Author Archive

What is music 2.0?

by Richard MacManus

April 11th, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

Music futurist Gerd Leonhard has just released an informative video explaining what music 2.0 is and how the music industry should change to adapt to ‘web 2.0’ principles. Some of the themes are that control doesn’t work (e.g. DRM and trying to control networking) and that music is meant to be shared. Even iTunes comes into some criticism – iTunes works great, says Leonhard, but it “is a locked community”. Ultimately, Leonhard says that “open is king” and that “we have to give up on the idea of control and move to an open ecosystem in music.”

Video embedded after the jump…

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GPhone prototype expected at Mobile World Congress

by Richard MacManus

February 11th, 2008 | Posted in Mobile | CommentsNo Comments

It’s a big week coming up in the Mobile Web world. The annual Mobile World Congress is being held in Barcelona, 11-14 February. The early buzz is around Google’s much (and oft) rumored GPhone. According to the Times Online, Google “is expected to produce a prototype mobile handset” at the show. Even if Google itself doesn’t unveil a phone, there will be plenty of Android prototypes on display (Google’s open source Mobile Operating System).

CNN is reporting that “as many as one dozen handset makers and chip companies are expected next week to unveil mobile phone prototypes designed to operate with Google Inc.’s (GOOG) new Android software platform”.

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Bill Gates at CES: No web fridges, but you can watch TV on your Xbox 360

by Richard MacManus

January 7th, 2008 | Posted in Audio, Mobile, Net TV, Social | CommentsNo Comments

One of the highlights of CES (Consumer Electronics Show) each year is Bill Gates’ keynote speech, available here as a webcast. This year there were a slew of products and partnerships announced. It was less futuristic vision and more beta products and what’s coming in 2008. In other words, it was much less about Internet-connected fridges, and more about what you can do now on your Xbox 360.

By now everybody is familiar with Microsoft’s strengths: Windows, devices, ‘rich’ user interfaces, partnerships with big media and electronics companies. Over the past few years we’ve seen Microsoft morph into a ‘Services’ company too, where services are delivered over the Internet. Although the branding as Windows Live has been clumsy and confusing, Microsoft has still been able to slot its Services vision into the Windows and devices foundation. Hence Gates’ talk of “Services-connected devices running on the Web” and the “huge amounts of storage” that Microsoft is able to provide.

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Joost announces developer days

by Richard MacManus

November 5th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | CommentsNo Comments

Joost on a set-top-box within 18 monthsJoost has just announced its first developer days, which the Internet TV company is promoting as a chance to meet some of their developers and get some tips for building widgets. Here are the details of the Developer Days. If any last100 readers plan to attend, contact us if you’re interested in writing a guest post about your experience.

Note that some of the presentations will be filmed and Joost will upload them onto a special Developer Channel in Joost later in the year.

Who:
These workshops are aimed at developers with at least basic knowledge of html and javascript

What:
* a (free) lunch
* short presentations from the widgets team at Joost, including an introduction to building widgets, and an update on widget features in new releases
* a preview of our first commercial widget
* the opportunity to work on a widget or two yourself or use the workshops to get hands-on help for widgets you’ve started to develop.
* we’ll finish up with a drink or two and some free stuff to take away.

Where and when:
* initially in three locations: London, Amsterdam and New York.

London (Covent Garden) – 1pm – 6pm – Friday 16th November
Amsterdam (Central location) – 1pm – 6pm – Saturday 1st December
New York (Financial District) – 12pm – 5pm – Friday 7th December

To register your interest, RSVP to dev-workshop@joost.com and let them know which Developer Day you would like to attend and whether you would like to bring a friend or colleague. Joost will then send you more details on the location and format of the day. You may have to go on a waiting list, but they will let you know if that happens.

Microsoft Surface announced – not an iPhone competitor

by Richard MacManus

May 29th, 2007 | Posted in Other | Comments17 Comments

Microsoft just announced a very cool new multi-touch computing product, called Surface. At first the rumors were this would be an iPhone competitor, but it’s clear now that it’s much larger (30-inch display!) and more of an environmental computer device. Using the product, people can interact with information using touch, natural gestures and physical objects. So no mouse or keyboard is required.

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