Engine Advocacy Turns Tech Nerds Into Political Experts


How do you turn technology nerds into political experts? That’s the question being asked by Engine Advocacy, a group dedicated to getting “tech startups, entrepreneurs and technologists” involved in shaping public policy.

The goal of Engine Advocacy is “to give entrepreneurial people and businesses a voice in the Washington policy arena that they haven’t before,” according to co-founder Michael McGeary.

The group has a stake in a variety of issues, including an open Internet, intellectual property rights, privacy laws, broadband access, spectrum reform and immigration reform. (Why immigration? Engine Advocacy wants a “startup visa” to make it easer for people to come to the U.S. to innovate.)

Engine Advocacy has no registered lobbyists working for it. Instead, the organization seeks to teach Silicon Valley about Washington, D.C and to give technological innovators “action tools” for getting involved with public policy.

“Most people realize it’s not good enough as an entrepreneur or startup CEO to take the feeling of ‘let me do my job,’” says McGeary. “I come from the political world, I’ve worked on a couple of campaigns and I’ve come to Silicon Valley and I’ve been heartened to talk to so many smart people that are saying ‘ok, let’s figure out how to do this so we don’t have to be passive all the time.’”

McGeary says his organization is a “loosely formed coalition” that’s growing “quickly by the day.” The idea to start the organization came before SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP Act) became the hot-button issues of the day, but according to McGeary, they were the sparks that “set the building on fire,” so to speak.

“What we thought was a good idea in the Fall turned into ‘we have to do this right now.”

“What we thought was a good idea in the fall turned into ‘we have to do this right now,’” says McGeary. “[SOPA and PIPA] were a galvanizing moment.”

Engine Advocacy isn’t just trying to educate tech innovators about Washington, it’s also doing the reverse. The organization is making an effort to educate politicians on technology and Internet issues.

“We’ve met with several members of congressional staff,” says McGeary, singling out Sen. Moran of Kansas.

“(Sen. Moran) and his staff are really committed to tech issues and wanting to get more education about them and trying to find ways to legislate in more productive ways. We’re young in the Senate, but together there’s power in injecting these two communities and I’ve been glad about that.”

SEE ALSO: What is ACTA? Why Should You Care? | ACTA ‘Is More Dangerous Than SOPA’

With SOPA and PIPA gone, what’s the next big fight for Engine Advocacy? We asked McGeary if ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) was on Engine Advocacy’s radar.

“Yes, but it appears to be mostly complete at this point. We’ll keep our eye on it as it rolls out, however, to see what implications there are for tech business going forward,” he said.

“We’re keeping our eyes on (SOPA and PIPA), of course, just in case they make a stunning, election-year comeback from being mortally wounded,” says McGeary. “Beyond that, we’re now taking some time to build and strengthen our organization and begin rolling out our legislative priorities for 2012, as well as beginning to develop campaign strategies looking toward the Fall. We’re looking at things like Startup Act and spectrum coming down the pike fairly quickly, but also beginning to beef up our web presence and policy research to be ready for the next fights as they come along.”

Do you think it’s a good idea to get tech experts and innovators involved with the public policy process? Sound off in the comments below.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, PashaIgnatov

More About: Politics, technology

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/01/28/engine-advocacy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_med...

7 Big Privacy Concerns for New Facebook and the Open Graph


It’s not always clear how Facebook apps interact with the data you share on the social network. Are they allowed to broadcast it? Sell it? Compile it in a way that you never intended?

“When you turn all Platform applications off, your User ID is no longer given to applications, even when your friends use those applications,” says a portion of Facebook’s privacy policy. “But you will no longer be able to use any games, applications or websites through Facebook.

Simply, should you choose not to share with apps at all, they are taken away from you. If you want to use some, but limit their functionality, you have to carefully customize your privacy settings in order to ensure your information is used appropriately. With the Open Graph, which can push any information to your Facebook page without explicit permission each time, it becomes more of an imperative.

Here are seven things you may not realize that Facebook knows, and is using to interact with your friends or advertisers. Concerned about what you share on the social network? Be sure to check the Apps You Use in the Privacy Tab to ensure that you have full control of your privacy in a way that makes you feel comfortable.


