Find More Users on Google Talk

Google Talk is probably one of the few messaging clients that doesn't have a way for you to interact with other Google Talk users unless you know their email address. GTalk Profile provides the perfect solution to this problem. Using Google Maps, GTalk Profile allows users to plot where they are on a map and also find other users around the world. Simply type your city and state into the search box and GTalk Profile will provide you with a list of users near you along with a description of each user. Clicking on a name takes you to a profile page where you'll find a longer description, photos, interests, location, and the option to request a user's Google Talk information.

Sign Up for GTalk Profile

Currently the most active countries seem to be Europe, Africa and South America. The United States is the least active country on GTalk Profile. Hopefully that will change soon. GTalk Profile is a great way to expand your Google contacts, though we'd be careful about accepting any and every request on this service.

Accessing Profile 2.0

Profile 2.0 is going to make a lot of MySpace users unhappy, but only if they're truly happy with their current profile. We think anyone that's been waiting for Myspace to do some serious spring cleaning on how users can customize their profiles is going to love Profile 2.0. To access Profile 2.0:

• Make sure you're not logged into MySpace
• Head to MySpace Canada
• Login to your MySpace account as you normally would

You should now see a small yellow box at the top of your MySpace homepage inviting you to try out the Alpha of Profile 2.0.

What MySpace Should've Looked Like in the Beginning

Profile 2.0 allows for users to customize a lot more of their profile than words. Users can now drag and drop modules, add and remove modules, change themes, privacy settings, profile layouts and more. The advance edit mode allows those with more advanced HTML knowledge to fill out their profile with custom CSS and offers more control over module styles. You are also presented with a visual preview of every change made.

Rearranging My Space

All in all, the new Profile 2.0 will be a great tool to use once it goes public. However those that are already using custom templates from the thousands of sites that offer free MySpace themes may be at a loss until web designers catch up. Profile 2.0 will break most of the custom MySpace themes available. If you choose to try out Profile 2.0 MySpace reserves your 1.0 profile just in case you don't like what you see in Profile 2.0. In any case, back up your current profile settings before trying out Profile 2.0.

MewSeek Now Available Via Cydia

Formerly known as iSlsk, MewSeek is a native P2P Soulseek client for the iPhone. If you wish you could download free songs legally to your iPhone, then this is just the app you need. MewSeek works over EDGE, Wi-Fi, and a 3G connection. Since being released in the past few hours, this app has already seen over 3000 downloads. According to the developer's site,

"MewSeek is only was released only for experimental and testing purposes. I admit it is not quite stable yet and I also had to disable a few features temporarily until I find better ways to implement them (e.g. the "Downloads" screen, the ability to prevent Wi-Fi from disconnecting when locking the device, and a few others). However, the core and basic features are working as seen in iSlsk."

Basically, it's still a little buggy. To get started you'll need to set up a username and password first. Once that's done, click the connect button and you'll be good to go. MewSeek found just about every song we could think to search for, legal and otherwise. We advise you to use it at your own risk and MewSeek clearly states not to use the app to download songs that you do not have legal rights to.

Could MewSeek Be Worth The Effort?

To listen to anything that you download you'll have to also download PwnPlayer from Cydia. PwnPlayer is a unique alternative to the native iPod player on the iPhone and worth checking out even if you won't use MewSeek. Just remember that these apps are for jailbroken iPhones only.

The Scoop on Brightkite's iPhone App

We're already fans of the iPhone optimized version of Brightkite. However, it does leave room for some improvements. This is where the iPhone app picks up the slack. Once you login with your credentials you're greeted with the "I am..." screen. Here you can check in to another place, post a note or photo, or allow Brightkite to locate you via the Location Service feature on the iPhone. Locating a user is where Brightkite shines! The "Find Me" feature was extremely accurate with locating my location and also offered several other options of where I might be for me to pick. Brightkite also has a "place snapping" button that lets you allow the app to automatically update your location while you're on the go. It keeps tabs on how long it's been since your last update and the accuracy of your location.

