Friday, August 13, 2010
Introducing kikin v. 1.0!
kikin v1.0 is finally here! Over the last 6 weeks the team worked tirelessly to bring you an even better personalized web experience.
Here is what you can expect from v 1.0:
You'll notice a completely redesigned Personal Browser - it now has a clean, fresh new look. The Personal Browser will now accompany you on every page you visit becoming the first browsing companion built specifically for you. kikin analyzes information from each web page you visit and pulls relevant content based on your preferences and what is likelyl the next thing you would want.
We've added Facebook and Twitter to the Personal Browser providing you immediate access to the major features of both, including real time search, relevant news feeds from your friends and ability to post from any page. Connect kikin to Facebook and Twitter and experience the power of your social network in action.
Local information and context is becoming more and more important to people across the web, so we’ve partnered with Microsoft and Nokia to bring you their mapping services, Bing Maps and OVI Maps. If you opt-in to their service from the kikin settings menu you will see a map associated with the geo-location of the web page you are visiting.
Lastly, we’ve dramatically increased the content available from kikin when navigating the web. Now kikin will deliver you the top 4 sites associated with any topic or site you are interested in.
We are very proud of the improvements we’ve made to kikin with this release. Look forward to many more innovations over the coming months to provide even more personal and exciting experiences.
Let us know what you think and if there are any features that would make kikin a more personal experience for you.
Monday, July 19, 2010
You, Favorites, Sharing, Discovery
Too often in the world of startups, online advertising, and social networking people get lost in buzzwords, shorthand, and insider-speak. As kikin’s social marketer, even I get overwhelmed in the mess of ROIs and CPCs. However, the best acronym I remember is KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. kikin’s value proposition is simple. Simple, but potent. kikin is about enhancing the browsing experience for the consumer, making the web personal, and giving publishers a vehicle to reach their fans at the exact moment of intent. Plain as day. We bring information from valued sources to highly valued consumers.
As Scott Portugal stated in his recent Ad Exchanger article, “Stop Making Sense”, “…firms have succeeded because they've stripped out as many complexities as possible, Amazon is the best example of how to simplify a task like shopping and make "Discovery" an integral part of the process, and deliver a usable service”. Another good example is search. Search works because it is simple for consumers and buyers; Google matches keyword queries with an advertisers message (based on purchased keywords) this 1:1 matching is direct and straightforward. kikin uses our entity extraction, url categorization and intent analysis technologies to do something far more powerful than just word matching - we allow publishers and marketers to directly connect with their consumers at exactly their moment of intent within highly relevant contexts.
We make navigating your favorite sources even easier, and we provide more relevant results that match intent. Nothing complicated is going on– just a better web experience with the user at the center.
If you need an acronym to understand kikin, try rearranging the first letter of these words: You, Favorites, Sharing, Discovery.
Good luck!
-Caitlin P. Abber, Marketing
Friday, July 09, 2010
kikin: smart, caring, innovative.
There are many reasons that we know we are doing something truly innovative here at kikin. Relevance and personalization are the future of the web, and every day we read articles that reinforce this notion. Take for example this recent Gizmodo interview with Mozilla’s Christopher Blizzard (ok, cool last name). There were three key quotes in the article that really spoke to what we are doing at kikin, and I have highlighted them for you here.
Christopher: It isn't just about the browser as a piece of technology, but it's also sort of who you are, where you go, what you know, and trying to make everything really easy on mobile devices. 'Cause it's still a huge pain in the butt to type on devices and get something. So connecting data, connecting who you are—which your browser knows you better than anyone really. It's kinda creepy, actually. And bringing those cross-mobile and desktop. So I use that technology [Firefox Sync] on multiple operating systems and a machine at home and for me it's been revolutionary. Like everything syncs. I start up a new browser and it knows exactly who I am.
We believe that this notion of your browser knowing who you are and what you like is crucial to a rich web experience. Whether you are on CNN, a blog about your neighborhood, or shopping for some summer fun, your browser should anticipate not only how you will browse, but also the topics, searches, friends, and companies you are likely to click on. kikin is currently in the process of expanding this same service to the mobile web and giving consumers the ability to synchronize those experiences between devices.
Giz: Before, when it was Mozilla vs. Microsoft, it's easier for people to get behind that in a way. People don't feel so bad about using Google's browser. They're not like, ‘Fuck Google.' That was kind of like a big part of [Mozilla vs. Microsoft]. So where does Mozilla go from there, in this kind of environment? How do you compete?
