The Beta Masters

Razz, Crank Calls Go Mobile

2007-04-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Razz describe themselves as “Audio Candy for Web and Mobile,” I personally think that audio candy is a huge understatement! The site allows you to do everything from creating your own personal ring tones to inserting Mr. T phrases and Fart sounds into your phone conversations, ultimately making your cell phone more entertaining than your computer or the TV. I especially love the fact that you can make individualized ring tones for each number in your phone book. How does that work you might ask? Well simply record a message such as “I’m calling to bother you,” attach it to your friend’s number and prepare to laugh every time they call your phone! A friend tipped me off on the crank call component of the site a few weeks ago, and I’ve been using it to make hilarious harass my friends and family ever since. I really confused my dad the other day when I called for his birthday, he had no idea what was going on when Mr. T said “I pity the Fool” in the middle of our conversation! I would definitely suggest trying it out, and soon.

Vox Makes Your Blog Pretty

2007-04-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Vox has been on the radar for a little while now and hopefully has already become one of your favorite websites. Similar to Xanga or Blogger, Vox allows users to post everything from updates and blog entries to videos, photos and other personal content. Additionally, members can join groups and connect with other Voxers to develop and grow their individual neighborhoods of contacts. I love the mass customization that the site provides, giving users the option to choose from various layouts and designs that can be used to decorate and modify their blog to directly represent their individual style and persona. My page is complete with Fish, Seahorses and a big Octopus, all of which have nothing to do with my personality, but they definitely make Vox much more fun and appealing to post on than a boring Xanga or LiveJournal profile!

Mog, Last.fm's cooler, hotter brother

2007-04-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Mog is the latest, and in my opinion one of the best, Music-based social networking site to hit the web in the last few months. The site primarily functions as an aggregator for all of the music that you are listening to, similar to a service like Last.fm, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Not only will Mog track your playlists, it will also give you recommendations of other similar artists, allow you to blog and post your favorite tracks or albums, and most importantly, connect you to like-minded Moggers with whom you can share tracks, feedback and new musical discoveries. Additional features that make Mog stand out include a video section called Mog TV that randomly streams new and popular music videos from YouTube, and a very cool section of the site where popular musicians and celebrities like Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and others have created their own Mog profiles for fans to track. I highly recommend Mog for anyone who is musically obsessed and in need of new tunes!

Takkle, Social Networking Meets High School Athletics

2007-04-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

If there was any question as to which Sports Social Networking site was ahead of the pack, the folks at Takkle.com have kindly gone out of their way to clarify any uncertainty. Though it is primarily dedicated to High School Athletics, and thus lacks much of the professional team integration on which competitors like FanNation or BallHype thrive, Takkle does a superb job at bringing athletes, coaches and fans together into one community. With features ranging from sport-specific interest groups, targeted video upload contests and an exclusive partnership with Sports Illustrated to help find the top High School athletes in the country, Takkle has certainly covered all of their bases in the Online Sports world. I can see the site eventually joining up with Facebook to help further develop their “My Teams” feature which tracks teams at your respective high school and allows you to view the profiles of other student athletes at your school and in your community.

All successful products, services and even websites have a differential advantage that helps them stand out from the competition, and Takkle is no exception. Not only is this site one of the most expansive sporting social networks around, but the fact that it focuses on high school athletics, and bringing younger athletes together, should allow the site to capitalize on an ever-growing niche audience that currently lacks any means of interacting and discussing their favorite sports. High School athletics have always been a cornerstone of any local community, whether it is a Friday-night Football showdown with a neighboring rival, or a pep rally before the big State Championship game, very few activities have the power to unite individuals from all walks of life quite like high school sports.

Cluztr, Tracking Your Every Move Online

2007-04-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you come across a new website that completely makes your day, I have had one of these moments this morning, and the lucky site is Cluztr.com. Still in private beta, Cluztr is what you might call a “personal web-tracking” service that helps users by monitoring the websites that they and their friends are visiting. The possible uses for this site are seemingly endless, ranging from a simple stalking tool to keep up on your friend’s daily activities, to a personal recommendation page that will tip you off to sites of interest based on your previous click stream (similar to StumbleUpon). After installing a simple download into your web browser, Cluztr will begin to observe your web activity, compiling a list of the sites you (and your friends) have recently visited.

The site’s social component includes features that pull from similar pages like Digg and Del.icio.us. Users can sort popular sites based on total visits, views in the last week/day and the site also provides with a cloud view to see which sites are most popular overall. In addition to these aspects, perhaps the best use of the site is for its ability to link you directly to various profiles that you have on different social networking sites. From one single page, users can quickly and easily check their Facebook profile and then click over to view a page on Hi5, Grouper, Break or virtually any other website. I’m sure that there are other pages that have this capability, but Cluztr seems to streamline the whole process and incorporate it into the larger web-tracking service to make one entirely awesome service!

