PostRank Debuts Discovery Engine - Find The Best Blogs on Any Topic
PostRank today announced a new feature to its website called the Discovery Engine. This leverages the power of its existing automatic ranking algorithms to recommend new information sources to visitors. Along with this new tool comes a completely revamped web page layout that focuses more on the user experience on the site.
PostRank has been refining its article ranking algorithms for a few years now, using context gained from shares and comments from various social news sites like Digg and Twitter. As articles gain more buzz, their ranking, relative to other stories in the same feed, moves up or down on a scale from 1 to 10. You can then subscribe to just a subset of the articles in the whole feed, based on their rank. We think PostRank is a great tool and we have written about it many times in the past.
What PostRank has created with the Discovery Engine, though, is completely fresh. This is a new function that the site brings to those looking to find new, great content online. Simply use the search bar at the top of the main page to look for a topic, user name (mine is eng1ne), or feed address. If you choose a topic, for example Twitter, you will be directed to a list of feeds centered around that topic. You can open each feed and look at some of the most popular posts in the feed, and choose to subscribe to it if you like it (requires free login).
Once you have done this a few times, you will have a list of feeds that you can then look at in your favorite feed reader. Once over in the subscriptions area, you can choose what quality of article you prefer seeing for each feed (from all to best). You can also assign your own topics to your feeds, which automatically organizes the feeds into topic lists, like my topic list of Austin blogs.
At this point, you can subscribe to this custom feed by topic. Your resulting feed will be a combined river of all the different sources in that topic list.
Finally, PostRank has added a Toluu-like social component where you can discover other people using the service, and choose to follow them and check out what feeds they are subscribed to. The PostRank discovery engine keeps track of how popular feeds are getting, and will take that in to account for their placement in the topic lists as well.
Overall, PostRank has taken a very effective system for selecting only the best content in the topic areas you are interested in, and added a personal curation aspect in the form of users interacting with the system, causing popularity to affect the rankings of the feeds. The only problem is, you may choose to use PostRank feeds to escape too much noise, and end up drowning in quality content instead!
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Thanks for the update, Phil.
I just transferred some topic specific feeds from Toluu to access what Post Rank will recommend as I had already installed the Post Rank extension for Firefox and hope that it finds new related content based on my browsing. I have also been utilizing Filtrbox which was one of the previous write-up's here on RWW and have found lots of relevant news and posts with that service.
Your help with my curation needs is much appreciated.
http://wolfeeboy.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/twitter-whats-it-all-about/
Above is the link to a blog on what Twitter's all about,
check it out
Thanks for the coverage, Phil. Now that I'm following you on PostRank I'm looking forward to reading topics that you curate (hint, hint)!
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
DUMMES GELD
Es steht im Kleingedruckten, irgendwo ganz unten auf dem Prospekt: "Das Zertifikat darf nicht in den U.S.A. oder an eine U.S.-Person im Sinne der Regulation S des U.S. Securities Act 1933 verkauft werden."
Nein, das Papier ist vor allem für deutsche Anleger gedacht, so wie viele andere Zertifikate auch. Kein Wunder, dass auch von der Pleite der US-Investmentbank Lehman Brothers besonders viele Deutsche betroffen sind - hierzulande wurden besonders viele Papiere der Bank verkauft.
Wer ein Zertifkat kauft, erwirbt damit keinesfalls einen Anteil an einem Wert, also an einer Aktie oder einem Fonds. Stattdessen ist solch ein Papier wie eine Wette. Gewettet wird auf die Entwicklung von Aktien, Rohstoffen, Indizes oder Wechselkursen. Deutschland war in den letzten Jahren das Land der Zertifikate. "Der Markt umfasst hier aktuell knapp 400.000 Produkte, monatlich kommen teilweise bis zu 40.000 neue auf den Markt", sagt Harald Rotter von der Schutzgemeinschaft der Kapitalanleger (SdK). Im Dezember 2004 hatten die Deutschen 47,5 Milliarden Euro in die Papiere investiert, auf dem Höhepunkt im September 2007 waren es fast 140 Milliarden Euro. Ein rasantes Wachstum.
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
NOKIA INDIA
Gearing up to meet the challenges of next generation mobile services - 3G, the world's largest handset maker, Nokia, today announced a
slew of new services like music online and location based services to be made available on its new phones, to be launched shortly.
