Snip.it

Snip.it Is Joining Forces with Yahoo!

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:07:56 -0800

We are excited to share some big news: Snip.it has been acquired by Yahoo!.

For the past year and a half, we’ve worked tirelessly as a team to build the best social news platform on the web. We’ve been absolutely blown away by the breadth, depth and quality of the content you guys share on Snip.it every day. You helped make it a treasure trove of unique content, and we cannot thank you enough for your contributions to the platform, as well as your valuable feedback on the product.

We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring Snip.it’s vision to a larger scale at Yahoo!. While we can’t share the specifics of what we’ll be building, we are excited about the opportunity to take social news to exciting, new heights at Yahoo!. The Yahoo! team is passionate about inspiring and entertaining the world’s daily habits, and certainly sharing news and information is something we all do every day. The vision and energy at the company is contagious, and we’re so excited to be part of all that is to come.

As of today, we will no longer support snipping. However, we’ve built a few options for you to download and export all your snips. The download link will be available until February 21, 2013.

We’ve also created a Snip.it Hall of Fame, where we’re honoring some of the top contributors to the Snip.it community. We’ve included their Twitter handles so you can continue to stay connected and follow their insights.

We are so grateful for all of your support. We’d also like to thank our investors, family and friends. We wouldn’t be anywhere without your guidance.

Here’s to new adventures in 2013!

Sincerely,

The Snip.it Team

Jouhan Allende, Will Dalton, Jen Pollock, Marc Nijdam, Ramy Adeeb, Mark Percival, Alaina Percival, Cedric Han, Sarah Caplener, and (not pictured) Francesco Carli.

Special thanks to our investors: Khosla Ventures, True Ventures, Charles River Ventures, SV Angel as well as Andy Rachleff, Emil Michael, Gary Clayton and Andy Krumel.

Snipper of the Week: Timi Siytangco

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:23:00 -0800

In this edition of Snipper of the Week, we caught up with self-confessed “hedonist geek” Timi Siytangco to talk food journalism, trends and her favorite restaurants in the world. You can follow Timi’s take on food culture in her always-excellent (and mouthwatering!) collection “Eater Reader.”

The description of your Eater Reader collection says: “food as proxy for the human condition.” Can you explain what you mean by that?

The whole of human emotions can be represented by food. It reflects cultures, society, our preferences and biases. And a good bottle of wine or single-malt scotch can turn anyone philosophical about life.

How did you get into food?

I’m Filipino so my environment growing up was always food-centric. Five meals a day was normal. I first tasted local cuisines through family get-togethers: Filipino dishes (lots of pork, adobo, stews), Spanish (which has a large influence on our cuisine), Chinese (from my dad’s side of the family) and American. Then as I started working — and had some money! — I could eat out more, and travel, which broadened my palate.

What are your thoughts on the Guy Fieri/New York Times episode?

I’ve not tried the food so no idea if it was deserved or not, though the article had its funny moments. I was surprised at the tone, though, it seemed more of a “personal blog” kind of rant, not something coming from the New York Times. The follow-up coverage was entertaining, but 18 hours in, it got boring.

You snipped an Atlantic article about the “moral crusade against foodies” and commented that we shouldn’t take this all too seriously. Can you expand on that a bit?

If we’re lucky enough to eat three healthy, square meals a day, we should be thankful. Everything else, like willingly paying $5 for a cup of coffee, let alone getting up at odd hours of the night to make a booking at a Michelin-starred restaurant, is gravy.

What’s your favorite restaurant in the world and why?

This is like choosing between pets — impossible! There’s a tapas bar in Barcelona called Cal Pep. It’s a bit of an institution, and I love it because of the memories. I went there with two good friends and had the best tapas experience of our lives. The baristas took care of us and shook our hands after the three-hour meal, then we all walked out onto the dark plaza at half past midnight and did a delirious group hug, we were that happy.

The other favorite is St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields, East London. Somehow Fergus Henderson can do something both homey and elevated at the same time.

When I visit my parents in Manila, I always order the Chicken Joy from Jollibee. Everyone grew up with it and it’s bigger than McDonalds over there.

You snip pieces from some legendary food writers. Who are your favorite food writers working today?

Right now I have Adam Gopnik on my bedside table. He is insightful, has a wonderful way with words and is a great storyteller. I also enjoy Peter Meehan of Lucky Peach. I am also a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s early works. My favorite wine book is The Judgement of Paris — gripping stuff, I tell ya.

What are your favorite food publications?

There are two food writers whose blogs I read regularly, Robyn Eckhardt of Eating Asia and Katie Parla of Parla Food. They both go beyond the “this-is-scrumptious-and-here’s-the-recipe-and-a-photo-with-ridiculous-depth-of-field” type of writing and really give their readers a sense of place through food. Also, The Ulterior Epicure. I visit Eater once in a while as well.

What would you say were the biggest food trends this year?

In the last 12 months I was able to spend time in Singapore, Rome, London and Australia. “Locavore” is everywhere. Also, unexpected flavors in ice cream, gelato and macarons. And there is some kind of movement brewing (pun intended) around specialty coffee. There’s a coffeeshop not 6 months old in my neighborhood that serves some of the best coffee in town, and people are walking out with bags of single-origin beans and those Hario pour-over gadgets.

What do you think the trends next year will be?

More of the coffee thing. And something unpredictable coming from North Asia (Japan/ Taiwan/Korea).

What would be your last meal on earth?

It’s a toss-up between a steamer basket of xiao long bao, and my friend Lou’s chocolate cake.

You can subscribe to Timi’s “Eater Reader” collection here.

Snipper of the Week: Cherry Davis on Obama's Reelection

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:51:00 -0800

In this edition of Snipper of the Week, we chat with Cherry Davis, who won our Election Contest with her fabulous collection “Politics.” Below, we chat with her about why she voted for Obama, what’s next for Mitt Romney and the challenges of the next four years. You can subscribe to Cherry’s collections here.

Why did you vote for Obama?

I love our country and want us to move forward so that we’re able to compete with the world. I voted to reelect President Obama because of his “Modern New Deal” visions. It will be a blend of short term (get people back to work) and long term (increase revenue to fund research/education) solutions. I also firmly believe that our president should both embrace the diversity of our nation and be able to work well with other nations.

What do you think turned the election in Obama’s favor?

His campaign had a clear goal and plan to win that had been in place since he was elected for his first term. His campaign gathered support and made sure that people were registered and able to vote. They also did a superb job in showing the stark difference between Governor Romney’s extremely conservative platform and the President’s vision for the future. Once people started to see the types of extremely conservative policies Romney and Paul Ryan would put in place, all the campaign had to do was rebut any dishonest points the GOP ticket made to try to dissuade less informed voters.

What do you think hurt Mitt Romney most in the campaign?

Mitt Romney made two major mistakes that made him less appealing to the average voter. First, his decision to not be transparent meant that no one knew for sure where he stood. His refusal to detail his plans and policies made him seem dishonest, especially when he would say different things to different audiences. The second mistake was that it took him way too long to pivot to the middle. His selection of Congressman Ryan (who’s Congressional record was very unappealing outside of the GOP Conservative base) didn’t cement his base, which is why he kept focusing on issues that would alienate minorities and women (immigration, abortion, birth control, rape policies).

What do you think the future holds for the Republican Party?

