IMVU

www.imvu.com

A new concept in messaging. This unique program offers the ability to create an avatar of you where you can change the appearance (clothes, accessories, mood) so that it matches you. Once you go through the tutorial you than are in a 3D virtual chat room where you can chat with other users. Unlike other messaging programs this program automatically puts someone in your room to chat with. I find it very difficult to have someone stay to chat though.

You start with 1000 credits where you can buy a variety of stuff like furniture, rooms, pets, stickers, modicons, UI skins, avatars, accesspass (for unrated stuff), avatar name ( you can register your name so that it doesn't say guest).

When you are chatting you can actually do activities like kicks, hugs, kiss and other gestures.

Here are some screen shots of my chat and room.





















I hope to blog about this more in the future.

Web 2.0 Expo

This conference seems very interesting it is put together by CMP Technologies and O'Reilly Media, which is involved in many professional books on programming, databases management and internet browsing. The Program Co-Chairs include Dave McClure, Jennifer Pahlka and Brady Forrest. Who have all been around the web for quite some time.

It is focused for people who are involved in "technical, design, marketing, and business professional building the next generation web.." There will be areas to learn new what is goign on the next generation web. A traditional tradeshow floor to look at what industry professional are doing. A place to network with entrepreneurs, VCs, partnerships and recruitment. Also a "Launch Pad: a platform for notable companies to debut"

Some speakers include

Jay Adelson founder of digg.com

Jay Adelson is the CEO of Digg, as well as CEO of the newly-funded Internet video company Revision3. Adelson oversees all aspects for growth, management, and development for both companies. Under his leadership, Digg has grown from just a few thousand users, to more than half a million, and is now considered one of the top Web 2.0 startups. With a background in film and television, Adelson is guiding engaging and original programming for the new on-demand generation via Revision3.

Ed Anuff CEO of WidgetBox

Ed Anuff is co-founder, president and CEO of Widgetbox. Prior to co-founding Widgetbox, Mr. Anuff was the co-founder of Epicentric and served as the company’s first CEO, growing the company to over $40 million in annual revenues, with 300+ employees worldwide. Epicentric was acquired by Vignette in late 2002 and Mr. Anuff joined its leadership team.

Jeff Barr

Jeff Barr is senior evangelist for Amazon Web Services. In this role, focuses on helping the Amazon Web Services developer community achieve success in building innovative and successful businesses using Amazon.com data and technology. He served as a liaison for O’Reilly & Associates technical guidebook, "Amazon Hacks." Jeff has held development and management positions at KnowNow, eByz, Akopia, and Microsoft, and was a co-founder of Visix Software. He earned his bachelor degree in Computer Science from the American University.

I had called over their today to see if I can find out some more info and they were telling me that they will be adding more speakers next week.

For more info

Pontiac and Yahoo! Leverage Social Media to Create New Form of Dialogue with Consumers

New Site Combines Strength of Pontiac's Enthusiast Community with Yahoo!'s Leading Social Media Assets SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Pontiac division of General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - News) and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO - News) today launched a new online destination for Pontiac owners and enthusiasts, Pontiac Underground (www.pontiacunderground.com). The Web site combines some of the best social media content from Yahoo! including Flickr photos, Yahoo! Answers, Yahoo! Video, and Yahoo! Groups with consumer-created Pontiac content from hundreds of Pontiac fan communities throughout the Web. This initiative is a key component of Pontiac's broad community-marketing initiatives for 2007 as well as an important demonstration of how Yahoo!'s social media assets can enable an open dialogue for Pontiac and its customers.

Read more from this article

Pandora

A new site that allows the user to explore different kinds of music threw suggestions of Pandora or other
users. Very similar to social bookmarking sites in the way that you can customize the type of information that you are looking for.

Pandora.com

Outterbox PC Cases

With all the terror threats lately it seems as though it is hard and harder
to fly with carry ons. When the London scare happened passengers were not
able to fly with their carry ons like laptops and other goodies (soap,
contact solution and so on). I believe there will be a need for laptop bags
that can work both as a carry on and check in just in case there is another
terror threat. These notebooks cases (
http://www.otterbox.com/products/pc_cases/laptop_case/index.htm ) that can
be checked in or carried on will be a good invest for the expensive laptops
that we all seem to travel with.

BitTorrent doing big things

BitTorrent, Inc., home to the world's leading peer-assisted digital content delivery platform, today announced a slate of partnerships with a wide variety of leading film and television companies. 20th Century Fox, G4, Kadokawa Pictures USA, Lionsgate, MTV Networks (including COMEDY CENTRAL, Logo, MTV: Music Television, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network, SpikeTV, The N, TV Land and VH1), Palm Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Starz Media will publish movies and TV shows on BitTorrent.com.

WOW, I am so amazed that a P2P has gone Hollywood. I will be very curious to see in the coming months if they will be able to make a profit from their P2P users, who like getting stuff for free.

Read their press release here