I use a number of news aggregators, however I loved the user experience of this site in particular because it allowed me to see the top headlines from several categories, all on one page.  The categories they show are:

• Breaking news
• Sports
• Local videos
• Local tweets
• Business and Corporate News

There are many different aggregators out there, however very few of them combine these categories, so it allows me to visit only one site instead of multiple (which is always a bonus for someone like me).

So check it out if you’re looking for a nice local news solution, I talked with the CEO today and he told me that they are launching new cities each week, with the plan of launching 2,000 cities by the end of 2010.

Atlanta, GA, February 04, 2009 — (PR.com) — SwingAway Sports Products announced their newest Hitting Machine “The SwingAway”. The SwingAway is the newest and most affordable Batting Station to date from this new and exciting company.

The SwingAway Hitting Station was designed and engineered for home training for all Baseball and Softball players regardless of age or skill level. The New SwingAway is built to take the constant use and demands of the Professional Athlete and now it is available to ALL PLAYERS who possess the drive and determination to Get Real Good, Real Fast.

The New SwingAway will be available March 1, 2009, priced at $199.99. Don’t let the price of this machine fool you. This machine has all the benefits of the other models in the SwingAway Product Line and features a Bottom Boom and a new Revolutionary Hitting Mat. This Machine Rocks!

The bottom boom feature will perfectly align the Patented Pulley System to increase the life of the Bungee System. The SA Hitting Mat – replicates the inner portion of the Batter’s Box. The mat is marked for both Right and Left handed Hitters and numbered baseballs showing the “Proper Contact Points” plus Directional Arrows to show where to drive each Pitch Location.

“The New SwingAway acts as a Personal Hitting Instructor that will make any player a Better Hitter, Period, end of story, GUARANTEED”, states John J Flading, SwingAway’s President and CEO. “It is SwingAway Sports Products Goal to make the very best training aids plus offer all the tools to help our customers achieve their dreams and goals. The new SwingAway combined with the SA Hitting Mat, the SA University (SwingAway’s On-Line Hitting Academy), plus the privileged access to Baseball’s and Softball’s Greatest Hitting Coach’s, will make it possible and now affordable to make every SwingAway customer a better Hitter. The Price of this machine makes it a Great Entry Level Batting Station but it still will take the pounding of older and more experienced hitters”.

SwingAway Hitting Systems has always been the Batting Machine of Choice by Professional and Scholastic Programs, now it’s finally affordable for all Players who possess the drive and determination to be the Best.
We as a company are extremely proud to produce the only hitting machine that actually teaches and re-enforces the proper swing fundamentals and mechanics that makes our customers better baseball and softball players and we continue to be successful in doing something Real Good for the Game of Baseball and Softball.

You are Never to Young to develop Perfect Swing Mechanics

www.swingaway.com

www.swingawayblog.com

Contact Information
SwingAway Sports Products, Inc
John J Flading
800-999-1968, 404-825-7063
jflading@swingaway.com
www.swingaway.com
www.swingawayblog.com

I just discovered a new startup that might be my new favorite online resource for city information, CitySpur.com.  If you are like me and are always tentative about using the Yellowpages as a source for information, then you too may enjoy it as well.

When I interviewed the CitySpur spokesperson, Allison Davis, she told me that this online destination was created to give users an insight into every city, for both locals and visitors.  The site has a clean and intuitive interface and actually goes city by city, parsing each business category into top ten lists.  For example, one of the Southern California portals The OC 10, ranks the best bars, restaurants, neighborhoods, gyms, etc. throughout the area.

The company also syndicates a weekly travel show called the “CitySpur Spotlight”.  Ms. Davis posts a new episode each week that discusses a new top ten list from one of the cities the site covers.  Here is a sample episode below:

I’m looking forward to what this company will evolve into.  With the current economic environment, most industry experts are projecting that the hyperlocal market will be one of the best places to be in 2009, and if that is true, CitySpur looks to be in good shape.

Adobe announced the general availability of Adobe AIR 1.5 software for Linux operating systems. Adobe AIR 1.5, a key component of the Adobe Flash Platform, enables Web developers to use HTML, JavaScript, ActionScript and the free, open source Flex framework to deliver Web applications outside the browser. Now, with no additional efforts, developers can use Adobe AIR 1.5 technology to create compelling software applications that are available on Linux, in addition to the Windows and Mac operating systems. Companies, such as DIRECTV, FOX News and The Nasdaq Stock Market, who are using Adobe AIR to deliver uniquely branded experiences, high-definition video and other rich content outside the browser, can be sure their AIR applications will reach the most users across all major operating systems.

“The release of Adobe AIR 1.5 for Linux builds on our ongoing commitment to the Linux community and our legacy of creating technologies that work consistently across operating systems,” said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president of the Platform Business Unit at Adobe. “Using Adobe AIR, millions of Web developers can now be Linux developers, and with little effort and no additional costs, companies can now target emerging markets and a broad set of new devices where Linux is growing in popularity.”