I think Republican Party will spend about twenty years sticking to the policies of the religious right. They will likely elect someone who’s ‘truly’ conservative for the next two cycles, who will then lose in the general election. They will also have a more difficult time electing state-wide candidates as the demographics of our country change. It will likely take about ten years for them to be a regional party and then ten to fifteen more years before they are able to wrestle control from the more extreme members of the party. I think that eventually the GOP will split, with the more more conservative wing forming its own party. So in about twenty years or so we will have three major parties in the states and within 30 to 40 years will have regional parties that will dominate state elections.

For Mitt Romney?

I think he’ll focus on creating a Romney dynasty where his sons will run for office.

What’s the biggest challenge you think Obama faces this year, and over the next four years?

The President has MANY challenges with the GOP-controlled Congress. Not everyone in the Senate and Congress share his vision of a modern ‘New Deal’ so he’ll have to drum up a lot of support from the American people. With his final four years in office, I believe he’ll have the freedom to make lasting changes by adding new Supreme Court Justices and focusing on getting the country back to work.

What part of our political process do you think needs to be revised or reformed?

We have to make voting easier. That means expanded days, online voting, day-of-election registration, a day off, shorter lines at polling places and nationwide rules. I also think our country will have to change campaign funding to something similar to the UK, where they can only run for a few weeks and can’t inundate everyone with ads. It would make it a more level playing field enabling our nation to have more viable parties regional and nationwide.

You chose The New York Times and NY Mag as your prize for winning our Election Contest. What made you choose those two publications?

I think The New York Times is the best newspaper in the nation, with writers on all side of the spectrum. Whether I agree with their positions or not, their arguments are well thought out and articulated. NYMag is a great read that keeps me abreast of the East Coast, where I lived for many years before relocating to LA. I miss the people, style of writing and culture. These two publications give me a window into my old region.

Strategic Leadership Advisor Joan Waltman On Effective Bosses, Company Culture and Work-Life Balance

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:02:00 -0700

In this edition of Snipper of the Week, we chat with strategic leadership advisor Joan Waltman about the qualities of effective bosses, how to create a healthy company culture and work-life balance. You can subscribe to her ever-informative collections here.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what you do now?

I started my career as an engineer and eventually became the president of a division at a Fortune 500 company. I spent the first 10 years of my career discovering what I really cared about and learned a lot about how to create a great place to work. Today I advise high tech companies on how to be competitive by discovering their true mission and creating a company culture that employees love.

What are the qualities you think all great business leaders need to possess to be effective?

Trust and authenticity. A leader needs to be trusted enough to be able to dig deep into the details and get the truth, confident enough to make tough calls and do the right thing and genuine enough that people know they are dealing with a person of integrity that they want to follow.

What pillars must be in place for a company to grow healthily and steadily?

You have to have the end game in mind when setting out your strategy for “how” you run your business and “what” you are going to do “when.” If you don’t know where you want to be in the future, you take short cuts that preclude you from ever arriving. You also have to have a strong sense of “why” you are doing it at all. If you don’t have a strong sense of “why,” then employees won’t know how to fully commit to your vision, and your brand and product will communicate your misalignment rather than your conviction. Customer loyalty and devotion to your brand come from fulfilling all facets of delivery in a consistent, intentional manner.

Your Culture & Workplace collection is fascinating. What are the most important tenants of a healthy company culture?

Much of what is out there focuses on competitive pay and benefits, requisite policies and procedures, appropriate guidelines for reviews, etc. Those are table stakes. What matters is that an employee can return from a long day at work and be able to tell his or her family, “I am trusted; my opinions are heard; I am appreciated; and I know that what I am doing matters.” Designing a company culture that allows employees to feel this way doesn’t happen by accident. It must be taught, so having a leadership team that is open to learning and mentoring is important as well.

What are some effective ways to assess a candidate’s fit within a company culture in the interview process?

I like to learn about what new candidates care about, what their values are, their work ethic, how they like to operate, examples of good and bad bosses they’ve had in the past, examples of places they think are great places to work and why. I would also ask them about companies that they feel have succeeded and/or failed and why. Tony Shei from Zappos is known to ask the bus driver that shuttles the candidate from the airport to the office how the candidate treated him, which may provide the most insightful feedback of all.

“Micromanaging” is a term thrown out in many a workplace complaint. How can micromanaging be avoided? Is it ever a good idea?

When leaders are dealing with urgent issues, for which there is no time to delegate and train, micromanaging may be necessary. Habitual micromanagement is an indication that there is a lack of trust between the leadership and the team. This creates mutual animosity, which often goes unstated and results in bad morale, less initiative and zero risk-taking amongst employees. It’s really up to the micromanager’s boss to identify this weakness and help figure out what is at the bottom of it.

How much of a company’s success do you think is driven by the overall happiness of its employees?

Success has as much to do with timing and luck, which are difficult to control. You can stack the deck in your favor by cultivating a happy workforce. Their willingness and desire to put in more effort than they are asked, to go above and beyond, to take initiative beyond their job description is driven by an inherent happiness to be a part of something bigger than themselves, something they believe in. Without that, employees tend to fall back to doing just what is asked of them, what is expected. Ultimately that leads to mediocrity.

What are some of the most effective ways to motivate employees?

Help them align their personal goals with the company’s goals so that they know why they should care. Create an environment where people feel their contribution and voice is valued, where they can contribute to the success and innovativeness of the company, at every level in the company. Recognize and reward employees discretely; openly celebrate success as teams.

What are the characteristics of a successful meeting?

A meeting can have a successful outcome – goals defined, to-do lists created, statuses communicated – and yet be a failure. Why is this? Because meetings are an opportune place to both reinforce or ruin a company’s culture. How people feel leaving a meeting is as important as what was accomplished.

“Work life balance” has been quite the buzz phrase in the media this past year. What are your thoughts on the topic?

Life is all about priorities and choices; you make room in your life for what you prioritize. I decided early on that a full life would include nurturing a loving family as a wife and mother, developing friendships that are bound by trust, having a career I could be proud of and contribute to the lives of fellow employees and my chosen field. The balance of work and life became inextricably tied together, as one enhanced the other, and the supportive nature of a loving family, trusted friends, and business partnerships enabled each to support the other in achieving personal and professional goals. In the last 20+ years, I have seen women and men’s familial roles evolve with a lot more acceptance of this give and take between the two, a trend that is very encouraging.

You can subscribe to Joan’s collections here.

Snipper of the Week: Chris Miller Talks Wine

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:31:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week we catch up with a Snipper with a particularly interesting collection. This week, we chat with wine expert and educator Chris Miller about the up-and-coming regions, how to read a wine list and Sideways.

Let’s start with a primer on wine regions: Which are the classics and which are the up-and-comers?

The classics are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Champagne and the such. And in the US, Napa Valley. Then there are places in the Rhone and Provence, which were classics for a long time but then went into a bit of slump. They’ve come out of that, so you could say they’re now up and comers. Central Otago, New Zealand (for Pinot Noir), Mendoza, Argentina (for Malbecs), Willamette Valley (for Pinot Noir), Mendocino and similar places are considered today’s up and coming regions.

What are some trends going on right now in the wine industry?

Right now the industry is built so that it’s very hard for small wineries to find customers and market to them directly. I think we’ll start to see new ways for wineries to collect data about their customers and potential customers. Wineries should have the opportunity to know who enjoyed their wine regardless of how it was bought or where it was consumed — for example, if it was purchased during a meal at a restaurant. I’m launching a business called VineClub.org that focuses on making it easier for wineries to market directly to customers, using data and data filtering. Small producers should have the chance to make more money and build a better relationship with the customer. We’re also trying to make it easier for people to learn about wine, based on what they’ve tasted, liked and learned.

