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Blogger in draft: beta testing video upload

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Blogger released today an experimental version of the site where anyone can try out new blogger features before they’re fully released: The Blogger in Draft. And they’re calling it such because “the features are almost ready for publishing, but not quite.”

Blogger in Draft

Introduced along with Blogger in draft is their exciting new feature, the video upload, which will be hosted by Google Video. WIth this new feature, bloggers can embed videos within their posts with just a few clicks, and without using third party video sites such as YouTube.

There was no mention yet as to when the new video feature is going to be released in full.

Know more about Blogger in draft here.

Originally posted on June 15, 2007 @ 7:02 am

Social networking, blogs and gaming sites click with Canadians

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The popularity of social networking and blogging among Canadian Internet users is not limited to teens and young adults, as a new poll by TNS Canadian Facts suggests that a sizeable number of middle-aged surfers are frequenting these types of web sites.

The poll found that online teens and young adults are the heaviest users of social networking sites, with 83% of 13-17 year olds and 74% of 18-29 year olds having visited at least one such site. Not surprisingly, older people are less likely to have spent any time on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, but the incidence is still quite high among middle-aged and older online Canadians. Six in 10 people in their 30s have visited at least one social networking site and 45% of those in their 40s have done so. Among those 50 years and older, one-third claim to have visited such a site.

While less interactive, blogs also are a key communication tool. Half (50%) of online Canadians use blogs, with teens and young adults between 18 and 29 the most likely to access them (73% and 64%, respectively). The most popular types of blogs are focused on entertainment/gossip, technology, and sites dedicated to specific hobbies. Less popular blogging topics include politics, fashion, and sports. [Read more…]

Originally posted on June 12, 2007 @ 10:46 pm

Jupitermedia acquires user-generated sites

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jupitermedia.jpgJupitermedia Corporation announced that it has acquired the assets of AdsOfTheWorld.com and CreativeBits.org. Both Web sites provide user-generated content for the creative and design communities and have a robust following with over 1.0 million unique monthly visitors combined.

AdsOfTheWorld.com is an advertising archive and community site that showcases the best and most interesting advertising worldwide. The site functions as a meeting place for creative professionals to see what their colleagues are up to and to inspire new ideas. Community-related features include a forum section as well as a blog. Membership is free and provides access to site features not available for non-registered guests.

Creativebits.org is a professional blog and community site for graphic designers working on Mac OS X. Its objective is to provide graphic designers a professional forum where they can share tips and tricks, follow up on industry events and ask for help and critique from fellow members.

“We’re very excited to be adding these two rapidly growing creative community-driven sites to our Graphics.com network. A key driver to commercial success of any online business is having direct access to the related professional communities,” stated Alan M Meckler, Chairman and CEO of Jupitermedia Corporation.

Originally posted on June 7, 2007 @ 6:23 am

EatonWeb, a blog directory that matters

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EatonWeb Blog DirectoryFinally, a blog directory that provides valuable information to blog owners and blog advertisers, and not simply a directory submission site that just passes link juice and collects submission fees.

With hundreds of sophisticated link farms that post up as directory submission sites, Ryan Carldwell and his team developed a blog directory “that matters”, in its pursuit to help bloggers, advertisers, and SEOs to acquire not only valuable links but quality blogs and content too.

EatonWeb organizes blog categories by strength and momentum, allowing blog owners to monitor their blog’s progress and to set concrete goals. More so, it also provides detailed information for blog advertisers and buyers that allows them to evaluate the quality and value of a blog.

By continuously improving its measurements, features, and services, the developers of EatonWeb aspires to be among the most valuable blog directories in the net, following the likes of Best of the Web, Blog Flux and Blog Catalog. It comes with a neat and user-friendly interface too, making your blog search and monitoring more pleasureable. Best of all, submissions are free. So head over EatonWeb and submit your blogs today.

Originally posted on June 6, 2007 @ 11:59 pm

Duo releases PHP social network platform

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socialengine.jpgAlex Benzer and Charlotte Genevier, two college-aged software entrepreneurs hailing from Webligo, a budding Pasadena-based company specializing in web-based software development, have released a new social networking platform called SocialEngine. The aim is straighforward: to give individual webmasters and small organizations a comprehensive yet simple way to build social networks.

SocialEngine is a PHP-based white-label social network platform that installs a full-featured social network on your website. Like other products, it includes most of today’s popular features such as blogs, photo and video albums, interest groups, and so forth. What makes SocialEngine unique is its unprecedented extensibility and customizability. While other products give you cookie-cutter designs and an overwhelming mound of features for users, SocialEngine offers simplicity, ease of use, and complete control over the appearance and functionality of your social network. The developers designed SocialEngine to highlight your unique concept instead of the platform itself. In that vein, SocialEngine is the only product of its kind that does not force any copyright statements or branding on the visible areas of your social network.

Another unique aspect of SocialEngine is its capability to have “subnetworks.” SocialEngine automatically sorts your users into these subnetworks depending on the rules you (the administrator) have set. For example, you can organize users by age, location, profession, university, and so forth. Smart administrators will use this feature to show highly-targeted advertisements to their users, generating above-average advertising returns.

Originally posted on June 6, 2007 @ 3:09 am