Site-specific search provider Eurekster is today releasing a new version of its Swicki product that features a set community features on its results and home pages. The free Swicki search widget, used here on TechCrunch in the right-hand column, provides a cloud of popular search terms and leads to a page with results voted on by […]
Site-specific search provider Eurekster is today releasing a new version of its Swicki product that features a set community features on its results and home pages.
The free Swicki search widget, used here on TechCrunch in the right-hand column, provides a cloud of popular search terms and leads to a page with results voted on by users and optionally collected from related sites.
The new version attempts to bring even more attention to the site-specific Swicki community built around search. The following components will now show up on the results page: a summary of the most recent comments (users can comment on search results) and a list of the top Swicki comment contributors. On the Swicki homepage for a site (each site that adds the search functionality also gets a community overview homepage), you will now be able to see the top voted search results, a list of the most recent posts, and related RSS feeds.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the Swicki search we have here on TechCrunch, since I prefer to see just a reverse chronological list of the posts related to my search term, not a list weighted by user votes. If you search “facebook”, for example, the first result comes from March 2006 and not terribly relevant anymore.
However, I can understand why community-based search is useful for less newsy sites, such as the home repair example that Eurekster has provided us to the left. For standing resources such as this one, the feedback of the community can be particularly helpful for refining search results, pushing the best to the top. Today’s improvements should help to strengthen that community and encourage participation.
By Andrew Liszewski While Robot Coupe is actually an entire brand of catering equipment, I don’t think the word ‘robot’ is the best way to describe this automatic bread slicer. Just feed a baguette or similar sized loaf of bread into the vertical feeder and a stainless steel blade will cut anywhere from 180 to 360 […]
By Andrew Liszewski
While Robot Coupe is actually an entire brand of catering equipment, I don’t think the word ‘robot’ is the best way to describe this automatic bread slicer. Just feed a baguette or similar sized loaf of bread into the vertical feeder and a stainless steel blade will cut anywhere from 180 to 360 slices a minute. You can also vary the thickness of the slices from 8mm up to 80mm for some serious ‘Texas toast’ action.
But the lack of arms and the fact that you have to manually feed this thing baguettes just keeps it out of the robot category for me. However if you own a catering business or sandwich shop this could still be a great replacement for a slow assistant, but all that time you save better be used to sell more sandwiches since the Robot Coupe Bread Slicer has a price tag of about $2,700.
Google’s stock took a massive hit today—still down 4 percent to $465—on comScore data suggesting that the click-through rate on its paid search ads is decelerating. As the chart above from Bear Stearns shows, the year-over-year growth of paid clicks on Google in the U.S. went from 37 percent in October to 0.3 percent in […]
Google’s stock took a massive hit today—still down 4 percent to $465—on comScore data suggesting that the click-through rate on its paid search ads is decelerating. As the chart above from Bear Stearns shows, the year-over-year growth of paid clicks on Google in the U.S. went from 37 percent in October to 0.3 percent in January. Since these are year-over-year numbers, seasonality is accounted for (there are more clicks in the months leading up to Christmas than after, but this January should not be flat with last January). The deceleration is alarming, to state the least. Even Henry Blodget, Mr. Google $2,000, now thinks this is a “disaster.”
One explanation Wall Street analysts are putting out there today is that this could be an indicator that Google isn’t immune to the general economic slowdown. While a recession may be coming, that explanation isn’t convincing. Yahoo would have felt it as well, yet comScore reported a 15 percent year-over-year growth in paid clicks for Yahoo in January (to 242 million, compared to Google’s 532 million). Also, as Bill Tancer at Hitwise points out, traffic from Google to shopping sites is still above last year’s levels (evidence that paid clicks might actually be improving):
A more likely explanation is that Google is tightening the reins on clicks to combat click fraud and generate better clicks in general. Also the correlation between comScore’s click-through estimates and Google’s revenues has been highly inconsistent in the past. It definitely isn’t a one-to-one correlation. For instance, in the fourth quarter of 2007, comScore showed a 25 percent year-over-year paid click-through growth rate, yet Google’s actual U.S. revenues grew 46 percent. In the third quarter of last year, comScore showed a 48 percent growth rate for paid clicks, compared to an actual 58 percent growth in revenues. Sequential quarter-over-quarter comparisons are even more all over the map, according to calculations by JPMorgan.
So the comScore’s data maybe a leading indicator that all is not well at Google, it is not precise enough to compute what the actual impact will be on Google’s business. What we are seeing here’s the flip side of Google’s tight-lipped policy when it comes to giving investors any guidance whatsoever. Given this information vacuum, when the slightest bit of negative data comes out such as it did today, the market will assume the worst.
