generation

Report: Vimeo's going hi-def next week

The New York Post reported on Tuesday morning that New York-based video-hosting community site Vimeo plans to announce this week that it will be distributing videos at a high-definition resolution of 1,280x720 pixels, making it apparently the first user-generated video-sharing site to do so.

The Post's Peter Lauria connects the new push for making high-definition technology available on user-generated video sites to the ongoing price drop in consumer-grade HD cameras--an inarguably hot item this holiday season.

But back to Vimeo--it's an interesting site. Originally a side project for CollegeHumor exec Jakob Lodwick, the site's close-knit community, … Read more

Current TV launches new site

Al Gore has proven that there can be life after politics. He's written several best-selling books, received an Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth, helped develop Current TV, a cable television station focused on getting young people interested in the world around them. and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week. Seven years ago, he was running for president and since that time he's done all this.

Today Current launched a new website at Current.com that not only brings all the television content to the web, but also seeks to build a new social media platform. … Read more

Metaplace brings user-generated virtual worlds to the browser

It's not the most innovative name but the concept may be revolutionary. Metaplace, a virtual community that is currently being tested for launch in spring 2008, was one of the most talked about start-ups at the TechCrunch40 Conference. The new platform allows anyone to build a virtual world from scratch -- for the web or even mobile applications -- without any programming knowledge. Like other virtual communities such as Second Life, There, Entropia Universe, or World of Warcraft, the Metaplace worlds can be used for gaming, socializing, and e-commerce. And they come with the usual community features: forums, user … Read more

Schools battle cell phones

When you look at technological generation gaps, the ubiquity of cell phones is one of the dividing lines between youth and "elders." Today's teens can't imagine life without cell phones, and if you walk across a college campus you'll see students glued to their phones seemingly at every waking moment.

On the adult authority figure side of this divide, some school districts, including Cleveland and New York City, are trying to ban cell phones outright. Now I can understand an "out-of-sight, out of trouble" approach, but the strictest bans prohibit the devices anywhere on campus, even in the bottom of a backpack or a locker. Kids are ingenious in their attempts to come up with creative ways around the ban, everything from hiding a phone in a sandwich roll to parking the devices for a fee at a nearby store. … Read more

Loopfuse integrates open-source demand generation into CentricCRM

Loopfuse and CentricCRM announced today a partnership that brings tight integration of Loopfuse's demand-generation software into CentricCRM's Customer Relationship Management suite. I'm a big believer in what Loopfuse is doing, as I've written. This is a logical next step for Loopfuse as it seeks to broaden the reach of data-driven marketing for companies that do business online (which is pretty much everyone).

I like the combination:… Read more

Can't come up with any awesome ideas? Here, try this

Ever wish you could come up with the next big thing? The Directors' Bureau's Idea Generator can help you out. It's a Flash app that will tell you how to make a million dollars by randomly choosing a set of words that comprise a potential "idea."

Let's overlook the fact that I wound up with "erotic rubber appliance." Then I re-spun and was given "scary paper book." Okay, now I think we're getting somewhere.

(Via Core77)

Demand generation beyond the software world

I had a call with venture capitalist friend yesterday to talk about Eloqua, Loopfuse, and other demand-generation software. Not being nearly as shortsighted as I am, he didn't want to talk about how open-source companies could benefit from such software, but instead wanted to talk about how non-tech companies could.

It's not the first time I've been struck by my own ignorance, but I really wasn't expecting to have to wallow in it yesterday. :-)

I was then surprised to see a similar perspective in this interview with the founders of Loopfuse:… Read more

Lost loved ones remembered online

G. Scott Mindrum considers himself lucky. He says that rarely do CEOs have the opportunity to interact with their products in a highly personal and emotional way.

On May 12, 2007, Mindrum's father, Gordon Mindrum, died at the age of 87. The younger Mindrum knew exactly what to do to memorialize his father, a World War II veteran and a doctor that specialized in treating addiction.

He posted to the Web a photo slide show that illustrated his Dad's life story.

The younger Mindrum is founder and CEO of Making Everlasting Memories a company trying to leverage the … Read more

6G iPod interface leaked?

MacRumors.com recently posted (and subsequently removed) some convincing clips of a possible sixth-generation iPod interface. DapReview.net was able to collect some of the yanked clips together into a YouTube video (visible below, hopefully). Could this be a taste of what the future holds for the next iPod? If so, I'll be somewhat disappointed. After the iPhone teased us with Cover Flow navigation and widescreen video, it'll be hard for Apple to put that genie back in the bottle. What do you guys think? Real or fake? Anyone else spot Boards of Canada on the Artist list? … Read more