Apple Pulls iPhone Tethering App [Iphone 2.0]

netshare.pngA $9.99 iPhone tethering application called NetShare made a brief appearance in the App Store, but now it's no longer available. The app purportedly let you use your iPhone's data connection on your laptop by using it as a proxy server. Of course, you can tether your iPhone 2.0 for free by jailbreaking it.


Leaf rolls out wide frame AFi 10 camera system

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It looks like those that found Phase One's 60-megapixel P65+ camera a bit too much for them but Hasselblad's 50-megapixel H3DII-50 somehow lacking may now finally have the answer they've been looking for, as Leaf has just introduced its new 56-megapixel AFi 10 camera system. This one's main selling point is its 56mm true wide frame sensor that Leaf designed with DALSA, which promises to "take you to the edge of the medium-format frame." Apart from that, you can expect a one frame per second capture time, exposure times up to a minute, light sensitivity from ISO 50 to 800 and, of course, some 171MB file sizes to impress your friends with. No word on a price and, quite frankly, we're a little hesitant to ask.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]
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Yahoo Turns Yelp, Yahoo Local and LinkedIn SearchMonkey Apps On In Search

Yahoo is making a number of changes to its default search experience tonight to add more structured data to results. Yelp, Yahoo Local and LinkedIn SearchMonkey widgets are being added to search results automatically, eliminating the need for users to go into the search gallery and add them manually.

SearchMonkey is a key part of Yahoo’s attempts to embrace the semantic web and open standards in general.

With SearchMonkey, site owners create “applications” for Yahoo search that can be installed by users in the same sense that Facebook applications can be installed. Each application modifies results for a certain URL specification (for example, all reference pages on Wikipedia or product pages on Amazon). Modifications include both changes to the basic elements of a search result (the title and description) and additions such as an image, deep links, and key/value pairs.

Users can also add additional widgets via the Yahoo Search Gallery.

Here’s the Yelp search result example we used in our first post about SearchMonkey:

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About Security Update 2008-005 - This document describes … (Apple)

Apple:
About Security Update 2008-005  —  This document describes Security Update 2008-005, which can be downloaded and installed via Software Update preferences, or from Apple Downloads.  —  For the protection of our customers, Apple does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until …

Nullriver Introduces 3G/EDGE Tethering App for iPhone [Updatedx3] (Arn/MacRumors)

Arn / MacRumors:
Nullriver Introduces 3G/EDGE Tethering App for iPhone [Updatedx3]  —  Nullriver, Inc. has released NetShare onto the iTunes App Store this evening (via iPhone Alley).  The $9.99 application promises to allow you to share your iPhone's network connection with your computer.

Ask Engadget: Best digiframe / alarm clock combo?

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Frightening though it may be, the fall semester is just around the corner. You know what that means? You'll actually have to get up at -- wait for it -- an appointed time. Carissa, being the proactive student she is, posed this question:

"Going to school in the fall, I'm looking for the ideal alarm clock to beat the late nights and what not and noticed a few digital photo frames / alarm clocks. I want a decent alarm clock that has battery backup and good resolution on the screen for viewing photos. An auxiliary audio jack would be a major plus. Which one do you guys recommend that falls under the 200 dollar mark? Thanks a million!"

Look at that -- you all even received a thank you in advance! For those who've mastered the art of waking up on time and pretending to be a real live adult, which alarm clock / digiframe hybrid have you found to be supreme? Oh, and you know that question you've been hitting the snooze on? Yeah, send it on over to ask at engadget dawt com.
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Tethering Briefly Comes To The iPhone, Tempers Flare

Macrumors reports that Apple’s App Store was selling a tethering app compatible with the iPhone (both 3G and EDGE) for a brief period earlier this evening. The $10 application, called NetShare, was developed by Nullriver software, and would be a godsend for many iPhone owners. After going up around 8PM EST to the elation of a lucky few, the application was pulled down around 20 minutes later.

Phone tethering allows users to access the internet from their laptop computers wherever they get service on their cellphone carrier’s data network. The feature is common on many phones with high speed (namely 3G) data access, and has been noticeably absent from iPhones. While 3G is typically slower than most Wi-Fi access points, having internet connectivity on the go is a huge plus for many people - enough so that many carriers charge on the order of $30 a month to enable it.

Users with jailbroken (hacked) iPhones have been able to enable tethering to their phones through a complicated process for some time, but such tethering is prohibited by AT&T’s terms of service. The release of NetShare seemed to indicate (albeit briefly) that AT&T had changed its mind on the matter.