The graphical capabilities of Adobe AIR, along with its access to operating system functionality, give AIR applications the capacity to provide unprecedented user experiences and brand differentiation for the developers and companies creating them. AIR 1.5 includes functionality introduced in Adobe Flash Player 10, such as support for custom filters and effects, native 3D transformation and animation, and extensible rich text layout. Offering new features and performance improvements to create more expressive AIR applications, Adobe AIR 1.5 incorporates the open source WebKit HTML engine and now accelerates application performance with “SquirrelFish,” the new WebKit JavaScript interpreter. Adobe AIR 1.5 also includes a new, encrypted database that meets enterprise security compliance requirements while storing data more securely on customers’ computers.

“Intel and Adobe share a long standing track record of deep technical collaboration,” said Christos Georgiopoulos, general manager Developer Relations Division, Intel Software and Services Group. “With Adobe AIR 1.5 now available for Linux, thousands of developers can run their applications across multiple operating environments including the PC, and in the future netbook and Mobile Internet Device platforms based on the Intel® Atom™ processor running Moblin Linux.”

“Outside of the browser, developers have traditionally had to choose one or maybe two operating systems when building an application to keep development time down and costs low,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project. “With Adobe AIR 1.5, companies and developers can easily target all three major operating systems with a single code base, transforming the application development paradigm and elevating Linux to the same level as Mac and Windows.”

Media Breakaway announced the launch of GarageSales.com, a new site designed to help people earn extra money by selling their unwanted items at their own garage sales.

“In the current economic climate, many people are looking for ways to generate additional income,” said Jenny Frederick, Director of Product Development for Media Breakaway. “Garage sales and yard sales have a long tradition of helping people clear out the clutter from their houses and earn a little extra money. We developed GarageSales.com to give people a variety of free tools to help make their sales as successful as possible.”

GarageSales.com provides a variety of free services and information designed to help people prepare their items for sale, advertise the event, and get potential customers to come to the sale. The site includes a tips page with helpful information about setup, pricing, advertising and other aspects of running a successful garage sale. Another section allows sellers to post detailed information about their sale, along with descriptions and photos of featured items.

“The site is also geared toward buyers who are looking to save money and avoid buying items in stores,” said Frederick. “We provide a number of ways for buyers to learn about upcoming garage sales in their town or neighborhood and identify the ones they would like to visit.”

The site provides garage sale hunters with an interactive map that highlights garage sales in their area, along with a search function and an email alert service, allowing people to easily find information about upcoming sales.

Using the site is free for both sellers and garage sale hunters, making it a great resource for consumers, especially in today’s economy.

A survey of approximately 400 IT buyers has found that online vendor marketing information is relevant to their prospects less than half the time. The online research conducted last October asked technologists and business buyers what they prefer as they move from general education to business case development to final decisions in purchasing products and services.

The key considerations include content type and format as well as accessibility to different information during the purchase process. Content type includes a wide range of materials from in-depth product information, to white papers, case studies, articles, and vendor collateral. Content format covers the media used such as audio, video, or a document. On average six technology, business, and financial professionals are involved in major technology purchases and they each have their own preferences as to content format and type.

The Critical 14 Percent Gap

In many cases, marketing and sales information exists in great quantities on the Web but the quality is lacking according to IT buyers. When asked about finding relevant content, they found it only 42 percent of the time. The lack of relevancy for the prospect reduced the vendor’s chance of closing a sale by 45 percent. The respondents were not very demanding as they said they would be satisfied if 56 percent of the marketing information was what they needed to become informed and create a shortlist of vendors from which to buy products and services.

The Marketing Content Mix

The buying teams made up of different professionals rated the importance of 19 content types including in-depth product/service information, case studies, technical white papers, evaluation versions, articles, independent reviews, advertisements, tutorials, etc. In the General Education phase, articles and advertisements were most valued while during the Business Case process case studies and articles held sway. As the buyers moved to Implementation scenarios, case studies remained important joined by tutorials/demonstrations. As a decision neared, tutorials/demonstrations and case studies were most important in both the Shortlist Creation and Final Decision phases.

The content format is also an important consideration as people prefer to consume different media such as audio, video, documents, and podcasts. In the early stages documents are preferred by more than 50 percent of the buyers whereas a Webcast rises in importance in the Implementation and Shortlist phases. At the end of the buying cycle documents are heavily favored by 65 percent. In addition, tools such as calculators that when a visitor provides data he is told how his company compares to a similar firm and widgets gain in prominence. Of roughly equal importance throughout the process are podcasts, videos, and tools.

While buying team members have varied preferences as to content type and format they are in general agreement that peer-based material and independent reviews are favored while inaccurate or slanted information that favors a vendor is a major concern. However, appropriate vendor content and Web sites are important elements for the buying team at different stages of the review process.

