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Ask.com introduced Blog & Feed Search, a new web search designed for searching blog posts, finding feeds and news published to the "blogosphere," while leveraging Ask.com search technology and subscription data. I did a search on "voip blog" as well as "gadget blog" and this blog was listed as the #1 RSS feed. Sweet!

I can also see my blog posts from within Ask.com. When I roll the binoculars icon over one of the search results I can see a preview of the site without leaving the page. From Ask.com's blog search you can also subscribe to feeds using your preferred reader, including BlogLines, Google, Newsgator, and Yahoo. They also feature quick links to popular online bookmarking/sharing sites such as Bloglines, Del.cio.us, Digg, and Newvine.

Looks like the WWE is going to soon allow you "pay on-demand" (pay-per-view) access to over 75,000 hours of wrestling programs. Could a full-time "Wrestling Classic Channel" be far behind? Hey, ESPN has ESPN Classic, so why not a Wrestling Classic channel? Relatedly, I hope the FCC gets its act together on ala carte channel purchasing.

WWE also purchased libraries dating back to the 1950's from WCW, ECW, AWA, WCCW, CWF, CSW, OVW, and SMW. Watching old wrestling events certain has a lot of nostalgia. So now you can bring back the memories of past pay-per-view events like WrestleMania, or wrestling shows like RAW, Saturday Night Main Event, etc.

By the way, I still prefer the old name - WWF (damn the World WildLife Fund to hell for suing over same initials infringment!).

Check out the news:

WWE Amasses 75,000 Hours Of Content

Over the past few years, World Wrestling Entertainment has been aggregating the best of professional wrestling television by strategically acquiring the video libraries from a host of national and regional promoters.With a collection now totaling over 75,000 hours of content, the WWE video library is the largest of its kind.

In addition to its own extensive WWE Library, WWE purchased libraries dating back to the 1950's from WCW, ECW, AWA, WCCW, CWF, CSW, OVW, and SMW, representing virtually all of the significant wrestling programming in the world.

WWE intends to monetize this vast collection across several initiatives:

-WWE 24/7 OnDemand, the company's subscription video-on-demand-service featured on Cox Communications, RCN, Rogers Cable, Insight, Verizon and other distributors internationally, and which will be launched on Comcast this August.

-A new one-hour "Classic" television program, to be distributed internationally starting this summer.

-WWE Home Video, to which the library compilation has already contributed to successful titles like "The Rise and Fall of ECW," "The Monday Night War" and "The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection," three of the Top 20 best selling sports DVDs of all time.

-WWE.com, on which events and matches from a cross-section of the WWE video library compilation are currently available for purchase.

-WWE's burgeoning Broadband and Mobile businesses, where WWE has seen its popularity and Superstars scale efficiently to a worldwide audience that wants more content beyond television.

The WWE video library includes events and matches with the biggest stars in wrestling history:Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Andre The Giant, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, The Von Erichs, Triple H, The Undertaker, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and many, many others.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at WWE.com and corporate.wwe.com.

TMC is hosting a party at GlobalComm, the third such party hosted by TMC at GlobalComm (formerly Supercomm). According to Rich Tehrani, "it will now be an IMS party co-sponsored by the IMS Forum –formerly the IPCC. It will also be sponsored by TMC's new IMS Magazine and IMS Expo. The entire IMS market will be represented." I'm sure lots of VoIP players will be attending, so will be a great chance to meet important people in the industry in an informal setting.

Alas, I won't be there, but I'm not important in the VoIP industry anyway, right?

The party is tonight, so this is a bit of last minute notice. I just hope the party and the GlobalComm show isn't like 1999. Wasn't the start of the telecom sector crash?

But feel free to crash the party. Actually, I think you have to RSVP here.

Last week, my boss asked MIS and me about being able to record his calls from his cell phone since he was doing an important interview. How ironic that just a few days later, Free Conferencing Corp. was announcing their plans for free recording capabilities that would work from his cellphone or any phone for that matter.

If you go to www.freeconferencecall.com you can check out what they claim is the "industry’s first FREE conference recording service." Callers can utilize the in-conference recording option for:

• Free unlimited dial-in playback
• File download
• Web streaming
• RSS and podcast conversion
• 24/7 availability

FreeConferenceCall.com does not require a teleconference connection charge. Users simply call a dial-in number to participate in a teleconference. It's too bad they don't publish a SIP address to avoid even the toll charges using VoIP. Although you could leverage the free SkypeOut promotion going on until the end of the year.

The new recording service from FreeConferenceCall.com offers unlimited playback and downloading of recording. FreeConferenceCall.com also offers up to 6 hours of FREE recordable talk time for one session, and users can have an unlimited number of sessions.

Many competitors charge for recording and unlike many of their competitors, FreeConferenceCall.com offers RSS feeds for podpast conversions.

When you've got as much money in the bank as Microsoft, anything is possible, but I've got to stop and think about today's rumor of Microsoft buying eBay.

On one hand, what does this mean; on the other hand, why not?