Now, users who try to download the application are told that it is no longer available in their country. So what happened? The app may have snuck past Apple’s approval process - but with reported wait times of weeks (or months) it seems unlikely that anything appears there accidentally. Then again, Apple has been dealing with a massive influx of new applications - they may simply be overwhelmed and are getting sloppy.

It is also possible that the app was supposed to be limited to a few select countries, and was accidentally posted on the US store. Finally, AT&T may have really changed its mind, but it seems unlikely that they’d pass up the chance to tack one more fee on our data plans.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Why Cuil is Like Toilet Paper

cuilEarlier this week a new search engine launched to the world. The name of the engine is Cuil (pronounced Cool) and there are great reviews on Search Engine Land and GigaOm. Danny from Search Engine Land notes that Cuil is pushing four main features of the search engine: Big web index, Unique relevance algorithm, Unique results display and Privacy.

I've created a short video below to discuss why Cuil is like toilet paper. The bottom line is that when you come out of the gate and immediately challenge the absolute leader, it's a mistake. In addition, Google has absolute loyalty and to get average consumers to switch when they are loyal to a product or brand is very, very difficult. What Cuil should have done was only speak about their features and let the users and the search industry decide if it's better than Google. So far it seems Cuil is the un-cool.


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Apple drops first build of Mac OS X 10.5.5 with warning (Aidan Malley/AppleInsider)

Aidan Malley / AppleInsider:
Apple drops first build of Mac OS X 10.5.5 with warning  —  As expected, Apple on Thursday afternoon provided its vast developer community with the first pre-release build of Mac OS X 10.5.5, but warned developers not to use this initial version of the software with Macs that contain integrated graphics chips.

Malwebolence (Mattathias Schwartz/New York Times)

Mattathias Schwartz / New York Times:
Malwebolence  —  One afternoon in the spring of 2006, for reasons unknown to those who knew him, Mitchell Henderson, a seventh grader from Rochester, Minn., took a .22-caliber rifle down from a shelf in his parents' bedroom closet and shot himself in the head.

Tether your iPhone, wirelessly. Maybe.

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We're not sure how this one got past Apple's App Store censors, but the clever kids at Nullriver have released what appears to be the first tethering solution for the iPhone. The $10 NetShare app is just a SOCKS proxy that links an ad-hoc WiFi network to the iPhone's 3G or EDGE connection -- and if we could get it to work, we'd probably think it was a fine, if hacky, solution to a major limitation of Steve's baby. As it stands, though, the instructions are pretty sparse, and while we can get the app to recognize a connection, we're not able to actually load anything. We're not sure how long this one's going to last -- anyone else willing to give it a shot before it gets yanked?

[Thanks, Zoli; Warning, link opens iTunes]

Update: Aaaaand it's offline. Shocking.
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Tether your iPhone, wirelessly. Maybe.

Filed under:


We're not sure how this one got past Apple's App Store censors, but the clever kids at Nullriver have released what appears to be the first tethering solution for the iPhone. The $10 NetShare app is just a SOCKS proxy that links an ad-hoc WiFi network to the iPhone's 3G or EDGE connection -- and if we could get it to work, we'd probably think it was a fine, if hacky, solution to a major limitation of Steve's baby. As it stands, though, the instructions are pretty sparse, and while we can get the app to recognize a connection, we're not able to actually load anything. We're not sure how long this one's going to last -- anyone else willing to give it a shot before it gets yanked?

[Thanks, Zoli; Warning, link opens iTunes]
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New Way Of Storing Solar Energy Discovered [Solar Energy]

Solar power has a lot of promise, but until recently there hasn't been an adequate way to store the energy the sun produces. Scientists at MIT have come up with a new fuel cell process that mimics the way plants store the sun's rays that is both efficient and inexpensive, not to mention environmentally sound. Without getting too technical, the system uses sunlight to separate water's hydrogen and oxygen atoms and then puts them back together in a fuel cell, providing energy. This means an almost limitless supply of clean energy might be just a few years away, though it's still too early to say when you'll have what you want: a solar powered laptop. [PhysOrg]


Why I Hate the iPhone Camera (and Loved the Best Rock Concert Ever) [Apple]

There. I said it. I hate it. OK, I don't really hate it. But sometimes I want to smash it against the wall. The last time was in the pit at the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's concert in Madrid. I was there, first row, center of the stage, after waiting a whole night and day outside of the stadium. That night was the most amazing and magical I've experienced in a very long time, and certainly the best rock concert I've ever been to. Only one thing failed: my iPhone's camera.

galleryPost('iphoneboss', 60, '');

I was tired, exhausted, and about to fall sleep standing up (there were no seats at the pit). The week had been hell, and I was physically and emotionally destroyed. But then, the band and the Boss took the stage and Night blasted everything away. In a few seconds, as the adrenalin kicked in, the exhaustion disappeared. Then Radio Nowhere came. And Lonesome Day. And the Promised Land. From there, he and his band made every single one of the 60,000 souls in the stadium fly.

