Update on 2.0 Events 2007

Here's a run-down of the 'tech 2.0' style events happening over the rest of the year in the UK and nearby. Email editor at bites media dot com to have your event considered for inclusion. Paid-for enhanced listings are available – please email sales at bitesmedia dot com Thursday, May 24, 2007 Computer Gaming & Virtual Worlds Public Policy Workshop Ren Reynolds will lead a discussion about the public policy

Freebase aims to monetise data Wiki via API services

OpenBusiness has interviewed Robert Cook, one of the co-founders of Freebase, a startup which aims to become the “Wikipedia for data”. Revenues will come through charging thrid party firms to access the API and leverage its data. Uses this coudld be put to include working out how many dentists are in one mile vicinity, if they are next to tube stop and are specialists in teeth whitening. Web 2.0 guru

Mobile TV to boom in 2009

Mobile handsets capable of displaying TV will hit 244 million by 2011, according to the Multimedia Research Group in the US. That’s double the number previously forecast for the uptake rate expected in 55 countries. Big leaps are expected in 2009 when 53 million broadcast TV enabled handsets are expected to ship. The bulk of the 80 mobile TV trials all over the world will become genuine services. Most will

PSP to make voice, video IP calls

Sony is going to allow PlayStation Portable (PSP) owners make VoIP and video calls using a camera and microphone which will hit the shops on 25 May. Gamers will be able to call other PSP owners and some BT phones. BT is developing the software, which was originally intended for the Nintendo handheld. The BBC reports the service will initially only be available in the UK and will only work

Tribler’s long-tail video service

Watch out TIOTI.com? As Mashable reports, Denmark-based Tribler (note the .org domain) has created a BitTorrent client which works like Last.fm to find new media based on your downloading history. The non-profit group, a joint research project from Delft University of Technology and the VU University Amsterdam, already has $8 million in government funding. It's also about to be tested with video on-demand services for the Netherlands Public Broadcasting organisation:

PR 2.0

Suddenly it’s all about trying to be nice to bloggers and get them on your side. Do I smell the whiff of fear amongst media and brands? Trailing in the wake on an event I ran recently are two further events on the subject. A seminar on “Blogger Relations” to help PR types to understand engagement with the blogosphere better is being run this Friday, May 25th. There is more

Technology World 07 – high-level, but cheap seats

Technology World 07 is an unusual event in the UK as it brings 80 hand-picked foreign ICT buyers (big fish such as LG, Samsung, Nokia – as well as medium sized companies) to the UK for one-to-one meetings with UK ICT companies. It is an annual event and this year’s focus is on mobile, wireless and broadcasting, ICT applications for the information security sector, and ICT applications for the banking

Pluck to pick UK head

Pluck, which re-packages social media content for publishers, broadcasters and major brands, is expanding beyond the US and is now on the hunt for a UK MD, according to a highly placed source. Last year the Austin, Texas-based RSS and publisher services company, raised $7 million from Reuters, Austin Ventures and Mayfield and re-focused away from consumer-facing RSS services towards B2B products. Their SiteLife Social Media suite generates user content

Europeans dominate Second Life

There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason why there are more Germans in Second Life than Americans even though there are more American firms advertising inside the virtual world. Could it be down to better broadband in Germany? For now we'll have to ponder the results of a new Comscore study which finds that Second Life has a rapidly growing and global base of active residents. The report