Comments on: News At Seven Brilliant, and Probably Useless http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/ Startup and Technology News Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:47:06 -0800 hourly 1 By: Ù�رÙ�ز اÙ�تحÙ�Ù�Ù� http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-3039174 Ù�رÙ�ز اÙ�تحÙ�Ù�Ù� Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:02:01 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-3039174 VJ …maybe the ‘News at Seven ‘Poser-like show fails to effectively demonstrate the true potential of the underlying technology. I dont see pointing this out as ignorant or entirely negative. In his review Mike describes the News at Seven technology as Brilliant but simply questions the product in its current form. VJ …maybe the ‘News at Seven ‘Poser-like show fails to effectively demonstrate the true potential of the underlying technology. I dont see pointing this out as ignorant or entirely negative.

In his review Mike describes the News at Seven technology as Brilliant but simply questions the product in its current form.

]]> By: Nir http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-640099 Nir Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:01:49 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-640099 Not so fair, IMHO... Most sites covered here every day easily fall under the same "probably useless" category ("definitely useless", even), and this one at least has some real technology behind it, unlike most of them. I've seen far worse uses of taxpayer dollars, too. (No, I don't know anyone involved with "News at Seven" or NorthWestern ;) ) Not so fair, IMHO… Most sites covered here every day easily fall under the same “probably useless” category (”definitely useless”, even), and this one at least has some real technology behind it, unlike most of them. I’ve seen far worse uses of taxpayer dollars, too.

(No, I don’t know anyone involved with “News at Seven” or NorthWestern ;) )

]]> By: David Mackey http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-620803 David Mackey Sat, 30 Dec 2006 02:04:04 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-620803 I think its interesting, but I wouldn't ever use it. I think its interesting, but I wouldn’t ever use it.

]]> By: Roy http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-613207 Roy Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:22:36 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-613207 Those who do not remember Ananova (http://www.ananova.com/) are condemned to recreate her, with simulated green-screen backdrops. Those who do not remember Ananova (http://www.ananova.com/) are condemned to recreate her, with simulated green-screen backdrops.

]]> By: andre taliercio http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-612897 andre taliercio Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:12:29 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-612897 Worked on the same type of project in 2000, I can tell you that if everything is computer generated then this is a great piece of technology. And there is market for it, including advertising. Worked on the same type of project in 2000, I can tell you that if everything is computer generated then this is a great piece of technology. And there is market for it, including advertising.

]]> By: desik http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-612698 desik Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:27:19 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-612698 VJ ...maybe the 'News at Seven 'Poser-like show fails to effectively demonstrate the true potential of the underlying technology. I dont see pointing this out as ignorant or entirely negative. In his review Mike describes the News at Seven technology as Brilliant but simply questions the product in its current form. VJ …maybe the ‘News at Seven ‘Poser-like show fails to effectively demonstrate the true potential of the underlying technology. I dont see pointing this out as ignorant or entirely negative.

In his review Mike describes the News at Seven technology as Brilliant but simply questions the product in its current form.

]]> By: Robert http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-610872 Robert Thu, 28 Dec 2006 07:36:15 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-610872 The grant was $268K for "A scalable model of believable performance agents: Using case-based planning in the control of information access and application" http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0535231 I... just... hope... they.... can... find... a... better.... text... to... speech... engine.... The grant was $268K for “A scalable model of believable performance agents: Using case-based planning in the control of information access and application”

http://www.nsf....dNumber=0535231

I… just… hope… they…. can… find… a… better…. text… to… speech… engine….

]]> By: Tim http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-610097 Tim Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:12:11 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-610097 I don't know what the underlying technology looks like, but if it's modular so that the newsgathering part creates some sort of XML (Atom, maybe?) and one can hook up many different kinds of presentation tools, that would be really useful. I don’t know what the underlying technology looks like, but if it’s modular so that the newsgathering part creates some sort of XML (Atom, maybe?) and one can hook up many different kinds of presentation tools, that would be really useful.

]]> By: Steve http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-610093 Steve Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:09:48 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-610093 The advantage of this technology is not that it can create a newscast of the day's top stories that people will prefer to standard news. It won't. The advantage would be the possibility to make completely customized reports about incredibly specific subjects. For instance, I could create a daily highlight show covering only players on my fantasy basketball team (12 otherwise unconnected players), or a daily news report covering only the companies in my stock portfolio. It shouldn't be thought of as a technology to replace live news - or anything you could currently get "live." It could be a technology to give you something so specific that nobody else cares about it but you - as an alternative to aggregating it yourself. The advantage of this technology is not that it can create a newscast of the day’s top stories that people will prefer to standard news. It won’t.