There seems to be such a high barrier to entry to learning about wine. For someone who’s just beginning, what do you recommend starting with?

For someone who really wants to learn about wine, you have to buy bottles above $15. Below $15 is sort of a gamble, meaning a Pinot Noir at this level could taste exactly like it should, or nothing like the grape at all. Bottles in the $15-$30 range should taste like what they say on the bottle — so that they represent the grape and region in a manner that can educate. So start here, by figuring out what different grapes taste like.

Once you’ve mastered that with your favorite wines, the next level is to know what grapes taste like when they’re grown in a certain place. What’s the difference of a Sauvignon Blanc grown in New Zealand versus one that’s from Sancerre in France? That’s where you ultimately want to end up. To be able to confidently say “I want a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or a Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley,” and have a basic understanding of the type of wine each is.

What’s a good strategy for narrowing down a wine list at a restaurant?

You should get a wine that best pairs with the cuisine, but doesn’t overpower the cuisine. There is a scientific approach to this, but that can be intimidating for beginners. So if there isn’t a sommelier or wine captain around, use the culture as a guide If it’s a Northern Italian restaurant, for example, look for the style wines your like from Northern Italian wine regions.

What about navigating prices on wine lists?

The best-priced wine on the menu is always going to the pet of the wine director or the sommelier. It’s usually something off-the-beaten-path, and is there because they have a sweet spot for it. So look for the bottles you don’t recognize, and that’ll be the one with the least markup. The worst values are going to be the big brand names — ones like Opus One, Silver Oak and Santa Margarita.

What are your favorite bottles of wine right now?

In California, I’m loving stuff from the Mendocino region and Anderson Valley. Copain makes a great Pinot Noir. I have always had a soft spot for cool-climate Pinot Noir as well — Wines like Foxen and Ampelos in Santa Maria and the Santa Rita Hills or from the greats of Burgundy like Courcel in Pommard or Roumier in Chambolle-Musigny (but these can be awfully hard to find and pricey). Sometimes it just comes down to a farmer making simple and gratifying wines at great prices like David Coffaro in Dry Creek Valley.

How much of being a sommelier is about molecular science and how much is about aesthetics and taste?

There’s a trend towards the science side of things, but that’s very “inside baseball” and can scare wine drinkers that aren’t wine geeks. I never want to put a barrier in front of people enjoying wine. Being a good sommelier just comes down to practice. You have to learn what wines smell like and learn to read and talk to every level of wine consumer.

In terms of smell, 90-95% of wine flavors are the aromas. There are around 200 different aromas that you can smell in wine — whereas in nature there’s something like 400,000 different kinds. But without practice, humans get confused when it gets above 20-30. The top sommeliers can distinguish between 100-200 different aromas. Our brains are like a giant filing cabinet for smells, we just just have to learn to find the right files. With practice, a great sommelier can distinguish between the nuances of a white, green or black peppercorn or between a ripe lemon and an underripe one.

Sideways was the wine blockbuster, but is there another wine movie that’s more revered within the industry?

There’s a movie called Mondovino, which is like the holy grail of wine movies for industry insiders. It’s a documentary about commercial versus non-commercial wineries, based on when Mondovi went into the South of France and tried to buy a swath of land for planting vineyards. All the locals didn’t want their culture to become commercialized and stood up to them — it’s really a great movie.

And what about Sideways? How does the industry view the movie?

Sideways is actually ridiculed a bit within the industry. It was great to see Santa Barbara celebrated — and Pinot Noir sales skyrocketed after it — but it also did some things insiders didn’t like so much (like make Pinot Noir more expensive). At one point in the movie, the main characters bash Merlot. As a result, Merlot sales crashed. But then at the end, they drink that 1961 Château Cheval Blanc, which is supposed to be the “ultimate” wine of the story. But that wine comes from Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, a region known for Merlot and Cabernet Franc. So they bashed it and then talked about it being one of the best wines ever. That part of the plot just didn’t really make sense.

You can subscribe to Chris Miller’s Wine Business collection here.

Operation Inform: Snip.it's Election Issues Contest!

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:31:11 -0700

Passionate about an election issue in this presidential race? Enter our contest! We’re inviting the Snip.it community to share articles, videos and images to help educate people about the important election issues before Voting Day.

First place prize is a year’s subscription (print + digital) to The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal.

The contest is open through Voting Day (November 6th), and we’ll be evaluating the collections on quality of content and their success in educating as many people as possible about the issue.

Head to the contest page to enter. Click on the issue you’re passionate about, and submit a collection of articles that help educate people about it.

Happy educatin’!

Announcing Snip.it's API, Widgets and "Groups"

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:24:00 -0700

We’re extremely excited to announce three new Snip.it features!

1) The Snip.it API

We’re opening up Snip.it’s API to the world. This will allow developers to make stuff that taps into all the high quality content that’s on Snip.it. You’ll be able to do anything from displaying cool Snip.it sections on your site to developing mobile apps that incorporate Snip.it’s data. The sky’s the limit!

The existing Snip.it is completely built on this API, ensuring that other apps and services can create the same experiences that we do every day here at Snip.it. We’re initially releasing the read-only part of the API, and will roll out the full API in the next few weeks. The API will include functions to get at user, collections and snip data (including comments and favorites). It’s available at http://developer.snip.it, an open-source repository for developers wanting to help improve documentation We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

2) Widgets & a Chrome Browser Extension

Want to display current snips from your Snip.it collections on your website? We now have a widget for that! Our Snip.it widget allows you to show your readers the most recent things you’ve snipped into a collection. Head to our Publishers Toolkit section to get the easily-embeddable code.

We’ve also launched a Snip.it browser extension for Chrome, which will make it even easier to snip! You can find that here.

3) Groups

On Snip.it, people are already collecting around hundreds of topics they’re passionate about. With our Groups release, we’re bringing all those people together to create robust communities of knowledge-sharing around interests. Anyone can join a Group by adding their collection to it. You can also invite contributors — people who you know read great content about a subject — to any group.

To kick off Groups with a bang, we’re excited to announce our 2012 Election Issues Contest. We’ve created six election-related Groups that you can join as part of the contest: Election News, Foreign Policy, Education Policy, Obamacare, The Economy and Political Comedy (for some levity). Head to the contest page for more information and to enter. (There are some sweet prizes involved!)

If you have any questions about our new features, or feedback in general about Snip.it, we’d love to hear from you. You can email us anytime at team@snip.it.

We hope you like the new stuff!

The Snip.it Team

Snipper of the Week: Matt Cannizzaro

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:32:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we chat up a Snipper with particularly interesting collections. This week, we caught up with aviation enthusiast Matt Cannizzaro to talk drones, common misconceptions about flying and commercial flights to space

Can you tell us a little bit about your background, and what you do?

For my day job, I’m a software developer working in San Francisco. I’ve spent most of my career working on various development tools; currently I’m working on a C/C++ toolchain for Flash. I also hold a private pilot certificate and enjoy exploring California by air.

What’s the hardest part about learning to fly?

It’s different for everyone. Personally, I find figuring out how things work fascinating, so learning about air traffic control procedures, navigation, and reading complex aviation maps came easy to me. Rote memorization of regulations took a bit more effort.

Actually operating the airplane is a different matter entirely though. During flight training, many people will hit a “training plateau” where they are stuck on a single maneuver and can’t seem to improve, no matter how many times they try. While you’ll get over your plateau eventually, this definitely happened to me. The maneuver that gave me trouble is intended to simulate what would happen if you pull back too aggressively during takeoff. Eventually I got the hang of it, and when I took my first solo flight it was worth all the hard work.