Where Will Google’s Stock Be In A Year?
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Google has announced that it has joined a consortium to build a new trans-Pacific cable between Japan and California. The Unity consortium is a joint effort by Bharti Airtel, Global Transit, Google, KDDI Corporation, Pacnet and SingTel and will initially increase Trans–Pacific lit cable capacity by about 20 percent, with the potential to add up to […]
Google has announced that it has joined a consortium to build a new trans-Pacific cable between Japan and California.
The Unity consortium is a joint effort by Bharti Airtel, Global Transit, Google, KDDI Corporation, Pacnet and SingTel and will initially increase Trans–Pacific lit cable capacity by about 20 percent, with the potential to add up to 7.68 Terabits per second.
Google’s Manager of Network Acquisitions, Francois Sterin, explains the deal:
“[Google’s] participation in building Unity ultimately helps provide our users with faster and more reliable connectivity.
If you’re wondering whether [Google is] going into the undersea cable business, the answer is no. We’re not competing with telecom providers, but the volume of data we need to move around the world has grown to the point where in some cases we’ve exceeded the capability traditional players can offer. Our partnership with these companies is just another step in ensuring that we’re delivering the ideal possible experience to people around the world.”
Google was rumored to be in talks about participation in Unity in September 2007, although at that stage it was believed the cable would go to Australia via Guam.
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By Andrew Liszewski USB devices that can be used to access SIM card data on a computer are nothing new. But this particular one from BrickHouseSecurity.com is apparently the first SIM reader that can be used to access deleted text messages still on the card. Just like deleted files on a Personal computer hard drive, as long […]
By Andrew Liszewski
USB devices that can be used to access SIM card data on a personal are nothing new. But this particular one from BrickHouseSecurity.com is apparently the first SIM reader that can be used to access deleted text messages still on the card. Just like deleted files on a Computer hard drive, as long as the deleted data on the SIM card hasn’t been written over by a new file, it can still be retrieved.
Obviously such a device raises a whole mess of privacy and legal concerns, but the company is targeting it at parents who want to check up on their kids or bosses wanting to check up on employees, which are apparently both legal uses for it. And while using the device to check up on a suspected cheating spouse is kind of a legal gray area, using it to see what secrets a complete stranger has on their SIM card is of course totally illegal.
The SIM card spy can also be used to backup or edit phonebook data on a Personal computer, which is a considerably easier task with a full keyboard. But at $149 from BrickHouseSecurity.com there are far cheaper USB SIM readers on the market if that’s all you want to do.
By Evan Ackerman It’s a well-known fact that I like naps. It’s also a well known fact that I hate waking up from naps. We’ve seen clocks that shake you, hide from you, or even electrocute you, but I feel confident that my brain wouldn’t be required to defeat any of those. The Turing alarm […]
By Evan Ackerman
It’s a well-known fact that I like naps. It’s also a well known fact that I hate waking up from naps. We’ve seen clocks that shake you, hide from you, or even electrocute you, but I feel confident that my brain wouldn’t be required to defeat any of those. The Turing alarm clock was designed to require the owner to prove awakeness by answering a series of math questions. It’s too bad I can’t do math in my head even while fully conscious, but come to think of it, it would be pretty cool if you could program this clock with other questions as well… State you need to study for a bio test; just program the clock to not shut off until you answer a series of bio questions correctly. If, like me, you’ll do anything to shut the damn thing off, you’re guaranteed to learn whatever it takes to answer those stupid questions and get back to sleep.
I love to multi task when sitting at my desk. I’ve got four monitors running at any given time, and I think that’s a pretty good setup. However, if you really need a lot of workspace, you might just look into the Paramount Parabolic Multi-Monitor Display from Humanscale. My configuration includes three wall-mounted monitors and one […]
I love to multi task when sitting at my desk. I’ve got four monitors running at any given time, and I think that’s a pretty good setup. However, if you really need a lot of workspace, you might just look into the Paramount Parabolic Multi-Monitor Display from Humanscale.
My configuration includes three wall-mounted monitors and one that sits on my desk. While this unit from Humanscale doesn’t actually provide the monitors, it does accommodate between two and four monitors on a single unit, which is attached to your desk. What’s better is that monitors attach “effortlessly” without the need of tools, and actually curve around you. Frankly, if I ever decide to add any more monitors to my setup, this is definitely the route I’m going to take. You have no idea how difficult it is to mount monitors side-by-side on the wall. I’ll let you in on a small secret: it’s a large pain in the ass.
