Egentia: Another Aggregation Play
September 28, 2010
The newspaper is no longer the most sought after when it comes to finding the latest information. More and more people are putting down their paper and turning to online news to keep them informed. The company Eqentia aims to build a business portal that will have the same prestige for entrepreneurs that Google News has for the average user who wants to be informed about general news and developments.”
The article “Eqentia.com – Like Google News but For Businessmen” on KillerStartups.com explains a little more about the site. Basically, the company wants to allow users to customize their news options and get only the business news they want. Users can get the latest news from their business sector, keep an eye on the competition or see consumer patterns which can be helpful when coming up with marketing or media campaigns. A similar setup is already used by Silobreaker, which is dedicated to providing users with relevant news. Users perform automated searches in order to find in depth and relevant news instead of unsubstantiated chatter. Both sites give new meaning to the phrase “have it your way.”
The challenge seems to be marketing, not technology. There is an abundance of choices.
April Holmes, September 28, 2010
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Alerts and Books
September 22, 2010
One of the champions of Alerts (also known as selective dissemination of information or SDI) is the AtHoc organization. If you are not familiar with the company, you may want to check out its industrial strength tools on the company’s Web site. We also like the alert service available from Indigo Stream called GigaAlert, which is a useful news updating service. It is much better than the free alert available from Google News. Just scroll to the bottom of the News search results page and you will see the sign up link.
But when you want to use a free alert service designed expressly to keep book lovers informed, we have a recommendation for you.
At Any New Books, you simply have to sign up with your valid email, choose as many options from the 42 categories that span a broad range of subjects, and receive one weekly digest of handpicked new book releases for every category selected.
The good thing about this service is that the selection process is not automated, and human editors pick up the books covering the subjects you love. This useful service with the punch line “Never miss a great book again,” is just like another search, without a search angle. It is interesting to find a search service that involves the human aspect in the automated era.
The service is free and seems to work as advertised. No search required either. The curation approach works well in our opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, September 22, 2010
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KlickOut: Curation from the Users
September 11, 2010
In this age of information, KlickOut provides a platform where content is available for free, can be shared with the world, and even managed by the users themselves in a democratic fashion. For the content it receives from the people world over, the website says, “You are the editor and you are the reader here. We’re here to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content.”
Users upload their content as ‘Upcoming Stories’, which viewers add as favorites if they like it, and on gaining popularity the content is shifted to the home page of its respective category, on the basis of receiving a critical number of favorite counters. The best of each category makes it to the front page of the website, and the content varies from news to videos to images. Users can even login through their Facebook account and view or submit content in categories like movies, TV, celebrity, music, lifestyle, gaming, business, health, sports, world, and technology.
Curation is useful. Low or zero cost curation could be a solution to the laundry lists of baloney that are now delivered with Alacrity.
Leena Singh, September 11, 2010
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Electric Pig Shocks with Pay Wall News
September 11, 2010
I saw a newsflash from Electricpig.co.uk which asserts that it is the only tech you need. Well, include the goose and I am happy. The story that caught my attention had this headline: “The Times Paywall Is Broken: content Set Free, for Now.” The point is that you can read the Murdoch Times here at this moment (September 10, 2010 at noon eastern). What’s interesting in that right before I saw the Electric Pig’s snort I read “USA Today to Throw Open Its Data This Month.” The main point in this write up is, in my opinion:
Media Content providers are increasingly opening up their vast amounts of data to developers. The latest to announce this is USA Today, with plans to provide much of its content via an API later this month. The nationwide newspaper aims to raise internal awareness about its databases first, with public access and a developer contest to follow. At the moment, the developer site is open to internal developers only. However, USA Today plans to launch it to the public by end of September.
Several observations before these flit from the goose’s mind:
- The challenge will be a business model that allows the giant publishing outfits to maintain their life style. The goose has witnessed publishing companies realize that their McMansions can no longer be supported by the online revenue streams “content” generates. There is money flowing but it pays for a Hardin County trailer rental.
- The assumption is that an application will unlock revenue. My work suggests that applications are a bit like motion pictures. The pictures are expensive and it is tough to pull off a blockbuster. Blockbusters happen, but will publishers have the cash to keep investing until a winner emerges.
