Last week a couple venture fund cropped up claiming to be “RSS” focused VC’s. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) But if you dig a little deeper you’ll realize that they are simply using RSS as a marketing angle (a little disgenuous?). Instead, what they really want to say is that they are a “XML” funds. Funny how an old buzz word like XML is now being replaced with a catchier acronym - the final sign that XML is now fully in the “tornado” phase of adoption.

That had me thinking about broader uses of RSS as a general XML schema because RSS needs to expand its current applications in order for there to be enough companies for these VC’s to fund. As I explore the various application scenerios and use cases I kept on coming back to two extensions that RSS currently lacks. 1. Authentication 2. Push Implementation of RSS.

Now, lots of people has been clamoring for the above things for quite a while (and people are working to incorporate it into the standard as Atom with its more centralized development process has it). Furthermore, RSS can certainly be hacked to do both of these things. But the key here is how to gain broad concensus on the new extension so all RSS “readers” can understand all implementation.

1. Authentication - beyond simple security reasons (seem to be what previous blog conversations focused on), I want RSS authentication to allow me to build products that create personalized feeds AND personalized content modules within feeds. I cant emphasize how much more applications I can think of when personalization comes to RSS. Similarily, the switch from static web pages to dynamically generated web pages enabled much of the web as we know it today. Furthermore, content aggregators like myYahoo seems to have all the leverage and user lock-in due to the fact that personalization comes in the form of selective aggregation. With feed personalization, the power and value add will shift back to the content providers allowing businesses to embrace RSS as a method to build brand loyalty.

2. Push RSS - A little harder to implement and a little less interesting. Still because RSS is essentially a pull protocol (the “S” for syndication makes people think its push but its really not) there lacks a real-time component to RSS needed for certain use cases. For example, if you really want to use RSS for publishing inventory information to your trade partners you’ll need 1) authentication 2) some way of pro-actively alerting trade partner’s interfaces that inventory information has been updated & push data out at the same time. You can ofcourse have your trade partners’ systems ping the feed every 10 second to see if anthing changed, or ping the server with update notice and have it get the RSS feed but I dont think thats very efficient nor very real-time. I dont think push will replace the current system because the current implementation is actually a much more efficient architecture given hundreds if not thousands of subscribers. But for real-time B2B implementation where the subscriber base will likely be low hundreds at the most, the server load issue will not be as acute to simultaneously push out data to subscribers. (Ofcourse a good argument would be why would you want to use RSS to do this in the first place)

While driving home tonight on 101, I thought about the very first app that changed the way I view the “Internet” - PointCast. It was the first application that made me say “wow, I want that too.” Ofcourse, there are much cooler apps now but I still miss PointCast.

I dont see why PointCast wouldnt be a nice utility today given the abundance of bandwidth in home or corporate networks. AND I dont see why PointCast would not be a nice little business today given the openess of advertising networks (adsense) and affiliate networks (ValueClick). I would make a few changes though. . .

1. Instead of taking “feeds” from a central server, I want it to be RSS enabled and take feeds from multiple sources.

2. I also want to be able to create categories and place feeds under those categories. Furthermore, I want to be able to specify how each category of feeds show up on my PointCast screensaver - scroll w/ headlines, fade in/out with title + first paragrath, w and w/o pictures

3. A loop bar at the top of my desktop that alert me to newly written posts, bookmarks, events. . . anything that can be RSS’ed, kinda like the CNBC tape

5. I would also build a web based feed reader (or partner) to let people read the posts once they click on the OpenCast screensaver or tape

4. Hell, it could play Podcasts too if you want (maybe kinda annoying though) or even take a RRS feed of flickr pictures based on tags (how about posts based on delicious tags?)

How do I make money?

1. Interject adsense & graphical ads based on the content of my blogroll into both the screen saver and the tape. Make money on per click (adesense) and % transaction basis (affiliate network). Post on latest Nike shoe? Nike ad! Post on iTunes? Rhapsody Ad! etc etc

2. Place ads next to my feedreader ala Gmail

hmm, seems simple enough, maybe I’ll find a buddy to help me hack it out. . .

(wait a minute, this sounds kinda like MSFT Active Desktops. . . hmm. . . whatevers. . . as long as someone likes it on a utility level. . ME!)

EDIT: Just found out Mac OS Tiger comes with a RSS screensaver. . . cool. . . I need to get myself a ibook or something

Last week I wrote that

- Web applications will begin to rival and exceed the functionality of their client/server or desktop cousins. Expect the next webmail version of Outlook to have more functionality, richer experience, more dynamic, and maybe easier to use than the Windows version. I wouldnt be surprised if MSFT tried to charge more for it.

Full post

I guess its just got here in the form of Microsoft Communicator.

