Lost in GroVont : a blog

NewsGator Online synchs with Google Reader and goes away

While I like the NewsGator feed reader application for Macs, I have been using the online version more frequently, and I have yet to download the desktop app to my new Mac. So the news that NewsGator is no longer going to be available online is disappointing.

Not only is NewsGator Online going away, it's synching with Google Reader. Does Google really need to control everything.

Why Google Reader/Google Synch? We looked for the best online reader companion, and online synchronization platform option, for our consumer applications … and of course have had tons of requests for synch with Google as well. Google was clearly the best option for an online companion to the consumer readers we’ll continue to innovate and support.

And there is going to be ads now.

Can there ever be too much cowbell?

File under What will they think of next, MoreCowbell gives you the opportunity to literally add more cowbell to any audio file you upload to their site. You can also add more Christopher Walken, or a combination of the two. It's a hilarious idea for a great time waster. Have at it!

In preparation for Uh Huh Her post I am in the progress of writing, I've uploaded "Not a Love Song" and added more cowbell. (The non-cowbell version is significantly better and you can listen to it here.)

	Make your own at MoreCowbell.dj

Bands on the run.

I really want to like the website Bandsintown.com though living in a larger city seems to be a requirement. If I still lived in San Francisco, I could opt-out of all the emails I was receiving from the local venues and just visit Bandsintown.com to get informed on the upcoming shows.

Bandsintown.com uses your location and Last.fm record to display weighted links, similar to a category or tag cloud, for all bands playing in your area. You can adjust the date range, price, and distance to change the results. The site relies on user input to expand the venue details and write reviews, placing Bandsintown.com somewhere between Yelp and Last.fm.

The Events page on Last.fm offers a similar feature without the fancy options to adjust your range and prices, and Bandsintown.com relies on Last.fm to recommend shows in your area. You can't have Bandsintown.com with Last.fm, but you can use Last.fm Events without the need for other tools. Bandsintown.com has potential until Last.fm - which is already established - adds more options to their Events page.

The bottom of the barrel

After nearly five years of not having a car, I purchased a Toyota Prius which I've christened Daisy. Typically, I'm not big on naming inanimate objects, but I found myself typing Daily when adding my car to the garage on Fuelly. However, I can't help but say "Daisy. Daisy Adair." every time I greet my car.

The car comes with big responsibility, but with any toy, it's an opportunity to purchase new gadgets. The Prius includes an Aux jack which works with my eighteenth-century iPod. To get the car to charge the iPod battery, however, I had to purchase an extra jack. The Kensington LiquidAUX is working out great, and the sound is good.

Fuelly is an online application which was released earlier this month and already has some buzz. Helping Fuelly along is the user friendly interface that is simple and intuitive.

Fuelly calculates your miles per gallon after each fuel up, and you can compare your driving statistics to others with the same car type and the EPA Estimates. Almost makes me wish I had to fuel up more in order to get stats. Now, I can track mileage on trips, see quickly how much I've spent on gas, and anyone can follow Daisy's stats on Fuelly here.

Multi-purpose streetlights coming to a city near you!

MuniWireless » Blog Archive » Dutch suburb to deploy next-generation street lights with built-in Wi-Fi.

Zoetermeer, a suburb of The Hague in the Netherlands, will be getting new street lights that have Wi-Fi and a monitor, to give people instant access to public transport schedules, the weather, city council meetings, etc. Each street light will also act as an access point that provides free Wi-Fi access to anyone with a Wi-Fi enabled device in the vicinity.