So why use urban? It’s obvious that most Black niche sites use the word urban to be more inclusive to non-black people, but while branding themselves urban, many black people are being excluded. A quick poll of some of my friends and random black people I talked to showed me that quite a few black men don’t associate themselves with being urban, for various reasons. From one I heard, “I’m too old to be urban”, another reported “I don’t listen to hip-hop”, one young man told me that, “I am from the country, I can’t be urban?” This was far from a professional focus group so take from it what you may, but to me this showed that there were too many different perceptions of the word urban, and not many of them exclusively point to black. But somehow this “Urban branding trend” has started to run rampant in black web technology.

So what’s the solution? If you’re targeting black people then do so, but don’t pigeon hole all blacks into the urban category. Build websites and structure content that reflects the diversity of black people, because no matter our shape, size, shade, or views we can all agree with the fact that we’re black, and as long as the content reflects that fact black people and non-black people will come.

As many of you may be inundated and overwhelmed with current iPhone 3G coverage, I promise not to bore you with more of the same. Instead of wondering if you should buy the new 3G iPhone I’d much rather focus on the “purple cow” in the room that many people aren’t discussing. That being the Apple SDK, for the non-techies the Software Development Kit. Did you know that Apple is offering a revenue share agreement for developers where you earn 70¢ on the dollar? Yes you heard right! If your app were selling for $10.00 you would take home $7.00 per sale! That is a major revenue share opportunity that probably won’t last for long. Which is why I want you to focus on making apps for this gadget. As I read the news from the Apple site you can tell that CEO Steve Jobs is clearly excited after realizing in 3 days (this past Sunday) Apple sold its one millionth iPhone. Steve said:

“the iPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend, It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world.”

Now that’s impressive, but what’s more impressive is that more than 10 million downloads for the iPhone App store took place over a single weekend. This is huge; phones are only as good as the functionality they can deliver. While everyone else is crying about no video, no flash, and no photo messaging you need to be crying about all the money that iPhone app developers stand to make. I certainly don’t want to overstate the opportunity most apps are free, but a few that are bringing real value to customers are selling between $5-$10 per app. No one really knows how long this revenue share opportunity will last but you can be sure that as soon as the iPhone apps store is booming with thousands of apps Apple may decide at any time to reduce the amount of share it will give to developers.  My concern is that I want to make sure more of US are at the iPhone developer cash register. Stop wasting your time on being a consumer and be a creator, we need more app developers of color to band together and create apps for our global community. Many of you already work in software development so there is no excuse. I received my approval not to long ago, get yours and let’s get paid! Start by downloading the FREE SDK and then join the iPhone Web dev group.

Bottom line: I totally recommend buying the new 3G iPhone. It pains me to know that I paid over $500 and waited in line for 24 hours in the rain, you can view my iPhone gen 1 tech-tailgating video to see how serious I was.  But don’t buy the Phone just because it is better and cheaper than the original but because it’s an investment for you to monetize.

So if you have an idea to take over the world or maybe a simple idea for a biz program or a hot music application– think big and think iPhone demographic - now go make it happen and get you share of the loot$. What apps do you think we should be creating? If you aren’t a developer share your thoughts so black developers can get rolling!

Diddy TV and the Diddy TV Video blog,  Have you seen it?  HILARIOUS (if not it is embedded above)!!  This last, Diddy Blog #10: Bitchassness Alert Level Orange, was definitely LOL worthy!  Diddy is working YouTube, just like everyone else, creating viral awareness of his brands biggest asset…himself.   PLUS, it looks like he is having fun and I always appreciate the LOL’s.  One of the other cool things I found on YouTube:  make up and hair care tutorials for black women from every day people who just want to show off their skills to Iman Cosmetics.  And let me tell you, the day I found Dancehall Lessons on YouTube was one of the happiest days of my internet life.  The whole time I was in NYC I searched for Dancehall Lessons and found nothing, but leave it to YouTube to fill in where that little city couldn’t.