"We are moving away from just devices to devices plus services plus solutions. With the 3G mobile services set to make advent by the middle of next year, we feel that revenue from non-voice services is bound to increase significantly," Nokia India Ltd Vice-President and General Manager D Shivakumar told reporters here.
Asked whether Nokia is planning to acquire some of the content providers to enhance services, Shivakumar said "there is no plan for any acquisition but it will be done through a collaboration with the innovators."
He, however, said that there would be significant investment in ramping up the facilities but declined to give details.
In fact, Nokia called upon Indian mobile and web application developers to create innovative consumer applications exclusively for the upcoming handset N97.
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
Wall Street erwartet gespannt Bankbilanzen
Mit großer Spannung erwartet die Wall Street nach den Ostertagen die Quartalsbilanzen mehrerer Schwergewichte unter den US-Banken. Nach positiven Andeutungen einiger Bankchefs erhoffen sich die Anleger erste Signale einer beginnenden Erholung der Branche in der Finanzkrise.
Eine Reihe von Analysten warnte aber bereits vor zu hohen Erwartungen. Die Spannbreite der Ergebnisse dürfte groß werden: Mit Goldman Sachs und J.P. Morgan Chase wird bei zwei Institute mit Gewinnen gerechnet, die sich in der Krise bisher noch vergleichsweise gut schlugen. Erneut rote Zahlen erwarten Analysten dagegen bei der Citigroup, die zu den weltweit größten Opfern der Turbulenzen gehört. Bereits kurz vor Ostern hatte die Großbank Wells Fargo mit der Ankündigung eines Rekordgewinns für eine Überraschung gesorgt.
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
MONEY TRAVEL
UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, introduced a ban on travel abroad for its assets managers. The ban on customer visits will affect more
than 1,000 Swiss-based advisers and is part of a general restriction on business travel by the Zurich-based bank, UBS spokeswoman Eveline Mueller-Eichenberger told Bloomberg News in a telephone interview.
The ban was earlier reported by Sonntags Blick. UBS is reviewing rules with regard to its international asset management
business, UBS spokesman Serge Steiner told the newspaper. This process could take months, until then “the ban will remain in force,” Steiner was cited as saying.
The Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority said in February that UBS “severely breached” its obligations under the Swiss Banking Act by allowing some staff to ignore US restrictions on dealing with American clients. UBS wasn’t negligent in its overall implementation of its qualified intermediary agreement with the US, FINMA said.
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
MONEY TRAVEL
UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, introduced a ban on travel abroad for its assets managers. The ban on customer visits will affect more
than 1,000 Swiss-based advisers and is part of a general restriction on business travel by the Zurich-based bank, UBS spokeswoman Eveline Mueller-Eichenberger told Bloomberg News in a telephone interview.
The ban was earlier reported by Sonntags Blick. UBS is reviewing rules with regard to its international asset management
business, UBS spokesman Serge Steiner told the newspaper. This process could take months, until then “the ban will remain in force,” Steiner was cited as saying.
The Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority said in February that UBS “severely breached” its obligations under the Swiss Banking Act by allowing some staff to ignore US restrictions on dealing with American clients. UBS wasn’t negligent in its overall implementation of its qualified intermediary agreement with the US, FINMA said.
A union leader says automaker Ford Argentina is laying off 330 employees due to plummeting demand and production.
Ricardo Pignanelli is head of Argentina's automotive mechanics' and workers' union. He said Monday that Ford told the workers they will lose their jobs May 1.
A Ford Argentina representative who was not authorized to speak on the matter said nobody was available to comment.
The Association of Automobile Manufacturers says Argentine auto exports fell 45 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2008. Production during the quarter fell 43 percent.
Demand for Argentine-made cars has dried up in Brazil, the sector's leading export market.
American Airlines will add the first of 76 new Boeing jets to its fleet this week in a move that the carrier hopes will cut
fuel and maintenance costs.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft will replace about one-fourth of American's current aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series jets, which have been the subject of several maintenance problems in the past year.
American took delivery of the first two planes late last month, held a media open house Monday, and planned to put them into service carrying passengers Tuesday in Chicago.
