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		<title>Stories Tagged: AMD | nobosh.com</title>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/</link>
		<description>Stories Tagged-AMD nobosh</description>
		
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			<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:23:37 -0600</pubDate>
	
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		<title><![CDATA[After Hours Amazon Qualcomm Allstate step up to earnings plate]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. and chip developer Qualcomm Inc. are among the companies slated to roll out financial reports during the after-hours session.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:01:03 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/after-hours-amazon-qualcomm-allstate-step-up-to-earnings-plate/91564/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/after-hours-amazon-qualcomm-allstate-step-up-to-earnings-plate/91564/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon sales expected to grow despite slowing economy]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite pressure from a slowing economy Amazon.com is widely expected to continue delivering double-digit growth in sales and earnings when it reports its second-quarter results after the closing bell.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:37:00 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-sales-expected-to-grow-despite-slowing-economy/91556/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-sales-expected-to-grow-despite-slowing-economy/91556/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[USPTO Says No More Software Patents]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Patent law is confusing. I&amp;#8217ve filed for and received a couple patents filed under the names of companies I&amp;#8217ve worked for in the past and I&amp;#8217m still not sure exactly how that worked.&#xa0; I know I wrote up a pretty complex description of the process which was a combination of hardware and software - it had to do with the automation of fax receipt and transmission on a bulk level and I drew out a number of charts graphs and illustrations.&#xa0; I signed on the dotted line handed it to the company attorney and presumably the company I worked for received a patent on my work.Additionally I&amp;#8217ve written about patent abuse here at Mashable before.&#xa0; It&amp;#8217s easy to spot abuse particularly when companies like Amazon patent things like &amp;#8220one click&amp;#8221 or Z4 Technologies patents the usage of two passwords as a security method. I suppose I could learn more about it fairly easily if I wanted. Marshall Texas is the town where a large portion of patent lawsuits end up being tried due to a reputation for being kind to patent trolls Marshall is about 45 minutes down the road from where I live.The problem is that I like most of you probably do find patent law very confusing tedious and boring. That&amp;#8217s why I&amp;#8217m not sure if the analysis being pitched over at Patently is spot on or not but judging by the comments from regular readers it doesn&amp;#8217t appear to be far off the mark.The analysis?&#xa0; Patents on software may be a thing of the past and furthermore all existing patents on software might be useless or invalidated.Warning Legalese below. Possibly boring.From PatentlyIn a series of cases including In re Nuijten In re Comiskey and In re Bilski the Patent and Trademark Office has argued in favor of imposing new restrictions on the scope of patentable subject matter set forth by Congress in  101 of the Patent Act.  In the most recent of these three-the currently pending en banc Bilski appeal-the Office takes the position that process inventions generally are unpatentable unless they &amp;#8220result in a physical transformation of an article&amp;#8221 or are &amp;#8220tied to a particular machine.&amp;#8221The logic of the PTO&amp;#8217s positions in Nuijten Comiskey and Bilski has always threatened to destabilize whole fields of patenting most especially in the field of software patents.  If the PTO&amp;#8217s test is followed the crucial question for the vitality of patents on computer implemented inventions is whether a general purpose computer qualifies as a &amp;#8220particular&amp;#8221 machine within the meaning of the agency&amp;#8217s test.  In two recent decisions announced after the oral arguments in the Bilski case Ex parte Langemyr May 28 2008 and Ex parte Wasynczuk June 2 20083 the PTO Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences has now supplied an answer to that question A general purpose computer is not a particular machine and thus innovative software processes are unpatentable if they are tied only to a general purpose computer.In essence it seems to be saying if I&amp;#8217ve got my legalese option on Babelfish working properly that in these particular cases where Google&amp;#8217s patents are at stake it is the opinion of the US patent office that unless a software patent is particular to a unique machine that physically transforms it or if the software in question only works on some proprietary platform it isn&amp;#8217t unique enough to patent.The object of this rule shift obviously is to keep folks from patenting silly things that are mundane and commonly found in a wide variety of software see one-click checkout.To further translate it from legalese to geekish it sounds like just about any piece of software or algorithm you write won&amp;#8217t be patentable.&#xa0; If you do a hardware or hardwaresoftware hack so long as it isn&amp;#8217t written on a commonly used computing platform i.e. PC or Apple architecture it just might be patentable.What I Think Of It. Probably Less Boring.I&amp;#8217m initially inclined to speak out in favor of this opinion. On the whole software gets written regardless of what patents may or may not be in existence.&#xa0; I know that when I have a hankerin&amp;#8217 to write a piece of code to fill a need for myself my company or my community the first thing I don&amp;#8217t do is check the patent office for something that may cover my idea.&#xa0; I just write it.That&amp;#8217s the process for most folks.&#xa0; It&amp;#8217s only when that software gets particularly popular and profitable do the folks who had the idea but not the gumption to do the work come out of the woodwork and start suing.It&amp;#8217s unfortunate but from where I sit it looks like that patent system functions currently in the opposite manner it was meant to.&#xa0; It was meant to protect and reward innovation yet it seems that the only times I hear of a patent in the news is when a deep pocket is being sued by a corporate entity that does little else than collect patents. The ex]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:02:05 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/uspto-says-no-more-software-patents/91234/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/uspto-says-no-more-software-patents/91234/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[TiVo to Cash in on Couch Potato Commerce]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[TiVo is looking for new ways to generate revenue from its existing subscriber base. Its most recent plan Let subscribers shop through Amazon while watching TV.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:01:29 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-to-cash-in-on-couch-potato-commerce/91129/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-to-cash-in-on-couch-potato-commerce/91129/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[DashGo Connects Musicians and Labels to Social Media The Startup Review]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Editor&amp;#8217s Note This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable - The Startup Review Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion please see the details here.STARTUP DETAILSCompany Name DashGo20-word Description DashGo provides digital distribution and social networking analytics for bands and content owners.CEO&amp;#8217s Pitch DashGo.com enables bands to easily manage new releases and publish them to digital music services like iTunes.For each of our clients we track performance across the top 9 social media networks. We standardize the data into the categories of &amp;#8220Profile Views&amp;#8221 &amp;#8220Streams&amp;#8221 &amp;#8220Friends&amp;#8221 and &amp;#8220Comments&amp;#8221 for timeline analysis. We are rapidly rolling out new features - next up is to lay benchmarking and sales data on top of this to help artists identify which sites and spikes in activity generate sales. In the future we plan to offer distribution directly to the social media networks as well in addition to the digital music stores and ad-partners we currently serve including Last.FM Meebo and YouTube.Mashable&amp;#8217s Take If you&amp;#8217re a solo act or a band of music makers or studio chances are you want to get your music out to as many listeners as possible through various channels on the Web. Santa Monica-based DashGo serves to help accomplish this.Presented as a music label of next-generation making DashGo connects with virtually all the top sales outlets - plus some lesser-known joints. The list includes iTunes worldwide Rhapsody eMusic Amazon MP3 Napster MediaNet Snocap-Imeem YouTube Juno Turntable Lab Blast My Music Amie Street Songslide Beatport Audio Lunchbox etc. DashGo tracks activity on social sites as well MySpace YouTube iLike Bebo Facebook