Christopher: We ask that question a lot internally too, and it always comes back to the fact that we care about people. It actually is the most important thing. And the web is a democratizing force. So as long as we continue to make things that people love, people are gonna continue to use it. As long as we stand behind the technology that we have, and continue to improve and invest in it as a mechanism for getting the larger goals done, we're gonna be fine. I'm not that worried about competing with them.
Competition aside, this is the core value of kikin. From the very beginning, we set out to build something for the user enhancing user’s web browsing experiences. Every addition and change we have made, from the publishers we have partnered with, to the way we have incorporated advertising, has been to the benefit of the user. Web apps and browsers all must go in the direction of user-centric innovation if they truly want to be successful.
And I will leave you with this final quote:
Christopher: I come from a slightly different standpoint. I mean, there's a bunch of new issues. There's monetization; there's agility; there's engines. What's interesting is that browsers have gotten now to the point where it's possible to build really useful, intensive applications in and of themselves, that are useful in and of themselves, not just viewing data or making it convenient to get to."
kikin is more than a browser or a simple application. We aim to be an invaluable tool that gives you ownership of your web experiences, makes them truly personal and delivers information that would otherwise go unnoticed.. How many other browsers can say that?
-Caitlin P. Abber, Marketing
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
kikin connects with Windows Live!
kikin is proud to announce our expanded partnership with Microsoft. Through this partnership we will be expanding our sharing capability enabling our users to connect with even more of their friends as they browse the web using Microsoft Windows Live. Microsoft has been a great partner of kikin; we started working with Bing search in November and now have expanded to Windows Live social networking and sharing. Over the coming weeks we will release the integration of Windows Live throughout the kikin experience making sharing a simple click away … we will let you know the minute it is released. Enjoy!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Friday, June 25, 2010
kikin was there: The Future of Privacy Forum Event
On June 23, I attended a special Future of Privacy Forum event
featuring Congressmen Rick Boucher and Cliff Stearns at the Cannon
House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
The hour-long session was a unique opportunity to hear more from the
congressmen about the discussion draft of a bill intended to apply
privacy rights online and offline. The primary goal of the
legislation, according to the congressmen, is to help consumers trust
the internet more by requiring clear disclosure about how behavioral
data is collected, used, and shared. Both Boucher and Stearns made it
clear that their intention was not to inhibit targeted advertising,
but to empower consumers with information and preferences/controls to
shape their experience.
The proposed legislation would require prominent disclosure about how
a user’s behavioral information is collected, used, and shared. The
basic requirements are both opt-out (for first party transactions,
affiliates of first parties who use the information for an
operational/transactional purpose) and opt-in (for the collection of
sensitive data, like health or financial information, and for sharing
the data with unaffiliated third parties).
Regardless of the outcome of the legislation, kikin is already
exceeding its requirements. kikin users are given a clear and
conspicuous disclosure (in bold, directly above the consent mechanism)
at install: “kikin uses your browsing history to provide personalized
content, including advertising, from sites you like.” kikin does not
collect any personally identifiable information from users at
registration, nor does it collect any data that users may enter into
fields on websites. In addition, categories of interest that kikin
determines anonymously for users do not include sensitive areas.
Boucher indicated that it’s likely the draft legislation will be
modified in response to 60+ detailed comments received so far, and
that the full House may not consider it until the fall. Until then,
kikin will continue its current practices, monitor the legislative
front, and continue to provide a reliable, relevant product to its
users.
Thanks to Future of Privacy Forum co-chair and director Jules
Polonetsky for the invitation to the event.
-Richard Weaver, Trust and Safety
Thursday, June 24, 2010
introducing our newest release!
This NYC heat wave has not slowed progress in the kikin office! Today we released an improved version of kikin featuring new partners and a number of backend features.
On the client side, we have established a crash catching mechanism for direct kikin crashes (hey, it happens!). We fixed PDF viewing in Internet Explorer and improved our installer. The whole download/install process should be much smoother now.
In terms of infrastructure, we built our all new RSS Feed Indexer to more efficiently capture, index and distribute our partner content.
The most exciting (and noticeable) additions are our integration of Business Insider, Match.com, and Newsinc (which includes g4tv, Eonline, CBS, Meredith Magazine, and Thomson Reuters to name a few…).
