Internet

Clinton, Obama offer economic recovery plans - Democrat Barack Obama said today tougher government regulations that reflect the realities of modern finance are needed to get a grip on the economy before it gets even worse. Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton said Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain isn't prepared to handle a call about an economic emergency.

Thousands in Baghdad Protest Basra Assault - In direct confrontation with the American-backed government in Iraq, thousands of supporters of the powerful Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia took to the streets of Baghdad on Thursday to protest the Iraqi Army’s assault on the southern port city of Basra, as intense fighting continued there for a third day.

Dollar gains on weak economic growth - The dollar gained against the euro on Thursday as data confirmed that the United States economy was still growing in the fourth quarter, albeit weakly. The euro bought $1.5784 in afternoon European trading, down from $1.5815 in New York late Wednesday.

Oil hits $107 on pipeline blast - Oil prices touched $107 a barrel after one of Iraq's main export pipelines was blown up. The rise extended Wednesday's gains of $4 a barrel after a US report showed lower-than-expected petrol stocks.

YouTube Feature Tells Video Creators When and Where a Clip Is Being Watched - In a move to provide better data to its users, YouTube formally announced late Wednesday that it had added a free feature that will show video creators when and where viewers are watching their videos. With this, the company hopes to turn YouTube from an online video site into a place where marketers can test their messages, Tracy Chan, YouTube product manager, said.

I love to share my music. Perhaps because the artist I like are underground or their music is a tad bit hard to find. Nonetheless, Muxtape makes it easy for anyone to share their mixtapes composed of their own music for FREE via their website. It takes longer deciding which 12 tracks to share with friends than it does to signup. The playlist is presented in a beautiful minimalist fashion and playing the songs does not take a rocket scientist to figure out. I created my own playlist which if I could title it would be "On the Grind." It is music that makes me work hard and keep me motivated on my end goal. I also run to this type of music. Nonetheless, you can check out my playlist here and don't forget to signup and share your music with friends as well. Muxtape launched yesterday and they are already receiving the press and traffic they deserve. Join early before the fun is over!

[Update] Due to the music that I uploaded being .m4a, there are technical difficulties in listening to my playlist. Rest assure for those that only have .m4a like myself that the fix is just around the corner. If you just can't wait then I recommend converting your songs to .mp3 with your favorite music player.

The War Endures, but Where’s the Media? - Media attention on Iraq began to wane after the first months of fighting, but as recently as the middle of last year, it was still the most-covered topic. Since then, Iraq coverage by major American news sources has plummeted, to about one-fifth of what it was last summer, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Into the Economic Abyss - By the end of 2007, 36 percent of consumers' disposable income went to food, energy and medical care, a bigger chunk of income than at any time since records were first kept in 1960, according to Merrill Lynch.

Sirius Buyout of Rival XM Approved - The Justice Department has approved the $5 billion buyout of XM Satellite Radio by a rival, Sirius Satellite Radio, saying the deal was unlikely to hurt competition or consumers.

Bush: U.S. deaths in Iraq 'laid foundations for peace' - President Bush expressed sympathy Monday for the families of the 4,000 Americans killed in the war in Iraq, promising to make sure their loved ones "were not lost in vain." Military officials reported four U.S. soldiers died Sunday in a roadside bombing in Iraq, bringing the American toll in the war to the milestone of 4,000 deaths, including eight Defense Department civilians.

Google wants more airwaves for broadband - On Monday the company sent a letter to the FCC outlining what it would like to do with so-called “white space” — airwaves found between broadcast channels that will become available when television switches from analog to digital early next year. Unlike the five blocks of spectrum recently up for auction, these airwaves are unlicensed and largely unused.

I wanted to share the PEW Research Center's conclusion about "Where the Public Learns about Political Campaigns" posted by Erick Schonfeld over at TechCruch. As one would surmise, the influence of the internet as a legitimate medium for a marketplace of ideas is growing. Since 2000 Local Television News has dropped from 48% to 40% as a source where individuals regularly learn about Presidential Campaigns. The Internet jumped from 9% to 24%, the largest increase by any group. Another interesting point is that the older one is the more likely that person will rely on traditional media sources such as Local TV or Newspaper. The 18-29 year-old demographic uses the internet (42%) much more than older users (15%). Traditional News Agencies dominate as the source on the internet with MSNBC.com receiving about 26%.

What are the implications? Well, I believe as the internet becomes more mainstream with individuals becoming more web based research savvy, it will be the most dominant medium for obtaining information. Websites and YouTube Videos will help to remind voters and expose Political Candidate's lies more efficiently. As more people began to rely less on traditional forms of media for news one will see a more intelligent voter base. The web is helping to connect people much faster to issues and is a vast library of recorded video for one to review upon desire. No longer must you wait to see the six o'clock news to see what Candidate X said about Candidate Y, you will be able to view the clip instantaneously. The impact of the internet in just the last four years is quite evident when one observes the role websites such as MoveOn.org or political blogs play. In a previous post about a YouTube Video titled "Vote Different," I speculated on the impact that the internet would have on voters, based on ads created by supporters but not affiliated nor approved by political campaigns. I expect the internet to become a form of Check and Balance to Political Elections. You are no longer immune from deception when everyone can review your comments for your years to come.