1. Where You’ve Been


You’ve always kept your location up to date on Facebook, ensuring everyone knows when you change cities — but you’re not interested in geotagging. Watch out, because your exact location can still be picked up by Facebook and broadcasted.

One of the more prominent design features in Facebook’s new Timeline is the “Maps” feature, which gathers the meta data from a user’s location and prominently displays check-ins, life events, photos, and the like on the map. The issue is, for those who aren’t necessarily keen on sharing discrete location details, this feature is virtually unavoidable. According to Facebook’s privacy policy: “We receive data from the computer, mobile phone or other device you use to access Facebook. This may include your IP address, location, the type of browser you use, or the pages you visit.” This data is collected every time, even when a friend of yours has GPS turned on and tags you in a picture she’s uploading from her mobile phone.

Even if you’re stringent about your whereabouts not making it to a highly visible plane, Facebook has already gathered data from you retroactively, ensuring that every time you’ve changed your city location — or listed your home town– it will show up on the map as well.


2. What You’re Listening To


You just downloaded Spotify and you’re really excited to get started. You signed up and were asked to link to Facebook before launching the app, so you clicked the boxes and everything seems ready. But don’t click play on that MC Hammer track just yet…

Since September, Spotify has required that new users sign in through Facebook, thanks to a partnership forged after the music giant hit the U.S. Essentially, anytime a regular Spotify user turns on the app and clicks play, whether via desktop or through mobile, the app can beam information right into Facebook and broadcast it to friends without prior notice. In response to major backlash, Spotify now includes a “Private Listening” mode, which blocks sharing immediately to Facebook. However, it will turn off after a restart or an extended period of time.

The only way to circumvent the compulsory posting is to turn it off permanently in both places. Spotify’s desktop app does have a “turn off publishing to Facebook” within its settings, but the only way to ensure posting does not occur is to revoke Spotify’s publishing abilities within Facebook apps.


3. When You’re Creeping


That girl you met at the event you went to last week. Your ex from college. Your worst enemy from middle school. Odds are, they’re all on Facebook, and you can’t resist the urge to creep. Just remember that Facebook is watching, too.

Naturally, anything you do on Facebook is seen and gathered by Facebook, and creeping on people is no exception. Facebook specifically tracks all clicks done within its platform in order to better tailor an experience for the user. Do you ever wonder why certain people show up in your feed, while others are hardly ever reported on? That’s your creeping doing its work. Visit your frenemy’s page enough times, and he or she will end up gracing your feed more often than you may like.

Don’t worry, Facebook does not specifically share this data with other users, though it will assume that this person is important in your life. Marking someone as a VIP can lead to their appearances more often in your advertisements or apps in addition to the extra face time on the feed.


4. Where You Run


Social running is all the rage these days, and you’re ready to load up your iPhone with RunKeeper, connect it to Facebook and get to stepping. But there’s more, and it has to do with that sneaky little GPS…

Runkeeper is one of the poster children for Facebook’s new “frictionless” user experience. A social network for avid (and aspiring) runners, Runkeeper packs sophisticated technology usually reserved for GPS watches and other athletic gear into a handy iPhone application and has the option of linking material to Facebook. Except, with the Open Graph, linking gives companies an opportunity to simply push all of the info that they collect into a user’s Timeline. And in this case, that means valuable GPS data.

Say that you go on a run with Runkeeper around the park. The GPS data routes the run you made and then pushes it to Facebook so your friends can see where you’ve been and for how long. This may not be much of a problem for you, but what if one day you forget to turn off Runkeeper and go to work? Anywhere you go from that point on is at risk of becoming common knowledge among your social circle, which can be unnerving at best and dangerous at worst. Runkeeper does a great service for those motivated for fitness, but in participating in the Open Graph, the information is fair game.


5. Your Saturday Night Plans


Your local bar is having a comedy night, and you have to RSVP on Facebook to get on the guest list. But when you click “Attending,” your plans can be broadcast to your social network — whether you realize it or not.

One of the trickier features of Facebook is the “sponsored stories” section, which is a particular form of advertising. Companies can sponsor particular Facebook actions, called “stories,” that double as advertising for a brand. However, this also means that your information could be used as an advertisement for another brand.

“Sponsored Stories” are a possibility every time you like a brand or location or respond positively to a public event. When you do this, companies can tap into your friends and let them know that you like or are attending an event — with the hopes of getting them involved, too. Liking a brand or attending its event automatically makes your information available for brand ambassadorship, and you can become an advocate for the event or the brand without implicitly signing up.


