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VideoSurf rides surging Web video wave

And the boss couldn't be happier.

"When I see that, I know they're doing their job," says Lior Delgo, CEO of VideoSurf, a new website with a singular mission: to make finding and consuming online videos faster and more intuitive.

Say you're eager to see Kate Winslet cry at the Golden Globes. Punch her name into most video search engines and you'll get clips of that teary acceptance speech, which you'll have to troll through to find the moment of her unraveling.

Search with VideoSurf which has been in development for more than a year and launched a public beta version in October and you get that same clip with a detailed timeline stretching across the screen like an unrolled piece of 35mm film. Want just the weepy part? Find it in the timeline, click, and Winslet bawls.

Powering VideoSurf's technology are facial recognition algorithms (developed by the team's Israeli-born founders) that map and store the distinguishing characteristics. The profiling is so detailed "it can easily tell the difference between Sarah Palin and Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin, based on things such as the measured distance between the eyes," says Eitan Sharon, VideoSurf's chief technology officer.

Among other benefits of this approach is that searches won't be thrown by phony videos with tags bearing the only subject's name the typical way search engines find videos, which allows scammers to draw consumers to unrelated footage.

"The current user experience is claustrophobic," says Delgo, who previously sold a travel search-engine company to Yahoo. "People are consuming more and more video, but they want a less frustrating and more targeted experience."

Those innocent days of 2005, when the boys at YouTube dared suggest that people might want to screen the occasional online video, now seem quaint. In November, 12.7 billion videos were watched, up 34% over November 2007, according to research firm comScore. The length of time we watch each is creeping up as well, from 2.7 to 3.1 minutes. "That's due to a trend toward long-form, professional video, namely network shows found online," says Andrew Lipsman, comScore's director of industry analysis.

"That's the new trend, because by showing such programming online, you have a chance to get that 18- to 34-year-old demographic, which is getting tougher to reach on television," he says. "For anyone working in video search right now, the potential is tantalizing."

Among the companies in this burgeoning field are North Carolina-based Digitalsmiths (whose technology, which is used exclusively to power searches on sites such as WB.com, also uses visual recognition software) and San Francisco-based Blinkx (whose site presents the findings of searches in an innovative wall-of-TVs format for easy scanning).

"The problem with YouTube (search) is that the uploader has complete control of how the clip is tagged, which can be misleading," says Blinkx founder Suranga Chandratillake. "We're still trying to find the very best way to present the results of video searches to consumers. But at least we know that the interest is there."

All the clip-watching going on at VideoSurf, whose investors include the likes of Al Gore, is linked to efforts to broaden the number of offerings on the site. Currently, 23 staffers have indexed videos from about 80 sites, from YouTube to Hulu.

Fiddling with VideoSurf is habit-forming. For one, there's the ability to not just e-mail clips to friends, but to select the precise minutes or seconds you want to share, although the recipient has the option to catch the rest of the clip.

VideoSurf also offers a feature called Fan Pages, which showcases videos of searched subjects, related news and blog posts and wide filtering options.

Delgo says he is close to figuring out how to turn a profit off his service, but remains coy. "It won't be ad-supported in the traditional sense," he says. But one thing is certain: Clips will not be interrupted by ads. "Our philosophy is you can't get in the way of the user's video experience."

Reuters - Google launches software to track mobile users

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Google launches software to track mobile users

Thursday, Feb 05, 2009 3:21AM UTC

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Google Inc released software on Wednesday that allows users of mobile phones and other wireless devices to automatically share their whereabouts with family and friends.

Users in 27 countries will be able to broadcast their location to others constantly, using Google Latitude. Controls allow users to select who receives the information or to go offline at any time, Google said on its website.

"Fun aside, we recognize the sensitivity of location data, so we've built fine-grained privacy controls right into the application," Google said in a blog post announcing the service.

"You not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see."

Friends' whereabouts can be tracked on a Google map, either from a handset or from a personal computer.

Google's new service is similar to the service offered by privately-held Loopt.

Companies including Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, already offer Loopt's service, which also works on iPhone from Apple Inc.

