Overlay.TV, a startup that lets users augment streaming videos with customized text, audio, images, and links, has launched to the public. The service overlays videos from a number of video sharing sites with a new layer containing this customized content, which can be used for entertainment purposes or as an easy (and potentially effective) means of monetizing video.
There’s a good chance Twitter might never lose all the messages, replies, following lists, and other data its users have racked up over its short, expansive life—then again, it’s not exactly the paradigm of reliable service, either. Even if you don’t need (or care) to secure your messages, free service Tweetake does a hack-happy job of grabbing selected parts of your Twitter profile or the whole thing and dumps it into an easily-opened Comma Separated Value file. So you’re free to run statistics on your Twitter use, search out that useful link sent so long ago, or pull whatever other data hacks you want on your profile. Users of auto-updating Twitter apps like TweetDeckmight have to disable them for a bit before pulling down their files, but it otherwise seems to work as promised.
(Via Lifehacker.)
15+ Ways to Make Your Linux Box Hip to Web 2.0: ”
The market of applications managing various Internet-related tasks is divided generally into three parts: Windows-based, Mac OS X-compatible, and Linux-friendly. Some function across all platforms, or perhaps the most mainstream and consumer-centric of the two. But it is unquestionably the case that the Linux world holds the least currency where desktop-to-Web and Web-to-desktop communication is concerned.
Well, if you’re a Linux user, or perhaps just curious to know what’s now possible on Linux installations in order to better decide whether to ‘take the leap,’ we’re going to do Tux a solid today and see what’s up in the land of ‘Net apps’ to save you from having to search the open source galaxy yourself.
Now, you’re probably aware of this. It is likely the most popular download for Linux. But what the hey, it’s good to hear once in a while. Mozilla’s well-renowned Firefox 3 browser, an open source fan-fave, is ready for Linux users to download. In every localized language version of the newest build, too. According to the official website, that leaves Firefox for Linux one better than the Mac OS X option. Do you speak Gujarati? Well, then you’ve got just two options: Windows and Linux. Enjoy.
News is just out of a new way to jailbreak your iPhone, and this time the tool is specifically designed to work ‘quickly and easily, without requiring a full restore.’ Quickpwn has been released as a beta, intended to complement the main PwnageTool. It works with iPhones and iPod’s running 2.0.1 firmware, and operates very quickly without needing iTunes to rebuild/restore your device afterwards. This beta version is basically feature-complete, but lacks a ‘funky UI’ (they’re adding that soon) and is currently windows only (other OS’s are ‘coming soon’). It’s available here. Keep your eyes open for a complete version (though remember that even though it’s development software, it’s apparently ‘impossible for this to permanently damage your device’). [iPhone-Dev.org]
(Via Gizmodo.)
HEXUS.gaming reports that game controller builder Mad Catz is coming out with an actual full size, actual wood Stratocaster controller for Rock Band. Looks like sombody gets to sell more hardware & real straps… Maybe cases too.
‘Hey, what kind of Strat you got in there, bud?
…Uhh, it’s my Rock Band controller.’
We’re witnessing a marketing revolution here folks. Relic game controllers should be next. Hey! Why not?! Then maybe limited edition custom shop, masterbuilt, collectible controllers. Some vicarious hedge funder may even convert his ‘54 to a controller, and pose with it on the cover of Forbes or Fortune! It could happen.
All you gear entrepreneurs out there oughta put on those thinking caps. Imagine faux effects pedals and dummy pedal boards. Maybe even 5.1 surround, flat panel Marshall stack arrays for the family room. Hi-Def TV housing re-trimmed in tweed! Even faux guitar culture beats no guitar culture.
Somebody stop me!!!
(Somebody hire me!)
(Via Strat-O-Blogster Guitar Blog.)
Twitter is starting to limit how many other Twitterers any one person can follow. While the number varies based on different factors, for most people (other than Robert Scoble) the ceiling seems to be 2,000. This has caused some consternation among bloggers (blogsternation?). You’d think Twitter was limiting free speech. But it’s not. It’s trying to limit spam and perhaps this will help with its scaling issues as well.