6. When You’ve Slacked on Your Diet


You have a Fitbit and you’re ready to get your connected fitness in gear. You allow your account to connect with Facebook so you can broadcast your successes to friends and family, but the Open Graph does change things.

Fitbit is not currently on Facebook’s list of fully-adopted Open Graph apps, but its potential (and partnership with Runkeeper) can create quite an issue for users who are concerned about privacy. The nuances of Facebook’s Open Graph mean that everything is done for the user as soon as permission is granted, rather than approving every singular action within an app. Combine that with an app that already makes those decisions for you, and the possibility of sharing information you actually don’t want to share is high.

The key issue with Fitbit is that it already uploads very personal information automatically whenever the portable device is near its connected docking station. Combined with Open Graph, data could be broadcasted to friends without even logging into Facebook.


7. What News Articles You Just Read


A friend read an article that catches your eye through the Washington Post Social Reader. You click on the title and realize that the app requires permission before linking to the article. You may think little of it and click through to the article, but Facebook watches as you keep reading.

The main news app that has adopted Facebook’s Open Graph structure is the Washington Post Social Reader. You may have already seen the app in your News Feed, highlighting some articles read by friends that could be of interest to you. However, if you’re interested in one of the articles, you’re going to have to allow the app to access your personal information.

That can be an inconvenience for some, but the real issue lies after you read that first article. Because of the app’s structure, you aren’t prompted whether you want to share a particular article with your peers. So, once you begin clicking around the Post’s website, all of your articles become fair game for posting onto someone else’s mini-feed. The result is, from that point forward, even without accessing the app directly through Facebook, your connection to your reading habits is already cemented and anyone can access it.

More About: apps, Facebook, facebook open graph, features, mashable, Open Graph, privacy, trending

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/01/27/facebook-privacy-open-graph/?utm_source=feedbu...

On Selling Companies And The Startup Ecosystem Virtuous Cycle

I attended a panel last night nominally on the topic of whether the local startup ecosystem was best seen as the M&A feeding grounds of big west coast technology companies. Because it was an interesting group of panelists, we wandered a bit and never really dug into the core question of whether this is true and what its implications might be for the overall technology industry in Cambridge and Boston. Having been Twitter taunted by Scott Kirsner to come prepared for a fight, I was disappointed we mostly avoided the topic.

The short answer is that while we do indeed have plenty of liquidity events tied around large technology companies from the west coast as acquirers, we could use more to ensure an even healthier ecosystem and that as such I think we should be thrilled to have more companies exit to the big tech companies of out west, not stressed. While there is one nuance about what we are missing today (particularly when it comes to web companies), overall this is a good thing.

First, my take on the necessary virtuous cycle of the startup ecosystem:

It starts with “founder material,” the engine of the entire machine. As a general rule, New England has always done well in producing founders but a macro trend which has helped us disproportionately in the last five years has been the plummeting age of the typical founder, a factor which plays very well in a university-rich geography. Whereas the 1980s saw the median founder coming out of a minicomputer company on the 128 riviera, today that founder is just as likely to be 22 and fresh out of MIT, Harvard or any of the sixty odd colleges and universities in Massachusetts alone.

To get the engine started, most founders need a little fuel in the form of a few hundred thousand dollars, something which until this latest boom in seed activity was a weakness of our region, or more likely, a unique strength of Silicon Valley. Back in 2001 when the venture dollars dried up, the only place one could get money at this scale in Boston ($100-1000K) was from one of a few rather onerous angel groups. However, using the new StartupDataTrends (a very cool new tool I highly recommend you try out for what it achieves in terms of startup funding transparency), you can see the differences in average seed round amount raised and valuations below:

Once the engine has started, the startups that find product/market fit then often go on to need scaling capital, the job of traditional early stage investors and a segment where New England has been over represented on a per capita basis for a long time, so we certainly have no problems there. Entrepreneurs may argue that VCs are too conservative or don’t get the Internet but it’s hard to argue that there are too few of us, and more importantly, not enough dollars in this geography.

