Helzerman's Odd Bits

GigaTribe file sharing service launches in the US

oddbits — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:33:56 +0000

GigaTribe, the file sharing service with the worst tag line - “Opening your hard drive to your friends” (seriously) - has launched in the US. The service allows users to share photos, videos and other files with groups of people in a peer to peer environment. GigaTribe will hold its official US launch at the Euro Tech Showcase, November 18-19 in Redwood City, CA.

GigaTribe is offered free with the option of a GigaTribe “Ultimate” upgrade with more advanced features (such as faster downloads), priced at $29.95/year.

According to the company, photos and videos uploaded to GigaTribe remain in their original full size, and resolution and are not lowered for posting. The site also allows users to share complete file folders regardless of size and users can control access based on user groups. As part of the free service, businesses can opt to set up an Virtual Private Network (VPN) for added file security.

GigaTribe currently has over 900,000 users worldwide.

Kojack Meets Heroes on MySpace - Full-Length Content from Hulu, Warner Bros. With MySpace Primetime App

oddbits — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:19:55 +0000

MySpace today announced MySpace Primetime Application, an internally developed, free, app that allows users to to search for and watch premium content from Hulu and any of the +150 branded channels on MySpaceTV. All of the content is derived from a partnership with Hulu, Warner Bros, Sony and from MySpaceTV originals, such as Roommates and Special Delivery.

MySpace, one of the few social networks actually making money these days, will be offering this service as an ad-supported free download for all users. MySpace Primetime Application will be ad-supported through the many ad solutions on MySpace including companion display advertising, tickers, pre-roll, post-roll.

“The Primetime Application highlights how professional video content is being voraciously consumed across the MySpace ecosystem, not just within MySpaceTV,” said Jason Kirk, VP of Video & Entertainment for MySpace. “Video on MySpace flows throughout the network as there are multiple entry points where videos can be discovered, watched and shared including comments, bulletins and MySpaceTV. We believe the 76 million US users spending four hours on the site every month, and the advertisers that rely on our ad-solutions, will be happy with the flexibility of this application.”

A statement issued by the company today outlined how users can add the application to their profiles:

STEP 1: Visit http://www.myspace.com/primetimeapp

STEP 2: Click the “Add this App” button in the top right hand corner.

STEP 3: A pop-up box regarding placement and notification options appears. Users then choose where they want the application to be placed on their homepage or profile and how they want it to be updated, if at all. Once satisfied with their selections, users click “Add” to continue.

STEP 4: The application will then be added to the area the user indicated in the previous step.

STEP 5: ALL DONE! Users may now start using the application.

Good news – in addition to getting Heroes, 24, and 30 Rock, you can also get Buck Rogers and Kojack. How can you go wrong?

KLM Wants to Make Flying More Friendly with Traveler Social Network

Catherine Helzerman — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:49:01 +0000

Just when you thought airspace could not get more crowded, KLM and Air France have launched a social network to connect travelers with their fellow plane-mates. Bluenity is being marketed as a place to meet fellow travelers before getting on the plane, presumably to get a jump start on in-flight chit-chat.

With just about every flight oversold and services being cut right and left, an investment in an in-flight social network seems odd. Do people really want to get to know strangers on the plane? The last time I flew, thanks to sardine-like accommodations, the guy next to me was sitting closer than I used to let guys get on the second date. Had Bluenity been around, I would not have felt the desire to view his personal profile.

Air France and KLM believe that Bluenity will enable travelers to connect with new people on a deeper level, exchange hotel and restaurant recommendations, and share information on everything from travel destinations to business opportunities.

On Bluenity website, it is suggested that members use the network to share taxis from the airport with people they meet on the flight. That is dangerous advice, which hopefully no one will follow. Ironically, in the same section of the website where the taxi sharing is mentioned, Bluenity suggests sharing travel tips. Here’s a travel tip: don’t share a taxi with a complete stranger. Better yet, when you fly; listen to music or read a book.

Ontela does for mobile devices what Polaroid did for cameras - update

oddbits — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:13:04 +0000

You may have read the review I posted recently on Ontela’s picture transfer service, which is available from many mobile carriers. At the time I had asked the company if they had any interesting stories about how people were using the service. I was expecting to hear something cutesy about a parent at a graduation or something and figured it probably wouldn’t use it -but hey, no harm asking.