- Business Insider will bring you relevant business and technology content into relevant sites as you navigate the web.
- Match.com results will bring excellent dating tips and articles, as well as profiles from singles in your area.
- NewsInc. aggregates many of your favorite video sources providing different perspectives on news and entertainment topics.
These improvements are just a few of the many exciting ways we are enhancing kikin, and making it the best way for you to browse the web. Stay posted for more improvements and partner integrations. You’ll love what we’re up to next!
If you want to leave us any feedback, you can do so HERE!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Updates from kikin!
We’ve been very busy here at kikin HQ. From opening an office in Israel, to hiring interns (and maybe watching some of the World Cup), we have been working on expanding and improving your kikin experience.
Yesterday a couple of the winners of the 'Find The Wheel Sweepstakes' came by to pick up their iPads. We showed them around the office, ate some cupcakes, and demoed kikin for them. It was a good time and we were so happy to have them in the office and properly thank them for helping us promote kikin.
Thanks again, Jacob and David! Be sure to check out more photos on our Flickr site!
We have a lot of exciting news to share in the upcoming weeks, so stay posted and keep enjoying kikin!
-the kikin team
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Carlos Bhola on Mixergy.com!
Last Friday, our CEO, Carlos Bhola was interviewed by Andrew Warner on Mixergy.com!
You can watch the entire interview here!
Business Tips via Mixergy, home of the ambitious upstart!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
kikin is a member of IAB!
kikin is proud to announce it has been accepted as a new member of the
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). More than 375 leading
media/technology companies are working together to 1) Prepare for the
requirements of pending legislation and regulation 2) Standardize ad
measurement guidelines and creative standards and 3) Create and
promote best practices for consumer messaging and disclosure.
kikin will also be participating in the IAB/NAI’s new CLEAR Ad Notice
program to give consumers insight into the advertising they see
online. This program is expected to come into use in the next few
months and will dramatically increase the visibility consumers have
into the data that publishers and advertisers collect. In addition,
consumers will have many new tools to edit or delete the data and
improve the advertising that they receive.
-Richard Weaver, Trust and Safety
Monday, May 10, 2010
kikin’s Find The Wheel Sweepstakes!!
Win an iPad in kikin’s Find the Wheel Sweepstakes!
We let 300 of our wheels loose in New York City! They could be checking out the view on the Highline, drinking beers at an East Village dive bar, or learning about Dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History …who knows??
How this works: If you find a kikin wheel sticker (pictured above) anywhere in NYC, tweet a photo of it to @kikin_inc with the text describing what you think of kikin. Make sure to include our URL: #kikin.com.
For the last three Fridays in May (14th, 21st, 28th) we will be giving away an iPad to a random participant of the contest. You may enter as many different photos of different wheels as you want a week, but your entries are only valid only for the week you submit your photos – after that, you must submit a new photo to participate in the following weeks.
Tell your friends to check out kikin.com and follow us on twitter at @kikin_inc for updates and clues about the sweepstakes!
This sweepstakes is only open to people 18+. For a complete list of rules, please see below:
kikin Sticker Sweepstakes
Official Rules
No Purchase Required to Enter or Win
1. Eligibility: The kikin Sticker Sweepstakes (the “Find the Wheel Sweepstakes”) is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) who are 18 years of age or older. Employees of kikin Inc., its advertising or promotion agencies, those involved in the production, development, implementation or handling of Sweepstakes, any agents acting for, or on behalf of the above entities, their respective parent companies, officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, licensees, service providers, prize suppliers any other person or entity associated with the Sweepstakes (collectively “Sweepstakes Entities”) and/or the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members (whether related or not) of each such employee, are not eligible. All federal, provincial, state and local laws and regulations apply. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law.
2. Sponsor: The Sweepstakes is sponsored by kikin Inc.,132 Crosby Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012 (“Sponsor”).
3. Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
4. Entry Period: The Sweepstakes will begin at 9:00 am EST on 5/10/2010 and end at 12:00 pm EST on 5/28/2010 (the “Sweepstakes Period”). The Sweepstakes Period shall be divided into three (3) separate, weekly entry periods as defined below:
Weekly Entry Period 1: Begins at 9:00 am EST on 5/10/2010 and ends at 12:00 pm EST on 5/14/10.
Weekly Entry Period 2: Begins at 9:00 am EST on 5/17/2010 and ends at 12:00 pm EST on 5/21/10.