Purevolume Virb Imeem  and Last.FM.Such coverage gives DashGo both a thorough sales spread as well as a comprehensive look at what occurs where on the Web allowing the company to direct energy where necessary based on a good amount of information. Which can ideally lessen waste and boost marketing potency.As an intermediary exclusively fixated to the digital space DashGo&amp;#8217s pursuit is naturally the independent crowd. Artists in the sector are in a continuous race to rise above the fold and are clearly seeking to raise their profile through online campaigns. DashGo&amp;#8217s purpose is essentially to buoy that desired objective with substantive logistical experience. How successful has it been thus far?It&amp;#8217s list of partners is a literal potpourri of names. Content producers include Delicious Vinyl Krofft Pictures Downtown Records CBS Records and GMG Entertainment DashGo&amp;#8217s founder Ben Patterson was an executive. And one of the more high-profile arrangements with a music group Patterson touts is Weezer. Patterson reportedly had a hand in digital marketing effort for the viral hit &amp;#8220Pork &amp;amp Beans&amp;#8221 video.Sponsored by Sun Startup Essentials]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:01:38 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/dashgo-connects-musicians-and-labels-to-social-media-the-startup-review/91057/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/dashgo-connects-musicians-and-labels-to-social-media-the-startup-review/91057/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Time Warner Cables Plan To Fend Off Verizon Less-Crappy Service Long-Term Contracts]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[How will Time Warner Cable TWC protect its near-monopoly in New York City now that Verizon has a license to sell cable TV here? TWC chief operating officer Landel Hobbs tells the WSJLess-crappy customer service. In Staten Island where Verizon has been most aggressive Time Warner Cable has narrowed the window within which one of its representatives will visit a customers house to two hours from four. The company will similarly narrow the window in other New York City boroughs in the coming months.Long-term contracts like the cellphone industry. The company will also start offering discounted prices to customers who commit to longer-term contracts on video data or phone services.More footsoldiers. The company is also sending out a growing number of door-to-door sales representatives to reach customers before Verizon does.The good news for Time Warner Cable It will take a long time -- years -- before Verizon VZ can build out its fiber-optic FiOS network into allmost of New York Citys thousands of apartment buildings. The less-good news By then it will have to deal with a host of new rivals angling for attention in the living room like Internet movieTV services from Apple AAPL Hulu Microsoft MSFT Amazon AMZN and Netflix NFLX which should only get easier to hook up to TVs.See Also Hulu Household Why I Got Rid Of CableTime Warner Cable Not Well-Prepared For Verizon Threat In NYC Pali Cuts To SellVerizon Gets NYC Cable License For FiOS Look Out Time Warner CablevisionAre Internet Providers Making Broadband More Expensive To Protect Their TV Businesses?]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:49:35 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/time-warner-cables-plan-to-fend-off-verizon-less-crappy-service-long-term-contracts/90817/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/time-warner-cables-plan-to-fend-off-verizon-less-crappy-service-long-term-contracts/90817/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[TiVo Gets A Buy Button From Amazon]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[TiVo TIVO is expanding its relationship with Amazon AMZN which is helping the struggling set-top maker bring a buy button to the living room. The company is introducing a product purchase feature that allows viewers to pause during a show to buy CDs DVDs and books with their remotes.TiVo has already been in business with Amazon since last year It offers on-demand TV and movies to TiVo users from Amazons Unbox store. Ultimately TiVo says the buy feature will be available on TiVo-powered set-top boxes from cable partners like Comcast as well as TiVos own standalone DVRs. Whos going to use TiVos  buy button? TiVo plans to offer the service to programmers which could seed its shows with product offers and to advertisers which could offer the option within commercials.But the biggest hurdle for any mass-marketer to working with TiVo however is its relatively tiny user base 3.8 million as of last quarter. For perspective on TiVos footprint heres a visual from Nielsen courtesy of TVByTheNumbersSee Also YouTube Comes To TiVoCiti 75% Chance TiVo Wins DISH Patent TrialTiVos Rogers Content Deals And Cable Partners Will Save Us]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:25:31 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-gets-a-buy-button-from-amazon/90770/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-gets-a-buy-button-from-amazon/90770/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[TiVo Teams With Amazon On Watch It Buy It Now Option]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[TiVo NSDQ TIVO is expanding its relationship with Amazon on a promise to deliver what marketers have long hoped for allowing TV viewers to make purchases of products displayed within a show or an commercial. NYT says that the two will announce the product purchase feature on Tuesday.&amp;nbsp It also extends the year-and-a-half old partnership with Amazon on TV and movie downloads and comes a week after the online retailer introduced its own VOD service. -- As seen on Oprah TiVo subscribers will be able to make purchases from the DVRs on-screen menu which will have links to buy things like CDs DVDs and books that are being hawked on programs like The Oprah Winfrey Show The Late Show With David Letterman and The Daily Show. Links to purchases will be carried out via Amazon NSDQ AMZN. TiVo is working on expanding the system to include links to product placements in live programs and alongside commercials.-- From the great disrupter to home shopper Tom Rogers tells NYT that this offering is meant to end any tension that existed between the DVR operator and advertisers who worried about the devices ability to make ad-skipping more simple. TiVo has been aggressively trying to strike agreements with media buying agencies like Starcom MediaVest Group and Tv networks on audience measurement to aid ad placement. So while the news is likely to be exciting prospect to advertisers and their agencies Tim Hanlon SVP for Publicis Denuo is taking it with a grain of salt. Speaking to NYT Hanlon says that for the service to be meaningful TiVo will have to substantially grow beyond the 4 million current subs it has.RelatedInterview Bill Carr EVP of Digital Amazon On Amazons New VOD ServiceAmazon.coms Streaming Service To Launch in Limited Beta Tomorrow Links With Sony BraviaInterview Tom Rogers CEO TiVo DVR As Retriever Not Just ReceiverAmazon TiVo Pair Up For PC-To-DVR DownloadsCheck out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:25:30 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-teams-with-amazon-on-watch-it-buy-it-now-option/90719/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-teams-with-amazon-on-watch-it-buy-it-now-option/90719/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Twitter Yep Weve Still Got A Spam Problem]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Twitter has publicly acknowledged what most users have known for a while Its got spam issues.The downside In a blog post Twitters Biz Stone doesnt do much more than pass along old news to Twitterers The service has gotten popular enough to attract spammers and Twitter is trying to combat them -- namely by blocking accounts that follow many people but dont have any followers themselves. Presumably spammers will try to combat this by rigging accounts so that they have lots of artificial followers.The upside As spam problems go Twitters is pretty mild. The systems opt-in design makes it basically impossible to get spam in your feed unless you really want it and the worst-case scenario is that spammers screw up email alert systems. The service also seems like a relatively difficult one for spammers to exploit As far as we know theres no auto-follow feature which means that spammers have to laboriously sign up for each account they want to pester. Twitter also doesnt seem to have enough users -- something in the million-plus range -- to make commercial spam worthwhile but obviously someone disagrees.Bonus upside While were delivering not-bad news about the service wed just like to point out that the big service outage news of the last few days wasnt about Twitter. Instead it was Amazons S3 service that failed -- yet Twitter an S3 client seemed to run without a hiccup. How about that?See Also Twitter Yep Weve Got A Spam ProblemHas Twitter Finally Gone Mainstream? Or Are We Getting Sapmmed?]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:25:30 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/twitter-yep-weve-still-got-a-spam-problem/90621/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/twitter-yep-weve-still-got-a-spam-problem/90621/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon offers automatic credit for S3 outage]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ordinarily customers would have to apply to get credit for an Amazon Web Services outage but online retailer is handling Sundays outage automatically.