Zude is a new social webpage network. I say “social webpage network” because Zude isn’t so much about making friends and commenting on on profiles as it is about creating your own personalized webpage.
You create a personalized webpage from modules that hold your own content or clips grabbed from the web (even embed whole webpages). Each module can be placed anywhere on the canvas, edited, layered, and have it’s transparency adjusted. By their May 1st launch, these personalized pages will be templated into individual, family, group, and business zudes.
Currently Zude only works on IE with an ActiveX control installed and Javascript turned on.
Zude differentiates itself from other modularized webpages through an easy drag-n-drop interface to add content and the openess of the platform. With their ActiveX controller, Zude lets you take content from your desktop or the web and easily drag-n-drop it onto its own module on your page. This means you can quickly add photos from your computer by dragging them onto the site, or a YouTube video by dragging in the embed code. Zude does this by overriding the action your browser takes when you click, drag, and release your mouse button while over the browser.
Content modules are not widgets, but capsules that can hold any webpage code (HTML, Javascript, Embeds). Zude isn’t aiming to create its own widget standard, but simply allow people to host embedded widgets from other sites on their platform. At launch each of these modules will be taggable, ratable, and sharable, meaning if you see a module you like on another site, you can grab it for yourself (like WebJam). The release will also feature their first module with dynamic content, blogging.
Zude is still very much in beta, with a lot of the properties for the modules (over 50) still labeled with technical jargon. While the launch will focus on the social networking aspect of page creation, the founders, Jim McNeil and Steve Repetti, also talked about other applications of their modularized webpage platform. Some ideas were a collaboration tool, where group members can mash related content together. Another is as a mashup tool that grabs data from web services like weather.com and mashes it with an API in another module, like Google Maps (similar to Teqlo).
The whole platform is based on the parent company’s (Fifth Generation) database, webserver, and scripting language, allowing developers to remix the functionality as they see fit. They plan on rolling with the punches after launch and seeing where their community wants to take it. My only concern is that the platform is too flexible and that users faced with too many choices will shy away from the service.
Update: Concerning comments on this post, Co-founder Steve Repetti states that Firefox support will be coming by the May 1st launch.
I see no one has commented for this startup.People are much more intrested in myspace and google rather than some thing intrsteing and innovating.
Zude ur usability rocks man.
Keep rocking…..
“My only concern is that the platform is too flexible and that users faced with too many choices will shy away from the service.”
Well, that and any security-conscious user isn’t going to be running IE and with ActiveX and Javascript on. You’re appealing to the less-savvy user here, which compounds the problem that the stuff you can do is so open-ended and possibly intimidating.
I’ll stick with netvibes.com and their Universe public start pages. Netvibes widgets and ecosystem for developers provide easily enough to play with, without needing the drag and drop angle of Zude. And for consumers, myspace will always be king. Plus surely Apollo and Silverlight are the platforms to go for in the future for more drag and drop desktop integration, rather than ActiveX, though they may choose one of these platforms in the near future. Zude are perhaps 12 months too early in the fancy client app enabled space, other better products are bound to appear.
ActiveX sucks.
I think these guys have already shown the same concept in much simpler way, even in Firefox.
http://www.noovo.us
Can not wait to try this one out
That’s an interesting logo, I’ll give them that.
Just agreeing with those above… how many users sophisticated enough to use this are going to be run IE? Talk about missing your target market.
“…Zude only works on IE with an ActiveX control…”
Ah hello? Hey Zude, 1999 called and wants its delivery mechanism back!
Don’t really see what it offers that NetVibes Universe doesn’t.
Who remembers Crayon.net?
What’s old is new again (netvibes, pageflakes, zude, et al - I hope you’re sending props to the original groundbreakers)!
you lost me at “only works on IE with an ActiveX control installed and Javascript turned on.”
Awesome, i will be wanting to get this!
“Currently Zude only works on IE with an ActiveX control installed and Javascript turned on.”
Are you kidding me!?
“Currently Zude only works on IE with an ActiveX control installed and Javascript turned on.”
I read no further.
Advice. Never put people’s comments on front page like:
————————————–
“Zude is drag and drop cool!”
- Amy from Plantation, FL
“It brings all my stuff together in one place, then let’s me organize and share it faster and easier than anything I’ve ever seen!”
- Jon from Mission Viejo, CA
“Zude Rocks!”