You can also view your friend's activities, the activities of the Brightkite universe, view your address book of friends, see who's nearby, check your messages, accept or deny requests, and tons more. The Brightkite app also plays nicely with Google Maps on the iPhone so that you can get directions to where your friends are on the fly by simply touching the map of your friend's latest location. All in all, this app rocks!

Better Than Its Web Counterpart

If you have any room left on your iPhone for another application, Brightkite is worth the space. Though some users will still be haunted with the various problems that plague most mobile social networks, Brightkite's iPhone app makes the service seem a little more convenient and could cause many to use it a lot more. We only warn you to be careful with leaving the "locate me" feature on as this can be a battery life drainer on the iPhone, but is necessary to turn on if you want to use the app. Check out this awesome video of the Brightkite iPhone app in action just below:

Brightkite for the iPhone from Brightkite on Vimeo.

Features and Design

Moderator is a simple app that does its job well. The app provides you with notifications of how many comments are waiting on your approval both inside the app and also when the app is docked in your taskbar. Moderator also gives you the option of deleting, approving, or marking a comment as spam. You can also choose to view the gravatar of a commenter and set the refresh interval at up to 60 minutes. All of this is nicely packaged in a small and clean user interface.

Moderating Comments From Your Desktop

Developed by Daniel Dura, Moderator is a nifty AIR app and WordPress plugin that allows WordPress users to moderate comments from their desktop with ease. To get started, all you will need is version 2.6+ of WordPress and the latest version of Adobe AIR. To download Moderator, the app requires you to first install the Moderator plugin into your WordPress plugins directory. Doing so provides an added layer of security for your blog. Once the plugin is installed and activated you will be presented with a download link for the Moderator AIR app. As an early release, users may encounter some kinks and quirks depending on the amount of unmoderated comments you receive on a daily basis. However, Moderator is a great app to help you keep up with your comments as the day wears on, without having to constantly refresh your WordPress dashboard.

Fast Facts

• YouTube has brokered a deal with Viacom to run full-length episodes of television shows from CBS
• Hulu.com saw a 52.5% month over month increase in traffic in September 2008
• According to Reuters, YouTube boasts 330 million users and Hulu just 3.3 million users

The Paid Apps Marketplace

CEO Bill Stone stated that:

"Handango is now offering developers the opportunity to sell the paid apps they create for the Android platform as well as offer any free apps when the first Android device launches. Customers can purchase apps via the Web and then download them to their device."

Handango will provide this golden opportunity to developers looking to profit from their apps on October 22, the anticipated launch date of the G1. Developers will be given several options for selling their app:

• Sell an app for a one-time purchase fee
• Sell an app for a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription fee

The plus side for Google and Handango is that App Store developers don't receive this many options to sell their apps. It could tempt a nice portion of developers to port their apps over to Android if the G1's launch is successful enough.

How Long Will it Last?

A small selection of apps have already been announced for Handango's catalog including Monopoly, The Weather Channel, Voice on the Go, EzQuote, and FitSync. Unfortunately, Google already has plans to allow developers to charge users to download an app. What will happen to Handango? If developers are smart, they'll offer their apps in both marketplaces if possible. Unless Google takes too long to implement the same payment options, Handango may have a little trouble in the future catering to developers trying to sell their apps.

A VNC Server for Your iPhone

Developed by Jay Freeman, the creator of the Cydia and Cycorder apps, Veency is a free app that allows iPhone owners to remotely control their iPhone from the comfort of your PC or Mac desktop via a VNC client. Some of the neat things you can do with Veency are:

• Launch applications on your iPhone
• Reply to emails, text messages, and more
• Rearrange icons
• Lock/Unlock your iPhone
• Browse through Photos and Contacts

Unsurprisingly, you cannot do two finger gestures with this app. All other actions can be done with the click of your mouse. The only area in which Veency fails tragically at is when opening any video recording application on the iPhone. We could not view any videos or video recordings on-screen and opening any video application resulted in significantly lower performance from Veency.

