LiveUniverse Buys Another Loser: Peerflix Jason Kincaid Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:01:21 -0000
We're getting reports that Peerflix, the tumultuous company that switched from acting as a DVD-swapping service to an ad network, has been acquired by Brad Greenspan's LiveUniverse for an undisclosed amount (though we're guessing it's pretty low). We've asked LiveUniverse to comment.
Peerflix was founded in 2004 as a "peer-to-peer Netflix", helping users to swap DVDs they owned for a dollar. The site abandoned the flat fixed pricing scheme for a demand-based model in 2006, but that didn't work well either: in November 2007 it decided to launch a media network that had nothing to do with its original DVD swapping service. Peerflix finally canned the DVD trading business earlier this year, so Live Universe is acquiring it solely for its ad network.
Shasta Ventures Expands Team Michael Arrington Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:18:23 -0000 Shasta Ventures, a venture fund managing $460 million and investments in startups like Mint, Flock and Turn, has promoted Jason Pressman to Managing Director and added a new associate, Evan Liang, to the team. SideTaker: Crowdsourcing Your Private Disputes, With Hilarious Results Jason Kincaid Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:45:19 -0000
Every couple has its ups and downs, but most people try to keep their dirty laundry to themselves. But what about those times when you just can't come to an agreement with your significant other?
Today sees the launch of SideTaker a site that asks couples to upload both sides of their arguments and let the crowd settle their debates. SideTaker members can vote on which side they agree with, or leave comments to ask for further details or voice their opinions. The site is hilarious. Disputes range from cheating spouses to toilet flushing, oftentimes filled with more detail than anyone would want to know.
MyAWOL Becomes LP33.TV, Launches IMDB For Musicians Jason Kincaid Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:35:19 -0000
Last July I wrote about MyAWOL, a web-centric music label looking to compete with traditional labels, which are becoming increasingly less relevant as artists turn to digital distribution methods to gain exposure. While the site has the potential to break some new ground in the online music world, it has run into a major snag during its buildup to launch: its name sounds almost exactly like My.AOL when spoken aloud.
In light of this, the company has decided to rename the site to LP33.TV, which should hopefully be less confusing. LP33 is more memorable, but I think the company should consider dropping the .TV extension entirely since they already own the .com.
Along with the name change, LP33.TV is also launching its database for music industry professionals, TheMIDB, which hopes to fulfill the same role as the movie and television industry's popular IMDB. The derivative name will probably confuse just about everyone, but at least it makes the site's purpose clear. Tatango Opens Their Group SMS Service To The Public Greg Kumparak Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:35:06 -0000
Tatango, the ad-supported group SMS service previously known as networkText, spent the last few months in a private beta following a functional and visual overhaul and a round of funding by Bellingham Angel Organization. Now everyone is free to get in on the group texting good times; they’ve opened the doors to the public.
The service is dead simple to use, as it should be. I made the jump from accountless bum to en masse messaging mogul in all of about 2 minutes. Google’s Picasa Moves Onto Flickr’s Turf: Adds Ways To Explore Interesting Public Photos Erick Schonfeld Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:21:40 -0000
On the heels of a major upgrade earlier this week that added facial recognition and video-editing features to its Picasa photo management service, Google added a new Explore page today that shows off the most popular public photos uploaded by members. In addition to the featured photos, shown in a 3 X 4 grid, the Explore page also shows the most recent photos uploaded in a slide-show widget. Below, it offers a list of the most popular tags. For instance, here are pictures tagged "New York."
The Picasa Explore page also has a Where In The World? game that is mashup opf geotagged photos and Google Maps. It shows you a photo and you have to guess where it was taken. If you guess wrong, it tells you how far off you are in kilometers. This is fun for outdoor photos, but when people upload geotagged photos of a generic apartment of a plate of food, it can become tricky.
ENN Investing and Corporate Social Responsibility
Study Suggests Carbon Market Encourages Chopping Forests The current carbon market actually encourages cutting down some of the world's biggest forests, which would unleash tons of climate-warming carbon into the atmosphere, a new study reported Monday. Technology Companies Tout Greener Credentials, but Significant Improvements Are Distant With energy costs high and environmental friendliness making for good public relations, more tech companies are touting ways they are "greening" data centers, which serve up Web pages, swap Internet traffic, and process and store business information.
Westinghouse Seals Mega China Nuclear Deal U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric signed on Tuesday a multi-billion-dollar deal with Chinese partners to build four nuclear reactors in eastern China, finalising a pact agreed between Beijing and Washington seven months ago.