Three hours of pure rock, with the Boss giving it all until the end, when he sung a ten-minute version of Twist And Shout, mixed with—get this—La Bamba. Not a single pause. Just music, heart and soul. I just couldn't believe this guy is almost as old as my dad. Forget Mick Jagger. Forget bloody Bono. He is the greatest rock musician alive, a true force of nature.

And I'm not even—or was not, until this day—a fan. The whole thing was totally unexpected for me. At the beginning I thought "this is going to be amazing" and I realized I only had my iPhone, because like every other concert, cameras and camcorders are absolutely prohibited. Specially when you are in the front row and the security guy can shake your hand. Or get your camera away.

During the whole concert, the entire stadium was under his command, jumping, singing, waving, screaming, completely in ecstasy, electricfied, everyone sweating under the hot spanish summer night. He and the band were enjoying the whole thing to no end. You could see them laughing, looking at us with real surprise in their faces, as if they weren't believing that this huge stadium just couldn't stop singing and jumping through every single one of the songs they played.

They were giving all their life away right there, and the public was returning it right back. With interest. Each of us. Mass hysteria. Crowd orgasm. Total love and dedication from Bruce, the band, and the public.

At one point—one of many in which he came to sing even closer to us—the Boss walked to the central platform and took a girl up on the stage. I knew she was the daughter of one of the spanish fans—who had been following him through the whole tour—because I met her before the concert started. She danced with her for a minute, smiling while the band played. It was just one of the many "I can't believe this is happening" moments of the night.

Right there, in the very first row, in the corner of the central platform, I could see all these moments perfectly, like I'm seeing the screen of my computer right now. We were able to actually shake his hand, as well as the hands of the band—who at the end all came to the center platform. I shouted at him at one point ("Yes! Take us up there!") and he replied looking straight into my eyes, with the biggest smile, pointing at me and saying "Yes, I'm going to take you there!" just before the band exploded with sound.

Another time, I could see him turning to Max Weinberg—at the end of Seven Nights to Rock—and whisper: "Born to Run!" And (boom!) Born to Run started to play a second later. At any time, I could turn around and see the 60,000 people in the Santiago Bernabéu—the name of the Real Madrid football stadium—singing, clapping, taken way by his power. Yes, it was absolutely breathtaking. All of it. From the very beginning I thought: "I have to share this with the people I love. I can't do this justice with my description. I have to take photos."

There was when I started hating the iPhone's camera.

Nothing, I wasn't able to take any of this magic with clarity. I'm not even talking about recording video (don't get me started on that). I'm just talking about making a decent photo with one of the most advanced pieces of technology ever developed. Only one single photo that didn't appear to be taken with a broken Lomo. By a drunk guy. Without a decent sleep in the last three days (ok, forget about the part about the drunk guy.)

Sure there was some clear pics here and there, but whatever was ok'ish, it was also completely crazy and badly framed. Some of them look nice—as you can see here, in the gallery of untouched images—but most of them need cropping and heavy Photoshop treatment.

I know most cellphone cameras are exactly the same. They behave poorly under low light conditions, they are slow, and have bad interfaces. And yes, I have to admit I like the iPhone's camera blurriness and unwanted "special effects" sometimes. I even try to get similar effects with my DSLR. But that's optional. This time I only wanted one thing: to be able to frame a good photo. Without having to hold the iPhone in a weird position. Without trying to find the stupid software interface button and not miss the shot (which I did, plenty of times).

That's what I want. I don't want more resolution, and I don't want a stupid zoom. I would be happy (HAPPY) with good lenses and a better, speedier, more luminous sensor. And of course, the physical button. In fact, scrap the rest. Just give me the physical button. As much as I love virtual interfaces—because they open the door to multi-functional devices at a low cost, with great power and flexibility—I'm afraid that there are still times when the only way to go is a physical button. Photography is one of them.

