Spring is upon us once again (although I wonder after the snow of a few days ago). Here is a chance for “renewing” and being thankful for the many blessings that we have in this great country. Granted, there are problems and difficulties that confront many Americans each day, but we are much better off then the great majority in this world.
One of our blessings is the freedom that we can express in our daily lives. These blessing and freedoms should not be taken for granted. It is through the dedication and sacrifice of many Americans that we continue to be free, especially those that serve us in the military.
Our military personnel are the backbone in preserving the ideals that formed this country. My son recently returned safely from a year’s deployment in Iraq. Many sons, daughters, husbands and wives did not return safely. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice and many will be maimed for life. This sacrifice affects not only the individual, but also the spouses, children, parents and friends of each of them.
Being raised in a military family, with a father who served in the Army Air Corps in World War II, and in my service in the Vietnam War, I am especially proud of what our military does for each one of us.
But we as the general public need to not only wholeheartedly support our troops, but also do what we can to support our governmental officials.
Granted, sometimes our government may not do what we feel is the right thing or we may blame them for circumstances that we may not understand, but they deserve our support and respect just the same.
We can do our part by voting responsibly, obeying our laws that are enacted for our safety and protection, being considerate of our neighbors and communities and helping those who may be unable to help themselves.
We are one big community and need to support each other in our daily struggles and adversities and share in the joys and abundance of our lives.
We all need to give that extra amount of concern and love that is so dearly needed by each one of us. God bless America and the world.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Soapbox Racing to the top
Boy wonder Daniel Hefford has some pretty big boots to fill.
The 11-year-old is a student at Bruce McLaren Intermediate, the school named after one of the world's most famous racing car drivers.
Daniel has just won the national soapbox derby and will now represent New Zealand at the All American version in the United States in July.
Plenty of people at the school have drawn parallels between Daniel and McLaren - the youngest man to win a world championship Formula One Grand Prix event.
Teachers are quick to point out that Bruce McLaren pupils also came second and fourth at the national soapbox derby finals.
"They are all following in the traditions of a great racing driver," principal David Crickmer says.
The school holds a special assembly once a year to honour McLaren, who was killed, aged 32, on June 2, 1970, while testing a Can Am car at Goodwood motor circuit in Britain.
It is closely affiliated with a trust set up in his memory and receives regular visits from one of his sisters.
Its orchestra entertained family matriarch Ruth McLaren each year in the resthome where she lived until her death several years ago.
"We're all very proud of our links with Bruce McLaren," Mr Crickmer says.
Daniel looks forward to learning more about the great driver as his year progresses.
But first he's got a race to win.
He'll be heading to the big event in Akron, Ohio, with his father and avid supporter John.
"I'm really excited and I'll be on TV and radio," Daniel says.
The Rotary club of Waitakere City, organiser of the west Auckland soapbox heats, will mint a special metal badge for Daniel to swap with other racers.
It will also be selling the badges to help raise funds to cover travel expenses.
About 350 competitors are expected to take part in the race.
Other members of the Bruce McLaren team were Chayse James (second), Sahrenah Mullin (fourth), Lily Fityus, Stephanie Reynolds, Kyle Crummer, Maiwand Saeedi and Nathan Tauelima.
The 11-year-old is a student at Bruce McLaren Intermediate, the school named after one of the world's most famous racing car drivers.
Daniel has just won the national soapbox derby and will now represent New Zealand at the All American version in the United States in July.
Plenty of people at the school have drawn parallels between Daniel and McLaren - the youngest man to win a world championship Formula One Grand Prix event.
Teachers are quick to point out that Bruce McLaren pupils also came second and fourth at the national soapbox derby finals.
"They are all following in the traditions of a great racing driver," principal David Crickmer says.
The school holds a special assembly once a year to honour McLaren, who was killed, aged 32, on June 2, 1970, while testing a Can Am car at Goodwood motor circuit in Britain.
It is closely affiliated with a trust set up in his memory and receives regular visits from one of his sisters.
Its orchestra entertained family matriarch Ruth McLaren each year in the resthome where she lived until her death several years ago.
"We're all very proud of our links with Bruce McLaren," Mr Crickmer says.
Daniel looks forward to learning more about the great driver as his year progresses.
But first he's got a race to win.
He'll be heading to the big event in Akron, Ohio, with his father and avid supporter John.
"I'm really excited and I'll be on TV and radio," Daniel says.
The Rotary club of Waitakere City, organiser of the west Auckland soapbox heats, will mint a special metal badge for Daniel to swap with other racers.
It will also be selling the badges to help raise funds to cover travel expenses.
About 350 competitors are expected to take part in the race.
Other members of the Bruce McLaren team were Chayse James (second), Sahrenah Mullin (fourth), Lily Fityus, Stephanie Reynolds, Kyle Crummer, Maiwand Saeedi and Nathan Tauelima.
Microsoft suspends Soapbox beta
Microsoft has temporarily closed the door to new users of its Soapbox video sharing site, which was opened up to public beta just last month.
The software giant claimed that putting a hold on new accounts for the next two months will help it limit the amount of copyright-protected content being uploaded to the site.
The move will also give the firm an opportunity to tweak the filtering software used to automatically find and remove illegal uploads.
Soapbox now requires users to login using their Windows Live ID before they can watch or upload videos.
Microsoft said that it will be "opening the doors again very soon with some cool new stuff to try".
Alongside Soapbox's temporary restrictions came an announcement from Microsoft that it has reached an agreement to act as a distribution channel for NBC/Universal and News Corp.
"We were thrilled to be a part of these discussions from the start, and to share our vision for delivering easy access to great content for consumers while accommodating critical copyright and intellectual property protections," said Microsoft Platform and Services president Kevin Johnson.
"This partnership proves that we can do both and serves as a great foundation for future collaboration."
As well as manually removing copyrighted clips if notified by copyright holders, Microsoft will use Audible Magic's CopySense Network Appliance digital-fingerprinting technology to automatically find and block protected content.
The software giant claimed that putting a hold on new accounts for the next two months will help it limit the amount of copyright-protected content being uploaded to the site.
The move will also give the firm an opportunity to tweak the filtering software used to automatically find and remove illegal uploads.
Soapbox now requires users to login using their Windows Live ID before they can watch or upload videos.
Microsoft said that it will be "opening the doors again very soon with some cool new stuff to try".
Alongside Soapbox's temporary restrictions came an announcement from Microsoft that it has reached an agreement to act as a distribution channel for NBC/Universal and News Corp.
"We were thrilled to be a part of these discussions from the start, and to share our vision for delivering easy access to great content for consumers while accommodating critical copyright and intellectual property protections," said Microsoft Platform and Services president Kevin Johnson.
"This partnership proves that we can do both and serves as a great foundation for future collaboration."
As well as manually removing copyrighted clips if notified by copyright holders, Microsoft will use Audible Magic's CopySense Network Appliance digital-fingerprinting technology to automatically find and block protected content.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Microsoft Puts Brakes on Soapbox Video Sharing
Microsoft has put the brakes on its Soapbox video-sharing site while it implements new technology to detect videos uploaded by users that could have copyright restrictions.Soapbox - Microsoft's answer to Google's YouTube - was opened up to a public beta last month, with all users allowed to upload videos. That privilege now only applies to registered users and the site is not accepting new registrations, said Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online services group.Microsoft is trying to constrict Soapbox's growth while it gains control over its 45,000-strong video-clip library in a sensitive legal environment, Sohn said.Viacom’s $1 billion lawsuit against Google, filed 13 March, over copyright content on YouTube "certainly helped" Microsoft's decision to slow down Soapbox.Microsoft will use technology from Audible Magic that will filter uploaded videos and block those with content under copyright, Sohn said. The company is also creating software for copyright holders that will help more easily identify if their material is online and streamline the notification process.Microsoft - as well as Google - will remove videos under copyright if notified by the copyright holders. That process, however, often involved someone writing down URLs (uniform resource locators) and supplying them to the company, Sohn said.The tool could take the form of a password-protected portal, but the system remains under development, he said. Microsoft plans to reopen Soapbox to all users within 30 to 60 days, Sohn said.Sohn wouldn't say how many video clips have been removed so far from Soapbox, but "that it's an ongoing thing, it happens all the time”.Microsoft has reason to avoid annoying copyright holders. It has a standing deal with Fox, part of News Corp, for sports information on its MSN portal, among other content arrangements, Sohn said. In a deal announced on Thursday, Microsoft will help promote a new video-streaming website that will be launched by News Corp and NBC Universal in the third quarter.Content providers "just want us to do whatever we can to respect copyright and IP," Sohn said.
RPG Vault Soapbox - The Evolving Face of Gaming
March 29, 2007 - Diner Dash probably isn't the first name that pops into your mind when you think about game properties that have sold large number of units. Indeed, there's at least a fair chance you're completely unaware of the franchise, which is based upon controlling a former stockbroker turned restaurateur named Flo. The goal is to attain success in her new career by dealing with customers promptly and efficiently by taking their orders, preparing their various selections, serving them, collecting the money, including tips, and cleaning up to prepare for more patrons. To a hardcore fan of online worlds, RPG, first-person shooters, real-time strategy titles et al, this may seem a rather unusual concept, but there's no denying that it has proven appealing to a lot of people. According to developer and publisher PlayFirst, total sales are approaching the two million mark.
As the company's President and CEO, John Welch's tells us his primary focus includes driving its overall strategic direction as well as pushing the limits of innovative gameplay in order to continue attracting new target audiences. With a current portfolio of more than 20 titles for the PC and Mac plus various mobile and handheld devices, and with plans for other platforms said to be in the works, one of PlayFirst's objectives is to mainstream gamers no matter how or where they play. Following his recent GDC lecture entitled How Casual Games are Killing the Console (And Why That's a Good Thing), Welch shares his thoughts on how the definitions of casual and hardcore players are becoming irrelevant, and how casual releases are just one of the many factors driving a larger evolution in games as we know them today.
The question I like to think about as I play World of Warcraft on Monday night, then Diner Dash on Tuesday night is whether we have finally moved beyond labels such as "casual" and "hardcore" to describe how games and gamers are evolving? My philosophy when I started PlayFirst three years ago was (and still is) that these terms should be more about "and", not "or" - more inclusive than exclusive.
The timing is ripe for going beyond the thinking that there are only two types of gamers. We should be looking to define universal gaming for all. Now, we're all seeing the lines blur between the two different audiences, the two different types of play patterns and lifestyles. Someone who plays Halo on the Xbox is the same person downloading Oasis from PlayFirst.com. To say that a hardcore gamer isn't interested in different types of play experiences is as crazy as saying I shouldn't like bands as different as Rush and Eminem -I won't date myself by saying which Rush albums are my favorites... but I digress. Interestingly, where casual gamers have been traditionally viewed as people who occasionally play solitaire on the computer, and core gamers are the select few who are really devoted to their games, we are now seeing these roles merge. Casual audiences are behaving like core gamers - playing longer, later, faster and demanding smarter games - and core gamers are enjoying less hardcore experiences, as demonstrated by the popularity of titles like Wii Sports and Guitar Hero. Our research suggests that casual gamers are starting to do what core gamers have done for years, adopt and grow communities around their favorite content experiences. So what's the cause of this gaming mash-up, and more importantly, what does it mean for the industry at large? First, stating the obvious, games are fun... but playing the same type all the time becomes monotonous. Gamers are looking for variety, and games are becoming more pervasive in our culture, thus players are switching in and out of causal and core games. Just look at the double-digit conversion rates for casual games on XLA, or watch how traditionally core game mechanics such as economic and life sims are being simplified and brought to the broader mass market. Second, the Internet has created a whole new opportunity for people to be social, and this is also becoming true for gaming. With fully connected communities, the Internet will be the central nervous system of our homes, our lives and our entertainment, and it fosters greater consumer participation in content creation. The line is quickly blurring between people who create and those that enjoy the entertainment. These forces are bound to impact games, since they have always been just another form of entertainment. Only with the advent of consoles did they become solitary, niche activities only enjoyed by teenage boys. While this abrupt change is slowly reversing itself in the console space, it has dramatically affected computer games, evidenced by the sheer increase in volume of "mass market" game downloads every day. Now, with better Internet connections and greater use of open platforms that drive innovation, the market is turning on its head - for the better. Open platforms have already brought us such innovations as MySpace, YouTube, TiVo and Slingbox. Indeed, open platforms invite innovation, and I don't need to tell you that innovation is good for gaming. There's no denying the marked increase in computer power, connectivity and storage in the living room, and we can bank on having it connected to a 1920 x 1080 digital display. Companies like Comcast, Dish Network and DirectTV are competing to give you those platforms for free. Now, consider that casual gamers already outnumber their core counterparts. What will these numbers look like in five or 10 years? And what does this tell you about the longevity of the console? What does this mean? With more types of consumers playing games, and more consumers participating in content creation, we're already seeing Web 2.0 take hold in the gaming space, with greater personalization throughout. The timing is ripe for going beyond the thinking that there are only two types of gamers. We should be looking to define universal gaming for all. At the end of the day, it shouldn't be about the labels; it should be about the people and their experience. John WelchPresident and CEO, PlayFirst
As the company's President and CEO, John Welch's tells us his primary focus includes driving its overall strategic direction as well as pushing the limits of innovative gameplay in order to continue attracting new target audiences. With a current portfolio of more than 20 titles for the PC and Mac plus various mobile and handheld devices, and with plans for other platforms said to be in the works, one of PlayFirst's objectives is to mainstream gamers no matter how or where they play. Following his recent GDC lecture entitled How Casual Games are Killing the Console (And Why That's a Good Thing), Welch shares his thoughts on how the definitions of casual and hardcore players are becoming irrelevant, and how casual releases are just one of the many factors driving a larger evolution in games as we know them today.