Where we have suffered a bit, especially in this latest wave of Internet companies has been in finding “scaling employees,” or the folks that, trained at large companies in a similar sector, can quickly ramp a few hundred thousand dollars of run rate revenue or unique visitors into millions and tens of millions. In the 1990s we didn’t have this problem because everyone was new to the web and we were all making it up as we went but over the last 10 years there has been a legion of middle managers that have gone from Yahoo to eBay to Google to Facebook (and a few other relevant chains) and learned how to skillfully scale engineering, sales, marketing, operations, etc. for ever larger web businesses. My mental image of this is a set of Russian dolls surrounding the same core group of management talent with each subsequent generation of a “pole tech company” being more massive at scale than the former (e.g. Yahoo->Google->Facebook).

While we’ve got some of those folks here (hidden away at companies like TripAdvisor, VistaPrint and Kayak), the density is too low for all of the interesting startups that need this type of talent. This is the one place where not having the big pole companies in the web (unlike say systems companies in networking and storage which we’ve got plenty of) has hurt us. Though again, time and success should fix this.

Finally, a lot of liquidity is necessary to recycle founders (who will swing harder the next time), create new sources of startup capital, and most importantly, provide a way for startups that won’t ever be able to turn into billion dollar standalone companies to find a home, thereby releasing raw materials back to start the cycle.

This last point on too much “selling out” was meant to be at the core of last night’s panel and my core argument was going to be that we need more not less of it and that by having companies like Google, Microsoft, VMWare, and Amazon, establish meaningful presences (not just sales offices) in Cambridge, we were likely to see more of this type of activity.

I believe Scott Savitz said it best last night when he talked about the key metric being the number of “at bats” that we get as a region to create monster companies here. No matter how you think of it, accelerating this startup ecosystem virtuous cycle— be it in e-commerce, mobile adtech, infrastructure software, robotics, ed tech, or any other of our emerging tech clusters— can only help that particular statistic.

Postscript: In a related sign of the virtuous cycle being accelerated, Brad had a very nice piece after his visit here this week on entrepreneurial density that is worth reading.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/01/27/on-selling-companies-and-the-startup-ecosystem...

Early Stage Venture Fund Launches at Harvard In Hopes of Keeping More Talent on the East Coast

The country’s oldest institution of higher learning is getting some new money today. With the help of Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), a new early-stage seed fund has been launched through backing from storied venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates. Called the Experiment Fund, it will support student startups and give them the resources they need to build on their visions.

Co-founded through close collaboration between venture capitalist Patrick Chung, academic and entrepreneur David Edwards, and scholar-turned-entrepreneur Hugo Van Vuuren, the Experiment Fund will provide seed capital to selected startups, set them up with SEAS faculty members and connect them with advisors from both Cambridge and Silicon Valley. They’ll make seed investments on a case-by-case basis, but do encourage on their website, “Contact us, and let’s talk.”

Anyone can take advantage of the Fund, despite their University affiliation, as it’s designed to attract engineers, entrepreneurs and designers from various backgrounds and empower them to build ideas in three core areas: Information, Healthcare and Energy Technologies. Each new venture will receive up to $250,000, but the trio does plan on investing broadly on the East Coast.

“Cambridge has always seeded and cultivated brilliant minds and entrepreneurs, and now they’ll have another reason to stay rooted in and draw strength from these fertile soils,” said Chung, who is co-head of New Enterprise Associates’ consumer and seed-stage investing practices, in a press release.

Hugo Van Vuuren, a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, said, “The Fund is looking for smart and resourceful people, zealous full-time teams, and experiments in need of seed funding and hands-on help to get off the ground.”

The team intends on adding more investors to their list soon, but have already granted money to a few companies, including Harvard-based Tivli, who spoke at today’s conference.

To Harvard undergraduate Zachary Hamed, this will be “a huge leg up for Harvard in entrepreneurship.” Although it was emphasized this fund will help other schools, as well, like Babson, Boston College and MIT, students at Harvard will now be able to walk out of their class and into a nearby room to pitch their idea to a VC.

“There was no seed fund to go to before,” Hamed said. “This will make the process of getting funding easier. It’s a huge step.”

And this huge step could bring the city one step closer to retaining its talent and fostering future entrepreneurs.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/01/27/early-stage-venture-fund-launches-at-harvard-i...

