Posts tagged recommend
Using 20 Billion Data Points, Goodreads Will Recommend Your Next Book
Sep 14th
Goodreads, a social network that lets readers rate and review books, has launched a recommendation engine designed to help users choose what to read next.
The new feature comes six months after the startup acquired Discovereads, a book recommendation engine which is something CEO Otis Chandler cited as a sought-after feature among Goodreads users.
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The site’s new reading recommendations are generated using a set of propriety algorithms which look at over 20 billion different data points. Perhaps most importantly, it takes into account the stated preferences of of its nearly 6 million users, for whom rating books is already a key component of using the site.
“With Goodreads, it’s as if you combine your favorite librarian, your best friend, and a database of two million book titles into one person and ask ‘what should I read next?’” said Chandler. “We’re the Netflix of book recommendations. As members add more reviews and ratings, we keep improving our suggestions for them.”
When most people hear “the Netflix of book recommendations” they tend to think of another Internet giant known for its powerful recommendation engine: Amazon. Goodreads says it can provide better book recommendations than Amazon can because it has more data about what people actually like and dislike, as opposed to just purchases, browsing history and ratings.
“For example, we have more than 174,000 ratings of the best-selling ‘The Help’ while Amazon only has around 4,400,” said Chandler.
The site’s book recommendations are heavily influenced by each user’s book rating history, so people are encouraged to rate 20 books before checking out their suggested reading list. The service is now available in beta to all Goodreads users.
View full post on ReadWriteWeb
Antennagate 2.0? Consumer Reports Won’t Recommend Verizon iPhone Either
Feb 25th
Oh no, please tell is this isn’t the start of another “antennagate,” but it appears that Consumer Reports is again making headlines for throwing the iPhone 4 under the proverbial bus. “The Verizon iPhone 4 has a problem that could cause the phone to drop calls,” notes the American product reviews publication. That’s not a huge surprise, considering that the Verizon iPhone is pretty much the same device as AT&T’s version, the only external difference being slightly displaced volume buttons and mute switch.
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As before, the iPhone 4′s antenna design is leading to both dropped calls and, says Consumer Reports, the inability to make calls in areas where weak signals are present. (Weak signals? On Verizon?)
I kid, I kid. But really, after the great antennagate debacle of 2010, if I never heard the phrase “signal issues” again it would be too soon. If you’re not sure what I’m referring to, I’d love to know the location of your rock so I can hide out until antennagate 2.0 blows over.
Anyway….
iPhone 4 Antenna Still Doesn’t Work, Says Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports says the Verizon iPhone has the same issues as the AT&T version – it loses its signal when a specific area of the phone’s outer casing is covered by your fingers or thumb. The only solution to this issue is to put the iPhone in a case of some sort – like, for example, the iPhone 4 bumper cases that were at one time offered to unhappy AT&T customers through Apple’s now-discontinued free case program.
In the new article, the publication details how it performed its tests, its conclusions, and all that technical jazz, but the bottom line reads:
“…we are not including the Verizon iPhone 4 in our list of recommended smart phones, despite its high ranking in our Ratings.”
I’m sure Apple is very concerned. Despite the media insanity (and let’s be frank, the truthfulness) of the antenna issues, the company went on to sell a record-breaking 1.7 million iPhone 4′s within its first three days on the market. Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones last quarter. And Verizon ran out of inventory on its first day of iPhone sales.
Hmm, looks like people are just fine with buying a case their iPhone.
View full post on ReadWriteWeb
Twitter Acquires Fluther in Move to Recommend Tweets
Dec 22nd
Twitter has acquired the team at question-and-answer site Fluther. According to both companies, the Fluther site will remain in tact, though not in development, as the four developers and one designer that form Fluther’s core team move over to Twitter.
Over recent months, Twitter has often repeated that it is more than just a site for those who want to produce content, it is a destination for content consumption. This acquisition could do well to move Twitter further in this direction and help to rise appropriate content to the top of users’ streams.
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As Twitter says in its announcement, this is a primary goal of the acquisition, which focuses on talent and not product:
During our conversations with Fluther’s team, we were continually impressed by their technical talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and much of the thinking behind the question-and-answer product they’ve spent the last couple of years building.
When the Fluther team joins us they will focus on helping users discover the most relevant content on Twitter. Their product, Fluther.com, is not part of the acquisition and will remain separate from Twitter.
The members of the Fluther team that will be moving over to Twitter are Ben Finkel, Andrew McClain, Tim Trueman, Richard Henry and Cameron Dutro.
Already, Twitter has found some success with recommendation tools that suggest other users to follow. If the same could be done for content, the company might find more mainstream success. If much of Facebook’s value has been in surfacing the best content from across the river of news from friends’ content, Twitter would do well to enable users to more easily discover the best content from across its more-open social graph and site.
View full post on ReadWriteWeb
Facebook Friends Recommend Movies, Music, Food & Now T.V. with Clicker
Dec 15th
Television shows, music, movies, good places to eat – these are all things that the typical five star review may be okay for, but it’s really the personal recommendation from someone whose opinion you trust that matters the most. If everyone likes that Mexican joint down the street but your buddy, who also prefers spicy salsa and homemade tortillas, says it’s no good, then you’re likely to skip out on dinner there and head across the street.
This is the basic idea behind Facebook’s once controversial “Instant Personalization” program, which brings the personal reviews, tastes, opinions and browsing habits of you and your friends to external websites. Today, that program has expanded once again to include Internet T.V. guide Clicker.
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Clicker is one of the five awesome apps to find content on your Internet TV that we featured last week and Facebook’s Instant Personalization will help to add that personal touch that comes with friends’ recommendations.
Already, Facebook was working with a number of sites to offer personalized content. When the feature was first announced, it was working with Pandora, Yelp and Microsofts Docs.com, covering two of the bases mentioned above – food and music. Then, in September, the social network partnered up with movie review site Rotten Tomatoes. Following additions of Bing and Scribd, Clicker will make the seventh site to join the Instant Personalization program.
Moving on to something like Clicker is a smart next step for the program. The integration will show you what your friends are watching, what they’re doing on Clicker, and offer you recommendations based on your Facebook “Likes” and interests. As Facebook says in its introduction, “Now you can spend less time channel surfing and more time socializing–no remotes, listings or passwords required.”
What’s next for Instant Personalization? What do you rely on your friends for that you just don’t trust to the Internet? One thing that comes to mind is “What’s going on tonight?” instead “What’s on tonight?”, but is handled by Facebook’s own events feature. Will we see Instant Personalization come to Plancast or Upcoming?
View full post on ReadWriteWeb
Am new to SEO and need help!! I want to promote my new website, do you recommend wpromote.com & PRwe?
Apr 25th
Do you think those are not scam? Are there others you recommend who have better service?
Thanks everyone,
Michele, this Freewebsitetraffic.tv looks scam,
What SEO workshops do you recommend in the California area?
Apr 8th
I’m interested in classes taught by an instructor.
Can someone recommend a US SEO and internet marketing company with proven results?
Mar 30th
looking for total web site management and marketing solution. based on retainer + success based bonuses.
Can you recommend me some Professional SEO services and growing businesses?
Mar 29th
I am looking for affordable SEO services providing company. Can you recommend me any?