The question I like to think about as I play World of Warcraft on Monday night, then Diner Dash on Tuesday night is whether we have finally moved beyond labels such as "casual" and "hardcore" to describe how games and gamers are evolving? My philosophy when I started PlayFirst three years ago was (and still is) that these terms should be more about "and", not "or" - more inclusive than exclusive.
The timing is ripe for going beyond the thinking that there are only two types of gamers. We should be looking to define universal gaming for all. Now, we're all seeing the lines blur between the two different audiences, the two different types of play patterns and lifestyles. Someone who plays Halo on the Xbox is the same person downloading Oasis from PlayFirst.com. To say that a hardcore gamer isn't interested in different types of play experiences is as crazy as saying I shouldn't like bands as different as Rush and Eminem -I won't date myself by saying which Rush albums are my favorites... but I digress. Interestingly, where casual gamers have been traditionally viewed as people who occasionally play solitaire on the computer, and core gamers are the select few who are really devoted to their games, we are now seeing these roles merge. Casual audiences are behaving like core gamers - playing longer, later, faster and demanding smarter games - and core gamers are enjoying less hardcore experiences, as demonstrated by the popularity of titles like Wii Sports and Guitar Hero. Our research suggests that casual gamers are starting to do what core gamers have done for years, adopt and grow communities around their favorite content experiences. So what's the cause of this gaming mash-up, and more importantly, what does it mean for the industry at large? First, stating the obvious, games are fun... but playing the same type all the time becomes monotonous. Gamers are looking for variety, and games are becoming more pervasive in our culture, thus players are switching in and out of causal and core games. Just look at the double-digit conversion rates for casual games on XLA, or watch how traditionally core game mechanics such as economic and life sims are being simplified and brought to the broader mass market. Second, the Internet has created a whole new opportunity for people to be social, and this is also becoming true for gaming. With fully connected communities, the Internet will be the central nervous system of our homes, our lives and our entertainment, and it fosters greater consumer participation in content creation. The line is quickly blurring between people who create and those that enjoy the entertainment. These forces are bound to impact games, since they have always been just another form of entertainment. Only with the advent of consoles did they become solitary, niche activities only enjoyed by teenage boys. While this abrupt change is slowly reversing itself in the console space, it has dramatically affected computer games, evidenced by the sheer increase in volume of "mass market" game downloads every day. Now, with better Internet connections and greater use of open platforms that drive innovation, the market is turning on its head - for the better. Open platforms have already brought us such innovations as MySpace, YouTube, TiVo and Slingbox. Indeed, open platforms invite innovation, and I don't need to tell you that innovation is good for gaming. There's no denying the marked increase in computer power, connectivity and storage in the living room, and we can bank on having it connected to a 1920 x 1080 digital display. Companies like Comcast, Dish Network and DirectTV are competing to give you those platforms for free. Now, consider that casual gamers already outnumber their core counterparts. What will these numbers look like in five or 10 years? And what does this tell you about the longevity of the console? What does this mean? With more types of consumers playing games, and more consumers participating in content creation, we're already seeing Web 2.0 take hold in the gaming space, with greater personalization throughout. The timing is ripe for going beyond the thinking that there are only two types of gamers. We should be looking to define universal gaming for all. At the end of the day, it shouldn't be about the labels; it should be about the people and their experience. John WelchPresident and CEO, PlayFirst
Microsoft bars new users from Soapbox video-sharing site
Microsoft Corp. has halted new account activations for its Soapbox video-sharing service after inking a deal to distribute content from NBC Universal Inc. and News Corp.'s forthcoming video-sharing venture.
The world's largest software maker temporarily stopped letting new users join Soapbox while it puts a system in place to help keep copyrighted content from being uploaded without authorization.
Visitors to the Soapbox site on Friday were greeted by a message on its front page that said: "If you don't have a Soapbox account, we'll be opening the doors again very soon with some cool new stuff to try. Thanks for your patience as we continue to build the best place to 'make your statement' on the web."
The message said users of the video-sharing service who already have an account are now required to "temporarily … log in using your Windows Live ID before you can watch or upload videos."
"We have temporarily closed Soapbox on MSN Video to new users to begin implementing copyright filtering solutions," Adam Sohn, director of global sales and marketing, said in a written statement e-mailed to CBC News Online Friday by the software giant's PR company.
"We want to automate finding copyrighted content for content owners as much as possible through good tools, as well as run filtering in the background. Following this period, we will open Soapbox back up in public beta to more broadly test the filters."
The world's largest software maker temporarily stopped letting new users join Soapbox while it puts a system in place to help keep copyrighted content from being uploaded without authorization.
Visitors to the Soapbox site on Friday were greeted by a message on its front page that said: "If you don't have a Soapbox account, we'll be opening the doors again very soon with some cool new stuff to try. Thanks for your patience as we continue to build the best place to 'make your statement' on the web."
The message said users of the video-sharing service who already have an account are now required to "temporarily … log in using your Windows Live ID before you can watch or upload videos."
"We have temporarily closed Soapbox on MSN Video to new users to begin implementing copyright filtering solutions," Adam Sohn, director of global sales and marketing, said in a written statement e-mailed to CBC News Online Friday by the software giant's PR company.
"We want to automate finding copyrighted content for content owners as much as possible through good tools, as well as run filtering in the background. Following this period, we will open Soapbox back up in public beta to more broadly test the filters."
MICROSOFT TEMPORARILY CLOSES VIDEO SITE
Microsoft is taking pains to keep its Soapbox video-sharing site free of copyrighted material. The company has decided to use technology that would note videos uploaded by users that might have copyright limitations.Soapbox was launched last month; it is similar to Google’s YouTube. Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online services group, said that the site was now only accepting registered users and is not open to new users.This precautionary measure on Microsoft’s side seems to be stepped up post the suing of Google by Viacom for 1 billion USD.The technology the company plans to use is from Audible Magic that will filter uploaded videos and block those with content under copyright, Sohn said. Once the tool is installed, the company will re-open Soapbox to all users within 30 to 60 days, Sohn said.Sohn did not specify the number of copyrighted content that was removed from the site, but said, "That it's an ongoing thing, it happens all the time."On the other hand, Viacom had asked YouTube to remove copyrighted clips from the online video source. The amount of video clips to be removed adds up to a staggering 100,000. Viacom claims that YouTube has not set up content filters that allow the copyright holders of videos to know when clips have been uploaded to the YouTube site.
Microsoft's Soapbox closed to new users
Microsoft Corp. has closed its Soapbox video sharing service to new users while the company attempts to improve anti-piracy measures on the site. Just like any other video sharing site, Soapbox immediately began to fill up with pirated video clips when the test version of the service was launched last month. No new subscribers will be allowed to sign up for access the site, but anybody who already holds an account can access the site. Microsoft could have been faced with a dilemma of distributing legitimate videos for major content companies on one of its units, while on another there were thousands of unauthorized videos available for free. YouTube found itself the recipient of a billion dollar lawsuit courtesy of Viacom due to the thousands of video clips users have uploaded without permission. Microsoft has licensed digital-fingerprinting technology from Audible Magic to help filter out unauthorized material. Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online-services group, said that the temporary closure of Soapbox was not forced on Microsoft by its partners, but said that they were interested in how the company planned to clean up Soapbox. "This software company is aligned very closely with the notion of intellectual-property rights," Sohn said. "We feel this is the right time to make these changes and stand up to do the right thing." Of course, Microsoft should give the uploaders of pirate content a big sloppy kiss for now, as the company can use this situation to greatly improve its relationship with content providers and make several of its competitors look bad.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Microsoft Puts Brakes on Soapbox Video Sharing
Microsoft has put the brakes on its Soapbox video-sharing site while it implements new technology to detect videos uploaded by users that could have copyright restrictions.Soapbox - Microsoft's answer to Google's YouTube - was opened up to a public beta last month, with all users allowed to upload videos. That privilege now only applies to registered users and the site is not accepting new registrations, said Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online services group.Microsoft is trying to constrict Soapbox's growth while it gains control over its 45,000-strong video-clip library in a sensitive legal environment, Sohn said.Viacom’s $1 billion lawsuit against Google, filed 13 March, over copyright content on YouTube "certainly helped" Microsoft's decision to slow down Soapbox.Microsoft will use technology from Audible Magic that will filter uploaded videos and block those with content under copyright, Sohn said. The company is also creating software for copyright holders that will help more easily identify if their material is online and streamline the notification process.Microsoft - as well as Google - will remove videos under copyright if notified by the copyright holders. That process, however, often involved someone writing down URLs (uniform resource locators) and supplying them to the company, Sohn said.The tool could take the form of a password-protected portal, but the system remains under development, he said. Microsoft plans to reopen Soapbox to all users within 30 to 60 days, Sohn said.Sohn wouldn't say how many video clips have been removed so far from Soapbox, but "that it's an ongoing thing, it happens all the time”.Microsoft has reason to avoid annoying copyright holders. It has a standing deal with Fox, part of News Corp, for sports information on its MSN portal, among other content arrangements, Sohn said. In a deal announced on Thursday, Microsoft will help promote a new video-streaming website that will be launched by News Corp and NBC Universal in the third quarter.Content providers "just want us to do whatever we can to respect copyright and IP," Sohn said.
Microsoft limits Soapbox video sharing
Microsoft has put the brakes on its Soapbox video-sharing site while it implements new technology to detect videos uploaded by users that could have copyright restrictions.
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Soapbox – Microsoft's answer to Google's YouTube – was opened up to a public beta last month, with all users allowed to upload videos. That privilege now only applies to registered users and the site is not accepting new registrations, said Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online services group.
Microsoft is trying to constrict Soapbox's growth while it gains control over its 45,000-strong video-clip library in a sensitive legal environment, Sohn said.
Viacom's US$1 billion lawsuit against Google, filed March 13, over copyright content on YouTube "certainly helped" Microsoft's decision to slow down Soapbox.
Microsoft will use technology from Audible Magic Corp. that will filter uploaded videos and block those with content under copyright, Sohn said. The company is also creating software for copyright holders that will help more easily identify if their material is online and streamline the notification process.
Microsoft – as well as Google – will remove videos under copyright if notified by the copyright holders. That process, however, often involved someone writing down URLs (uniform resource locators) and supplying them to the company, Sohn said.
The tool could take the form of a password-protected portal, but the system remains under development, he said. Microsoft plans to reopen Soapbox to all users within 30 to 60 days, Sohn said.
Sohn wouldn't say how many video clips have been removed so far from Soapbox, but "that it's an ongoing thing, it happens all the time."
Microsoft has reason to avoid annoying copyright holders. It has a standing deal with Fox, part of News Corp, for sports information on its MSN portal, among other content arrangements, Sohn said. In a deal announced on Thursday, Microsoft will help promote a new video-streaming Web site that will be launched by News Corp and NBC Universal in the third quarter.
Content providers "just want us to do whatever we can to respect copyright and IP," Sohn said.
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document.write('');
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document.write('');// -->
Soapbox – Microsoft's answer to Google's YouTube – was opened up to a public beta last month, with all users allowed to upload videos. That privilege now only applies to registered users and the site is not accepting new registrations, said Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online services group.
Microsoft is trying to constrict Soapbox's growth while it gains control over its 45,000-strong video-clip library in a sensitive legal environment, Sohn said.
Viacom's US$1 billion lawsuit against Google, filed March 13, over copyright content on YouTube "certainly helped" Microsoft's decision to slow down Soapbox.
Microsoft will use technology from Audible Magic Corp. that will filter uploaded videos and block those with content under copyright, Sohn said. The company is also creating software for copyright holders that will help more easily identify if their material is online and streamline the notification process.
Microsoft – as well as Google – will remove videos under copyright if notified by the copyright holders. That process, however, often involved someone writing down URLs (uniform resource locators) and supplying them to the company, Sohn said.
The tool could take the form of a password-protected portal, but the system remains under development, he said. Microsoft plans to reopen Soapbox to all users within 30 to 60 days, Sohn said.
Sohn wouldn't say how many video clips have been removed so far from Soapbox, but "that it's an ongoing thing, it happens all the time."
Microsoft has reason to avoid annoying copyright holders. It has a standing deal with Fox, part of News Corp, for sports information on its MSN portal, among other content arrangements, Sohn said. In a deal announced on Thursday, Microsoft will help promote a new video-streaming Web site that will be launched by News Corp and NBC Universal in the third quarter.
Content providers "just want us to do whatever we can to respect copyright and IP," Sohn said.
Microsoft Selects Audible Magic's Digital Fingerprinting Technology as Filtering Solution for Soapbox Video Site
LOS GATOS, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 26, 2007 -- Microsoft has chosen the industry leader, Audible Magic, as their filtering vendor. Audible Magic will be providing Soapbox, Microsoft's user-generated video-sharing site, with solutions to identify and filter copyrighted, user-generated content, utilizing Audible Magic's content identification and digital fingerprinting technology. The system will be used to identify music and other copyrighted content.