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:01:45 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-offers-automatic-credit-for-s3-outage/90555/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-offers-automatic-credit-for-s3-outage/90555/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Report TiVo Amazon team up on sales pitches]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Partnership aims to make it easier for consumers to purchase products they see advertised and promoted on television commercials and talk shows The New York Times reports.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:01:45 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/report-tivo-amazon-team-up-on-sales-pitches/90554/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/report-tivo-amazon-team-up-on-sales-pitches/90554/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[TiVo and Amazon Team Up]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[The two companies want to turn the television remote control into a tool for buying the products being advertised and promoted on commercials and talk shows.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:37:33 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-and-amazon-team-up/90516/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/tivo-and-amazon-team-up/90516/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Bezos Says He Wants S3 Uptime to Be Nothing Less Than Perfection]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[When cloud-computing services like Amazon&amp;#8217s S3 go down as it did again this weekend it raises the question of whether they are ready for prime time.  If these services keep going down can startups rely on them enough to build their businesses on top of them?  At Fortune&amp;#8217s Brainstorm conference in Half Moon ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:13:19 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/bezos-says-he-wants-s3-uptime-to-be-nothing-less-than-perfection/90513/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/bezos-says-he-wants-s3-uptime-to-be-nothing-less-than-perfection/90513/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Favtape Creates Mixtapes from Your Pandora and Last.fm Accounts]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Favtape is another new mixtape creation site but its standout feature is its automation process which creates a mixtape based off songs you&amp;#8217ve listened to on Pandora or those you&amp;#8217ve favorited on Last.fm.  Provide Favtape with your Pandora URL or your Last.fm username and a mixtape will automatically be created for you with a unique URL that can be accessed anytime.  The mixtape itself consists of 10 songs which appear to be the most recent from your Pandora or Last.fm activity.  For each song on your mixtape you&amp;#8217ll have several options&amp;#8211 play the song purchase it on iTunes or Amazon see the lyrics nab a ringtone provided by Flycell share the song or receive more songs based on the artist or on similar tracks. There&amp;#8217s also the ability to see others&amp;#8217 mixtapes on the site with voting options intact so you can see the most popular mixtapes created by other users. Perhaps the best feature of Favtape is that it takes your streaming music from two popular music recommendation engines and offers a place where you can hear the songs on demand which is something you can&amp;#8217t readily do on Pandora or Last.fm.  The downfall to Favtape&amp;#8217s particular approach however is that its limitation of ten songs acts as a mere snapshot of your account activity on Pandora and Last.fm and despite the additional options on Favtape there&amp;#8217s not much you can do to turn actions on Favtape directly back into actions within a community network like Last.fm.  The recommendations on Favtape are also a bit erratic&amp;#8211when clicking on Similar Artists for some musicians I received only 3 song titles from the same artist and when I clicked &amp;#8220play&amp;#8221 to actually hear some of the songs they turned out to be songs from entirely unrelated artists.  Yet clicking on Similar Artists for other musicians I received 100 recommendations from a variety of singers.  Even with these particular quirks I think it would be quite useful to have a way for your actions on Favtape be turned directly into further recommendations on other sites where you already have an established profile so the results of using Favtape can become more long-lasting.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:25:31 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/favtape-creates-mixtapes-from-your-pandora-and-lastfm-accounts/90467/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/favtape-creates-mixtapes-from-your-pandora-and-lastfm-accounts/90467/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Trouble for TiVo?]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[First let me say theres no device in my home that can hold a candle to my addiction to TiVo. With its Season Pass Swivel Search and video download service from Amazon and others its still the best digital media...]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:01:06 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/trouble-for-tivo/90450/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/trouble-for-tivo/90450/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Is Twitter On the Cusp Of A Turnaround? Maybe Or Maybe Not...]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[For awhile there was nothing Twitter could do right. Frequent crashes would prompt a slew of angry bloggers to rant about the service in lengthy posts that criticized the company for being incompetent. But over the last few weeks the micro-blogging sites outages have become more rare and the headlines have started to turn positive. Following a recent round of venture funding and an acquisition Twitters turnaround has started to feel real. Even USA Today is noticing. It wrote today So many people now use Twitter to update friends that the system often crashes. That could be about to change. Twitter executives are working feverishly to solve the problem through a new investment $15 million according to several tech blogs from Spark Capital and Amazon NSDQ AMZN founder Jeff Bezos and putting off expansion plans i.e. making money until the network issues are resolved.Heres other recent signs-- On July 8 VentureBeat reported that Twitters traffic was at its highest point ever with its site accounting for .0024 percent of all web traffic in the U.S. representing a 500 percent growth rate from the same period last year. -- On July 9 Newsweek reported Twitter appears to be winning the microblogging arms race. The service boasted an estimated 1.2 million unique visitors in May alone and may be valued in the eye-popping neighborhood of $100 million. -- On July 10 ReadWriteWeb wrote that Twitter is back on track and lately has been more stable than weve ever seen before. The report found that there were fewer errors and pauses in the services and that Twitter had upped its API limit to 100 requests per hour - with the goal of keeping the limit to least 70.But the USA Today story brings up a good point. The turnaround has been expensive not so much from the perspective of cashbut resources. Its had to prioritize reliability over new features and even important things such as coming up with a business model. It reminds me a little bit of Friendster in the early days where it seemed like its slow loading times and usability issues left the door open for MySpace and even Facebook. Theres no question Twitter is showing good signs but well see if theyve done enough or did it in time....or perhaps nothing has changed. Valleywag reports that the USA Today article drove so much traffic to Twitterit crashed.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:25:32 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/is-twitter-on-the-cusp-of-a-turnaround-maybe-or-maybe-not/90322/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/is-twitter-on-the-cusp-of-a-turnaround-maybe-or-maybe-not/90322/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Another Amazon MP3 Sales Estimate 8-10% Of Digital Download Market]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Newest data point in our continuing attempt to gauge the success of Amazons MP3 store Terry McBride says Amazon AMZN now makes up 8 to 10% of digital revenue generated by his Nettwerk Music Group.Thats 2x more than the last estimate wed seen via eMusics David Pakman who pegged Amazon at 4 to 5%. As we noted before David is a competitor with Amazon so we took his estimate with a grain or two of salt. Terrys estimate is also interesting since few of the artists he works with are well-known -- Terry manages Avril Lavigne and The Barenaked Ladies but the best known-artist artist on his label is Sarah McLachlan. Amazons top-selling artists list is overwhelmingly dominated by well-known acts signed to the major labels though. So until we get estimates from them or Amazon we still wont have an accurate gauge of how well the store stacks up to Apples iTunes AAPL. Anyone want to volunteer? pkafka AT alleyinsider.com or use our anonymous tip box.In the meantime heres an interesting interview with Terry conducted by PaidContents Robert AndrewsSee Also Amazon MP3 Store 27 Million Tracks In Six Months?iTunes Competitors Were Number 2! Were Number 2!Amazon Music Sales Tiny? Flat? Both?Amazon Music Store Sales Underwhelming?]