Well, their reply did not make it in time for the review, but it was interesting enough that I had to post it, which is why you’re seeing this update. Here’s the email I received from a vice president over at Ontela;

A year and a half ago, before we launched our first production service for Cellular South, our marketing plan was basically “send people phones so they can try it for themselves.” We must have mailed out something like 3 dozen RAZRs with Ontela software and sometimes it took some persistent follow-up to get the phones back after people used them for a month or more. I remember one time when a potential customer told us he was really sorry but he couldn’t find his demo phone. We scratched our heads for a day or two and then we thought of asking him if he was still getting any pictures on his PC. We thought “Who knows? Maybe a co-worker picked it up by accident.” He looked through his pictures and “surprise!,” someone neither of us knew had the phone and was taking some pretty ridiculous photos. We shut the account off the next day of course, but we also realized there was an extra feature in the service we hadn’t really planned on: built-in theft protection. If you’re a happy user of an Ontela-powered service and someone steals your phone, you can Email the photos that show up to the police and maybe even catch the guy. ? - Mike Arcuri, VP Product Management, Ontela

How many of you have dozens of great photos locked away in your phones, BlackBerries, and other devices? With most mobile devices now equipped with built in cameras, everyone is snapping photos. Photos at conferences. Photos on vacations. Photos of loved ones. Only a few, however, are actually showing those photos to anyone. Why? Because it’s a hassle. Who wants to deal with five different menu commands or peck at a tiny keyboard to email every photo? What if you have 20 photos? You have to email each one separately to yourself, then upload each photo to your Flickr account for your family that uses Flickr, and then there are your friends who read your blog, so that’s another upload, and don’t forget Facebook, and on and on.

At last a remedy. Ontela has launched a service that promises to do for digital photos what Polaroid did for traditional pics – set them free. Now, with a touch of a button, you can send a photo from your mobile device instantly to your email, blog, photo sharing site, and other networks simultaneously.

I tried this out for myself using a Motorola RAZR. Here’s how it works:

The Service:

Ontela sells its service to cell phone carriers which then offer it to the end user. Earlier this year, Ontela signed agreements with major carriers; Alltel, Cellular South, Cincinnati Bell, and nTelos. Over the Summer, the Seattle based company added partners including; Alaska DigiTel, Appalachian Wireless, Bluegrass Cellular, Carolina West Wireless, Cellcom, Cellular 29Plus/Lyrix Wireless, Golden State Cellular, Illinois Valley Cellular, Inland Cellular, Leaco Rural Telephone, Northwest Missouri Cellular, Panhandle Regional Wireless Network, Thumb Cellular, and United Wireless. Since new companies continue to be signed, it’s best to check out the Ontela site to see if your provider works with the service.

Partner Sites:

Customers are able to upload photos with a click of a button to partner sites including some of the most popular blog and photo sharing networks. Some of the companies that have signed on already include; Dot Photo, Facebook, Friendster, Kodak Gallery, Personal Grid, Picasa, SmugMug, TinyPic, Blogger, Flickr, Photobucket and Snapfish. As with phone carriers, new social networks and other sites are adding support, so this list could be out of date by the time you read this. The Ontela website will have the latest list of supported sites.

The Set up:

Either at the store or at home, customers can input information for any accounts they wish to add. The process is simple and not unlike the way one would add accounts for chat services that allow multiple clients. The interface has an easy, familiar feel that works well with the RAZR, which has a traditional “phone keyboard” (versus the qwerty setup on some devices). Here’s what the set up looks like:

Note: Ontela has worked with carriers to train in-store sales reps. In many cases the set up will be done for the customer when they purchase the phone.

My Experience:

Since my phone had Alltel as its carrier, I used Alltel Pic Transfer. Each service will be a little different, however the basic functionality and sites supported will be the same. As with all of the services, once I set up my account with my flickr, Photobucket, and email information, every time I took a picture it was automatically sent to each account. If I chose, I could even have the phone send photos to a specific folder on my notebook, such as myphotos. I took a quick walk around my neighborhood and snapped a few pictures.

Here is what my flickr site looked like when I arrived home:

The process was almost instant and I did not have to do anything other than simply take the picture. The photos you see above were taken about two blocks away from my house and by the time I got home (about a minute journey) they were already on my photo sites and in my email inbox. A photo I took inside my house took less than a minute to hit my inbox and I have a feeling the delay had more to do with my mail server than Ontela’s server (Photos take a quick trip to Ontela’s server and are then routed to the appropriate photo sites).

You would be surprised, but no one else is doing this. It’s a case of it being a lot harder than it looks and beyond the technical side, there is the partnering issues. As anyone who has spent any time in the telecommunications industry will tell you, signing up the laundry list of companies Ontela has on board is difficult and impressive -and then there is the small matter of getting the social networks on board, which Ontela has also done.

How to get it:

Check with your service provider to see if they offer picture transfer software. If so, the price will be $2.99 per month and can be purchased in stores, over the phone, or online on your carrier’s website. Alltel, for example, offers this link for quick purchase via their website which sends a text to your phone: The application also appears in the phone’s Axcess shop menu.

