Reflections & analysis about innovation, technology, startups, investing, healthcare, and more .... with a focus on Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Blogging continuously since 2005.

Tag: Blist

DEMO ’08 – My Top Picks

It’s been a couple days since DEMO wrapped up, but I took my time to think over my picks. (Plus I’ve been busy working on other research.) Demofini
I haven’t even looked on DEMO.com yet to see who won the DEMOgod awards (the site was down when I tried to the day after), and I also haven’t read any of the various media stories on the picks they chose (eWeek was one I saw scroll by, and there are many more, I’m sure).  So, these picks of mine are totally unadultered by the opinions of others… 🙂

At first I thought for sure I had just five obvious, really top picks. Then I realized, looking over my notes, no, there are too many other good ones — I’ll do ten. Well, darned if I couldn’t narrow it down that far, either!  So I finally settled on 15 this morning.  This DEMO seemed to have more great companies, great ideas than others I’ve attended — technologies I know we’ll be hearing much more about in coming months.  Some are still nascent upstarts, of course, so it may be a while before we hear a lot — whereas others presenting have already raised significant capital and will likely make a splash sooner. [I noted there were less companies this time that had raised big bucks before they got here, which was interesting…]

It was really hard to limit myself to just the picks I name here, but I thought anything more than 15 would just be too much. It doesn’t mean any of the remaining 62 aren’t worthy — I just simply chose the ones that resonated the most with me, in the categories I most relate to.  Someone else with a different perspective would likely choose a completely different list. It’s interesting that, of the seven categories DEMO uses, my picks come from four of them: consumer devices (2), consumer software & services (6), enterprise software & services (1), and enabling technology (6). In fact, that latter group was the standout for me: I chose 6 of the 11 companies thus categorized.

So, without further ado, here are my picks, alphabetically, with the few words I Twittered live about each company during the event. I encourage you to click through on each link and find out for yourself why I think they’re cool…

• Blist is the world’s easiest database for mainstream users – very nice, clean, like simple spreadsheet, but powerful
• GreenPlug is a chip & protocol for real-time communication between devices that lets you charge multiple devices w/one power supply
• HubDub, news-aggregator prediction market (wisdom of the crowd), makes everyone a "news participant"  — start w/$1k play money
• Iterasi, wow, my own personal wayback machine – do I need this!
• LeapFrog‘s Tag, portable reading system that fits in child’s hand – a pen with a speaker in it, very cool – "brings books to life"
• LiveScribe Smartpen, a computer in a pen that records and links audio, a "new medium for storytelling" – oh, baby, gonna get one!
• Nirvanix, storage delivery network to scale w/o buying all those expensive arrays – affordable, full featured, more than Amazon S3!
• NotchUp is one of my favs for sure – employers pay to interview *me*?  oh, god, am I dreaming? my price comes up at $550 a pop [and this one merited a second Tweet:]

just launched and already is up to 50K members, and 400 cos have signed up – this one just resonates – I smell a DEMOgod
• Notebookz’ iLeonardo, first "parallel entrepreneur" presenter at DEMO (also CEO, Cozimo), social utility to connect people doing web research
• Ribbit merges your mobile phone w/your online life (three VCs in it, lotsa buzz) — see their phone widgets — oooh
• Semingo‘s Delver, first socially connected search engine, indexes soc web, imports your social graph, find answers from trusted friends
• Sprout is so cool (SproutBuilder.com), lets anyone build sophisticated Flash-based widgets and other files, drag/drop, effects
• VisibleMeasures, awesome, captures video viewing data, all user clicks, in-stream behavior, easy setup, $5M Series A/Gen Catalyst
• Yoics‘ univ networking makes remote access simple as IM, any connected device is accessible to anyone, like view web cam on phone
• YouChoose.net, a widget to replace comments sections on most blogs; when comments entered, they appear on all sites hosting widget [note: the whole story appears not yet to be on their web site…just expect to hear more about "distributed comments"]