What are the hardest flight issues to recover from?

To some extent it depends on both the aircraft and the pilot’s experience. The training for a private pilot certificate in the US requires only basic instruction on how to fly the plane using its instruments only and no visual references, as one would have to if flying in a cloud. For someone who is not prepared and trained for instrument flight, like myself, flying into a cloud or an area of low visibility is very dangerous. The plane itself will fly just fine in a cloud, but it’s very easy to get disoriented and confused about which way is up. While this is more of a concern with newer pilots, spacial disorientation is still a concern in airlines — check out China Airlines Flight 006 for an interesting example.

Another concern are situations where the pilot loses control of the airplane. For small private planes, this most commonly happens if the pilot tries to maneuver the plane too aggressively. When startled, the natural reaction is to pull back on the controls, intending to put more distance between obstacles on the ground and the airplane. But most airplanes display counter-intuitive behavior in this situation: pulling back gently may yield a climb, but pulling back abruptly will cause a descent. This happens because the airflow over the wings is no longer smooth, but turbulent and disrupted. The only way out is to restore airflow by pushing forward on the controls, bringing the plane closer to the obstacles the pilot is trying to avoid. When this happens close to the ground, an accident may be unavoidable, but as the recent tragedy of Air France 447 has shown, even professional pilots flying miles from the ground are susceptible to this problem.

What are some common misperceptions about flying planes?

I think there are many, but I’ll mention two. I think that while sitting in the back of an airliner, many people imagine the pilots performing a delicate balancing act, where they carefully guide the plane through the air and the slightest inattention results in the whole craft plummeting out of control. A fun way to cure yourself of this notion is to take an introductory flight lesson at your local airport. You’ll find that planes, even small ones, are very stable and forgiving of errors. You can pretty much fly them hands off, even without an autopilot or any of the other automation you would find in an airliner.

Many high school and even college students are taught that planes generate lift because wings are curved on the top and straight on the bottom. This theory goes on to explain that the air split by such a wing travels faster across the larger surface area on the top to meet up with the slower air traveling across the bottom. Since the air moves faster on the top of the wing, the pressure there is lower, yielding a net upward force on the wing. Unfortunately, this theory doesn’t quite explain how a plane could fly upside down or with a symmetrical wing. While I don’t claim to understand the details, fundamentally wings make lift because they push air down, which in turn pushes the wing up. You can observe the same effect by holding your hand out the window of a moving car.

Which is more dangerous: the take off or the landing?

There are more accidents during landing than during takeoff, and since hopefully the number of takeoffs is equal to the number of landings, that would suggest that landing is more dangerous. One reason is simple: landings happen at the end of the flight, so the chance for crew fatigue is higher. In my experience, there tend to be more variables in landing. Perhaps you misjudged your descent and are a bit high, maybe the wind has blown you off course during the approach, or air traffic control has asked you to maintain a higher than normal speed. Takeoffs, on the other hand, tend to start the same, with the airplane at a stop, pointed down the runway. Airline pilots take care to maintain a stabilized approach which is intended to remove many of these variables.

How do you think drone piloting is going to affect commercial aviation over the next 50 years?

I think it’s safe to say that we will see a large increase in drone flights, especially within US airspace. As with any big change in aviation, there’s some risk in this, and unfortunately I would not be surprised at all to see at least one fatal accident involving a drone. There have already been close calls involving drones and civilian aircraft. I snipped an article about this recently.

How will it affect military aviation?

We can already see the effects on military aviation by looking at the situation in Pakistan, where the CIA is routinely conducting drone strikes. Drones have made it easier, cheaper, and less risky — for the people controlling the drones — to engage in bombing campaigns and other warfare. I think this is a dangerous development.

What’s your favorite plane in operation right now?

I will always be partial to the Cessna 152, since it’s the first plane I flew solo. It’s simple, it works, and is a great training airplane.

Do you think traditional airlines will ever need to service space?

I hope so! I think in order for space flights to become routine, we need some economic motivation. It’s fun to imagine mining asteroids and going on a vacation to the moon, but I think that’s a long way off.

You can subscribe to Matt’s Aviation collection here.

Snipper of the Week: Alan Emtage

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:33:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we chat up a Snipper with particularly interesting collections and points of view. This week, we caught up with Alan Emtage, who invented the first pre-web search engine, Archie. Read his thoughts below on patent law, Mitt Romney and organized religion and subscribe to his always-excellent collections here.

You describe yourself as a news junkie. What publications do you read every day?

The New York Times and The Economist. My favorite blogger is Andrew Sullivan (who is also a friend of mine).

Which outlets do you think are doing the best job of covering the elections?

I try to read across both liberal and conservative media to see what’s going on. On the left I read Ezra Klein (Washington Post), Kevin Drum (Mother Jones), Dave Weigel (Slate) and on the right I read Daniel Larison, Rod Dreher & Noah Millman (The American Conservative) and David Frum (Daily Beast). I can’t get into the fever pitch of the extreme media on the left or right. I tend to be more in the center.

Are you writing Romney out of the race, as the liberal media seems to be doing lately?

Not at all. If you look back at John Kerry’s campaign, for example, everyone thought his momentum would carry him through and it didn’t. I think Obama has a great shot at it, but I wouldn’t write Romney out of it yet.

What are your thoughts on all of Romney’s gaffes lately?

I think Romney is a prisoner to a party that’s become increasingly extreme and out of the mainstream. So even though he’s not running the smoothest campaigns, I’m not sure that anyone could be doing better than Romney at this point.

Besides being a “prisoner to his party,” what do you think is Romney’s biggest challenge?

His lack of ability to connect to that mythical “average” person is a real problem for him. He comes across as stilted and awkward. People react very badly to that, and on a visceral level. Either you have the ability to connect with people or you don’t. It’s a gift that you can’t learn.

Who do you think has that gift?

My mom met Bill Clinton once at an event. She said what she was most struck by was his ability to make you feel as if you were the only person in the room. Romney doesn’t have that. Obama has it, but not on the same level as Clinton.

Let’s move on to your intellectual property collection. What do you think is the most interesting intellectual property case this year?

Well, I’d expand it from cases the broader problem. And that is that the Patent Trademark Office screwed up in the most major of ways when it allowed software processes to be patentable, starting in the 1970s. It has created a huge mess which is only enriching the patent trolls and the larger corporations. It’s absolutely stifling innovation. In the software arena, there is virtually no program that you can write now that doesn’t infringe on someone else’s patent.

Can you give an example?

“One-click” online shopping is the classic example. There shouldn’t have been any patents on it in the first place, because you can’t patent things that are obvious. Intellectual property today is set up so that all the big guys benefit at the expense of everyone else. The little guys won’t have the money or power to change it any time soon.

You collect a lot of interesting (and different) kinds of content in your religion collection. What is the most fascinating to you about religion to you?

I consider myself agnostic. I find religion fascinating because I don’t feel the need or desire to appeal to a higher power myself. It may be because of my scientific background that I have a hard time with the concept of faith. I find it fascinating that people “believe because they believe” with no underlying proof. I feel like I’m like a little kid looking into the candy shop of religion. I just find it fascinating that it plays such a central role in the lives of most people today across the world.

From your birds eye view of looking at religion, so you see any shifts or trends?