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:49:33 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/another-amazon-mp3-sales-estimate-8-10-of-digital-download-market/90272/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/another-amazon-mp3-sales-estimate-8-10-of-digital-download-market/90272/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Social App Developer LivingSocial Gets $5 Million First Round]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Who said anything about VCs no longer funding Facebook apps? LivingSocial a developer of apps that help friends share recommendations for stuff like beer and books has raised a $5 million first round led by Grotech Ventures along with personal investments from Steve and Jean Case. The Washington DC-based company distributes such apps as ReadingSocial BrewSocial and TuneSocial each of which seems fairly self explanatory. Since launching in February the company has booked over 6 million users though that doesnt necessarily mean theyre active day-to-day.I chatted with CEO Tim OShaughnessy formerly of both AOL NYSE TWX and RevolutionHealthhence the investment from Case on his take of the whole space. He noted that the entire area has gotten a lot tougher for the obvious reasons tons of new entrants along with Facebook clamping down on certain black hat methods for attaining virality. LivingSocial isnt just on Facebook but so far its still where the action is I think Facebook is very very strong... Its significantly higher the activity than the other networks that are out there. Basically Facebook is still used as a social utility while the others MySpace Bebo et. al are still about content display. One interesting aspect of the companys business model is that while most of these app networks are all ad-based LivingSocial because its oriented around products has referral partnerships such as with Amazon NSDQ AMZN. With the money it plans to enhance its product and enter more categories.RelatedAn Ill Wind Blows In Facebook Appville?Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when youre on the go. Go here to download.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:25:26 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/social-app-developer-livingsocial-gets-5-million-first-round/90118/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/social-app-developer-livingsocial-gets-5-million-first-round/90118/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Steve Case Joins App Developer Living Socials $5M A Round]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[LivingSocial a social network app developer that allows users to see what kind of books movies beer etc. their peers like has rasied a $5 million Series A Round led by Grotech Ventures. Joining in Former AOL CEO Steve Case and his wife Jean.The various apps run by the company have more than 6.4 million total installs on Facebook MySpace Bebo Hi5 and Orkut. LivingSocial makes money in two ways - one by advertising and the other through Amazons affiliate program When your friends buy a book etc because you have LivingSocial gets a cut. Sounds an awful lot like when Facebooks Beacon could have been -- without the backlash.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:13:46 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/steve-case-joins-app-developer-living-socials-5m-a-round/90113/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/steve-case-joins-app-developer-living-socials-5m-a-round/90113/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[This Week In Silicon Alley July 21 - July 25]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Its a big week for people who need to keep track of earnings. The rest of you can find some things to do too. All times New York EDT. Monday July 21Apple AAPL reports earnings 5 pm webcast.Dr. Jeff Sutherland discusses Hyperproductive Distributed Scrum Teams Google 76 Ninth Ave 4th Floor between 15th &amp; 16th Streets 6 pm RSVP required.Tuesday July 22Yahoo YHOO reports earnings 5 pm webcast.Web2NewYork networking party for post-internet media advertising and business 120 Orchard Street 6 pm. Wednesday July 23AT&amp;T T reports earnings 10 am webcast.New York Times Company NYT reports earnings 11 am webcast.Amazon AMZN reports earnings 5 pm webcast.Metaverse Meetup OpenSim and Virtual Worlds Interoperability Global Kids 137 East 25th Street 2nd Floor at Lexington 7 pm.Thursday July 24Microsoft MSFT hosts financial analyst meeting 1130 am webcast.Friday July 25Netflix NFLX reports earnings 830 am webcast.You can find the SAI calendar anytime by clicking the Events tab above. Add your event to the calendar which we produce in conjunction with nextNY by clicking here. Or email us about your gathering at tips@alleyinsider.com. Please include EVENT in the subject line. Events compiled from Meetup Yahoo! Upcoming Confabb and Garys Guide]]></description>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:13:31 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/this-week-in-silicon-alley-july-21-july-25/90029/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazons S3 Storage Outage Felt Everywhere Even My iPhone]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Neat trick Amazon just made one of my iPhone apps crash -- Twinkle the Twitter app by Tapulous. Not on purpose of course. But still a reminder that relying on third-party cloud hosting services -- even from giant normally excellent Amazon -- has its drawbacks.What happened? Sometime this morning Amazons AMZN S3 storage service went down. Or according to Amazons official note S3 is experiencing elevated error rates. A lot of companies -- Twitter 37signals etc. -- rely on S3 to host static files like images style sheets etc. for their Web apps. So when S3 goes down those sites lose somemostall functionality depending on what the company uses S3 for.So howd Amazons storage service bork my iPhone? Tapulous uses S3 to host images like Twinkle user icons. And they must not have thought to include a plan B in their code to handle an image server outage. So when S3 hiccuped and Twinkle couldnt download images the app crashed taking me back to the iPhone home screen.Annoying? Yes. Enough to get me to never use a Tapulous or 37signals or whatever product again? Of course not. Will Amazon lose any big customers over this? Probably not -- every server goes down and S3 is still the best most efficient Web storage service for many companies.I am still not mad we need to be patient Tweets Alex Iskold CEO of AdaptiveBlue which uses S3 for their software several hours into the outage. This aint simple.But we bet every S3 customer that doesnt have a solid backup plan in place is rethinking theirs this afternoon. Tapulous for example is pushing an updated version of Twinkle to Apples AAPL iPhone app store as soon as it can which we hope includes a dont crash if S3 dies provision.As of 439 p.m. ET Amazon says its accelerating progress on restoring internal communication as all signs continue to look good. We assume that means the problems will be fixed soon and that many of our favorite Web sites and services will be back to normal.D j  Vu from February Amazons S3 Storage Chokes Startups Gag]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:13:30 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazons-s3-storage-outage-felt-everywhere-even-my-iphone/89908/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazons S3 experiencing outage]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Problems with online storage service causing many sites to present broken images.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:49:18 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazons-s3-experiencing-outage/89895/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazons-s3-experiencing-outage/89895/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Is RSS an Add-On Feature?]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Wizzard Media the podcast hosting and monetization giant a couple of days ago released a letter to their shareholders that went towards explaining a bit of their corporate strategyIn a very short time Wizzard has surprised many people by becoming the largest distributor of digital media via RSS podcasting. While many other companies took the route of launching online video websites and treating RSS distribution as nothing more than an add-on feature Wizzard has focused its early efforts in this industry on dominating RSS delivery of media. Why you may ask? The quality of content and the reliability of podcasting publishers are head and shoulders above what you find on most video websites.The letter goes on to list in great detail the numerous milestone achievements they&amp;#8217ve attained over the last year or so some of which we&amp;#8217ve chronicled here at Mashable you can find the full letter here.Aside from the company&amp;#8217s achievements they bring up an interesting question.&#xa0; In the world of online video is RSS simply a feature or is it part of a central strategy.&#xa0; Personally I&amp;#8217ve always viewed podcasting and RSS technology as central but in the continuing production of Mashable&amp;#8217s ongoing video series I&amp;#8217ve seen that validated as a matter of practice as opposed to something to be thrown on as an afterthought.We went through in our search for a solid video platform literally dozens of providers.