Weekly Entry Period 3: Begins at 9:00 am EST on 5/24/2010 and ends at 12:00 pm EST on 5/28/10.
5. Entry: To enter the Sweepstakes online, take a photo of one of the 300 kikin stickers posted throughout the New York City area. Entrants must use twitpic or similar software to tweet the photo to @kikin_inc with a message describing what they think of kikin.com. Make sure to include our URL (#kikin.com) in the tweet. The use of any agencies or automated software to submit entries will void all entries submitted by that person. To enter the Sweepstakes by mail without taking a photo, hand print your name, address, home telephone number and age on a 3"X 5" card and mail it to: kikin Sticker Sweepstakes, 132 Crosby Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012. Only one entry per outer envelope. Mail-in entries for Weekly Entry Period 1 must be postmarked by May 14, 2010 and received by May 17, 2010. Mail-in entries for Weekly Entry Period 2 must be postmarked by May 21, 2010 and received by May 24, 2010. Mail-in entries for Weekly Entry Period 3 must be postmarked by May 28, 2010 and received by May 31, 2010. Mail-in entries will be entered in the applicable Weekly Entry Period according to the postmark date. Non-winning entries will NOT be carried over into the subsequent Weekly Entry Period.
6. Drawing: At the conclusion of each Weekly Entry Period, Sponsor will select the name of one (1) potential winner in a random drawing of all eligible entries received during the applicable Weekly Entry Period (for a total of 3 winners). The odds of being selected as a potential winner depend on the number of eligible entries received during the applicable Weekly Entry Period. Potential winners will be contacted via email and/or Twitter and will be asked to provide their full name, age and mailing address within a specified time period. If a potential winner does not respond within the timeframe stated in the notification email, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place at random from all remaining eligible entries received during the applicable Weekly Entry Period
7. Requirements of the Potential Winners: Except where prohibited, the potential winners may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (the “Affidavit/Release”) within seven (7) days of being notified. If a potentialb winner fails to sign and return the Affidavit/Release within the required time period, an alternate entrant will be selected in his/her place in a random drawing of all entries received.
8. Prizes: Three (3) Grand Prize Winners (one winner from each Weekly Entry Period) will receive an Apple iPad (16GB). Approximate Retail Value of Grand Prize is $499.
No cash or other substitution may be made, except by the Sponsor, who reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The winner is responsible for any taxes and fees associated with receipt or use of a prize.
9. General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Sweepstakes is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Sweepstakes to address the impairment and then resume the Sweepstakes in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) award the prizes at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. In case of a dispute as to the owner of an online entry, entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the Twitter user name from which the entry is made.
10. Release and Limitations of Liability: By participating in the Sweepstakes, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sweepstakes Entities from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Sweepstakes; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone or network lines; (c) printing errors; (d) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt of any prize. Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Sweepstakes Entities’ liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Sweepstakes, and in no event shall the Sweepstakes Entities be liable for attorney’s fees. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
11. Disputes: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the State of New York. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsors in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.
12. Sweepstakes Results: To request the names of the winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to kikin Sticker Winner’s List, kikin Inc.,132 Crosby Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012. Requests must be received by June 15, 2010.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
kikin Spring Happy Hour = Success!
Last Thursday, we had our first in-house Happy Hour here at kikin. And I must say -- it was definitely a success! From the foosball tournaments, to the great music, and copious amounts of beer – I think it’s safe to say everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a lot of fun to put together and host, so we will certainly be having more events like this in the future!
For more pictures from the Happy hour, click here.
All photographs by Taylor Long.
Friday, April 23, 2010
get more—that’s what we’re all about!
This week, I attended Jeff Pulver’s 140 Character’s Conference in New York City. The conference was a discussion on the exciting and increasing benefits of Twitter and Social Media.
There were panels on everything from using Twitter to get out breaking news stories, to how to better educate schoolchildren by teaching them Animal Farm in 140 characters or less. The energy at the conference was a combination of serious networking, fun, and possibility. In one of the lectures, Pulver said, “see social media as the greatest disruptive gift you've ever gotten. Stop complaining about it”.
Everyone was eager to share the ways in which they used social media to enhance their business and/or change the world. The biggest takeaway from the two-day event is that “more is more”. That is, the more we share, the more we learn, and the more we learn, the more power we have to make a difference – be it grow our companies, make real connections, or change the world.
kikin has always been the ambassador of more: more content, more sharing, more of your favorites anywhere on the web. We’ve listened to your feedback, and redesigned our personal browser to make it sleeker, sexier, and more appealing for you. We’ve given our homepage a makeover, and simplified our message. We’re giving you more of what you want, because that is what we’re all about.