I have my Google news set up to find all stories with “African-American” and “black people” along with some other variations (”black women” etc.).  As a result I have found some pretty interesting small news sources I wouldn’t have found otherwise (we won’t get into the design of most of these small sites, that would be a whole other post).   We all know there have been tons of attempts to start black news channels.  I’m still waiting for it.   News Aggregators seem to be the future of online News, and Google is, again, the “mack daddy” of the group, getting sued left and right as a result, but they’re the juggernaut so it doesn’t matter.  Hold on, I am seeing a theme:

You Tube =  Google
Google News = Google

Keyword Search.  I know the belief is that Keyword Search is falling of the way side and vertical search is the new black.   Nonetheless, the black experience is unique.  There are, in fact, keywords that we use within our community that mark our stuff as ours.  Plus, we’ve all learned that if we insert “black” or “African-American” we can generally find stuff that is relevant to us.   The point is, it isn’t hard to find the stuff we are looking for, even with the mainstream, majority target offerings that exist right now if you know how to look.

This is not to say Google is the end all be all, they are just the biggest right now.  Black people use Google, MySpace, and Facebook too.  You name any big site and I bet you somewhere hidden beneath the surface is a lively and active black community.  We always create our own community within the [enter big dot com name here] community of users.  Does this remind you of anything?  Ok, I’ll call it out in case you are missing it.  The internet looks just like the real world a bit, doesn’t it?

That said, the one place where we are really able to be ourselves, even in the online environment, is in the blogsphere (compare comments on say, a Perez Hilton blog post vs. crunktastikal).  The blog sphere is “our community” online.  That is why I am looking forward to the Black Weblog Awards.  Every year there are a few cool sites that pop up that I managed to somehow miss.

Now, I do think vertical sites have a place in the black community.   Vertical sites that actually have a well thought out purpose and goal with real technology behind them?  Those are great too, there just aren’t a lot… yet.

Nubia TV will be able to present the black perspectives in a new light as never before seen or experienced.

Is it me or have we heard this before somewhere else?

The whole idea that “Black people are starved for news” is complete fiction dreamed up by a couple of  academics who think they are gonna save the race and some “money-men” hoping to make a quick buck. “Hard News” is a dying business across the board and hasn’t been popular in the Black community since Afro’s were in style.

It’s impossible to see why people keep dreaming up these business plans and imagining that they are going to get some huge percentage of African-Americans to turn-off what is already in their “reguarly scheduled programming” (let alone on the internet) to watch Black news, 24/7, “in a new light as never before seen.”

While the fly factor of the 3G phone is just ok (slimmer profile, lighter weight, minor UI changes, etc.), one might begin to question Apple’s ability to partner in the telecom space to launch their products.

Were you impacted when you activated your (1G,2G, or 3G) iPhone? Would it cause you to reconsider a future iPhone purchase?

San Francisco, VC seed DRM Software Co. ByteShield
ByteShield Inc., a provider of copyright protection software, has secured a round of seed financing. Showing that VC’s still think there is a market for DRM technologies.
http://www.byteshield.net

Cupertino, Zend Sends investors a request For $7M
Zend Technologies Ltd., a developer of software for PHP applications, has raised up to $7 million in debt from TriplePoint Capital.
http://www.zend.com

Los Angeles, Shopflick bags $7M To Set Up Video Shops
Shopflick Inc., which has successfully shopped itself to venture capitalists for a $7 million Series A, sees itself as the QVC of the MySpace demographic.
http://www.shopflick.com

Cambridge, OpenCloud Accumulates $10M New Debt And Equity
OpenCloud Ltd., a supplier of real-time application servers to help the telecommunications industry develop and deploy services, has announced a $10 million debt-and-equity second round of funding.
http://www.opencloud.com

