Google Open Spot wijst lege parkeerplaatsen

B R I G H T

Uitchecken is het nieuwe inchecken. Met Google Open Spot geef je aan waar een parkeerplaats te vinden is.

Ik geef meteen toe dat ik ook in de Foursquare-kuil gevallen ben. (Een applicatie die je laat aangeven waar je wel niet allemaal geweest bent). Overal mayor willen zijn. Inchecken in je eigen koelkast, dat werk. Werd iemand er beter van? Niet aantoonbaar. De nieuwe app voor Android Google Open Spot is het tegenovergestelde: je checkt uit als je een  parkeerplek verlaat en je maakt anderen er blij mee.

Zelf krijg je er karmapuntjes voor terug om toch aan je dopaminefix te komen, maar in essentie is het een digitaal witteparkeerplaatsenplan. Ervan uitgaande dat mensen zo vriendelijk zijn aan te geven wanneer ze vertrekken, zodat ze zelf kunnen genieten van een praktisch overzicht van lege parkeerplaatsen als ze terugkomen. Gezien de staat waarin WC's verkeren waar het bordje 'Laat het toilet net zo achter als u het de volgende keer graag zelf aantreft' hangt, is het de vraag of het gaat werken. Google geeft in ieder geval het goede voorbeeld.

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Spotify Founder Daniel Ek: "The MP3 File has Become the URL"

ReadWriteWeb

spotify_music_aug09.jpgAccording to Spotify's CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek, MP3s are slowly becoming irrelevant as the world is shifting towards streaming music services. In an interview with the UK's Telegraph, Ek argues that "Music needs to be like water. It needs to be ubiquitous. We need to understand that this is not about MP3 files anymore; the MP3 file has become the URL and through that unique identifier I can send you something and you'll be able to know what it is and listen to it."

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From CD to MP3 to URL

We have been chronicling this trend towards cloud-based music services for a while now, as services like Spotify, Rdio and MOG continue to gain traction with mainstream consumers. In Ek's vision, the era of the MP3 as the preferred medium for music could soon be over. Instead of sending your friends an MP3, Ek thinks that you'll soon just pass Spotify URLs around. Talking about an even older technology, Ek also noted that he hasn't bought a CD in two years.

Given that streaming music is Spotify's main business, we can hardly expect Ek to promote anything else, but given the current trends in the online music industry, he has a point. While there will always be listeners who insist on owning their own music, the convenience of inexpensive cloud-based subscription services is a major selling point, especially for casual listeners who don't feel the need to amass and curate a massive music library themselves.

U.S. Launch: "This Year"

Ek also reiterated that Spotify, which currently has about half a million paying subscribers, still plans to launch in the U.S. later this year. Rumors about Spotify's impending U.S. launch have been making the rounds for months now, but Ek has always remained silent about any specific dates. We do know, however, that Spotify has already acquired server space in the U.S.

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CHART OF THE DAY: Here's How Apple's iPhone Totally Humiliated The Mobile Industry (AAPL, RIMM)

Silicon Alley Insider

When Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in January, 2007, the collective (private) response from the mobile industry was, "Oh, crap." Rightfully so.

The iPhone blew the industry's existing smartphones out of the water, and forced everyone else to reinvent themselves or go bust. (See our feature, "10 ways the iPhone changed smartphones forever.")

But the most profound effect that Apple has had on the industry is how it has completely swallowed the lion's share of its profits, in a very short period of time, without even commanding much market share. This Goldman Sachs research chart, via the FT, shows just how quickly Apple became the profit leader.

Just as impressive: A second chart shows the other side to the story -- how Apple is doing all of this with just 3% estimated share of the handset market in 2010.

SAI Chart Apple iPhone profits

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Apple Prepares For Life After Google (AAPL, GOOG)

Silicon Alley Insider

steve jobs eric schmidt apple google

Apple went shopping again this week -- we told you its deal streak wasn't over -- acquiring Quebec-based mapping company Poly9. This is the second maps-focused company Apple has purchased.

What's the point?

In the short term, and with Poly9 specifically, Apple is buying "its Google Earth," analyst Greg Sterling writes today.

But more broadly, Apple is preparing for life after Google.

Apple has relied on Google for a number of iPhone services since the phone launched in 2007, including Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, etc.

But through a series of deals, Apple is now preparing to take control of key services for the iPhone that it may no longer be able to trust Google with, now that Google is quickly becoming Apple's archenemy.

For example...

  • Its recent deal to put Microsoft's Bing on the iPhone -- not as default, yet, but as a user-selected option -- doesn't immediately replace Google, but provides an option for the future.

All that's missing now is Apple's version YouTube, if Google ever decides to tax Apple for access to YouTube's APIs, or demands to take over the app. Well, there's always iTunes.

Make no mistake. Apple may still talk about how only certain teams at Google and Apple hate each other, and that the companies are still partners in many other areas.

But Steve Jobs would be insane not to Google-proof every area of his business.

Don't miss: The Next 5 Apple Gadgets To Waste Your Time Obsessing About

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Starbucks Is the First Brand to Reach 10 Million Facebook Likes

Inside Facebook

Starbucks became the first brand on Facebook to collect a fan base of 10 million on Wednesday. This growth comes on the heels of Lady Gaga becoming the first person to gather the same number of fans.

