Mashed Articles

Have you heard of Project Canvas? Despite sounding like a Scout group’s wet dream, it’s set to be one of the biggest web stories of the year, and could well establish itself as – engage caps lock – THE SAVIOUR OF BRITISH TELEVISION. Dancing on Wheels was definitely the front-runner for a few weeks there, but I’m reliably informed that the title has moved on.

The origins of Project Canvas go back to 2007, when a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, Channel 4 and ITV was first announced. The aim of this joint venture was to produce a supersite of video-on-demand content, made up of 10,000 hours of TV programming. The service had the working title of Project Kangaroo. Yes, Kangaroo. (Before I go any further, it’s worth noting that many of the names I’m discussing today sound like they originated in an all-together different kind of joint venture. I apologise for any confusion.)

The idea behind Project Kangaroo was to aggregate all the great content being produced by our major terrestrial channels, and – eventually – make it available via our TVs (as well as via a website). Some subscriber content would also be included. What followed was a mixture of consumer excitement and industry brow-furrowing. In June 2008 the Office of Fair Trading referred Kangaroo to the Competition Commission, which eventually killed it off in early 2009. Peter Freeman, chairman of the Competition Commission, said that, “This joint venture would be too much of a threat to competition in this developing market and has to be stopped.”

Ouch! Everyone has their right to an opinion, but Freeman was wrong: this was a stupid decision. What could have been a fantastic UK-based offering was stopped dead in its tracks, and British television audiences were left gazing wistfully across the Atlantic, where their American counterparts were experiencing the joys of Hulu.

Following Kangaroo’s demise, its core technology was sold off, and in February this year SeeSaw was released to a chorus of ‘Meh’. Seriously watered down and with no ITV content, SeeSaw aggregates archived content from the likes of the BBC and Channel 4. It’s a walled garden with limited content, and I don’t expect it to do very well at all. This is sad. On a brighter note though, Project Kangaroo also sowed the seeds of a far more ambitious project: the BBC-backed Project Canvas.

When it launches later this year, Project Canvas won’t be too different from using a standard TV on-demand service, such as Sky’s. You’ll buy a new set-top box and a standard remote control, and it will be a ‘sit-back experience’ (‘lean forward’ referring to video delivered over a PC). Think up-down-left-right, as opposed to a mouse pointer, and – obviously – interfaces will have to be much simpler and intuitive to use. The big difference will be that there’s no subscription barrier, and you will simply have to buy the appropriate set-top box.

The likes of BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Channel Five and BT are already signed up, and the prospect of being able to merge web content with traditional linear programming is proving a mouth-watering one for broadcasters, content-producers and – not surprisingly – advertisers. News is still sketchy about how Canvas will work, but I caught up with former CTO at Kangaroo, Tom Cape, who’s currently working on a Canvas-related project. Cape reveals that there will be three main elements.

First, there will be the linear channels (much the same as Freeview), which will require a broadcasting licence. The second element is on-demand content. It’s the third area that could create a real stir: an app store. This will enable producers to get more creative, much the same as they can with Apple’s App Store. As long as they meet the acceptance criteria, anyone should be able to build services in this area.

Unfortunately, there are a number of potential stumbling blocks. BSkyB is already claiming that the project is anti-competitive, heavy investment in infrastructure will be required from BT, and there’s no real way to gauge if the customer demand is there. But with no subscription barrier, a host of fantastic live and VoD content, the ability to integrate social and commercial add-ons to scheduling and the opportunity to create bespoke content, Canvas could light some serious fires in 2010.

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Writen by Lanard Perry

Is your computer running slower than ever? Does it crash a lot?

If so it might be because advertisers have loaded it up with Spy and Adaware without your knowledge.

“Spyware” is a common term for files that are installed on your system that allow companies to monitor your Internet activity.

“Adaware” is software that will show you pop up ads over and over. These files can be extremely dangerous to your PC and could cause major problems.

They track the websites you visit, items that you buy online, the emails you send and your Instant Message dialogues. In a worst case scenario they can even record your credit card number, personal identification numbers, and all of your passwords.

I know all of this because I learned the hard way. Fortunately, I never had any personal data stolen, at least that I’m aware of. But every now and then, when least expected, my computer would crash, sometimes resulting in days of lost activity and income.

It seems like I spent a small fortune fixing one problem after another. I bought expensive software programs that actually made my problems worse, then another hard drive that I really didn’t need.

Ultimately I had to take my computer to 2 different techs to work out all the bugs. If only I knew then what I know now.

After months of frustration and too many hundreds of dollars I care to admit to I finally learned what it takes to keep my computer healthy and functioning properly.

Below is what I learned and a recommendation that can help you avoid what I went through.

1. Get a spyware removal program. You’ve heard it before, but have you done it? This helps as your 1st line of defense against hackers and viruses.

2. Avoid opening email attachments from people you don’t know. When in doubt, don’t do it. Granted, this isn’t so easy to do when you’re in the people business, but I still encourage you to manage it as best you can. This alone eliminated a lot of my problems.

3. Scan for viruses and clean your registry at every opportunity. I spend a lot of time on the Internet working on my website marketing products, sending and receiving email and the like.

Consequently, my computer is vulnerable to attack from a lot of different ways. So, I scan it for viruses and clean my registry daily; sometimes several times a day depending on how long I’ve been on it.

If you don’t have a good spyware program you should get one. It’ll help you optimize your computer’s performance, and get it in tip top condition in no time.

Here are the benefits.

They’ll let you:

know if you have any files that are infecting your PC

help protect your computer and eliminate trojans, worms, dialers, browser hijackers, etc., and

help you avoid serious problems before they happen

You’ll be amazed at how much speed and problem free use you can regain from the use of your computer after you install a good spyware program.

If you don’t have one I strongly recommend Spyware Nuker. It’s relatively inexpensive and is money well spent to safeguard your computer and personal and professional information stored on it.

You even get to try if for free before you buy it and I believe it comes with a 90 day satisfaction or money back guarantee.

Happy listings and please feel free to call me if I can be of assistance.

About The Author
Lanard Perry is the author of “Farming Expired Listings”, a real estate listing system that shows how to list 1-2 listings a week. Visit http://www.farmingexpiredlistings.com for more info.