Asia was first, but that’s normal. But you, UK? Not only that, but you’re getting it full retail, unlocked, so your residents can use it with whichever carrier they have. Sure, it’s more expensive on the onset, but this isn’t a phone for the timid. This is a piece of hotness for those who want to look good and want to spend the money to do so. We’ve been covering it here for awhile now, with its mirrored face, dope camera, and audio playback. So yes, Brits, we are jealous. But we’re sure the Shine will land here sometime soon in all its GSM glory, we’re reasonably sure we’ll get the 3G version, too. Who’s laughing now, you limey bastards? That’s right. Press Release [at Mobile Burn] → Read More
Recent jobs at Crunchboard: PR/Sales pros at Lewis PR in SF, SD and Boston Web Developer/ Web Design at Addesso Systems in Boston, MA Senior Web Developer at Sony in San Diego, CA Director, Digital Product Development at NBC Universal in New York, NY Manager, Digital Product Development at NBC in New York, NY Online Graphic Artist at San Jose Mercury News in San Jose, CA Software Development Engineer at Amazon in Detroit, MI Lead Quality Assurance Engineer at New York Times in New York, NY Senior or Lead Java Developers at Travelocity in Manhattan, NY Lead Software Engineer at a stealth startup in San Francisco, CA Retail Producer/Project Manager, Signs and Collateral at Apple in Cupertino, CA Director of Business Development at eBuddy in San Francisco / Palo Alto → Read More
Tomorrow, Scrapblog, a hybrid media-sharing and online journal site, will be demoing the new version of their Flash-based online scrapbook application at the We Media Conference in Miami. The public version of the new product will be out in March. Co-founder Carlos Garcia let me in for a quick look around at the redesign, though, and I liked what I saw. Scrapblog was already a great product. The new version runs more smoothly, has the look and feel of a proper desktop application, and has incorporated more types of media and editing tools. The new version has the same drag and drop functionality of the original, but more closely mimics a desktop application by following the same menu bar metaphors along with a full screen option. They have also beefed up the editing features a bit without making it too intensive for the web. Users will be able to use “edit” and “properties” toolboxes to control transformations on photo and layers, effects, as well as photo cropping. Transitions between frames have also been added (various types of fades and wipes). The release will allow users to import photos from more sites sites, such as Webshots, Photobucket, and Yahoo!. They only supported Flickr previously. Audio and video will also be added to the product. Users will have the option of having songs play along with their Scrapblog slide show and embedding YouTube videos into their pages. You will be able to rotate and scale the videos just like photos. Scrapblog also hopes to have the slide shows import into YouTube as well. Scrapbook pages can already be exported into Flickr accounts. Scrapblog is shaping up nicely and looks to be branching out of the scrapbook niche as it more closely resembles slide show web apps like RockYou, BubbleShare, Slide, Photobucket, and Filmloop. Scrapblog is currently privately financed through Carlos Garcia’s previous company Nobox. → Read More
Allow me to introduce you to the fanciest Bluetooth headset currently available, the Jawbone from Aliph. I’ve been hearing about the device for some months, but it wasn’t until CES that I actually encountered one. So is it everything it’s been cracked up to be? → Read More
Let’s face it our hands and brain are stuck in the past when it comes to playing Mario and Tetris, the Wii-motes just don’t cut it. The spacing of the buttons is all off and it’s just plain awkward. Muscle memory can be a bitch but if you have NES controllers lying around, I know the Nintendo Fanboys do, well you’re in luck. The RetroPort lets you plug-and-play your original NES controllers on the Wii via the USB ports which i haven’t found a use for until now. Awesomeness for a mere $22. Product Page [Retrozone] → Read More
Michael McKeehan, Verizon director of Internet and technology, declared today at FTTH that Verizon’s FiOS is ready for whatever bandwidths its competitors ramp up to. “If they offer 6Mbps, we go a bit better. We don’t see the need to ramp up the speeds just yet,” said McKeehan. The problem that I see, is an availability that comparatively is more limited than other broadband companies. Fiber to the premises is great, but a quick look at an availability list shows that its proliferation is sparse. Hopefully Verizon will spread it more drastically this year. I’d love to get some fiber in my Internet diet. TTH 2007 Europe: Verizon Deals Cablecos FTTH Blow [via Broadband Reports] → Read More
Time is an inevitable casualty of technology. No matter how much time it promises to save, it seems that technological advances always end up consuming more time. The issue is responsibility. A bit of technology might be convenient, but it adds another responsibility to your life. One more thing that you have to learn and use; one more thing to divert your attention from your other responsibilities. Sitting in my room last night debating this paradox, I started to consider the exceptions, the advancements that speed us up. A few things came to mind, but only one set of technologies created a sort of linear group capable of mentioning easily: vehicles. → Read More
The MaxFire Pandora Pro is a tiny, foldable, vibrating USB gamepad. It features four action buttons, four side buttons, a turbo button and a retractable USB cable. Weighing in at only one ounce, the pad is perfect for laptops — and Smurfs. The gamepad also comes with a small case that can hold miniSD cards. MaxFire Pandora Pro [EverythingUSB] → Read More
San Francisco, CA