Why Do We Really Use Social Networks?

2007-04-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

The folks over at Mashable have recently brought up an interesting point that has undoubtedly been debated and discussed throughout the blogging community since the beginning of the Web 2.0 phenomenon: Why do people really use Social Networking sites? The idealist would certainly say that these sites are useful tools for interacting with existing friends and meeting new peers who share similar backgrounds, interests and experiences. At the same time, the Negative Nancy of the group might say that these websites are nothing more than an excuse to ogle random strangers, stalk your high school crush and most importantly, get some love. To that end, Mashable has proposed the question, which Social Networking site is most likely to get you laid? Choices range from popular communities like Myspace, TheFacebook and Friendster, to smaller niche sites like MyBlogLog and Stickam. While Mashable readers are probably not the best demographic to answer this monumental question, they do seem to feel that Myspace (133 votes out of 372) is best suited to help you score. Interesting Information? Sure…A valid critique of Social Networking? I don’t think so.

While it is very easy to just jump on that bandwagon and joke that these Social Networks are ultimately used as a means of hooking up with existing friends or random strangers, I really don’t think that this is the case for a majority of users on these sites. Clearly Myspace facilitates a more sexual/relationship-based interaction, all one needs to do is look at a random teen’s profile to know that they are using the site to sell themselves as much as for any interpersonal communication. However, Myspace is by far the exception rather than the rule when it comes to all aspects of social networking.

The overwhelming majority of new sites are much more focused on relationship building and sharing common inertest than meeting people for a random hook-up. Even a website like TheFacebook, while it may be perfect for stalking and keeping close tabs on friends and acquaintances, is legitimately used for everything from facilitating college elections, planning group events and, as we have seen most recently after the Virginia Tech tragedy, connecting a huge community of individuals who share the same wants, dreams and struggles. Additionally, popular social networks like Digg, Del.icio.us, YouTube and LinkedIn place very little emphasis on images or personal description, stressing quality of content over characteristics of the individual user. I don’t question the tendency younger, hormone-driven kids to use these sites for “personal gain,” but those same kids use everything from sporting events to study sessions as an attempt to hook up with their latest crush. Perhaps I just have too much faith in humanity, but I don’t think that a majority of users are signing up for accounts on these sites just to find another one-night-stand, but who knows!

Sawlogs, What do Bloggers Dream About?

2007-04-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

While it seemed like the blogosphere was absolutely full-to-capacity many months ago, recent weeks have seen a continued increase in the number of internet users who have taken to the web in order to stand on their soap-boxes and preach to the world. It is odd that I take such a satirical tone, seeing as I am currently writing a blog entry myself, which makes me part hypocrite and…well…all hypocrite. Regardless, it seems as if individuals have taken the concept of blogging to an extreme, and if you would like to challenge me on that, you need only look to the latest in a long line of niche blog sites called Sawlogs.com to see that my comments are valid.

Sawlogs provides users with a platform to post and comment about their dreams and nightmares, as if that were really something that needed to be discussed. The most active users make daily blog entries describing their dream(s) from the previous night, with topics ranging from sexual fantasies to obscure and convoluted tales of action and adventure. I find it amazing to see just how candid many of these bloggers are in recounting their dreams to the world. Perhaps I’m just a little more protective of my dreams; or maybe I am simply embarrassed at the different things that I dream up in my head! Regardless, I don’t know if I could take my blogging so far as to tell the world the details of such personal dreams. With an easy-to-use interface and a seemingly endless stream of new content, Sawlog seems to be doing a solid job at attracting users and convincing them to join in on the action, and though I don’t think I will be unveiling my latest delusion involving a famous celebrity and a pool of jello, more power to those who are Sawlogging their way to glory!

Facebook Shows Support for Virigina Tech

2007-04-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

By now I’m sure that everyone has heard about yesterday’s events which were among the most tragic and saddening in recent memory for college students and others throughout the country. Though we are all still at a loss for words to describe this terrible act that has stolen the lives of 33 bright and wonderful individuals from this world far before it was their time to go, there is comfort in the love and solace that the academic community has shown to the students and families of Virginia Tech. While I expected a massive outpouring of support in the media and from other traditional sources, I was blown away by the incredible show of care and consolation that can be seen through the popular college social networking site The Facebook. Clearly the website has become far more than a means of tracking and communicating with your friends. Within hours of the news of this tragedy, hundreds if not thousands of Facebook groups had been formed to give support and comfort to the VT community. Groups like “Always Remember Virginia Tech,” which has nearly 11,000 members, are a sign that students really do care for each other despite what their parents or elders may think. It is refreshing to see kids from universities across the country reaching out to their fellow students in this time of sorrow and need, and it is absolutely amazing to see this connection being made through a site like the Facebook. My thoughts and wishes go out to everyone who has been directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy, and I hope that yesterday’s events can lead to some positive changes in our society as a whole. It is great to see everyone claim that “Today we are all Hokies,” but the fight cannot end with Today, it must remain in our minds for the future, something must be done to ensure that these lives weren’t lost in vain.

