Entertainment | Internet
Design your mashups here
There aren't a lot of web pages that make people sit up and take notice, but Microsoft's Popfly page is the one site I've seen recently that made me think "this is cool." The site isn't Web 2.0; the site helps you create Web 2.0.
- By Scott Shuey, Chief Business Reporter
- Published: 23:08 January 4, 2008
- Image Credit: www.popfly.ms
There aren't a lot of web pages that make people sit up and take notice, but Microsoft's Popfly page is the one site I've seen recently that made me think "this is cool." The site isn't Web 2.0; the site helps you create Web 2.0.
The site allows users to design and save mashups, which collect data from multiple sources (newspaper, websites, etc.) and displays them in an organised fashion. Want to create something for your webpage that collects news and video and then displays them on your website? Provided you know something about how the web works, then this is the website for you.
Users can make mashups based on news, video, maps, social networks, and the list goes on. Recent mashups include a traffic map of the Seattle area, made by combining Yahoo! Traffic and Virtual Earth. Another person created a smashup that plays videos of the Simpsons, made by combining SoapBox and an online video player.
What's brilliant about the site is that it doesn't require you to write any code. The entire site is designed so users can piece together pre-made "object" to get the results they want. You may have to supply some information to get the tailored response you want, but the site's interface makes that easy.
Like a lot of Microsoft products, the online application is clean and easy to use, but that doesn't mean this is a site for newbies or the casual web surfer. Some knowledge of programming will come in handy. Not only is the site cutting edge, it uses some of Microsoft's cutting-edge technology.
The site also makes heavy use of Silverlight, which does everything from making the above mentioned mashups possible to allowing users to download High Definition video faster, thanks to new compression methods.
Even if you have no desire to make a mashup of your own, stop by the site to see some of the innovative projects people are working on. The site is definitely worth the time.
Tips
Name: Microsoft Popfly
type: Website/mashup creation
URL: www.popfly.ms
Cost: Free
Proficiency required: Medium to very high
Other: Microsoft Live! registration required
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