The Financial Page
James Surowiecki: What drives market volatility? James Surowiecki Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000 American investors are frazzled. True, oil prices have fallen from their most vertiginous highs, the dollar is a bit stronger, and the stock market has actually risen over the past month. But none of those things have happened in a smooth and steady fashion. The stock market’s “ascent,” in particular . . . James Surowiecki: Too many stakeholders can be a deal-breaker. James Surowiecki Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000 In the second decade of the twentieth century, it was almost impossible to build an airplane in the United States. That was the result of a chaotic legal battle among the dozens of companies--including one owned by Orville Wright--that held patents on the various components that made a . . . James Surowiecki: Sponsoring Recklessness James Surowiecki Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0000 When do the words “not guaranteed” actually mean “guaranteed”? Whenever the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are involved. The two companies have long been required to tell investors that their securities are not guaranteed by the federal government. But in the financial markets everyone has always assumed that . . .
Poverty: The bottom 1.4 billion Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:35:37 -0000 The world is poorer than we thought, the World Bank discoversCorrection to this articleIN APRIL 2007 the World Bank announced that 986m people worldwide suffered from extreme poverty—the first time its count had dropped below 1 billion. On August 26th it had grim news to report. According to two of its leading researchers, Shaohua Chen and Martin Ravallion, the “developing world is poorer than we thought”. The number of poor was almost 1.4 billion in 2005. ... Who runs the world?: Wrestling for influence Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:02:45 -0000 The post-war global institutions have largely worked well. But rising countries and growing threats are challenging their pre-eminence THE powerful, like the victorious, do not just write history. They grab the seats at the top tables, from the United Nations Security Council to the boards of the big international economic and financial institutions. They collude behind closed doors. They decide who can join their cosy clubs and expect the rest of the world to obey the instructions they hand down. That is how many outsiders, not just in the poor world, will see the summit that takes place from July 7th to 9th of the G8, the closest the world has to an informal (ie, self-appointed) steering group. Leaders of seven of the world’s richest democracies, plus oil-and gas-fired Russia, gather this year in Toyako, on Hokkaido in northern Japan, to ruminate on climate change, rising food and energy prices, and the best way to combat global scourges from disease to nuclear proliferation. ... International government: What a way to run the world Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:02:45 -0000 Global institutions are an outdated muddle; the rise of Asia makes their reform a priority for the WestCLUBS are all too often full of people prattling on about things they no longer know about. On July 7th the leaders of the group that allegedly runs the world—the G7 democracies plus Russia—gather in Japan to review the world economy. But what is the point of their discussing the oil price without Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest producer? Or waffling about the dollar without China, which holds so many American Treasury bills? Or slapping sanctions on Robert Mugabe, with no African present? Or talking about global warming, AIDS or inflation without anybody from the emerging world? Cigar smoke and ignorance are in the air.The G8 is not the only global club that looks old and impotent (see article). The UN Security Council has told Iran to stop enriching uranium, without much effect. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is in tatters. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the fireman in previous financial crises, has been a bystander during the credit crunch. The World Trade Organisation’s Doha round is stuck. Of course, some bodies, such as the venerable Bank for International Settlements (see article), still do a fine job. But as global problems proliferate and information whips round the world ever faster, the organisational response looks ever shabbier, slower and feebler. The world’s governing bodies need to change. ...
International - Academy of Life Underwriting - Devoted to life, health, and disability underwriting and risk education. Associated with On the Risk Journal, the Association of Home Office Underwriters, and the Canadian Institute of Underwriting.
Meta Description: [ Academy of Life Underwriting devoted to Life, Health and Disability Underwriting and Risk Education. It is under the direction of the Education Committee of the Academy of Life Underwriting in association with, On the Risk Journal, the Association of Home Office Underwriters, and the Canadian Ins... ]
International - Life Office Management Association (LOMA) - A life and health insurance industry organization that provides training and services to operations management in the insurance and financial services industry. Includes a vendor directory.
Meta Description: [ LOMA is an association of over 1,250 insurance and financial services companies from more than 60 countries. We help members improve their management and operations through education, employee development, research, information sharing, and related products/services. ]
International - LIMRA International - A worldwide association of insurance and financial services companies, established to help its members improve their marketing and distribution effectiveness through research, consulting, products, and learning. [Spanish content available]
International - Million Dollar Round Table - Provides its members with resources to improve their technical knowledge, and sales and client service, while maintaining high ethical standards. Has membership of life insurance and financial services professionals in over 70 nations.
