Mereja

Author: Serkadis

  • TAP começa a voar para Campinas a partir de Julho

    A TAP anunciou hoje a nona rota para o Brasil, para Campinas (aeroporto de Viracopos), no estado de S. Paulo, para onde vai começar a operar três voos por semana a partir de Julho, voltando a ser pioneira em voos intercontinentais num destino brasileiro.
    A companhia passa a ter 17 voos por semana para o estado de São Paulo, anunciou hoje em conferência de imprensa, na Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa.
    A partir de Junho, a TAP deixa de fazer os voos nocturnos para o Brasil, repondo a oferta e os 67 voos iniciais, o que significa que com os três voos que passa a operar para Viracopos, vai totalizar 70 voos semanais.
    O aeroporto de Campinas, actualmente o 12ºmaior no Brasil, e o hub da nova companhia aérea Azul, é o que maior crescimento tem registado em 2009.
    Entre Janeiro e Novembro o aeroporto processou 2,951 milhões de passageiros, com um crescimento de quase 200% (196,9%), o que equivale a mais 1,95 milhões de passageiros do que no período homólogo de 2008.
    Até Novembro, em voos internacionais, Campinas tinha apenas 1,8 mil passageiros, enquanto em tráfego doméstico registou 2,95 milhões, mais 198,1% que em 2008.
    No mês de Novembro, o crescimento do número de passageiros em Campinas foi de 325,2%, o que equivale a mais 265,8 mil passageiros que em 2008, para 347,57 mil passageiros, todos em voos domésticos.
    O maior aeroporto brasileiro é o de Guarulhos, que tinha entre Janeiro a Novembro 19,5 milhões de passageiros, mais 4,8% ou mais 889 mil que em 2008. Destes 19,5 milhões, 11,89 foram em voos domésticos e 7,6 milhões em voos internacionais, nos quais é o aeroporto dominante no Brasil, com uma participação de 64,4% do tráfego internacional total.
    O aeroporto de Campinas situa-se a 14 quilómetros do centro da cidade, e a 99 quilómetros da cidade de São Paulo.
    Campinas é um dos mais importantes pólos tecnológicos do País, com as principais universidades, e empresas de tecnologia de ponta, refere uma informação da Infraero.

    Fonte: http://www.presstur.com/site/news.asp?news=23417

  • R/C Sega Genesis Is One Nimble Console [Mods]

    Now here’s an awesome mod: an old Sega Genesis that’s been converted into some sort of remote-control car. And the original Genesis controller works with it! Just skip to 1:50. If only it still played games! [Kotaku]







  • Obama’s Tiny “Tax” Is Equal To A 15 BPS Fed Hike, And Morgan Stanley Will Get Creamed The Hardest

    Are you a bank stock investor worried about Obama’s new too-big-to-fail tax?

    For the most part you shouldn’t be.

    Oppenheimer’s Chris Kotowski has run the numbers and concluded that the tax represents the equivalent of a measly 15 basis point hike in the fed funds rate — so on balance, the government is still giving banks a massive cheap-money gift.

    If you’re worried about something, worry more about Bernanke being forced to raise rates to stem inflation (though again, we wouldn’t worry too much about this, because there’s little evidence that such a hike is imminent).

    Now here’s how things would look if the assessment were to go straight to the bottom line:

    tax

    See that? Morgan Stanley (MS) is going to get creamed nearly twice as bad as Goldman Sachs.

    That being said, Kotowski says not to worry:

    However, we don’t believe that the fee will run directly to the bottom line. We view it as ef fectively an increase in the wholesale cost of funds that will be  passed through to the customers that utilize these institutions’ balance sheets.

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  • Mysterious Direct Bidding Strength Leads Traders To Suspect A Massive Hidden Treasury Buyer

    paulson bernanke whisper

    This week's treasury auctions have seen massive buying strength from direct bids, which represent U.S. institutional investors.