- With the downsizing in publishing operations with which I am familiar, the younger staffers have little choice but practice their craft in the new digital Gutenberg environment. As a result, the big publishers will be competing with folks who understand their strengths and weaknesses with an insider’s sensitivity. I think this puts the big outfits at a disadvantage. Think of the plight of Nokia. That’s a model that some publishers will follow.
The goose has no answers. What do you expect from a goose anyway?
Stephen E Arnold, September 11, 2010
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Twitter for Free Expression
September 10, 2010
Technology and Twitter have tweaked the fourth pillar of democracy. “The power of the Internet and social networks like Twitter is starting to force the media to be honest,” says Stan Beer in the ITWire Australian Election special article “Twitter becomes the new oracle of the media.” The author uses the case of the Fairfax freelancer Adam Turner’s tweets on election night, and summarizes that Facebook or Twitter posts have become sensitive, consequential, and accountable.
The article expresses the view that, “So-called fair and balanced media is populated with content produced by humans – and nearly all humans are biased and anything but fair and balanced.” The author implicates the publications to have pseudo-standards; portraying as fair and balanced but having biased policies. He points out that the media bosses “may publicly express their political preference in pre-editorials but for journalists to openly reveal their bias is not on.” They then revert to the tweets, which take more of a confessionary role – a medium for repressed or free expression?
Leena Singh, September 10, 2010
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The Specter of Open Source Textbooks
September 9, 2010
Have publishers found a new revenue handhold with electronic books? Can publishers create rich media books that are part content, part design and user experience, and part software? Can publishers fend off the push for open source content from “the community”? These are tough questions which I considered after reading the Silicon Valley.com news article “Cassidy: Former Sun Chief Scott McNealy’s Better Idea for School Textbooks.” I thought the write up shed light on how Scott McNealy, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, plans to turn elementary and high school education inside out.
He has created ‘Curriki’, a Web site described as: “a combination of Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter for anybody involved in K-12.” It is, he explains, “a free and open source digital compendium of just about everything teachers use to teach – textbooks, worksheets, tests, video presentations, podcasts, you name it.” This project aims to eliminate bulky textbooks, and help schools save money from getting them printed. With the open source digital textbooks, he advocates, “teachers could add, subtract, and change curriculum… comment on each other’s lesson plans. Students would receive instant feedback.” This is a fresh challenge to traditional publishers, educational bureaucracy, and a source of inspiration to save our schools and our future.
Oracle is enlisting a flock of legal eagles to deal with the open source pests heading towards the firm’s database business. Is there an Oracle among publishers? I am thinking. I am thinking. What I envision is Freddy Kruger in Nightmare on Sixth Avenue.
Stephen E Arnold, September 9, 2010
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Google and Its Content Hoover
September 7, 2010
Nothing works better than money when one wants to grease the content skids. Financial details are tough to get and then difficult to verify. In today’s content Jacuzzi, one pays to play. Two examples:
“YouTube Seals Its Biggest Premium Sports Deal Yet”. Google has found a way to make major league baseball find love and affection for distribution of baseball games in a handful of countries. If this generates clicks, I think the Google will extend the deal. Why would the major league play ball? My hunch: money.
“Google, AP Strike New Deal On Web Licensing Rights”. Google and the Associated Press seem to have found common ground. My hunch is that money makes the dominance of Google palatable.
So what?
First, these deals may be precursors of more high value content tie ups. A big pile of content means that lots of users will visit Google. Good for Google, reasonably good for its partners, and possibly lousy news for other distributors.
Second, once Google users get out of high school, those viewing habits may be tough to change. Google has time on its side and content creators with some old school love do not have time.
Third, other vendors who want to compete with Google will either have to pony up or watch the Google start thinking exclusive. Yikes.
Stephen E Arnold, September 7, 2010
Freebie.
Arnold For-Fee Columns for September 2010
September 5, 2010
Here’s the line up of for-fee columns I did for September 2010. The information in these writings does not appear in this blog. You can navigate to the source publications online or to the hard copies of the publication for the stories. In the case of Enterprise Technology Management, you may have to register to gain access to the write ups. Keep in mind that the for-fee work is more serious and fact-rich than the content in my Beyond Search Web log. Due to the agreements I sign for these for-fee writings.
Here’s the run down for my for fee August 2010 columns. These will appear over the next four to 12 weeks. Each for-fee publication has a different editorial cycle.
- Information Today, “Voice Search: Beam Me Up, Scotty” The focus is on the hope focused on voice search as the next big thing.