Texas City, Virgin Cleantech Funds Acquire DuraTherm
Masdar Clean Tech Fund and Virgin Green Fund announced the buy-out of DuraTherm Inc., a petroleum and metal recycling business based in Texas City, Texas. The transaction, structured as an asset acquisition, was supported by debt from HSH Nordbank AG and completed at an undisclosed valuation.
http://www.virgingreenfund.com
http://www.masdarctf.com
http://www.duratherm-intl.com

Bangalore, Indian Ad Network Ozone Media Packs Up First Round
Ozone Media Solutions Pvt. Ltd. has secured a Series A round of funding from IDG Ventures India for its India-based online ad network.
http://www.ozonemedia.co.in

Loughborough, Intelligent Energy Powers Up $13.6M
Intelligent Energy Ltd. has raised $13.6 million in venture funding to further develop its fuel cell products as it moves toward commercialization.
http://www.intelligent-energy.com

Germantown, Eka Systems Racks Up $18.5M
Improved management of energy infrastructure is a major concern as renewable energy comes online, and Eka Systems Inc., a manufacturer of advanced metering for electric, gas and water utilities, has raised $18.5 million in its latest round of funding to capitalize on the opportunity.
http://www.ekasystems.com

Agoura Hills, Cyber-Rain get “Funky” with Series A For Water Management Tech
With water management a growing issue on the West Coast and legislation expected in several California cities on water-use issues, water management technology developer Cyber-Rain Inc. has raised $1.5 million in Series A financing.
http://www.funkventures.com
http://www.cyber-rain.com

Sunnyvale, Innovalight Secures $5M Equipment Lease Financing
Innovalight Inc., which is developing portable solar power systems using nanotechnology, has secured $5 million in equipment lease financing from Atel Ventures.
http://www.innovalight.com

Lexington, Web Jeweler Paragon Lake Blings Out With $5.4M
Diamonds, it seems, may also be a venture capitalist’s best friend. Highland Capital Partners and Canaan Partners have decided to get friendly with Paragon Lake Inc., a Web-based supplier of customized jewelry.
http://www.paragonlake.com

Bellevue, DepotPoint Seals Series C
Spurred by the mortgage crisis, DepotPoint Inc. has raised $7 million to speed sales and marketing of its recently released foreclosure tracking Web site.
http://www.depotpoint.com

San Diego, Plimus Adds $18M For E-Commerce Infrastructure
Plimus Inc., a provider of infrastructure tools for e-commerce, has raised an $18 million first round of funding for continued product improvement as well as sales and marketing efforts of its products and services.
http://www.plimus.com

Bellevue, Xeround Circles Up $16M Series B
Xeround Inc., a developer of software for communications service providers, has secured $16 million in its Series B round as IP communications networks grow around the globe.
http://www.xeround.com

Exton, IPipeline Grabs $18M Growth Round
Thirteen years after its founding, iPipeline Inc., a provider of software-as-a-service to the insurance industry, has secured $18 million in Series A financing for its strategic growth plan.
http://www.ipipeline.com

Jersey City, IP Network provider DataPipe Collects $75M From Goldman
DataPipe Inc., a provider of managed IT services, has secured $75 million in equity and debt financing led by Goldman Sachs & Co
http://www.datapipe.com

Boston, Spire Attracts $9M For Site Focused On “Ballers Only”
Spire Company Associates Inc. has raised a $9 million Series A round of funding for a Web site it bills as “an exclusive online community,” aimed at providing product and service recommendations to affluent individuals.
http://spire.com

San Francisco, Mevio Tunes In with $15M For Online Shows
Online video start-up Mevio Inc., formerly known as PodShow, has raised $15 million in Series C funding led by Crosslink Capital.
http://www.mevio.com

New York, Buzzfeed Collects $3.5M For Juicy News
Contagious Media LLC, which owns Buzzfeed.com, a site that tracks hot online trends, has raised $3.5 million in Series A funding
http://www.buzzfeed.com

New York, FeedRoom Munches On $12M Series F
FeedRoom Inc., a provider of broadband video technology to corporations, government agencies and media companies, has taken in $12 million in its Series F round as the company moves closer to its exit strategy.
http://www.feedroom.com