    Such has been the strength that traders suspect a single massive contrarian buyer could be at work, purposefully trying to conceal itself:

    FT: Auctions of US Treasury notes this week have attracted extremely strong buying from domestic institutional investors, fuelling speculation that "one big bidder" has decided to defy the conventional wisdom on Wall Street that US government debt is due for a fall.

    The surprising demand for Treasury notes has come in the form of "direct bids", the term used for US institutional investors who bypass the so-called primary dealers that underwrite government bond sales.

    Yesterday, direct bids accounted for 17 per cent of the sales of $21bn in 10-year Treasury notes, far higher than the recent average of 7.4 per cent. It was the highest percentage of direct bids in a 10-year Treasury auction since May 2005.

    On Tuesday, direct bids accounted for a record 23.4 per cent of the bidding for $40bn in three-year notes, up from an average direct bid of 6 per cent.

    Market participants say the unusually high level of direct bidding suggests that a large investor is looking to accumulate Treasuries without alerting the primary dealers on Wall Street to its intentions.

    Read more here >

    Whoever it is, they may have backed off from today's auction, given that direct bids were only 5% of the total this time. Nevertheless, the auction appeared to do well regardless since the high yield (at 4.64%) came in lower than where similar treasuries traded ahead of the auction Check out today's treasury auction results here >

    Chart

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  • Google files video overlay patent for YouTube advertising

    VIDEOGoogle may be helping advertisers more easily include overlays in YouTube videos. The company has apparently created a method to create video overlay advertisement for display with a digital video, according to a patent filed today with the US Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by GoRumors.

    Google has allowed overlay advertising for some time now. While some advertisers have taken advantage, others lack the resources to overlay ads on video. Technologies like Adobe Flash are required that use various multimedia development tools and are complex and costly. With Google’s patent pending technology, advertisers could soon be given a quick and easy way to overlay ads.

    The patent, dubbed “Video Overlay Advertisment Creator,” appears to be a web-based user interface that will allow advertisers to choose from templates made up of text fields to overlay attributes on videos. The interface will then allow the advertiser to leverage various playback options to review the final video before submitting. The ad video will then be stored within a remote advertisement database.

    With the millions of videos and users on YouTube, it’s no surprise that advertisers would want a way to push ads within the videos. While this new interface could benefit advertisers greatly, along with anyone who has a product or service, Google will be the real winner.


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  • Unauthorized iPhone news readers raise eyebrows

    Here’s an interesting little new media legal dilemma for you: apparently there are several paid apps in the iPhone App Store that bill themselves as “readers” for publications like the New York Times, CNET, and the BBC, but aren’t actually licensed or official in anyway — they’re just pulling RSS feeds. That means people paying for an app like The New York Times Mobile Reader aren’t actually getting an app from the Times — and, perhaps more importantly, the Times isn’t getting anything from anyone. Seems like Apple should probably just shut these apps down, but that’s the interesting part: all these apps are pretty much just custom-built feed readers, and you can generally access all of the same content using Safari. Now, there’s obviously a trademark issue involved here, especially if these apps are confusing people into thinking they’re official, but we’re curious to see how these pubs and Apple handle the situation in the next few weeks, since it’s relatively uncharted territory.

    P.S.- Let’s not even get into the fact that Apple’s rated the NYT Mobile Reader app “12+” for “Infrequent / Mild Mature / Suggestive Themes.” Oh, the App Store.

    Unauthorized iPhone news readers raise eyebrows originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Segway Inc. confirms merger with UK-based firm

    Well, it looks like those initial rumblings about a big shake-up at Segway were right on the mark, as Segway Inc. has now come out and confirmed that it has been acquired by a UK-based firm backed by Hesco Bastion Chairman and Segway UK investor Jimi Heselden (previously reported to be JWH Holdings). Not surprisingly, it isn’t offering much in the way of details, but it did say that it has also received funding that will “support the continued growth of the company.” Head on past the break for the complete statement.