"We're excited to work with Audible Magic in order to enhance the Soapbox service," said Rob Bennett, General Manager, MSN Entertainment and Video Services. "Fostering a rich user-generated video service to complement our broad array of licensed content is a top priority for MSN, and Audible Magic will be an important part of making sure we can deliver on this strategy for consumers while respecting the rights of content owners."
Audible Magic has been actively providing services for Web 2.0 sites and the licensing agreement with Microsoft is the latest in a series of announcements. Recent partnerships include MySpace, GoFish, Grouper, Break.com and Viacom's MTVN. Vance Ikezoye, founder and CEO of Audible Magic, said, "We are proud to be working with Microsoft in the crucial area of protecting intellectual property. That issue has always been important to Microsoft. We are committed to supporting them by providing best of class technology services."
About Audible Magic Corporation
Audible Magic Corporation provides content management and anti-piracy services to the media and entertainment industries as well as business, governmental, and educational institutions. The company's offerings utilize patented content identification technologies and an extensive reference database of audio and video content that includes one of the largest collections of copyrighted digital song recording fingerprints in the world. Its digital technology and services were designed to monitor, track, manage, filter and monetize digital content in all its forms. The company has been actively providing services for the Web 2.0 user-generated content video sharing sites including MySpace, GoFish, Grouper and Break.com.
Corporate partners include EMI Recorded Music, Palisade Systems, Sony/BMG Music, Universal Music Group, V2 Music, Warner Music Group, and EMI Recorded Music. Audible Magic is also employed by iMesh and PlayLouder MSP music service. Audible Magic products include the CopySense P2P Plug-In, CopySense Network Appliance, and RepliCheck.
"We're excited to work with Audible Magic in order to enhance the Soapbox service," said Rob Bennett, General Manager, MSN Entertainment and Video Services. "Fostering a rich user-generated video service to complement our broad array of licensed content is a top priority for MSN, and Audible Magic will be an important part of making sure we can deliver on this strategy for consumers while respecting the rights of content owners."
Audible Magic has been actively providing services for Web 2.0 sites and the licensing agreement with Microsoft is the latest in a series of announcements. Recent partnerships include MySpace, GoFish, Grouper, Break.com and Viacom's MTVN. Vance Ikezoye, founder and CEO of Audible Magic, said, "We are proud to be working with Microsoft in the crucial area of protecting intellectual property. That issue has always been important to Microsoft. We are committed to supporting them by providing best of class technology services."
About Audible Magic Corporation
Audible Magic Corporation provides content management and anti-piracy services to the media and entertainment industries as well as business, governmental, and educational institutions. The company's offerings utilize patented content identification technologies and an extensive reference database of audio and video content that includes one of the largest collections of copyrighted digital song recording fingerprints in the world. Its digital technology and services were designed to monitor, track, manage, filter and monetize digital content in all its forms. The company has been actively providing services for the Web 2.0 user-generated content video sharing sites including MySpace, GoFish, Grouper and Break.com.
Corporate partners include EMI Recorded Music, Palisade Systems, Sony/BMG Music, Universal Music Group, V2 Music, Warner Music Group, and EMI Recorded Music. Audible Magic is also employed by iMesh and PlayLouder MSP music service. Audible Magic products include the CopySense P2P Plug-In, CopySense Network Appliance, and RepliCheck.
Microsoft suspends Soapbox beta
Microsoft has temporarily closed the door to new users of its Soapbox video sharing site, which was opened up to public beta just last month.
The software giant claimed that putting a hold on new accounts for the next two months will help it limit the amount of copyright-protected content being uploaded to the site.
The move will also give the firm an opportunity to tweak the filtering software used to automatically find and remove illegal uploads.
Soapbox now requires users to login using their Windows Live ID before they can watch or upload videos.
Microsoft said that it will be "opening the doors again very soon with some cool new stuff to try".
Alongside Soapbox's temporary restrictions came an announcement from Microsoft that it has reached an agreement to act as a distribution channel for NBC/Universal and News Corp.
"We were thrilled to be a part of these discussions from the start, and to share our vision for delivering easy access to great content for consumers while accommodating critical copyright and intellectual property protections," said Microsoft Platform and Services president Kevin Johnson.
"This partnership proves that we can do both and serves as a great foundation for future collaboration."
As well as manually removing copyrighted clips if notified by copyright holders, Microsoft will use Audible Magic's CopySense Network Appliance digital-fingerprinting technology to automatically find and block protected content.
The software giant claimed that putting a hold on new accounts for the next two months will help it limit the amount of copyright-protected content being uploaded to the site.
The move will also give the firm an opportunity to tweak the filtering software used to automatically find and remove illegal uploads.
Soapbox now requires users to login using their Windows Live ID before they can watch or upload videos.
Microsoft said that it will be "opening the doors again very soon with some cool new stuff to try".
Alongside Soapbox's temporary restrictions came an announcement from Microsoft that it has reached an agreement to act as a distribution channel for NBC/Universal and News Corp.
"We were thrilled to be a part of these discussions from the start, and to share our vision for delivering easy access to great content for consumers while accommodating critical copyright and intellectual property protections," said Microsoft Platform and Services president Kevin Johnson.
"This partnership proves that we can do both and serves as a great foundation for future collaboration."
As well as manually removing copyrighted clips if notified by copyright holders, Microsoft will use Audible Magic's CopySense Network Appliance digital-fingerprinting technology to automatically find and block protected content.
Municipal Bond Revolution In The Making
When it comes to investing, there is rarely a newsworthy story about municipal bonds. With little speculation and no volatility, there is nothing to write about except for the occasional surprise call or staged default. But municipal bond news has recently moved off the pages of obscure newsletters and into the mainstream media.
Lock in yields of 14% and higher on Canadian energy trusts. Click here a handful of buys in the Forbes/ Lehmann Income Securities Investor.
The U.S. Supreme Court has been petitioned to hear an appeal brought forward by the state of Kentucky. In a nutshell, the state of Kentucky hopes the Supreme Court will overturn a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that it was wrong to exempt in-state municipal bonds from state income tax, while at the same time imposing such taxes on out of state municipal bonds.
The case hinges on the Supreme Court of Kentucky’s interpretation that the current taxation of out of state bonds violates a federal commerce clause.
One novel element, first pointed out by the California Municipal Bond Advisor (CMBA), is that this potential landmark case bears the "Mark of the Beast." That’s right, the docket number for the case is none other than the ominous (06)-666, straight from the book of Revelations. For certain states that have benefited from the de facto exclusion of out of state municipal bonds, it certainly could be the “end of days” that this biblical book references.
Special Offer: Richard Lehmann's medium-risk portfolio gained 14.3% last year. Click here to see what he is recommending in a new special report, Three Yield Gushers, free with your subscription to Forbes/Lehmann Income Securities Investor.
States such as California, New York and many others, which now exempt in-state bonds from state income tax, could be forced by the federal court to tax--or exempt from tax--all bonds equally. If the Supreme Court puts all municipal bonds on an equal footing in every state, high state and local income tax states such as California and New York would suddenly find themselves competing against every municipal bond in the country.
Municipal bonds in high income tax states tend to have lower coupon rates as the exemption from high tax rates is enough incentive for residents to purchase these bonds over those with higher yields, but from out of state. In other states such as Florida or Washington, with no state income tax, resident investors receive higher coupon rates as no offsetting tax savings are involved.
Forty-two states currently have this dual tax structure in place and some analysts believe that some 1% to 4% of bond value in high income tax states like New York or California could be eroded if the Supreme Court upholds the lower court’s decision. New municipal bond issues in these states would have to carry a higher coupon rate to compete with the coupon rates of bonds in a non-income tax states, while existing bonds issued in high income tax states would drop.
Special Offer: Looking for safety from the stormy market? Click here for Jim Stack's buy list of recession-proof stocks and funds in the latest issue of InvesTech Research.
However, on average, the margin of yield spreads varies only minutely between most states and, as the CMBA points out, the influence of huge municipal bond funds competing for yield on a national basis helps ensure that a substantial gap in yield spreads doesn’t develop.
Nevertheless, if the Supreme Court affirms the lower court decision, we will likely see the formation of a national market for municipal bonds, a market which is today very much a regional one. It may also spell the end of some of the more flaky type bond issues such as the tobacco bonds so loved by California.
What this means for investors is not immediately clear. The impact will likely vary from one investor to the next, but some forecasters see as much as $50 billion of the new issue market being reallocated to more tax attractive markets if the dual tax structure is struck down. This would also seriously undermine the hundreds of single-state municipal funds, and their $160 billion of assets, designed to take advantage of this tax structure.
If the court declines to hear the case and Kentucky proceeds to exempt all municipal bonds from taxes, this would no doubt open the floodgates for investors to pursue litigation in other states for equal tax treatment of municipal bonds. It’s also likely we could see states lobby Congress for legislation safeguarding the dual tax system.
But whatever the Supreme Court decides about this tax matter, the bond genie is out of the bottle, which is probably not a bad thing. Financial markets have become much too sophisticated over the last 50 years, but municipal finance procedures remain an anachronism that retards this form of financing. The minimal due diligence and subtle graft behind many bond issues is legendary. Add to this the cottage industry of bond professionals and local trustees who give real meaning to the term “the good old boy network.” The change would be traumatic, but extremely healthy.
Lock in yields of 14% and higher on Canadian energy trusts. Click here a handful of buys in the Forbes/ Lehmann Income Securities Investor.
The U.S. Supreme Court has been petitioned to hear an appeal brought forward by the state of Kentucky. In a nutshell, the state of Kentucky hopes the Supreme Court will overturn a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that it was wrong to exempt in-state municipal bonds from state income tax, while at the same time imposing such taxes on out of state municipal bonds.
The case hinges on the Supreme Court of Kentucky’s interpretation that the current taxation of out of state bonds violates a federal commerce clause.
One novel element, first pointed out by the California Municipal Bond Advisor (CMBA), is that this potential landmark case bears the "Mark of the Beast." That’s right, the docket number for the case is none other than the ominous (06)-666, straight from the book of Revelations. For certain states that have benefited from the de facto exclusion of out of state municipal bonds, it certainly could be the “end of days” that this biblical book references.
Special Offer: Richard Lehmann's medium-risk portfolio gained 14.3% last year. Click here to see what he is recommending in a new special report, Three Yield Gushers, free with your subscription to Forbes/Lehmann Income Securities Investor.
States such as California, New York and many others, which now exempt in-state bonds from state income tax, could be forced by the federal court to tax--or exempt from tax--all bonds equally. If the Supreme Court puts all municipal bonds on an equal footing in every state, high state and local income tax states such as California and New York would suddenly find themselves competing against every municipal bond in the country.
Municipal bonds in high income tax states tend to have lower coupon rates as the exemption from high tax rates is enough incentive for residents to purchase these bonds over those with higher yields, but from out of state. In other states such as Florida or Washington, with no state income tax, resident investors receive higher coupon rates as no offsetting tax savings are involved.
Forty-two states currently have this dual tax structure in place and some analysts believe that some 1% to 4% of bond value in high income tax states like New York or California could be eroded if the Supreme Court upholds the lower court’s decision. New municipal bond issues in these states would have to carry a higher coupon rate to compete with the coupon rates of bonds in a non-income tax states, while existing bonds issued in high income tax states would drop.
Special Offer: Looking for safety from the stormy market? Click here for Jim Stack's buy list of recession-proof stocks and funds in the latest issue of InvesTech Research.
However, on average, the margin of yield spreads varies only minutely between most states and, as the CMBA points out, the influence of huge municipal bond funds competing for yield on a national basis helps ensure that a substantial gap in yield spreads doesn’t develop.
Nevertheless, if the Supreme Court affirms the lower court decision, we will likely see the formation of a national market for municipal bonds, a market which is today very much a regional one. It may also spell the end of some of the more flaky type bond issues such as the tobacco bonds so loved by California.
What this means for investors is not immediately clear. The impact will likely vary from one investor to the next, but some forecasters see as much as $50 billion of the new issue market being reallocated to more tax attractive markets if the dual tax structure is struck down. This would also seriously undermine the hundreds of single-state municipal funds, and their $160 billion of assets, designed to take advantage of this tax structure.
If the court declines to hear the case and Kentucky proceeds to exempt all municipal bonds from taxes, this would no doubt open the floodgates for investors to pursue litigation in other states for equal tax treatment of municipal bonds. It’s also likely we could see states lobby Congress for legislation safeguarding the dual tax system.
But whatever the Supreme Court decides about this tax matter, the bond genie is out of the bottle, which is probably not a bad thing. Financial markets have become much too sophisticated over the last 50 years, but municipal finance procedures remain an anachronism that retards this form of financing. The minimal due diligence and subtle graft behind many bond issues is legendary. Add to this the cottage industry of bond professionals and local trustees who give real meaning to the term “the good old boy network.” The change would be traumatic, but extremely healthy.