Webs Annoyance of the Week - Pop-ups Demanding Visitors Register

oddbits — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:00:39 +0000

Today I was visiting a website, Diversity Inc. with the intention of writing it up as a cool website of the day. Instead, it is an example of the annoyance of the week: websites that hide basic content behind very annoying pop-ups. It is understandable that a site would want people to register and participate in their community, however confronting new visitors with a huge pop-up saying “Want to avoid pop-ups?” is not likely to win over any potential members. Website developers might want to think about following the model of some newspapers, which serve an invitation to register after someone has clicked on a certain amount of articles, (usually three to five). I find pop-ups annoying in general and the new crop which are able to get around Firefox’s filters are really bad.

Take a look at the screen shot below of the site I was checking out tonight. I left after realizing that the pop-up could not be cleared without registering. Worse, the pop-up “followed me” around the screen making it impossible to read anything.

SportSims Announces That Franchise Football Simulation is Now Free

oddbits — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:46:01 +0000

Usually one hears about companies offering a product for free during a beta phase and then making it a for-fee product. In an unusual move, SportSims.net today announced that Franchise Football Simulation, formally $9.95 per month, is now free.

Franchise Football Simulation is an online football fantasy game that simulates every facet of a professional football franchise. The game takes about ten minutes to play –making it convenient for break time- and has features including; game plans, trades between team owners, and a live, online draft. According to SportsSims the game utilizes a precise simulation engine and statistical model which USA Today has used for predicting the Super Bowl for twenty years.

David Holt, Vice President of Development at SportSims said, “Here we are in 2008, and my biggest dream has been realized: that football fans around the world can play in organized leagues using their coaching and managerial savvy and lead their team to victory… for free!”

I don’t get the appeal of fantasy football personally, but companies offering popular products for free is always worth a mention.

Four Social Networks Connecting The Military to Families and Each Other

oddbits — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:52:21 +0000

This week, Army Veteran, Michael Aiesi, launched Armed Forces Community, a social network for the troops and their families. The site is free and allows users to create profiles, showcase ribbons and badges, post videos, create blogs and participate in forum discussions. Users can also search for others based on service background and zip code. The only draw back is that the site is not linked with iLink and therefore may not be accessible to some military personnel depending on where they are deployed.

iLink is not a social network. It is a sophisticated social network analytics technology from SRI International that has been integrated into online communities used by the military. On its website iLink writes about the military’s decision to bring social networking in-house:

It was only a year ago that the military shut down access to several social networking web sites, including MySpace and YouTube, to users of the military networks. However, that shutdown was not so much a criticism of the social networking technology itself - only the public nature of those “civilian” networks. Concerned that users would share secure information like schedules or locations (for example: “Hi Mom! We’re sailing into Dubai tomorrow!”), the military opted for a “better safe than sorry” policy. They also cited bandwidth concerns - sharing videos and photos can use a lot of bandwidth and not all areas of the world have much to spare.

According to the iLink website,

iLink is being used in the military communities to help recognize “who knows what” within a community, connect members to each other, and point members to valuable content, discussions, and others who share their same interests. Those connections between members and resources are made with iLink’s machine-based learning to model the users and the content in order to facilitate the information sharing.

The military is using iLink with at least three social networks. The first one links the troops with each other and their families. The last two are targeted toward specific audiences within the military.

Army FRG (Family Readiness Group) connects Army families to the troops and also connects military personnel to each other. The site has friendly social network features such as YouTube-style video email and discussion forums. Membership to this forum is strictly limited to Army personnel and their families. Members will be verified during the sign-up process. Information is available in the FAQ.

The following forums are closed to anyone not meeting the member requirements (specific ranks within the military) so the descriptions are direct copies from the front page, which is visible.

Platoon Leader - PL connects leaders in the experience to leaders with the experience, and enables future platoon leaders to prepare to lead more effectively. By joining PL, you are choosing to participate in a voluntary community of professionals who love leading Soldiers and who are committed to building and leading combat-effective platoons!

Company Command - CC is company commanders. We are a grass-roots, voluntary forum that is by and for the profession with a specific, laser-beam focus on company-level command. By joining, you are gaining access to an amazing community of professionals who love Soldiers and are committed to building combat-ready teams.

These sites focus on the Army. If you know of sites for other branches of the armed forces, please list them here. Helzerman’s Odd Bits is always happy to give a shout out to any sites supporting the troops so if you know of a site hosted by any branch and would like to have it featured in a separate post, send details in an email to editor@helzerman.com.