Charge Your iPhone From Anywhere

Now iPhone users can charge their iPhone in one room and still answer messages or play with their apps without needing their iPhone to be around. Veency allows you to see any incoming calls, but you obviously shouldn't try to answer them from your computer. Be sure to restart your iPhone after installing Veency and connect to the server using a Wi-Fi connection. We recommend using UltraVNC or TightVNC to connect your Windows desktop. If you're using a Mac, we recommend Chicken VNC. For a great demo of Veency check out this video.

Controlling Basecamp From iGoogle

The Periscope Gadget allows users to control multiple Basecamp accounts from their iGoogle homepage. The gadget provides access to Basecamp activity and allows users to add and manage time entries, download files, and more. The design for the Periscope Gadget is simple and effective, with hover-over link effects to keep the interface as simple as possible without leaving out important details. On the downside, the gadget does not allow you to leave comments on an entry nor add/complete "to-do" items. It has been noted that the team behind Periscope is working hard to bring these features to users. The gadget is accessible from iGoogle, Windows desktops with Google Gadgets installed, and the iPhone for easy on-the-go access.

Allowing Access to Basecamp

To allow the Periscope Gadget to access your Basecamp account read the following instructions or watch this screencast:

"1. Login to your own Basecamp account. Your URL will be something like http://yourdomain.updatelog.com/ or any of the 5 domains that 37 signals owns (updatelog.com, grouphub.com, clientsection.com, seework.com, projectpath.com) and you'll need to use the username and password that you chose when you signed up with them. 2. Click on the Account (Upgrade/Billing) tab. 3. Scroll all the way down on the new page. 4. Close to the bottom is a "Basecamp API" section. Click on the check box that is labelled "I've read and agree to the Basecamp terms of service..." -- you should actually click on the terms of service and read them. 5. Click on the button that says "Yes, please enable the Basecamp API for this account" -- wait a few seconds, and voila! You're done! Basecamp API access is enabled!"

If you think the Periscope Gadget is worth a try or if you're already using Periscope in iGoogle, let us know your thoughts on the iGoogle gadget in the comments sections.

Pirate My Book Please

In an extensive guest post on TorrentFreak, a well known BitTorrent blog, Dan Morrill told his experience with offering his latest eBook, 'Selling Books On Amazon, Tips and Secrets' on popular BitTorrent tracker Mininova. Dan explains that his initial reason for releasing his eBook using BitTorrent was not for marketing purposes, but "to control the release and gather good stats on the process." We don't think he could've picked a better service. Within the first 24 hours, Morrill's eBook had been downloaded close to 700 times.

Based on the stats he received from Mininova, Morrill was also able to pinpoint the countries in which the eBook was being downloaded the most. Africa ranked high on the list, which is understandable because of the relatively large amount of e-commerce businesses that are set-up in Africa. Morrill was surprised to see India contributing to 5.2% of the overall downloads.

Operation BitTorrent a Success

Morrill rated his overall experience as highly satisfying and recommends using BitTorrent as a great content distribution channel for those that don't mind. The expansion of the BitTorrent network will only increase in the next few years. In doing so, we think this may be a tool that publishers will eventually start taking a lot more seriously than they do now. It's undeniable that BitTorrent can prove to be an effective marketing tool for a cheap price when used correctly. Nine Inch Nails concluded the same in March of this year when they uploaded part 1 of their 4 part album Ghosts I-IV to numerous BitTorrent sites. It became the #1 most downloaded album on The Pirate Bay, which helped to increase their sales tremendously for the rest of the album.

We can only wonder when others will catch on to the effectiveness of using BitTorrent sites to market and distribute content. You can download Dan Morrill's eBook 'Selling Books On Amazon, Tips and Secrets' here.

Revenue Models Coming in 2009

Wired.com interviewed several of Twitter's VC backers who remain "bullish" on the subject. Investor Bijan Sabet of Spark Capital notes that Twitter will introduce a business model of some kind within the first half of next year. Others are also betting that Twitter will find a revenue model this late in the game just like Google. Henry Blodget of SAI even suggested a future valuation of $1 billion or more for Twitter. We think anything is possible at this point.