Guest soapbox: Sewer system: First step is most important
How do you pay for a sewer system? Sometimes the best way to an answer to a problem is to ask the right question. I have only been directly involved in one large-scale building project: The Hi-Desert Playhouse. I was president of the group during the late ’70s and early ’80s when it was built. We never did have enough money to build it, but we built it. The thing that made it work, I think, was that we started it. Then, we had to finish.With a piece of donated land and about $20,000 in the bank, all we could afford was the slab. So we poured the slab and it became the seed from which the rest grew.We held fund-raising dances on that slab, organized swap meets on the slab to sell donated goods and put up signs announcing what we were trying to do. As soon as we could, we put up some walls so that passersby on the highway could see that we were serious.In about three years the playhouse was built and functioning well enough to host its first production: the musical “Oklahoma.”Until the recent water damage forced its closure, it was probably worth well over $500,000.Of course, we received a great deal of donated materials and labor, which the Hi-Desert Water District probably could not expect. But they have access to fund-raising means that we did not: state and federal grants, bond measures, etc. And this is a project that cannot be delayed any longer. As our population density grows, the capability of the land to process and purify our waste will diminish — and we will be poisoning our groundwater.
I would say that first efforts should be concentrated on an education program to let all residents know how this cycle operates, how population density affects it and how long it will be until it becomes dangerous.Secondly, the overall system should be designed for incremental construction to allow for intermittent funding.Third, the Town Council should implement the division of the Town into sewage districts so that votes on tax increases or bond issues will allow the more progressive areas to authorize improvements in their district without the approval of the entire population.Fourth, initial emphasis should be put on the installation of the collection network — pipes, holding tanks, etc. — so that they will be available to any resident that chooses to hook up. Processing equipment could be only large enough to handle existing flows and only increased when new hookups require it.
Fifth, the hookup fees should be somewhat less than the cost of a new septic tank and leach system, so that it will become a viable alternative to simple replacement.Sixth, if it is found that increasing the density of septic systems is a valid public health problem, it could be made mandatory that all new construction must connect to the sewer system or should post a bond to cover connection costs when the system is extended to the location.I assume that many existing homeowners will be against the expense of connecting to the sewer system and will necessarily be grandfathered so a stick/carrot approach will be needed. It should be made mandatory that a malfunctioning septic system cannot simply be replaced if a sewer hookup is available. There could also be a fund established to help pay for connections of families on limited incomes. All owners of income property should also be encouraged to connect.However the details are worked out, it is important that something be started soon. That the Town Council and the Hi-Desert Water District met and decided to do nothing is not an auspicious beginning.
I would say that first efforts should be concentrated on an education program to let all residents know how this cycle operates, how population density affects it and how long it will be until it becomes dangerous.Secondly, the overall system should be designed for incremental construction to allow for intermittent funding.Third, the Town Council should implement the division of the Town into sewage districts so that votes on tax increases or bond issues will allow the more progressive areas to authorize improvements in their district without the approval of the entire population.Fourth, initial emphasis should be put on the installation of the collection network — pipes, holding tanks, etc. — so that they will be available to any resident that chooses to hook up. Processing equipment could be only large enough to handle existing flows and only increased when new hookups require it.
Fifth, the hookup fees should be somewhat less than the cost of a new septic tank and leach system, so that it will become a viable alternative to simple replacement.Sixth, if it is found that increasing the density of septic systems is a valid public health problem, it could be made mandatory that all new construction must connect to the sewer system or should post a bond to cover connection costs when the system is extended to the location.I assume that many existing homeowners will be against the expense of connecting to the sewer system and will necessarily be grandfathered so a stick/carrot approach will be needed. It should be made mandatory that a malfunctioning septic system cannot simply be replaced if a sewer hookup is available. There could also be a fund established to help pay for connections of families on limited incomes. All owners of income property should also be encouraged to connect.However the details are worked out, it is important that something be started soon. That the Town Council and the Hi-Desert Water District met and decided to do nothing is not an auspicious beginning.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Microsoft gets its Soapbox Tomorrow
Update: The service has launched, and the team behind SoapBox is blogging here. Checkout this video - Butterfly busts a move -pretty good quality. Rob’s MySpace page has embedded SoapBox. Microsoft’s much awaited YouTube competitor is all set to get out of the gates, perhaps as early as tomorrow. A Microsoft employee has blogged about the pending release of the video sharing service, code named “Warhol,” that will be renamed as SoapBox. The word of the new service had leaked earlier this month, and caused a lot of chatter.
Kurt Shintaku says that the new service will come with 100 megabytes of storage and will will use Windows Media technology to playback video, instead of more popular Adobe Flash technology. I guess Mac users could play back the videos if they have Flip4Mac. (Rob who works on the SoapBox team says that “Soapbox autodetects your browser + platform and streams WM for IE/Windows users, but Flash for Firefox/Windows and Firefox+Safari on Mac.”)
In case you’re wondering, Warhol has only been accessible by Microsoft employees from Microsoft’s internal network … Suffice it to say, they’re going to announce it tomorrow so everyone will get the chance to take a look at it. It’s really bandwidth efficient, you can “copy” the content locally to your own machine if you have the right tools (instead of using some proprietary wrapper around it like you do with Google), it’s optimized to your network speed, and doesn’t require any plug ins or anything.
Kurt Shintaku says that the new service will come with 100 megabytes of storage and will will use Windows Media technology to playback video, instead of more popular Adobe Flash technology. I guess Mac users could play back the videos if they have Flip4Mac. (Rob who works on the SoapBox team says that “Soapbox autodetects your browser + platform and streams WM for IE/Windows users, but Flash for Firefox/Windows and Firefox+Safari on Mac.”)
In case you’re wondering, Warhol has only been accessible by Microsoft employees from Microsoft’s internal network … Suffice it to say, they’re going to announce it tomorrow so everyone will get the chance to take a look at it. It’s really bandwidth efficient, you can “copy” the content locally to your own machine if you have the right tools (instead of using some proprietary wrapper around it like you do with Google), it’s optimized to your network speed, and doesn’t require any plug ins or anything.
SoapBox Video plugin
Started as an MSN SoapBox video plugin, SoapBox is the video plugin for Windows Live Writer that has it all, does it all.
After the manual installation (how to manually install a plugin) an Insert Video entry appears in your Insert dropdown menu and/or sidebar.
Operation is brilliantly simple. Navigate the video site of your choice: MSN SoapBox, YouTube, Google Video or MySpace. Find a video you like? Copy the URL in your addressbar, hit the Insert Video button and paste it into the window that pops up.
Select which site you’re using. Once the URL is pasted and the video site selected you can even use the Preview button to see what will be inserted. (Note: If you click on Google Video, then paste a link in, you have to click on Google Video again to be able to insert it. Likewise, you might need to switch the radio buttons back and forth to see the preview).
If all is as you want it to be you click on Insert. All code as needed is inserted into your blog post at the place of your cursor.
Between the various video plugins for Windows Live Writer, this one truly is the simplest, most forward one. In fact, the only things that can be improved about this plugin are extended support (by adding Yahoo Video) and by automatically selecting which video site you’re using based simply on the URL you just pasted into it.
After the manual installation (how to manually install a plugin) an Insert Video entry appears in your Insert dropdown menu and/or sidebar.
Operation is brilliantly simple. Navigate the video site of your choice: MSN SoapBox, YouTube, Google Video or MySpace. Find a video you like? Copy the URL in your addressbar, hit the Insert Video button and paste it into the window that pops up.
Select which site you’re using. Once the URL is pasted and the video site selected you can even use the Preview button to see what will be inserted. (Note: If you click on Google Video, then paste a link in, you have to click on Google Video again to be able to insert it. Likewise, you might need to switch the radio buttons back and forth to see the preview).
If all is as you want it to be you click on Insert. All code as needed is inserted into your blog post at the place of your cursor.
Between the various video plugins for Windows Live Writer, this one truly is the simplest, most forward one. In fact, the only things that can be improved about this plugin are extended support (by adding Yahoo Video) and by automatically selecting which video site you’re using based simply on the URL you just pasted into it.
Soapbox Video : MSNTube
Soapbox Video : MSNTube
MSN is making its bid to get in on the YouTube phenomenon with its new “Soapbox Video.” The product launches in an “invitation only beta” today. Here’s the WSJ’s (sub required) coverage.
From the Microsoft press release:
Soapbox on MSN Video utilizes powerful Web 2.0 technologies to provide a dynamic, fun and entertaining experience and offers these benefits:
Easy uploading and sharing of video creations. By providing single-step uploading, background server-side video processing and acceptance of all major digital video formats, Soapbox makes uploading videos a snap.
Finding and discovering the most entertaining videos. Viewers can search, browse through 15 categories, find related videos, subscribe to RSS feeds, and share their favorites with their friends — all without interrupting whatever video they are watching.
Participation in the Soapbox community. Soapbox users can rate, comment on and tag the videos they view, share links with their friends via e-mail, and include the embeddable Soapbox player directly on their Web site or blog.
MSN already has a solid audience for video. According to May, 2006 data from Hitwise the top five video sites are:
YouTube: 42.94%
MySpace Video: 24.22%
Yahoo! Video Search: 9.58%
MSN Video Search: 9.21%
Google Video: 6.48%
Whether it gains traction as a sharing/user-generated content site will be dependent on how user-friendly its tools are and how much content the site attracts. Part of the reason that YouTube is so popular is that it’s perceived to be the place where you can find anything you may be looking for in video. That has generally proven to be true in my anecdotal experience and usage of the site.
If Microsoft is successful building a meaningful audience for its new video offering it will be able to serve pre-roll, PPC and display ads against the streams. This could become valuable new inventory for adCenter.
But why isn’t it being branded “Windows Live?
Related: Here’s a ton of launch-related coverage, including a critical review from CNET. And here’s the definition of “soapbox” from the Oxford English Dictionary: “a. A box for holding soap; orig. and still occas., a small receptacle for a ball or bar of soap; later esp. a wooden case in which soap is or may be packed, traditionally used as a makeshift stand for a speaker; hence used fig. and allusively.”
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Greg Sterling is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the local marketplace
MSN is making its bid to get in on the YouTube phenomenon with its new “Soapbox Video.” The product launches in an “invitation only beta” today. Here’s the WSJ’s (sub required) coverage.
From the Microsoft press release:
Soapbox on MSN Video utilizes powerful Web 2.0 technologies to provide a dynamic, fun and entertaining experience and offers these benefits:
Easy uploading and sharing of video creations. By providing single-step uploading, background server-side video processing and acceptance of all major digital video formats, Soapbox makes uploading videos a snap.
Finding and discovering the most entertaining videos. Viewers can search, browse through 15 categories, find related videos, subscribe to RSS feeds, and share their favorites with their friends — all without interrupting whatever video they are watching.
Participation in the Soapbox community. Soapbox users can rate, comment on and tag the videos they view, share links with their friends via e-mail, and include the embeddable Soapbox player directly on their Web site or blog.
MSN already has a solid audience for video. According to May, 2006 data from Hitwise the top five video sites are:
YouTube: 42.94%
MySpace Video: 24.22%
Yahoo! Video Search: 9.58%
MSN Video Search: 9.21%
Google Video: 6.48%
Whether it gains traction as a sharing/user-generated content site will be dependent on how user-friendly its tools are and how much content the site attracts. Part of the reason that YouTube is so popular is that it’s perceived to be the place where you can find anything you may be looking for in video. That has generally proven to be true in my anecdotal experience and usage of the site.
If Microsoft is successful building a meaningful audience for its new video offering it will be able to serve pre-roll, PPC and display ads against the streams. This could become valuable new inventory for adCenter.
But why isn’t it being branded “Windows Live?
Related: Here’s a ton of launch-related coverage, including a critical review from CNET. And here’s the definition of “soapbox” from the Oxford English Dictionary: “a. A box for holding soap; orig. and still occas., a small receptacle for a ball or bar of soap; later esp. a wooden case in which soap is or may be packed, traditionally used as a makeshift stand for a speaker; hence used fig. and allusively.”
-
Greg Sterling is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the local marketplace
VideoCSE.com Combines Leading Video Search Engines in One Streamlined Interface
Due to the steady rise in popularity of online video sharing websites like YouTube, Google Video and Metacafe, there has been great opportunity to develop a single search engine to scour all of the leading video sites. Video CSE has stepped in to fill that void with its powerful search engine at VideoCSE.com.
(PRWEB) March 15, 2007 -- In the last two years, the Internet has seen such extreme technological advances in the speed with which large files can be transferred that it has become fast, convenient and common for Web surfers to watch videos online. The world of online video sharing made most popular by YouTube, the current leader in online video, continues to grow quickly as more site owners continue to make video clips a major element of their online content. This ongoing expansion has led to the development of Video CSE, a powerful, breakthrough Google-powered video search engine capable of searching the libraries of a growing list of popular online video sites.
Visitors to VideoCSE.com can search for video content just as they would using other leading video search engines, but the enormously increased number of searchable videos and sophisticated organization of results produces more relevant content with every search.
Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.videocse.com/" alt="Link to website">Video CSE produces pure online video search results from a vast number of sources including leading video sharing sites such as Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo! Video, MSN Soapbox, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Revver, IFILM, AtomFilms, Veoh and Grouper "Video CSE produces pure online video search results from a vast number of sources including leading video sharing sites such as Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo! Video, MSN Soapbox, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Revver, IFILM, AtomFilms, Veoh and Grouper," explains Video CSE site owner Anders Lindman.