    Continue reading Segway Inc. confirms merger with UK-based firm

    Segway Inc. confirms merger with UK-based firm originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on

    Intel Atom processors, capacitive touchscreens, NVIDIA Tegra 2 graphics, Moblin installs… sounds like a suite of hot next-gen ultra-portables, right? Think again. Those are just some of the technologies used in the dashboards of cars that will be appearing on showrooms in the coming months and years, dashes that were largely on display at CES — minus the cars themselves, usually. There we were treated to mobile glimpses of Google Earth, Pandora, and Slacker Radio on the go, plus the ability to lock and unlock your car via Ye Olde Internets. It’s the future, and it’s coming soon, so click on through already and get a sneak peek.

    Continue reading Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on

    Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Honda CEO: We will be adding hybrids to the Acura brand

    Acura ZDX

    During Honda’s press conference at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, CEO Takanobu Ito confirmed that the Japanese automaker will be adding hybrids to its Acura brand.

    “Last year, due to the business conditions and to focus on reducing CO2 emissions, we re-focused some of our product development resources,” Ito said. “Now, I’m pleased to say that we will be adding hybrids to the Acura brand. And based on my history in developing several Acura products, I have strong confidence in our ability to advance the Acura brand.”

    While Ito admitted that fuel-cell electric vehicles are the best way to reduce CO2 emissions, he feels that in the near term, the most important approach is to use gasoline hybrid vehicles.

    “To increase the opportunity for more customers to choose a hybrid we must be able to meet different needs with family, luxury and sporty hybrid vehicles,” said Ito. “We will apply hybrid systems which are compact, lightweight and affordable to a wider range of products in the near future.”

    – By: Omar Rana


  • HTC releases official hotfix for Sprint Touch Diamond and Touch Pro Y2K16 SMS bug

    HTC has released an official hotfix for the Sprint Touch Diamond and Touch Pro which has recently resulted in SMS messages being marked as coming from the year 2016.

    The fixes can be downloaded from HTC using the links below

    Sprint Touch Diamond SMS Timestamp Hotfix | 01.13.2010

    SMS TIMESTAMPS DISPLAY AN INCORRECT YEAR
    Please follow the instructions below to download and install a hotfix that will correct this issue. The hotfix will resolve the issue causing incoming SMS messages to display the incorrect year, and it will correct the incorrect year on SMS messages that were received prior to installing this hotfix. 

    Sprint Touch Pro SMS Timestamp Hotfix | 01.13.2010

    Please follow the instructions below to download and install a hotfix that will correct this issue.  The hotfix will resolve the issue causing incoming SMS messages to display the incorrect year, and it will correct the incorrect year on SMS messages that were received prior to installing this hotfix. 

    NOTE:  If the device is not running the latest software version 2.01.651.6, please download and install the latest ROM from this page.

    Via WMExperts.com

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  • Fusiones Municipales en Canarias

    Hola compañeros, en el foro de Demografía hay rato que se viene hablando del tema de las fusiones municipales http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1025105

    También hemos comentado cosas varios foreros canarios allí, y la verdad es que quizás sea buena idea empezar a juntar municipios, en vez de seguir diviéndolos y multiplicando las administraciones (¡ay! las administraciones municipales…) Y seguramente hasta llevemos retraso.

    En Lanzarote la fusión más factible la veo entre Arrecife y San Bartolomé, en Fuerteventura no lo tengo nada claro, y en GC de un vistazo rápido el Sureste (Ingenio, Agüimes, Santa Lucía), y Santa Brígida que sería absorvida por LPGC, amén de muchas otras que habría que debatir. Para la provincia occidental la cosa es más compleja.

    Veo un problema con las fusiones tanto a nivel peninsular como en Canarias, los municipios más proclives son los más desarrollados, sin embargo, los auténticos lastres son la multitud de municipios pequeños inviables económicamente, pero que dadas las condiciones de las comunicaciones por ejemplo, hacen casi imposibles una fusión.

  • New Year’s Resolutions iPhone Apps: Get in Better Shape

    With the new year now a few weeks old, it’s time to stop and remember those resolutions you made at the dawn of 2010. New Year’s Resolutions are perhaps best known for the likelihood that they will fall by the wayside. If you’re serious, however, one of the best tools for making sure you achieve your new year’s resolutions is your iPhone.

