Heather Havenstein of Computerworld reports:
The National Basketball Association unveiled a new video “mashup” tool on its Web site that for the first time allows fans to build their own Web 2.0 applications.
The Highlight Mixer tool—available at the NBA site or myvideo.nba.com—marks the first time the NBA has allowed fans to build customized applications on the site, said Steve Grimes, vice president of interactive services at NBA Entertainment. Users can access NBA game clips, team logos and music to create their own videos, which can then be posted on the NBA site or a user’s own site.
The collection of video clips, which will be updated each week, will be searchable and indexed by teams, dunks, jumpers, buzzer beaters, still photos and other options.
Highlight Mixer uses video editing and remixing tools from Eyespot to allow fans to “sit in the editor’s chair” even if they don’t have any video-editing skills, Grimes said.
“There is a pent-up demand to be able to create your own highlight reels,” he said. “Every fan has their own perspective, and this is the chance to share that with other fans and the rest of the world.”
However, video editing can be hard for inexperienced users, and the NBA didn’t want the task to be difficult, Grimes said. Users do not have to download any editing software or other applications. Instead, a Web interface from the site allows them to “mash” together the content and special effects to build the videos. Fans can create a new video in less than five minutes, he said.
For now, the NBA is limiting use of the tool to its own video, Grimes added. That means users won’t be allowed to sprinkle in their own videos. “We’re trying to balance the desire to give our fans as much opportunity to engage with the league as we can, while at the same time recognizing we have a brand—and a brand that we have to protect,” Grimes said.
Mac users should be able to access the NBA’s mashup tool via the Firefox Web browser. The league says it has not completed Safari browser compatibility as of yet, but promises to notify users in its forums once Safari development is complete.
The NBA is the latest organization to put in new tools to allow users to build their own applications by aggregating Web content. Earlier this month, Yahoo had to take down a prototype Web site for building mashups called Pipes on the same day it was launched because demand exceeded capacity.
Macworld.com staff contributed to this report.
Editor’s Note: This story is reprinted from Computerworld. For more Mac coverage, visit Computerworld’s Macintosh Knowledge Center.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Mental health specialists push for insurance
DEE ANNE FINKEN of The Oregonian reports:
A national effort requiring insurers to cover treatment for mental illness and substance abuse -- on a level equal to that for physical illnesses -- comes Saturday to the Pacific Northwest, an environment that has supported similar legislation with state laws.
A forum Saturday at Washington State University Vancouver -- involving consumers, psychologists, researchers, and hospital and law-enforcement representatives -- will address the need for a federal law despite inroads made at the state level.
"Until we have a federal parity law, state parity legislation is always at risk," said Gregory Robinson, executive director of Columbia River Mental Health Services in Vancouver.
Robinson noted that Oregon and Washington are among 41 states with varying mental-health parity requirements, but he said nearly two summers ago a congressional bill dealing with health plans for small businesses would have erased parity legislation in all states.
"Although most of the language of that bill wasn't about mental-health parity, it included this poisonous pill," Robinson said.
A national effort is being led by U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., who has been a major force behind the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, a psychologist who worked in the field for 23 years before his election in 1998, invited Kennedy to Vancouver to host the forum and discuss the act.
"Mental-health equity, or parity, as it is called, has predominately been left up to the states," said Baird, a Democrat from Vancouver. "But a hodgepodge of laws means many, many plans exempt people from coverage."
The U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee on Wednesday provided momentum to the campaign when it approved legislation addressing parity. Kennedy plans to introduce legislation in the House in March.
Beyond treatment for depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses, the federal act would require insurers to cover treatment for substance abuse, a provision that makes Oregon's bill one of the strongest in the nation. Signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in August 2005, the bill went into effect this year.
Randy Revelle, of the Washington Coalition for Insurance Parity, said state lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire could vote in March on a bill that, though it would not include coverage for substance-abuse treatment, would extend parity for mental-health treatment to nearly a half million Washingtonians left out of a bill passed in 2005.