Intelligent video search engines are an important part of what has become a worldwide phenomenon. While many Web users utilize video sharing sites to upload and watch clips of movies and television shows, others use the sites as open forums, posting self-directed videos of personal opinions, video diary entries, political speech and stand-up comedy. With millions of viewers who watch videos online at the leading sites each day, ordinary people uploading their own movies can, and have, become overnight celebrities.
A significant indication of the impact that online video sharing has made is TIME Magazine's decision to name YouTube as the Invention of the Year for 2006. The sheer numbers of Web users who watch videos online with YouTube alone are staggering, with Nielsen/NetRatings reporting that the site receives nearly 20 million unique users each month. The goal of Video CSE is to capture a large share of this traffic by becoming the preferred video search engine due to its ability to aggregate results from all of the Internet's shared video sources.
To utilize all of the leading video search engines through a single, user friendly site, please visit VideoCSE.com.
About Video CSEVideo CSE is the breakthrough Google-powered custom search engine designed to find shared online videos from a huge range of video sharing sites including Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo! Video and more. The company's search engine at VideoCSE.com was designed by NC Media, a company specializing in Internet application development.
(PRWEB) March 15, 2007 -- In the last two years, the Internet has seen such extreme technological advances in the speed with which large files can be transferred that it has become fast, convenient and common for Web surfers to watch videos online. The world of online video sharing made most popular by YouTube, the current leader in online video, continues to grow quickly as more site owners continue to make video clips a major element of their online content. This ongoing expansion has led to the development of Video CSE, a powerful, breakthrough Google-powered video search engine capable of searching the libraries of a growing list of popular online video sites.
Visitors to VideoCSE.com can search for video content just as they would using other leading video search engines, but the enormously increased number of searchable videos and sophisticated organization of results produces more relevant content with every search.
Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.videocse.com/" alt="Link to website">Video CSE produces pure online video search results from a vast number of sources including leading video sharing sites such as Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo! Video, MSN Soapbox, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Revver, IFILM, AtomFilms, Veoh and Grouper "Video CSE produces pure online video search results from a vast number of sources including leading video sharing sites such as Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo! Video, MSN Soapbox, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Revver, IFILM, AtomFilms, Veoh and Grouper," explains Video CSE site owner Anders Lindman.
Intelligent video search engines are an important part of what has become a worldwide phenomenon. While many Web users utilize video sharing sites to upload and watch clips of movies and television shows, others use the sites as open forums, posting self-directed videos of personal opinions, video diary entries, political speech and stand-up comedy. With millions of viewers who watch videos online at the leading sites each day, ordinary people uploading their own movies can, and have, become overnight celebrities.
A significant indication of the impact that online video sharing has made is TIME Magazine's decision to name YouTube as the Invention of the Year for 2006. The sheer numbers of Web users who watch videos online with YouTube alone are staggering, with Nielsen/NetRatings reporting that the site receives nearly 20 million unique users each month. The goal of Video CSE is to capture a large share of this traffic by becoming the preferred video search engine due to its ability to aggregate results from all of the Internet's shared video sources.
To utilize all of the leading video search engines through a single, user friendly site, please visit VideoCSE.com.
About Video CSEVideo CSE is the breakthrough Google-powered custom search engine designed to find shared online videos from a huge range of video sharing sites including Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo! Video and more. The company's search engine at VideoCSE.com was designed by NC Media, a company specializing in Internet application development.
AOP: Publishers grapple with web video
The Association of Online Publishers had so many subscribers to its video forum it had to find a bigger venue, which tells half the story. These AOP forums have a very commercial focus, so the discussion was really about how to make money out of all this.
The end of the 30-second ad
ROO Group executive director Robin Smyth had some pretty solid basic tips on incorporating video: add mini players within the site, embedded video in the site (that means not having a pop-up media player, like the iPlayer...), having a simple content management system, good marketing, a user content element and focusing on live events.
Smyth said the user attention span for web video had increased from 4.5 minutes in December 2004 to 25 minutes now, and that's up to as many as nine clips. The growth of broadband connectivity, better user interfaces and more compelling content has driven this increase in web video use and there's no doubt, he said, that the internet will become accepted as the largest broadcasting platform in the world.
Smyth used some fairly in-your-face examples of advertiser-sponsored channels in the US including one for the NFL and one sponsored by General Motors. ROO, who have had plenty of press recently, have a web video package that has done very well recently, thank you very much. Times Online and Mirror Group Newspapers are just two clients.
Thirty second ads made for TV just don't work online. That's the consensus.
ROO uses pre, mid and post-roll ads, as well as related display adverts around the player that extend the message. A 10-15 second video ad with banners alongside was very effective, he said.
"Move into video sooner rather than later, make sure you understand what your audience wants and that you deliver that. Otherwise you'll have to try and win back your audience later on."
Yahoo: Web video publishers must self-regulate
Yahoo Europe's video product manager Matt West mapped out the extremes of the online video market with the Wild West of YouTube and its' copyright infringement at one end and the editorially-controlled, closed video channels at the other. It's the latter end of the market that appeals to advertisers, who want control over their message and where their content appears.
US video ad revenues in 2006 were just over half a percent of all TV ad budgets, so there's still some way to go.
Again, Yahoo looks at pre, mid and post-roll video ads alongside branded channels, but West also referred to the EU's much-discussed Television Frontiers directive. It is likely, he said, that TV ad regulation could be extended to cover web ads and that publishers should rep-empt that.
"We need to self-regulate before that applies to ourselves".
Advertising: "We are at a tipping point"
Ad creative Simon Cam from Superglue said he has to try and convince companies to invest a bit more in exploring web video, rather than slapping linear 30-second TV ads online. It's a totally different dynamic and that's because of the interactivity. He even got to quote Confucius, like a line from one of those Pocket Books of Media Wisdom you might find in an interesting toilet: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
"With digital," he said, "brands can get off their soapbox and mingle. There's a shift from an almost paternal handing-down of that finished, edited message to brands getting more involved with consumers."
He played four examples of ads by Superglue which involved simple interaction. The Coke boybands ad asked the viewer to click on each boyband member to see them disappear into something like a fiery pit of hell, and the Mini overboost ad invited the user to press the accelerator to see the effects of its new Gforce-inducing turbo charge. More entertaining than it sounds.
"We're now at a tipping point in terms of what we can do with video advertising online," said Cam.
"The link between agencies and the tech companies that put this stuff on the pages will be key to moving the industry forward. We've only scratched the surface as far as online interactivity goes."
VNU's investment in audio and video production
VNU has been through something of a transformation after being bought by Incisive Media. The newly merged company base has a rather impressive four-piece sound studio and though the studios are used around 30% of the time at the moment, the publisher plans to expand its audio and video output significantly.
Publishing director Duncan Tickell said the financial case for the six-figure investment in its own production facilities was already sound: VNU had already been spending money on producing a range of audio and video podcasts.
It's cheaper to use your own equipment, and also means they have the facilities on site to develop more service on top of the business club discussions and specialist IT/financial audio and video they already produce.
'We invested because we wanted the new audio and video to be editorially led, and not just sponsor-led," he said.
It's worth noting that VNU isn't recruiting new journalists for all this new audio and video, but retraining its print journalists.
"Fortunately the teams have seen it as a challenge and something new, rather than a burden," he said. "It's a collaboration, rather than something that has been enforced on staff like it has at other publishers."
He admitted that the revenue model isn't exactly there yet, but that is what the users want.
"We recognise the opportunity to connect more deeply and engage with readers. We feel that's the way things are going and we want to be there to leverage that, and underline our position as a leader in that space."
The end of the 30-second ad
ROO Group executive director Robin Smyth had some pretty solid basic tips on incorporating video: add mini players within the site, embedded video in the site (that means not having a pop-up media player, like the iPlayer...), having a simple content management system, good marketing, a user content element and focusing on live events.
Smyth said the user attention span for web video had increased from 4.5 minutes in December 2004 to 25 minutes now, and that's up to as many as nine clips. The growth of broadband connectivity, better user interfaces and more compelling content has driven this increase in web video use and there's no doubt, he said, that the internet will become accepted as the largest broadcasting platform in the world.
Smyth used some fairly in-your-face examples of advertiser-sponsored channels in the US including one for the NFL and one sponsored by General Motors. ROO, who have had plenty of press recently, have a web video package that has done very well recently, thank you very much. Times Online and Mirror Group Newspapers are just two clients.
Thirty second ads made for TV just don't work online. That's the consensus.
ROO uses pre, mid and post-roll ads, as well as related display adverts around the player that extend the message. A 10-15 second video ad with banners alongside was very effective, he said.
"Move into video sooner rather than later, make sure you understand what your audience wants and that you deliver that. Otherwise you'll have to try and win back your audience later on."
Yahoo: Web video publishers must self-regulate
Yahoo Europe's video product manager Matt West mapped out the extremes of the online video market with the Wild West of YouTube and its' copyright infringement at one end and the editorially-controlled, closed video channels at the other. It's the latter end of the market that appeals to advertisers, who want control over their message and where their content appears.
US video ad revenues in 2006 were just over half a percent of all TV ad budgets, so there's still some way to go.
Again, Yahoo looks at pre, mid and post-roll video ads alongside branded channels, but West also referred to the EU's much-discussed Television Frontiers directive. It is likely, he said, that TV ad regulation could be extended to cover web ads and that publishers should rep-empt that.
"We need to self-regulate before that applies to ourselves".
Advertising: "We are at a tipping point"
Ad creative Simon Cam from Superglue said he has to try and convince companies to invest a bit more in exploring web video, rather than slapping linear 30-second TV ads online. It's a totally different dynamic and that's because of the interactivity. He even got to quote Confucius, like a line from one of those Pocket Books of Media Wisdom you might find in an interesting toilet: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
"With digital," he said, "brands can get off their soapbox and mingle. There's a shift from an almost paternal handing-down of that finished, edited message to brands getting more involved with consumers."
He played four examples of ads by Superglue which involved simple interaction. The Coke boybands ad asked the viewer to click on each boyband member to see them disappear into something like a fiery pit of hell, and the Mini overboost ad invited the user to press the accelerator to see the effects of its new Gforce-inducing turbo charge. More entertaining than it sounds.
"We're now at a tipping point in terms of what we can do with video advertising online," said Cam.
"The link between agencies and the tech companies that put this stuff on the pages will be key to moving the industry forward. We've only scratched the surface as far as online interactivity goes."
VNU's investment in audio and video production
VNU has been through something of a transformation after being bought by Incisive Media. The newly merged company base has a rather impressive four-piece sound studio and though the studios are used around 30% of the time at the moment, the publisher plans to expand its audio and video output significantly.
Publishing director Duncan Tickell said the financial case for the six-figure investment in its own production facilities was already sound: VNU had already been spending money on producing a range of audio and video podcasts.
It's cheaper to use your own equipment, and also means they have the facilities on site to develop more service on top of the business club discussions and specialist IT/financial audio and video they already produce.
'We invested because we wanted the new audio and video to be editorially led, and not just sponsor-led," he said.
It's worth noting that VNU isn't recruiting new journalists for all this new audio and video, but retraining its print journalists.
"Fortunately the teams have seen it as a challenge and something new, rather than a burden," he said. "It's a collaboration, rather than something that has been enforced on staff like it has at other publishers."
He admitted that the revenue model isn't exactly there yet, but that is what the users want.
"We recognise the opportunity to connect more deeply and engage with readers. We feel that's the way things are going and we want to be there to leverage that, and underline our position as a leader in that space."
MSN Soapbox Public Beta Out
According to reports, Microsoft has now released the public beta of its MSN Soapbox video-upload service, which is being seen as a rival to Google's YouTube service. Last year, in the month of September, the company had made the beta available on invitation only basis in the US. However, now it is open to all, and those interested can test the service by visiting the site (http://soapbox.msn.com).
Soapbox, a part of Windows Live, allows users to upload, discover, and share personal videos with the Soapbox community, and others around the world. It provides users with a number of benefits such as single-step uploading, background server-side video processing, and acceptance of all major digital video formats; video browsing spanning 15 categories, plus RSS feeds; and participation in the Soapbox community, with the ability to rate, comment on, or tag videos viewed, etc. Interestingly, Soapbox allows users to simultaneously watch videos and browse for new ones on the same screen. Besides, all users can view Soapbox videos, but those with a Windows Live ID can comment on and upload new videos. In order to compete with rivals such as Google and Yahoo!, Microsoft has been assembling a raft of Web-based services since November 2005. The company claims to have invested a significant amount of money in its Web efforts. Though many believe that Live services will replace Microsoft's MSN branded services, the company continues to maintain MSN as a site, where it offers entertainment content, which may explain why it branded Soapbox with the MSN name rather than Live. The Live moniker refers more to actual services such as Windows Live e-mail, instant messaging, and search.
Soapbox, a part of Windows Live, allows users to upload, discover, and share personal videos with the Soapbox community, and others around the world. It provides users with a number of benefits such as single-step uploading, background server-side video processing, and acceptance of all major digital video formats; video browsing spanning 15 categories, plus RSS feeds; and participation in the Soapbox community, with the ability to rate, comment on, or tag videos viewed, etc. Interestingly, Soapbox allows users to simultaneously watch videos and browse for new ones on the same screen. Besides, all users can view Soapbox videos, but those with a Windows Live ID can comment on and upload new videos. In order to compete with rivals such as Google and Yahoo!, Microsoft has been assembling a raft of Web-based services since November 2005. The company claims to have invested a significant amount of money in its Web efforts. Though many believe that Live services will replace Microsoft's MSN branded services, the company continues to maintain MSN as a site, where it offers entertainment content, which may explain why it branded Soapbox with the MSN name rather than Live. The Live moniker refers more to actual services such as Windows Live e-mail, instant messaging, and search.