New York BountyJobs Collects $12M Booty For Headhunting Service
Bounty connect employers to headhunters, BountyJobs Inc. The start up has raised a $12 million Series B round of funding.
http://www.bountyjobs.com

Pasadena, Perfect Market Reveals $15.6M In Financing
Perfect Market Inc., a company aiming to help publishers get more advertising dollars from archived articles, has announced $15.6 million worth of fund-raising.
http://www.perfectmarket.com

Geneva, Index Ventures Backs Two Cos. From Growth Fund
Index Ventures has made two new plays from its growth equity fund: a $35 million investment in online media company Bestofmedia Group SA, and a EUR17 million ($27 million) financing round for Milestone Systems A/S, a global developer of open platform IP video management software for surveillance systems.
http://www.indexventures.com
http://milestonesys.com
http://www.bestofmedia.com

Berlin, Intel Leads $130M Round In Solar Co. Sulfurcell
Intel Capital goes deep with its commitment to clean technology by leading a $130 million round of financing for Berlin-based thin-film solar technology developer Sulfurcell Solartechnik GmbH
http://www.intelcapital.com
http://www.sulfurcell.de

Microsoft Announces Acquisition of Navic Networks

REDMOND— Microsoft Corp. announced the acquisition of Navic Networks, a leading provider of television advertising solutions. Navic’s technologies include sophisticated campaign management tools that use relevant data to optimize the delivery and placement of targeted interactive television media and through Admira provide a unified ad network for targeting audiences across television advertising inventory. With the addition of Navic solutions, Microsoft’s comprehensive advertising platform will be able to facilitate enhanced digital advertising across online and offline environments.

“Television media represents the largest percentage of advertisers and agencies’ media budget today,” said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group at Microsoft. “Together, Navic and Microsoft will deliver addressable television advertising solutions to help our partners better manage media spend by increasing advertiser reach and ROI, and maximizing publisher yield on television advertising.”

With this acquisition, Navic Networks becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft and will join Microsoft’s Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group, the group responsible for Microsoft’s comprehensive advertising platform that spans all digital media including television and video advertising. The APS Group includes Atlas, a pioneer of Video-On-Demand advertising solutions.

http://www.navic.com
http://www.microsoft.com

Online Gaming vet raises $17.3 to increase it’s unique business model

Online gaming company GameDuell has raised $17.3 million in Series B funding to expand internationally with its unusual gaming revenue model. Wellington Partners provided the new funding. GameDuell received an undisclosed amount of Series A funding in 2004 from Holtzbrinck Ventures and Burda Digital Ventures.

While many online gaming companies generate revenue through advertising, subscriptions or, increasingly, virtual goods, GameDuell has a different approach: contests.

http://www.gameduell.com

(11:58:46) BW 2.0: So how did you get started?
(11:59:23) Ian: Well I guess professionally it goes back to 1996, when I went to work for a company called New York Online, founded by Omar Wasow
(11:59:32) Ian: NYO was a pre-web BBS system
(12:00:05) Ian: Omar founded it in ‘93
(12:00:40) Ian: by 96, the internet/web was moving - so I came on to do design work for NYO’s web clients
(12:01:35) Ian: I was still in school at the time, so I worked for Omar during the summers, winter breaks, etc. until graduation - worked f/t for about one year out of school
(12:02:15) Ian: after that Omar decided to join Community Connect, and brought a few members of the old NYO over with him, including me

(12:02:57) BW 2.0: Did you originally start out as a designer or is your background more so in business?
(12:03:11) Ian: design, some scripting + html
(12:03:36) BW 2.0: Very cool