Latitude will work on Research In Motion Ltd's Blackberry and devices running on Symbian S60 devices or Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile and some T-1 Mobile phones running on Google's Android software.

The software will eventually run on Apple's iPhone and iTouch and many Sony Ericsson devices.

In 2005, Google acquired, but subsequently shut down, a location-finding service that used text messaging to keep mobile phone users aware of their friends' proximity.

(Reporting by Ajay Kamalakaran, editing by Dan Lalor)

Reuters - Nine-year old whiz-kid writes iPhone application

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Nine-year old whiz-kid writes iPhone application

Thursday, Feb 05, 2009 2:46AM UTC

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - While most children his age sketch on paper with crayons, nine-year old Lim Ding Wen from Singapore, has a very different canvas -- his iPhone.

Lim, who is in fourth grade, writes applications for Apple's popular iPhone. His latest, a painting program called Doodle Kids, has been downloaded over 4,000 times from Apple's iTunes store in two weeks, the New Paper reported on Thursday.

The program lets iPhone users draw with their fingers by touching the iPhone's touchscreen and then clear the screen by shaking the phone.

"I wrote the program for my younger sisters, who like to draw," Lim said. His sisters are aged 3 and 5.

Lim, who is fluent in six programing languages, started using the computer at the age of 2. He has since completed about 20 programing projects.

His father, Lim Thye Chean, a chief technology officer at a local technology firm, also writes iPhone applications.

"Every evening we check the statistics emailed to us (by iTunes) to see who has more downloads," the older Lim said.

The boy, who enjoys reading books on programing, is in the process of writing another iPhone application -- a science fiction game called "Invader Wars."

(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

Portfolio Mobile - Google Execs on Trial in Italy

Google Execs on Trial in Italy





Ars Technica reports: Google's global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer is about to go on trial in Italy thanks to a questionable video uploaded by an Italian teenager in 2006. He and three other Google executives will appear before the Criminal Court of Milan Tuesday in order to face the charges, which include defamation and failure to exercise control over personal data. If the court finds them guilty, Fleischer and his colleagues could face prison time, all because of a video that was uploaded to their company's servers by someone else.

It all began in 2006 with a group of bored teenagers who had a video-capable cell phone. The teens decided to harass another youth with Down Syndrome, both verbally and by hitting him on the head with a box of tissues. They recorded video of the abuse and then put the video online using Google Video Italia.



The three-minute video itself had an extremely short lifespan on Google Video Italia; complaints were quickly lodged and it was pulled within a couple of hours. But an Italian Down Syndrome support group called Vivi Down apparently decided that it should never have appeared in the first place. The group filed a complaint that resulted in a two-year investigation; eventually, Milan public prosecutor Francesco Cajani agreed that the Google execs had violated Italian law by allowing the video to be uploaded in the first place.

At the time, the next series of events was just rumor, but Fleischer confirmed to the International Association of Privacy Professionals (via /.) that he was approached by law enforcement officials while he was en route to a speaking engagement at the University of Milan in January of 2008. The officers, who had been waiting for him, allowed him to do his talk before taking him to a deposition about the case.



According to Italian law, Internet service providers are not liable for content posted by users. However, Internet content providers are, in fact, held responsible for the content that they "publish"?this category includes TV and newspapers, and now, according to Cajani, Google. Obviously, Google disagrees with this differentiation. "We cannot agree with the concept that a tool can be blamed for the use that is made of it," a spokesperson told the IAPP.

Google has zero interest in letting this case set what would be a chilling precedent. The company is protected by safe harbor provisions in the US, but clearly faces a patchwork of local regulations overseas. The company will undoubtedly try to find something in EU laws that will both clear it in the Italian case and ensure that other countries in the Union can't hit it with similar charges.



For now, however, Fleischer and the three other executives are in for several months of proceedings before the court makes a decision on their fate. Google, for its part, has been compliant with Italian law and has responded to requests in a timely manner, and appears confident that things will go well. "We are confident the process will end in our favor," Google Italia's public policy counsel Marco Pancini said. If it doesn't, we could be looking at a chilling reality, one where operators of user-generated video sites could be held liable for videos posted by their users, possibly necessitating human screening of each upload.
by Jacqui ChengRelated Links
Italy May Go After Google Execs for Teen Vid
Google Fighting YouTube Blackout in China
Daily Brew: The Kremlin's Internet, "Dear Steven Jobs," Google's Maka-Maka...





