Now, I’m not exactly sure where I found this to be honest, but I recently downloaded Mozilla’s project called Minefield. As you can guess, it is Mozilla’s answer to Google Chrome (well, sorta).
Minefield: More than just a cool logo
Though in a very preliminary stage, the Alpha build, its built with the quickest javascript that Chrome is built upon. I’m testing it right now for OS X, and it has only crashed once. I haven’t tested it thoroughly, but I’m excited to try some benchmarking tests (against Firefox 3.1 and Google Chrome) and see what happens. The interface looks identical to Firefox 3, minus a lot of add-ons, which is understandable, they are not written in JavaScript, but rather written in XUL, what the Mozilla engine is based upon. Anyway, you can download it here and pick which build you want, they have nightly builds for Linux, OS X and Windows I believe, so pick which one applies.
After years of telling people that Google Maps is superior to MapQuest, the facts have finally come out. According to TechCrunch, industry analyst firm Cowen & Co. have released results that Google Maps is way ahead of Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest and Live Search (Microsoft) Maps. Cowen & Co. describe it as simply a matter of not having the resources to beat Google at the cartography game, direct quote below:
“Since our initial survey in July 2007, innovation at (AOL’s) MapQuest and Yahoo Maps has stagnated,” and although Microsoft has improved Live Search Maps, it remains the least popular of the four top services, said Cowen and Co. “Yahoo and MapQuest do not have the resources to keep pace and are forced to aggressively monetize a declining franchise in the maps segment.”
Here’s to everyone who told me MapQuest is “easier to use and gives faster times.”
Now, before the title gets you all excited about the release of Chrome for the Linux platform (which hopefully comes soon); this is more or less a CrossOver application with the intermediary being Wine. Although a Linux version is in the works, it is far from being ready to be tested. I suppose it goes without saying that this isn’t very stable and is prone to error, I myself have not tried this as of yet. You can find out the steps of doing this here. Like I said, I have yet to try this, but LinuxHaxors provided a nice screenshot of it that you see below. Can’t wait till Chrome comes out for OS X, but I would hate to part with FireFox!
The team over at Idée Labs have created a cool little utility that allows you to search all of Flickr by simply different hues of color! Sounds like a simple algorithm (well, relatively), but it is really cool nonetheless. I’m honestly not sure when you’ll look for certain color images (?) but its cool, I’ll give them that! Maybe Yahoo can use this to look for more purple things… They do own Flickr.
Podcast #2 is ready to go! I plan on updating the textual blog this weekend, probably tomorrow so stay tuned! Because of WordPress, I can only upload and embed YouTube videos, might change hosts soon….
We have a video blog/podcast! Because Vimeo’s code doesn’t allow us to embed it here (because of WordPress), you can view it here. We’ll work on getting a YouTube video up or maybe Viddler, I’ll update tomorrow, later everyone!
I came across this on Kevin Rose’s tweet, saying it was a solid performance by GaryVee, or Gary Vaynerchuck, of Wine Library TV. He explains how he succeeded and tells us that if you don’t like what you are doing, even 1%, don’t do it. There’s a niche for everything out there he tells us, pretty inspiring to watch, he’s a heck of a public speaker. Quite charismatic.
So with the new Zune software update, comes a few things, among them wireless Zune Marketplace Access and FM Radio song purchases. Pretty cool, no doubt about it. There’s one thing however, that I’m not really crazy about, though its a good idea on Microsoft’s part. You can now access McDonald’s wireless connectivity to buy songs from the Zune Marketplace! Exciting? Not particularly. I mean, granted its cool, but it seems that Microsoft is following in the trail of Apple (StarBuck’s anyone?), except you can do it with any and all of their products. Apple has elevated those iPhone (and sort of iPod Touch users) customers to elitest status, and I guess if you are paying that much for a phone, you deserve it. Its too bad that I don’t have a Zune or like McDonalds’ (spare the expensive Chicken Selects, of course) food, or else this would be quite useful to me.
Two Giant Companies Coming Together in the Name of Music
On a smaller note, as aforementioned the Zune software came out today and includes a variety of things including a few new colors on ZuneOriginals (among them blue). There are also many new back engraving art that you can add onto your custom Zune. Pretty cool stuff! Too bad I can’t test one out and let you all know how it goes, oh well.
Apparently Yahoo has caught the bizarre marketing bug. Today the company has launched “Start Wearing Purple”, a campaign that is trying to capitalize on the color’s reported association with “innovation and imagination” (I always thought it was tied to royalty). Purple has long been Yahoo’s official color, though the logo displayed at its web portal is now a striking red.
Yahoo
The campaign is centered around the web portal Start Wearing Purple, which includes features like “Purple Picks” – a daily series of links to things which the Yahoo team has deemed Purple-worthy. There’s also a special Flickr Account celebrating all things purple. And over at Purple Pranks, you can watch a few bizarre setups led by Improv Everywhere’s Charlie Todd. Highlights include an elevator full of people singing a song about their favorite color whenever a stranger walks in.
