Ajax Girl

Ning, the build-your-own social network startup, will be rolling out a new feature that allows users to create their own Facebook applications around their Ning networks later this evening.

This won’t be a Ning app - rather, they are giving network operators (users who’ve created Ning social networks and other applications) the ability to easily create a branded Facebook application. The example screen shot (click for larger view) shows integration of Pumkins Central (a Ning social network) videos. The screen shot also shows a separate Ning application showing the user’s Ning friends.

Ning says that no programming knowledge is required to build the applications, and that they will be giving easy step by step instructions to users. Since Ning is also hosting the application, users won’t need to worry about scaling.

Users will be able to add videos, music, podcasts, and photo slideshows to the application.

Smart move for Ning, and this also shows the power of Facebook as a platform and distribution channel, even for its competitors. This should go live later this evening - CEO Gina Bianchini hinted at it in a post on the Ning blog on Friday.

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Source: TechCrunch
Original Article: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/125443103/

YouTube has officially launched YouTube Remixer, a new service that allows users to edit their videos from within YouTube itself.

The new feature is powered by Adobe Premiere Express and supports insertion of graphics, text and audio as well as overlays and in-video transitions. YouTube Remixer is nearly identical to Photobucket’s Remix tool; both are powered by Adobe.

This isn’t an offering that is going to be embraced by serious content creators but it is ideal for casual YouTube uploaders. The interface is fairly simple if perhaps a little bit dull and boring. Creating a one stop shop for all things video at YouTube is a natural progression path that gives prosumers another reason to spend more time on the site; it’s just that it’s grey, uninspiring and so very not Google. I can also find no personal appeal in adding Gingerbread men to my videos; however others may view the service differently.

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Source: TechCrunch
Original Article: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/125331861/

Refurber is a new social and reference website for the Do-It-Yourself crowd from Perth, Western Australia based Vibe Capital, makers of parenting site Minti.

On Refurber, users are able to share advice on a wide range of home improvement related topics. Content throughout the site is user generated with articles being tagged, rated and commented on by the greater community to encourage integrity and relevancy in the information created.

It’s a decent resource if DIY is your thing and the layout is well thought out and accessible.

The backend is the same as Minti; the “vibEngine” API powers both sites. The vibEngine platform is being licensed to other vertical sites in a move that sees Vibe evolve from site creator to solutions provide. The first licensed partner of vibEngine is the niche city focused site BuildingInLondon.com with further sites running vibEngine launching in the coming months.

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Source: TechCrunch
Original Article: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/125304060/

Reports that Joost is now talking to hardware vendors about embedding Joost into set-top boxes and televisions will change the market as we know it.

While Joost is generally now regarded as the leader in the television over internet, the market for watching television on a computer remains limited. Sure it’s nice for a lark or good for an occasional break, but as Microsoft has proven with its attempts to bring a computer into the livingroom with Windows Media Center, computers as a focal point for watching television is not a popular idea. Recent reports even have the Apple TV box going the way of the Apple Lisa, straight into the dustbin of failed convergence history.

Joost on an actual TV set without the need for a computer is a different proposition.

Millions of American’s pay for cable television services that require a set top box. Imagine Joost becoming available for free on these boxes, or better still embedded directly into television sets; Joost is currently discussing this very option. Millions of people world wide will be upgrading to next generation BlueRay and HDDVD players in the coming years, imagine Joost embedded as standard in these players. Network devices that play video and music from a network alongside standard DVD’s from companies such as Netgear and Zensonic are growing in popularity, the move to include Joost in these sorts of devices seems like a natural progression.

Of course there are still issues to be worked out. Viewing quality on Joost isn’t perfect and the need for high speed broadband is a given. Presuming that these will be overcome with time will result in a product that married with a television set will deliver a choice that many will happily embrace, after all free is the ultimate price point in a crowded marketplace. Millions, tens even hundreds of millions of people who aren’t fussed with watching television on their PC’s are suddenly dealt into the Joost world. They say that lightning never strikes the same place twice but with Joost’s founders it could well become three in a row in terms of phenomenal startups. I’m also looking forward to the day I can sit back on my couch and surf Joost, it’s a much more appealing proposition than doing so from my computer.

(in part via El Reg)

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Source: TechCrunch
Original Article: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/125281018/

The guys at PDG+creative created a TechCrunch application for Facebook. Nothing fancy, it simply adds the titles of the last ten TechCrunch headlines to your profile. Get the TechCrunch Facebook app here.

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Source: TechCrunch
Original Article: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/125302477/