BlogRush Goes Six Feet Under

During these turbulent times there has been a lot of change across the economic landscape. Companies from big to small, brick and mortar to online sites have all experienced the crunch. Many are comparing these times to the dotcom bust years ago, if history is cyclical this was a short rotation.

Recently BlogRush has decided to close it’s “doors” and fade away. In an announcement by John Reese, BlogRush was suffering from lack of clicks, and users who no longer wanted to be advertised to. While that may come as a no brainer to the typical user, BlogRush prided itself on being unobtrusive and focusing on the needs and wants of the users.

Was this truly what BlogRush stood for? The site definitely had its fair share of critics. For example, Seopedia sticks out in my mind after they were so amazingly rejected by the site. You can read their entire ordeal here. Basically it appear that BlogRush depended on random people to be the judges of whether a site fit the criteria or not. The advertisement that was sent out by owner John Reese seems to focus less on quality judges, and more on mass quantity.

Mashable has a more scathing post from late 2007 where they say BlogRush was a throwback to the Web 1.0 era. They explain the process of earning credits by using their widget on your site, and sharing traffic with other sites increasing exposure and ranking within the network. He compares the concept to that of a pyramid scheme.

Despite the critics, John Reese stands by his product and claims that he is a risk taker. He admits that as an entrepreneur he has had some ideas succeed and some fail, but his success stems from not being afraid to try. He goes on to say that BlogRush was offered a “small fortune” but that he reluctantly turned it down to keep the purity of the idea. Not sure if I necessarily agree with the decision, but regardless, the site is down for the count.

It’s advised that users remove the BlogRush widgets from their pages because they are no inactive. So while click rates dropped, and BlogRush has come to an end, John Reese promises that he will continue to strive with new online ideas, and look to continue his innovative streak.

You can read the entire letter to users here.

Take Five with MakeFive for List Junkies

Lists, lists, lists!

People’s fascination with lists is understandable. For some reason or another, when we see a list it ranks things for us, provides us a perspective, perhaps even influences us in a way we don’t even recognize. We put so much emphasis on lists that now a site has been created that is strictly dedicated to lists.

MakeFive is a site that basically says “you are what you think.” How true. The site has Top 5 lists for just about anything and everything. Top 5 favorite fonts, SNL cast members, people that inspire, just to name a few from the front page.

You can share lists, connect with others that list similar items, and comment on one another’s lists. The interaction is there, but I went cross eyes after being on this site for too long. WARNING: View this site in small doses, you’ll lose your vision…or at least go crosseyed like I did.

The site was useful professionally as I got top ranked business books, design sites, education sites, etc. So basically the site can be as useful or as silly as you want it to be. I definitely recommend this site as a “to pass the time” reference. I think you’ll be surprised at what you find.

iPhone 3G only $99, it’s Possible

Some hot news for those of us that have with held buying an iPhone (all 2 of you). Word on the street is that Apple has had an excellent 4th Quarter, and with sales of iPhones surpassing previous estimations, there is some wiggle room when it comes to price.

The iPhone which currently resides in an exclusive contract with AT&T, sells for $199 with contract. Millions and millions of people jumped on board with the first iPhone came out, and the second generation was just as popular. With over 15 million iPhone sold worldwide, it has dominated the mobile market. Outstanding sales have given Apple a cushion in case the current economic downtown starts to effect sales, they can afford to drop the price of the iPhone to $99.

What would a $99 iPhone do to the market? For starters, with such a low barrier to entry, the iPhone will clearly bleed further into the consumer market, even those on the fence would be tempted to purchase, and the market dominance would only leave true niche mobile companies like Blackberry able to withstand the onslaught.

Conjecture? Possibly, but only time will tell. Get those Christmas wish lists ready and stay tuned for more info!

Vuclip Brings Movies to Your Mobile

Trying to view video on a phone can be a pain, and for some of us that are able to get the video, squinting and turning the phone sideways to make heads or tails of what we see drives us into a wild rage. Some phones just weren’t meant to see video…or where they?

“Danger Will Robinson…Danger”

For those of you not following TechCrunch’s Layoff Tracker, the tech industry is taking a major hit. So far a total of 44,283 (to include HP’s release) people are gone from their respective companies. Is this another Dot Com Bust?

How bad is this? Well, pretty bad considering that most tech startups are staffed minimally to keep costs down. Some companies have been forced to cut as many has 1/3 of their staff, some up to 50%.