America's Next Black Leader Reality Series
America's Next Black Leader (The Reality Series): Comin' For that #1 Spot by TRUTH Minista Paul Scott
Ya'll been eatin' long enough now stop bein' greedy Just keep it real partna, give to the needy Grips are touchin, don't make me wait Mess around I'm gonna bite you and snatch the plate Stop Being Greedy-DMX
If you get a room full of Black folks together to talk about the condition of our community, you can bet that the hottest topic of the evening will be "what the heck is wrong with Black leadership?" Many would probably argue that all Black leaders need to be but put on the unemployment line, quick fast and in a hurry. But at the end of the night, the question is, if all the high profile Black leaders packed up and moved to a small island in the South Pacific, then what? Who would take their places? Who you gonna call when you get fired from your job at Mickie Dee's for jackin' up a customer for callin' you the "N" word because his fries were too greasy. Who you gonna call when lil Tyrone gets expelled from school for tellin' Mrs. Horowitz that Columbus Day is a ***** lie and ole Abe Lincoln really didn't free no ***** slaves! After all the complaining, you can best believe that if you ask for volunteers to step up and solve the 99 problems facing every Brotha and Sista in America, you will hear a pin drop....
That is why we are starting the first youtube.com reality series "America's Next Black Leader." If you aren't satisfied with the current condition of Black leadership then "you" have the opportunity to become America's next Black leader.
http://www.youtube.com/nextblackleader
Many of us truly believe that we need a regime change at the top. Real talk, how many more times do you really want to see "Count Coolout" show up to accept the apology of a racist bigot on behalf of 12 million angry Black folks. How many more conferences do we really want to see on C-Span with the same ole folks whinin' about the same things that they were whinin' about since before your mom's was born?
At some point, the testimony that "I marched with Dr. King" stops being a badge of honor and becomes a strong indicator that you need to sit down somewhere.
Based on the condition of the Black community, our movement is sick but instead of the doctor suggesting that the heads of the movement retire, he just prescribes some "Civil Rights Viagra" so they can keep marchin', singin' and prayin' till the cows come home...
Don't get me wrong, I am not disrespecting those of the Civil Rights era but they really don't seem to be reachin' this "Hip Hop Generation." And since some of today's hottest rappers are now knockin' on 40's door, if you ask a young Brotha about dissin' the elders watch him say "I do respect the elders, ...Jay Z’s my dawg!!!"
Times have changed and the idea of a multi millionaire rap artist in 2007, riding a round in a $1000,000 luxury jeep blasting "WE Shall Overcome, one day" just seems kind oxymoronic...
Although many hate to admit it, the NAACP has been in need of a drastic make over for decades. Excuse my language but that group has been a perfect candidate for "Pimp My Civil Rights Organization" for years...
And although the old guard Civil Rights leader's always challenge the young folks with the cliche " no one is going to hand you the mantle of leadership, you have to take it" you can believe that if you ever got close enough to lay a finger on the scepter, they would be hollerin' for security!
While age may be an issue, it is really about old ideas that need an update and just because a new face comes along, it does not mean that he/she will effectively deal with issues disproportionately affecting Black folks...Even Obama, with his message of "one America inclusiveness" has yet to prove when it comes down to it, will he rep the Hamptons or tha hood, Harvard or Howard, high dollar estates or high rise tenement buildings...
But the question remains, although you may be able to stand on your soapbox and complain about Black leaders, can you do any better? On the surface, being a Black leader seems to be a cool job. Look at the fringe benefits, wearing thousand dollar suits, riding around in stretch limos and rubbin' elbows with the rich and famous. But leading Black people ain't no picnic. Can you imagine having hundreds of angry Black folks blowin' up your Blackberry, everyday, with their personal problems. Just think about that lady that sits next to you at work and her Monday morning drama. Now, multiply that by a thousand...Get the visual???
But if you feel that you are sharper than Sharpton, bring more action than Jackson and create more drama than Obama, this is what we need you to do...Go to http://www.youtube.com/group/nextblackleader and upload a video of yourself explaining what you would do as America's next Black leader. You can post a speech, rap, poem or better yet, a video of you actually doing things in the community which you believe a real Black leader should do. People across the country will vote by "favoriting" who the next Black leader should be on youtube. The winner will be announced April 4, 2007, the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Now, I know some of ya'll are saying that you don't have the time to upload videos and stuff , but if you could take time to upload that video of Tina tha Tacky Stripper for that new BET reality show "Hot Ghetto Mess", then you should have no problem taking part in "America's Next Black Leader." But even if you can't post a video, you can participate in the discussion section.
It's 2007, Brothers and Sisters and we don't need another Hot Ghetto Mess, we need Black leadership at its best.
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation in Durham NC. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
For more info about "America's Next Black Leader" go to nextblackleader@yahoo.com
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Related
Listen to Affiliate Radio CRN
Photos by Mia Digital
Artists Shout Outs to TLA
Tribute To Eazy-E
Code of 'THUG LIFE'
Death Row Records
Tupac's Outlawz
Family Violence Prev.
Tupac Graphics
Tupac & The Comedium
Anti-Tupac Autopsy Photo Campaign
History
Fallen Souljahs
History of Rap Haters
Struggle History
Tupac's Court Documents
The Official Reports
'Danamora Agreement'
Afeni's Suit Against Suge
Ya'll been eatin' long enough now stop bein' greedy Just keep it real partna, give to the needy Grips are touchin, don't make me wait Mess around I'm gonna bite you and snatch the plate Stop Being Greedy-DMX
If you get a room full of Black folks together to talk about the condition of our community, you can bet that the hottest topic of the evening will be "what the heck is wrong with Black leadership?" Many would probably argue that all Black leaders need to be but put on the unemployment line, quick fast and in a hurry. But at the end of the night, the question is, if all the high profile Black leaders packed up and moved to a small island in the South Pacific, then what? Who would take their places? Who you gonna call when you get fired from your job at Mickie Dee's for jackin' up a customer for callin' you the "N" word because his fries were too greasy. Who you gonna call when lil Tyrone gets expelled from school for tellin' Mrs. Horowitz that Columbus Day is a ***** lie and ole Abe Lincoln really didn't free no ***** slaves! After all the complaining, you can best believe that if you ask for volunteers to step up and solve the 99 problems facing every Brotha and Sista in America, you will hear a pin drop....
That is why we are starting the first youtube.com reality series "America's Next Black Leader." If you aren't satisfied with the current condition of Black leadership then "you" have the opportunity to become America's next Black leader.
http://www.youtube.com/nextblackleader
Many of us truly believe that we need a regime change at the top. Real talk, how many more times do you really want to see "Count Coolout" show up to accept the apology of a racist bigot on behalf of 12 million angry Black folks. How many more conferences do we really want to see on C-Span with the same ole folks whinin' about the same things that they were whinin' about since before your mom's was born?
At some point, the testimony that "I marched with Dr. King" stops being a badge of honor and becomes a strong indicator that you need to sit down somewhere.
Based on the condition of the Black community, our movement is sick but instead of the doctor suggesting that the heads of the movement retire, he just prescribes some "Civil Rights Viagra" so they can keep marchin', singin' and prayin' till the cows come home...
Don't get me wrong, I am not disrespecting those of the Civil Rights era but they really don't seem to be reachin' this "Hip Hop Generation." And since some of today's hottest rappers are now knockin' on 40's door, if you ask a young Brotha about dissin' the elders watch him say "I do respect the elders, ...Jay Z’s my dawg!!!"
Times have changed and the idea of a multi millionaire rap artist in 2007, riding a round in a $1000,000 luxury jeep blasting "WE Shall Overcome, one day" just seems kind oxymoronic...
Although many hate to admit it, the NAACP has been in need of a drastic make over for decades. Excuse my language but that group has been a perfect candidate for "Pimp My Civil Rights Organization" for years...
And although the old guard Civil Rights leader's always challenge the young folks with the cliche " no one is going to hand you the mantle of leadership, you have to take it" you can believe that if you ever got close enough to lay a finger on the scepter, they would be hollerin' for security!
While age may be an issue, it is really about old ideas that need an update and just because a new face comes along, it does not mean that he/she will effectively deal with issues disproportionately affecting Black folks...Even Obama, with his message of "one America inclusiveness" has yet to prove when it comes down to it, will he rep the Hamptons or tha hood, Harvard or Howard, high dollar estates or high rise tenement buildings...
But the question remains, although you may be able to stand on your soapbox and complain about Black leaders, can you do any better? On the surface, being a Black leader seems to be a cool job. Look at the fringe benefits, wearing thousand dollar suits, riding around in stretch limos and rubbin' elbows with the rich and famous. But leading Black people ain't no picnic. Can you imagine having hundreds of angry Black folks blowin' up your Blackberry, everyday, with their personal problems. Just think about that lady that sits next to you at work and her Monday morning drama. Now, multiply that by a thousand...Get the visual???
But if you feel that you are sharper than Sharpton, bring more action than Jackson and create more drama than Obama, this is what we need you to do...Go to http://www.youtube.com/group/nextblackleader and upload a video of yourself explaining what you would do as America's next Black leader. You can post a speech, rap, poem or better yet, a video of you actually doing things in the community which you believe a real Black leader should do. People across the country will vote by "favoriting" who the next Black leader should be on youtube. The winner will be announced April 4, 2007, the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Now, I know some of ya'll are saying that you don't have the time to upload videos and stuff , but if you could take time to upload that video of Tina tha Tacky Stripper for that new BET reality show "Hot Ghetto Mess", then you should have no problem taking part in "America's Next Black Leader." But even if you can't post a video, you can participate in the discussion section.
It's 2007, Brothers and Sisters and we don't need another Hot Ghetto Mess, we need Black leadership at its best.
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation in Durham NC. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
For more info about "America's Next Black Leader" go to nextblackleader@yahoo.com
Newsletter
Enter your e-mail to receive our newsletter!
Subscribe Unsubscribe
Related
Listen to Affiliate Radio CRN
Photos by Mia Digital
Artists Shout Outs to TLA
Tribute To Eazy-E
Code of 'THUG LIFE'
Death Row Records
Tupac's Outlawz
Family Violence Prev.
Tupac Graphics
Tupac & The Comedium
Anti-Tupac Autopsy Photo Campaign
History
Fallen Souljahs
History of Rap Haters
Struggle History
Tupac's Court Documents
The Official Reports
'Danamora Agreement'
Afeni's Suit Against Suge
MSN Soapbox video sharing service enters public beta
Microsoft's would-be-YouTube video service Soapbox that we first mentioned in September last year has now entered public beta testing.
Though Bink.nu reckons it's only supposed to work on Internet Explorer and not Firefox (presumably on a PC), I've been able to watch videos using Camino on a Mac (shock!) Whether every piece of functionality is available is another matter - I was briefly stunned after watching a bizarre user-generated Soapbox-love video and didn't dare delve any further.Despite the MSN branding (when I thought everything was going Live), the site looks pretty good. Different to YouTube, it's possible to watch and browse videos from the same screen.
Will Microsoft make a success of it? Only the users will decide. Potential? Yes. Originality? Hardly.
MSN Soapbox
Came straight to this page? Visit www.TechDigest.tv for all the latest news.
Though Bink.nu reckons it's only supposed to work on Internet Explorer and not Firefox (presumably on a PC), I've been able to watch videos using Camino on a Mac (shock!) Whether every piece of functionality is available is another matter - I was briefly stunned after watching a bizarre user-generated Soapbox-love video and didn't dare delve any further.Despite the MSN branding (when I thought everything was going Live), the site looks pretty good. Different to YouTube, it's possible to watch and browse videos from the same screen.
Will Microsoft make a success of it? Only the users will decide. Potential? Yes. Originality? Hardly.
MSN Soapbox
Came straight to this page? Visit www.TechDigest.tv for all the latest news.
Microsoft: Ready to Rev Up Soapbox
The software maker isn't ruling out acquisitions to bolster its online video-sharing tool and there are plenty of would-be targets
by Catherine Holahan
Technology
Cisco Ups Ante in War with Microsoft
How Secure Is Your Domain?
Asia: New Technology, Old Habits
Cliff Bleszinski: The God of Gears
Intel Eyes Expansion in China
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//-->
Microsoft's MSN Soapbox video-sharing site is unlikely to knock Google's (GOOG) YouTube off its pedestal anytime soon. Soapbox, which officially launched for public testing this month, has several interesting features and big brand backing. But it lacks what lured people to YouTube in the first place: originality. And, when it comes to online video, originality is everything.
With Soapbox, Microsoft (MSFT) lives up to its reputation for taking an existing product and adding often useful features, rather than being first to market. Think of how the Xbox game console helped Microsoft encroach on Nintendo (NTDOY) and Sony (SNE) turf (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/30/06, "Games: Console Wars").