A Dumb Question

Earlier we noted that Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures initially felt the question of whether Twitter would monetize was the stupidest question in the world. He stated:

"It's like the stupidest question in the world: How's Twitter going to make money. It's like 'How was Google going to make money? Eventually Google was going to make money and they figured out how to do it and they figured out a great business, and I think the same thing is true with Twitter."

Wilson has recanted his statements, but we do agree that Twitter could very well duplicate Google's formula for success. However, Google is not Twitter and vice versa. We're talking about two completely different services. There's still a chance that Twitter won't find a successful revenue model. For all we know, luck may have been on Google's side. Up until recently, Twitter couldn't say the same with numerous outages and stability issues plaguing the service. Personally, I agree with Mark Evans sentiment that the question is not dumb at all. The question at hand could arguably be one of the most important questions any company could ever answer.

We'd like your help in predicting what the percentage of Microsoft's share of searches will be by December of 2008 following the integration of Live Search on Facebook. Will it increase or decrease and by how much? Click here to cast your prediction.

Fast Facts

• The arrangement was first announced in July and offers a revenue opportunity for both companies
• Microsoft owns a stake in Facebook and has an exclusive agreement with the site for banner ads
• Results vary on Facebook and Live.com because Facebook uses certain filters for their search results

Predicting Pandora's New Royalty Rate

In the past few weeks, Pandora was at the forefront of many headlines. The CEO of Pandora fought hard to win a small victory that would grant Internet radio stations more time to reach a new royalty rate agreement with the powers that be. The cut-off time is February 15, 2009, which is right around the corner. We'd like you to predict whether a new royalty rate agreement will be reached in time and what the new royalty rate will be.

Fast Facts

• Senate approved a bill that says Congress must honor any royalty rate agreement reached
• Webcasters and copyright holders have until February 15th to come up with a deal on their own
• Current royalty rates would cost Pandora $18 million of its estimated $25 million in revenue in 2008

1.5 Million Pre-Sold

The G1 is set to take the world by storm at the end of this month. It may also take Apple's iPhone down a notch or two. Early adopters and those left out of the loop with the release of the iPhone 3G are making their way to the G1. Just days after going on pre-sale the G1 sold out fast, which sent T-Mobile scrambling to place more orders. T-Mobile tripled their original number of orders to HTC for G1 devices. Since then, all of those orders have been pre-sold. The amount of units pre-sold is reported to be around 1.5 million! That figure doesn't even include the number of pre-sale orders placed in T-mobile retail stores. It is being reported that about 1 million units have been pre-ordered from T-Mobile retail stores.

Is the G1 Set to Overthrow the iPhone?

At the moment, we don't think so. However, we're excited about all that Android will offer on the G1. T-Mobile is off to a great start with the number of G1 units pre-sold. Anticipation for both the device and the Android OS is higher than initial reactions led us to believe. It will be up to the performance of Google's Android mobile OS from this point forward to determine whether it's a worthy competitor to the iPhone. Be sure to cast your prediction on Google's Android versus Apple's iPhone and check out our top 10 picks of Android apps that we can't wait to use.

A Look at What's in Store

Firefox Mobile looks to be coming to a Windows Mobile device near you very soon. With a reported Acid3 Test score of 88/100, the mobile web browser looks nearly complete in the screenshots that have surfaced. The address bar is reminiscent of Safari on the iPhone. However, it takes a visual cue from Firefox 3 with the addition of website favicons. Screenshots also show a really unique way for web surfers to visualize what tabs are open in Firefox Mobile. Mozilla may be foregoing traditional 'forward', 'stop', and 'back' buttons located in the address bar. Instead, the screenshots show on-page text boxes that indicate these actions.

Worth the Wait?

Firefox Mobile is shaping up to be a real knock out. We can't wait until we can give you a hands-on review of the mobile browser. It will be interesting to see how Firefox Mobile can hold up against established game players like Pocket Internet Explorer, Safari Mobile, Opera Mobile, and Skyfire. We'll be sure to keep you posted as more details hit the web. Are you looking forward to Firefox Mobile? What features and functionality do you hope Mozilla doesn't leave out in the future?