    With the vast array of applications available for the iPhone it might be hard to pick the right ones if you want to get in better shape, save money or get a date this year, so we’re going to pick out some of the best for you . First up we’re going to start with applications that will help you get in better shape.

    The most popular new year’s resolution of all time, likely due to the expanding waistline that over one month of feast and drink bestows upon us, getting in better shape can be a frustrating challenge. Thankfully there are plenty of good iPhone applications available to help you keep this resolution. Just be warned, none of these apps will actually burn calories for you, they’ll just help you get the feedback and build the routines you’ll need to make that happen.

    Note: All links point to the iTunes store.

    Lose It!
    Price: Free
    Rating: 3.5 stars
    This free applications has sat near the top of Apple’s Healthcare & Fitness category for a long time. Attractive and easy to use, Lose It! is basically a calorie counter. Tell it a bit about yourself, how much weight you want to lose and it will give you a daily calorie allowance. You can then track what you eat and how you exercise, all with simple charts to see how you’re doing. The newest version also includes the ability to sync your information with a website and even tweet your progress.

    iFitness
    Price: $1.99
    Rating: 4.5 stars
    If you want to start building some muscle mass, then iFitness is a great companion app. The application allows you how to track a large number of different weight-lifting exercises. It includes photos, videos and written instructions for how to properly do each exercise and lets you set up custom workouts.

    Weightbot
    Price: $1.99
    Rating: 4 stars
    If you want to eschew the bother of tracking every calorie and just want to keep an eye on your weight, then Weightbot is for you. The interface is gorgeous and it’s extremely easy to use. You can chart your progress over time and immediately get your BMI when you enter your weight.

    Nike+
    Price: Free (for 3GS owners) + $29 for sensor
    Rating: N/A
    Apple and Nike’s partnership to track your jogging finally arrived on the iPhone with the 3GS. If you have a 3GS, all you’ll need to do is jump into the settings to activate the Nike+ app, and then go out and buy the $29 sensor for your shoe. The app let’s you synchronize your progress to Nike’s website, choose a playlist while jogging, including the famous power song to get your over that hump, and gives you feedback when you’ve reached a milestone. Unfortunately if you have an older iPhone, you’re out of luck.

    RunKeeper
    Price: $9.99 (free version also available)
    Rating: 5 stars
    If you don’t have an iPhone 3GS, or just don’t want to use the Nike+ system, RunKeeper Pro is a great alternative, although we should note it doesn’t work on the iPhone 2G. Using your iPhone’s GPS to track your runs, RunKeeper let’s you track your progress, view your routes and control your music directly from the app. Information can also be backed up and viewed on the RunKeeper website. If the $9.99 price for the Pro version of RunKeeper is a bit too rich for your blood, there’s also a free ad-supported version with the same basic functionality.

    iCan
    Price: 99 cents
    Rating: 3.5 stars
    Not specifically related to getting in better shape, but a good app for any resolution, iCan is basically a goal tracker with an inspirational bent. Simply enter in any goal and you’ll immediately get an inspirational quote. If at any point you find yourself lagging, simply press a button for more inspirational text. An attractive and simple way to keep track of your resolutions so you don’t forget them and remember what you’ve achieved.

  • Sunny Isles, Florida

    Quisiera compartirles una ciudad bastante interesante localizada en Florida, USA. No sabia donde mas poner este thread, quizas alguien ayudara con esto. Tome la idea de otros foros donde discuten sobre ciudades extranjeraras.
    Sunny Isles Beach, FL (poblacion 15,315 en menos de 1 milla cuadrada)
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/miamiflyme/2948171392/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahlbrandt/2379247664/
    [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/2379247664_01bbdb7918_b.jpg[/img

  • Integrated Site Design: Botanical Research Institute of Texas


    The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), a well-regarded science and conservation center, recently broke ground on its $48 million, 69,000-square-foot facility on a 5.2 acre site located next to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, writes Bustler. BRIT will seek LEED Platinum certification for the new building, which will include a “living roof” planted with native plants. New York-based H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, an architecture firm, and Balmori Associates, a landscape architecture and urban design firm, are expected to complete the project in 2011.