So hey, do one for us. If you like kikin, recommend it to a friend! And if you’re in the New York area, please check out our jobs page. We are growing in leaps and bounds, and want you to be part of the team!
Monday, April 19, 2010
kikin @ 140 Characters Conference!
This week, I will be attending Jeff Pulver's 140 Characters Conference here in NYC.
I am extremely excited to represent kikin at this conference, as it brings together so many great business minds and theorists and facilitates great discussions on where the web and web users are headed.
kikin is doing something truly extraordinary by incorporating multiple publishing partners and social media platforms with one extremely friendly, usercentric experience, and I am looking forward to sharing this message with all those attending the 140 Characters Conference.
If you will be attending the conference and would like to meet up, please let us know by tweeting or sending a direct message to @kikin_inc. You can also just look for me (pictured). I will be at the conference during the day, as well as the VIP party Tuesday night.
Happy Networking!
-Caitlin, Social Media Marketing @kikin_inc
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
kikin harnesses cloud power
Here at kikin, we are fanatical about creating the next generation Internet user experience. As a result we spend lots of time measuring how users interact with the content we serve. Is it a better user experience if the bar shows on top or the bottom? Should the user have to click on the content or is hovering over it enough? These and many other tests are running side by side every single day, generating a wealth of data waiting to be analyzed. Depending on the test and the timeframe, some of our analytical jobs involve up to half a terabyte of data (25,000 trees made into paper and printed) at a time.
Just a couple of years ago, processing these amounts of data meant that you had to shell out a lot of money for computing power if you did not want to end up waiting a long time for your results. Fortunately, with the advent of cloud computing, access to virtually unlimited computing power has become a commodity that is measured in US$ cents per hour.
Beside the necessary hardware, software also plays a big part when it comes to dealing with large sets of data efficiently. At kikin we combine Amazon's EC2 service, with a deep stack of open source software that includes tools like Cloudera, Hadoop or Pig that were specifically created for this task.
Thanks to these set of tools, emerging startups like kikin can compete on a similar level as the more established players in the industry and take on harder and harder problems that were previously out of reach. If you have an appetite for changing the world and working on interesting problems check out our job page!
-Gerald Kropitz, Co-Founder and Head Engineer
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
to download or not download?—- that is the big question.
Ever since the release of the iPhone in 2007, the world has gone crazy about apps. There have been over 2 billion apps sold from the iTunes app store and more expected with the release of the iPad (more than 600,000 sold in the first 3 days). What makes an iPhone/iPad app so different than apps for the PC and Mac? Desktops have had widgets, gidgets, apps and software, paid and free, improving the way we use our computers since I can remember. So why is it that people love iPhone apps but seemingly hate computer software? Two words – simple and closed.
Apple has successfully built a closed system for distributing software to consumers. This closed system gives the consumer safety and ease of use but Apple alone controls what the consumer can have and which publishers are available. Yet consumers are flocking to the platform (iTunes coupled with an iPhone/iPad) and businesses, large and small, are developing for said platform with 40+ million customers worldwide (approx 7 million in the US).
This is fascinating when you consider how much VC funding is being provided to these small developers. Kleiner Perkins has a dedicated fund just for iPhone app development worth over $200 million. Publishers are hurriedly releasing apps to interact with consumers on the go, investing large amounts of money with each app. What I find so fascinating about this is not the investment size or level of effort being applied because I too love the platform (and my iPhone) but the fact that when I speak to people about a browser plug-in or downloadable app for the PC or Mac with an addressable market of 1 billion (approximately 200 million sold each year) they scoff and say “it’s a download, nobody downloads anything”. This is very fascinating to me indeed and the phrase “speaking out of two sides of your mouth” comes to mind when I hear that. On one hand these folks are tripping over themselves to build apps for the iPhone that has an addressable market of about 7 million in the US and completely ignore that market of 1 billion (approx 250 million in the US).
The good news here is that Apple has trained consumers that downloading is easy, satisfying and nothing to be afraid of. So it’s time for publishers to realize that there are other methods available to reach consumers in a much more ubiquitous, persistent and pervasive way.
-Larry Allen, CRO