- Information World Review (Bizmedia), Summer Time Blues is a look at the changes I noted among selected search vendors between May 1, 2010 and August 31, 2010. The IWR was to be online only in 2010 but this story will appear in a special print edition of the publication in a couple of months.
- KMWorld, “Google in the Enterprise: Are Caution Lights Flashing?” The topic is the impact of Google’s legal troubles.
- Smart Business Network, “Facebook Advertising: The Friend Approach” The article explains the benefits of using the Facebook platform to reach prospects. The story will appear in SBN’s dozen print publications.
I also wrote a story about open source search. It will appear in a consulting firm’s client publication.
The full text of these articles is available directly from the publisher. Every five or six years, I gather up out-of-date columns and put them on ArnoldIT.com. Best bet to get these write ups, then, is to contact the publisher who buys certain rights from me.
What’s interesting to me is that I find in my newsreader azurini writings that use the content of some of my for-fee writings but overlook a credit line or footnote. My 7th-grade teacher would not have been happy. The 66 year old goose does not care. He creates this content; imitation and all that.
Stephen E Arnold, September 5, 2010
Freebie but I get paid to write these for fee thingies.
aklaver@enterpriseimi.com
Study May Zap Content King App Fantasy
September 3, 2010
The addled goose is the first to quack about lousy research. In his 66 years, the goose has seen, participated in creating, reading, and analyzing research reports. Some from the blue chip outfits meet rigorous standards. Others, usually from the azurini, would have earned a D or F when I did a short bout of teaching when I worked as a teaching assistant.
Now the former English teachers who work in azure chip consulting firms get testy when I point out that the studies often use weird methods for creating a sample, lack meaningful analyses, and offer sci-fi type conclusions. That’s okay. I know that research methods are mostly great fun, and the tidal wave of studies make clear the truth in old saws about statistics; for example: “Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.” For folks who don’t know what to do with their work time, studies fill up the gaps.
Nevertheless, I want to point to a study. Yep, I know it’s risky. Point your browser at “Study: Music, Not Apps, Rules iTunes.” Here’s the key passage from the azure chip outfit which produces data on activities that I find mostly inscrutable:
Software apps, which enable iPhone and iPod Touch users to do everything from play games to keep track of their weight, continue to grow in popularity but music is “still central to the iTunes experience,” according to a survey from research firm, The NPD Group. NPD says in contrast with years past, “when every dollar spent at iTunes was on music and video,” apps are now vying for a chunk of that money.
Who can get nervous about this type of statement? Certainly not the goose. The write up does not provide too much data which I find interesting. And the notion that applications for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch are “vying” for a piece of the action. With a sample of 3,800, it’s clear that “free” is a plus and that where money is concerned, folks buy music.
Why mention this music – Apps issue?
Some publishers may still see the iPad and related devices as a way to get to dry land from the waves in the Great Lake of Red Ink. My take on the research summary is that free is good, music seems to open billfolds and wallets, and Apps are in the race. Will the ponies who place third win the big race? And search. Not in the race it seems. My hunch is that third place horses are long shots. Just my opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, September 3, 2010
Freebie
Are There Two Threats to Google Editions?
September 1, 2010
Google continues to have a less-than-relaxing summer. Maybe life will improve when the leaves begin to fall? Almost lost in the buzz about Google’s new approach to Net Neutrality and the aftermath of the StreetView Wi-Fi privacy issue is Google Editions. Google has the resource to chase any market it wants. The e-reader market has grown immensely.
As more companies enter the arena the competition is heating up and some brands are going to be edged out by more popular models according to the article “Apple iPad, Kindle, Nook War Could Kill Google Editions, Others.” Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook and the new Apple iPad are currently leading the e-reader market. These brands offer customers a variety of attractive features and options as well as a large assortment of e-books. Smaller e-reader companies, such as Plastic Logic are unable to keep up with the technology and price options that are dominating the market and have been forced out of business. Sony struggles to revamp its technology and Google has yet to release its much anticipated e-reader and at this stage in the game they could be taking a hug risk. It is clear that only the strong can survive.
This goose thinks that Amazon and Apple may have an edge. Can these companies thwart Google? If Google continues to make lawyers plump with litigation, Amazon and Apple may not have to do much more than keep on keepin’ on.
Stephen E Arnold, September 1, 2010
Freebie
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