- Nick from NY
“It’s all about Freedom! Zude lets me be me without any technological contraints!”
- Steve P from NY
———————————————————
Why??? people don’t know if comments were true or false. Small business text book printed 90% startups failed.
I agree with some of the other comments here — this *really* limits the user-base and adoption. The world (at least in my narrow perception) is waking up from the MS-totalitarian-hallucination. Don’t lock us into a technology, especially an insecure, proprietary one… This could have been accomplished by other technical means, probably is by someone else (because it’s not *new*), and while an interesting diversion for some people, is seemingly a techno-bauble that is shiny, will be played with briefly, then begin to gather dust.
This is Zcubes
Come on guys, let’s give this company a chance before piling on with the anti-MS, anti-Active X comments.
Yes, Active X has its problems and has been abused by some, but it’s still the core deployment method for many web apps. For example, it’s a misconception that Flash is a zero client. Flash just happens to be pre-installed on most computers. However, to get Flash if you don’t have it preloaded, you have to download an….Active X control (see: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave.....n32400.htm).
What many of you are also missing, is that Flash and pure browser based clients (Ajax) are no panacea either; they are still open to security intrustions and don’t offer the type of robust interactivity that you can achieve via Active X.
So, let’s calm down and give this company a chance, shall we?
Derek said “However, to get Flash if you don’t have it preloaded, you have to download an….Active X control”
Yes, on IE perhaps it’s an ActiveX control, but it’s not on my Mac when using Firefox or Safari.
Wow — it’s the telephone game in Internet time!
First, Zude IS launching with IE and Firefox support for Windows, Mac, and Linux. We are also working on Opera and Safari, however these latter two will not be part of the May 1st release.
Second, Zude is absolutely an advanced product. In fact, the technological portion of Zude has been operational for some time. Our primary efforts at this point pending the release are focused on help, documentation, tutorials, and other enhacements to the user experience and overall ease of use of the system.
Finally, as good as we may be (or think we are) it is not likely that we will get everything perfect right out of the gate — hence a public beta release. We are fortunate as a company not to be pressured by short-term revenue requirements and have the opportunity of working directly with our Zude user base during the beta period to take our best shot at perfection — one piece at a time.
Regarding “Startup Advice”…
We could fill many pages with actual quotes from Zude users — most of which put really big smiles on our faces. If you are sceptical about them, then perhaps you will be intrigued enough to find out for yourself — and then maybe you too will provide “big smile quotes!”
And as for “small business 101″, the last startup the principals of 5g were involved in was sold to CA for $1.2B.
This is NOT an ActiveX thing. I got a demo yesterday and it rocked. It will work on Mac and Windows and Firefox and IE. It was my favorite demo that I saw out of more than a dozen I sat through at the conference.
I really like the concept to get everything in one page but I am agrre with all these comments: active X stuff is restrictive, too much marketing makes it fake, i already use MySpace, Netvibes…why another personal page? What i need now is to find a way to manage all my media easily and export it anywhere.
Anyway congratulation Zude for this next innovative product!
ZCubes has been doing all of this without any activeX or plugins - and with so much more features. http://www.zcubes.com
BTW, Cross-Domain binary drag-drop was a major security issue that forced MS IE to remove it from IE (and return null on such cross-domain drag-drops). Lots of people have sidestepped this before (especially spyware writers), and this ActiveX technique is considered a major security problem that should be avoided. It is strange exactly this concern is being recreated here by Zude approach.
Zude performs all of its drag and drop functionality, including cross-domain support, WITHOUT USING ACTIVEX. The ONLY time ActiveX or Helper functions are used is when interacting with local content on the users own computer. And, this is an optional feature!
project is fresh and still in development. who likes a not ready product?
I saw your blog posting on ZCubes couple of months ago. I am confused …. is this another offshoot of ZCubes or a brand new company? I have been using ZCubes for the last couple of months and Zude seems to mimick ZCubes functionality
Is ZCubes trying something new with Zude?
Just to make it clear, Dana, ZCubes have no connection to Zude - or its affiliates.
Zude is a company that has been misusing a lot of the marketing material, trademarks and terminology from ZCubes website (”Do It All”, “The Web, Your Way, Now”, ZCubes (as Z[C]u[d]e, ZSpace (as Z[ude]Scape), among many others.)