The advantage would be the possibility to make completely customized reports about incredibly specific subjects. For instance, I could create a daily highlight show covering only players on my fantasy basketball team (12 otherwise unconnected players), or a daily news report covering only the companies in my stock portfolio.

It shouldn’t be thought of as a technology to replace live news – or anything you could currently get “live.” It could be a technology to give you something so specific that nobody else cares about it but you – as an alternative to aggregating it yourself.

]]> By: Peter http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-609620 Peter Thu, 28 Dec 2006 02:18:54 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-609620 the government is spending a couple hundred million dollars day on its various wars, and we're talkin about some tiny tech project at a uni? 'my tax dollars'? inane. http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/16319902.htm the government is spending a couple hundred million dollars day on its various wars, and we’re talkin about some tiny tech project at a uni? ‘my tax dollars’? inane.

http://www.fort...al/16319902.htm

]]> By: John C http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-609363 John C Thu, 28 Dec 2006 01:14:37 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-609363 "I’d say this would be useful for blind people...." and just how the hell do blind people navigate the Internet, let alone wind up on this website. “I’d say this would be useful for blind people….”

and just how the hell do blind people navigate the Internet, let alone wind up on this website.

]]> By: LLopes http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-609336 LLopes Thu, 28 Dec 2006 01:10:16 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-609336 This is the gravest shortsightedness I've ever seen at Techcrunch. News at Seven is the announce of great things to come; personal, programmable information channels. This is the gravest shortsightedness I’ve ever seen at Techcrunch. News at Seven is the announce of great things to come; personal, programmable information channels.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-609064 Jeff Thu, 28 Dec 2006 00:12:00 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-609064 I'm kinda surprised at the amount of outrage present in this post regarding the public nature of this project's funding. I hardly consider this the biggest waste of tax dollars, even if it is one. There's plenty of potential in this kind of product, and the angry tone throughout the post is uncharacteristic. I’m kinda surprised at the amount of outrage present in this post regarding the public nature of this project’s funding. I hardly consider this the biggest waste of tax dollars, even if it is one. There’s plenty of potential in this kind of product, and the angry tone throughout the post is uncharacteristic.

]]> By: Matt http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-608955 Matt Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:52:43 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-608955 What would make this cool is if it could do an automatic "daily show" version of the news it found. Then there would be an audience. You could even adjust your personal preferences for the level of humor- from intellectual snottiness to juvenile/frat house humor. Ahh, someday.... What would make this cool is if it could do an automatic “daily show” version of the news it found. Then there would be an audience. You could even adjust your personal preferences for the level of humor- from intellectual snottiness to juvenile/frat house humor. Ahh, someday….

]]> By: Christopher Sisk http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-608910 Christopher Sisk Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:43:09 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-608910 Remember when Microsoft said its little "Agents" were going to do all this back in 1995? They were supposed to talk to us too. Read our morning emails. Schedule to-do items. If I had a nicely animated 3d bot on my desktop that would do all that, including reading personalized news (rss feeds, images, videos), I would pay a subscription fee. Remember when Microsoft said its little “Agents” were going to do all this back in 1995? They were supposed to talk to us too. Read our morning emails. Schedule to-do items.

If I had a nicely animated 3d bot on my desktop that would do all that, including reading personalized news (rss feeds, images, videos), I would pay a subscription fee.

]]> By: Daniel http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-608429 Daniel Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:42:07 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-608429 Virtual News Low-cost, free software and platform simplicity fueled success of blogging as free-for-all form of publishing. The next logical step would be free-for-all online broadcasting. However, the entrance barriers to online newscasts are still high for individual or small business - you still need an audio, camera operator, director, editor and anchor to run your home based CNN. Replace anchor by animated character with lip synchronization, add text-to-speech conversion module, pack it all into simple and friendly interface with media scheduling - you have your own studio. While mechanical speech and rather primitive animation characters are still a long way to compete with real TV anchor, the cost advantage is disruptive. I did my homework and come up with surprisingly scarce results. While text-to-speech applications (like Talkr.com powering podcast of this post) are fairly common, software applications for creating conversational characters are still rare. The most advanced is Oddcast.com, jealously guarding its platform, all Oddcast applications are run from Oddcast’s API. Mediasemantics.com and Reallusion.com offer affordable software packages allowing to create conversational characters. Some small outfit of Northwestern University funded by grant of National Science Foundation, Newsatseveven.com, is publishing daily clip of animated automated news via Yotube.com. Maybe they will be remembered as pioneers of virtual broadcasting but they are are still a far cry from digestable newscast. Virtual News