I were Chicken Little, the sky would definitely be falling right now!

Brightstorm Online Tutoring Goes Public

Korean backed company, Brightstorm, is making headlines by going live for the public. With $6 million invested, Brightstorm looks to offer students of all ages an opportunity to receive online tutoring through a series of web videos based on the subject. There are currently 20 instructors on the site offering assistance with a variety of courses including History, Government, Math, and SAT prep. I’m sure the site will expand its offerings and possibly increase the number of instructors as the site grows.

Now there is a price involved. For $50 a course, the videos are made available for you to watch, ranging from 10-20 min. in length depending on the subject matter. Students and parents are able to watch samples in order to decide whether they enjoy the instructor or not, and obviously to decide whether the quality and value is worth the money. The video courses will also offer pop-quizzes, interactive challenges, and other dynamics to keep the student aware and involved as much as possible.

I commend the efforts of Brightstorm, and while they may not be the only fish in the sea in terms of online tutoring sites, they appear to be the best organized. Can a student learn better from an online video tutor as opposed to an in person tutor? That will remain to be seen.

KidZui, Social Network for Kids

Social Networks have been the method of communication for adults, adolescents, and businesses the world over. Kids have been curious about the many social sites that exist, but none are targeted for the under 12 year old market. Today parents are more worried about who their children talk to since it’s impossible to really know who is on the other end of the conversation. While understandable, there was no real forum for younger children to make their mark on the net until KidZui debuted.

What started as a pay service quickly changed to a free model, and since then they have had a lot of success attracting the 3-12 year old demographic. Recently KidZui has changed a lot of the functionality of their site, and have introduced some new tools to make the site fun for parents working with their kids. Parents are encouraged to participate on the site with their kids so that everyone is in the know as to what the child is looking at and sharing online.

KidZui offers limited profiles that offer superficial details about the user, the site offers no real two way communication to prevent those looking to lure children, and tabs where users can share the sites they’ve visited, approved videos, and even a section for homework help. Status can be set by the user, but instead of typing there is a menu of premade options that can be chosen from. Again, this introduction is to get the child used to the idea of larger social networks, but still maintain a safe environment for kids to enjoy their time online.

If you’ve got kids, I recommend you check out KidZui and get your kids prepared for the future of communication!

TechCrunch Creates Layoff Tracker

Image via CrunchBase

Apple’s New Ads Poke Fun of Microsoft

Image via CrunchBase

Long gone are the commercials with our friends Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. Mysteriously the advertising campaign stopped, changed directions, and Seinfeld was no more.

Was it the churros? Was it the conquistadors? Perhaps no one wanted to take them in after leaving their last family. Either way, Microsoft has taken a new direction, but some just can’t let a good joke die.

Apple has just released two commercials that are sure to get Microsoft’s feathers ruffled, but all’s fair in and love and war.

Check them out and share your thoughts. Whether you love them or hate them, you’ve got to admit that the marketing from both attacking the other does provide for some interesting conversation.

and here…

You Could Be Britney Spears New Boyfriend!

Kongregate Offers A Lesson on Flash Games

Gaming site, Kongregate, has officially found a new way to keep users on their site. Before it was the over 8,000 games they offer for user entertainment, but now Kongregate looks to not only allow users to play games, but to make games as well.

More Cuts in Social Media

The trend continues, the economy continues it’s downward spiral, could this be the social media bubble that the online community has been expecting for years?

Just yesterday Hi5, a social network amongst of myriad of offerings, laid off as many as 15% of its staff. While it’s been labeled as restructuring, it’s no doubt that hard economic times are forcing companies across the board to tighten their budgets.

Advertisers are feeling the pinch too. It’s a trickle down effect and because companies are being cautious, advertising is taking a nose dive as well. Adbrite, one of the top 5 online advertising networks, is laying off more than 40% of it’s current staff. This is a huge number, and will send many seeking other ventures, but the market is going to make it tough for them to find fertile ground to grow.

As I sit here reading article after article, I think this is an opportunity for social media to grow, and perhaps force individuals to think even further outside the box. Shakeup after shakeup is sure to make investors and supporters wary, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, of that I am sure.

Update:
Just now on Twitter it has been reported by @samhouston that Pandora is releasing approximately 14% of its workforce. This has been confirmed by TechCrunch here.