Communicator Web Access will parallel the firm’s Outlook Web Access e-mail offering in terms of giving workers expanded opportunities for using the company’s communications tools, particularly when they are out of the office, he said. In addition, companies that haven’t upgraded their desktop software to the latest Windows operating system will still be able to access the tools.

Simnett said that technical details of the client software are still being worked out, but he indicated that the interface for Communicator Web Access will closely mimic the controls the company has built into the desktop version of the messaging tools.

Lots of companies have made a living taking MSFT’s intra-enterprise applications and creating an open interface + extranet web enabled version for public consumption. Trumba has some of the functionality of outllook’s calendering invitation functionality. Evite was almost an exact copy. I think there is an opportunity here to do the same. The article mentioned that

For instance, out-of-office messages will pop up automatically in Communicator, as will a user’s IM presence information. If companies integrate the software with their traditional or Internet telephony gear, workers can also start phone calls through their PC and redirect incoming calls when they are going to be away from their desk.

With some clever API integration to either Skype or AIM, API integration into Outlook or Plaxo, and a landline & phone connected to a PC with a modem, some one can probably write an application that replicated these functionalities. For example, the PC would know if someone is at their PC (ie presence) through the IM client, if not there, reroute calls to a mobile phone # stored locally; OR IM “not at the desk messages” to that person using caller ID and matching that # to the IM handle in the address book. . . . even better, use SKYPE to reroute POTS calls to VOIP… tons of cool functionalities that can be implemented around creating a consistent/integrated communication channels amongst all the various apps and gadgets we gathered the last few years. I’m waiting eagerly for the app. . .

Before I jump in, I just created a category for my posts called “Half Baked Ideas.” I usually have a random idea a day while aimlessly surfing the web, I wanted use my blog as a forum to share them. Some will be applications, utilities, plugins, and other might be actual product ideas for new OR existing companies.

Only 1/30 deserves some serious thought. While only 1/1000 (if I’m lucky) deserves to be real businesses/products. I just wanted to share my thoughts and have other people pick holes in the ideas so feel free to tear them apart. Lots of times, someone will probably be doing it already, I’ll be interested to know who too. Lastly, I don’t really believe ideas in of themselves are proprietary, it’s in the execution anyways. In an efficient market (with the amount of smart people in the technology industry, its probably is pretty efficient) no one should know any better than anyone else, as a result, ideas will rarely be unique. (execution and strategy are) So I’m not afraid of someone “stealing” these ideas, if not from me you can steal the same exact idea from someone else I actually encourage readers to take the ball and run with it if they want, I’ll be glad to help out anyway I can so please let me know if you are.

So on to today’s random musings. Since Fred is a Podhead, he got me thinking about the implications of podcasting on the music industry.

He writes,

iTunes is going to include a podcast aggregator in the next version, due out this summer. Then everyone with an iPod is going to be able to get podcasts. That’s a lot of people, probably north of 6 million people by now.

(also read this by John Furrier)

Both bounced around in my ahead a little bit before I decided that,

Podcasting is going to be the “Trojan horse” that changes the music industry economics and business model forever.

With Apple essentially acting as publisher (aggregator) for Podcasts of independent producers, it will not be long before the end users leverages that technology to publish music and circumvent traditional publishers like Sony and BMG. Apple can’t do that with music right now, ie let independent musicians distribute music via iTunes, because they need the major publishers for their catalog of music and the major publisher certainly do not want Apple helping out the little guys. Podcasts, seemlingly innocent to the major labels, will not seem like a threat to labels allowing Apple to furtively revamp iTune’s business model. This will allow iTunes to tweak their infrastructure and payment system (like what brightcove is trying to do with video) for direct distribution and royalty remittance. With any “long-tailed” business model, iTune will have critical mass in the head of the tail to successfully funnel revenue to niche podcasting content and eventually music. In the end, bits are bits/audio is audio, podcasts are mp3 files anyways. Labels wont go way but the long tail of the music industry is about to get fatter and longer, siphoning revenue away from the mainstream.

Furthermore, I believe there will be an opportunity for a startup (Odeo?) or an innovative incumbent (Apple? Feedburner?) to create an audio advertising syndication network for podcasts. Ala adwords/adsense but more like “adAudio” or “adSound.” Radio has shown that listeners are somewhat tolerant of inter-temporal interruptions to their music listening experience by advertising. Music or podcast feed aggregators can splice in audio advertising into the MP3 feeds relatively easily. Like adsense, revenue can be remitted to the independent producers themselves.

So ya, podcast is niche within a niche within a niche. But music is not. Technically the difference between music and sound is zero (all audio). Wasn’t Fred listening to a podcast with music embedded in his post? Podcast is the Trojan horse, the music industry watch out.