Netizens Want the Real McCoy
True to form, Soapbox is arguably a bit fancier than YouTube. It lets users search for videos while simultaneously watching them. It also has a large player that makes viewing easier than on other sites (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/25/06, "Soapbox Works Up a Lather"). But ultimately, what worked for gaming consoles and other areas of tech has not worked for online video. Users tend to stick with the pioneers and shun the big-brand Johnny-come-lately sites like Microsoft's. "Unfortunately it just seems like Microsoft is just kind of a day late and a dollar short in terms of the Internet," says Walter Pritchard, a research analyst at Cowen & Co. (COWN).
Microsoft may well need to buy rather than build if it hopes to gain enough traction to rival YouTube and entice large numbers of advertisers. "The site is a copycat of YouTube," says Gene Munster, a senior technology research analyst at Piper Jaffray (PJC). "You can't build it. They have tried to build it."
Google went the buy route last year, acquiring YouTube after its homegrown video site failed to receive the same kind of attention the market-leading startup was garnering (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/10/06, "YouTube's New Deep Pockets"). News Corp. (NWS) also spent its way onto the field with MySpace.
Shopping for an Audience
Last year, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced plans to spend more than $1 billion on MSN research and development. Rob Bennett, MSN's general manager for entertainment and video, says Microsoft has "looked at" making acquisitions.
Any acquisition would be first and foremost about gaining people who generate interesting ideas and second about technology, Bennett says. Acquiring additional audience would be a third, less important factor. "Audience is important, but it is also sort of fleeting," says Bennett. "There are plenty of cases where companies have bought audiences and squandered them."
Microsoft executives ran a slide rule over startup Revver, according to a Feb. 22 CNET (CNET) report. Revver executives deny that the company is for sale and Microsoft declined to comment on the story.
Optimizing Existing Users
Bennett points out that MSN, though it wants to attract new audiences, can grow by increasing the amount of time that its existing users spend on Microsoft sites. Overall, MSN has 465 million unique users a month. If MSN could get those users to be active on Soapbox and also entice their friends, the site would be successful, says Bennett. Bennett credits MSN's existing audience for the success of its blogging and social networking service, Live Spaces. Launched in December, 2004, Live Spaces now has more than 120 million unique users worldwide, according to Microsoft.
However, even if all 465 million MSN users each streamed one video a month on Soapbox, the site would still lag behind YouTube's more than 688 million monthly streams, according to comScore data. For MSN to become a top video site, it would have to acquire a company with a large audience as well as ideas and technology.
Possible Targets
Aside from Revver, Metacafe is another site rumored to be seeking a buyer. In the past, comScore has listed Metacafe as one of the top 15 video-sharing sites in terms of unique users. It has 17 million customers, according to Erick Hachenburg, an Electronic Arts (ERTS) veteran who took over as CEO earlier this month. The Israeli company just moved its headquarters to California. "We can innovate and come up with great ad products for the consumer," Hachenburg says.
Also in the mix is Veoh, which boasts technology that can show high definition–quality video. Another site is Guba, which has a smaller audience than some rivals but has video-screening technology developed in partnership with the Motion Picture Association of America that the company says effectively blocks uploads of copyrighted clips (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/1/07, "Video Sharing: Thinning the Pack").
The best acquisition would be a company that people don't know about yet that is doing something truly game-changing, says Cowen's Pritchard. "I don't see any reason why they shouldn't go out and buy a unique and early Web property every month, put together a collection and see if something comes out of it," he says.
by Catherine Holahan
Technology
Cisco Ups Ante in War with Microsoft
How Secure Is Your Domain?
Asia: New Technology, Old Habits
Cliff Bleszinski: The God of Gears
Intel Eyes Expansion in China
Story Tools
post a comment
e-mail this story
print this story
order a reprint
digg this
save to del.icio.us
');
}
//-->
Microsoft's MSN Soapbox video-sharing site is unlikely to knock Google's (GOOG) YouTube off its pedestal anytime soon. Soapbox, which officially launched for public testing this month, has several interesting features and big brand backing. But it lacks what lured people to YouTube in the first place: originality. And, when it comes to online video, originality is everything.
With Soapbox, Microsoft (MSFT) lives up to its reputation for taking an existing product and adding often useful features, rather than being first to market. Think of how the Xbox game console helped Microsoft encroach on Nintendo (NTDOY) and Sony (SNE) turf (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/30/06, "Games: Console Wars").
Netizens Want the Real McCoy
True to form, Soapbox is arguably a bit fancier than YouTube. It lets users search for videos while simultaneously watching them. It also has a large player that makes viewing easier than on other sites (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/25/06, "Soapbox Works Up a Lather"). But ultimately, what worked for gaming consoles and other areas of tech has not worked for online video. Users tend to stick with the pioneers and shun the big-brand Johnny-come-lately sites like Microsoft's. "Unfortunately it just seems like Microsoft is just kind of a day late and a dollar short in terms of the Internet," says Walter Pritchard, a research analyst at Cowen & Co. (COWN).
Microsoft may well need to buy rather than build if it hopes to gain enough traction to rival YouTube and entice large numbers of advertisers. "The site is a copycat of YouTube," says Gene Munster, a senior technology research analyst at Piper Jaffray (PJC). "You can't build it. They have tried to build it."
Google went the buy route last year, acquiring YouTube after its homegrown video site failed to receive the same kind of attention the market-leading startup was garnering (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/10/06, "YouTube's New Deep Pockets"). News Corp. (NWS) also spent its way onto the field with MySpace.
Shopping for an Audience
Last year, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced plans to spend more than $1 billion on MSN research and development. Rob Bennett, MSN's general manager for entertainment and video, says Microsoft has "looked at" making acquisitions.
Any acquisition would be first and foremost about gaining people who generate interesting ideas and second about technology, Bennett says. Acquiring additional audience would be a third, less important factor. "Audience is important, but it is also sort of fleeting," says Bennett. "There are plenty of cases where companies have bought audiences and squandered them."
Microsoft executives ran a slide rule over startup Revver, according to a Feb. 22 CNET (CNET) report. Revver executives deny that the company is for sale and Microsoft declined to comment on the story.
Optimizing Existing Users
Bennett points out that MSN, though it wants to attract new audiences, can grow by increasing the amount of time that its existing users spend on Microsoft sites. Overall, MSN has 465 million unique users a month. If MSN could get those users to be active on Soapbox and also entice their friends, the site would be successful, says Bennett. Bennett credits MSN's existing audience for the success of its blogging and social networking service, Live Spaces. Launched in December, 2004, Live Spaces now has more than 120 million unique users worldwide, according to Microsoft.
However, even if all 465 million MSN users each streamed one video a month on Soapbox, the site would still lag behind YouTube's more than 688 million monthly streams, according to comScore data. For MSN to become a top video site, it would have to acquire a company with a large audience as well as ideas and technology.
Possible Targets
Aside from Revver, Metacafe is another site rumored to be seeking a buyer. In the past, comScore has listed Metacafe as one of the top 15 video-sharing sites in terms of unique users. It has 17 million customers, according to Erick Hachenburg, an Electronic Arts (ERTS) veteran who took over as CEO earlier this month. The Israeli company just moved its headquarters to California. "We can innovate and come up with great ad products for the consumer," Hachenburg says.
Also in the mix is Veoh, which boasts technology that can show high definition–quality video. Another site is Guba, which has a smaller audience than some rivals but has video-screening technology developed in partnership with the Motion Picture Association of America that the company says effectively blocks uploads of copyrighted clips (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/1/07, "Video Sharing: Thinning the Pack").
The best acquisition would be a company that people don't know about yet that is doing something truly game-changing, says Cowen's Pritchard. "I don't see any reason why they shouldn't go out and buy a unique and early Web property every month, put together a collection and see if something comes out of it," he says.
Soapbox - video exchange service from Microsoft
Microsoft has started MSN Soapbox testing, which is an analogue of YouTube.
Soapbox gives an opportunity to the users to play any file of video format, together with texts, notes, tags and place them according to categories. The differences from YouTube are video and site navigation, performed in one window.
The service is available only for browser Internet Explorer. Firefox and Opera users cannot use it. Soapbox testing was carried out in closed regime only by invited testers.
The question of issuing Soapbox under MSN brand is not clear, while Microsoft is trying to transfer post, messenger and other services to a new brand Live. Supposedly MSN brand will exist in the future as well, surrounded by entertainment resources.
The resource is available for users of Internet Explorer on the following address: http://soapbox.msn.com/
Soapbox gives an opportunity to the users to play any file of video format, together with texts, notes, tags and place them according to categories. The differences from YouTube are video and site navigation, performed in one window.
The service is available only for browser Internet Explorer. Firefox and Opera users cannot use it. Soapbox testing was carried out in closed regime only by invited testers.
The question of issuing Soapbox under MSN brand is not clear, while Microsoft is trying to transfer post, messenger and other services to a new brand Live. Supposedly MSN brand will exist in the future as well, surrounded by entertainment resources.
The resource is available for users of Internet Explorer on the following address: http://soapbox.msn.com/
From my Soapbox: Extended daylight-saving time will not live up to expectations
Daylight-saving time is a traditional annoyance most people take for granted because we have to change our clocks or end up late or early for an entire day twice a year. “Spring forward” and “fall back” are mnemonic sayings we learned sometime in school. According to a Congresssional report written by Heidi G. Yacker, the federal government has been regulating time since the end of World War I in 1918 with the passage of the Standard Time Act, which created the time zones we know today from railroad standardizations that have been used since the late 19th century. Part of this act was daylight-saving time. It was repealed because of unpopularity just a year later by Congress. The report also explains the reason for this change to make daylight longer into the evening during the summer was to make more time for outdoor recreation, so the longer summer daylight would not be wasted. Daylight-saving time would again become part of U.S. policy during World War II, and after it was left to the states and local governments to decide if it would be used. This probably created quite a mess in many areas of the country where the time would change frequently between states and even municipalities. Daylight-saving time became federally regulated again in 1966 by The Uniform Time Act, ending the confusion of allowing states and municipalities to regulate themselves. The revisions in 1986 set daylight-saving time for the first Sunday in April through the last Sunday in October. The recent Energy Policy Act of 2005 paved the way for the new, longer system of daylight-saving time, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.The reason posed for making this change was primarily related to energy use. The basic theory is less electricity would be used during peak nighttime hours and would increase some morning energy consumption. If the savings in nighttime usage is greater than morning usage, then energy would be saved. According to a report done by the Department of Transportation in 1975, there would be minimal effects on energy uses if daylight-saving time was extended. The report was later restudied and found to not contain significant, if any energy savings in a report issue by congress in 1998. Additionally, these sentiments are echoed by Craig Stevens, press secretary for Department of Energy in a “Time Magazine” article on March 6.“The jury on the potential national energy-savings of extending daylight saving time is still out,” he told the magazine. However, some groups like the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy state on their Web site that Americans can save a good deal of money with the extended daylight-saving time. The country could save $4.4 billion by 2020 and also cut greenhouse gas emissions. Congressional supporters of this change like Rep. Edward Markey and Rep. Fred Upton cited energy savings, reduction in crime and traffic fatalities, more leisure time and increased economic activity as possible effects of the extension. While it will be nice to have more recreation time and some boost to the economy, the energy consumption savings as Professor Michael Downing of Tufts University, author of “The Annual Madness of Daylight Savings Time,” points out is probably none at all. It is probably best to be conservative about the environmental impacts of such a change until it can be actually studies over time and weighed in with all the other factors like economic impact and crime. As long as the government keeps the change on a weekend and the mnemonic device to remember when to turn your clocks, I am just happy to walk out of my late afternoon classes and see sun instead of darkness. Jeremy Weber is a senior Political Science major from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. He is the Arts Editor and a four-year
'Sco Dances to a Funky Hip-Hop Beat
It was like taking a walk down Bourbon Street — the flash, the beads, the music. Last Friday night, a packed ’Sco heard performances by New Orleans-based hip-hop artists Soapbox, Impulss, GPC and Truth Universal as well as Bay Area headliners the Coup.
The show, “Reverberating with the Sound of Healing: Hope Through Hip Hop” was part of Oberlin’s bi-annual hip-hop conference, hosted by the student organization Hip-Hop 101.
The first act, Soapbox, wasted no time in setting the New Orleans party mood, passing out Mardi Gras beads before launching into its set. With a straightforward rapping style, Soapbox favored a couplet rhyming scheme. This style lent itself very well to the down-to-earth nature of his lyrics about hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans.
Storming onstage, Impulss took the party mood to the next level, riling up the crowd and laying down his first verses over a pumping swing beat, courtesy of DJ Scratchmo. Impulss’ rapping style was at times confrontational: in the second tune, his rapping began to call out to the government for poorly handling the Katrina disaster.
Impulss finished old-fashioned, however, flowing over DJ Skratchmo’s slow swing groove with New Orleans-style trumpet samples on “New Orleans is Called My Home,” and got the crowd back into party mode with “On the Bayou.”
The duo GPC had rapper LSP domineering the crowd with a very fluid rapping style, while his hype man kept the energy high, roaming in the audience getting people pumped up. GPC’s set featured songs about everything from girls to Notorious B.I.G. to hearing songs on the radio in “heavy rotation,” and even got political in a couple of songs featuring quotes from the New Testament and the Declaration of Independence.
