Are you a hardcore runner, walker, cyclist or kayaker?  If so, you'll definitely think this latest start up is cool. The company is called Endomondo, and they offer free GPS tracking and social networking tools for athletes.  Functionality basically boils down to several key areas: workouts, stats, friends, challenges, maps and routes (all rolled into a nice GUI).

Here's how it works. You sign up online (for free) and can then download the software (for free) onto your phone (Nokia, HTC, iPhone, Android, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, HP, Garmin, you get the picture). The phone's GPS capabilities map and track your progress, route, speed, etc.  This allows you to keep a running (no pun intended) diary online and communicate progress and goals with friends, track routes you love and compete in community challenges -- all in the name of killing calories.

As far as niche products go, this might be right on target.  Whatcha think?  Successful Launch, or Mission Scrub for this start-up?

Unless you were living under a rock recently, you may have heard about a little announcement from Apple about the launching of the iPad. Fortunately, I work at VOXUS, which means there was no way I would not hear about this (we are a tech PR firm after all and full of Apple Fanboys).

Of course, the immediate reaction from many people was to compare the iPad to Amazon's Kindle e-Reader. While I haven't used the Kindle extensively (read know people who do), I was interested in comparing the two and found a couple recent blog posts addressing whether the iPad is a Kindle Killer. Here's one from online tech news site TechFlash and here's one from Ben Elowitz, CEO of Wetpaint.

Not sure I want to weigh in on this one since all I have to go on is the hype and not much experience. The iPad... is it an iKindle killer?



-posted by Andrew

I've often wondered what I'd do if/when I leave VOXUS.  It never occurred to me, however, that the infinite possibilities might include developing an iPhone app.

Hillary Davis, a 16-year veteran of owning her own PR agency, was laid off last year from her then-position of VP of corporate communications at Triad Health.  Instead of spending all of her time finding a new job, she ended up creating MyTown Contacts, a 99 cent iPhone application that compiles a list of important phone numbers in case of emergency.  She got the idea for the application when she had a family emergency, but not being a software developer, she had to be creative in learning how to move forward with the concept.  She posted the job online and actually worked with a developer in China.

Check it out on iTunes -- I'm pretty impressed.  But the bar has now been set for the rest of us.

You can learn more about it here.

-posted by Rachel

In a move to get more personal, Bill Gates, the now Co-chair and Trustee of The Gates Foundation, has emerged with a new Twitter page and a web site dubbed "The Gates Notes."

The software-mogul-turned-philanthropist's Gates Notes site appears to be a repository for his thoughts on the range of topics from education to energy. The site is separated into sections like "What I'm Thinking About," "What I'm Learning" and "My Travels." On the site's home page, there is a brief explanation of it saying;

"Every January, Bill writes an Annual Letter, which includes his thoughts on the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and progress it is making toward achieving its goals. Interest in the 2009 Annual Letter was one reason Bill decided to create the Gates Notes website."

That annual letter came out January 25 this year.

Bills Gates' Twitter page @BillGates went live on the microblogging site on Tuesday, January 19 with this tweet: "'Hello World.' Hard at work on my foundation letter — publishing on 1/25." Gates was welcomed to Twitter almost immediately with a tweet from actor Ashton Kutcher, the unofficial ambassador of the microblogging site. At last check on Wednesday, January 20, just one day after joining Twitter, Gates had more than 240,000 followers. And since I love cyber-snooping, I wanted to take a look at who Gates was following. It was an interesting mix of organizations like relief organization UNICEF, celebrities like actor Ashton Kutcher and techno-geeks like CNET's Ina Fried. With only 40 people Gates was following as of late January, must be quite an honor to have the world's richest person following you!

While I'm certain Gates isn't developing any of the content for The Gates Notes or @BillGates, I'm relatively sure Gates has a decent amount of input (i.e. final say) into what is being published. Not sure what the driving impetus was for the new Internet push, but it certainly couldn't hurt The Gates Foundation's efforts. In this day and age, it appears nothing's off limits and everything needs to be open for the public.



-posted by Andrew

In a surprising turn of events last week, Google said it's willing to stop doing business in China unless the world's most populous country makes concessions over censorship and computer-security concerns. The move followed Chinese hackers reportedly recently prying into the gmail accounts of human rights activists.

Former Seattle P.I. reporter, current freelance journalist, Chinese American and longtime China watcher Brad Wong has an interesting take on the situation. In a TechFlash blog post, Wong notes that due to its "5,000 years of history to draw upon for strategies to gain and keep power," the Chinese government probably won't cave to Google.

Google's threat to pull out of China over censorship is a rare display where foreign companies have more often than not accepted certain levels of intrusiveness to gain access to a huge and growing market. With 338 million Internet users at the end of last June, China has more people online than the entire population of the United States, according to figures from the China Internet Network Information Center. 

A quote by Richard D'Aveni, professor of strategic management at Dartmouth University's Tuck business school, in a Christian Science Monitor article, is particularly thought-provoking. He says, "This is a no-win situation for an American [company's] entrance. I think China is going to want control over the Internet, and I think the fate of any search engine or Internet-based company in China is one that they are either going to have to cooperate with the government by allowing espionage or they are going to have to get out if they want to live by American values."