I think that the convergence of religion and politics, particularly on the right in the United States, is dangerous for both politics and religion. Over the next generation or two, I think we’re going to see that split apart. The evangelicals and the GOP have had a common interest, but that’s going to start to diverge. Particularly around issues like gay rights and same sex marriage, the younger generation are starting to get turned off towards religion. The polls show this. Within the next two election cycles, I believe The Republican Party will become more gay positive because it won’t serve them to be viewed as homophobic any longer. So the synthesis of these two movements will split ways. Organized religion in the US will become increasingly more liberalized or fade away.

What are your favorite Snip.it collections and topics?

I love the history topics and also the more quirky stuff. Snips like the History of the $20 bill and the math behind 4-digit pin codes have recently caught my interest.

Post Snips and Collections on LinkedIn!

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 08:53:00 -0700

Now you can share your snips and collections on LinkedIn! Just head to the sharing options on snips or collections, and you’ll see a LinkedIn button.

Sharing snips on LinkedIn is a great way to show your professional network what you’re reading around your areas of expertise. So, happy sharing!

Collection sharing:

Snip sharing:

Maria Marem on What Distinguishes "Style" from "Fashion"

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:36:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we talk to a Snipper with particularly interesting collections. This week, we caught up with style maven Maria Marem to talk about the best of New York Fashion Week, what “style” means, and the three pieces of clothing every man and woman should own.

Which trends from New York Fashion Week last week do you think will be the most enduring?

My style collection’s title is Coco Chanel’s thesis: “Fashion fades, only style remains the same,” which I totally agree with. In this sense, the most enduring trends from New York Fashion Week will be the classics; which is to say the ones we can wear frequently that don’t follow the six-month rule. They will be things like a dress that you can wear all year round and in the winter transform with the simple addition of a coat over it.

Which “trends” do you think will be most quickly played out?

Those that are quickly adopted by celebrities. Celebrities have the most influence on fashion and people blindly follow them, without really thinking about style.

So how can you tell if someone has “great style?”

By three things. 1) They don’t destroy style with too many trends. 2) They have a sense of individuality 3) They know what looks good on them and what doesn’t. When someone abides by these rules, they will have great style.

Which celebrities or icons do you think epitomize “great style” in our current era?

My top style icon is the fabulous Ines de la Fressange, who in my opinion is close to perfection. I also love Amanda Brooks’ amazing style, and Emmanuelle Alt’s unique attitude.

You snip a lot of J Crew. What do you think the brand has done so well throughout the years?

I am a J. Crew lover for many reasons. Their classic and mix and match style is very successful. But most of all they are marketing gurus: They’ve revolutionized the concept of high quality products and style that is affordable.

What are three essential items you think every woman needs in her wardrobe?

I think every woman needs one pair of jeans, a white shirt and a little (but not necessarily black) dress. Every woman must have these “comfortably dressy” clothes that she can wear all the time.

What are three essential items you think every man needs in his wardrobe?

Men’s wardrobe essentials must be a pair of jeans, a white shirt and a classic navy blazer. This snip shows in a perfect way how important the classic navy blazer is for men’s wardrobe.

You snip so many great classic films in your Cinema collection. What is your favorite film of all time and why?

Classic cinema is like an ocean you dive into and each time you come up with a different pearl. It’s hard for me to pick my favorite of all time. But a few of my favorites are The Last Year in Marienbad, The Adventure, The Seventh Seal, Ugetsu Monogatari, The Godfather Part II, City Lights,The Wizard Of Oz, Meshes Of The Afternoon, Citizen Kane, Breathless, Limite, Lawrence Of Arabia.

Your Music collection is equally fantastic. What’s your favorite song of all time? And band?

It’s easy for me to pick my favorite band of all time. It’s The Beatles. Why? Because they did everything. And when Sergeant Pepper Came out in 1967 they gave the world not only their masterpiece but a work of art that still influences the modern music industry. Favorite song of all time? If a song can make you shiver then it’s “Song ToThe Siren” sung by Elizabeth Fraser in 1983. As a big Tim Buckley fan I already knew and loved the song. It’s a haunting ballad about doomed love inspired by Homer’s Ulysses. But Fraser’s singing took the song to a higher level and made it classic. It was as if she had become the siren, luring listeners to a permanent ecstasy!

Which do you think influences fashion or style more: Music or movies?

Movies and TV influence fashion more without any doubt. Far toο many outfits worn in TV shows are quickly copied by retailers. You can really see all that with shows like Mad Men and Gossip Girl.

What are your favorite Snip.it collections?

My favorite collections are the Books & Literature collections.

You can subscribe to Maria Marem’s collections here.

Now You Can Find Your Friends on Snip.it!

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:10:00 -0700

To find your friends on Snip.it, just head to our new Friends tab! There, you’ll see a list of your Facebook friends who are already collecting their favorite content on Snip.it. Just click “view” to see what they’re collecting and subscribed to.

You can also invite friends to Snip.it from this page. So if you know someone who’s an avid online reader, just click “Invite” next to their name. They’ll get an invitation from you to join Snip.it to start collecting all the cool content they’re reading.

Happy Snipping (and inviting)!

Tell Our New Mobile Hires What You'd Love to See in a Snip.it App

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:03:00 -0700

Mobile’s in the air at Snip.it HQ! We’re revving to go full steam ahead toward the release of a Snip.it app later this year. To lead the charge, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve brought two new mobile engineers to the team: Marc Nijdam and Cedric Haan. Both are seasoned mobile vets, and we could not be more excited to have them on board.

We have our mobile concepts cooking, but also want to hear from you! What would you love to see in a Snip.it mobile app? Add a comment to this post, or email us at team@snip.it and let us know what sorts of mobile features would make you happy.

But first, meet Marc and Cedric! Snip Bot, Snip.it’s engineering pet (a super smart Hubot) asked them a few Qs about mobile and life.

Marc Nijdam comes to us from San Diego, where he served as a Senior Director of Technology at Qualcomm and also helped build Brew and the Brew MP mobile OS. He was one of the evangelists of the platform, traveling all over the world to present on what Brew could do for app developers, way before smart phones figured out that they were smart.

Snip Bot: Sound off on the iPhone5

Marc: I’m excited! From the outside it looks like just another upgrade to the iPhone 4S, but there’s so much goodness inside. And that extra half and inch in screenspace is nice boost in usable application real-estate. I can’t wait to get Snip.it mobile running on it.

Did I get one? Yup. Did I stay up for it till midnight? Nope, so I get to wait an additional two weeks before it ships. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.

Snip Bot: What are you excited to explore in San Francisco?

Marc: I’m overwhelmed by the foodie scene in the city! There’s so much out there to sample.

Snip Bot: Do you think SF burritos are better than San Diego burritos?

Marc: Hmmm… no…not yet. I’ve had some really good ones here, but there’s something about being closer to the source that makes it more authentic.

Snip Bot: What do you think about the SF fog?

Marc: We’re not on speaking terms, but as long as we get the amazing sunny days to make up for it, I’ll put up with it.

Snip Bot: What’s your favorite Snip.it section? Or collection?

Marc: I like a number of Abid Azam’s collections, including Entrepreneurs and Mobile. Brain Candy and Social Issues are my two favorite group right now.

Snip Bot: What are your favorite apps right now?

Marc: There’s a few depending on what I’m doing. I live in Tweetbot most of the day to keep up with the developers I care about, use Instacast to catch up on development and international news, and have Camera+ ready to go when I’m out and about to catch snapshots of all the fun, cool and crazy stuff we see in our new hometown.

You can subscribe to Marc’s collections here.