    Tim McKinney, chair of BRIT’s Board of Trustees, said at the ground breaking: “BRIT’s new home will be the embodiment of BRIT’s mission: to conserve our natural heritage by deepening our knowledge of the plant world and achieving public understanding of the value that plants bring to our lives.”

    The site’s productive landscape, which has been designed in part for botanical research, will work with the building’s living roof and site’s parking lots as part of an integrated site design. Bustler writes: ”An integration of landscape and parking occurs with the design of planted research fields within the parking bays. The roof, walls, and braided pathways will showcase some of BRIT’s areas of research as well as floral representatives of the Fort Worth Prairie.” 

    The need for extra parking spaces will be minimized –  BRIT plans to share spaces with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Additionally, any new parking areas will feature rain gardens, interwoven into parking lots, which will collect rainwater for reuse. Any water overflow will be collected in a retention pond. ”The rain gardens, filled with native plants with low water demands, will gather, filter, and reuse rainwater for watering. They will overflow to a retention pond, which will be the source of water for irrigation. Rainwater is also collected off of roof areas and channeled to the pond. The pond is topped up during dry periods using ground water from a well that taps into an underground stream.”

    The landscape architecture will feature “a braided landscape system” consisting of paths, water and a shady walkway. ”While one main path will provide access from BRIT to the lecture hall of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (FWBG), another will wind toward the Garden’s entry. Concrete pavers and crushed limestone will differentiate the two paths as they wind together toward BRIT’s entry. Secondary braids of gravel will lead to views of special small-scale areas.” To educate visitors on native plants, the winding paths will feature plants and flowers. Furthermore, the “geological strata of the Fort Worth Prairie of thin limestone and sand” will be recreated in outdoor ledges for seating.  

    The building will also feature solar panels and a geothermal energy system. “Bi0-based materials” will be used in construction, including bamboo ceilings, cork wall coverings, and wool carpets. ”A large portion, approximately 93.4 percent, of the materials that have been removed from the site (steel beams, joists and decking, aluminum, concrete, and brick asphalt) will be recycled and used in a land reclamation.”  The building is also sited to preserve existing trees. 

    Read the article and see more photos

    Image credit: Bustler / Balmori Associates

  • AmeriCorps Program Director/Serve Rhode Island

    The Director of NCSP manages the $3.4 million AmeriCorps State federal grant program including planning, organization, implementation and evaluation of all program components; provides technical assistance and expertise; directs the technical operations and activities necessary to implement the program; coordinates services with local, State and Federal agencies, and service agencies; plans and supports disability inclusion strategies.

    Responsibilities:
    Review and analyze federal regulations, state laws and AmeriCorps administrative requirements to advise and/or formulate appropriate policies, procedures and interpretation to guide successful implementation of the commission’s AmeriCorps programs.

    Ensure all components of the AmeriCorps Programs are implemented in compliance with the Corporation for National and Community Service.

    Create and maintain tracking/monitoring system, in concert with Grants Officer, to meet federal grant compliance requirements; communicate commission policy and procedures to program organizations and community.

    Design, modify and implement commission’s risk-based monitoring strategy to ensure consistent oversight of state’s AmeriCorps programs; assess AmeriCorps program goals and accomplishments to determine effectiveness.

    Write commission’s Requests for Proposals (RFP) for AmeriCorps, coordinate and manage each grant review process, communicate and assist applicants.

    Conduct research on best commission practice.  Collect data, analyze and write CNCS progress reports.  Maintain information on sub-grantee performance and communicate data to stakeholders.  Manage ongoing AmeriCorps evaluation and system improvement processes. Act as main point of contact for CNCS reporting site, eGrants.