Starbucks has undoubtedly been one of the most successful brands on Facebook, partly due to the store’s popularity and ubiquitousness, but also because the company maintains a very active presence on Facebook.

The company’s audience of 10 million people around the world has been hard won with marketing, promotions and advertising. Over the years Starbucks has given away free ice cream on Facebook, been recognized by Facebook and was also the most popular brand.

The Page is consistently one of the top 20 fastest growing Pages, as evidenced by our weekly posts showing the number of fans added to the Pages with the aid of our PageData tool. And Starbucks consistently has an update or promotion for every occasion.

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Ballmer: Expect a Lot of Windows 7 Tablets This Year

Mashable!


Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference has just kicked off in Washington with a keynote from CEO Steve Ballmer. Focusing mostly on cloud computing and tablets, Ballmer said that Microsoft is “hardcore” about tablets and that we can expect a lot of new Windows 7 tablets before the end of the year.

These tablets, said Ballmer, will come in a variety of form factors and from several hardware partners, including Asus, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony. HP, who was supposed to launch a Windows-based tablet called Slate but later dropped the project altogether, was not mentioned.

At this year’s technology show Computex, companies such as Asus and MSI exhibited several Windows-based tablets, but most of these haven’t hit the market yet. Ballmer promised to show off some new Windows 7-based tablet prototypes at the WPC, so stay tuned for news of potential iPad competitors in the next couple of days.


Reviews: Windows

More About: microsoft, Steve Ballmer, Tablet, Windows 7

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Send Destinations via Google Maps to Ford and GM Vehicles

Mashable!


Google’s “Send-To-Car” feature lets users send destinations from Google Maps directly to their vehicles. This feature previously worked with BMW and Audi vehicles, and now Google has extended its partner base for the program to Ford and GM.

Owners of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles enabled with Ford’s SYNC system, as well as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab or Saturn vehicles via GM’s OnStar navigation, can now take advantage of the “Send-to-Car” function.

To try it out, type in a destination into Google Maps search, click “Send,” choose “Car” and then type in your car’s details. You can then access the destination through your car’s navigation system. It may sound like extra work to seasoned in-car navigators, but once you get used to it, it probably beats fiddling with the navigation system in the car.

Check out a video preview of the feature coupled with GM’s OnStar below.

[img credit: Ford]

More About: ford, GM, Google, Google Maps, Send-to-Car

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Apple Censors Discussions On Negative Consumer Reports' iPhone 4 Test [Updated] [Iphone 4]

Gizmodo
Apple has deleted at least six threads talking about Consumer Reports' iPhone 4 tests. Customers on Apple's support boards were discussing the publication's negative report, which demonstrated that the design flaw could affect all users. [Updated] More »


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5 manieren om je Twitter strategie te verbeteren

Marketingfacts
Twitter is als seks: iedereen hééft het er meer over dan dat men er daadwerkelijk mee bezig is. Nu iedereen het erover heeft, is het ook goed om te kijken naar wát je eigenlijk met of op Twitter doet als bedrijf en naar hoe je dat kunt verbeteren. Op iMediaConnection schreef Steve Mulder begin deze week een interessante aanzet hoe je als bedrijf relevant kunt zijn op Twitter en hoe je ervoor kunt zorgen dat je meer haalt uit de mogelijkheden die Twitter je biedt als platform. 5 tips over exclusieve content, het belonen van brand advocates, en over micro targeting: Lees meer over: 5 manieren om je Twitter strategie te verbeteren.
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Deeplinken naar Vlaamse media: liever niet <- we worden helemaal gek in België. Ze graven hun eigen put

B R I G H T

Wie een hyperlink wil aanbrengen naar een pagina van de Vlaamse publieke omroep moet daar schriftelijke goedkeuring voor hebben.

Als het aan de Vlaamse krantenuitgevers ligt, is het zo snel mogelijk afgelopen met het lukraak linken naar leuke stukjes op krantensites. Eind vorige week plaatste de brancheorganisatie Reprocopy een paginagrote advertentie met regeltjes voor het dieplinken naar artikelen.

Dat levert pareltjes op als: 'Enkel de titel en een beperkt aantal karakters (max. 150) worden gereproduceerd'. En: 'De links moeten na 30 dagen verwijderd worden en mogen dus niet gearchiveerd worden.' Welkom in de 21ste eeuw. 'De boodschap luidt impliciet: "Begin er niet aan." Hoe moet je de regeldiarree voor het plaatsen van een deeplink anders interpreteren?', schrijft Bram Souffreau op Apache News Lab.

Maar het vreemde deeplink-beleid beperkt zich niet toch Belgische kranten. Ook de Vlaamse publieke omroep VRT kan er wat van. Check bijvoorbeeld eens deze gebruiksvoorwaarden en dan met name puntje 3. Daar staat: 'U mag op uw eigen website een link aanbrengen naar de startpagina van de VRT-websites.' Alleen naar de startpagina: lolwut?!?

'Andere hyperlinks mag u alleen aanbrengen na uitdrukkelijke schriftelijke goedkeuring van de VRT. U kunt uw verzoek sturen naar de webmaster van de site waar u een link naar wilt leggen.'

Hierbij alvast onze nederige excuses aan de VRT dat we hebben gelinkt naar een pagina op VRT.be zonder dat we daarvoor uitdrukkelijke schriftelijke toestemming hebben gekregen.

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