On Wednesday night, Microsoft unveiled MsnNOW, a site that is dedicated to bring the latest buzz from social media feeds including Facebook and Twitter. The new service uses algorithms created by Microsoft to filter out Facebook, Twitter, Bing, and BreakingNews.com to cull the viral stuffs among users in real time. Initially there will be 20 editors who will monitor the data, typing up blurbs, in 100 words or less, describing the stories and posting the links.
“We’re taking the hottest, socially trending conversations on the Web and surfacing them,” said Bob Visse, general manager of MSN.
“This is for that younger generation that doesn’t spend more than five to ten minutes at a time info-snacking,” Visse said.
“We’re putting fuel on a conversation.”
In addition to the new site–now.msn.com–Microsoft is also launching the msnNOW Facebook reader which allows the users to log into the social network and find the trending stuff. And the service will work on any mobile browser.
Microsoft has no current plans to launch an msnNOW app for Windows Phone or any other mobile operating system. The service is currently available only in the United States.
You can read more about msnNow on msnNow’s official blog post:
msnNOW just made it a lot easier to stay in the know on the stories people are talking about, searching for and sharing the most. We scour the most interesting trends from real-time sources like Twitter, Facebook, Bing, YouTube and BreakingNews.com, so you’ll always know what’s happening with the hottest social trends and stories on the Web. Then our expert editors add key insights on why a story is trending, if it’s true and where to find out more, so you’ll be the most informed of your friends on the latest trends.
What will I find on msnNOW?
We summarize trends in 100 words or less, arming you with everything you need to know to talk about and share stories with your friends. On now.msn.com, you will see icons from Facebook, Twitter, Bing, YouTube and Breaking News, indicating where each story comes from. To see a quick snapshot of latest trends that are blowing up as you read, check out “Biggest Movers.” And, don’t forget to fuel the trend by clicking on the butterfly and sharing it yourself.
What does ‘Analyzing searches and social updates’ actually mean?
Every moment of every day, people are searching, sharing, tweeting and posting content. It’s hard for people to know what others are really talking about; so every few minutes we look back at the last 24 hours to tally, sort and analyze millions of Bing searches and social updates. We sift through all this data, toss out the boring, the lame, the uninteresting — and then look for patterns to emerge. Our advanced technology detects breaking trends as they happen in real time — so you’ll find stories on msnNOW that you’ll find nowhere else. Sure, we’ll cover some big stories, but with a unique social angle. We think this new blend of algorithms and editorial is the perfect way to find the stories that matter now.
What is Biggest Movers?
Biggest Movers displays keywords that are trending. The results are determined by a computer algorithm, displayed automatically and not filtered. At times, hoaxes, rumors and false information trend on the Internet. Biggest Movers still shows you this information because it is trending online. It does not identify or filter out the false information. The results are updated every five minutes, so you can click the arrows to look back over the past two hours and see how trends change.
Why should I make it part of my daily routine?
You probably already have a place to go to catch up with friends, get general news and a favorite site for entertainment or sports. msnNOW completes your routine by showing you stories about what we are collectively sharing and searching for most. We update msnNOW constantly — so you can be sure to never miss out. Go to now.msn.com and click Make msnNOW my homepage to make it a habit.
Where can I get msnNOW?
Because msnNOW is all about keeping you in the know, you can stay up-to-date wherever you are, by hopping on your PC, mobile phone, or tablet. You can go directly to now.msn.com; Like msnNOW on Facebook to get news in your feed, read it with friends on the msnNOW Facebook application, follow @msnNOW on Twitter, or watch our YouTube channel. If you use www.msn.com today, just look for headlines with a NOW bubble to see the stories heating up on the Web.
[ Source: now.msn.com]
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