by Duncan
Six Apart, providers of the TypePad, Live Journal and MT blogging platforms has received around $12 million in a third round of funding for use in new products, international expansion and network growth.
Accroding to Reuters, Barak Berkowitz, chief executive of SixApart said this brings the funding Six Apart has raised to roughly $23 million since being founded four years ago by Ben and Mena Trott.
Six Apart plans to use the financing in part to help launch a new service, code-named Comet.
by Duncan
Bloggers from both sides of politics have joined forces to push the Online Freedom of Speech Act (H.R. 1606) through the US Congress.
According to Human Events Online, a bipartisan letter urging members of Congress to vote in favor of passing the bill was sent off this morning. The letter was authored by Michael Krempasky of RedState.com and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of DailyKos.com.
Part of the letter includes:
H.R. 1606 would preserve the status quo which governed the 2004 election cycle and beyond, one in which a vibrant blogosphere empowered millions of citizens to influence national politics, leveling the effect of wealth on the electoral process, and without any of the corruption which its opponents now fear. Its passage would send a strong message to the Federal Election Commission to tread lightly when it comes to the Internet, telling it that Congress does not wish to stifle online citizen participation in the political process.
Published reports indicate that, as of February 2006, there are over 14 million weblogs, with approximately 75,000 new blogs are created every day, about one every second. The blogosphere is over 60 times bigger than it was only 3 years ago. With the blogosphere continuing to double in size about every five-and-a-half months, it is simply not possible for any person or entity, no matter how wealthy they may be or how much money they can spend, to dominate or corrupt online political discourse.
Mind you, they cant count. 14 million blogs? Even Technorati managed to track 27 odd million.
by Duncan
Nokia has announced the availability of the latest version of their Lifeblog software.
The new version allows mobile bloggers to automatically attach location, time, and relevant calendar information to photos, videos, and audio clips.
(via TechWackNews)
by Duncan
Feedster has announced that it is expanding into Japan by partnering with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a diversified and comprehensive trading companies and a Feedster investor.
As part of the Mitsui partnership, Feedster’s syndicated content service will provide Japanese web publishers with web-based tool to help editors tailor aggregated feeds to generate new content and new ad inventory.
‘€œBlogging and feed creation continue to experience explosive growth around the world. In the US alone, our index has exceeded 25 million sources,’€? says Chris Redlitz, president of Feedster. ‘€œBy using Mitsui’s evolving media group, Feedster is entering a very hot market at just the right time with a product mix and a partner that will accelerate our growth in Japan.’€?
‘€œThrough strong relationships with major US partners like Feedster, Mitsui will establish its market leadership in Japan for a variety of e-marketing services that satisfy e-commerce client needs,’€? says Andrew VanEtten, senior director of Mitsui & Co., (U.S.A.), Inc. Consumer Service Business Dept. ‘€œWe are confident that Feedster and Mitsui will enjoy rapid and great success in Japan.’€?
by Duncan
UK Cabinet Minister David Miliband, tipped as a future Labour leader, is to become the first member of the British cabinet to set up a blog in which he will publish views that go beyond his ministerial brief.
The Times reports that the launch of the blog, disclosed in a leaked letter, is likely to cause concern among colleagues of the communities minister, who fear that he may encroach on their departmental territory.