Why did I do my live coverage of the event on Twitter this time? Because it just seemed so fitting for an event like this, where things move so rapid-fire.  Let me tell you, your brain gets a real overdose of new information at DEMO!  I’ve done full blog posts in the past, but can only do so many of those at any one event. [Dan Farber of ZDnet was nice enough to ask me if I was going to write my in-depth stuff again so he didn’t have to… 🙂 ] Twitter just seemed to be the thing to do, after I’ve been getting into it lately and finding it the most fun thing to read on my iPhone when I’m waiting somewhere.  I actually considered some live blogging software from an outfit in Toronto, which CNet’s Rafe Needleman uses. [He told me it worked well for him.] I just didn’t have time to learn that or set it up.  And I decided I liked the challenge of trying to net out everything for my readers in 140 characters or less per "post."  It’s kind of the extreme opposite of my long posts, but I thought worth a try.  And speed does matter. What did you think?  I put up something like 85 or 90 Tweets, and — not to be just a word guy — also about 90 pix on Flickr.  It was another great DEMO!  I really enjoyed it.  Learned a ton, and met a bunch more great people.

UPDATE (2/14/08): By the way, the DEMOgod winners are listed here.  Finally got around to looking that up. Looks like four of mine made it. Kinda anti-climactic to bring up at this point, but that’s how the awards are — even when they’re first announced, because most people leave before the final night’s banquet when the winners are revealed.

UPDATE (2/20/08): And one of my picks gets some dough. Here’s the news, just in from Mashable: Fun Spreadsheet Maker Blist Gets $6.5M.

What I Like at DEMO So Far…

Well, it hasn’t even started yet, but looking over the list, perusing the press room, and chatting with a few folks, these companies are some I definitely will be checking out…

• BitGravity – who can’t like the company with the technology that will be live streaming DEMO for the very first time? (watch DEMO.com starting tomorrow morning to see their work)
• Blist – world’s easiest database…makes relational database creation and management as easy as using a spreadsheet
• HubDub – DEMO describes this one as a brilliant marriage of news aggregation and prediction markets, and these guys came all the way from Edinburgh…great Scot!
• Livescribe – a new kind of content creation tool (how could I not like that?)…its Pulse Smartpen is a computer in a pen that records and links audio to what you write on paper (ooooh)
• Redux – a new concept in social networking, using a unique set of algorithms based on user actions and  personality preferences

That’s just a start. There are 77 presenters!  More soon….

DEMO ’08 Announces Presenting Companies

Well, have I ever got a linkfest for you. Following up on my post of January 7, the big event next week is now taking shape: I just got the early word that no less than 77 new products (!) will be launched at the DEMO ’08 conference. Check out the list — did I mention it’s with links? — that I inserted for your clicking pleasure below. David Weinberger would love this one. And my other Cluetrain friend, Doc Searls, too. He once described a post I did as "linkier than a vest of chainmail."  Well, this one’s got more, Doc — about eighty, if you can stand it.  I’m getting so adept at inserting links in my Typepad WYSIWYG interface, it’s scary. Remember, it’s not so much how many people read your posts, it’s how long you engage them. Well, this one’s got a lot to keep you engaged if you’re hooked, like me, on just having to know what’s coming next in tech.

The rules for DEMO presenters state their products must not be previously available or promoted publicly, so many of the links below are brand-new sites, and some may not have much info online till Monday morning, the day registration opens.  So keep watching their sites…that’s right, via those links below.