This Google versus China battle appears to be turning into more of an America versus China ideological battle that has wide-reaching ramifications for companies around the world. It's a classic case of censorship versus cash and it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.



-posted by Andrew

Think there's a service or idea for everything?  Well, you're right, there is.   Case in point - PostCrossing.

What is PostCrossing? It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world.

Why you might ask? Don't feel bad, I was wonder too...and, thankfully for us, the website answers that question (they must get it a lot).  "Why? Because, like the author, there are lots of people who like to receive real mail. The element of surprise of receiving postcards from different places in the world (many of which you probably have never heard of) can turn your mailbox into a box of surprises - and who wouldn't like that?"

Oh, okay, now I understand. A box of surprises...
Soooo, if you are really starving for a random postcard from across the globe, here are the simple steps you must take:

- Register for an account
- Request an address and a Postcard ID through the website
- Check your email and get the address
- Buy a postcard and postage
- Mail the postcard to the address the website gave you
- Wait, wait and wait
- Receive a postcard from another postcrosser sometime in the future
- Register the Postcard ID you have received
- View your map of postcards (just for fun)
- Go to the second point and repeat

Wow, I mean WOW!!  To quote Britney Spears, "Have fun ya'll." I think it takes as many steps to create nuclear fusion. In the meantime, I think I'll cure cancer.

Whatcha think?  Successful Launch, or Mission Scrub for this start-up?

[BTW, they claim to have 153k members that send more than 359 postcards an hour. So add that to your box of surprises.]



-posted by Justin

There's been a lot of talk recently about 3D TV, especially during and following the big CES show in Las Vegas a few weeks back. With so many announcements about the future of 3D TV and products - the idea has entered the minds of many folks outside of the technology community.

For example, a friend of mine recently explained to me that he would have 3D TV soon, as he had heard ESPN was going to start broadcasting in 3D. I started to ask him about the new TV he would need to invest in, how he would like wearing glasses whenever he watched, etc. Not to my surprise, he didn't know about any of the pieces that go into making the 3D TV experience (not only the channel or movie, but the TV, the glasses, the new players...), he though it would be as simple as flipping to the channel. 

I suspect this is true for many people - people have heard fleeting mentions of "3D TV: Coming Soon," but what does it really entail?

CNET's Crave blog has put together a fantastic FAQ on all things 3D TV. From what TVs will be needed to the particular glasses that your family will need to wear - it's all there. 

Some interesting tidbits:

- Viewer comfort is a big concern for 3D content producers - as 3D can sometimes cause disorientation or headaches after extended periods (for some people)

- The 3D glasses you will need to watch 3D TV are not the same as the ones you use to watch regular 3D movies in the theater

- Between 5 and 10 percent of Americans cannot see 3D due to stereo blindness.

- Glasses alone could cost upwards of $100 a pair (although no maker has specified exact cost)

Check out the Crave article to see the rest of the FAQ and learn more about 3D TV technology.

-posted by Stephanie

Time for a new blog segment I like to call, "Start Ups That May Suck, or Not... You Decide."

Since new companies are popping up all the time – some with lame ideas and some with friggin great ideas – I thought I'd try to share some of these, err, umm, experiments. For better or worse, but just for plan old-fashion fun!

We'll kick it off with Karaoke Play. Honestly who doesn't like a little karaoke. You go out for dinner, have some beers, next thing you know it's 10 pm, your feeling saucy, the karaoke machine gets set up and the grand master announces karaoke night. You review the song book, put in your selection, wait 40 minutes, drink more beer, then proceed to make a fool out of yourself on stage, all the while playing out some teen fantasy of becoming a rock star. In the morning your head hurts and you wonder if the crowd really liked your male-version of Celine Dion's "I'm your lady." Sound familiar?

Well, if embarrassing yourself in a room of 50 people isn't enough, you can now visit KaraokePlay.com. Just log on, record a track and let the entire world (or community) critique your performance(s). It's like your own personal American Idol show. Let the punishment begin. And if audio wasn't enough, that's right, you can integrate video!!! So, you can share all the funny faces you make while singing, to those watching your post.

This is a site I want to hate... BUT, I kind of found myself liking it. It's a lot of fun, in a "I'm-a-tool-who-thinks-in-another-life-I-could-have-been-a-rock-star" kind of way. So, before you judge, give this one a go.

Whatcha think? Successful Launch, or Mission Scrub?



-posted by Justin

Think you know what website usage dominates today's business users and which one takes up the most bandwidth?  Well, think again. While Google and Yahoo sit close to the top on both fronts, it's that gosh-darn Facebook ruling supreme for site visits and YouTube stealing first for bandwidth consumption.

Ann Bednarz summarizes nicely in a new article: "In recent research from Network Box, the company analyzed traffic to 19 billion URLs through its global security operations centers over a five month period. It ranked the top five Web sites visited from business addresses by volume of traffic. By its measurements, 5.8 percent of all Web traffic from business networks is to Facebook – which is higher than to any other Web site. Google ranked second at 4.1 percent, followed by Yahoo’s Yimg image server (3.1 percent), Yahoo (2.7 percent) and Doubleclick (1.7 percent).