And since we are at it, here's a note for the Nokias, Sony Ericssons, Samsungs, and LGs of this world: stop doing the silly marketdrone "More megapixels!" and "Bigger optical zooms!" race. Educate the users. Don't dazzle them with higher numbers. Give us all more quality, more light, and more speed. That's what really counts to catch the special, truly ephemeral, completely unexpected moments you want to save forever. Because when I think about it, even while I will always keep this concert in my—blurry as the iPhone's camera—memory, there would never be another one like it.

That's exactly what cellphone cameras are for. To capture the unexpected, to take decent pictures of the special moments in your life, because we can't go around life with a camera in our pocket at all times. That's what I want in an cellphone and, specially, in the iPhone. A camera to be able to take any moment we want, fast, and with good quality, under most circumstances. And Señor Jobs, no matter what, please give us the physical button in the iPhone 3G 2.0.


First Pics of LG Netflix Blu-ray BD300 Player [Blu-Ray]

LG's Netflix-streaming, Blu-ray 2.0 playing BD300 made its public debut tonight, and we're impressed. The box is slim and it won't take up more space on your shelf than any other player. An LG exec confirmed a September launch for the sub-$500 player, so check out the gallery and start lickin' your chops. [LG] galleryPost("bd300", 3, "");


LG15 is Ending Tomorrow. Really, It Is.

lg15 series finale

LG15 has been around for what, a couple of years now? And it’s finally coming to an end tomorrow. For real this time. Thanks to YouTube, a “webcam,” and some great lighting, LG15 quickly grew in popularity and formed quite a cult-like following. And I’m serious about the cult part. As the LG15 series progressed and we all learned to love the hokiness of it all, the production team behind LG15 also found that an online web series could easily lend itself to an interactive relationship with its cult-like followers, with last year’s season finale ending in a bit of a wild goose chase where some fans were chosen to become part of the show.

From the looks of it, the series finale of LG15 won’t be quite so melodramatic this time around, but it will be quite epic, with 12 hour-long episodes that will begin airing tomorrow at 8 am PST. An episode will be released every hour for 12 hours, so this will be an all day affair, just like KateModern’s finale. Get ready. If you are indeed saddened by the end of LG15’s run, you may be comforted in knowing that EQAL, the production team behind LG15 and KateModern, have a few things up their sleeves for a new online series, which will premiere in September.

EQAL hasn’t released any further details, but the system used for both LG15 and KateModern seemed to work well, as they appealed to a pretty large demographic and found mutually beneficial ways in which to integrate with social networks and media-sharing sites. The beauty of EQAL’s execution was its ability to leverage social media for what it is, both embracing and pushing forward the way in which online media is created, distributed, and consumed.

---
Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:

KateModern’s 12-Hour Finale Binger
LonelyGirl15 Finale to Appear Exclusively on MySpaceTV
Trolls: This Is It. Your Last Week to Insult Us (and win prizes for it anyhow)
Strutta Turns Videos into a Spectator Sport
KateModern to Go Off the Air
LG15 Lands Exclusive Deal with MySpaceTV
SummerMash New York City Gets Ready for its Close-Up

Jumbo-Sized MIDI Sampler Let’s You Muscle Out Beats Like Mario in Giant World [Music]

No matter how good the music is, musicians look kinda lame tapping out little beats on tiny samplers on stage. What is emphatically not lame though is pounding them on 16 giant pressure-sensitive pads with this 750-pound sampler rig. It was built for the Warped-tour band Family Force 5 by a musician named bwack, and it packs a 22" monitor, 10 control knobs, two pizza-sized pitch wheels and a Mac running Ableton to control the whole game. Check it out onstage at the Warped tour below. Giganto-rock!


I want to play this soo badly.
[Bwack via MAKE]


Sprint’s Centro Gets First Update [Updates]

One of the most successful smartphones of the last year is the Centro from Palm. Sprint was the first carrier to sell the device, so it's no surprise that it's also the first carrier to offer a software update for the phone. The big change is the addition of location services to Google Maps, a quasi-GPS that's actually pretty useful. Other changes include updates to VersaMail for Gmail users, better Exchange support, and Bluetooth enhancements. Hit the jump for the full list from Palm's website. [Palm Update - thanks, David!]