Al Jazeera Places Content to YouTube

2007-04-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Al Jazeera English, the world’s first global English language news channel based in the Middle East, has recently launched their own YouTube Channel, providing the millions of visitors to the site with some educational content to watch in between the clips of sleeping animals and semi-humorous viral videos. Updated hourly with new content from the station’s broadcasts as well as exclusive stories and material specific to the YouTube site, this channel provides hope that a site like YouTube can be used for good and not just hours of mindless video.

Similar to the YouChoose video channel that was recently developed around the upcoming 2008 elections, it seems as if some media outlets are starting to understand the massive power and reach that a site like YouTube can give them. The Al Jazeera channel should help the network reach a wider audience and better inform existing viewers on the most pertinent news stories of the day. At the same time, the non-Western point-of-view should help to present this information in a different light, which makes me wonder how some less-educated viewers will react to such content. Thus far comments on the channel seem to be overwhelmingly positive, and the abundance of videos also bodes well for network’s ability to hold the interest of an audience who traditionally have a very short attention span. Only time will tell how successful such channels will be on a site like YouTube, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Musicovery, The Soundtrack to My Work Day

2007-04-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a great new site for anyone who likes to have random music playing in the background while they work, read, study or peruse the internet. Musicovery.com is a combination of online radio and other streaming sites that allows you can listen to an endless supply of music tailored to your particular tastes as well as your current mood and disposition. To generate a play list, listeners must select from a variety of genres (everything from Rock and Pop to Gospel, Metal and Soundtracks), moods (Dark, Energetic, Dance or Calm) and time periods, allowing them to generate a play list with everything from the classic oldies that you haven’t heard in years to the newest smash hits. When you throw all of these features into a bowl, mix ‘em around and put the final product in the oven to bake, what you get is an extensive strand of songs to meet your current mood and genre preferences. Scanning over the tree of songs, users can easily jump from track to track on this map/play list and listen to an infinite supply of music that fits perfectly with their current state, talk about a soundtrack to your life! I was amazed at how flawlessly all of the songs went together with each other and how well they fit exactly what I wanted to hear in the moment. Two Thumbs way up for Musicovery.com.

Kurt Vonnegut, you will be missed

2007-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

While this has absolutely nothing to do with Web 2.0, Social Networking or Marketing whatsoever, I was deeply saddened this morning by the news that beloved author and social advocate Kurt Vonnegut had passed away yesterday. The mastermind behind such works as Slaughterhouse-Five, Cats Cradle and a slew of other short stories, essays and novels, Vonnegut was truly a genius when it came to the art of writing. His stories were both insightful and thought provoking and his cynical outlook on life and society made him one of the more progressive and controversial writers of his time. He will be sorely missed but his words and thoughts will carry on for generations to come.

TheFacebook Gets Work Done

2007-04-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Popular college-turned-public social networking giant TheFacebook.com has been all over the blogs today for their recent facelift and site redesign that launched earlier this morning. While the consensus seems to be that the updates are anything but remarkable or noteworthy, it is clear that all of these “experts” have completely missed the two main functions of TheFacebook: stalking your friends and wasting a lot of time.

If they truly understood why the website has become so popular among today’s college student, then they would see just how great some of these adjustments really are. The most general improvement that was made to the site came in the ability to track your friend’s recent activities, ranging from what groups they joined to what photo albums they have hosted and what events they are attending.

While it was always possible to find this information in one location or another, the site has now aggregated it all into one central location, making it extremely easy to keep up-to-the-minute tabs on every one of your friends. It is almost to the point where my amigos can’t even go to the bathroom without me finding out about it through TheFacebook, and that is just how I like it!

Another new feature that was added, and which will surely result in an average GPA decline of .5 points across the board, is called “The Friend Game.” Just in time for final exams, this new game pulls small components from a friend’s profile such as a specific quote, activity or book and asks you to select which friend, from a list of 5 candidates, has this in their profile. In theory it tests how well you know your friends, but as many of us have too many friends to keep track of, it is really just an excellent way to waste a few hours of time while learning a little bit about your buddies. I won’t mention any names, but JoJo in his/her favorite music, and well that is just embarrassing!

GroupRecipes.com: Mmm mmm Good

2007-04-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

It didn’t occur to me how much I loved food until I found myself sacrificing sleep at night to watch Mario Batali square off against random challengers on re-runs of Iron Chef America. Clearly very few things bring people together more seamlessly than a good meal, so it makes perfect sense to have a social networking site for individuals who love to cook and explore great new recipes.