Is this a covert move by Microsoft to get its hands on Skype?

TMC has been at the forefront of customer relationship management (CRM) for over 30 years. TMC started Telemarketing Magazine (now Customer Interaction Solutions), the very first magazine focused on call centers and CRM. In 1996, TMC launched CTI Magazine which focused on the convergence of computers and the telephone. CTI Magazine was the precursor to the ultimate convergence of voice and data, which resulted in TMC launching Internet Telephony Magazine in late 1997. Internet Telephony Magazine was the first magazine focused exclusively on VoIP and the convergence of voice, data, as well as CRM and business processes. TMC has always strived to educate the market on improving business efficiencies and customer satisfaction though the use of technology - whether it was the ACD of the 1980's to CTI in the 1990's to VoIP in the 21st century - TMC has been the leading source of information on customer-facing technologies.

There are obvious synergies and business processes that can be optimized when you can integrate your phone system with your contact management database and other business data and ride over the same IP network. With TMC's 30-year focus on customer-facing technologies, it stands to reason why TMC has always been at the forefront of technologies that enable companies to better market themselves, achieve business efficiencies, and improve customer satisfaction. It also explains why TMC stands for Technology Marketing Corporation. Indeed, Nadji Tehrani (photo to right), the founder of TMC, and well-known pioneer within the call center industry chose the name well when he started the company in 1972.

Now, TMC has become one of the leading educational websites utilizing webinars to educate the industry on various technologies to achieve optimal business efficiencies. One interesting webinar coming up is on business benchmarks: How Reseller CEOs Should Collect, Monitor and Interpret Performance Data to Make Better Decisions

Here's an abbreviated snippet of the webinar description:

Are you comfortable with the knowledge you have about your reseller business? You’d be the rare leader if you had an accurate and complete handle on all sales, finance, cash flow, profitability, service and resource utilization issues. But to succeed as an IP solutions provider, these are precisely the measurements you need—in easy-to-read and interpret spreadsheets that track your business performance on your PC monitor.

If you effectively track your business data, you’ll uncover root causes of inefficiencies which may include process, people, management, systems, or a combination.

Attend this session to understand the interrelationships and impact of such data as attach rates and profitability, line of credit, cash flow, debt to equity and other finance metrics; the month-to-month cash flow changes for cash in checking, A/R balance, and credit line availability; total sales revenue, service % of sales revenue and other sales metrics; net income, return on sales %, gross margin % and other profitability metrics.

If you interested in the webinar, it's free to register and attend.

Fark.com's tech page shows a story link to my 3-week old post on T-Mobile banning VoIP and IM. While I'm flattered to be on Fark.com's website, which I myself visit from time-to-time, why link to a three-week old story? Sheesh. C'mon, step it up. News cycles move fast around here. How bout linking to my in-dept Plantronics headset review or some of my Vonage IPO posts? Just kidding. Fark.com is a good site which relies on user submitted links, similar to Digg.com.

Actually, the T-Mobile banning VoIP and IM is a story worth linking to even 3 weeks later. It hasn't gotten nearly the amount of press & attention it deserves.

The world's most expensive phone number 666 6666 was auctioned for charity yesterday in Qatar.  The phone number 666 6666, sold for 10m Qatari riyals or £1.5m. Who would pay this kind of money for a phone number? Of course, 666 is known as the number of the beast. Rumor has it that the number is to be transferred to Iranian President "Israel must be wiped off the map" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad so the U.N. knows how to quickly reach him after he nukes Israel.

U.N.: "You said you were enriching uranium for peaceful energy purposes"
Mahmoud: "And you believed me? hahahaha. Stupid U.N. You're so gullible. But don't worry, I won't blow anything else up."
U.N. "Really?"
Mahmoud: "Fooled ya again! Let me see here... The American-loving Saudia Arabian royal family or New York City? Eenie, meanie, miny, moe!"



The number 666 has some interesting history. Former U.S. president Ronald Wilson Reagan had six letters in his first, middle, and last name. He also live in house number 666 when he lived in California until Nancy Reagan changed to 668.

The anti-impotence drug Viagra has a molecular weight of 666.7g/mol. In 1999, Intel marketed their Pentium 666 Mhz chip as 667 Mhz, conveniently rounding up. Some other wacky theories about the number 666 include Microsoft's Bill Gates whose real name is William Henry Gates III, but he goes by Bill Gates III. By converting the letters of his name to the ASCII-values (which are used in computers) you will get the following:

B    I    L    L    G    A    T    E    S    3

66 + 73 + 76 + 76 + 71 + 65 + 84 + 69 + 83 + 3 = 666

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin also convert into 666. (65=A, Z=90)

One interpretation makes 666 equal the summation of the Greek Numbering of the Arabic word "ELLAH" (synonym of Allah) which means "GOD" in the English language. Does this make the Arabic god "Allah" the anti-Christ predicted in the Bible? Who knows? 666 could simply be a number that humans attach symbolism to and look for patterns - just like the number 13. But I'm going to play it safe and make sure to never anyone to put the number 666 on my right hand or forehead.