DJ Skratchmo, backing up these first three artists, created distinctive overall sounds for each act, setting them apart from each other.
Truth Universal was the one that really stood out, representing both New Orleans and his home country, Trinidad. He demonstrated mastery from the rhythmically complex and staggered rhyming of his a cappella introduction to the more straightforward couplet rhyming of “Real Hip,” offering a well-rounded performance.
After several heavier tunes, Truth Universal busted out a more spiritual vibe with laid-back grooves and the soft chorus vocals of “We Survive” that brought the lighters and cell-phones out. Truth called for a moment of silence for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The crowd was full of anticipation by the time the Coup took the stage, and the band certainly lived up to the hype. After opening with a heavy but tight blues jam, the rhythm section bumped it up a notch and locked into a medium tempo funk groove that got the crowd moving.
Although lead vocalist Boots Riley told the audience, “We gonna keep it funky,” the band showed off a much broader sonic spectrum that ranged from Motown rhythm and blues — thanks in large part to the soulful female guest vocalist — to a rap-rock style that at times approached Rage Against the Machine in heaviness and revolutionary spirit. The band did keep a steady funk undertone that continued right through to their closer, “Git Down.”
This potent blend displayed by the Coup was very much at home at this year’s conference; according to the website, the conference “represents a call to action through a discourse on Hurricane Katrina and Hope.”
“I ain’t playin’ with y’all,” Impulss told the crowd. “The National Guard is still right outside my house.”
The show, “Reverberating with the Sound of Healing: Hope Through Hip Hop” was part of Oberlin’s bi-annual hip-hop conference, hosted by the student organization Hip-Hop 101.
The first act, Soapbox, wasted no time in setting the New Orleans party mood, passing out Mardi Gras beads before launching into its set. With a straightforward rapping style, Soapbox favored a couplet rhyming scheme. This style lent itself very well to the down-to-earth nature of his lyrics about hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans.
Storming onstage, Impulss took the party mood to the next level, riling up the crowd and laying down his first verses over a pumping swing beat, courtesy of DJ Scratchmo. Impulss’ rapping style was at times confrontational: in the second tune, his rapping began to call out to the government for poorly handling the Katrina disaster.
Impulss finished old-fashioned, however, flowing over DJ Skratchmo’s slow swing groove with New Orleans-style trumpet samples on “New Orleans is Called My Home,” and got the crowd back into party mode with “On the Bayou.”
The duo GPC had rapper LSP domineering the crowd with a very fluid rapping style, while his hype man kept the energy high, roaming in the audience getting people pumped up. GPC’s set featured songs about everything from girls to Notorious B.I.G. to hearing songs on the radio in “heavy rotation,” and even got political in a couple of songs featuring quotes from the New Testament and the Declaration of Independence.
DJ Skratchmo, backing up these first three artists, created distinctive overall sounds for each act, setting them apart from each other.
Truth Universal was the one that really stood out, representing both New Orleans and his home country, Trinidad. He demonstrated mastery from the rhythmically complex and staggered rhyming of his a cappella introduction to the more straightforward couplet rhyming of “Real Hip,” offering a well-rounded performance.
After several heavier tunes, Truth Universal busted out a more spiritual vibe with laid-back grooves and the soft chorus vocals of “We Survive” that brought the lighters and cell-phones out. Truth called for a moment of silence for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The crowd was full of anticipation by the time the Coup took the stage, and the band certainly lived up to the hype. After opening with a heavy but tight blues jam, the rhythm section bumped it up a notch and locked into a medium tempo funk groove that got the crowd moving.
Although lead vocalist Boots Riley told the audience, “We gonna keep it funky,” the band showed off a much broader sonic spectrum that ranged from Motown rhythm and blues — thanks in large part to the soulful female guest vocalist — to a rap-rock style that at times approached Rage Against the Machine in heaviness and revolutionary spirit. The band did keep a steady funk undertone that continued right through to their closer, “Git Down.”
This potent blend displayed by the Coup was very much at home at this year’s conference; according to the website, the conference “represents a call to action through a discourse on Hurricane Katrina and Hope.”
“I ain’t playin’ with y’all,” Impulss told the crowd. “The National Guard is still right outside my house.”
微软视频共享服务肥皂盒 暂未向中国访客开放
日前，微软公司推出了视频共享服务MSN Soapbox(肥皂盒），不过，该服务尚未向中国大陆地区用户开放。
微软MSN Soapbox服务的网址为Soapbox.msn.com。
当笔者访问该网址时，网页上提示“很抱歉，SOAPBOX目前无法在您所在的地区使用”。
网页英文提示则说：“我们发现你正在从一个尚不支持的市场访问Soapbox服务，所以你看到本提示网页。”
该网页没有说明MSN Soapbox在测试阶段向哪些国家和地区提供服务，也没有说明何时将向所有市场开放这一服务。
此前，微软的MSN门户已经有了视频服务（MSN Video）频道，此次推出的“肥皂盒”是一个提供网络视频共享的网站，用户可以用多种格式上传自己创作的视频作品。媒体普遍认为，“肥皂盒”是微软MSN旨在挑战Google公司旗下的Youtube网站的服务。
据报道，在测试阶段，“肥皂盒”服务暂时只支持微软公司的IE浏览器。
微软MSN Soapbox服务的网址为Soapbox.msn.com。
当笔者访问该网址时，网页上提示“很抱歉，SOAPBOX目前无法在您所在的地区使用”。
网页英文提示则说：“我们发现你正在从一个尚不支持的市场访问Soapbox服务，所以你看到本提示网页。”
该网页没有说明MSN Soapbox在测试阶段向哪些国家和地区提供服务，也没有说明何时将向所有市场开放这一服务。
此前，微软的MSN门户已经有了视频服务（MSN Video）频道，此次推出的“肥皂盒”是一个提供网络视频共享的网站，用户可以用多种格式上传自己创作的视频作品。媒体普遍认为，“肥皂盒”是微软MSN旨在挑战Google公司旗下的Youtube网站的服务。
据报道，在测试阶段，“肥皂盒”服务暂时只支持微软公司的IE浏览器。
加速追赶YouTube 微软发布公测版网络视频服务
2月18日消息，微软公司已经推出了公开测试版MSN Soapbox━━一款与Google旗下的YouTube竞争的网络视频服务。
据InformationWeek网站报道称，与YouTube相似，Soapbox使人们能够上传任何格式的数字视频文件。用户还能够标注并对视频进行分类，使用户能够更方便地发现自己想看的视频片断。二者之间的一个区别是Soapbox用户能够在同一个屏幕上观看和浏览视频片断。另外，Soapbox只支持IE而不支持Firefox浏览器。
微软没有就该站点发表任何评论。但LiveSide博客报道称，本周，微软将该站点由只接受邀请用户模式转向公开测试模式，这意味着任何用户都可以访问该站点。
目前尚不清楚的是，微软为何将该服务命名为“MSN Soapbox”，而不是“Live Soapbox”，包括电子邮件、搜索、博客在内的微软的许多服务都使用了“Live”品牌。微软的网络娱乐产品继续使用“MSN”品牌。
Soapbox是微软追赶在Web 2.0服务方面发展更迅速和反应更灵活的公司战略的最新范例。YouTube是最受欢迎的网络共享视频站点，MySpace则主宰了社交网络市场。微软在网络搜索和广告方面则远远落后于Google.
据InformationWeek网站报道称，与YouTube相似，Soapbox使人们能够上传任何格式的数字视频文件。用户还能够标注并对视频进行分类，使用户能够更方便地发现自己想看的视频片断。二者之间的一个区别是Soapbox用户能够在同一个屏幕上观看和浏览视频片断。另外，Soapbox只支持IE而不支持Firefox浏览器。
微软没有就该站点发表任何评论。但LiveSide博客报道称，本周，微软将该站点由只接受邀请用户模式转向公开测试模式，这意味着任何用户都可以访问该站点。
目前尚不清楚的是，微软为何将该服务命名为“MSN Soapbox”，而不是“Live Soapbox”，包括电子邮件、搜索、博客在内的微软的许多服务都使用了“Live”品牌。微软的网络娱乐产品继续使用“MSN”品牌。
Soapbox是微软追赶在Web 2.0服务方面发展更迅速和反应更灵活的公司战略的最新范例。YouTube是最受欢迎的网络共享视频站点，MySpace则主宰了社交网络市场。微软在网络搜索和广告方面则远远落后于Google.
不愿YouTube主宰 微软欲收购视频网站Revver
据消息灵通人士称，在推出测试版视频站点Soapbox一周后，微软收购了至少一家收购目标。上个月，MSN官员访问了Revver位于洛杉矶的总部。
微软不会在由YouTube主宰的视频共享市场上无所作为.
据消息灵通人士称,在推出测试版视频站点Soapbox一周后,微软收购了至少一家收购目标.上个月,MSN官员访问了Revver位于洛杉矶的总部.
MSN娱乐和视频服务部门总经理班尼特证实两家公司进行过谈判,但拒绝披露具体情况.据了解二者谈判情况的一位人士称,MSN在考虑是否能够将Revver的技术和员工整合到Soapbox中.
消息人士表示,除了微软外,DivX也有意收购Revver.DivX运营有一个名为Stage6的站点.业界人士表示,它们看中的是Revver在视频文件中整合广告并对广告跟踪的能力.DivX的官员拒绝就此事发表评论.
据一位知情人士称,双方不会很快达成收购交易.他认为微软目前对Revver兴趣不大.但微软和Revver之间的谈判说明了二个问题：微软在急于进入视频共享领域,Revver则在急于把握自己的未来.
作为首批与视频创作者共享广告收入的站点之一,以及YouTube可能的挑战者,Revver跌出了前20位访问量最大的视频共享网站之列.
Revver遇到麻烦的因素之一是YouTube,几乎近半数对用户提交的内容感兴趣的用户都在YouTube上观看内容.
Yankee Group分析师乔希说,Revver的处境与YouTube的许多竞争对手相似.摆在Revver面前的有二条路：找到一条退出战略或能够盈利的商业模式.
Revver拒绝就与其它公司的谈判发表评论,但该公司首席执行官、创始人斯蒂芬却发表了一份声明.他说,Revver不会出售自己,我们相信自己掌握有合适的技术,我们的处境也很好,我们将继续专注于强化自己的服务,并达成新的发布交易.
班尼特指出,尽管进入视频共享领域有些晚,但微软并非一家新创公司.微软已经与广告客户和娱乐界建立起了良好的关系.他说,更重要的是,微软的流量与YouTube有一拼.班尼特说,MSN的受众数量是YouTube的12倍.
班尼特表示,YouTube的挑战在于如何将流量转化为收入.自2004年以来,我们一直在利用视频流赚钱,我们有许多种方法可以利用Soapbox赚钱.
班尼特说,我们不担心竞争对手的早期领先优势.微软计划不断地增加Soapbox的新功能,并改进Soapbox的服务.他表示,我们有能力进行长期的投资,这意味着我们能够发现用户的需求.
微软不会在由YouTube主宰的视频共享市场上无所作为.
据消息灵通人士称,在推出测试版视频站点Soapbox一周后,微软收购了至少一家收购目标.上个月,MSN官员访问了Revver位于洛杉矶的总部.
MSN娱乐和视频服务部门总经理班尼特证实两家公司进行过谈判,但拒绝披露具体情况.据了解二者谈判情况的一位人士称,MSN在考虑是否能够将Revver的技术和员工整合到Soapbox中.
消息人士表示,除了微软外,DivX也有意收购Revver.DivX运营有一个名为Stage6的站点.业界人士表示,它们看中的是Revver在视频文件中整合广告并对广告跟踪的能力.DivX的官员拒绝就此事发表评论.
据一位知情人士称,双方不会很快达成收购交易.他认为微软目前对Revver兴趣不大.但微软和Revver之间的谈判说明了二个问题：微软在急于进入视频共享领域,Revver则在急于把握自己的未来.
作为首批与视频创作者共享广告收入的站点之一,以及YouTube可能的挑战者,Revver跌出了前20位访问量最大的视频共享网站之列.
Revver遇到麻烦的因素之一是YouTube,几乎近半数对用户提交的内容感兴趣的用户都在YouTube上观看内容.
Yankee Group分析师乔希说,Revver的处境与YouTube的许多竞争对手相似.摆在Revver面前的有二条路：找到一条退出战略或能够盈利的商业模式.
Revver拒绝就与其它公司的谈判发表评论,但该公司首席执行官、创始人斯蒂芬却发表了一份声明.他说,Revver不会出售自己,我们相信自己掌握有合适的技术,我们的处境也很好,我们将继续专注于强化自己的服务,并达成新的发布交易.
班尼特指出,尽管进入视频共享领域有些晚,但微软并非一家新创公司.微软已经与广告客户和娱乐界建立起了良好的关系.他说,更重要的是,微软的流量与YouTube有一拼.班尼特说,MSN的受众数量是YouTube的12倍.
班尼特表示,YouTube的挑战在于如何将流量转化为收入.自2004年以来,我们一直在利用视频流赚钱,我们有许多种方法可以利用Soapbox赚钱.
班尼特说,我们不担心竞争对手的早期领先优势.微软计划不断地增加Soapbox的新功能,并改进Soapbox的服务.他表示,我们有能力进行长期的投资,这意味着我们能够发现用户的需求.
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