Since ZCubes have patented/patents pending on many of its technologies, and are the true innovators in all of the web creation concepts at the ZCubes website, it will be interesting how the blatant copying will work for Zude in the long run. Zude is too small (only 5 million) to worry about or go after for now.
The true lack of creativity at Zude is shameful - maybe we can term it as a lack of true ethics or depth. In their video, they called themselves innovators, but they should have called themselves copiers.
They have even made claims about cross-platform drag-drop (as patent pending, :-)) as something unique - which is already being done by several players like JetPack, Yahoo-Photo Sharing, ImageShack (as well as advanced versions of ZCubes).
Though Zude has replicated some functionalities from ZCubes, but it is still only a tiny fraction of what ZCubes does. ZCubes is a total innovation company, and will continue to make the most fascinating products - that may copycats (like Zude) will try to mimic. At this time, we will need to see how to manage the confusion in branding that Zude is trying to create needs to be dealt with.
Wow, Amy! We must have really struck a nerve! And clearly you’ve spent a bunch of time thinking about it! Just one question: how can you make any statement about Zude when you’ve never even seen the product? I for one cannot comment on the richness or robustness of zCubes as I have never used it — and as such I will not blindly throw comments over the transom for which I have no first hand knowledge.
ActiveX is bad guys.. why zude is hanging on it? do not know.I have been trying out a lot of new online softwares. to be frank… i dont see a future for this product. lacking functionality and power…just another comic software…
I hope that before people say “lacking functionality and power” they will at least take the opportunity to try the product first. Zude launches May 1st — ALL opinions are invited! Jason and Smith, say hi to Amy.
Steve:
You had claimed a while back you did an extensive competitive review, :-). And now you have no first hand knowledge.
You may wish to talk to whoever is copying stuff from others at your company. Get some creative people.
Amy, according to the official zCubes blog: ‘zCubes is still in the infancy of Beta’ (January 22, 2007). Zude was already an operational product in August of 2006 — fully 6 months before your blog post. Our competitive analysis did not include you because you simply weren’t on the radar screen. We do not consider zCubes to be our competition — or even in the same market sector as us. Other than building a really good product, did we do something to offend you?
Very interesting conversation. I looked at both zcubes and zude. It looks like the products are similar but ZCubes seems to have a lot of depth and not just simple drag and drop…..especially their paint is just a killer…..
Good luck guys..
Amy -
You are giving us tech-ettes a bad rap babe. Settle down and check out the goods before you “open mouth, insert foot.”
Steve:
The offensive thing your company has done is copying marketing material and tag lines, and terminology (and patented and patent pending stuff).
A full operational product in aug 2007 coming out in beta in may 2007 is interesting. We respect all products made by anybody, whether it is bad or good. Wish you luck in anycase. Just stop dragging and dropping marketing stuff and other things from our website and app.
Zude is only involved in a small space that ZCubes spans - however, the copying of taglines, etc. are not a good way to run a business. Shows lack of originality and creativity - a clear indication that the rest of it is also copied. It is so blatant that you have attempted to copy features and implemented it in a manner that shows you have no idea how to implement it (funny - almost like some korean company copying circuit diagrams and features that are were not even useful to the original company).
Blog postings talk about certain features of ZCubes (we classify ourselves in our infancy since our vision and product is bigger than any of you can imagine). Our core products were realized several several years back. In any case, this is not a discussion about that. It is the blatant copying of material that a company is using in their normal business to confuse the brand the issue.
One of two lines being the same can be a coincidence, and even acceptable in intellectual arena. Copying of more than two seems almost reckless/stupid - when you are based in the United States!
Good luck.
P.S. Also, looloo, with all due respect, I suggest you read up on what companies get into when other companies try to copy things like this.
Amy: I have tried to resist engaging you in the kind of conversation that you continue. I truly thought that in this day and age innovative software could be brought to market and stand on its own merits. But you seem so scared of us (for what reason I do not know) that you feel you must launch a baseless attack against us. You have made this personal and your recent post compels me to respond.
First, our product does not launch until May 1st — so you certainly have not seen it — or used it. As such you could not have based any of your statements on first hand knowledge. Secondly, your claim of our “copying” or “use” of YOUR materials (or anyone else’s for that matter) is ridiculous, completely false, and slanderous. If you feel you have a legitimate claim then you should pursue the proper venue, just as anyone else would, and just as we will if you continue these reckless, unsubstantiated, knowingly false, and damaging statements.