    Develop and manage annual training plan calendar based on needs assessments from AmeriCorps program staff and members.  Recruit trainers for the courses and trainings requested.  Evaluate, analyze, and report findings to stake holders for all trainings and workshops.

    Provide one-on-one technical assistance and compliance guidance to AmeriCorps sub-grantees and potential applicants.  Provide guidance to sub-grantees on their pre-service training member development plans.  Facilitate and lead monthly Program Director meetings, InterCorps Council meetings and RI AC Alumni Association meetings.

    Assess the commission’s disability inclusion program goals and accomplishments to determine their effectiveness.  Develop partnerships within the community of agencies and organizations providing services to people with disabilities.  Inform/ create recruitment materials focusing on the needs of applicants with disabilities and the state agencies that serve the population.

    Facilitate and process sub-grantee requests for reasonable accommodations for AmeriCorps members who are disabled.

    Monitor/ assess AmeriCorps staff and member needs and coordinate appropriate trainings on topics pertaining to disability, inclusion, or recruitment.

    Coordinate and manage logistics for AmeriCorps specific retreats, trainings, events, and meetings, including: Opening Day, MLK Day, Justice Talks, Citizenship and Civic Engagement, Disaster Preparedness, Closing Day, National AmeriCorps Week, etc.

    This position minimally requires:
    Bachelor’s of Arts/Science Degree.

    Experience in program administration, supervision, grant writing and reviewing, grants administration, budget management.

    Excellence in communications, human relations, planning/management and customer service.

    How to Apply:
    Mail resume and application letter to:
    Bernard Beaudreau, Executive Director
    Serve Rhode Island
    655 Broad St., Suite 202
    Providence, RI 02907

    Or email to: bbeaudreau {at} ServeRhodeIsland(.)org

    Application Deadline:  Friday, January 22, 2010

    Serve Rhode Island is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

  • The Top Ten VC Blogs (New And Improved)

    Every so often, venture capitalist Larry Cheng puts out a list of the top VC blogs. Previously, he ranked the blogs by how many subscribers they have on Google Reader. But now he’s changed his methodology and is ranking them by average monthly unique visitors, based on Compete data. He just came out with his new global ranking for the fourth quarter of 2009. Below are the top ten blogs from that list.

    If you compare this list to the last one, Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures is now the top VC blogger, followed by Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures (who previously was No. 1). Now, the always-provocative Paul Graham of Y Combinator is No. 3, whereas he wasn’t even in the top ten on the old list. Other new entrants to the top 10 include Mark Suster of GRP Partners, Dave McClure of Founder’s Fund and soon to launch his own seed fund, and Bijan Sabet of Spark. Some VCs who dropped out of the top ten include Marc Andreessen and David Hornik of August Capital.

    Four VC blogs in the top ten are new under the Cheng’s method, which better captures which ones are capturing attention since it is based on an average of the last quarter’s audience. Of course, this method does not capture people who read the blogs via RSS. So pick your poison. You can subscribe to the Top 10, Top 25, Top 50, or Top 100 on Google Reader, if that’s your thing (can someone create corresponding Twitter Lists for these VCs?).

    Cheng is a managing partner at Volition Capital, which was Fidelity Ventures until it was spun off on Monday. His own blog, Thinking About Thinking, ranks No. 12.

    Top 10 VC Blogs (Average Monthly Uniques, 4Q09)

    1. Fred Wilson, Union Square Ventures, A VC (100,279)
    2. Guy Kawasaki, Garage Technology Ventures, How To Change The World (82,838)
    3. Paul Graham, YCombinator, Essays (71,924)
    4. Brad Feld, Foundry Group, Feld Thoughts (45,633)
    5. Mark Suster, GRP Partners, Both Sides of the Table (39,389)
    6. Bill Gurley, Benchmark Capital, Above The Crowd (23,084)
    7. Dave McClure, Founders Fund, Master of 500 Hats (21,462)
    8. Josh Kopelman, First Round Capital, Redeye VC (12,972)
    9. Bijan Sabet, Spark Capital, Bijan Sabet (12,451)
    10. Jeremy Liew, Lightspeed Ventures Partners, LSVP (12,097)

    Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.