With the opening of Apple's new store in New York City just a little over a day away (T minus ... and counting), I wanted to give you all a chance to see a little bit of the the type of public relations work that goes into all of these house-hold brands' marketing efforts.

(And what does the Louvre in Paris -- in the photo to the left -- have to do with all of this? Can you tell me?)

With that in mind, below is the text of the press release that Apple issued today to promote tomorrow's opening:

Press Release Source: Apple Computer, Inc.

The Apple Store Fifth Avenue to Open on Friday, May 19

Thursday May 18, 10:35 am ET NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple® will open its newest and most extraordinary retail store yet on New York's Fifth Avenue on Friday, May 19 at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The Apple Store® Fifth Avenue is Apple's most architecturally innovative store, featuring a distinctive 32-foot glass cube that creates a stunning new destination on Fifth Avenue, one of the world's most popular shopping areas. The Apple Store Fifth Avenue will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to offer an unprecedented level of service.

"We opened our first New York store in SoHo in 2002, and it has been successful beyond our dreams. Now we're thrilled to open our second New York store on Fifth Avenue," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With outstanding service and an amazing location open 24 hours a day, we think the Apple Store Fifth Avenue is going to be a favorite destination for New Yorkers and people around the world."

The new store offers more than 100 Macs and nearly 200 iPods for customers to try before they buy, as well as the world's largest assortment of accessories to help you get the most out of your Mac® or iPod®. The Apple Store Fifth Avenue also has the largest staff of any Apple Store, with nearly 300 highly trained Mac Specialists, Mac Geniuses and Creatives who offer free tips and tricks on photography, movies and music to make creative projects come to life at The Studio. The new store will feature a combined 45-foot Genius Bar, iPod Bar and The Studio where customers can get face-to-face support, free advice and work on creative projects at any hour of the day or night.

At the Apple Store Fifth Avenue, knowledgeable salespeople are available to help customers learn about all the latest products from Apple including the newly designed MacBook(TM), the world's most advanced consumer notebook featuring Intel Core Duo processors, as well as 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros and Apple's full line of desktop computers and iPods. The hands-on Apple Store experience provides visitors with a chance to test-drive Apple's entire product line including the iPod Hi-Fi, an all-new high-fidelity speaker system that works seamlessly with the iPod to redefine the home stereo system, the fifth generation iPod with its gorgeous 2.5-inch color screen that can display album artwork, photos and video, as well as the iPod nano, the revolutionary full-featured iPod that holds 1,000 songs yet is thinner than a standard #2 pencil.

More than 147 million people on three continents have visited Apple retail stores since they opened in May 2001. Apple's Retail division generated more than one billion dollars in revenue during the 2005 holiday shopping season, solidifying Apple's position as one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world. Apple now operates 147 stores, including six in Japan, six in the U.K. and two in Canada.

The Apple Store Fifth Avenue is located at 767 Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets, neighboring Central Park, FAO Schwarz and Bergdorf Goodman.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.

Let me know if you go to opening night ...

Dont' forget: What does the Louvre in Paris have to do with this? Can anybody tell me?

Why can't a house, particularly a "green" house built as a Near-Zero Energy Home, be considered a giant gadget? (Anyone remember when BASF made audio and video tape?)

What makes me think this is BASF's demonstration of a home that is 80 percent more energy efficient, more durable and faster to construct than conventionally built homes in Paterson, NJ.

BASF, along with more than 150 of its customers and strategic allies, built the Near-Zero Energy Home-Paterson, N.J., to exemplify how BASF chemistry helps further energy-saving, durable, sustainable and affordable building practices. The project is designed to achieve a 95.5 HERS Energy Star score, an unprecedented accomplishment in New Jersey Energy Star history, and is a prototype for the U.S. Green Building Council’s newly launched rating system for the energy efficiency and environmental impact of homes.

The Near-Zero Energy Home-Paterson, N.J., will be the site for a number of seminars and tours to architects, builders, government officials, homeowners, realtors, financial institutions and other interested parties throughout the summer of 2006.

Once the demonstration phases are completed, the home will be donated to St. Michael’s Housing Corporation, which will then turn over the home to a local family with a quadriplegic boy to occupy. As such, the project is also designed to showcase elements of accessible design.

BASF has partnered with the United Nations to provide similar technologies for tsunami relief projects in Sri Lanka and India and is working in the U.S. Gulf Coast region to provide energy-saving, disaster-resistant buildings to replace those lost in hurricane-ravaged areas.

Environmental futurist and architect William McDonough has specified BASF chemistry to help him with his biggest project yet: China. Contracted by the China Housing Industry Association, McDonough has been charged with overseeing the design of seven brand-new cradle-to-cradle cities with enough housing for 400 million people. In the next 12 years, many of these homes will be built using the basic BASF technologies featured in the Near-Zero Energy Home to help China achieve a reduction of energy use by 65 percent by the year 2020.

www.basf.com