Last night we released the finalist names for the Crunchies Awards. Vote here for who you think should win. We’ve set up a site that is pretty self-explanatory, with all of the names of each finalist for every category, along with links to their Websites and Crunchbase profiles where you can learn more about each one before voting. The Crunchies represents the best the Web had to offer in 2008, and you get to help choose who will win. Below is a voter’s guide for two of the major categories to get you started.
Best Overall
Amazon Web Services
Facebook
Android
hulu
Twitter
Best Overall is the big prize. Amazon Web Services makes it as a finalist this year because of the sheer number of startups that are built on top of its cloud computing infrastructure. Facebook won last year, but makes a return as a nominee due to popular demand. Facebook continued to gain massive mainstream adoption in 2008 (with 140 million members now) and launched some major initiatives to extend its social computing platform beyond its site, most notably Facebook Connect (which by itself is a finalist for Best Technology Innovation, going up against Google Friend Connect). But does Facebook deserve to win again?
This was also the year that Google launched its Android phone, bringing the unadulterated Web to mobile devices beyond the iPhone (which won Best Gadget last year for its 2G version). Hulu emerged as a rarity in the Web video world, a popular site with a serious revenue model. And Twitter broke out as the service everyone can’t stop talking (or Tweeting) about. As with any new communication technology, people keep finding novel ways to use Twitter’s public instant-messaging service.
Best New Startup of 2008
Dropbox
FriendFeed
GoodGuide
Tapulous
Topspin Media
Yammer
This category recognizes the best startup to launch publicly in 2008. Dropbox makes it dead-simple to transfer files between computers. It creates a Dropbox folder on your computer that you just drag files into, and then they become available to anyone else with access to that folder. FriendFeed sparked the whole lifestreaming movement this year, and kept adding improvements that makes it easier to filter the Web through the actions of everyone in your various social networks. GoodGuide has created an impressive product database (and iPhone app) that tells you at a glance how green or safe that baby cream or toy is that you just put in your shopping cart.
Tapulous created some of the most popular iPhone apps with Tap Tap Revenge, Tap Tap Dance, and Twinkle (a Twitter client, of course), despite some internal turmoil. Topspin Media, founded by former Yahoo Music chief Ian Rogers, is trying to help bring the music industry into the 21st Century by embracing the Internet as a marketing vehicle instead of a necessary evil. And Yammer is an enterprise version of Twitter which won the top prize at this year’s TechCrunch50.
Here are the finalists for some of the other categories. To see a complete list, go to the Crunchies site and vote for who you think should win. Voting ends January 5.
Best Technology Innovation
Facebook Connect
Google Friend Connect
Google Chrome
Windows Live Mesh
Swype
Yahoo BOSS
Best New Gadget
Android G1
Asus 1000 Netbook Computer
Flip MinoHD video camera
iPhone 3G
SlingCatcher
Best App
Get Satisfaction
Google Reader
Minted
meebo
MySpace Music
Yelp
Best Mobile App
Google Mobile (for iPhone)
Imeem Mobile (for Android)
Pandora Radio (for iPhone)
rolando (for iPhone)
ShopSavvy (for Android)
Ocarina (for iPhone)
Most Likely To Make the World a Better Place
Akoha
Better Place
Causes
CO2Stats
GoodGuide
Kiva
Didnt Spotify deserve a place on this list?
http://www.spot.../en/about/what/
Agreed. Spotify is the coolest app i’ve seen in years.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Nope.
I used to own the domain, SWYPE.com, not sure who owns it now since GoDaddy.com has locked it up.
I’m however disappointed that my startup data tool, RentersQ, http://www.rentersq.com, the site is currently down for maintenance, didn’t make the list either.
Anywho, for me, the Best of the Web for 2008 was Microsoft’s failure to acquire Yahoo.
But on that tiny list of finalists, I’ll probably go with Kiva, because it’s helping making a real, great difference around the world, developing countries.
yeah, with all the publicity and usage that rentersq.com gets, it is surprising indeed. is the IPO this year?
I am surprised at the quality of the list, really great picks all around.
I am putting money on FriendFeed to win best new startup of 2008, Scoble must provide it with x,xxx in free publicity every day.
and everyone follows whatever scoble does, LOL. i like ff, i’ll be surprised if it wins though. they have too many UX issues to get more than early adopters
the topic is good
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definitely twitter !
facebook connect- (and using it now)…..
you gotta be kiddin, there is a difference between powerful and innovative; fb connect is powerful because they have a shit ton of people’s real names. fb connect isn’t innovative, however
Decent list overall. I think it’s a stretch to call some of the Best Apps -apps. Or even services. But whatever, they’re your awards and you can squeeze your categories however you choose.
But I also am starting to find this little clubby atmosphere a bit much. Most of these companies and people haven’t come close to making any money. That’s okay in 2006. Not 2009. TechCrunch needs to start having standards and stop focusing so much on pals.
A few things missing:
SugarSync (bias disclaimer, I used to work there)
Roku or Netflix
Basecamp (did I miss that? maybe)
Some of the better iPhone apps, which is where all the innovation was this year
I question: Chrome. It’s been bad from the beginning. Losing market share too (what little it started with).
1) Who the hell is SugarSync ?
2) Roku and Netflix? WTF? Not even close. TIVO, xbox360, and PC/Mac are still where people stream
3) Basecamp has been around quite a while. Except for AWS and Yammer, there is no company, product/ service/ company targeting usage within companies, just by consumers
4) Chrome was already beating opera, just officially launched. I refuse to vote for any publicly traded company unless it is jaw dropping
Google Reader!
dropbox is positively brilliant — they really deserve best new startup — didn’t friendfeed launch in 07 anyway?
private beta was ‘07, public launch was ‘08.
I tend to go for the startups who did it without big $$$ backing. Well done to all those guys!
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Still waiting to see the real list of companies who were actually nominated by those 180,000 people.
Will we ever see that? Or should I start writing off The Crunchies now?
Seriously, if there was a reason to not nominate someone from the popular vote, post it and say why. Otherwise, the motivations of the nominating committee will continue to be suspect.
Yeah, not a chance of that happening. Might as well start counting now to see how long this comment, and yours, stay up.
The Crunchies are 100% not choosen with nominations, but rather by how much money from ticket sales they may drive, and from whether one of the organisers invests in the startup or not. It’s complete bullshit.
Yeah! What was voted most?
for my money, Facebook edges out Twitter (mostly because of Facebook Connect)
http://twitter.com/Markmayhew
Yeah, looks like friends of Arrington to me.
Yahoo BOSS is the best of 2008
Thanks Erick for several links above I hadn’t seen before. This should be fun to watch.
Thanks TechCrunch, a newbie geek can always count on you to point me in the right 2.0 path
A lot of good apps on the list this year but how many will really survive (especially these days) to see 2010???
Here is my personal favs – Rob’s Top 5
Hats off for the list! Like every top-n list, some good ones make it, some don’t. Let’s see if I can make my startup make it to the list next year!
Wishing everyone good luck in this new year.
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dropbox is positively brilliant — they really deserve best new startup — didn’t friendfeed launch in 07 anyway?