Filed under: Audio, Fun, Social Software, Beta, web 2.0

A lot of web apps seem to be targeted at problems that nobody actually has. SoundCloud is smarter than that, focusing on a problem we’ve at least once a week: what’s the best way to send a song to a friend? E-mail is a pain, you might not have ready access to an FTP server, and those weird Rapidshare-style upload sites can be more trouble than they’re worth.

SoundCloud basically does two things: it sends music, and it receives music. It’s the best setup for sending around demo copies of that new album you just completed mastering, or sharing the latest hit single (that you would never pirate because you’re a law-abiding World wide web citizen). There’s great control over email notifications for new tracks sent to you and new comments on your songs, and you can play a song right from your SoundCloud account before you download it.

In terms of comments, the SoundCloud system is awesome. You can drop in a note at a specific point in a track — Viddler users might be familiar with this feature for videos — and follow your stats to see how many people are listening to your stuff. This just scratches the surface of SoundCloud’s features, so be sure to check it out and apply for an invitation if it sounds interesting to you.

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Filed under: World wide web, Microsoft, Social Software, Beta, Search

Microsoft’s SearchTogether plugin for Internet Explorer 7 lets you share your search history with others. The plugin also provides tools for leaving comments and voting on search listings.

Why exactly would anyone want to use this service? State you’re planning a vacation and you’re looking up air fare, hotels, tourist destinations, and restaurants where you might want to eat. As you search, you can save your history and share it with other members of your family who you’ll be traveling with. You can also see the searches they’ve conducted and let them know what you think of the results. Of course, this is just an example. You can also work on group projects, plan a dinner menu, or look for birthday presents for your dad.

You need a Windows Live ID to run SearchTogether. But Microsoft doesn’t require you to use Windows Live Search as your search engine. You can use Google, Yahoo! or Live Search, or select multiple search engines.

[via TechnoSpot]

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Filed under: Internet, Web services, Social Software, web 2.0

Do you’ve an idea for a widget or Facebook app? Maybe you either don’t have the time or the full knowledge to actually make it?

You reallllly want to make Wolverines vs. Dracula Part 8 for Facebook, and it frustrates you. Well be frustrated no more, in steps Zembly.

As you know, companies have been formed around building Facebook apps, some of them have become wildly successful AND profitable. Now it’s our turn.

Zembly is funded by Sun Microsystems and targets easy creation of applications for Facebook, OpenSocial, meebo, and other social platforms. Not to mention, they’re blowing open the barrier to entry on creating these things, and starting a community around doing just that.

This day, Zembly has opened a private beta of their site which lets you very easily create widgets and apps in your browser. Check out their blog for more details.

Continue reading Zembly - Helping you widgetize, one app at a time

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