Google terminates advertising agreement with Yahoo!

oddbits — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:16:37 +0000

In an announcement this morning Yahoo! stated that Google has terminated the advertising agreement that it announced with Yahoo! earlier this year. The agreement had been in danger ever since the Justice Department threatened to block it.

From the Yahoo! announcement:

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced that Google has terminated the advertising services agreement the companies announced in June. Yahoo! continues to believe in the benefits of the agreement and is disappointed that Google has elected to withdraw from the agreement rather than defend it in court. Google notified Yahoo! of its refusal to move forward with implementation of the agreement following indication from the Department of Justice that it would seek to block it, despite Yahoo!’s proposed revisions to address the DOJ’s concerns.

Bmums.com: Social Networking for Mom

Carlos Cisneros — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:40:12 +0000

Are you trying to conceive or expecting a baby in the next few months? Perhaps you’ve been a mom for years already. Have you been awaiting a social networking site full of moms? Well, the wait is finally over.

BMums.com is a social networking site for women trying to conceive, pregnant and women who already are moms.

Started by Sinead Hoben, the mission of Bmums.com is “to share the trials and tribulations of motherhood… the sleepless nights, the things your kids say, the things you’ve learnt, the things you want to learn… and make lots of new friends along the way!” Many moms-to-be become part of the network since it provides a place where women who have already experienced pregnancy can offer sound advice and tips on raising their new born child. Bmums also offers a forum where you can post your experiences as a pregnant mother or any questions you might have for the more experienced moms. At a glance, some of the topics range from contraceptive pills, temper tantrums during pregnancy, to sex after pregnancy. Judging by member enthusiasm, its unique concept, and active membership; Bmums.com has strong potential.

Microsoft, Yahoo!, Western Union and African Combat Internet Lottery Scams

oddbits — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:00:30 +0000

For anyone who has ever asked, “Does anyone really fall for those lottery emails?” the answer is a resounding “Yes.” According to research commissioned by Microsoft on lottery scams, one in 44 Internet users has been a victim of Internet fraud in the last 12 months. Those who do not think they’re winning the Lottery may be victims of other variations of advance-fee fraud including inheritance “419” scams, lonely hearts, and a variety of opportunistic scams playing on disasters in the news (scams involving fake charities, abandoned travelers/workers, etc.).

Tim Cranton, associate general counsel for Worldwide Internet Safety Programs at Microsoft, said, “This online threat differs from those that try to exploit software code or attack computers. Lottery scammers prey not on software, but on the hope of their victims — and with scams that can be so creative and plausible, internet users simply don’t know whom they can believe. Microsoft is announcing this coalition with the African Development Bank, Western Union and Yahoo! today with the goal of helping to better ensure end-to-end trust in the internet for everyone.”

Much of the money changes hands through Western Union which has branches throughout the world.

“It’s a common perception that only naive and extremely gullible people fall victim to lottery scams. However, it can happen to anyone, especially those who are experiencing financial pressure,” said Christopher Fischer, senior counsel EMEASA, Western Union Financial Services.

Last week, Microsoft Corp, Yahoo! Inc, Western Union and the African Development Bank announced the formation of a coalition to raise global awareness among consumers of the threat posed by lottery hoax e-mails. Through this collaborative effort, the coalition members will educate internet users so they are better able to protect themselves against fraudulent activities online.

The companies provided detail in their announcement:

Lottery scammers often misappropriate or misrepresent established and credible brands to add authenticity to their hoaxes. The huge volume of e-mails they send coupled with the fact that their use of the internet enables them to transcend national borders makes it hard to understand the true scope and range of their activities.

To address this, victims of lottery scams that involve any of the coalition companies’ brands or services can report their experience to their local police authority. Interpol will communicate with national law enforcement agencies to inform them of the initiative and provide guidance on critical information to collect.

Victims will be invited to send a copy of the police crime report to the relevant coalition company member. Each company can then apply its own in-house investigative expertise in an effort to identify trends and common patterns, such as multiple scams emanating from the same geographic region.

“All four companies share a common interest in addressing cybercrime and online scams,” said William Godbout, chief security officer at African Development Bank. “There has been an exponential increase in the volume of online criminal activity using our trademark. Although there is no financial loss to the bank, these crimes impact our reputation and image. The reputation of African banking, of African development institutions and of the African continent in general are significantly jeopardized by the explosion in cybercrime falsely using African entities. With the assistance of our partners, in conjunction with both international authorities and local African law enforcement organizations, we will prosecute this criminal activity to the greatest extent possible.”

Victims of lottery scams can report cases by sending their police crime reports to the following dedicated and security-enhancedaddresses:
African Development Bank - security@afdb.org
Microsoft - lotfraud@microsoft.com
Western Union - spoof@westernunion.com

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