Ok this is irrelevant

Ummm... Britney Spears new album comes out today... It's damn near perfect... I think it's funny how I normally listen to NPR on the way to work, but this week I'll be blasting electro pop in my ear...

Hey, I said it was irrelevant.

Yahoo Opens Up

Yahoo is doing a big thing today. It's starting to link to outside sources. A large appeal to Yahoo is that it suggests content to read or watch. It's built whole areas of interests like Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News, or its new Yahoo OMG enertainment site. These links have one thing in common... The content is produced by Yahoo!

Not anymore. Yahoo can now link to anything (at least anything selected by the editors).

Will this make Yahoo more competitive? Is it ignoring the trend toward letting users rank content and the higher ranks get the spotlight (Like Digg)?

Only time will tell.

Is Twitter the New Blog?

It's funny. At first, I thought twitter was really stupid. People's twits (one or two sentence blogs) seemed unimportant, irrelevant to what I was interested in, and lacked any substance. Why would I want to waste my time reading what some random person in the middle of nowhere is doing? Well, the answer is I wouldn't. That doesn't mean twitter isn't great.

I've started to develop a group of people I follow (respectable people) and the end result is I learn about news that is relevant to me faster than a non twitter reader would.

It reminds me of the days when blogging just took off. Lots of junk. But when you find someone with substance, it's worth it.

Back to Russian

I've definetly strayed away from my russian studies this summer. Now that Fall is here, I really want to jump right back in. I just revisted one of my old favorite sites MasterRussian.com and looked around. I really havn't forgotten that much, but I still feel a little rusty.

Russian is just one of the richest most interesting languages to study. I really do love it. In fact, I wouldn't mind spending my evening tonight with a nice cup of tea and my russian grammer books.

The first true Web 3.0 Website?

The net is buzzing about the first web 3.0 website... twine.com (will launch beta version soon)

Will the the way we interact with the internet continue to improve? You bet. Is Twine the next Google? No clue, but I did register to participate in the beta testing group.

Their website even crashed because so many people were trying to register at the same time.

Exciting stuff I say.

Finally, Skype Moves Into Social Networking

It's about time those execs at e-bay who bought Skype figured out how to make a little money off this great service... by partnering with Myspace.

I'm no fan of Myspace, but the move is still a good direction for Skype.

You would think a free online phone service would seem like a perfect fit for social networking. It is. I just wonder why it wasn't done sooner. If you see a "friend" online, you could instantly call to chat. It's a Mash-up that creates synergy.

Maybe the reason Skype chose Myspace over Facebook (which is 100 times better than Myspace) is because Myspace has a more international user base. I wonder if the deal bans Skype from working with other social networks. If it does, then Skype better make some good money off this deal cause it makes sense for them to head in the social network direction as much as possible.

The Perfect Buy

Discover Communications, which own TLC, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel just purchased HowStuffWorks.com for 250 million dollars.

Could this be a better move? The impending convergence of TV and Online Media will happen (granted, it may take 10 years). For this reason, it's vital that traditional media invest in online aquisitions that will create synergy.

HowStuffWorks is a perfect marriage to the Discovery Channel. With the importance of video in the web 2.0 world we live in, you can bet that HowStuffWorks.com will soon have a mountain of video to add to it's content. On the other hand, HowStuffWorks will surely drive traffic to the Discover Channel.

Synergy. It's what E-Bay lacked when it gobbled up Skype.

Blog Action Day

Today is "Blog Action Day." Bloggers are suppose to write about activism and all that good stuff. The topic couldn't be better... the environment! It's an issue near and dear to my heart.

I'm going to be honest. I'm not that excited about it. While I admit I love the concept of blogging, I really don't think blogging is the whole answer. My generation is way too dependent on online activism.

May I suggest action. This could include... car-pooling to work today (or better yet take the Bus or ride your bike), trading in all your old light bulbs for those fancy smancy energy efficient ones, or go to an actual environmental rally.

Sometimes I wish young people did more than just write, but took a little action.

