The Wall Street Journal-20080128-Why Can-t Computers -Fill in the Blank--- At the Demo Showcase- Entrepreneurs Fixate On Technology-s Flaws

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Why Can't Computers (Fill in the Blank)?; At the Demo Showcase, Entrepreneurs Fixate On Technology's Flaws

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Some people focus on technology's benefits. But the entrepreneurs gathering at a Southern California resort this week are fixated on its flaws.

Take Internet video. Squidcast, a San Francisco start-up appearing at the Demo technology showcase, is seizing on the problem of consumers who have high-definition camcorders, which create huge data files that can't easily be moved around the Web.

The company's free service, available in a test version this week, divides and uploads video into small chunks that are temporarily distributed over the Internet and stored on many users' PCs, says Daniel Putterman, Squidcast's chief executive. A user can email a friend or family member that a "package" of video is ready; when the recipient clicks on the message to download the video, the file is retrieved and reassembled from the distributed computers.

BitGravity Inc. is tackling the difficulties of broadcasting live events over the Internet, without data-traffic problems that can cause images to pause or freeze. The Burlingame, Calif., company, which already distributes high-definition video on demand through its own network, is unveiling an additional service to let media companies reach millions of viewers simultaneously without installing expensive equipment.

French blogger Loic Le Meur, meanwhile, was frustrated that it is hard to post videos in a way that is fast and conversational -- like the way people easily comment on blog posts. He developed a site called Seesmic, which is designed to make the video-posting process easier for PC users with Webcams; at Demo, he is announcing an added feature to accommodate people using cellphone camcorders.

Users can create a kind of public conversation of posted videos, or set up private exchanges that allow friends to track each others' doings. "It's basically Facebook meets YouTube," Mr. Le Meur says.

The lessons of those popular sites loom large at this year's Demo show, which is expected to draw backers of 77 new services or products to Palm Desert, Calif., today through Wednesday. Users are becoming sophisticated about social networking online and user-generated content, and are pushing Internet services to improve their offerings. "This empowered consumer is having an impact across all these sites," says Chris Shipley, the show's executive producer.

One frustration is that cellphone users can't tap into YouTube and other sophisticated Web sites as easily and quickly as personal- computer users can.

Skyfire, a start-up in Mountain View, Calif., has responded with a free browser program that works with servers the company operates. They automatically adjust the formatting of pages that users call up on cellphones to let them quickly view any video or text, zooming in to increase their size if necessary, says Nitin Bhandari, the company's chief executive. The offering, targeted for high-end "smartphones," will be available in mid-2008, he says.

Ribbit Inc., a start-up in Mountain View, Calif., is discussing plans to make voice communications a common feature in Web pages and social-networking sites. Developers using its technology can add functions such as recording, sending and receiving voicemail and making and receiving calls. Ribbit's initial service, called Amphibian, is expected to be available in the first quarter.

Problems for executives trying to recruit skilled workers include sorting through hundreds of online resumes and the cost of retaining search firms. NotchUp, of Palo Alto, Calif., has a plan to help them reach employed professionals who aren't necessarily looking for a job -- but might talk with a hiring manager for a price.

The system lets employees describe their qualifications and set a fee for a meeting, typically in the range of $300 to $600. NotchUp acts as a broker, prescreening employees, ensuring private communications between them and transferring the payment, says Jim Ambras, the company's chief executive.

An Atlanta start-up called iVideosongs attacked a barrier to online music instruction -- copyrights that make it difficult to use popular songs legally. The company has negotiated deals with music publishers and major recording artists to offer guitar students detailed video analyses of songs over the Internet; it costs $4.99 a song, or $9.99 a song if the artist conducts the lesson.

Many modern Internet offerings use Flash, the popular online file format from Adobe Systems Inc. But special training is often needed to exploit the technology. Flypaper Inc., a Phoenix-based start-up, is using Demo to unveil software and a Web site that offer customizable templates to help users create and share interactive Flash presentations.

Two companies at Demo are advancing the idea of pen-shaped computers. Leapfrog Enterprises Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., popularized the idea with an educational product called LeapPad that sounds out words and sentences as kids tap a tethered pen device on special workbooks. Its new Tag product line uses an untethered pen with a speaker that reads tiny dots printed onto conventional books. It costs $49.99, with books priced at $13.99.

Livescribe Inc., founded by former Leapfrog executive Jim Marggraff, is targeting an older audience of students and professionals who take notes. What the Oakland, Calif., company calls its Pulse "smartpen" captures handwriting and simultaneously records audio and synchronizes it with notes a user takes. The pen comes in $149 and $199 models and works with special paper that can be purchased or printed by users, the company says.

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Bobby White contributed to this article.