Cedric Haan joins Snip.it as a mobile and software engineer. He was previously the Co-Founder and Senior Engineer at Crunchyroll, the premier online destination for watching anime and Asian entertainment. Before that, he worked as a software engineer at Tellme Networks, which is now a part of Microsoft.

Snip Bot: How excited are you about the iPhone5?

Cedric: I was pretty underwhelmed upon hearing the announcement, but after preordering at midnight on launch night, my inner consumer whore took over and now it’s all I can think about.

Snip Bot: What’s your favorite thing about SF?

Cedric: The few precious fog-free days we get are GLORIOUS.

Snip Bot: What are your favorite Snip.it topics and collections?

Cedric: As an enginerd, I like any and all engineering-related snips. I also listen to a lot of Korean music which I catalog in my K-pop collection, and all things Starcraft, the greatest video game ever made.

Snip Bot: What’s your favorite app right now?

Cedric: Reeder. It’s very understated but so functional and responsive that it stays out of your way and lets you dive into the articles you want to read.

Snip Bot What’s a little-known fact about you?

Cedric: I spent my childhood years in Singapore and Malaysia. My absolute favorite cuisine in the world is Malaysian!

Snip Bot: What’s your favorite Snip.it office snack? Cause I’m about to eat all these cheddar bunnies

Cedric: Anything with chocolate in it.

Snip Bot: Okay, phew, my cheddar bunnies are safe.

You can subscribe to Cedric’s collections here.

Henry Shepherd on Connecting with Other Cultures and the Most Exciting Part of the Internet

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:11:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we chat up a Snipper with particularly interesting collections or snips. This week, we caught up with Henry Shepherd, a fellowship coordinator at Soliya, to talk about his work at the nonprofit, his thoughts on the election race, and the most exciting part of the Internet. You can subscribe to Henry’s collections here.

Can you talk a little bit about your work at Soliya?

Soliya is a nonprofit that uses new media to connect people from the west and the predominantly Muslim World, from Morocco to Indonesia. We use video conferencing so that people can talk to each other about their lives, and share their perspective on the world. They talk about their anxieties, fears, and hopes. The goal is to promote a better understanding of each other.

Is there a common theme you’ve noticed that runs through the conversations? Or something you’re always struck by?

I think it’s the insight people get from being part of open dialogs. When they talk to someone from a group with whom they haven’t connected before, they can put a face to the idea and to the group. The videos on CNN of people chanting, getting shot, demonstrating, aren’t doing any favors for understanding. Through Soliya, I can say I have friends in places that are “no-gos” on the map. When you have a real connection with a person, you are less prone to take cues from the media about what a place is like, and more prone to take cues from what they those people say.

Moving onto your US politics collection, what do you think of the election race?

I think it’s a very different kind of election than four years ago.

How do you mean?

As a young person it’s humbling to see the tone of the political discourse change so quickly. I wouldn’t say that I was an unreserved Obama fan four years ago, but I was a supporter. But this time around, it doesn’t speak to me the same way it did. I don’t get teary eyed when I see the viral videos talking about the change they promise for Americans.

Why do you think that is?

Well, it’s not a great surprise. Establishing someone as a national political figure is very different than what it takes to maintain a political stance or popularity in office. It was an inevitable outcome.

What do you think about the tone of the campaign?

I’m honestly not interested in the theatre of it at all. If anything, I just look at the Five Thirty Eight poll tracker. It seems like nothing is actually being discussed, and the race is just a way for people to align themselves with one political culture or another. I’m not seeing any sort of real public debate.

What about with women’s issues? That seems to have taken a prominent place on the stage.

I’m very lucky to have a handful of female friends who are kickass Facebook posters and bloggers, who follow various parts of the feminist blogosphere. I love seeing what they’re writing about.

What do you think is most interesting?

In the world of feminist blogs and political blogs that deal with women, gender and sexuality, the points of view and comments are so diverse. The opinions are varied, conflicted and rigorous, and not all liberal. It’s one of the most lively and interesting parts of the Internet in my opinion.

Let’s move on to your Tech, Culture & People collection. What are you trying to capture there?

I’m trying to document my own evolution in thinking about how people use the Internet, so I can be a thoughtful participant and maybe a builder of some kind in the future.

What’s your biggest grievance of the Internet?

Slideshows and lists. I think they signify a short-term and shortsighted way for publications to get attention. There are other business models that might enrich, rather than debase, the level of discussion.

9/11: A Moment of Reflection

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:37:00 -0700

Over the past several years, social media has brought sweeping changes to the way we honor moments in time. Whether it’s a tragedy or a celebration, there’s a newfound sense of global unity to how we process things.

As the eleventh anniversary of 9/11 approaches, we’ve created a section for our Snip.it community to reflect together. We invite you to take a moment of remembrance to post articles, videos and images that reflect on the tragedy and honor its heroes at snip.it/t/911

Alexis Santi on Ayn Rand, Kristen Stewart and 'The Office'

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:21:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we chat up a Snipper with particularly interesting collections. This week, we talked to writer, editor and photographer Alexis Santi about the 2012 elections, ‘The Office’s’ mark on culture and Kristen Stewart’s “twilight-gate.”

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? And what you do now?

I have an MSW in social work with a concentration in social justice and mental health from Washington University in Saint Louis. Before I earned that degree, I was a freelance writer and editor, with an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University. I have two unpublished novels and just found out I will have work forthcoming in SNAP! Magazine.

I currently work a day job as a higher education administrator for Cornell University. I am the travel safety coordinator for the university, which entails doing analysis of the international programs and supporting faculty, staff and students abroad. Higher education is a good place to be, they tend to grasp the complexity of the individual.

You’ve snipped a bit about comedians. How do you think stand-up comedy has benefitted and suffered from social media?

As a culture we’re starting to come to grips with the fact that everything that comes out of a “celebrity’s” mouth is amplified. But that doesn’t mean it necessarily affects their public image in the long run. I’ll pivot to a political example: Four years ago in Virginia, George Allen’s campaign tanked after he muttered a racial epithet. And now he’s in a virtual dead heat with Tim Kaine for senate. It shows how quickly we can forget what’s been reverberated through social media. Everyone seems to get a second, third or forth act now. Take Charlie Sheen, for an example. I mean take him, really, please.

What are your thoughts on the blow-up of the Kristen Stewart “scandal?” Why do you think we’re so fascinated with things like this?

I think it’s not so much that we’re fascinated by Kristen Stewart, but more by vampires and zombies. For many people, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson’s onscreen and public personas are one and the same. And to these fans, it’s as if she actually hurt a vampire. I think the question of why we’re so obsessed with vampires is central to the whole Kristen Stewart “twilight-gate.” My theory is that it’s a way to process the post-9/11 world; a way of understanding and coming to terms with “evil.” Some other theorists say our obsession with vampires is linked to the anti-aging-focused massed media culture. Whatever floats your boat, I think the whole thing is a bit richer than surface.

You snipped about ‘The Office’ ending next year. What mark do you think ‘The Office’ has made on US culture?

I think ‘The Office’ is a great show; I’ve followed it over the years. It felt, for quite a while, to embody one of the more revealing aspects of US culture through a work setting. That star has faded somewhat, but at its height, it did that in spades. It also seemed to very authentically capture an office romance: Pam and Jim are always great to watch together.

You snipped about Argentina giving its writers pensions. Do you think the US is a good place to be a writer?

