Reviewing YouTube - in 2005

I was playing around with TechCrunch to see how far it goes back (a review of Technorati seems to be the oldest article on the site).

While I was browsing, I found quite a gem - an August 2005 review of YouTube:

• "YouTube is very much like flickr, but for videos."
• "The service has recently been launched but seems to have quite a few users who have posted lots of content."
• "I suspect YouTube will be quickly acquired and/or duplicated. We love it."

A bit more than a year later, that prediction turned into reality, and breaking that story made TechCrunch the premier news source it is today.

Wired: The Great American Timesuck

Xobni is mentioned in this month's print edition of Wired Magazine.

Clive Thompson writes:

"[...] I've been using a new software app called Xobni to manage my horribly overstuffed inbox. Among other cool tricks, Xobni spots hidden patterns in your email usage. [...] This is incredibly useful knowledge."

This is one of my favorite pieces of Xobni coverage so far: When I was a teenager, I used to read every single issue of Wired cover to cover. It was the magazine from the future.

An online version of the article is here.

Microsoft's Office Transformation

John K. Waters from Redmond Developer News - a magazine devoted to developing on the Windows platform - wrote an article on how companies are starting to use Office as an extendable platform. Interesting stuff.

The article also has some quotes by me where I talk about Xobni, our experience with Outlook and our plans beyond it. Read it here.

Xobni in Newsweek: Reinventing the Inbox

We'll be in next week's Newsweek: "Reinventing the Inbox: Tech firms are trying to combine e-mail with social-networking tools."

One of the leading startups in this new field is Xobni. The San Francisco firm hopes to capitalize on dissatisfaction with swelling IN boxes that make the eyes glaze over. "Google organized all the information on the Web," says cofounder Matt Brezina. "Nobody's really done that for your personal information."

Here's the best part:

Xobni is looking at other ways to expand the social possibilities of the IN box. One project in development is called Stay in Touch, which looks at your e-mail pattern and creates a list of the people you once sent e-mail to but haven't been in touch with recently. "We call it the ex-girlfriend finder," says Brezina.

Xobni Makes a Splash

Below are some reactions to last week's launch of our invite system that lets you invite your friends to Xobni.

ReadWriteWeb: Xobni: Social Network in Your Inbox:

"Xobni's brilliance is in providing you with a true social network filled with information that can help you stay productive and get things done. [...] This makes Xobni not just useful, but one of those, "how did I ever live without it" kind of things."

TechCrunch: Xobni: The Super Plugin for Outlook

"Being the only guy with Outlook in the office, it’s been a personal favorite of mine. Xobni’s sidebar has improved Outlook for me by offering faster search, and automatic organization of my email and contacts. Their search function alone has saved me time by just being faster and more comprehensive than Outlook’s native search."

Lifehacker: Supercharge Outlook with Xobni

"Freeware Microsoft Outlook plug-in Xobni (that's inbox backwards) adds a handful of killer features to its new Outlook sidebar. [...] Seeing as Xobni has successfully made Outlook appear exciting (which is no easy feat), this freeware, Windows-only plug-in looks like a winner."

Threeminds:

"[...] after a few minutes of toying with it, I have the feeling I won’t be able to work without it!"

Daily Cup of Geek: Inbox Spelled Backwards and How It Is Taking Email Forward

"Xobni is that 'something better' I’ve been dying for when it comes to email."

WSJ: Email's Friendly Fire

Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2007, page B1 [link]:

Meanwhile, other start-ups like San Francisco's Xobni Corp., are trying to help people better organize and search the emails and personal-contact load they already have.

[...]

"These people are in pain," says Matt Brezina, the 26-year-old co-founder of Xobni, which has received $4.2 million in funding from venture capitalists. Xbni's product places a set of features on top of a custemer's email inbox, such as "profiles" of online contacts complete with photos, and quick links to set up appointments. The nin-person company says it has about 1000 globally testing the product - including salespeople, recruiters and marketing managers who use email frequently - and expects to release it broadly early next year."

Recent Interviews

Some recent Xobni interviews with yours truly:

• Nestoria Interview with Gabor Cselle
• Intruders.tv (video) - these guys dropped by for a tour of our office and some questions about the launch.

Enjoy!