Chatroulette, the random video chat website that became a minor pop culture phenomenon, has been shut down. The site now hosts a message saying “experiment #1 is over” and that a “renewed and updated version” will launch tomorrow.
But what will change? Probably a lot. Sean Parker (founder of Napster and founding president of Facebook()) is working in some capacity with teen-aged Chatroulette founder Andrey Ternovskiy to work out the site’s long-term potential.
Parker said he believed the site could be made more interesting (and that it could avoid the incessant penis problem) by automatically directing users to people who are “nexted” the least. In theory, that could reduce the hit-and-miss nature of the experience, but it would be challenging to execute it right.
How would the site’s algorithms decide who gets the interesting users and who gets the less interesting ones? Would the site be divided into ghettos of interesting and uninteresting people, kind of like the dating site OkCupid invisibly partitions matches users by attractiveness? We might found out tomorrow when Chatroulette relaunches.
Up to this point, only very small updates have been made to the site as it originally appeared, including channels and local matching. That hasn’t stopped it from birthing numerous viral sensations like Merton the piano guy.
“Dead simple” blogging platform Posterous — which has built up a loyal following of users by allowing them to quickly and efficiently e-mail in their blog posts, no formatting required — has released a redesign highlighting the many ways users can share multimedia content on the platform besides e-mail.
At the top of the page, a new header features a rotating roster of blogs, each of which take advantage of the service in a unique way. The Chief Tshirt Officer, for instance, uses the platform to promote its products, while TheWhiteFamily finds that that Posterous is the best way for family members to keep in touch with one another.
The header helps first-time visitors to the site envision ways they could utilize the platform, and existing users expand their use of it in interesting new ways — perhaps with additional kinds of media besides text — as well as “relate to [other] existing users on a very human level,” in the words of User Experience Lead Jack Wilkinson.
Beneath the header is a prominent brown bar with a simple, three-part line illustration that shows just how easy it is to upload content from the web, e-mail or mobile devices, have it formatted and share it with the world.
Together, the new features “help [visitors] not only get a good feel for how the product works, but actually allows them to place themselves and their experiences into the scene, letting them feel how Posterous might fit into their lives,” Wilkinson explained.
The signup on the right is also new. Previously, new visitors were asked to send an e-mail to sign up; now they can do so directly on the front page with a simple web registration form, in addition to the e-mail option. The problem, Wilkinson disclosed, is that many people were hesitant to sign up via e-mail because they were used to signing up through web-based registration forms. “We still love it when people send us an e-mail to register, but if we can remove a barrier of unfamiliarity from the process, everyone wins,” he said.
The new design changes, while minor, are evidence of Posterous’s continued commitment to providing the simplest, easiest user experience possible, including options for those who would rather use a web-based application than e-mail to sign up and blog. Earlier efforts in this vein include upgrades to its web-based Post Editor and the roll-out of “dead simple” domain name registration.
What do you think of the new changes? What blogging platform do you prefer, or do you utilize several?
I can’t help but analogize Google’s role in the Net Neutrality Wars with Anakin’s shift to the Dark Side in Star Wars.
I’m watching the discussion about the policy framework to govern the Internet with the repelled fascination of a guy who, as a child, loved Star Wars Episodes 4-6 and now, as an adult, begrudgingly watches Episodes 1-3.
In the present drama, Verizon plays the Emperor, Google plays Anakin, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plays the Old Republic, and Internet-Company-Not-Yet-Born might play Luke Skywalker—if the FCC is not blinded by the Verizon-Google Jedi mind trick and can formulate a forward-looking Internet policy framework that will foster competition and innovation.
After the Telecommunications Act of 1996 passed, the FCC labored to crack open the Bell Empire to competition. At the time, competitive entry required vigilant oversight by the regulators of the Old Republic to ensure that the Bell companies provided their competitors with fair wholesale access to the Bells’ physical network. Competitive telecommunications prospered briefly, but were not to last, as the Old Republic’s oversight became less effectual and the formerly competitive telephone carriers reconsolidated into a new Empire, with sights set on conquering the nascent Internet.
As the policy battles waged in Washington, D.C., Google, like a young Anakin, emerged with the motto “Don’t Be Evil.” Google—the force strong within it—entered the policy fray, serving as the leading voice for Internet startups. It grew into a formidable counterbalance to the Bell lobbying machine that had, for decades, dictated public policy at the FCC.