Improved Gmail IMAP compatibility and an updated setup wizard with the new Gmail settings

Updated compatibility for Google Mobile Maps My Location feature to approximate your current location – great for directions, finding nearby restaurants or business, or checking local traffic.1

Improved ongoing delivery of email sent to VersaMail accounts using Microsoft's Direct Push Technology via Exchange ActiveSync

Bluetooth usability enhancements and updates

Sprint TV performance enhancements2

Enhanced AOL Instant Messenger performance

Improved performance when adding a contact using Mobile Voice Control

Improved email attachment handling

Changed default camera shutter sound to “ON.” Audible shutter “click” will be heard when taking photos

Allows Preferred Roaming List updates over the air


iPhone Apps We Love: NetShare - Share Your 3G/EDGE Connection With Your Computer [IPhone Apps]

NetShare is one app we never thought would make it onto the official iPhone App Store. All it does is set up a SOCKS5 proxy for you to get your laptop/computer online through use of the 3G/EDGE connection. Does it work? Yes. Yes it does, much to our surprise. EDGE works just fine, although Mahoney says it's slow as balls. 3G impressions in a sec. Be careful of how much bandwidth you're using, since your provider probably makes a frowny face at you using their network to power your laptop, however "unlimited" your plan may be. [NetShare - Thanks Matthew and Ryan!]

Update: Having problems setting it up on my iPhone 3G. I follow the instructions and the phone seems to "connect", but that's about it. No connections shown in the NetShare app, and nothing goes through.

Update 2: Now we're getting the message that it's not available in the US store. Sucks.


Tap Tap Revenge Approaches 1 Million Users, Music Industry Takes Notice

Tapulous, the company behind Tap Tap Revenge, has announced that the popular iPhone app will hit 1 million installs some time this weekend. The app is the second we’ve heard from to hit the milestone (Facebook reached it last week), and is another testament to the extremely rapid growth some applications have seen on Apple’s newly launched App Store.

Tapulous CEO Bart Decrem says that the application has been downloaded about 900 thousand times since its launch, and expects to hit the 1 million user milestone over the weekend. Tapulous’s iPhone Twitter client Twinkle is significantly less popular, with around 80,000 installs, but it was released after Tap Tap Revenge. Decrem notes that there is a total install base of about 5-6 million iPhones and iPod Touches running the 2.0 firmware (which is compatible with the App Store). With about 1 million downloads, this puts Tapulous applications on around 20% of all devices - a very impressive feat.

One of best features in the original version of the game (which was only available on hacked iPhones) was that users could create tab sheets and play the game with any song in their iPhone’s library. Unfortunately, Apple prohibits any developer from accessing the iPhone’s library with a native application, so Tapulous has been forced to come up with a different way to introduce new content to the game. For the time being they’re offering free downloads of new songs directly through the app, but these songs have all been submitted to the company by indie artists (impressively, 2.5 million songs have been downloaded so far).

As it turns out, a number of record labels have taken notice of Tap Tap Revenge’s quickly growing install base, and are eager to use it as a means of exposing users to new music. Decrem says that the company is in talks with both indie and more well known artists to create a premium package of songs, which will likely be released in the App Store as a separate game for a small fee. Subsequent packages will also likely be released as their own independent games, as Apple does not currently offer a way for developers to sell new content from within an application.

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Shimano’s All-Electric Gear System is Like F1 Paddle Shifters For Your Bike [Bikes]

Gear and derailleur mechanisms in high-end bikes are among the more impressive feats of engineering around, which makes bike madman Eric Hagerman's report in Wired on Shimano's new ultra high-end all-electric gear shifters pretty interesting. While other companies have dabbled in replacing rickety lever and cable shifters with all-electric mechanisms, Shimano has taken the tech much further than most. And while it may seem like bike-dude geekery at best, hearing the pros talk about the difference makes it sound like an amazing rig to try.

Switching to servos and batteries is like moving from an automatic transmission to F1 paddle shifters, says one engineer Wired talked to. "Mindblowing—you just touch the button and it shifts," says Tour de France vet Frankie Andreau. And all in all the set is actually lighter than Shimano's current top-of-the-line components, which is a must before pros are even going to go near it. No price yet, but it's pro gear. Big bucks—well over the $2,600 you'd drop on next year's conventional Dura-Ace group. It was on a few riders' bikes at this year's Tour, and it will become available to the public in January of '09 More at: [Wired, Thanks, Joe]


Logitech to produce “premium” Guitar Hero: World Tour instruments

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If you didn't think every single third-party peripheral provider would try to snag a piece of the band game pie, we guess you thought wrong, huh? With outfits like Mad Catz and Ion already jumping in, it was only a matter of time before Logitech threw on its tightest jeans, blacked out its blond hair and threw up some horns. Details are admittedly scarce, but the company has promised to provide "premium instruments" for Guitar Hero: World Tour on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and the Wii. Rockers can expect the new gear to start shipping "later this year," though prices, designs and pretty much anything else of importance remains a mystery.