Today’s Top Stories: Solar Storm, NBC News Launches NBC Publishing

Social Media News


Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. Today, we’re looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Strongest Solar Storm Since 2005 Hits Earth

A huge eruption on the Sun has caused the strongest solar storm since 2005. The Earth is currently being showered with high-powered solar particles, but the storm is near its peak or it has already peaked. Besides possible communications and satellite interference, the storm is likely to cause beautiful auroras.

NBC News Launches NBC Publishing

NBC News has entered the publishing business with NBC Publishing, a new arm that will focus on digital publishing and video ebooks. The new venture will also be a platform for authors who source their work with NBC’s resources. Publishing veteran Peter Costanzo will be the creative director of NBC Publishing and Brian Perrin will be director of digital development. Both will report to general manager Michael Fabiano.

Dutch Court Says Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Is Legal

Apple has suffered a setback in what seems to be a never ending legal battle with Samsung, as a court in the Hague rejected Apple’s request for a nationwide ban of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The tablet is cleared for sale in the Netherlands (and probably Germany) but the patent war rages on in many other markets.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

More About: first to know, first to know series, morning brief, Today's top stories

For more Business coverage:

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/01/24/solar-storm-nbc-publishing-galaxy-tab-cleared-...

How To Teach Social Media to Your CEO

We do a lot of work with CEOs at Holland-Mark, and some of that work is focused on helping them understand, use, and leverage social media to advance their business agendas and personal brands. We’ve learned a few things along the way about what works in bringing a CEO up to speed on Twitter et al, and about the value of a CEO who “gets it” to the business they run.

If your CEO is something short of Lauzon-esque in his or her mastery of the medium, here’s the best advice we have.

1. Start with empathy.

Business is tough on us middle-aged white guys these days. We’re just cavemen. We don’t understand your “retweet,” or what all this “Like” stuff is about. Facebook is something we worry about our kids using. Your ways are strange to us.

But we’re not about to admit that to your punk-ass. Remember that odds are you’re dealing with somebody who’s just a little embarrassed to be out of the loop at this point. Make them feel at ease. Take the edge off by breaking the ice in private, offering to sit down over coffee, and just help get them “set up.”

Be helpful, and be patient. Don’t judge.

2. Build a personal channel.

Social media starts with listening, and one key to getting a CEO rolling in it is to create a feed worth listening to. We start with and focus on Twitter, just because it’s easy and the behaviors are so universal once you adopt them.

So what’s your CEO interested in? What magazines does he/she read? What celebrities is he/she into? Which competitors is he/she worried about? Ask a bunch of questions like that, sit down together at a conference table, and after creating a basic profile just start following the best sources for that information. Make it easy, demystify the process. But really focus on creating a feed they see value in, and want access to.

3. Get the plumbing sorted out.

Next up is to provide that access… from their browser, and from their phone. Not “a” browser, and not “a” phone. Modify their browser home page to drop them in every day. Add a Shareaholic plug-in to it, and make sure the username and password are stored in it. Do the same with the phone, even if it takes some fumbling and effort.

Stupid little problems with the plumbing of social media end up derailing senior people from the medium, because they hit a roadblock – a forgotten password, an unknown function – and have no idea how to get around it. Anticipate and neutralize those problems, before they happen.

4. Help do it, do not just watch it.

Remember not to show him/her how to do things, but to let him/her struggle with the little details about how to tweet, reply, DM, RT, use hashtags, indicate location, and post a picture. These things seem easy because you’ve done them a thousand times, but you’ll need to coach your CEO through them patiently, and resist the temptation to take over the keyboard.

5. Reinforce the behavioral change.

If you take this approach, I promise you’ll have a great meeting, and that all will be unicorns and rainbows at the end of it. But as is so often the case… if you don’t follow up, the fragile sprout of social proficiency will perish in the stale manure of old habit.

Promote your CEO’s new Twitter address across the company, so he/she starts to see people following. @ and D him/her periodically, and check in if you don’t get a response. Ask for questions, ask how things are going. Suggest topics, and reinforce the idea that in the end it’s just about sharing whatever he/she finds interesting during her day, in a way that benefits the people interested in her.

It ain’t rocket science, people. But it is a change in behavior, and as any Biggest Loser contestant can tell you, changing your behavior takes some work.

If you need a little more help, check out the below, which we produced for our CEO Series a few months back. And if you’d like a printed copy, hit me up on Twitter.

