Getting Granular: The DigitalGrit Blog

Yahoo's CES blog

As a PS to the recent post about the CES show, here's a link to Yahoo's fun CES blog.

Yahoo's CES blog

As a PS to the recent post about the CES show, here's a link to Yahoo's fun CES blog.

Google Time Machine

The open APIs supplied by free applications like Google Maps has spurred a wave of innovative developments. One of the most publicized examples of these "mash-ups" (as they are called) is www.housingmaps.com which mashes Craig's List content with Google Maps.

One of the more fascinating mash ups I came across recently (created by Rev Dan Catt at Geobloggers) is between Google Earth and Flikr. Google Earth is a fascinating application in its own right, but when you integrate data such as images from Flikr you start to see the true possibilities of the World Wide Web and open APIs.

With this mash up, you can not only view places from a satellite view, but you can actually see images from the ground level and even INSIDE buildings. Essentially, using Google Earth, you will be able to see any place in the world and view it from a perspective as high as the heavens or as low as an ant.

Other data that I would like to see someone try to integrate is Amazon's A9 search engine "BlockView" images which has street level images of major US cities. See if you can find the entrance to DigitalGrit's NYC "satellite" office here. Give up? The direct link to photo is here.

In addition to changing the layers of data you can see and the perspective, I suggest Google Earth include a slider button allowing the data to be shown by DATE. This would allow you to see how the World changes over time. Now, rather than just images, why not add video. Wow. This would be the closest we may ever get to creating an actual time machine! With the new "Google Time Machine" you could not only search the World's information. You could actually search time.

We are just at the beginnings of experiencing the true power of the Internet. Through collaboration and creativity, the best is yet to come. Please add your feedback or reference other "mash-ups" in our comment section.

Section written by Scott Delea.

Google Time Machine

The open APIs supplied by free applications like Google Maps has spurred a wave of innovative developments. One of the most publicized examples of these "mash-ups" (as they are called) is www.housingmaps.com which mashes Craig's List content with Google Maps.

One of the more fascinating mash ups I came across recently (created by Rev Dan Catt at Geobloggers) is between Google Earth and Flikr. Google Earth is a fascinating application in its own right, but when you integrate data such as images from Flikr you start to see the true possibilities of the World Wide Web and open APIs.

With this mash up, you can not only view places from a satellite view, but you can actually see images from the ground level and even INSIDE buildings. Essentially, using Google Earth, you will be able to see any place in the world and view it from a perspective as high as the heavens or as low as an ant.

Other data that I would like to see someone try to integrate is Amazon's A9 search engine "BlockView" images which has street level images of major US cities. See if you can find the entrance to DigitalGrit's NYC "satellite" office here. Give up? The direct link to photo is here.

In addition to changing the layers of data you can see and the perspective, I suggest Google Earth include a slider button allowing the data to be shown by DATE. This would allow you to see how the World changes over time. Now, rather than just images, why not add video. Wow. This would be the closest we may ever get to creating an actual time machine! With the new "Google Time Machine" you could not only search the World's information. You could actually search time.

We are just at the beginnings of experiencing the true power of the Internet. Through collaboration and creativity, the best is yet to come. Please add your feedback or reference other "mash-ups" in our comment section.

Section written by Scott Delea.

Microsoft and AOL add new VoIP services. See a trend?

Seems that everyone's jumping on the VoIP bandwagon these days. Yahoo buys Dialpad. eBay buys Skype.  Now, according to the IAB SmartBrief, "America Online announced it would launch its TotalTalk VoIP service, the successor to AOL Internet Phone, on Oct. 4" and "Microsoft and Qwest Communications said that beginning next year they will market VoIP service to small- and medium-sized businesses."

All part of the pay-per-call trend? You have to assume. VoIP normally wouldn't even be considered as part of my blog subject material, but when Google, Yahoo!, MSN and even eBay all jump on a trend, you've gotta figure there's going to be a marketing opp in there somewhere. These guys don't do anything unless it presents enormous income potential...

Here's a nice capsulization from Om Malik's blog:

As I hinted earlier, this is a pay-per-call model that could be the “VoIP” play for Google. A lot of start-ups have already started mucking around with it. The leader in this space is Ingenio, which has a deal with AOL. The pay-per-call results typically make more money for sites that use pay-per-call model, and this includes various publications and portals. Another start-up that has jumped into the fray is Insider Pages, an Idea Lab company. Jupiter’s Gary Stein has some thoughts on this trend, as he tries to come-up with reasons for why Microsoft bought Teleo.

We know that local merchants would rather pay for a call than a click; having pay-per-call as a product is pretty much a must for anyone looking to get into the local directory business.

I guess, as Voice-over-IM tries to find its footing, the first application that becomes popular is this “pay for call” feature. Yannick sums it up nicely when he writes:

So could all the talk about Google’s VoIP plans really be all about extending its advertising franchise into pay-per-call, rather than offering plain old consumer minutes, a la everyone else?

An obvious, simple and practical observation!

Obviously, this post was made prior to the eBay-Skype deal, when Google announced plans to go vocal...but it does gives some insight into the trend.

Update: Here's another take from Andy Beal on Google's move to the audible web.

Microsoft and AOL add new VoIP services. See a trend?

Seems that everyone's jumping on the VoIP bandwagon these days. Yahoo buys Dialpad. eBay buys Skype.  Now, according to the IAB SmartBrief, "America Online announced it would launch its TotalTalk VoIP service, the successor to AOL Internet Phone, on Oct. 4" and "Microsoft and Qwest Communications said that beginning next year they will market VoIP service to small- and medium-sized businesses."

All part of the pay-per-call trend? You have to assume. VoIP normally wouldn't even be considered as part of my blog subject material, but when Google, Yahoo!, MSN and even eBay all jump on a trend, you've gotta figure there's going to be a marketing opp in there somewhere. These guys don't do anything unless it presents enormous income potential...

Here's a nice capsulization from Om Malik's blog:

As I hinted earlier, this is a pay-per-call model that could be the “VoIP” play for Google. A lot of start-ups have already started mucking around with it. The leader in this space is Ingenio, which has a deal with AOL. The pay-per-call results typically make more money for sites that use pay-per-call model, and this includes various publications and portals. Another start-up that has jumped into the fray is Insider Pages, an Idea Lab company. Jupiter’s Gary Stein has some thoughts on this trend, as he tries to come-up with reasons for why Microsoft bought Teleo.

We know that local merchants would rather pay for a call than a click; having pay-per-call as a product is pretty much a must for anyone looking to get into the local directory business.

I guess, as Voice-over-IM tries to find its footing, the first application that becomes popular is this “pay for call” feature. Yannick sums it up nicely when he writes:

So could all the talk about Google’s VoIP plans really be all about extending its advertising franchise into pay-per-call, rather than offering plain old consumer minutes, a la everyone else?

An obvious, simple and practical observation!

Obviously, this post was made prior to the eBay-Skype deal, when Google announced plans to go vocal...but it does gives some insight into the trend.

Update: Here's another take from Andy Beal on Google's move to the audible web.