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]
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Crazy Kassou Car: Confusing, Like a Giraffe With Batwings [Freak Car]

As a tall guy I can appreciate that designer Nicholas Lee Dunderdale incorporated an adjustable roof into his 3-wheeled Kassou concept car. The rubber "neck" can be raised or lowered depending on the passenger's need for headroom or better aerodynamics. But, to be honest, this thing looks like some sort of crazy science experiment. Like an unholy mixture of a giraffe, bat and a vacuum that surely goes against the laws of nature. I mean, what are those wings for anyway? Despite its odd appearance, the Kassou actually earned second place in the Car Design News Contest for 2008—although I wouldn't expect to see it on the street anytime soon. [Car Design News via The Design Blog via Gearfuse]

galleryPost('kassou', 3, '');


New electronic shift system for road bikes coming in 2009

bike_parts_3_250px.jpgWired's Eric Hagerman reports on Shimano's planned launch of an electronic gear-shifting system for expensive bicycles:
By replacing the conventional levers that pull wound-steel cables through protective housings with solid-state switches and rubber-coated wires, there's no chance for road gunk to clog things up and interfere with shifting, or, for that matter, your post-ride beer.

The principle of an electronically controlled drive train is to execute perfect shifts every time, thus "reducing mental overhead," in the words of Shimano marketing manager Devin Watson. This is a resource cyclists find in short supply during epic rides.

The system, called Di2, will be available in January, marking the end of a years-long development process. Says one anonymous source: "The shifting is mind-blowing: I mean, you just touch the button, and it shifts."

Photo: Wired

Shimano Shuns Cables for Full Electronic Shifting [Wired]


Commission Junction Raises Minimums to Get Paid; Calls it an Environmentally Conscious Decision

commission junctionCommission Junction sent me a note today that they have raised their minimums to get paid. Commission Junction is the largest affiliate management company and I've used the service on some of my Web sites. Currently I am set to receive a check anytime I reach $25. The new minimum to receive a check is $100 and the direct deposit option is $50 to receive payment (I am not sure why I am not on dd).

Here are the reasons they shared with regards to the payment change:

  1. To streamline our publisher payment process.
  2. To offer publishers an incentive to switch to direct deposit because paper checks are less efficient, more costly and slower than the electronic option.
  3. To drastically cut down on paper consumption and better support environmentally conscious commerce.
  4. To better align our process with the industry because our minimum commission threshold to receive payment is, almost without exception, far below the current standard.

As I've seen with ad network after ad network over the past decade, most payment changes are really about the float. Is it in this case?


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60+ Resources for Big Brother Fans

My name is Sean P. Aune and I am a Big Brother fan. It’s not always an easy thing to admit, but every summer I plant myself in front of the television for three months and yell at the contestants I hate.

For those unfamiliar with the show, a varying number of people enter a “house” (really a decorated sound stage at CBS), spend 90 days scheming to vote each other out, and the winner takes home $500,000. The show has a different format here in the USA than it does anywhere else in the world, but it is still part of the huge global brand.

Since season 1, the show has been transmitted 24/7 over the Internet, with people going to websites to post constant updates about what is going on in the house. It was almost social media before there was a social media. So give these 60+ Big Brother resources a look and discover the show, or walk down memory lane, exploring past seasons.

(Our own Adam Ostrow is also a fan, but I’m not sure he’ll fess up, so I’m doing it for him!)

Official Sites

    bb10 cbs

Big Brother After Dark - Page from Showtime channel, Sho 2, for the late night live show that plays every night during the season. Has a chat room powered by Meebo for fans to discuss the latest happenings in the house.

Big Brother Official Site - The official site of Big Brother USA on CBS that features houseguest profiles, episode videos and more.

Real Player Subscription Page - For those who just can’t get enough of these people trapped in a soundstage/house, you can subscribe to the 24-hour feeds.

Fan Sites

    jokers updates

BigBrotherAccess.com - Done in a bit of a news style with nice large warnings for potential spoilers, and news on some of the other “houses” around the world.

BigBrotherChatter.com - During the Big Brother seasons the chat is open to all, during the off-season you must subscribe.

BigBrotherFanClub.com - Though its name mentions the show, it does cover various reality shows, but has a heavy emphasis on its namesake.

HamsterWatch.com - Lots of analysis of how the show is going, breaking it down by each player/hamster.