(c) 2007 Portfolio. Powered by mLogic Media, Crisp Wireless, Inc.

the importance of hubris

the importance of hubris. the imbibititous nature of failure. the words write themselves. the sleave cannot help itself.

Reuters - Electronic Arts playing spy games with Ludlum books

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Electronic Arts playing spy games with Ludlum books

Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009 6:53AM UTC

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Electronic Arts has won an exclusive worldwide license from Ludlum Entertainment to create video games based on the works of author Robert Ludlum, including the popular Jason Bourne franchise.

The first game set to be released under the arrangement is based on the Bourne series and is in development at Uppsala, Sweden-based Starbreeze Studios, which worked on the "Chronicles of Riddick" games. Financial details of the multiyear deal were not disclosed.

A previous Bourne game was published by Sierra Entertainment.

Video game veteran Matt Wolf, the Ludlum estate's interactive creative adviser, will work with EA to oversee development of Ludlum games. He played similar roles with Gracie Films on a "Simpsons" game and with the Roald Dahl estate on a "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" game.

Ludlum, a prolific author of thriller novels, died in 2001.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

CNN - Daschle withdraws as HHS nominee

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Daschle withdraws as HHS nominee

Former Sen. Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a statement Tuesday from the White House.

Daschle had been fighting to save his nomination as HHS secretary following controversy over his tax records and questions over his work in a field that some consider lobbying.

In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Daschle said it was an honor to be chosen to lead the reform of America's health care system.

"But if 30 years of exposure to the challenges inherent in our system has taught me anything, it has taught me that this work will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people, and without distraction," he said.

"Right now, I am not that leader, and will not be a distraction. The focus of Congress should be on the urgent business of moving the president's economic agenda forward, including affordable health care for every American."

The Obama administration had stood by his side, and fellow Democrats lined up behind him, but Daschle's problems, coupled with other nominees' issues, gave critics ammunition to question President Obama's call for a "new era of responsibility."

The president said Tuesday he accepts Daschle's decision "with sadness and regret."

"Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged. He has not excused it, nor do I. But that mistake, and this decision, cannot diminish the many contributions Tom has made to this country, from his years in the military to his decades of public service. Now we must move forward, with our plan to lift this economy and put people back to work," Obama said in a statement.

Daschle's resignation came hours after Nancy Killefer's withdrawal as Obama's chief performance officer, a new post in the administration.

Officials said privately the reason for Killefer's withdrawal was unspecified tax issues. The much-touted post was designed to scrub the federal budget.

Daschle, the former Senate majority leader, apologized Monday for failing to pay his taxes in full. He said earlier he was "deeply embarrassed" for a series of errors that included failing to report $15,000 in charitable donations, unreported car service and more than $80,000 in unreported income from consulting.

Daschle recently filed amended tax returns and paid more than $140,000 in back taxes and interest for 2005-2007.

A New York Times editorial on Tuesday called for Daschle to withdraw.

The paper's editorial board particularly took issue with Daschle saying he identified the unpaid taxes in June but did not pay them until his nomination for the top post at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The editorial also criticized Daschle for generating a sizable income from health-related industries while working in the private sector.

"Mr. Daschle is another in a long line of politicians who move cozily between government and industry. We don't know that his industry ties would influence his judgments on health issues, but they could potentially throw a cloud over health care reform," the editorial said.

Shortly after news of the tax quandary broke, a number of Democratic senators released statements expressing their support for Daschle, including Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Charles Schumer of New York, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. In their opinions, Daschle identified the problem and corrected it.

Daschle's supporters said that given his record of three decades of public service, he was still the right man for the job.

"One cannot underestimate how widely admired Tom Daschle is in Washington for his integrity, for his public service. And many, many Democrats look to him as one of the favorite people. He's got a lot of support in this White House, starting with the president," said David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN.

