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Mobio adds Twitter, other new widgets

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mobio.jpgMobio, a developer of mobile applications and widgets, announced today several new widgets tied into popular social media network sites. These widgets join over 50 other Web service mash-ups.

Twitter on Mobio will let others find out what users are thinking and doing in their own lives – via both text and images. Fans of Digg, a popular user-driven media and news websites, will let them view the most popular stories on the go using Digg on Mobio. With Kaboodle on Mobio, one can discover and recommend new things from fellow users with similar tastes and styles through the creation of customized shopping and wish lists.

Mobio has also released a free new widget designed to let users search for, organize and read their favorite blogs and news sites through a customizable mobile interface called My RSS.

Originally posted on July 2, 2007 @ 2:43 pm

MyBlackBook lets you track sexual history

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myblackbook.jpgYou track your checking account, book tickets and do your shopping online. How about keeping a history of your sexual partners? That’s part of the idea behind MyBlackBook, a service which has been around since 2005.

MyBlackBook, which recently passed 2,000 members, is designed to let its members track “their intimate relations and lead a safe, healthy and disease-free sex life through education and assessment.” The site keeps track of one’s sexual history, partners, and experiences. Through this data one can view statistics of their personal history in the form of real-time activity graphs, intimate partner reports and more. One feature in particular lets a member calculate the probability of obtaining several sexually-transmitted diseases, based on the prior sexual history of the user.

This “confidential and discreet” site reportedly keeps the data of its members secure, offering “advanced encryption standards such as AES, and all transmissions through MyBlackBook are aided by a 128-Bit SSL Secure Server.”

Originally posted on July 2, 2007 @ 2:28 pm

Filed Under: Web

Phonecasting brings podcasts to mobiles

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phonecasting.jpgPhonecasting.com launched its Web site today for the purpose of letting users create “phonecasting” episodes which can be listened to by others over the phone or as a download. Accounts are free for publishers.

The Phonecasting.com service works by having a publisher record a phonecast which can be made available in the Phonecasting directory by auto-generated RSS feeds. Subscriber options for dialup, download and streaming are available to web site members from a computer or mobile phone.

Phonecasting.com seems to have netted a few big name publishers already:

  • National Geographic News – 1 (415) 223-4135
  • “We’re Talking Elvis” with your host DJ Fontana 1 (650) 523-6817
  • TalkCrunch – 1 (831) 480-3920
  • Chicago Bites 1 (708) 543-3423
  • iPhone News 1 (510) 495-6368 +1 (510) 495-6368
  • Spanish Daily Word 1 (1 (718) 977-5932

It should be noted normal calling rates apply for calling any of these numbers.

Originally posted on June 29, 2007 @ 3:18 pm

iPhone research generates many searches

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As the final hours of an iPhone free world count down Internet research firm comScore released data related to U.S. search activity for the last few months about Apple’s hot gadget. This data in summary shows an average of 274,000 iPhone searches per week since the beginning of the year.

The study shows that through June 24 nearly 6.9 million searches were conducted which include the term “iPhone.” The most commonly searched for related topics included iPhone price and iPhone release date. When the product was first announced in January iPhone searches hit over 1.1 million during the first week alone, settling down to a smaller range in the weeks following. After Apple did a big advertising push earlier this month search results jumped back over 1.2 million for the week ending June 24.

“The iPhone launch is likely to be one of the biggest product launches in history, and the activity we’re seeing online clearly reflects widespread consumer interest,” said James Lamberti, senior vice president of search solutions at comScore. “This study also helps underscore the significant role search plays in both online and offline retail, since many of those researching the product online will be lining up at the bricks-and-mortar retailers to purchase their new iPhones.”

comscore-iphone.jpg

Originally posted on June 29, 2007 @ 2:40 pm

Toshiba pushing Web-enabled HD DVDs

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hd-dvd.jpgToshiba said today the next generation DVD format it backs – HD DVD – will begin offering new titles which offer Web-enabled network capabilities. The goal of this new feature is to offer a higher degree of interactivity for HD DVD users.

Folks who update the firmware on their Toshiba HD DVD players, the consumer electronics company said, will find their device now supports improved network connectivity for downloading web-enabled network content. Going through the Ethernet ports one will be able to download and store bonus features or unlock content on the disc which requires a downloadable key. HD DVD owners will also be able to upload content and interact with content providers.

Web-enabled network content became available on June 26 with the launch of Bandai Visual’s anime title “Freedom” volume 1. This title is the first HD DVD anime title available in the United States, the first web-enabled network content disc and the first “twin format” disc (featuring both HD DVD and DVD on one side of the disc).

Originally posted on June 29, 2007 @ 3:01 pm