JokersUpdates.com - Hyper-active forums that are almost difficult to keep up with and are policed for the most minor of infractions, which can actually get in the way of discussion. 24/7 updates of what is happening on the live streams during the course of the show. Been around since the first season, making it one of the oldest fan sites.

Monty’sTV.com - Monty’s has been following the show since season 1 and always has up to the minute information.

MoreBigBrother.com - Recaps, commentary, analysis and more of the current season of the series.

PowerOfVeto.com - Forums, vidcaps, video and more to help feed your addiction.

RealityBBQ.com - Started off as just a Big Brother site, but has now expanded to numerous reality shows, but with a heavy focus on their roots.

RealityFanForum.com - Has discussion areas and live feed updates to keep you up to date on what is happening in the house.

SillyHamsters.film.com - Hamsters is a nickname for the contestants and this blog follows the action in the house with live blogging during the live eviction episodes.

WeLoveBigBrother.com - Updates, news, forums and more from this site dedicated to the show.

Big Brother 10 Houseguest Sites

    angie swindell fan page

Maybe it says something about the people who get on Big Brother, but it seems every season that MySpace is the Big Brother houseguests’ social network of choice, and the profiles are always hideously designed. We did not add any profiles or fan pages that were set to private (surprisingly many were).

Angie Swindell’s Official Fan Page on MySpace - Run by a fan, this page is for fans of Angie Swindell.

April Dowling’s Official Fan Page on MySpace - A public page for fans of April to show their appreciation.

Jessie Godderz’s Official Fan Page on MySpace - Official fan page of Mr. Natural Iowa 2008, and current Big Brother houseguest, Jessie.

Keesha Smith’s MySpace - Big Brother houseguest and waitress at Hooters chain restaurant.

Libra Thompson’s Official Fan Page on MySpace - 31-year-old mother of two from Spring, TX.

Michelle Costa’s MySpace - 28-year-old from Cumberland, RI.

Big Brother 9 Houseguest Sites

Adam Jasinski’s Facebook Page -The winner of Big Brother 9 comes to Facebook.

Adam Jasinski’s Personal MySpace - As with most Big Brother contestants, he also has a MySpace page.

Alex Coladonato’s Official Fan Page on MySpace - A DJ from Staten Island, NY who appeared on season 9 of Big Brother.

Amanda Hansen Official Fan Forum - Houseguest from season 9 that is best known for saying “bueno” every 10 seconds while in the house.

Chelsia Hart’s MySpace Page - Though she said many times in the house she was horrible with computers, she’s giving MySpace a go.

Jacob Heald’s MySpace Page - One half of the first couple eliminated from the house.

James Zinkand’s MySpace Page - Better known as Crazy James, the houseguest with the pink mohawk.

Jen Deez’s MySpace Page - Was the real life girlfriend of Ryan, and part of the second couple evicted.

Joshuah Welch’s MySpace Page - A rabid fan of his alma mater, University of Texas, Joshuah was well-known for his outbursts.

Matt McDonald’s MySpace Page - A roofer from Boston who is probably best known for trying to dodge the constant advances of fellow cast member, Natalie.

Natalie Cunial’s MySpace Page - The Bikini Barista from “the Beaver State” constantly chased “her Matty” around for affection.

Neil Garcia’s MySpace Page - Was partnered with Joshuah, but left the game after a week due to matters of a personal nature that were never revealed.

Sharon Obermueller’s MySpace Page - 24-year-old from Kansas who was evicted with Jacob, but came back when Neil left and ended up taking fifth place.

Sheila Kennedy’s MySpace Page - A former Penthouse Pet of the Year, Sheila was a 45-year-old single mother… ya know?

Big Brother 8 Houseguest Sites

Daniele Donato’s LiveJournal - The second place finisher’s blog since she left the house.

Daniele Donato’s MySpace Page - Daughter of the ultimate winner of season 8.

Dick Donato’s MySpace Page - Better known as EvelDick, he went on to win the season much to every other person’s amazement.

Eric Stein’s Official MySpace Page - Eric was the big twist of the season as “America’s Player”.

Jen Johnson’s MySpace Page - Jen was… a Jenius? Not sure how you describe her and keep it sane sounding.

Jessica Hughbanks’ MySpace Page - Entered the house as part of the enemies twist, ended up dating Eric for a time after the show ended.

Joe Barber’s MySpace Page - Another part of the enemies twist, went out fairly early.

Kail Harbick’s MySpace Page - Multiple business owner from Rainbow, OR.

Mike Dutz’s MySpace Page -Mike… does anyone remember Mike doing anything of significance?