Obama and Daschle have a longstanding relationship. Daschle endorsed Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in February 2007 -- nearly 11 months before the first contest. Daschle was also considered to be a contender for Obama's No. 2 spot.

Daschle also has a history with members of Congress. He represented South Dakota in the House of Representatives for four terms, and he served in the Senate for three terms. He was the Senate majority leader from June 2001 to January 2003, and was the minority leader before losing his re-election bid in 2004.

Daschle's work in his post-Senate years was also a point of contention on his path to confirmation.

After leaving the Senate, Daschle went on to serve as a special public policy adviser at the law firm Alston & Bird.

According to the firm's Web site, Daschle advised clients on "issues related to financial services, health care, energy, telecommunications and taxes."

His work, for which he reportedly made millions, seemed to contradict Obama's strict rules on lobbyists working in his administration.

Promising "a new era of openness in our country," Obama signed executive orders relating to ethics guidelines for staff members as one of his first acts in office.

"If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years," the president said.

The administration had defended its choice of Daschle, pointing out that he was not technically a lobbyist.

"If you're not registered to lobby, you can't be a lobbyist," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, according to Time.com. Time.com: When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist?

Daschle and Kellifer were not the first of Obama's nominees to come under scrutiny.

Before Tim Geithner was confirmed as treasury secretary, he was questioned over concerns involving his personal taxes and the immigration status of a former housekeeper.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also withdrew his nomination to be commerce secretary, citing the distraction of a federal investigation into ties to a company that has done business with his state.

Given Obama's pledge for "unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight and clear accountability," some said the controversy surrounding Obama's appointments are calling into question the president's vetting process.

"Mr. President, your picks to help run the federal government don't have to be perfect, but is it too much to ask that they pay like everyone else, to keep that same government functioning? And more importantly, that they don't wait until everyone, including you, is watching?" CNN's Campbell Brown wrote in a commentary. Read the commentary

Asked if the president is embarrassed by the slew of appointment problems, Gibbs was quick to negate that idea.

"No, I don't think that -- that we believe there's any problem in the vetting," Gibbs said Monday.

Reuters - Obama budget official withdraws for tax reasons

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Obama budget official withdraws for tax reasons

Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009 4:23PM UTC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's choice to oversee budget and spending reform, Nancy Killefer, withdrew her nomination on Tuesday because of tax reasons, according to a letter released by the White House.

"I recognize that your agenda and the duties facing your Chief Performance Officer are urgent," Killefer wrote in the letter to the president, asking for her nomination to be withdrawn.

"I have also come to realize in the current environment that my personal tax issue of D.C. Unemployment tax could be used to create exactly the kind of distraction and delay those duties must avoid."

Tax problems are plaguing Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader selected by Obama to spearhead U.S. healthcare reform.

(Reporting by David Alexander and Jeff Mason; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Reuters - IBM computer will have power of 2 million laptops

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IBM computer will have power of 2 million laptops

Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009 1:36PM UTC

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Seven months after IBM delivered the world's fastest supercomputer, it has announced an even speedier one with the computing power of 2 million laptops.

IBM said on Tuesday it is developing the technology for its new Sequoia computer, with delivery scheduled in 2011 to the Department of Energy for use at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Sequoia will chug along at 20 petaflops per second and is one order of magnitude quicker than its predecessor. The earlier machine, delivered in June to the Energy Department, broke the 1 petaflop barrier.

Peta is a term for quadrillion and FLOP stands for floating point operations per second.

Sequoia, and a smaller computer called Dawn, are being built in Rochester, Minnesota, for use in simulating nuclear tests. IBM says they can also be used for complex tasks like weather forecasting or oil exploration.

IBM says Sequoia will be highly energy-efficient for the job it does but even so will occupy 96 refrigerator-sized racks in an area the size of a big house -- 3,422 square feet (318 square meters).

(Reporting by David Lawsky, Editing by Sandra Maler)

Phelps?

how is it they catch Phelps smokeing the ganja and not yardman bolt. c'on bolt, represent, don't let the yankee outdo you on this one!