This monitor mount will be available sometime in Q1 of this year. Unfortunately there is no word on pricing.
Social calling widget Jaxtr has just released a new destination called Jaxtr Cafe. Their widget, like Jangl’s, provides users with an anonymous number to call each other with the added bonus of cheaper long distance calling. Up until now, Jaxtr users found each other more or less randomly on social networks of email signatures that listed […]
Social calling widget Jaxtr has just released a new destination called Jaxtr Cafe. Their widget, like Jangl’s, provides users with an anonymous number to call each other with the added bonus of cheaper long distance calling.
Up until now, Jaxtr users found each other more or less randomly on social networks of email signatures that listed links to the service. Jaxtr Cafe, however, is a social network of sorts where some 10 million users (50-60% active) of the service can find each other and carry on conversations about whatever they want. It also gives Jaxtr the opportunity to begin monetizing their free service through advertising on the site. Jangl, on the other hand, has monetized on a case by case basis (rev share on Match.com, ads on PlentyOfFish).
Every user of Jaxtr is grandfathered in to Jaxtr Cafe’s profile database. You can search amongst these profiles based on interests and geography. For instance, if you want to talk to someone who’s an Australian and interested in food, you can easily do a search through the directory for just the right person. You can then call or text them using Jaxtr’s widget.
I was surprised no to see an offering closer to Ingenio’s Ether, but that may be an additional feature in the coming months. Rather the service seems a lot like Skype Live. However there’s the added advantage that while people aren’t always on Skype, but pretty much always have their phones. It does come at the cost of your local calling minutes, but you’ll wind up with a cheaper long distance chat.
By Andrew Liszewski Here’s more proof that a useful gadget doesn’t necessarily have to be high-tech. The TaskWatch Whiteboard from Art. Lebedev Studio (yes, the same people who make the Optimus Maximus keyboard) is basically your standard whiteboard but with the addition of a traditional analog clock in the center. Using regular whiteboard markers you can not […]
By Andrew Liszewski
Here’s more proof that a useful gadget doesn’t necessarily have to be high-tech. The TaskWatch Whiteboard from Art. Lebedev Studio (yes, the same people who make the Optimus Maximus keyboard) is basically your standard whiteboard but with the addition of a traditional analog clock in the center.
Using regular whiteboard markers you can not only use the board for brainstorming and jotting down ideas, but you can also keep track of when you’re expected to deliver stated ideas to the boss. The company is currently selling a 90
Today, yet another blog directory launches. Blogged has blog ratings and reviews in many categories, including technology, entertainment, business, sports, culture, and politics. Its own staff rates and reviews the top blogs, and that’s combined with reader ratings and reviews, similar to how Yelp combines staff and user reviews of restaurants and […]
This day, yet another blog directory launches. Blogged has blog ratings and reviews in many categories, including technology, entertainment, business, sports, culture, and politics. Its own staff rates and reviews the top blogs, and that is combined with reader ratings and reviews, similar to how Yelp combines staff and user reviews of restaurants and stores. (After a blog gets more than 10 user reviews, the user ratings override the editor’s rating). For instance, here are the top blogs in technology (TechCrunch is No. 2), and here are the top blogs in crafts (Angry Chicken is No. 2). Blogs are ranked both based on number of votes and reviews. Each blog gets its own profile page with a rating, tags, recent posts, and a list of “related blogs.” But that last item is pretty random. Therelated blogs change with each refresh, and Blogged seems to think that TechCrunch is related to Blogger Indonesia and another one called Select Camera Phone. Try again.
It is a decent enough directory if you need a starting point from which to explore the myriad and confusing world of blogs, and the site gets points for a clean, efficient design. But it does not offer anything you cannot already find at more established services including Technorati, Google blog search, Bloglines, or MyBlogLog.
You can’t even search for posts about a particular topic. Blogged only returns entire blogs as search results. to be fair, it is not trying to compete with Technorati or Google Blog search as a place to help you find the latest posts about a hot topic. Rather, it is aiming more to be a place where people go to discover new blogs. But even Technorati already does a pretty good job on that level. And reader voting is also nothing new. Technorati grants users to sign up and vote for their “faves,” as does Yahoo’s MyBlogLog. If Blogged can figure out how to attract the most informed blog reviewers and somehow keep itself from being gamed by spam votes, it could become a useful filter for people trying to sort through the blogosphere. But there’s no shortage of blog directories, and competition is stiff.
The site is self-funded by founders Kenneth Yeh and Gladys Kong, who until recently were employees at Snap.com.
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