&#xa0; Granted due to our desire to monetize in specific ways from the onset we had a much more demanding pattern of standards for what we&amp;#8217d accept but it was amazing to us how many video hosting providers didn&amp;#8217t even offer anything close to conforming to RSS podcasting standards.For instance take Brightcove the embedded video platform very widely used by media giants and tech pundits alike. It has probably one of the most customizable embedded video platforms I&amp;#8217ve ever worked with.&#xa0; The features in the player are second to none and their ad serving capabilities are very impressive.They don&amp;#8217t unless it&amp;#8217s been recently added have any ability to serve MP4 files via RSS though.&#xa0; For us at Mashable we&amp;#8217ve found that this lack of ability can mean cutting out as much as 80% of your audience.&#xa0; Generally we&amp;#8217ll receive hundreds and in some case thousands of video views of an episode through the website even when posted in off-peak hours but very rare is it we&amp;#8217ll have less than a thousand downloads to a video we put out if it&amp;#8217s on the podcast feed.Why is that?&#xa0; Well part of it is that we&amp;#8217re generally fans of long-form content.&#xa0; A lot of our shows range upwards of twenty minutes and rarely are shorter than ten minutes. Thus they aren&amp;#8217t the smoothest fit for someone who&amp;#8217s browsing through our site in search of a quick update on the news. They do have time to tag it as a download and watch it later or to throw the RSS feed on their iPod and subscribe to it.When it comes to a corporate strategy is it the best route though?&#xa0; I think if it&amp;#8217s coupled with a solid promotional strategy the answer is yes.&#xa0; We view the web posts accompanying the episodes here at Mashable as your alert - that which lets you know that we have a new episode out or that we have a series depending on your level of awareness. Focusing on episodic content though very much improves the overall level of quality in the content - and if you need proof look at YouTube&amp;#8217s new strategy.A while back when Robert Scoble was touting the fact that it was longform video that was inherently superior to shortform and hence the reason why YouTube was raising the allowed length for YouTube videos I put out a shortform video that talked about the quality level differences between episodic targeted videos and the general UGC fare at least on a commercial level.Bottom line - if you&amp;#8217re working with video online by all means have a web strategy but if you don&amp;#8217t understand podcasts and RSS be prepared to fight with one hand tied behind your back.---Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking BlogConfirmed Google Takes on PowerPointFacebook Now Recommends FriendsTwango&amp;#8217s New Google Earth FeaturesFacebook&amp;#8217s Photo Sorting Flickr CollectionsLinkedIn Takes a Cue from Amazon. If People Were Like Books&amp;#8230Google Maps Hangs Up on Click-to-CallFacebook Playing Follow the Leader Again]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:37:30 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/is-rss-an-add-on-feature/89766/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[There Are No Winners or Losers in the Amazon-Netflix War]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[By the looks of it Amazon declared war with Netflix with the launch of a competitive on-demand streaming-movie service. The thing is there isnt much of a market to fight over yet.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:01:25 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/there-are-no-winners-or-losers-in-the-amazon-netflix-war/89695/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[10+ Sites for Product Reviews from Experts and Consumers]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Because they&amp;#8217re typically steeped in subjectivity product reviews tend to be more effective when grouped together. This is generally why you the consumer often want to consult with multiple sources and individual perspectives in order to make an informed decision before you proceed to checkout. So just to make things a little easier for you weve put together a brief list of places on the Web you might like to go to stock up on opinions about a myriad of products from gadgets to vehicles to attire to the miscellaneous before laying down your hard earned cash.Perhaps the most abundant catalogue of product reviews on the Internet Epinions a Shopping.com property is a megaplex of pretty much everything under the sun that pertains to human lifestyles of all sorts. Indeed its supply of notes about electronics is vast but it is also holds its fair share of opinions on travel restaurants and food and drink. Suffice it to say that its variety is as much a strength as is the sheer volume of information it manages today.A bit more rough-cut but supported by Web-based heavyweights About.com NYTCo ConsumerSearch is touted as a reviewer of reviews. While not the prettiest player in the market the quantity of information found on its servers is quite large. If youre willing to forgive its bland interface you might find it a resource worth visiting and revisiting once in a while.This ones an oldie for sure but still relevant. Some might pass it off as a review source too focused on detailed research and less about connecting consumers with the broadest product list possible but ConsumerReports has been trusted by a large number of readers for many years and continues to play a very active role in the field. If nothing else its one more place to go to achieve that well-rounded view youre seeking.Amazon is a retail giant for sure but its product reviews are a massive resource in and of themselves. Some items will show pages of feedback while others will show less or maybe none at all. But taken as a whole Amazon is a destination as valuable for its convenient shopping mechanisms as for its consumer commentary.If electronics are your focus CNET carries some merit among review sites. The in-house review staff at CNET regularly put out text and video reviews of gadgets built for business and personal use and user input helps to complete the picture. CNET was purchased by CBS not too long ago and some are expecting the adoptive parent to focus more on the TV-style projects being produced at the technology site but for the time being CNET is still a decent choice for aggregate opinion.We covered Sazze earlier this year when it introduced itself as product review site with a social component and it continues to look like a solid place for reviews. Its home page highlights a select number of products and beneath the cover there are thousands more. Theres a good chance youll find what youre looking for here and each page is laid out intelligently so its all very easy to browse.Reevoo launched last summer and in that time it has built itself a bit of an international name with the debut of a French adjunct in March of this year. Simple enough to use with a database fronted by five main categories - Phones &amp;amp Computing Entertainment Photography Home &amp;amp DIY and Toys &amp;amp Baby - Reevoo has quite a lot of reviews and ratings beneath the hood. Take a look we say. You might like it.Not to be confused with the option above Retrevo is sort of a hybrid of reviews and general product information product manuals etc.. The site is completely intuitive and while its presentation of data might not be everyones favorite cup of tea its gets the job done.You might like it for its name alone Buzzillions but past the title its actually a good piece of kit. It has a wide reach across the product realm and everything is pleasantly wrapped. It is for sure one of the better places to visit among sites listed here.Another product search and review engine that presents itself as infused with expertise Crowdstorm is low on material on its front page which might be a touch disappointing for some visitors but its method of delivering information is rather interesting. You can browse for products manually or ask for expert advice on stuff you seek to buy. Crowdstorm operates sites for both US- and UK-based audiences.PEbuzz is one part social network and one part gadget review joint. We offered a few thoughts on the site some weeks back and while it could definitely use a nicer more modern exterior it may well be what youre after. For what its worth PEbuzz is free to join.Photo enthusiast are you? Look no further than Digital Photography Review. Covering everything from the latest industry news to detailed - and we mean detailed - product reviews and comparisons DPR is the place you want to go for anything to do with digital imagery.RateItAll has so]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:13:43 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/10-sites-for-product-reviews-from-experts-and-consumers/89558/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Microsofts Real Problem The Second Coming of Apple]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[As Microsoft MSFT continues to waste time and resources figuring out how to win a sideline game it has already lost--Internet media--its shareholders have bigger things to worry about. Namely the future of the Windows and Office cash cows.It has been so long since Microsoft had anything real to worry about in these businesses that its easy to take their perpetual domination for granted. Dont.Weve written frequently about the cloud computing threat Google Yahoo Amazon and other web-based services companies offering functionality and apps for free that Microsoft currently charges a boatload for.  