Most of you probably don’t need me to tell you this, but DEMO is a twice yearly "emerging technology showcase" that’s known for launching some of the tech industry’s biggest innovations.  Now in its 18th year, the events have hosted a "who’s who" of company and product debuts, including those from VMWare, Google, IronPort, Apple, salesforce.com, Palm, Intel, HP, Yahoo!, Logitech, TiVo, and GrandCentral. The show’s producers, led by Chris Shipley, select presenters from hundreds of applications. Each firm launches its new product in a six-minute live stage demonstration attended by journalists, investors, and business professionals from around the globe. The press corps, of which your humble blogger is a part, will number close to 100. As I like to say, everyone from Walt Mossberg on down. (Okay, I’m at the bottom.) DEMO ’08 is being held January 28-30 in Palm Desert, CA. [You can still register — click on the graphic at right.]

DEMO kicks off 2008 with a variety of technologies for consumers and businesses alike. Here are some hints about what’s coming next week:

• a personalized telephony service converging data and voice
• broadcast-quality video delivery service for the Internet
• a Web-based platform for scalable storage delivery
• a portable learn-to-read system
• a service that enables image and video collaboration
• a solution that teaches you to play your favorite popular tunes
• a collaboration solution for business and personal use
• TiVo for your mobile phone
• HD video conferencing over IP networks
• multiple technologies for students, parents, and children
• and products from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Israel, New Zealand,  Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

Here are the DEMO ’08 demonstrators:

2Win Solutions, Ltd.; Raanana, Israel; www.2win-solutions.com
800 PBX, Inc.; Fremont, CA; www.800genie.800pbx.com
Acesis, Inc.; Mountain View, CA; www.acesis.com
Asankya, Inc.; Atlanta, GA; www.asankya.com
Aternity, Inc.; Westborough, MA; www.aternity.com
atlaspost.com; Taipei City, Taiwan; www.atlaspost.com
Avistar Communications Corp.; San Mateo, CA; www.avistar.com
BitGravity, Inc.; Burlingame, CA; www.bitgravity.com
blist, Inc.; Seattle, WA; www.blist.com
Buzka, Pty Ltd.; Subiaco, Australia; www.buzka.com
Capzles, Inc.; Culver City, CA; www.capzles.com
Catalyst Web Services, LLC; Alexandria, VA; www.catalystweb.com
CellSpinSoft, Inc.; San Jose, CA; www.cellspin.net
Celsias, Ltd.; Wellington, New Zealand; www.celsias.com
CHALEX Corp.; Grasonville, MD; www.chalexcorp.com
Circos.com, Inc.; San Mateo, CA; www.circos.com
Citiport, Inc.; Taipei City, Taiwan; www.citiport.net
Citrix Systems, Inc.; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; www.citrix.com
Cozimo.com, Inc.; Berkeley, CA; www.cozimo.com
Delver, Inc.; Herzliya Pituach, Israel; www.delver.com
Ecrio, Inc.; Cupertino, CA; www.ecrio.com
Education.com; Redwood City, CA; www.education.com
Eyealike, Inc.; Bellevue, WA; www.eyealike.com
Fabrik, Inc.; San Mateo, CA; www.fabrik.com
Flypaper, Inc.; Phoenix, CA; www.freshbrew.com
GoldMail, Inc.; San Francisco, CA; www.goldmail.com
good2gether, Inc.; Melrose, MA; www.good2gether.com
Green Plug, Inc.; San Ramon, CA; www.greenplug.us
HealthPricer Interactive, Ltd.; Vancouver, BC; www.healthpricer.com
Hubdub, Ltd.; Edinburgh, Scotland; www.hubdub.com
Huddle.net; London, England; www.Huddle.net
Iterasi, Inc.; Vancouver, WA; www.iterasi.com
iVideosongs; Alpharetta, GA; www.ivideosongs.com
Jodange, LLP; Yonkers, NY; www.jodange.com