Low-cost, free software and platform simplicity fueled success of blogging as free-for-all form of publishing. The next logical step would be free-for-all online broadcasting. However, the entrance barriers to online newscasts are still high for individual or small business – you still need an audio, camera operator, director, editor and anchor to run your home based CNN. Replace anchor by animated character with lip synchronization, add text-to-speech conversion module, pack it all into simple and friendly interface with media scheduling – you have your own studio. While mechanical speech and rather primitive animation characters are still a long way to compete with real TV anchor, the cost advantage is disruptive.
I did my homework and come up with surprisingly scarce results. While text-to-speech applications (like Talkr.com powering podcast of this post) are fairly common, software applications for creating conversational characters are still rare. The most advanced is Oddcast.com, jealously guarding its platform, all Oddcast applications are run from Oddcast’s API. Mediasemantics.com and Reallusion.com offer affordable software packages allowing to create conversational characters.
Some small outfit of Northwestern University funded by grant of National Science Foundation, Newsatseveven.com, is publishing daily clip of animated automated news via Yotube.com. Maybe they will be remembered as pioneers of virtual broadcasting but they are are still a far cry from digestable newscast.

]]> By: anonymouse http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-608377 anonymouse Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:29:06 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-608377 #26: "I guess it’s worth the things everybody learned along the way" welcome to academia ;) novel? yes. useful? maybe. business opp? possibly. will it get a paper published in some journal? probably. #26: “I guess it’s worth the things everybody learned along the way”

welcome to academia ;)
novel? yes. useful? maybe. business opp? possibly. will it get a paper published in some journal? probably.

]]> By: Patricia http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-608129 Patricia Wed, 27 Dec 2006 20:33:31 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-608129 The sexiest, coolest, slickest technology in the world is worth nothing if nobody uses it. I don't really see why anybody would use this. I guess it's worth the things everybody learned along the way. The sexiest, coolest, slickest technology in the world is worth nothing if nobody uses it. I don’t really see why anybody would use this.

I guess it’s worth the things everybody learned along the way.

]]> By: Xavier http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607989 Xavier Wed, 27 Dec 2006 19:52:33 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607989 This will be a hit because people are tired of reading on the screen. We want integrated audio, images and video. And the random element is good, after all most people just random surf (stumble upon, digg, youtube) most all the time. This will be a hit because people are tired of reading on the screen. We want integrated audio, images and video. And the random element is good, after all most people just random surf (stumble upon, digg, youtube) most all the time.

]]> By: Spud http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607606 Spud Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:43:31 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607606 I have just watched a show. The technology to produce it is cool but the actual show itself is kind of boring. Maybe they have plans to enhance it. I have just watched a show. The technology to produce it is cool but the actual show itself is kind of boring. Maybe they have plans to enhance it.

]]> By: Michael Arrington http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607590 Michael Arrington Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:38:58 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607590 Beth - yeah, i meant what you said. :-) And me too! I can't wait until the government starts requiring everybody to do everything. Beth – yeah, i meant what you said. :-)

And me too! I can’t wait until the government starts requiring everybody to do everything.

]]> By: TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » News At Seven、見事だがおそらく実用性に欠けるのでは http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607576 TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » News At Seven、見事だがおそらく実用性に欠けるのでは Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:36:30 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607576 [...] [原文へ] NewsAtSeven [...] [...] [原文へ] NewsAtSeven [...]

]]> By: Fashion Industry Ceo http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607560 Fashion Industry Ceo Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:32:52 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607560 I think its a waste of tax dollars!..its rather boring too me I think its a waste of tax dollars!..its rather boring too me

]]> By: daniel http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607483 daniel Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:13:56 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607483 The news is unwatchable, the technology is fascinating. Maybe one day we can have computer generated news events....or even elections. Wait, did that already. The news is unwatchable, the technology is fascinating.

Maybe one day we can have computer generated news events….or even elections. Wait, did that already.

]]> By: Perry http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/comment-page-1/#comment-607447 Perry Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:06:34 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/27/news-at-seven-brilliant-and-useless/#comment-607447 The irony that the totally automated news casting system takes a break for the holidays is delicious. The irony that the totally automated news casting system takes a break for the holidays is delicious.

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