“Technology buyers are telling us that the days of randomly producing marketing materials without regard to what they want are coming to an end,” said Bob Johnson, vice president, Engagement Optimization at IDG Communications, based in Framingham, MA. “As our research shows, vendors that get the right mix of content at the right time for influencers and decisions makers will significantly increase their chances of making a sale.”

There are other variables to consider when producing marketing materials for particular products or services. The content preferences change when considering different technologies: hardware, software, services, and software as a service. For example, hardware buyers seek the most technical information throughout and a decision is most heavily influenced by IT. On the software side, vendors should focus on case studies and evaluation versions.

SeeqPod today unveiled the only application for Windows Mobile devices that allows users to play search results from any Windows Mobile powered device. The application, developed especially for the Windows Mobile operating system, taps an infinite amount of media available in the ‘Cloud,’ making millions of search results, podcasts, Wikipedia content and other playable data throughout the Internet, accessible for a one-time fee, which is currently offered at the introductory rate of $9.95 US.

SeeqPod for Windows Mobile can be downloaded from the SeeqPod website at http://www.seeqpod.com/mobile/ (And in the future, it will be available in the Microsoft Windows App Marketplace.) The company, which is known for its R&D 100 award winning biomimetic search and discovery technology, in conjunction with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is currently working on applications for the Blackberry and Google’s Android to be released in 2009. In 2007, an adaptation to the full-function SeeqPod engine was made for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch, which can be found here: http://www.seeqpod.com/mobile/iphone.php

“Amid the massive and growing mobile market, there are a handful of emerging, promising platforms and operating systems begging for innovative development,” said Kasian Franks, founder and CEO, SeeqPod Inc. “We think that Microsoft and others will benefit from third-party applications developed at SeeqPod for Windows Mobile, by adding tremendous value to the customer experience and enabling wider distribution of handsets.”

FEATURES

• Search the Internet for individual playable search results including audio, text, related Wikipedia articles and music discovery and recommendations
• Easy access to thousands of SeeqPod’s daily updated Featured PodLists
• Quick-link to purchase media, via Amazon.com, iTunes, etc.
• Best of class graphics, with interchangeable color themes and player skins
• Easy-to-use, one-handed controls (and touch, stylus, and gestures on PocketPC devices)
• Bluetooth ready for enabled or adapted players, home audio, and car stereos

Pelago, the makers of Whrrl, announced a partnership with Maponics for Neighborhood Boundaries to power their location data needs. Whrrl is a location-aware, mobile social networking service that allows friends to share their experiences in real time.

As part of the agreement, Maponics Neighborhood Boundaries will power Whrrl with over 50,000 targeted neighborhoods in 2,000 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The service provides both large scale, major area neighborhoods (commonly known local neighborhoods), and smaller sub-neighborhoods for narrower searches, giving Whrrl users a choice between a high-level or more granular local views.

“Our social-savvy users expect Whrrl to have the most relevant, detailed information at the neighborhood level to help them find cool nearby places and activities,” said Alison Algor, Director of Customer Experience for Pelago. “Maponics is the perfect partner to help meet their expectations.”

“Location-aware social networking is centered on location intelligence, and Maponics provides seamless, compatible local search and mapping capabilities,” said Darrin Clement, President of Maponics. “We are excited to partner with Whrrl to offer this service and help drive their platform.”

Kraft Foods announced that iFood Assistant, a new application for iPhone and iPod touch that offers users access to food and meal planning ideas, is now available on the Apple App Store. Unlike similar Web Apps that only link to external Web sites designed to be viewed on an iPhone, iFood Assistant is a resident program that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and installed on any iPhone and iPod touch. A first for any food or consumer packaged goods company, the launch of iFood Assistant represents the latest in Kraft’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for consumers’ busy and increasingly wireless lifestyles.

“People’s lives are becoming increasingly complex and they’re looking for relevant content and solutions to make their lives easier,” explains Ed Kaczmarek, director of innovation, new services at Kraft. “We’ve worked with top interactive agency Genex, a division of Meredith Corporation, to create this dynamic iPhone application that answers the call with not only recipes and food ideas, but meal planning and preparation advice across many categories and consumer brands.”

Fresh features of iFood Assistant include:

• Over 7,000 tested, searchable recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions – also includes an alternate horizontal view to follow along while cooking
• Users can review comments on recipes and share with others
• Shopping lists with nearby store recommendations and the ability to add custom ingredients
• High quality video demonstrations with easy to follow instructions
• Useful tips and shortcuts to aid on-the-go consumers like the “Dinner Tonight” and “Recipe of the Day” sections that feature daily recipes

iFood Assistant seeks to fill a consumer need for convenient mobile solutions that extend beyond the store shelves. The application itself has been designed as an agnostic platform with the flexibility to evolve with partners joining to provide relevant content, solutions and tools that can be integrated into the application. For more information, guided tour videos and to inquire about partnership opportunities, please visit www.iFoodAssistant.com.