Unlike the competitive entrants of the 1990s, Google and other Internet startups did not advocate for physical access to the Bell network. Instead, the rise of the Internet made it possible to provide competitive communications services by simply requiring the Bells and other Internet access providers to guarantee that they would not discriminate.
After years of championing open Internet policies, Google is now professing to have brokered a meaningful deal with Verizon, a leading opponent of net neutrality. The proposed solution, however, could prove devastating to smaller Internet companies and consumers seeking competitive and innovative offerings. The Verizon-Google “compromise” does not apply to mobile services. But like the Jedi master who said, “These are not the Droids you’re looking for,” Verizon and Google conceal that mobile communications is the future.
The “compromise” also allows carriers to diverge from the net neutrality commitment to provide “managed services,” an undefined carve-out that opens the door to discrimination among companies. Google’s “compromise” serves only to ensure that Google is not harmed and does nothing to protect the Internet companies of the future. It is as if Anakin were ambivalent about Luke’s birth and survival.
I am a weary servant of the Old Republic—a former FCC staffer who had tried to inject competition and innovation into telecommunications markets during the Clinton years, and then took another brief stab as Chair of the Internet Governance Working Group of the Tech, Media and Telecom Committee for the Obama campaign. I wonder if Google believes the deal is ultimately in the best interest of the Internet? Maybe Anakin believed that his acceptance of the Dark Side was ultimately in the best interest of the Galaxy.
To be fair, these comments were composed on my Google-enabled Droid X running on Verizon’s mobile network. Apparently, Google was able to slip this Droid into the Empire’s network, and maybe this Droid is not among the “droids they are looking for,” if I may stretch my analogy to its breaking point. But will Luke Skywalker be able to slip his droid into the empire ten years from now? Without a policy framework that fosters innovation and competition from the would-be innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow, we might never see Luke with his Droid-of-Tomorrow.
Over several years I took my nephew to see Star Wars Episodes 1-3. When Anakin turned to the Dark Side, my nephew was conflicted, but still loved Anakin. When I asked him who he wanted to win—Anakin or Obi-Wan—he said Anakin without hesitation. He had grown up with Anakin and a belief that Anakin was our champion. I suspect that many of us who grew up with Google still believe that Google will be our champion for an open and innovative Internet. Like my nephew, we want to believe that underneath Vader, Anakin and the greater good will prevail. We want to believe that Google will adhere to its founding principle: “Don’t Be Evil.”
Twitter has released a browser-based tweet button that provides a simple way for Twitter users to click to share the web page they’re on with followers.
Twitter users can drag the “Share on Twitter” bookmarket to their browser’s bookmarks bar — all major browsers are supported.
A click of the button opens a new window with the web page title and shortened URL pre-populated in the customizable tweet field. Twitter is using its own t.co URL shortener to shorten the links users share on Twitter via the bookmarklet.
The bookmarklet addition is a minor one. For years, third-party applications and clients have offered bookmarklets for faster sharing. Still, the update is convenient for those who want to share web pages not already using the official Tweet Button and who prefer to use Twitter.com rather than a client like Tweetdeck.
New reports indicate that Dr. Frank Ryan, plastic surgeon to Heidi Montag and other celebrities, was tweeting just before his fatal car accident on Monday.
Ex-girlfriend Charmaine Blake told People Magazine that the plastic surgeon “lived up in Malibu on a tiny street and he was texting while driving and he accidentally went over the cliff.” People has also confirmed with the California Highway Patrol, although the official cause of the accident has still not been determined.
Dr. Ryan was purportedly tweeting about his border collie, Jill, when he lost control of his car. Ominously, this final tweet from Ryan includes a photo of his dog atop some sand dunes in Malibu.
The dog, who was with Ryan at the time of the crash, survived injuries.
Although often associated with teens, texting while driving is a serious issue for adult drivers as well. A recent report from Pew’s Internet and American Life Project found that 47% of adult drivers admitted to sending or reading text messages while driving.
Public service announcements and advocacy campaigns dedicated to highlighting the dangers of texting — or tweeting — while driving have been rolled out by governments, consumer groups and wireless companies, but the problem isn’t getting any better.
Beyond additional legislation coupled with heavy fines, it isn’t clear what more can be done to curb this very real problem. Perhaps incidents like this latest tragedy can act as a reminder for others to put down the phone while behind the wheel.