I think America is a horrible place to be a writer. We lack a value structure that puts literature and literary figures as prominent commentators to our culture. The professional writer is oddly disconnected from the day-to-day of American life and for the most part have built little influence on social media (though you’d think writers would be in their element with 155 characters or less). And because of the lack of publishing opportunities for new writers, the drying up of funding in grants or the elimination of income sources in publishing shorter pieces of work, American letters is in a period of decline, financially-speaking that is.

You also snip pretty prolifically about US politics. What do you think about this year’s election race so far? Does it feel different to you than past races?

The bios and demeanor of these two guys couldn’t be more different, and their paths to power so interesting. Romney is now within striking distance to the White House, even though he has the charisma of Bob Dole on Viagra. The two parties have the complete opposite plans to capture the White House. There was an excellent article I snipped from New York Magazine that articulated the GOP strategy of needing to get at least 61% of the white vote, meanwhile the Democratic strategy is to make the tent as large as possible. Therefore, the GOP doesn’t really mind alienating as many populations as possible so it can energize this “key” base. That is drastically different than previous races but continues the trend of these two parties.

What do you think about Mitt Romney’s campaign attacks on the president?

It’s amazing to me. That birther joke was brutal and shows who he is as a candidate. I don’t think societal truths should be twisted for the sake of political gamesmanship, and the fact of the matter is that Obama knocked off Osama, brought an end to two wars, and is helping us climb out of an economic collapse that was the result of the previous administration’s policies. To me, this indicates Obama is doing the best that he can.

There’s been a lot of ink given to Ayn Rand’s philosophy lately — are there any parts of it that you think could be helpful to apply to our current political system?

I think her work is very instructive in understanding the modern Republican Party. Through hundreds of pages of fiction, Rand pushes a modern capitalist story of personal gain that rejects the social contract. She argues that those with means and brains owe nothing to their fellow man.

Do you think her philosophy holds any merit?

Rand suffered a ton of trauma at the hands of the Bolshevik Revolution. It tore apart her family and led her to flee the Soviet Union. There’s no doubt Communism and its practical applications are a disaster. Rand’s embrace of a radical individualism is logical based on this trauma, but an overreach that the modern GOP enjoys propping up as type of narcissistic anti-morality. However, this individualism as a practical application for government is deeply troubling to a populace who feels that the deck is already stacked against them. I do not believe it holds merit; it is an excuse to reject the institution of government and offers no alternative solutions to support those that most depend on that institution.

Moving onto your Tech collection, which industry are you most excited to see “disrupted” in the next year?

Over the next year I’m interested to follow the emerging field of technology and health care. We’re in the midst of a game changing economic boom there. Health care industry profits will soar due to insurance being rolled out to a third more customers. It will take some time but technology, management and human interaction with these fields will become an emerging trend for analysts, pundits and businessmen and women.

You can subscribe to Alexis’ collections here

Patrick Cheenne on Wage Trends, Economic Fears, and Facebook's International Strategy

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:40:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we chat up a Snipper with particularly interesting collections. This week, we caught up with International Business Development Executive Patrick Cheenne in Paris to talk Facebook’s international strategy, wage trends and fighting corruption.

Can you talk a little bit about your background?

I’ve lived in Europe, Africa and the US. I worked as an economist, then as a economic and real estate developer, which led me into the technology galaxy 10 years ago. I have been focusing on growing international business for technology companies ever since.

You snipped a very interesting Tech Crunch piece about identity and attention online. Which sorts of tactics or products do you think will win the “war on attention?”

The internet started as a place where people could be whatever they liked. I think it would be a mistake to forget that this brought a lot of creativity and attention to the network. I think the “war on attention” will play more in behavior and personality spectrums, and less on various viral mechanisms and widgets.

You snipped about Facebook’s trials and tribulations from an investor’s point of view. What sorts of things do you think Facebook will have to do to experience healthy growth and monetization?

For all its merits, Facebook is a very American company, just as Baidu is a very Chinese company. What I mean is that the world is structuring itself in regional cultural plates, and each will most likely grow its own internet tools in the next decades. Facebook would have to break into different companies on each continent to grow substantially beyond their current global reach as I see it.

What are your thoughts on venture capital’s new marketing efforts?

VC is going mainstream and therefore has to align to the financial industry standards — even if they do it with a twist. It probably signals the end of an era, along with recent IPOs not doing that well. The next generation of VC is in the makings, but not yet on the radar.

Moving on to your “Transatlantic Economy” collection, what do you think are the most important types of trends to watch in wages?

There is a global speculative drift that has favored credit and capital gains as wealth creation mechanisms instead of labor and wages. That’s not sustainable, as everyone has noticed by now. Raising wages could signal a return to a more rational wealth creation mechanism.

You snipped and commented on the book “The Hedge Fund Mirage.” Can you explain what you mean when you say “financial speculation relies on asymmetry of information”?

In the long run, successful speculation means you have a better understanding of the information than the other investors you are betting against. The internet has made a lot more information available to individual investors. But more does not equal better speculation, especially when many rely on the same analysis. This may explain why we have seen more and more post-IPO drops in stocks.

You made an interesting comment about economic “fears” being a self-fulfilling prophecy. Can you think of any solutions to better educate the public about how the economy really works to alleviate this?

That’s a tough one. The challenge in educating the public is what Daniel Kahneman calls “Thinking that we know” (one of my first snips in my Evolution collection). “Knowing” has a lot to do with beliefs and prejudices that cannot be addressed through rationale or education, no matter how hard you try. This is especially true in times of crisis where people are under stress. “Hope” is really the only alternative if you want to get attention, but it’s more demanding to build than fear is - a lot more so the second time around, if you know what I mean.

Your “Fighting Corruption” collection is extremely interesting. What are your thoughts on how the financial industry should be regulated?

The short answer is probably the way it was before we got rid of the regulations and triggered the speculative drift I was referring to before. The long one answer is linked to the role money plays in society: Trading tool, policy vehicle, social benchmark, object of addiction…?

What are your favorite Snip.it collections?

I like the collections that coincide with my own topics like Теймураз Мамучадзе’s “Infographics,” Jan Angevine’s “Science” and “Economy” collections, Ramy’s “Entrepreneurship” — and others that play on a more personal side like relationships and psychology.

You can subscribe to Patrick’s collections here.

Your Top Three Moments from London 2012

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:56:00 -0700

Thanks to everyone who entered their favorite 2012 Olympic moments into our contest — you helped create an amazing celebration of all the inspiration that came out of London this summer.

The winning snips — the moments you voted as your favorite of the London Games — are below. Congrats to the winning Snippers! Check out all your favorite 2012 Olympic snips here.

Gold Medal: Connor Carew, Student and hockey goaltender

London 2012 Moment: “I chose the Oscar Pistorious story because it inspired me as an athlete. I travel around the country as a hockey player and currently play in the Northeast. I have no disabilities so I do not have a problem playing. After watching Oscar run, I realized how blessed and fortunate I was to be able bodied. Since watching him it has made me work even harder than before and I thought it would be great to share his photo because I felt it could inspire others as well.”

Prize: New iPad

Silver Medal: Austin Andrews, Biggest Loser contestant, Season 11

London 2012 Moment: ”I chose Maroney’s Vault because it was one of two moments when I teared up during the Olympics. It was upon her landing, and instead of her needing to steady herself to reassure herself with a step, her grace and finesse was so evident. She catapulted herself into a stratosphere of space for her country, for her team and in that moment began to solidify the gold for the Fab Five. It was stunning, and to me it’s a depiction of what we are each capable of.