7 Habits of Highly Effective CEO Tweeters

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/channels/how-to-teach-your-ceo-social-media/

5 Essential YouTube Channels for Gamers


Sure, on YouTube, you’ve got your IGN and G4 videos that keep you updated with the latest in gaming news and technological eye candy. But what about the deep cuts lurking within the rest of the gaming section? The platform is full of speed runs, time trials, reviews and play-throughs by lifelong gamers who have cult followings.

These are the elite of that set. Promoted by some of the best gaming websites, such as ScrewAttack and Machinima, these gamers are known for bringing in-depth knowledge, radical gameplay and a dash of humor for good measure. Some of them are gonzo, some are straight-laced, and still others are so mind-blowingly ridiculous that they can border on NSFW. What you won’t see here is the same hot video game everywhere you look: from old-school classics to underground indie games, every platform gets its moment in the spotlight.

If you’re a gamer and you haven’t already done so, add these five picks to your channel subscription feed as soon as possible. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Is there a YouTube gaming star that you love the most? Let us know in the comments.


1. The Angry Video Game Nerd


CineMassacre founder James Rolfe has been subjecting himself to the horrors of the gaming world for the last eight years, first as the Angry Nintendo Nerd and now as the Angry Video Game Nerd. His series, a partner venture with Screw Attack, tackles some of the worst titles in history (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for NES) with a wholehearted rage. The AVGN chugs Rolling Rock and swears heavily, making for great laughs and some horrible flashbacks for childhood gamers.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: features, Gaming, trending, video games, videos, YouTube

For more Entertainment coverage:


from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/01/26/gamer-youtube-channels/?utm_source=feedburner&...

Twitter Will Become Available in Right-to-Left Languages This Spring


Twitter announced languages read right to left would be coming to the Twitter Translation Center, beginning with Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu. Twitter will become fully available in those four languages later this spring, once volunteer translators have completed their work.

The company said in a blog post Wednesday it has made sure tweets and hashtags will work in right-to-left languages. It also says it’s “made changes behind the scenes to give right-to-left language speakers a localized user experience,” although it doesn’t specify the changes.

As someone who often types in a right-to-left language, I can attest that programs often have alignment/justification bugs with oppositely-oriented text. It will be interesting to see how Twitter’s hashtags adjust.

The company’s translations program, powered through a network of 425,000 volunteers, has helped make Twitter available in 22 languages to date — Traditional Chinese, Indonesian, Portuguese, Italian, Filipino, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Turkish, Danish, Malay, English, French, Korean, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, German, Russian and Dutch — all of which are read from left to right.

SEE ALSO: Twitter Now Available in Five New Languages

Aside from Thai, the four right-to-left languages added to Twitter are the only languages in the translation center for which Twitter is not available.

Twitter does not need to be available in a specific language for you to tweet in that language. All you need to do is type your message in your language of choice. For example, many people tout Twitter’s organizing power in the Arab Spring; however, those Arabic-speaking and tweeting users must interact with the site in a non-native language.

Are you looking forward to Twitter in Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew or Urdu? Do you think it will help grow the microblog’s member base in the Middle East and South Asia?


BONUS: Twitter Tools for Language Lovers



1. Thsrs


Thsrs offers a very simple online service. It bills itself as "the shorter thesaurus," offering you less lengthy synonyms for a long word. Perfect for language snobs who'd rather change their choice of vocab than abbrev8, it's also available as a browser plug-in.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: languages, Twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/01/25/twitter-arabic-urdu-hebrew-farsi/?utm_source=f...

Boxee With Live TV Is a Cord Cutter’s Dream [REVIEW]

Home


The home screen in Boxee 1.5 now has a new "Live TV" option when the Live TV dongle is plugged in.

Click here to view this gallery.

Boxee is bringing live TV to the Boxee Box with its new live TV add-on and version 1.5 of the Boxee software. The company hopes that the combination of the $49.99 Boxee Live TV dongle and a Boxee Box will appeal to users looking to cut the cable cord.

We’ve had a chance to use the Boxee Live TV tuner alongside the 1.5 software update. Does the combination of over-the-top and over-the-air (OTA) content help users make the jump?


Can OTA and Online Content Replace Cable?