Still, Revelle said, another 4 million Washingtonians -- those covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the military or self-insurance plans -- won't have parity until a federal is passed.
Opponents have raised concerns about the economic impact of coverage parity. But Robinson said Americans have accepted that many Americans -- one in five -- suffer from depression at some point and that treatment works.
A national effort requiring insurers to cover treatment for mental illness and substance abuse -- on a level equal to that for physical illnesses -- comes Saturday to the Pacific Northwest, an environment that has supported similar legislation with state laws.
A forum Saturday at Washington State University Vancouver -- involving consumers, psychologists, researchers, and hospital and law-enforcement representatives -- will address the need for a federal law despite inroads made at the state level.
"Until we have a federal parity law, state parity legislation is always at risk," said Gregory Robinson, executive director of Columbia River Mental Health Services in Vancouver.
Robinson noted that Oregon and Washington are among 41 states with varying mental-health parity requirements, but he said nearly two summers ago a congressional bill dealing with health plans for small businesses would have erased parity legislation in all states.
"Although most of the language of that bill wasn't about mental-health parity, it included this poisonous pill," Robinson said.
A national effort is being led by U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., who has been a major force behind the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, a psychologist who worked in the field for 23 years before his election in 1998, invited Kennedy to Vancouver to host the forum and discuss the act.
"Mental-health equity, or parity, as it is called, has predominately been left up to the states," said Baird, a Democrat from Vancouver. "But a hodgepodge of laws means many, many plans exempt people from coverage."
The U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee on Wednesday provided momentum to the campaign when it approved legislation addressing parity. Kennedy plans to introduce legislation in the House in March.
Beyond treatment for depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses, the federal act would require insurers to cover treatment for substance abuse, a provision that makes Oregon's bill one of the strongest in the nation. Signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in August 2005, the bill went into effect this year.
Randy Revelle, of the Washington Coalition for Insurance Parity, said state lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire could vote in March on a bill that, though it would not include coverage for substance-abuse treatment, would extend parity for mental-health treatment to nearly a half million Washingtonians left out of a bill passed in 2005.
Still, Revelle said, another 4 million Washingtonians -- those covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the military or self-insurance plans -- won't have parity until a federal is passed.
Opponents have raised concerns about the economic impact of coverage parity. But Robinson said Americans have accepted that many Americans -- one in five -- suffer from depression at some point and that treatment works.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Pippen to Phoenix?
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Scottie Pippen is tired of retirement. He wants to return to the NBA for a chance to win his seventh championship ring.
With most of the league's stars and decision-makers gathering at the All-Star weekend festivities in Las Vegas, the 41-year-old Pippen announced he's hoping for a late-season return to a contending team -- preferably in a warm-weather city -- nearly 2 1/2 years after he left the league.
"I know that I have the skills," Pippen said. "I think it's sort of been on my mind the last couple of months. It's just about me going out and polishing my skills."
The forward hasn't played since his retirement on Oct. 5, 2004, following a 17-season career with Chicago, Houston and Portland. He won six titles in his famed role as Michael Jordan's wingman with the Bulls, and was part of two gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic teams.
Pippen has been working out in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during the winter, and he believes the time is right to add his experience and defensive prowess to a contending club, perhaps in Miami or San Antonio.
"This is definitely a stage I can use to get the word out there," Pippen said. "I would only do this for a contender."
Pippen said he would be open to offers from any team, but also said he would contact a few unnamed teams in hopes of getting the best destination.
With most of the league's stars and decision-makers gathering at the All-Star weekend festivities in Las Vegas, the 41-year-old Pippen announced he's hoping for a late-season return to a contending team -- preferably in a warm-weather city -- nearly 2 1/2 years after he left the league.
"I know that I have the skills," Pippen said. "I think it's sort of been on my mind the last couple of months. It's just about me going out and polishing my skills."
