MOG Music Network, iPhone Kill Switch, MiGthyDocs, Fuelly, Salon.com Tips Bloggers – Free Line Report for 8.14.08


The online advertising game has yet another player. MOG, best known for its musician-centric blogging platform, announced the formation of their new advertising wing, the MOG Music Network. Backed by the likes of Sony BMG and Rick Rubin, the MOG Music Network is promising custom ads, widgets, and considerably more revenue for web site owners than “traditional” services such as Google AdSense.

MOG isn’t the first online music service to try its hand at advertising. iLike, a similarly themed service with ties to both iTunes and Rhapsody, launched its own advertising business in July. Unlike the general advertisements found on the MOG Music Network, iLike Advertising is dedicated to promoting concerts, festivals, and other live events.

Turning to the iPhone, have you heard the rumors about a “kill switch” for iPhone applications? Turns out, it’s real. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs admitted that the ability to disable apps being run by individual users does indeed exist. The switch is looked at as being a “last resort” method of containing a malicious app. “Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull,” Mr. Jobs said.

So how are iPhone users taking the news? Well, it depends on who you ask. “I would argue that the kill switch is an innovative approach to protecting a platform in this age of criminal conspiracies to steal your personal information,” says Tony Bove, author of iPod and iTunes for Dummies. “I think Apple has a right to protect its platform with this innovative approach.”

Others are less forgiving. “The point is, the simple need for a switch like this means that [Apple's approval process and use of DRM] has already failed,” says Jonathan Zdziarski, the programmer credited for discovering the “kill switch” code. “Bottom line: the iPhone kill switch is counterintuitive [sic] to security – not beneficial to it.”

Most iPhone users, however, are taking a decided “wait and see” attitude. “While it’s comforting to know that a harmful application can be immediately purged from all iPhones at the press of a button, it’s a little worrying, too. Given the level of secrecy inside Apple, some have speculated the company could use ‘malicious’ as a blanket term to disable any applications as it so pleases,” says Wired blogger Charlie Sorrel. “We have a picture in our heads of some kind of virtual Guantanamo Bay inside One Infinite Loop, where bad applications are kept locked up indefinitely and tortured to find their secrets.”

In less unsettling iPhone news, it appears as if users will now be able to access their Google Docs offline. Called MiGhtyDocs, this iPhone app gives users the ability to read Docs when they’re offline. A lot of folks are praising this new functionality, but it would be cool if it supported Google Presentation as well. But still, reading your basic Google Docs offline is nothing to scoff at. You can get MiGhtyDocs at the iPhone Apps store now – and it’s free.

Well, the world of social networking has finally come to your car. Specifically, your gas tank. Fuelly is a unique social service that allows you to track your gasoline purchases. Fuelly then breaks down the numbers, allowing you to view the real time fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Plus, you can compare the fuel efficiency your vehicles to that of other drivers. It’s compatible with the iPhone and other mobile platforms, and Twitter support is currently in development.

Now you can give a tip to your friendly neighborhood blogger. Thanks to Salon.com and Revolution Money Exchange, users of the “Open Salon” community can now slip their favorite writer a little somethin’ whenever they feel like it. According to Salon, the program is a way to foster goodwill between bloggers and readers and motivate writers and bloggers to produce their best content. So go out there and blog. That next two dollar tip could have your name on it.

Comments

  1. joe
    August 17th, 2008 | 1:57 am

    great article and blog reading this article was well worth the time I’m going to have to check that out

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