International Federation of Health Plans (IFHP) - A group of health insurers with one hundred member companies in 25 countries. Aims to assist in the maintenance of high ethical and professional standards throughout the industry.
Meta Description: [ The International Federation of Health Plans is a group of health insurers and is the leading global network of the industry ]
500Life Underwriting - Informal association of life and health insurance underwriters from around the world. Includes articles, news, forums, and links.
Malaysia - Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) - National association representing life insurance and reinsurance carriers. Includes list of members, activities and services, overview of the life insurance industry, and consumer-oriented information.
Meta Description: [ Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) or Persatuan Insurans Hayat Malaysia ]
National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) - National, non-profit membership organization of employer-based health coalitions that focus on value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers.
Uniformed Services Benefit Association (USBA) - Nonprofit organization providing life insurance and other financial services for active duty and former military members, veterans, and federal employees.
Meta Description: [ USBA provides affordable insurance to discharged and active military personnel, Federal employees, Veterans and their families. ]
USA - - Advancing Non-Profit Health Care - Organization aimed at increasing respect for the public value of non-profit healthcare institutions. Site includes news, list of sponsors, and an archive of magazine ads.
Meta Description: [ Advancing Non-Profit Health Care is an organization aimed at increasing respect for the public value of Non-Profit Healthcare Institutions ]
USA - - American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) - Independent, non-profit professional organization for professionals working in or serving the LTC insurance marketplace.
Meta Description: [ The National Association serving insurance and financial professionals who provide long-term care financing solutions. ]
USA - - American Council of Life Insurance (ACLI) - A trade association representing legal reserve life insurance companies conducting business in the United States. Includes members-only and consumers' areas. [not useable with all modern browsers]
USA - - Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI) - A research and advocacy association of insurers active in the individual, small group, medical savings account, and senior markets. Site includes organization news and information for consumers.
USA - - Group Underwriters Association of America (GUAA) - An individual (not corporate) membership organization which promotes the study, analysis, and discussion of all matters of mutual interest relating to the underwriting of group products.
Meta Description: [ GUAA is an individual (not corporate) membership organization which promotes the study, analysis and discussion of all matters of mutual interst relating to the underwriting of group products. ]
USA - - Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) - Represents the private health care system. Its 290 corporate members provide health, long-term care, dental, disability, and supplemental coverage to more than 100 million Americans.
USA - - Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA) - Goal is to strengthen trust and confidence in the life insurance industry. Site describes the organization, lists member companies, and contains an online copy of the Assessment Handbook.
USA - - National Association for Variable Annuities (NAVA) - Promotes the growth, acceptance, and understanding of annuity and variable life products. Site contains press releases, industry standardization efforts, conference schedules, and past editions of the Outlook newsletter.
USA - - National Association of Prudential Retirees and Vested Terminators, Inc. (NAPRI) - Independent organization with membership open to all retirees, vested terminators, and beneficiaries receiving retiree benefits, of the Prudential Insurance Company of America.
Meta Description: [ The NAPRI community website is intended for the use of Prudential retirees, employees and vested terminators as a source of communication and for sharing pertinent information about OUR pension plan benefits and other related information. ]
USA - - Society of Financial Service Professionals - Formerly the American Society of CLU ChFC, and still associated with The American College. Site includes information about the society, membership, educational opportunities, and an online store.
Meta Description: [ For more than 75 years, the Society of Financial Service Professionals has been helping individuals, families, and businesses achieve financial security. With their strong commitment to delivering only those financial products and planning services that are in their clients' best interests, the S... ]
USA - New Mexico Health Insurance Alliance - The Alliance is a non-profit organization created by the state legislature to provide increased access to voluntary health insurance for small businesses, self-employed and qualified individuals.
USA - New York - The Employer Alliance for Affordable Healthcare - An advocacy coalition of more than 1,200 employers, individuals, and local governments. Its objective is to fight state-mandated programs which benefit few but increase the cost of health insurance for small businesses.
USA - Rhode Island Society of Financial Service Professionals (RISFSP) - Dedicated to enhancing the competence of insurance and financial services professionals. Site includes information about the society, events, continuing education opportunities, agent qualification school, and membership.
In another night of attacking Barack Obama over his associations, Sean Hannity was confronted about his past relationship ...