Microsoft is aware of this threat and is moving to try to combat it. But if it smoothly navigates a technology paradigm shift of this magnitude it will be one of the first dominant technology vendors in history to do so. Think IBMs transition from mainframes DEC etc.The second major threat however comes from a company that Microsoft once left on the edge of death Apple In fact Microsoft actually helped save Apple once by becoming a shareholder so it could demonstrate to regulators that it did in fact have a competitor. At the time it didnt.One-Third Of US PC Market Growth In Q2 Was Apple MacsSAIs Dan Frommer recently noted a startling statistic In personal computer sales in the US in Q2 Apple outgrew HP and Dell by a wide margin continuing to regain market share it lost in the late 80s and early 90s. More surprisingly Apple outgrew HP--the worlds largest PC vendor--on a unit basis as wellApple AAPL shipped 1.4 million computers in the US during Q2 representing 8.5% market share and 38% year-over-year growth. Mac shipments grew 9 times faster than the overall U.S. PC market 4.2% in Q2.Q2 U.S. Mac sales grew by 386000 computers year-over-year handily beating no. 2 HP which sold just 222000 more computers in Q2 2008 4.17 million total than it did during Q2 2007 3.94 million. Dell outsold HP and maintained its top U.S. market share it shipped 5.25 million PCs last quarter up 557000 units11.9% year-over-year and representing 32% of the U.S. market. Meanwhile HP HPQ maintained its no. 1 position worldwide Looked at differently the Big Three sold 1165000 more computers in the US in Q2 than they did last year...and Apple sold a third of these additional units. It is safe to say that the majority of these units wont be running Windows. Its also probably safe to say that most wont be running Excel Word or Outlook either.Apples Rise Is Not Just About Steve Jobs Microsofts World Has Changed ForeverIs the return of Steve Jobs the only thing that has shifted the competitive landscape in favor of Apple? No. If Steve Jobs were Microsofts only problem the company would be fine. Steve Jobs is actually less important to the second coming of Apples Mac business than the decline of the Windows hegemony.Five years ago with the exception of a handful of niche markets academia graphic design it would have been inconceivable for a company or business to go Apple. As muchas people hated being shackled to Microsoft the inability to exchange documents buy compatible software and find engineers and support personnel made the decision a non-starter. Now however with the rise of cloud computing Google Apps and cloud-based email and IM choosing Mac is an ever more viable alternative. An increasing number of small companies are Mac-only shops. And even large companies are starting to give their employees a choice also inconceivable five years ago.Apple still has small market share 8.5% US much less globally so Microsoft is not going to fold up the tent overnight. But at the rate Apple is gaining share it wont be long before Microsoft begins to feel a real bite. It is this threat combined with the increasing attacks on its Office franchise that Microsoft and its shareholders should really be worrying about.See AlsoMicrosoft Prepare To Be Disrupted By Cloud ComputingGoogle Search a Bigger Business Than Microsoft Windows in 2009Macs Cleared For Takeoff]]></description>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:49:31 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/microsofts-real-problem-the-second-coming-of-apple/89510/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon To Target $5.5 Billion Textbook Market With New Kindle?]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Earlier this week Crunchgear broke the news on two new upcoming Kindle models a smaller form factor Kindle to be released this year ahead of the holidays and a large screen probably 8.5&amp;#21511 to come sometime next year.A couple of commenters in that post have pointed out that the large screen Kindle is perfect to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:13:22 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-to-target-55-billion-textbook-market-with-new-kindle/89258/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interview Bill Carr EVP of Digital Amazon On Amazons New VOD Service]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Amazon NSDQ AMZN launched its Amazon VOD streaming service in limited beta earlier today and we wrote about some of the details last night. I spoke briefly to Bill Carr the EVP of Digital Media at Amazon on the service and he clarified some detailsUnbox vs Amazon VOD VOD is now the uber brand and Unbox which is the download part of it will just be a sub-brand going ahead. All the capabilities of Unbox are built into the VOD service. All the capabilities of download to PC and download to Tivo are still in place and built into the new service.Lessons from Unbox Few things we have learned immediacy of playback is very important to them. We have solved that here by making every title available for streaming using a custom version of Flash 9 player. The design of the details page is totally different now where the focus is on the immediacy. Also our customers wanted access to the service on Macs...now on a streaming basis they do but not yet on downloads.People also wanted to watch the videos on TV and with Tivo we had already done that. Now we are thrilled to be partnering with one of the leaders in flat panel TVs Sony NYSE SNE Bravia.Size of the catalog We have 4000 videos which is large but not as large as what we have in the DVD store which has hundreds of thousands. We are working on expanding it but one of the benefits of Amazon is we offer the choice. It is not an either-or choice if we dont have it available in Unbox or VOD we probably have it available in DVD or vice versa.Download AND Streaming Only some titles are available for download only now which is a temporary situation. ALL titles will be available for both streaming and download..it is a matter of us continuing to transcode our library. By the time we launch fully every title will be available for both. And for one price you will be able to do both streaming and download. Ed They are not offering a choice now of a lower-price-and-one-choice..they consider this an integrated offering. And no subscription options for the service though users can buy a series for a TV shows and get all shows as the series progresses.Also the first two minutes of all videos are available for free for anyone to stream...after that users have to pay to watch. On the quality of the streaming we compare very well to anyone out there...it is compressed in H2.64 format.Mobile We have not yet done anything to optimize the service for mobile devices. but our service is set up such that any of the connected devices that support Flash 9 can support our service.ContentNexts EconCeleb Seminar examines what drives the economics of celebrity content. July 23 2008 at the Roosevelt Hotel Hollywood. Learn more.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:13:27 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/interview-bill-carr-evp-of-digital-amazon-on-amazons-new-vod-service/89197/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Creating A List From A Database? Prepare For A Patent Infringement Suit]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanks to the whole slew of folks who sent this in TechCrunch has the details on Channel Intelligence a company that owns a ridiculously broad and obvious patent on creating a list from a database and is now suing a whole bunch of small websites that offer things like wishlists.  Read through the claims of the patent and see if you can explain how a single one is possibly new or non-obvious to those in the space.  As TechCrunch notes the lawsuits are all targeted against smaller websites rather than the big players like eBay or Amazon.  There are a variety of reasons why this might be.  Channel Intelligence may have approached those companies and actually received a token payout cheaper than a lawsuit for those companies.  Or perhaps more likely its using these smaller lawsuits to bring in some additional cash and to establish the myth that this patent is valid.  That was common a few years back before people started suing everyone at once for patent infringement.  Patent holders would mostly target a few small companies who wouldnt be able to launch a strong legal defense -- use those victories to build up a warchest while also claiming that it showed how the patents are valid.                                                 