Network Box also ranked Web sites by the bandwidth they use. In that tally, YouTube topped the list, consuming 7.8% of corporate bandwidth to download videos. That’s followed by Facebook (4.4%), Windows Update (3.8%), Yahoo’s Yimg image server (2.8%) and Google (2.7%)."

Does this demonstrate a total failure of usage policies in business today? Or, does is simply shed light on the fact that most businesses consider certain social media outlets acceptable destinations during business hours?  Don't lie, you're a member of Adam West's Fan Page... and how could you not be. He's super!



-posted by Justin

Confused by the world of phone applications? Are you constantly checking to see the latest free  apps for your phone?  Well, this new list from Sascha Segan, mobile editor for PCMag.com, sheds some light on the top 100 free applications for a variety of phones. Do you agree with his assessment?  Seems a little boring and safe to me!

"The popularity of Apple's App Store vaulted mobile apps to prominence, but techies know that mobile phones have been tiny PCs for years now. The difference today is the buzz and visibility around apps. The idea that you can add to your phone's powers has gone mainstream.

With 100,000 apps, the iPhone certainly has the most apps available, but there's no lack of choice on other platforms.Google's Android phones have more than 10,000. There are thousands for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian phones, and a couple of hundred for the Palm Pre and Pixi. Even simple phones like the Motorola RAZR can get into the app game..."

To summarize...

iPhone:

1. AP Mobile 3.1

2. Chess With Friends

3. CNBC

4. Cube Runner

5. eBay Mobile

6. eBuddy

7. Epicurious



Blackberry:

1. AP Mobile News

2. BBNotePad

3. Bloomberg Mobile

4. Bolt

5. Facebook

6. Flashlight



Android:

1. Advanced Task Killer

2. AP Mobile

3. Astrid

4. Astro File Manager

5. Bonsai Blast





-posted by Justin

I came across this great chart that summarizes the evolution of storage.  Pretty fun to look at . How many have you worked with?  (Image courtesy of our friend in wireless, Keith Parsons.)



-posted by Justin

Recently, I made it out to the Seattle Auto Show, which featured hundreds of new 2010 cars in addition to some nifty concept vehicles and more. While there were a handful of some really groundbreaking cars like the Karma by Fisker and Tesla along with hybrids like the Ford Taurus, Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids, for the most part I couldn't help but feel like I was walking through a soon-to-be graveyard of autos. Sure, people will be buying some gas guzzlers in the coming years, but I can't help but think... no HOPE... that in the not so distant future people will be turning to more environmentally-sensitive and less resource-draining vehicles. Unlike today where many of these cars take a good amount of cash, the next few years should bring a full lineup of new-age cars for both the haves and the have-nots. Sure, President Obama's new mileage standards may help fuel this drive for more efficient vehicles, but as an industry, I'm hoping the automakers realize it's not only the economical, but also the RIGHT thing to do. Auto show or car graveyard?




Karma by Fisker





Tesla Battery

-posted by Andrew

The online news site Windows Phone Thoughts just posted a piece on the Mobius 2009 invite-only event, where Microsoft shows developers and others what it’s doing in the mobile space. It’s a critical annual platform for the company to lay out its plans, and as such a good gauge of where things are headed. Thing is, check out the photo below from the article (pay close attention to the computers). (via DF)



-posted by Paul

I love technology and I love looking at homes. So I couldn't resist posting this video of Ron Rosberg, who the media deem a technology icon to many in the Bay Area, building his tech-smart home in Clear Lake, California. Enjoy!

-posted by Andrew

Now I'm no expert of FOX's Family Guy show, but I do know enough to say the program definitely pushes the limits of prime time TV. So that's why I was so shocked initially to see Microsoft was going to exclusively sponsor a special Family Guy episode. The special was supposed to be commercial free with Windows 7 and Microsoft marketing messages built into it.

Here's a short preview clip of what the show was SUPPOSED to look like from YouTube:



But have no fear, Microsoft finally saw the light, pulling out of the show about two weeks before its scheduled November 8 airing. According to Variety's Mike Schneider, who broke the story, everything was humming along just fine until the folks at Microsoft went to the taping of the special last week and were shocked, SHOCKED to find racy humor and tasteless jokes about deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest.

Here's what Microsoft had to say about pulling the 180:

"We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of “Family Guy,” but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand.  We continue to have a good partnership with FOX, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas.  We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent."

Fear not, FOX says the show must go on and they're hoping to line up some new sponsors.

Question... didn't Microsoft know what kind of show it was associating with in the beginning? Maybe the Microsoft marketing/advertising folks should have thought long and hard about agreeing to sponsor the show in the first place. The backlash from this flip-flop might be worse than if Microsoft had followed through with the sponsorship after all. Windows 7 motto is "life without walls"... ironic... don't you think?

-posted by Andrew