Congrats to Al Gore

Congrats to Al Gore... If any democrat deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, he does. He is a true leader.

How I Get My Information

Where do you get your information?

When I was a kid I got information via my parents and TV. When I got into High School, I discovered the New York Times. In college, I absorbed information from professors, campus groups, and national newspaper.

What about after College? Learning certainly doesn't stop when you graduate, but it does evolve.

I spend more time at the library now that I have graduated (checking out books). I read blogs more and more everyday (about business). I get most my political and world news via podcast (usually from NPR and the Wall Street Journal in the Morning Show). I read more magazines because now I can afford to subscribe to them (usually the Economist). I don't read specific Newspapers anymore, just my favorite columns via RSS Google Reader (Paul Krugman is my favorite). And finally, I don't watch an ounce of TV (besides DVDS).

Times change. I wonder what's next.

The Value of Skype

There has been so much talk lately about the value of Skype. Just because E-Bay has de-valued Skype does not mean this amazing technology is all hype.

I just don't think Skype and E-Bay are a perfect match. I love Skype. I use it everyday and it saves me TONS of money.

The value of Skype will be seen later as more and more people catch on to Skype and people become more and more scattered through out the world.

It's only a matter of time. As globalization continues to accelerate, Skype's true value will become apparent.

Now, somebody just needs to find a better way to make revenue off of Skype.

The Best Movie of the Summer

I've been to a lot of movies this summer. What's the best one?

Across the Universe. You might have heard about it. It's that musical with the Beatles songs. It's incredibly artfull, thought provoking, and filmed in a unique way.

There are a lot of movies that try to capture the 60's. This one does just that. I can't wait to buy it on DVD.

On another note, I'm going to go see the next Elizabeth this Thursday at Midnight, which I'm very excited about. The first Elizabeth is one of my all time favorite movies.

You can keep Naperville

Ugh... I went to Naperville this weekend... It's a half way point between my parents and I.

I don't know how people survive there. There is no inspiration or creativity what-so-ever. Everything is the same. The buildings are one story, flat, dull, and way too big. On top of that, all the houses look the same. Yuck.

I don't know how anyone can feel creative or alive in a place like that.

I hurried back to Chicago that same night. Give me my small, cramped, unique little hole in the wall apartment anyday.

RSS is Magic

I added some buttons next to my blog. You can now add my blog to your Technorati Favorites and, if you use Google Reader, you can add it to that with a simple click.

I just discovered RSS a little bit ago and really love it. Imagine cutting the number of e-mails you read by 3/4! That's what RSS does. Like e-mail it helps bring the web to you. But instead of recieving e-newsletters (Which I use to use to keep myself on the up and up), you just subscribe (or unsubscribe) to feeds about the topics your interested in. It's main advantage over e-mail is that it is so much faster to read.

If you don't use it... start... Click Here To Go To Google Reader... and play around a bit. You'll love it.

Is Yahoo Search Back In the Game?

I use to use Yahoo Search instead of Google. One of my main e-mail addresses (AustinNeaves@yahoo.com) is on Yahoo, so using the search engine seemed logical. In fact, I would say that the products offered by Yahoo are their best way to ensure that people use their search engine (That, and actually improving the quantity of the results). Yahoo mail is definitely better than gmail (which I also have... AustinNeaves@gmail.com). However, many of Yahoo's other products aren't nearly as good.

It wasn't until I started building websites and learning about search-engine optimization that I saw the light and have switched over to Google (It really is that much better). Plus, Google has Google Reader and I am far more dependent on RSS feeds than e-mail anymore.

My experience is pretty normal. Google Search is the giant of search. The overwhelming majority of people use Google when searching. People abandoned Yahoo, Alta Vista, MSN, and Ask for Google.

So how are they fighting back? Yahoo just changed their search engine in a big way. For one, Yahoo now offers suggestions as you type (it's cool) and it searches much better.