In its marketing and press information, Boxee is really going after cord cutters — those that are giving up cable television and instead getting all of their content from over-the-top online services and subscriptions.

Making the transition is easier said than done, according to previous cord cutting studies. Sure, tons of content is available online or through subscription services, but access to live television content streams is almost always restricted to cable television subscribers.

This is fine for certain types of television shows, but the real-time element of social TV has made watching live TV much more attractive.

The biggest roadblock for many potential users is that these services make using the TV more complex. It’s fantastic to turn on Roku, Apple TV, Boxee Box or Blu-ray player and start browsing for movies and TV shows via Netflix, Vudu, Amazon, iTunes or Hulu Plus, but none of them are, like live TV, already streaming content when you first turn them. Flipping on a channel and vegging out in front of the couch is simply more of a chore with these services.

This is the barrier Boxee wants to break down. By offering access to live OTA content through the same interface and using the same remote as the connected device, Boxee is promising the best of both worlds.


Setting Up


The Boxee Live TV tuner is a USB dongle that plugs into the back of the Boxee Box. On the opposite end of the USB cable is a coaxial port. This can be attached to a coaxial input or to an included antenna.

Our set came with a digital cable and a coaxial signal that allows a TV without a cable box to view the digital OTA signals. For testing purposes, we also used Boxee’s included antenna. Depending on your area, you may need an amplified HDTV antenna for maximum channel access.

Setup is easy. Simply plug in the Live TV adaptor into the back of the Boxee Box. Then, follow the on-screen instructions for setup.

After selecting the type of connection you’re using, the system scans the antenna or coaxial airwaves for channels that it can find and display. We found that selecting “cable” as an input option yielded no results, however using “antenna” even when using the coaxial running through the walls, worked perfectly.

After finding your channels, selecting the new “Live TV” icon from the top of the Boxee menu brings up live television.

Rarely has the process of setting up OTA-to-computer or HTPC systems been as simple or problem-free as it is with the Boxee Box. Boxee has taken a page out of TiVo‘s playbook when it comes to ease of setup. That’s a good thing.


Watching Live TV


Watching channels via Boxee is similar to watching them directly through an antenna or using an adapter from Elgato or other TV-to-PC devices.

There is an on-screen guide showcasing what’s currently on, as well as upcoming programming. In a nice social twist, Boxee also shows you how many people are watching a certain channel, as well what your friends are watching.

You can also share what you’re watching to Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. Boxee also has a new Live TV Timeline app for Facebook that uses the new social gestures to easily share what you’re watching. (This can also be turned off for users that don’t want to share their viewing habits.)

When you’re finished watching live TV, you can exit the app and return to watching content from the Internet or a local home network.

The best part of Boxee Live TV is the ability to switch between live TV and Netflix or networked content. This is a stumbling block with other devices, such as the Logitech Harmony.

The only downside is that all the live channels have to come in over-the-air or through coax. There are a lot more channels available this way than one might expect, but it still means that most of your favorite channels could be off limits.

Boxee will hopefully make agreements with major cable companies to provide special cable boxes — boxes that are essentially a Boxee Box and a regular digital cable solution. That would be the holy grail.

For users who primarily watch live content on the major networks, however, the experience is top notch.


Boxee 1.5


To use Boxee Live TV, you need to upgrade to Boxee 1.5. This release has been in testing and in beta for the past month or so and it’s an evolution to the excellent Boxee update the company released last spring.

In addition to supporting live TV, Boxee 1.5 also has an updated interface that makes browsing different types of content more seamless.


The Future of Boxee and Connected Platforms


Over the course of nearly three and a half years, Boxee’s software — and later the Boxee Box — have evolved from a software layer into something that is much more like an appliance

Boxee 1.5 was released for Mac and PC last month and it is the last stand-alone version of the software that Boxee will release. While this is sad news for HTPC and build-it-yourself fans, it represents the realities of the current connected device market.

The connected living room and connected ecosystems have been a constant promise on the tech horizon but that potential has yet to be fully realized. We should have been further along by now.

The biggest hurdle that connected device makers face — besides getting access to content — is managing to pull together an experience that isn’t too much work for the user.

For too long, the convergence of the computer and the television has meant that the resulting device acts too much like a computer. A decade ago, TiVo was on the right track and very few companies have managed to adequately raise the bar.