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  • Appolicious Takes A Page Out Of Twitter’s Playbook; Lets Users Create Personalized Lists Of Apps

    Appolicious, a comprehensive iPhone and Android app directory with a social twist, has launched a compelling new feature today: the ability for users to create curated lists of iPhone apps and Android apps. The new feature, which is similar in some ways to Twitter’s list functionality, allows anyone to create lists of their favorite apps by category and lists are limited to five apps. Appolicious has also launched an iPhone App Developer Directory that aims to connect businesses with app developers.

    Appolicious, which just raised $1.5 million in funding and debuted an iPhone app, tries to make sense of the 100,000 apps on Apple’s App Store and the 16,000 apps on the Android Market, but with a social twist. So not only can you find apps based on category or topic, but you can share those apps with your social graph on Twitter and Facebook, review apps, and more. Via its technology, the application will scan your iTunes directory for your downloaded app and will integrate them into your Appolicious library. It’s similar in some ways to oneforty, an app directory for Twitter. The ability to create lists is a sure to be popular amongst users of the platform and could be a useful resource for consumers looking to get both user and expert opinions on apps in certain categories. Curators of lists can list apps, the reason and rationale behind their choice, any related links or tweets, and why they’re qualified to make that selection.

    Founded in May of this year by former Yahoo VP, Alan Warms, Appolicious is hoping to expand its platform to include Android, Blackberry and other smartphone apps. Warms is a serial entrepreneur who sold his startup Buzztracker to Yahoo in 2007. Warms is enthusiastic about the new iPhone app business directory, which he hopes will become a defacto resource for businesses, brands, retailers and developers. The directory will launch with several thousand profiles of various app developers.

    The startup faces competition from Appsfire, 16 Apps, mPlayit, and others.

    Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.


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  • French Court Forcing Google To Remove Word ‘Scam’ From Google Suggest

    Last year we wrote about two contradictory rulings in France involving lawsuits by companies upset about how Google Suggest works. As you probably know, as you type a query into Google, it tries to “suggest” the rest of the query, based on common searches beginning with what you typed. This is all done automatically and is an algorithmic function of what people are actually searching on. The “problem” was that in one case, people were searching for the name of a company, Centre National Prive de Formation a Distance (CNFDI), and one of the most popular searches, meaning one of the suggested searches, was to follow CNFDI with “arnaque,” which means “scam.” In one case, from a company called Direct Energie, the court ruled that it was Google’s fault — and oddly blamed the fact that the results were not alphabetical to suggest Google was at fault. The better ruling came in the CNFDI case where the court pointed out that search engines are “important tools for the free circulation of ideas and information,” and the fact that many people were questioning whether CNFDI was a scam was, in fact, important and potentially useful information, and thus not libelous by itself. It also said that the burden on free speech would be too great if Google were forced to remove the suggestion.

    So much for that ruling. Reader Mike Read has sent in the news that an appeals court has reversed the CNFDI ruling and found Google liable. Its reasoning is that Google lets people alert the company to “offensive” terms in Google suggest, and it believes that “scam” is an offensive term. I have to question that logic. If people are legitimately concerned that there are scams going on, why shouldn’t that be expressed?

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  • Brandeis to increase Waltham services this semester

    This year…some faculty and staff say they are ramping up their efforts to reach out to the broader Waltham community and provide more organized support to local nonprofits….“I think that right now we are in the midst of building really good partnerships,” Grady said.

    »Read the full article in the Boston Globe.

  • Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione in the Works

    Alfa Romeo dedicated tuner Autodelta has announced that it will unveil the world’s first modified Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione at this week’s Birmingham Performance Car Show.

    The 4.7 liter V8 engine powering the automotive masterpiece will apparently have a slightly increased output, through a new engine management software. The engine develops 444 HP in its factory-stock incarnation and Autodelta promises to offer 17 more. Technical refinements for the car’s chassis and suspension have also be… (read more)