At GroupRecipes.com, users, or Foodies as they are known on the site, first complete a quick survey to determine how much they like certain ingredients, ranging from poultry to mustard. This feature helps to connect users based on their tastes and culinary interests, as well as directing them to new recipes that they might enjoy. True to its name, the site’s primary purpose is to allow visitors to upload their own favorite recipes (with accompanying mouth-watering photos) for others to browse and prepare in their own homes.

In addition, Foodies can rate the final product, as well as leave comments on how delectable, or revolting, the dish was. There is also a complimentary TV feature that allows users to watch professional cooks prepare quick and easy dishes from start to finish, giving useful techniques to ensure safe and proper cooking. The “Places” feature allows users to submit and search for popular restaurants and eateries in their community, making it a great resource for getting to know a new city or exploring an old home town.

Bottom line, whether you are a complete novice who doesn’t know pasta from potatoes or wheat germ from wheat bread, or an expert chef just looking for a like-minded master/mistress of the spatula, this site will almost certainly tickle your taste buds!

WhoIsSick.org, because sick people need love too!

2007-04-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you wake up, feel awful and can’t imagine removing yourself from the comforts of your bed to make the trip in to school, work, etc? Well now there is a website that will not only help to occupy you throughout the sickness, but will also allow you to socially network with other sickly individuals throughout the world!

WhoIsSick.org recently launched with the ultimate goal of providing those under-the-weather internet users out there with a tool to track and monitor regional and national sickness trends. No longer will you have to wonder if you are the only poor soul suffering from a fever, runny nose, or yes…even bloody urine/stool discharge. Simply pull up the WhoIsSick map and see if there is a particular outbreak or occurrence of your particular ailment in the surrounding area.

The discussion forum feature also allows you to interact with others who are suffering from similar symptoms, are located in a particular region, or who are of a specific age bracket. I’m a big fan of the interactive map which displays where individuals are suffering from different illnesses as well as the total occurrences of various symptoms over the past week in a particular location. The site is certainly not one for any germaphobes out there, as it will definitely make you paranoid and affraid to venture into our world of disease and illness.

Ultimately I think that WhoIsSick will become a very useful tool for new (and slightly overprotective) parents to communicate and exchange advice about the latest sickness that is being passed around the sandbox. But until then, we can all use it to see how many of our neighbors are suffering from blurred vision or a stomach ache. Oh, and if you are headed to San Francisco this weekend be sure to bring some Kleenex and Nyquil as there appear to be high rates of runny noses and coughs in the area!

BallHype.com: Digg and Sports had a baby!

2007-04-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

With the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships bringing an end to the College Basketball season over the next two days, as well as the various Opening Day festivities that will kick off the 2007 Baseball Season throughout the week, it seems only appropriate to highlight the latest in a variety of Sporting social networking websites. Ballhype.com recent emerged from private beta and seems to have the potential to outshine like communities such as Fannation.com or Takkle.com. Functioning similar to Digg.com and other such news submission sites, what I really like about Ballhype.com is the fact that it breaks down popular news stories into specific categories. For example, if you wanted to read the hottest stories related to last night’s Mavs vs. Suns NBA game, you could find them conveniently organized in one nice little section. The site also features a scoreboard of current games, which while it isn’t anything revolutionary, does provide the necessary info that you would need from such a feature. Finally, Ballhype allows users to join together and communicate in groups devoted to their favorite cities, regions, sports and teams (as an ex-DC resident, I’m a personal fan of the Bullets Forever group, good times).

What are your thoughts on BallHype? And who do you have in the Championship games? Gators/Buckeyes? Vols/Scarlet Knights?...Should be fun!!

Who are The Beta Masters

2007-03-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

With a name like Beta Masters, I would imagine your first question would be WTF?? To clear up any misunderstandings, we have gone back to our grade school days to answer the questions Who, What, Where, When, Why and of course How! Read on and Join Us!

Who should join?- Individuals who are interested in the internet, online searching, social networking and experimenting with new web sites.

What will you do?- This group will serve as a Beta-testing community where members will research, explore and dissect the latest websites while they are in their Beta stage.

Where will we communicate?- The Beta Masters will interact with each other through this personalized web community.

When will the group Launch?- Expect The Beta Masters to go live (in beta of course!) within the month of April.

Why you should join?- Members will have the opportunity to view and test popular websites before anyone else in the world. Additional perks and an assumed improvement to your physical appeal will likely follow, but we can't promise the later.

How do I sign up?- Membership to the Beta Masters will require you to answer a group of survey questions to help us get to know you and your interests better. Not everyone will be accepted into this group, but if you are selected as a Beta Master we will contact you directly with further information.