Even Apple has struggled to find a way to make the content experience seamless on the bigger screen.

Boxee comes closer to any other solution we’ve seen. The all-in-one nature of the device is a huge boon and the growing support for subscription services is top notch.

We’re not ready to cut the cord just yet but Boxee with Live TV is our favorite connected device experience for those looking to make the leap.

More About: boxee, boxee box, boxee live tv, cord cutters, cord cutting, Feature, review, social tv

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/01/25/boxee-live-tv-review/?utm_source=feedburner&ut...

Get Your Cowork On: 11 Coworking Spaces Around Town That You Need to Know

Coworking at its finest

Founding a company is cool, but working out of your apartment, well, isn’t cool. Investors aren’t going to take you seriously when you pour them a cup of coffee from your one-pot brew and conference calls are best held at a desk, not on a couch. Whether you’re a CEO, developer, web designer or even a fire-eater, Boston’s got its fair share of coworking spaces to get the job done – from traditional offices to creative spaces to accelerator programs. Not to mention, the collaboration is killer — and you just can’t get that at home with Jerry Springer playing in the background. Here’s 11 coworking spaces you should get to know around town.

Offices

Bocoup Loft – 355 Congress St., Boston
Located just a five-minute walk from South Station, the Loft is an open source hacker space located in the Bocoup offices that also hosts a variety of meetups.

Dogpatch Labs – 1 Cambridge Center, 6th Floor, Cambridge
The Cambridge location of Dogpatch Labs is one of its four international coworking spaces offering desk space, bandwidth, coffee and snacks to aspiring entrepreneurs. Dogpatch Labs describes themselves as “frat houses for geeks.” Love it.

Geek Offices – 1035 Cambridge St., Suite 1, Cambridge
Geek Offices has 10,600 square feet of cubicle space, private offices and work tables to rent on a daily or monthly basis for both individuals and companies. Memberships are also granted internet access, coffee, printing and 24/7 access.

Space With a Soul – 281 Summer St., Boston
Space With a Soul does “mission acceleration” for local nonprofits, focusing on constantly engaging its tenants with organized lectures, informal lunch conversation and other shared services.

Intrepid Labs – Kendall Square
Complete with a full time office manager, coffee and snacks, Intrepid Labs is a newly opened coworking space specializing in ‘later’ stage companies. Oh, and apparently there is a roof deck. Yes please.

Workbar – 711 Atlantic Ave, Lower Level, Boston
Their tagline, “come for the space, stay for the community” should be the model of every cowokring space around town. Workbar offers a range of memberships from full time to nights and weekends. They also offer “Lunch & Learn” sessions to keep you up-to-date on hiring practices, financial management and marketing strategies for startups.

Artisan Spaces

Fringe – 9 Olive Sq., Somerville
Fringe is home to 13 small businesses and artist studios, ranging from press printing and photography to web design and custom bicycle design. The latest Fringe development that we’re obsessed with? Cuppow.

Headquarters Boston – 12 Channel St, Boston
Launched earlier this month by Marty Walsh of Geekhouse Bikes, Headquarters Boston is a 25,000 square-foot space designed for artisans and other creative types, and Walsh is currently looking to fill their space. The Innovation District location is killer and Geekhouse Bikes would be a fantastic company to work with. Apply within.

Artisan’s Asylum – 10 Tyler Street, Somerville
The number one reason this coworking space kills it? Fire-eating. No lie, this place has fire-eating lessons for those inclined to obtain that rare skill. Gentlemen, Valentine’s Day is coming up – what better way to impress a lady?

Accelerator Programs

TechStars 1 Cambridge Center, 6th Floor, Cambridge
TechStars Boston is one of five national TechStars programs, in which entrepreneurs compete for three months to pitch their companies to angel investors and VCs and secure seed funding. TechStars is intense and an honor to be a part of. Not to mention, over 82 percent of TechStars alums are still running active companies.

MassChallenge – One Marina Park Dr., Suite 14, Boston
MassChallenge is a non-profit that hosts the largest startup competition in the world. Competing for a share of $1 million, MassChallenge fosters mentorships, learning and growth among new companies in Boston. Also, BostInno calls MassChallenge home, and take our word for it: the views are stunning.

Where do you cowork around town?

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/01/25/get-your-cowork-on-11-coworking-spaces-around-...