(12:04:28) BW 2.0: As a Creative Director what do you do on a day-to-day basis, other than the obvious :)?
(12:05:29) BW 2.0: Many people only see the surface of what Creative Directors do, and some don’t really see the difference between a CD’s role in different mediums.
(12:07:08) Ian: well my role at R/GA is a bit different in that my background and strengths are in the product development realm
(12:07:33) Ian: so I tend not to work out ‘campaigns’ and more tools/applications
(12:09:05) Ian: on a day-to-day that means collaborating with visual designers, interaction designers and developers – a lot of zooming out and seeing the macro view on a project, then zooming back in to pixels etc.
(12:09:14) Ian: looking for opportunities to push our thinking

(12:10:11) BW 2.0: Interesting, I am noticing designers and CD’s being more involved in product development on the web lately, do you think this is a trend since many companies are trying so hard to be design-centric or do you feel like their role in that realm is warranted?
(12:10:44) Ian: well I guess it depends on the type of company
(12:11:05) Ian: for agencies, etc - CDs are always involved
(12:11:23) BW 2.0: right
(12:11:44) Ian: for other businesses such as media companies, it may be a new thing in some ways - because these companies are just learning to do product development
(12:12:02) Ian: so they are going through a transition period, trying to figure out roles and process

(12:14:00) BW 2.0: You were previously at BlackPlanet.com however what has been your experience with diversity in either the design or interactive industries as a whole? If you have experienced a lack of diversity how do you think this can be changed or improved?
(12:18:16) Ian: I think I’ve had some amazing experiences working in design, and working in interactive, however these industries are not what I would call ‘racially diverse’. But often, they are industries where your ideas, thought processes and creativity matters more than racial or ethnic background.
(12:19:29) Ian: The goal is always to be undeniable at what you do. In some contexts, the bar is raised a bit higher based on characteristics that have nothing to do with your intellect, talent or expertise– but I’ve found this to be true everywhere in life.
(12:19:55) BW 2.0: great outlook!
(12:20:32) Ian: The thing is, I would not be where I am if ppl didn’t give me the benefit of the doubt at various junctures in my career.

(12:21:09) BW 2.0: What advice would you give to our readers who want to transition into a design role or product development role?
(12:21:58) Ian: I think if you are new to the industry then you must obsess about it
(12:22:25) Ian: Stay hungry to learn, and hone your skills
(12:23:21) BW 2.0: What about for individuals who are maybe…mid-level?
(12:24:02) Ian: Well I think then you need to test yourself, find the largest stage possible to display your skills, and don’t allow yourself to half step
(12:24:14) Ian: find places where you can be surrounded by people who will push you
(12:24:19) Ian: and kick your ass

(12:24:46) BW 2.0: Ok, now for some more fun questions
(12:24:54) Ian: haha uh-oh
(12:25:00) BW 2.0: Fave color?
(12:25:10) Ian: blue?
(12:25:22) Ian: or maybe like #666666
(12:25:38) BW 2.0: LOL, omg I am using #666666 right now
(12:25:54) Ian: see - always a good place to start

(12:25:59) BW 2.0: Fave desgin- trend/style?
(12:26:42) Ian: hmm “simplicity”

(12:27:00) BW 2.0: Who are you listening to right now (music)?
(12:27:26) Ian: ( checking ipod )
(12:29:40) Ian: Tv on the Radio, The Roots (75 Bars!), Santogold, Celebration, MF Doom, Ghostface, Diplo mixes, MOP

(12:29:51) BW 2.0: 3g iPhone or Gen 1 iPhone?
(12:30:31) Ian: neither. I got an iPod Touch.. nice and slim - but given the app store I am tempted to go 3G
(12:30:46) BW 2.0: LOL

(12:30:48) BW 2.0: last one…
(12:30:56) BW 2.0: Favorite website?
(12:31:24) Ian: overall? Come on - I have a couple hundred feeds in google reader right now
(12:31:33) Ian: hmm
(12:31:33) BW 2.0: ROFL
(12:31:38) BW 2.0: ok…
(12:31:41) BW 2.0: most used?
(12:32:51) Ian: gmail, google reader, facebook. - combined they are often like an information refrigerator.. I open the door again and again looking for something good.

(12:33:12) BW 2.0: Thank you so much for participating!