Vote for Web2Spot on Snap contest !!!

Snap came out with the "Extreme makeover contest" for improving their Snap preview widget. They're giving away cash for the best ideas that are submitted. The contest ends on March 15, 2007. First prize takes $2500, second prize $1000 and third prize $500 plus the two best comments will receive $500.

Right now my idea has 5 votes which isn't that bad and I really think its a good idea. Go check it out, add your own ideas and vote for me. Thanks.

Technorati Tags: contest snap web2spot

Spotback launches awesome rating widget

Spotback just announced their new widget. Its currently in closed beta but you can get a glimpse of how it works on the Spotback blog posts footer. You can also sign up for the beta here.The widget lets you rate anything using the cool slider just like on Spotback news.
In addition they're releasing a few other tools that let you expose your blog content.

So if you're a blogger go get it, I have.

Technorati Tags: spotback widget

FMS vs. ZMS

After Zlango and their icon-based language (ZMS), now comes Fontip with MyFont - a font messaging service (FMS). Both are offering a next generation text messaging enhancement to the heavy sms users as a downloadable java application to the mobile device.
Both products are similar in essence and are targeting the same market but are also different obviously. One has created an unusual icon language and the other has created a collection of designed fonts.
I couldn't help noticing the similarities when first reading about Fontip on De Gardener.

Both companies are based in Israel. Is this becoming an Israeli niche and where else is text messaging headed?

Technorati Tags: fms fontip israel mobile zlango zms

the.co.ils Web Startup 2007

Great initiative by the.co.ils blog founders. The TWS 2007 event is where any Israeli Web 2.0 startup can compete for being selected as one of the 10 best and having the opportunity of presenting their web project in front of a very respectable group of judges and eventually to collect some cash.
The event is open for anybody that wants to take part as a contester or as a viewer. It should be a great place to come together with web entrepreneurs, VCs, angels and web professionals.
Not only can the 10 finalist take a shot at approaching the investors...anyone can.
The TWS 2007 is going to bounce the Israeli websphere and position it globally.

Technorati Tags: the.co.ils israel tws2007 startup entrepreneur

Yedda raise $2.5 million

Yedda announces a $2.5 million financial round.
Congratulations Yedda!!!
see more on globes.

Technorati Tags: yedda israel

Israeli Gymalaya sold for 217 million USD

Four of Gymalaya's co-owners managed to fulfill the Israeli dream. They sold their startup company to an American corporate for 217 million dollars. Now they can make all their fantasies come true.
This is the story of the new comic drama "Mesudarim" ("financially secure" in Hebrew) on channel 2, about four buddies. Playing the roles of CEO (Asaf Harel), VP Marketing (Asi Cohen), Chief programmer (Erez Kliener) & Designer (Maor Cohen).

Watch the first episode here. Even if you aren't a Hebrew speaker watch the first minute and a half as they get the dramatic phone call.

Indeed the ultimate dream!

Technorati Tags: channel 2 hebrew israel mesudarim startup tv

New: Internationalized Metacafe

Now you can watch videos from your own country and in your own language. Metacafe has become more personalized and internationalized.

• Select the country you want to see items from (default is your country).
• Select the language (Local,English or Both).
• Select the items' description and title language you prefer watching.
  

You can also search for videos in your chosen language, including foreign characters, such as Japanese, Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, etc.
So on your next video upload you can select the language and location of the video.

Technorati Tags: international metacafe

Snap dilemma...?

My feelings are mixed when it comes to Snap and their Snap Preview Anywhere (SPA) product. I think that in general the product is genius and that it has many advantages. I do agree with snap that "all parties win" - the user gets a better experience, the publisher keeps the user on their site longer and they get an incremental monetization opportunity. And Snap get more exposure and awareness of its search engine.
On the other hand and mostly what bothers me is the "pop-up" effect. Nothing to do about it - I can't ignore the feeling of a small window popping up and covering a part of the reading area. It's a bit annoying to me.
I do have two suggestions for Snap. First, I would consider widgetizing the bubble. What I would like to see is a dedicated window frame on the blog sidebar for example, showing me the previews on the side and not the way it pops up now. There is a problem with my suggestion when the Snap widget isn't seen when the page is scrolled down.
My second suggestion may solve this problem and is related to the first one. As part of the options given to the end-user in the bubble why not let the user determine where on the page would he like the bubble to pop-up. Or even better, why not make the Snap bubble dragable - is this doable??

By adding Snap icon trigger as part of their new features I think they came very close to perfect and convinced me to add SPA to Web2Spot. Last week a few other enhancements were released:
You can customize the bubble color theme and logo and add a SPA on/off badge to your blog allowing the end-user to turn on or off the previews.

Now you're asking yourself why I'm covering Snap on Web2Spot when my blog is dedicated to Web 2.0 companies that are made in Israel? So, actually there is a relation because Snaps vice president of product Jay Maydad is originally from Israel and before moving to the US Jay worked for ICQ. This one's for you Jay. :-)

Technorati Tags: image search snap spa

JAJAH Beta program: Cool dynamic buttons

Jajah are introducing the dynamic buttons and are inviting to join the beta.
Jajah Dynamic Buttons are a revolutionary new way to make contact and stay in touch with people that you meet (or want to meet) on the internet. They let people reach each other in a variety of ways, without revealing private information such as their name, phone number or email address.



The key benefits:

• Your phone numbers and Emails address are not visible to anyone. if you change number or location all your buttons simply auto-update.
• You can dynamically set your availability for each channel (call, voice mail,text message, Email)
• You can create multiple buttons that behave differently to perfectly fit your needs in a specific situation.
• You can spread your JAJAH Dynamic Buttons not only by placing HTML code snippets but also by using a specific URL that leads directly to the respective button.

Technorati Tags: button jajah jajah dynamic buttons voip

eSnips side project

Movers 2.0 is another sort of Web 2.0 directory that tracks the traffic trends by using the alexa API. In addition graphs are extracted from compete and other data is extracted from Google and Google blog search. The Web 2.0 tracker was developed by Eran Arkin a member of the eSnips team in his spare time. They do have a minor bug when more than one graph is opened together (see below). I really like the site it's a nice toy but I would be happy to see a compare feature that allows to select a number of sites and compare them side by side.
(via Techcrunch)

Technorati Tags: esnips movers 2.0

Go2Web20 2.0

I come back home after a few days vacation from where I had no Internet access to discover Go2Web20.net relaunched. Thats definitely great news!
After reading the somewhat hallucinatory Techcruch thread and Orli's post I'm a bit frustrated to find the service is unavailable (a few hours now). I'm positive the new features are a great upgrade to the directory, especially the slow loading issues that are claimed to be fixed.
Waiting to see it in action.

Join SupportSpace Supporters' Cafe

SupportSpace open their beta program and the supporters' cafe to tech support pros.
SupportSpace is planned to go live in mid 2007 offering an easy-to-use online tech support platform.
If you're a tech pro and like to help people solve technology problems, if you want to network with other pros go join the supporters cafe.

Think of the Supporters' Café as a social network for tech support pros. A place you can go to learn and expand your knowledge base. Where you can meet other people like you and share ideas. And where you can actively participate in building and making the SupportSpace platform, services and supporter community the very best that it can be.