When I use to search for my name on Yahoo nothing came up... at least now something comes up. Google, however, delivers better results... Sorry Yahoo... Good effort...Keep trying.

How Can I Write Better Code?

I try and read one book a week. I just finished a book about improving your ability to job search, and have decided to read another technology book. I picked up a book on Web Design.

The thing about it is, it's a really complicated book designed for an advanced user. While I can write code, I'm no expert. I'm looking for a book for a medium level coder. The Basic HTML and CSS books are too easy, but I'm not quite ready to dive into the really hard stuff. So, that's what I'm doing right now... looking for a good medium level Web book on Amazon.com

Oh, and I registered on Technorati.com today. More to come about that.

Where do you buy your music?

The distribution of music is changing so rapidly that it's hard to keep up. Personally, I get all my music from either MP3Sparks or iTunes.

I don't even remember the last CD I actually bought. It's probably been at least four years. Downloading is so much easier.

As far as pirating songs, I sometimes use Cabos, which is an open source peer-to-peer software program for the Mac. It's nice to find singles that I would like to listen to (and since I have a Mac, I don't really worry about downloading a virus like I use to on my Windows PC). However, if I like a single, I usually want to listen to the whole album and peer-to-peer networks aren't very good for that.

If that's the case, I would turn to buying the music. I have two choices

MP3Sparks is my first choice. It is a clone of AllofMp3.com, which was closed down because Visa and MasterCard stopped doing business with them. In fact, they are owned by the same person and even look exactly the same. It's basically a Russian owned company that hides behind Russian copyright laws (which means they ignore international copyright laws). The end result is that you can buy a whole album for a dollar or two. The tracks are DRM free, which is the real plus. The downside is definitely the ethical concerns.

iTunes is something everyone knows about. It's main advantage is that it's easy to use. However, the horrible part about iTunes is they use DRM technology (which means you are limited in the number of copies you make). Might not sound bad, but it can be annoying if you have more than one computer, like making a hard copy backup or frequently burn music for friends and family.

There are other alternative like Walmart.com (cough... redneck) or the new AmazonMP3 service (which I am going to try next).

I usually go with MP3Sparks if my moral conscious can handle it (which it can). If iTunes switched to a DRM free format, then I'd probably use them more.

Is Apple Losing Focus?

I'm a big fan of all things Apple. I use their computers, I bought an iPhone, and I download my music from iTunes. I'm an Apple centric early adapter who has been like that since I can remember. However, as Apple grows in market share I really feel like it's going to lose focus on what's made it special.

Apple has always stood as the smart alternative. I always got a little bit of joy taking out my iBook at a coffee shop, knowing I carried a superior product. I had a product with better customer service, more intuitive design, a sleek look, and better functionality.

However, with the roll-out of the iPhone, I really feel like Apple is starting to slip. Believe me, the iPhone is way ahead of it's time. However for the price I payed for it, it should be. I expected that Apple would treat the iPhone like their previous products. Not so.

First, the customer service sucks. My touch screen stopped working on the bottom of the phone while I was on vacation. Apple Customer Service was rude and unhelpful. They even charged me 30 dollars to provide a temporary phone for a few days. Not cool. I wasn't thrilled that I spent 600 dollars on something that didn't last a month and then had to pay a fee to have a rental phone while mine was getting fixed.

Next, they cut prices on the iPhone. Bad move (and yes the rebate did help a little, but not much). The whole reason early adapters bought the phone was because it was a status symbol (along with a phone way ahead of it's time). Cutting prices was a direct insult to all the early adapters. I was very disappointed.

Now, that the recent update to the iPhone has left so many phones disabled, I can't help but notice how much they are slipping. Sure, their products have a chance to gain widespread acceptance. But, as they do, Apple is losing what it use to do so well.

Eventually a pretty design won't cover up the widespread disappointment in quality and more importantly customer service. I just feel like they are angering their core base and those are the people who made them who they are today.

I wonder who will fill their spot?

I'm still an avid Apple fan, simply because the alternative (Microsoft) is so much worse.