Finally, a large number of the press has previewed Zude. Many of them were very much aware of zCubes, Netvibes, yourminis, and others. Not one single one of them ever stated that they believed any kind of impropriety was present. I suspect it is words like “revolutionary” and “in a category of its own” that have scared you into such reckless behavior.
Keep it up Amy. Good luck.
1. “First, our product does not launch until May 1st — so you certainly have not seen it — or used it.” - Your beta is out there, and it has been looked at - even in the code is clear (since your code is open) where you got it from. All that is written in this regard is with first hand knowledge.
2. The copying and using of our terms is blatant in everything you have released. Every report you use has terms right out of our material. There is nothing ridiculous about what I have written - just facts. If you made a company called “Macrosoft”, and started selling “Wordy” wordprocessor, you may get into trouble - even if you call it innovative or with merit.
Do not think anyone is scared of you or your product. On the contrary, I would like to point it out to you that a competitor that one should be afraid of is the one who is creative and truly innovative. You are nowhere in that class. Copiers get nowhere.
That said, you are welcome to compete with the world in any scale or fashion - just ripping stuff off of us is not welcome. You may wish to spend some time filtering your own material - Some extra care is easier than defending such acts. Instead of responding to me, just spend some time doing some internal clean up. According to you, you are not in release yet, so you still have time to correct it.
We will certainly take proper steps when we have the time, and when it is worth for us to come after your types. You are certainly not the first, and there will be more. 5 million is not worth our time.
Steve, Lulu…etc….you guys are doing a straight copy from another sites….thats not how you innovate…..
try to be creative or be quiet….
Amy,
Your site is full of “coming soon” features. You have some real balls to disparrage someone else on this board. You’re full of hot air. I checked your garbage site. Hardly anything works.
The Paint feature, that rivals the one found in Microsoft DOS 2.0, doesn’t even work well. It’s time to brush up your resume. Ask anyone on this board. Vapor doesn’t sell long-term honey.
Lawyer scums not welcome on this board.
Just look at http://home.zcubes.com/VectorPaintings/heman.htm. This was *entirely* done using ZPaint in ZCubes. There work for IE now (or Firefox with plug-in).
The interesting thing is that this is a vector painting. Well, if you are a good dude, you will know the difference between vector and bitmap images.
Tech Ranger, I would challenge you to create something like this (if you are creative enough) with ANY software you can buy or get on the net. Remember that this is created using just ZCubes technology - with a computer with a mouse and keyboard and no special accessories. And if you ever do anything close to this, please post it right here.
There are several coming soon features in ZCubes, since they are being integrated and there are over 1000+ features already. Aspects of ZCubes will be in beta for a long time in any case. And everything we claim we will release - we WILL release. That is a guarantee!!!
I was personally disappointed that Zude launch did not go well - though not surprising due to web 2.0 technology. However, we wish them best. No intend to disparage them in any way. What I have said is accurate, and they have changed many of the marketing releases after that - which is appreciated. I hope they succeed and do well - after all they are trying to serve the world too.
Steve, Amy, I’ve been to both of your sites and you both have a wonderful product. I don’t see the plagiarism you speek of Amy. However from this board it appears Steve is a level headed, entrepreneur with a new upstart company with a bright future. Amy, you come across as a worried, belligerent person looking to belittle (Zude is only 5 million, we couldn’t be bothered/I don’t have the time), and defame. If the debate on this page was an example of character, the company I would prefer to support would be Zude. You guys shouldn’t play so rough, someone’s gonna start crying.
Mr. Trgrhpyabcdefg……whatever
First of all, I should congratulate you for being able to access zude because i was not able to do it as their site crashed on the day 1 itself.
It is funny the way you came out with your judgment because if i try to snatch an apple from your hand then it will be you who would be worried & would try to bring it to the notice of everyone and it will be me trying to tone down the whole deal
If that means you are looking to belittle & defame and I have bright future then i cannot make any further comment on the way you look at things
Also, if you can, please try to add some vowels to your name….
Wow! There seems to be a lot of steam here. I think both Zude and ZCubes are in their own space. Each has some unique features and probably some overlapping ones. But its a big web out there people! so keep up the creativity and innovate your best….. there is enough for everyone to share.
Lets work on creating an innovative product and not blowing steam here. I wish both Zude and ZCubes the very best!