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SpiralFrog launches free ad-supported music service

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spiralfrog.jpgSpiralFrog, Inc., the free ad-supported web-based music experience, announced the launch of its digital music web site in North America. SpiralFrog is set to change the way people discover music by providing a robust mix of artist-related content, an active and engaging experience and a viable alternative to piracy.

SpiralFrog will allow music enthusiasts to feed their addiction to music discovery and music acquisition through free, legal and unlimited downloading. The site will allow anyone to access and download files from a library of more than 800,000 songs and 3,500 music videos, with new content being added every day. Music fans also will be able to view millions of artist bios, reviews, discography and album art, among other rich content features.

The user experience on the SpiralFrog Web site is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Extensive search capabilities will allow users to search by artist and by genre, letting them easily find both new artists and the music they love. Users will have tools that allow them to share music discoveries and rich content with friends, and also get dynamic search results based on the preferences and activities of others.

Originally posted on September 17, 2007 @ 2:41 pm

Admish.com launches comprehensive online community for college admissions

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admish.jpgAdmish, a free online community for college admissions, today announced its official launch. Admish connects everyone involved in the college admissions process, including students, college admissions officers, high school guidance counselors, parents, college access programs, teachers, and other educators. More than just an online home for student profiles, Admish.com takes popular “online playgrounds” like MySpace and Facebook to the next level, utilizing their best aspects to give social networking a purpose– to enhance the college admissions process from every perspective.

Admish.com offers deep, direct access to a wide range of tools, advice, and information about college admissions, including: The Admishionary, an A-Z guide that walks applicants through every step of the process; detailed resources and forms for financial aid and scholarships; online chats with admissions officers; school blogs; and more. This honest, insider content is available through Admish’s exclusive relationships with leading college preparatory and admissions organizations such as The Princeton Review, and with top college administrators, non-profit educational groups, financial professionals from companies such as Morgan Stanley, and other industry experts.

At Admish.com, students can create a free, interactive admissions profile with both text and multimedia content, search more than 5,000 accredited universities in the U.S., and get candid advice straight from university insiders to find the best school for their specific needs. Meanwhile, colleges can use Admish’s targeted searching and other unique tools to easily find qualified applicants worldwide – making the site ideal for American and international students alike. Parents, guidance counselors, teachers, and other educators can also join the community to network with students and each other, and to access free informational resources, interact with renowned experts, and gain valuable insight into the admissions process.

Originally posted on September 17, 2007 @ 12:02 pm

U.S. viewers watched an average of 3 hours of online video in July

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comScore today released its comScore Video Metrix report for July 2007, revealing that nearly 75 percent of U.S. Internet users watched an average of three hours of online video during the month. Google Sites topped the July rankings with both the most unique video viewers and most videos viewed.

July saw Americans view more than 9 billion videos online, with Google Sites once again ranking as the top U.S. video property with nearly 2.5 billion videos viewed (27.0 percent share of videos), 2.4 billion of which occurred at YouTube.com. Yahoo! Sites ranked second with 390 million (4.3 percent), followed by Fox Interactive Media with 298 million (3.3 percent) and Viacom Digital with 281 million (3.1 percent).

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In total, nearly 134 million Americans viewed online video in July, or approximately three in four U.S. Internet users. Google Sites also captured the largest online video audience with 67.8 million unique viewers, followed by Fox Interactive Media with 35.8 million and Yahoo! Sites with 35.3 million.

Originally posted on September 13, 2007 @ 10:52 am

InternetSafety.com partners with Australian Government to keep families safe online

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internetsafety.jpgThe Australian Government is partnering with US-based InternetSafety.com to provide parents down under with free access to the leading Internet filtering software, Safe Eyes. The move is part of the Australian Government’s extensive Internet safety initiative known as NetAlert – Protecting Australian Families Online.

Under the government plan, Australian families can choose between a limited number of vetted Internet content filters, including industry-leader Safe Eyes, which recently received PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award for the second consecutive year. The Government undertook an extensive evaluation and testing process to select the Internet content filters involved in the initiative. In addition, the Australian Government is conducting a widespread awareness and education campaign, providing a toll-free Internet-safety hotline and expanding the law enforcement team responsible for the prosecution of online predators.

Australia’s $189 million program is the first of its kind initiative launched by a nation’s government. “The global nature of the Internet and the way it transcends national borders makes it a unique challenge for governments around the world,” said Senator Coonan. “Despite these challenges, the Howard Government has been tackling the issue of offensive online content for more than seven years.”

Originally posted on September 13, 2007 @ 10:16 am

LinkedIn Network announces Q & A Series with Obama

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barak.jpgLinkedIn Corporation, the world’s largest online professional network, today announced the launch of a special question and answer series on LinkedIn’s Answers service, which was introduced earlier this year. The series will focus on start ups and small business, and will highlight the professional expertise available through the LinkedIn Answers service.

U.S. Senator (IL) and 2008 Candidate for President of the United States Barack Obama will be posing the first of several feature questions to LinkedIn members today. Supporters are encouraged to join the Obama group on LinkedIn and add an Obama ‘08 digital bumpersticker to their LinkedIn profile.

Senator Obama will use LinkedIn Answers to communicate online with LinkedIn’s 14 million members. The Obama Campaign will use this as a way to engage business leaders in a discussion.

Originally posted on September 12, 2007 @ 10:24 am