Tweetdeck, ShoutLONGER, Shoutacracy, Shoutsurf Crunchbase and Shoutfind are reporting issues or complete downtime as the Shoutpocolyps hits Shoutitout. The problems started a few minutes after request number 2,147,483,647 causing major issues. Shoutsurf and ShoutLONGER report there problems have been fixed and Tweetdeck seems to be recovering but still nothing from Shoutfind or Shoutacracy even showing they know of the issues. Shoutitout reports they are hoping to have all isues fixed within the next hour we will keep you updated as this story goes on!
You can’t escape Twitter anymore. It’s everywhere including in some of Panasonic’s Viera Cast Plasma TVs and eventually, in a few Panasonic Blu-ray players as well. It’s just the latest app available in the already-loaded Viera Cast IPTV offering. Twitter joins Netflix, Pandora, Fox Sports, Amazon Video-on-Demand, YouTube, Icasa, Bloomberg, and Skype’s Video calling service.
Sure it’s no iOS or Google TV, but these Panasonic TVs were doing the app dance three years ago and continue to gain new features. Is 3D the future of HDTVs? Nope, it’s apps. Click through for the release and list of compatible models.
Panasonic Launches Twitter on VIERA CAST Plasma HDTVs Consumers Can Now Tweet – One of Many Ways to Communicate – On Their Panasonic VIERA® Plasma HDTV. SECAUCUS, N.J., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Panasonic, a worldwide leader in High Definition technology and built-in TV web entertainment announced the activation of Twitter® on Panasonic VIERA CAST™ enabled HDTVs. Twitter will also be available on VIERA CAST-enabled Blu-ray Disc Players at a later date. The planned addition of Twitter, a real-time global information network, was announced in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Twitter is the latest feature to be added to VIERA CAST, Panasonic’s proprietary IPTV function. Earlier this year, Panasonic added Skype™ voice and video calling(1), Netflix™, Pandora, and Fox Sports to an already robust list of popular entertainment and information sites including Amazon Video-on-Demand™, YouTube™, Google’s Picasa™ Web Album, Bloomberg and a weather service. Twitter is an information network that enables its users to send and read other user messages called Tweets — text-based posts of up to 140 characters. Twitter has achieved enormous growth since its founding in 2006. Proof of that is evidenced by the fact that there are 70 million Tweets written per day by more than 145 million users worldwide. For 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs, Panasonic also introduced USB connectivity which enables the addition of a wireless LAN adaptor (802.11b or faster), a keyboard for more efficient site navigation and communication, and USB memory which supports AVCHD video and JPEG photos. VIERA CAST requires no external box or PC(2) and is accessed via a single button on the television remote control. There is no fee to use the VIERA CAST functionality (some VIERA CAST services such as VOD have a separate fee structure). “Since we introduced Panasonic VIERA CAST™ IPTVs three years ago we have added more and more of the top entertainment and social networking sites in the world,” said Merwan Mereby, Panasonic’s Vice President, Corporate Development. “The addition of Twitter® to VIERA CAST further strengthens the interactive options Panasonic VIERA HDTV owners can now use to communicate with family and friends worldwide. Consumers with VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs can now tweet on Twitter, video chat via Skype, share videos on YouTube and digital photos via Google Picasa right from the comfort of their living rooms.” Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTVs featuring VIERA CAST: VT25 and VT20 Series of Full HD 3D Plasmas: G25 Series: G20 Series:
Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Players featuring VIERA CAST (Twitter not yet available): DMP-BDT350 (Full HD 3D) DMP-BDT300 (Full HD 3D) DMP-BD85 DMP-BD70V DMP-BD65 DMP-B500 (Portable)
About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company: Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a market and technology leader in High Definition television, is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth’s natural resources and protect our environment through the company’s Eco Ideas programs. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom. Notes: (1) Skype is available exclusively on 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTVs (VT25, VT20, G25, G20 Series) and requires the Panasonic Skype-enabled camera (TY-CC10W) which is sold separately (SRP $169.85) to make video calls. (2) Access to a broadband internet connection is required to access VIERA CAST features.
Chatroulette, the random video chat website that became a minor pop culture phenomenon, has been shut down. The site now hosts a message saying “experiment #1 is over” and that a “renewed and updated version” will launch tomorrow.