The planes are the newest generation of Boeing's workhorse 737 series. American already has 77 Boeing 737-800s it bought nearly a decade ago. They list for $72.5 million to $81 million. American officials said they paid less than sticker price, but wouldn't say how much.
``This is a strategic investment for our future,'' said pilot Jim Kaiser as he stood in the aisle of a jet that still had that new-plane smell of leather, plastic and carpeting.
Cyprus' Finance minister said on Monday that the government would inject another euro1 billion ($1.33 billion) into the banking
system to bolster liquidity in the economy.
Charilaos Stavrakis said the infusion in the Greek Cypriot south of the island would come in the form of eight-month bonds to be issued next week at an interest rate of 1.5 per cent.
He said the bonds could in turn be used by the island's commercial and cooperative banks as collateral to clinch European Central bank loans at 1.25 per cent.
"This is a practical decision, exceptionally significant, that will be implemented immediately," Stavrakis told reporters after a meeting with bank chiefs.
Shares of General Motors Corp plunged 17 per cent on Monday after a report that the US Treasury is directing the automaker to lay the
groundwork for a bankruptcy filing by June 1.
GM, which is operating under $13.4 billion of emergency government loans, has until June 1 to win sweeping concessions from bondholders and the United Auto Workers union. The Obama administration has warned that the alternative would be bankruptcy.
A newspaper said the government's goal was to prepare for a fast "surgical" bankruptcy, quoting people who had been briefed on the GM plans.
Sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that GM was in "intense" and "earnest" preparations for a possible bankruptcy filing.
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
: US banking giant Goldman Sachs said Monday it had raised 5.5 bn dollars from investors, including from Asia and Europe, for a fund to
acquire private-equity assets.
GS Vintage Fund V is the latest fund raised by the Alternative Investments & Manager Selection Group of Goldman Sachs Asset
GOOGLE
Der erfolgsverwöhnte Internet-Konzern Google hat der Wirtschaftskrise zum Jahresauftakt weiter getrotzt und seinen Gewinn kräftig gesteigert. Der Überschuss kletterte im ersten Quartal um neun Prozent auf 1,42 Milliarden Dollar (1,08 Mrd Euro).
Der Umsatz wuchs zum Vorjahr um sechs Prozent auf 5,51 Milliarden Dollar, wie Google am Donnerstag nach US-Börsenschluss im kalifornischen Mountain View mitteilte.
«Google hatte ein gutes Quartal angesichts der Schwere der Rezession», sagte Konzernchef Eric Schmidt. Mit den Zahlen übertraf der Suchmaschinen-Riese die Erwartungen der Analysten. Die Aktie legte in einer ersten Reaktion nachbörslich deutlich zu. Wesentliche Einnahmequelle Googles sind bezahlte Werbeanzeigen rund um die Internet-Suche. Der Konzern ist hier mit weitem Abstand Marktführer vor Yahoo! und Microsoft.
raivo pommer-www.google.ee
raimo1@hot.ee
Flowers 1.26%-Verkürzte Frist
Diese verkürzte Frist wird durch eine Sonderregelung des Bankenübernahmegesetzes ermöglicht, auf dessen Grundlage der Staat die HRE übernehmen will.
Der Staat strebt mit seinem Übernahmeangebot den Angaben zufolge den Erwerb aller Anteile an der HRE an. Sollten die Aktionäre in den kommenden zwei Wochen nun nicht auf das Übernahmeangebot eingehen, will der Bund die Bank verstaatlichen - dann aber zum gesetzlichen Mindestpreis von 1,26 Euro.
Hypo Real Estate
1,39 € +0,010 +0,72%
zur Übersicht ...
Fraglich ist insbesondere, ob der US-Finanzinvestor J.C. Flowers, der 21,7 Prozent an der Bank kontrolliert, sich auf das Angebot einlässt.
Mit der Verstaatlichung der HRE sollen bereits geleistete Staatshilfen von mehr als 100 Milliarden Euro abgesichert werden. Die HRE war im Zuge der Finanzkrise in große Schwierigkeiten geraten. Ein Kollaps der Bank würde nach Einschätzung der Regierung zu Erschütterungen im Finanzsystem und zu Schwierigkeiten ganzer Staaten führen.