The forward hasn't played since his retirement on Oct. 5, 2004, following a 17-season career with Chicago, Houston and Portland. He won six titles in his famed role as Michael Jordan's wingman with the Bulls, and was part of two gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic teams.
Pippen has been working out in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during the winter, and he believes the time is right to add his experience and defensive prowess to a contending club, perhaps in Miami or San Antonio.
"This is definitely a stage I can use to get the word out there," Pippen said. "I would only do this for a contender."
Pippen said he would be open to offers from any team, but also said he would contact a few unnamed teams in hopes of getting the best destination.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Little green men gotta drink too
An orbiting spacecraft has sent back new evidence for the presence of
water on Mars.
water on Mars.
Scientists have long debated whether water flowed on the red planet, with
evidence increasing in recent years. The presence of water would raise the
possibility of at least primitive life forms existing there.
Images from a camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show
alternating layers of dark- and light-toned rock in a giant rift valley.
Layered outcrops can indicate cycles with materials deposited by regular
episodes of water, wind or volcanic activity according to University of
Arizona researchers in Thursday's edition of the journal 'Science'.
Just last December scientists reported evidence that water may be flowing
through Mars' frigid surface. Images from Mars Global Surveyor showed
changes in craters that provide the strongest evidence yet that water
moved through them as recently as several years ago, and is perhaps doing
so even now.
7/7/07
Environmental activists led by former Vice President Al Gore announced
plans Thursday for a 24-hour pop concert across seven continents in July
to mobilize action to stop global warming.
plans Thursday for a 24-hour pop concert across seven continents in July
to mobilize action to stop global warming.
The "Live Earth" concerts on July 7 and will bring together more than 100
of the world's top musical acts, organizers said. Names of the performers
were not immediately released.
Organizers of the concerts and the new campaign Save Our Selves (SOS) hope
to reach a global audience of some 2 billion people through concert
attendance, radio, television and Internet broadcasts.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
North Korea ready to discuss nuke disarmament
Great news tonight from the AP.
North Korea expressed its readiness Thursday to discuss initial steps of its nuclear disarmament, raising hopes for the first tangible progress at international talks on Pyongyang's atomic weapons program since they began more than three years ago.
North Korea expressed its readiness Thursday to discuss initial steps of its nuclear disarmament, raising hopes for the first tangible progress at international talks on Pyongyang's atomic weapons program since they began more than three years ago.
Pay more, get less
Microsoft has significantly raised what it charges retail customers for technical support for its latest software, Windows Vista and Office 2007, while narrowing the help offered to users.
As of Jan. 30, customers who buy full retail copies of Vista and Office 2007 will get unlimited calls, e-mails and Web chats with Microsoft technical support during the first 90 days after activating the software. But after that period, customers contacting Microsoft for help with Vista will pay $59 per incident, up from $35, according to Matt Fingerhut, general manager of consumer support for platforms and business applications. For technical assistance with Office, customers will pay $49 per incident, also up from $35.
As of Jan. 30, customers who buy full retail copies of Vista and Office 2007 will get unlimited calls, e-mails and Web chats with Microsoft technical support during the first 90 days after activating the software. But after that period, customers contacting Microsoft for help with Vista will pay $59 per incident, up from $35, according to Matt Fingerhut, general manager of consumer support for platforms and business applications. For technical assistance with Office, customers will pay $49 per incident, also up from $35.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Dinosaur eggs reportedly found in India
Three Indian explorers have recovered more than 100 fossilized eggs of dinosaurs in a remote area in a central Indian state, a news report said Monday.
The amateurs also found footprints of the dinosaurs through which they could also trace the 'track way of the now extinct heavy animals.
The amateurs also found footprints of the dinosaurs through which they could also trace the 'track way of the now extinct heavy animals.
Now you see it... now you don't
Steve Nash (#13), the NBA's best passer and two time MVP, will likely sit out tonight's game against the Blazers in Portland. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
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