Prize: Nexus 7

Bronze Medal: Richard Bakare, Engagement Manager in Professional Services at an Atlanta startup

London 2012 Moment: “I chose the Serena Williams snip because it was such a funny reaction to winning from a seasoned tennis champion. Serena has achieved every level of success in her sport, so to see she is still passionate about winning is awesome. It also perfectly rounded out the wild array of emotions in a match that saw Serena mysteriously go back to the locker room at the start, give death stares to her opponent and then do a happy dance at the end.”

Prize: Richard chose to donate $100 to Spin for Kids - Team BandY

Grant Hendrick on Controversy at The Olympics and Where Photography's Headed

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:59:00 -0700

Welcome to Snipper of the Week. Each week, we chat up a user with particularly interesting collections and post the interview here. This week, we caught up with one of our first (and most prolific) Snippers, Grant Hendrick, to talk The Olympics and photography.

(For more Olympics glory, be sure to check out our 2012 Olympic Moments contest, running now through Closing Ceremonies).

Do you think these Olympics feel different than any other past Olympics?

Not that much has struck me as new. That’s actually one of the things I like about the Games — there are threads that have run through them since their beginnings in Greece. Even controversy like the badminton “scandal” — stuff like that’s been going on forever. In fact, I just snipped about the Men’s 400 meter controversy at the 1908 Games in my History collection. There’s always been cheating, agony and ecstasy in The Olympics.

What else do you love about The Games?

To me it’s very much about the emotions and the emotional dynamic of the athletes. I also like how it brings exposure to not-so-popular sports. How much does the general public hear about archery outside of a movie? Or badminton even? It brings exposure to these people who have dedicated huge parts of their life to this stuff and celebrates them, even if it is every four years.

Aside from all the hard work and dedication of the athletes, what about The Olympics do you think makes it so emotional?

Even though it doesn’t stop wars or hardship, it’s about people coming together to compete in good faith. For example, in 1988, a Canadian sailor in second place stopped to save two injured Singaporean sailors who couldn’t right their sailboat. There’s so much in the way of humans coming together that people don’t see or remember. To me, that’s what makes it so emotional.

I love your Photography and History of Photography collections. Where do you come down on Instagram?

Their influence has been huge. But it seems to me that it’s more about the ease of sharing images than about photography itself. Images are starting to play a larger role in everything, and become more and more important. And if Instagram gets purchased for a billion dollars, there is definitely a group of people who think that’s the case. And I think video is next.

Do you think tools like Instagram and the the Lytro camera are ultimately good for photography?

Well, just because you snap a picture and slap a filter on it, doesn’t mean that it’s a Pulitzer prize winner. Though I’ve seen some great things on Instagram, good photography has to be about the subject, composition and emotion. I like the Lytro camera for that, which I snip about a lot because I’m a beta tester for them. I like the challenge of composing for a square image, and also the things you can do with depth of field and perspective. I’m excited for parallax shifting in the Lytro as well, which will come later this year. It’ll make taking pictures a little Harry Potter-like and 3D.

A lot of skeptics seem to wonder if photography should be that “easy”

When the pencil with the rubber eraser first came out, there was a huge uproar about the “decline of civilization” — people thought that weird pink blob of rubber was going to make us stupid and careless. Same thing with talking in movies. My perspective is that there are always people who will drag their feet on an innovation no matter what the topic is.

What are your favorite Snip.it collections?

I love all the photography collections. And I also like to just scroll through my subscriptions and see what I find. I like random discovery.

You can subscribe to Grant’s collections here.

Gary Clayton on Speech Recognition Technology, The Best Albums of 2012 (So Far) and Mick Jagger

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:13:00 -0700

For this week’s edition of Snipper of the Week, we chatted up Gary Clayton, Chief Creative Officer at Nuance Communications (and also one of our investors). Gary began his career as recording engineer and mixer at Russian Hill Recording in San Francisco, and went on to found Clayton Multimedia in 1985, where he was instrumental in moving film and music post-production to the computer. Since that time, Gary’s held top creative and speech strategy positions at Tellme Networks and Yahoo! We caught up with him to talk advances in speech recognition technology, the best albums of 2012 so far and Mick Jagger.

What’s the hardest thing to pick up in speech recognition technology?

Two things come to mind: Speech in noisy environments (for obvious reasons) and kids. They tend to speak in higher registers and they have unusual speech patterns. Also, the speech market has historically been much smaller there, so there hasn’t been much effort put into it out. But that’s going to change, especially when we get into new modes of content using voice. Siri has opened up a lot of people’s eyes, and speech technology is becoming more ubiquitous. Kids are going to realize they want it too. There’s going to be a new market for interactive voice content for children very soon.

Where else do you see speech recognition technology growing?

There’s going to be a far greater demand for it in other languages on the input, as well as the output side. We’ll see a lot of growth in day-to-day travel and transportation scenarios. It just enables you to have a much more pleasant experience.

You’ve had a very interesting career in music mixing and then digital media production and post production. How did you get involved in that?

The 80s were a very interesting time to work in music and movies because most of the work was being done in Los Angeles, but the unions there squeezed out any chance for change and innovation. In Northern California, there was strong technology to support the industry, and the unions up here were weaker. So you started to see people like George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola come up to Northern California because they didn’t want to be stifled.

I got involved through a combination right place/right time and having an obsessive personality. In Northern California around that time we had Lucas Films, Dolby Laboratory, Apple, Adobe, digidesign — tons of interesting companies with innovative products and an innovative way of working with the world. The Apple Macintosh introduced the first real (non-synthesized) audio. I had a couple of friends who were deeply engaged with the early Macintosh at Apple, and someone who was working on the Newton, and they came to me for sounds.

What sorts of things did you work on?

I helped move recording from tape to digital tape to non-linear computer systems and film post production from film stages to computer-sync based studios. I worked in films, records, TV, interactive content, toys…you name it.

Work on anything we’d recognize?

I produced the first sound recordings at Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch (featuring the San francisco Ballet Orchestra), worked on blue-book CD production for David Bowie and Brian Eno and also did some projects with Michael Jackson, The Cure. I was a lucky guy.

I love your Toonz collection. What are do you think are the best albums of 2012 so far?

I actually don’t think it’s been a great year for music so far. The fact that I’m having to scratch my heads for good records sort of says it all. But Frank Ocean’s album is great. Even despite all the collateral hype, it’s a really good record. The Japandroids record was terrific. Also, Best Coast, Passion Pit and Patti Smith.

Which artist playing now would you stand in line to get tickets for?

It would have to be Adele. I saw her at the Grammys, the first time she sang after her throat operation, and the place was electric. When there’s talent, there’s talent, and she’s got it abundantly. She’s the real deal.

You commented on a snip about The National, saying they’re one of your favorite bands. They’re mine too. What do you think makes them so great?

I think it’s the quality of the voice and the way it integrates so beautifully into the songs they play. It seems like a perfectly formed entity.

Your snips are about Mick Jagger are highly entertaining.

I mean, what can you say about Mick? I don’t know if anyone really knows him. I find his persona so interesting. He’s in his mid-60s and just gets up there and kicks it — it’s amazing. He’s just an odd guy and there’s so much shit that’s gone on in his life over the years. Keith Richards’ memoir is a fantastic read — he’s not at all what I thought he was. Far smarter, a bibliophile, a family man, and not as crazy as everyone thought. He’s just a regular, smart guy. After reading his memoir, I would love to see Mick Jagger do one to get an unvarnished view of his life. And I’ve always loved the Stones.

You can subscribe to Gary Clayton’s collections here.