Permalink  Comments  Email This Story]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:13:20 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/creating-a-list-from-a-database-prepare-for-a-patent-infringement-suit/89082/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[Why Free Streaming Movies Should Be the Norm Not the Exception]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[In an announcement that some people are calling major Amazon announced today that it will start streaming movies and TV shows on its own site - for a fee. Amazons Video-on-Demand service will feature 40000 titles and hit the ground running today. And although it probably wont turn a profit in the near-term due to the high royalty costs its forced to pay the film studios Im more than a little suspect of just how much Amazon can make by charging you to stream movies online.Sure at first glance charging you to stream movies may look like the best alternative because it offers a guaranteed cash flow and is easier to regulate but is it really best over the long-term?The way I see it free streaming movies should be the norm not the exception.Right now you can surf your way over to Hulu.com and play some movies for free without a hitch. Granted theyre not the best movies around and most arent even close to new but that doesnt mean we should downplay its significance.Hulu movies can be viewed as often as youd like and feature commercials before they start and a handful of commercial breaks between scenes. And while that works fine its quite obvious that Hulu and the film studios arent willing to make it more compelling.But that doesnt mean it shouldnt happen.Heres how I see it workingStreaming old or crappy movies just doesnt work. Why would someone want to waste time sitting through Attack of the Puppet People?But if new and extremely popular movies were made available things would be totally different. If after a movie like No Country for Old Men leaves theaters its made available on a free streaming service can you imagine the advertising revenue the service could generate from it? And in turn how much revenue the movie studios could generate as well?But in order to generate serious revenue the services would be forced to play commercials. Playing them before the movie starts is a good idea but Im not too fond of dropping them in-between. It not only proves to be an annoyance but it takes you out of the movie and totally changes the flow of it. Instead maybe the service should start overlaying ads during the playback or if need be it still can resort to commercial breaks if that makes it more financially viable.Either way the point of streaming movies is to turn an even greater profit than making people pay for the stream and with enough viewers and a logical revenue scheme it should work.In just a few months Hulu has already proven to be a cash cow for TV studios and its success is most easily shown in the number of networks that have joined the fray and allowed their content to be made available since its launch. We also shouldnt discount the fact that Hulu is run by the networks themselves meaning they get all the benefits of ownership.Why cant the film studios follow suit? Instead of trying desperately to stop piracy and spend too much cash on it it should save its money invest in a service like Hulu break out from its foolhardy misconceptions about the Internet and embrace it. Upon doing so it can establish advertising schemes in the vein of Hulu and allow you to watch movies whenever youd like for free.Sure it may run against the way things have always been done in the movie business but as theater revenue continues to fall and rentals slowly go away the film industry needs to find something to pad its bottom line and free streaming movies seems like a great place to start.Consider the impact of being able to sit at home stream brand new movies anytime youd like and only be forced to sit through a handful of commercials that companies are paying huge sums of cash for.If Hulu can service millions of people each month and grow at such a rapid rate why cant a free streaming movie service grow just as fast?Paying for streaming may be a temporary solution but it wont be enough to stop piracy nor become the best way to watch movies. If nothing else Google Hulu and countless other services should have shown the film industry that free use of media is what appeals to people and if you invite that kind of service and monetize it thorough advertising it can prove to be an even greater cash cow than you once expected.It may sound extreme at first glance but if it can work for TV shows why cant it work for movies?---Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking BlogSwarmcast Moves Into Live StreamingcomScore Releases Video Streaming StudyNetflix Hack for DRM-Free Movie DownloadsLala&amp;#8217s Free Music Streams Shuttered Too PopularLast.fm Still Growing. Thanks Free Music.Last.fm Free Music Initiative Has Sparked 119% Rise In SalesJalipo Is a Costly and less cool Joost]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:25:35 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/why-free-streaming-movies-should-be-the-norm-not-the-exception/89044/</guid>
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		<title><![CDATA[And You Thought The Next Generation Video Standards Battle Was Over?]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you thought the questions about what technology standard wed be using to watch movies was settled when Blu-ray won the next generation DVD standards battle then youre in for a bit of a surprise.  In taking nearly half a decade to decide which standard would make it the DVD camps left open plenty of opportunity for online competitors to start making their moves.  The technology for delivering movies online has been rapidly improving.  But of course what we didnt count on was that it would just create a huge new mess.Earlier this week there was all sorts of talk about Netflix streaming movies to the Xbox as part of Netflixs effort to get consumer electronics companies to build in support for Netflix streaming.  As we warned when that announcement was made its a bad idea for Netflix to focus on a proprietary streaming solution as its only going to set up another standards battle.  And indeed Blockbuster is working on its own such solution.  Then of course everyone knows that Apples in the market with the AppleTV.  And dont forget Sony which is selling a special extra expensive TV for downloading movies.  And of course there are countless startups in the market as well.Oh and how could we forget Amazon?  The company is now announcing its own proprietary online store for streaming movies and TV.  This one piggybacks a bit on Sonys awful plan meaning if you buy that super expensive internet-connected TV youll also be able to stream movies from Amazon.But the end result is a total mess for the entire market and that doesnt help anyone.  All of the players should take a look at how badly the multi-year DVD standards battle hurt the industry.  It makes people unwilling to buy certain hardware as they dont want to be stuck with the loser a year from now.  Whats wrong with coming up with a single standard for streaming movies from any particular service to various TV-connected devices and computers?  Then let the different providers compete on actual services provided?  That would increase adoption and let these companies do what they do best rather than fighting a cant-win battle against too many other competitors.                                                 Permalink  Comments  Email This Story]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:13:20 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/and-you-thought-the-next-generation-video-standards-battle-was-over/89002/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/and-you-thought-the-next-generation-video-standards-battle-was-over/89002/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon Announces Video Service You May Actually Want to Use Digital Daily]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[About the best thing to be said about Amazon Unbox the mediocre odiously restrictive video download service the retailer launched last year is that it was ... er  Windows-only I guess. Which obviously isnt saying much.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:01:31 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-announces-video-service-you-may-actually-want-to-use-digital-daily/88982/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-announces-video-service-you-may-actually-want-to-use-digital-daily/88982/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Netflixs Streaming Movie Budget $70 Million This Year NFLX]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[An interesting guesstimate we hadnt seen before Lehmans Doug Anmuth estimates Netflix NFLX will spend $65 million to $70 million on its Internet-streaming movie business this year with the bulk of that going toward content and engineering.He says thats an appropriate investment and we agree While Netflix has done an excellent job so far getting distribution deals for its nascent streaming service -- Microsofts Xbox consoles set-top boxes etc. -- its tiny sub-par streaming content library needs some help.Preferably sooner than later. While Netflix will be primarily a DVDs-by-mail service for years to come it needs to spend now to stay relevant as companies like Apple AAPL Microsoft MSFT and Sony SNE all aim for a digital presence in your living room.And new today Amazon AMZN should prove to be a stronger competitor as it rolls out a new on-demand streaming service to complementreplace its lousy Unbox movie downloadingrental offering which never took off.See AlsoDeath Of The DVD Not Coming SoonNetflixs Next Step More Better Streaming MoviesRokus $99 Netflix Box To Stream Other Video]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:25:34 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/netflixs-streaming-movie-budget-70-million-this-year-nflx/88915/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/netflixs-streaming-movie-budget-70-million-this-year-nflx/88915/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon Launches On-Demand Movie Service In Beta]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[After giving an inadvertent sneak preview in May Amazon AMZN launched