Nick Starcevic’s MySpace Page - Was after Daniele in the house, ended up dating Jen out of the house.

Zach Swerdzewski’s MySpace Page - Came in third for the year.

Big Brother 7 - All Stars is not getting a listing as all the contestants were from previous seasons.

Big Brother 6 Houseguests

    bb6 janelle

Howie Gordon’s MySpace Page - A player in season 6 & 7, he has the MySpace page that seems to be required of all players.

Howie Gordon’s Personal Website - Was also part of season 7, one of the few former houseguests with a dedicated website.

James Rhine’s Official Site - Always seemed to win Power of Veto just when he needed it the most.

Janelle Pierzina’s MySpace Page - Another season 6 player to return for season 7, and she even showed up in season 8 as a challenge host.

Janelle Pierzina’s Official Fansite - Has a forum, media and chats occasionally attended by Janelle herself.

Kaysar Ridah’s MySpace Page - Returned in season 7, All Stars, arguably one of the most popular houseguests ever.

Kaysar Ridah’s Official Site - Official fan forum for the former houseguest.

Michael Donnellan’s MySpace Page - MySpace page for the artist of the houseguests.

Michael Donnellan’s Official Site - Official site for Michael’s artwork, he was Kaysar’s secret game partner in the house.

Sarah Rejsa’s MySpace Page - Was James Rhine’s partner and girlfriend in the house.

Big Brother 5 Houseguests

    fitness twins

Adria & Natalie Official Site - The hidden pair of twins in the house who played as one when the season started and then as separates.

Holly King’s Official Site - An actress with an incredibly squeaky voice that had an in-house relationship with Jase.

Marvin Latimer’s Official Site - Maybe he was inspired by the twins, because Marvin seems to be selling ways to lose weight now.

Earlier Big Brothers

    marcellas reynolds

Dr. Will Kirby’s Official Site - Winner of season 2, appeared in season 7, now appears on Dr. 90210.

Eddie McGee’s MySpace Page - Winner of season 1, now making his own short movies.

Marcellas Reynolds Official Site - Appeared in seasons 3 and 7, was long considered to have made the worst move in the history of the show when he failed to use the Power of Veto on himself in season 3.

Mike “Boogie” Malin’s Official Site - Appeared in season 2 and 7, going on to win the All Stars game.

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AOKI Deodorizing Suits Keep Sweaty Types Tolerable At the Office [Clothing]

You know that sweaty guy who always comes into work smelling like an armpit? Yeah, you know who I'm talking about—and if you don't, "that guy" is probably you. Thanks to AOKI, you won't have to tolerate the funny looks, wrinkled noses and giggle-laden whispers of your co-workers any longer. The translation is shaky, but they claim that their new line of deodorizing suits can absorb sweat, suck out odor and provide antibacterial protection using the power of silver ions. They also run about $370 on sale. Unfortunately, if you don't live in Japan you will just have to continue being the smelly office outcast. [Rakuten via Crunchgear]


AOKI Deoderizing Suits Keep Sweaty Types Tolerable At the Office [Clothing]

You know that sweaty guy who always comes into work smelling like an armpit? Yeah, you know who I'm talking about—and if you don't, "that guy" is probably you. Thanks to AOKI, you won't have to tolerate the funny looks, wrinkled noses and giggle-laden whispers of your co-workers any longer. The translation is shaky, but their new line of deodorizing suits claim to absorb sweat, suck out odor and provide antibacterial protection using the power of silver ions. They also run about $370 on sale. Unfortunately, if you don't live in Japan you will just have to continue being the smelly office outcast. [Rakuten via Crunchgear]


NBC Launches On-Demand Olympic Coverage In HD

NBC has launched its online video hub for the 2008 Olympics, which features free on-demand video for over 20 sports. In order to maximize quality, the videos are available as downloads (you can start watching before the download finishes) and will be in “up to HD” quality. Unfortunately, the video downloads will only be available on Windows machines running Windows Media Center - once again Mac users are left in the cold, likely because of DRM issues (and the fact that Lenovo and Microsoft are sponsors).

While the Olympic ceremonies don’t kick off until August 8, NBC has already posted footage of Olympic trials. Once the games begin, NBC expects to have the footage available around 12 hours after each competition (which shouldn’t be too annoying given the time difference).

Microsoft is participating in the partnership, so access to the videos will be integrated into Media Center’s main panel. Users can also visit this TVTonic page, and the content will be available directly from NBCOlympics.com beginning next week. You can read more about the service at the TVTonic blog post here.

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