Kaazing Corp.; Mountain View, CA; www.kaazing.com
LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.; Emeryville, CA; www.leapfrog.com
LegiTime Technologies, Inc.; Westport, CT; www.legitext.com
LiquidPlanner, Inc.; Bellevue, WA; www.liquidplanner.com
LiquidTalk, Inc.; Chicago, IL; www.liquidtalk.com
Liquidus Corp.; Chicago, IL; www.liquidusmedia.com
Livescribe, Inc.; Oakland, CA; www.livescribe.com
MANDIANT; Alexandria, VA; www.mandiant.com
MOLI, LLC; West Palm Beach, FL; www.moli.com
Movial; Helsinki, Finland; www.movial.com
Nirvanix; San Diego, CA; www.nirvanix.com
NotchUp, Inc.; Los Altos Hills, CA; www.notchup.com
Notebookz.com, Inc.; Berkeley, CA; www.ileonardo.com
Pathworks Software Corp.; Mountain View, CA; www.pathworkssoftware.com
Redux, Inc.; Berkeley, CA; www.redux.com
Review2Buy, Inc.; San Francisco, CA; www.review2buy.com
Ribbit Corp.; Stanford, CA; www.goribbit.com
Rove Mobile, Inc.; Ottawa, Ontario; www.rovemobile.com
Santrum Networks, Inc.; Taipei, Taiwan; www.santrum.com
SceneCaster; Richmond Hill, Ontario; www.scenecaster.com
Seesmic; San Francisco, CA; www.seesmic.com
Silobreaker, Ltd.; London; England; www.silobreaker.com
Skyfire; San Jose, CA; www.dvclabs.com
SpeakLike, LLC; New York, NY; www.speaklike.com
Sprout, Inc.; Honolulu; HI; www.sproutfusion.com
Squidcast; San Francisco, CA; www.squidcast.com
StackSafe, Inc.; Vienna, VA; www.stacksafe.com
Standout Jobs, Inc.; Montreal, Quebec; www.standoutjobs.com
STEP Labs; San Jose, CA; www.steplabs.com
Sterna Technologies, Inc.; San Mateo, CA; www.friend-ltd.com
support.com; Redwood City, CA; www.support.com
SupportSpace, Inc.; Redwood Shores, CA; www.supportspace.com
Symantec Corp.; Cupertino, CA; www.symantec.com
TimeTrade Systems, Inc.; Bedford, MA; www.timetrade.com
Toktumi, Inc.; San Francisco, CA; www.toktumi.com
TubeMogul, Inc.; Berkeley; CA; www.tubemogul.com
Vidyoâ„¢, Inc.; Hackensack; NJ; www.vidyo.com
Visible Measures Corp.; Boston, MA; www.visiblemeasures.com
Voyant, Inc.; Austin, TX; www.planwithvoyant.com
xtranormal, Inc.; Montreal, Quebec; www.xtranormal.com
Yoics, Inc.; Palo Alto, CA; www.yoics.com
YouChoose, LLC; Thornton, PA; www.youchoose.net
Zodiac Interactive; Valley Stream NY; www.zodiac.tv

The DEMO conferences, which are now held in China and Europe as well as the U.S., focus on
emerging technologies and new products that are hand-selected from
across the spectrum of the technology marketplace. DEMO has earned a reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow’s
cutting-edge technologies, serving as a launchpad for
companies such as Palm, E*Trade, Handspring, and U.S. Robotics, helping
them to secure venture funding, establish critical business
relationships, and influence early adopters. More information about the conferences is at Demo.com.

Oh, one more thing: my buddy Mike Garity at Network World Conferences, which runs these great events, would especially want me to tell you this:  videos of the live stage demonstrations launching each of the 77 products will be available on Demo.com beginning Tuesday afternoon, January 29.  That’s a new wrinkle, and I hear a whole new Demo.com site is launching, complete with community and social networking features. That will be cool.

Let me know what you like from the above list, or want to know more about.  I’ll be live-blogging from the event, as always.  Hell, I might even Twitter, too…from my iPhone…while simultaneously uploading the pix I’m shooting to Flickr…or maybe Tittr.

UPDATE (3:30 pm Central):  To fix three links…  🙂