ups

How does Monster.com use gender and ethnicity information?

I've been signing up with some of the major job sites. I started with NotchUp.com, mostly because I was curious about NotchUp's rather unusual strategy. Candidates are paid for interviews set up through NotchUp.com, while NotchUp itself gets fees from the participating companies.

NotchUp recommends that candidates ask for approximately a full day's pay for an interview. That seems like an extraordinarily high price. Companies are free to make a lower offer, though. I set my asking price well below that day's-pay level, and I'm still not surprised I've had no inquiries. I wonder if it's working for anyone else.

On the recommendation of a friend in the business (he actually works for a different jobs site), I also signed up for TheLadders.com, which specializes in jobs with salaries above $100K/year (which we in California refer to as a "subsistence wage").

… Read more

Cosmetic line eases HDTV complex(ion)

Even makeup has entered the age of high definition. To our surprise, Samsung recently teamed with makeup-services provider Make Up For Ever to present a workshop that paired makeup with HDTVs.

The rationale? The new demands of digital technology, where high definition tends to amplify details up to six times more than standard definition. This basically translates to talc-based makeup now accentuating, instead of hiding, those pimples, pigmentation, eyebags, enlarged pores and, horror of horrors, wrinkles when viewed on high-def TV.

This can be brutal not just for professional actors and actresses, but also for brides obsessed with their appearance … Read more

EarthLink is interested in AOL's dial-up biz

Internet service provider EarthLink could be interested in buying AOL's dial-up business, its CEO told The Wall Street Journal in a story published Wednesday.

EarthLink CEO Rolla Huff first brought up the idea of EarthLink buying AOL and other dial-up providers during the company's quarterly conference call Tuesday.

"We believe we're best-positioned to be the consolidator in this industry," Huff said during a conference call with analysts.

The news has spurred a flurry of speculation that EarthLink is looking to buy Time Warner's AOL. Huff wouldn't comment specifically on whether his company has … Read more

California Clean Tech Open names 44 finalists

The California Clean Tech Open, dubbed the "start-up in a box" contest, named 44 finalists Tuesday. It awards $100,000 in cash, office space, and professional services to each of the six winners. Categories are air, water, and waste; energy efficiency; green building; renewables; smart power; and transportation.

The Google-sponsored contest, run by the nonprofit Acterra, touts success stories such as GreenVolts, which makes photovoltaic solar concentrating systems, and BuildFast, which sells eco-friendly house kits for developing regions. Contest organizers said that tech for the developing world has become an increasing area of focus.

Prizes are due to … Read more

The 404 147: Where we're looking for the big E

Self-proclaimed audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg sits in with us today and gives us the inside scoop on the many benefits of ear cleansing. Light candles in your ear, pouring hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal, what the...? We also talk more about the latest headphones on the market and even gain some insight into the Steve's former political agenda! We also play a heartbreaking voicemail that Natali received from our buddy Phil Ryan and EVENTUALLY get into the rundown at the tail end of the show, talking about (dare we say) hot, sweaty lesbians! 'Tis true, take a peek! EPISODE … Read more

E3 2008: The wrap-up

This year's smaller, quieter E3 video game trade show may well mark the end of an era, with no solid plans announced for next year's show, and many participants lamenting the stripped-down vibe. Despite powering a multi-billion-dollar industry, the big game companies collectively decided that the massive shows of previous years were too expensive to put on anymore--but the pared-down version of E3 that started last year failed to inspire the industry or generate much significant media coverage.

Despite the melancholy feel, the big stories driving the gaming business were clearly visible (even if almost all of the … Read more

TuneUp Companion cleans up iTunes

I use iTunes on both my Mac and Windows machines here at work. On my Windows box, it's not quite as smooth and takes up a few too many resources, but I still run it to listen to music from other users on my network. On my Mac, it couldn't be better, but I've found that the biggest problem I have with iTunes is not with the program itself.

In fact, even though it's mostly my fault, my music library is what gives me the most trouble. Like most people, I've gotten my music from … Read more

Send around video-annotated sites with Bubble Comment

If you've been a longtime Webware reader you might remember a service called Bubble Guru I checked out back in late 2007. It let you create small video pop-ups you could stick on your site to say hi to users, or simply to serve as a more attention-grabbing sticky note. Just launched Bubble Comment is a very similar service, and in fact it's from the same folks. The big difference is that it's completely free, albeit with some limitations.

One of those limitations, for example, is that you can't simply embed Bubble Comment bubbles on any … Read more

My speakers can beat up your high-end A/V receiver

Are high-end A/V receivers, which for the purpose of this blog is any receiver with a MSRP over $1,500, worth it? True, they're loaded with features, stuff like all of the latest surround formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio. But wait a sec--Denon's soon to be released $649 AVR-1909 receiver has them, too. It's got three HDMI inputs and all of the latest Audyssey auto speaker set up and equalization doodads.

Let's take a look at Sony's $1,699 STR-DA5300ES. What does the extra $1,000 buy you? Not so much. … Read more