a beta version of its new on-demand film-and-TV store today called Amazon Video on Demand. The service in limited beta offers 40000 movies and TV shows for immediate viewing on the Web.Also announced a partnership with Sony Electronics SNE to put the service on Sony TV sets. Initially the set-up requires a $300 device called the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link but ultimately Sony Bravia TVs will have the functionality built-in.Amazon launches the service with deals with all the major film studios and TV networks except for DisneyABC DIS which has close ties to iTunes AAPL -- that is its single largest shareholder is Steve Jobs. Despite that hole in the catalog its selection is quite a bit bigger than Netflixs meager on-demand selection. Netflix struck a deal to distribute its movies through Microsofts xBox earlier this week.Amazon is allowing users to stream both rented and purchased TV and film Amazon will store a record of purchases in a section called Your Video Library so they can be watched again--even from different devices. The service could appeal to a wider group of consumers than Amazons year-and-a-half-old Unbox download service because it requires no software download and will work on a Mac and presumably isnt as clunky and unpleasant as its predecessor.As the NYTs Brad Stone points out this wont be a money-maker for Amazon at least not anytime soon. Amazon is footing some hefty license fees to the studios to get the service off the ground not to mention the bandwidth to deliver video reliably.See Also Netflixs Next Step More Streaming MoviesShould Amazon Buy Borders? No. But An Amazon Retail Presence Actually Wouldnt Be AbsurdNo Amazons New Streaming Service Is Not Derailing Amazon.com]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:13:34 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-launches-on-demand-movie-service-in-beta/88860/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-launches-on-demand-movie-service-in-beta/88860/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon Video on Demand Launches Today]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[According to the NYTimes Amazon will today launch Video on Demand - a new online video store containing movies and TV shows. What&amp;#8217s the big difference between this video store and most other online video stores? Streaming. When you order a show on Amazon&amp;#8217s new service you can start watching immediately just how it works on IPTV. Amazon&amp;#8217s own Unbox or Apple&amp;#8217s iTunes can&amp;#8217t do that because you have to wait out the download before you start watching. Amazon Video on Demand will feature 40000 titles at opening. For those less computer-savvy users who like to do everything on their TV there&amp;#8217s an option Sony Bravia Internet Video link which will bring the videos directly to your Sony TV however it&amp;#8217s an extra 300 bucks which not everyone will be willing to dish out. Some new models will have the functionality built-in though reducing the extra cost. This is not a revolutionary step in any way it&amp;#8217s just Amazon&amp;#8217s estimate that broadband penetration is high enough that such a move makes sense. It probably won&amp;#8217t even be making them any money at first but the race for online video on demand is on with healthy competition from Google Netflix and others and there&amp;#8217s no time to waste.---Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking BlogAmazon&amp;#8217s CreateSpace Now Offers Books On DemandAmazon Penguin &amp;#038 HP Search for Next Top AuthorAmazon Video Reviews Now LiveAmazon Acquires Brilliance Audio To Widen SelectionAOL and Amazon Join Up For Video SalesAmazon Software Downloads To Soon Expand To Games?Network.com - Sun Provides Grid Computing for $1CPU-hour]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:37:35 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-video-on-demand-launches-today/88768/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-video-on-demand-launches-today/88768/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon To Debut Streaming MovieTV Service Today]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Amazon will launch a new streaming video service to select customers on Thursday called Amazon Video on Demand. The service is different from its year-and-a-half old Unbox download service which offers downloads of movies and TV to rent and buy but only works on Windows machines.Amazon has clearly been rethinking the Unbox business lately and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:13:19 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-to-debut-streaming-movietv-service-today/88720/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-to-debut-streaming-movietv-service-today/88720/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Report Amazons new video store requires Sony TV]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Amazon is apparently trying to compete with Netflix Apple and Microsoft by opening Internet video store but the companys service is only good for those willing to plunk down for a new high-def TV into addition to a $300 Internet link.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:25:19 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/report-amazons-new-video-store-requires-sony-tv/88682/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/report-amazons-new-video-store-requires-sony-tv/88682/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon Plans an Online Store for Movies and TV Shows]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[The move is a significant step toward vanquishing the local video store and keeping couch potatoes planted firmly in front of their televisions and computers.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:01:27 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-plans-an-online-store-for-movies-and-tv-shows/88657/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazon-plans-an-online-store-for-movies-and-tv-shows/88657/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Amazon.coms Streaming Service To Launch Tomorrow Called Amazon VOD]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Amazon.com NSDQ AMZN is launching its new streaming online movie and video service  tomorrow...the new service is called surprise surprise Amazon Video on Demand. Some details of the service were inadvertently pre-announced by CEO Jeff Bezos at the D conference in May. It will be available at Amazon.comVOD when it launches.The service will be separate from its Unbox download service though oe would assume they would be merged down the line. The VOD service has about 40000 movies and TV programs that users can stream right after they order...More to comeRelated@ D6 Bezos Amazon To Launch PPV Video StreamingCheck out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:49:24 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/amazoncoms-streaming-service-to-launch-tomorrow-called-amazon-vod/88643/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/amazoncoms-streaming-service-to-launch-tomorrow-called-amazon-vod/88643/</link>		
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		<title><![CDATA[Newest Industry To Be Crowdsourced? Internet Censorship]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Wikipedia crowdsourced Britannica. Threadless did the same with graphic T-shirts. Amazons Mechanical Turk helped crowdsource the search for Steve Fosset. Now the Chinese Internet censors are using the process to aid in their control of information online. Since 2007 when President Hu Jintao called for the state to study the art of online guidance and actively use new technologies to increase the strength of positive propaganda Chinas Culture Ministry has regularly held training sessions for the so-called 50 Cent Party. These Chinese netizens get their name from the reported 50 Chinese cents that they are paid for each post supporting state policy that they make in popular forums and online portals. Rebecca MacKinnon a noted Chinese Internet scholar and co-founder of Global Voices Online says its clear that theres a lot more than censorship going on in addition to censorship theres information management message management and astroturfing.Although the propaganda posts seem to have been effective in the past notably stirring up anger against CNN for its coverage of the March 2008 protests in Tibet the fact that the government must pay these citizens suggests that the desired message is not supported as deeply as the opposition. After all cyber-dissidents are not being paid to voice their opinions which place them in danger of legal troubles. Further as has happened in the United States when astroturf campaigns are uncovered will the knowledge that pro-government web content is potentially paid make it less compelling to the average reader?                                                 Kevin Donovan is an expert at the Techdirt Insight Community.  To get insight and analysis from Kevin Donovan and other experts on challenges your company faces click here.                                                                Permalink  Comments  Email This Story]]></description>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:25:21 -0600</pubDate>
		<guid>http://nobosh.com/s/newest-industry-to-be-crowdsourced-internet-censorship/88253/</guid>
		<link>http://nobosh.com/s/newest-industry-to-be-crowdsourced-internet-censorship/88253/</link>		
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