what.com.es/next

Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, is planning to start a wiki-based search engine that will probably be launched in early 2007 with Amazon as partner.

The main idea behind this project is to build a human-based search engine over computer-based algorithms like the ones that Google and Yahoo! work with. According to Mr. Wales this kind of systems is no match for the editorial judgment of humans. So this new concept of search engine will rely on human intelligence to do what algorithms cannot.

The search engine has widely and wrongly been reported as being called “Wikiasari” which, as Wales has stated, that name refers to a former similar project, Wikia search engine, not affiliated with Amazon, A9, or Wikipedia.

Like its potential competitors, the revenue model for this new search engine will be advertising, though Mr. Wales himself thinks that catching up with Google, Yahoo!, MSN or even smaller players like Ask.com will be a difficult challenge. What comes next? Only time will tell.

Another world’s #1 Internet company bites the dust. After spending more than $250 million since 2002 and losing more than $8 million in 2005 (doubling 2004’s loses), eBay has thrown the towel and, remembering that old motto “if you can’t beat them, join them”, eBay has announced a joint venture with a local mobile Internet company called Tom Online.

Tom Online, Beijing-based and owned by the millionaire Li Ka-Shing, will contribute $20 million and provide the local management and market knowledge, taking a 51% stake in the new company. On the other side, eBay will contribute $40 million taking a 49% stake.

Similar steps were taken by other Internet giants like Google and Yahoo. Looks like you cannot win in China without Chinese partners. Who comes next? Only time will tell.

So you thought you were a wireless person just because you connect to the Internet in WiFi way, send your pictures from your Bluetooth camera to your Bluetooth-enabled computer and read your email with your brand-new 3G mobile reader. What about your power cords and chargers for your devices?

Fortunately, these last cords you still use are going to disapper soon. WildCharge has developed a wire-free electric power technology to charge your mobile devices that is going to be available to public soon.

Their solution, the WildCharger Pad is charging pad which you place your mobile devices on and they get their power to be charged. Of course, your mobile devices must be compatible with the charging pad. These devices are called WildCharge-enabled devices.

Any WildCharge-enabled device can be charged. Even more, you can put more than one device on the pad at a time with the only physical limitation of how many devices can fit on the pad.

WildCharge is working with manufacturers in order to make WildCharge-enabled devices. Certified WildCharge devices will be mark with some kind of sticker.

Actually, as the pad do need its power cord, by now it is only a very good idea for using a more comfortable universal power charger for all your devices because in fact you lose your mobility while charging. What comes next? Only time will tell.

Stop being just a listener. Now your iPod can be bidirectional and you can sing (or try to sing) lead vocals in your favourite songs.

iKaraoke is very compact all-in-one karaoke solution for your iPod as it is a microphone and processor in the same device. It works by isolating lead vocal track and fading it so you can make the song yours.

You can control the music, volume and reverb from the mic and, even more, everybody in the house can enjoy your talent (if you want) as it can be plugged into your music system or music can be broadcasted as FM signal you can tune in your home or auto receiver, turning your iPod into a wireless karaoke machine!

It works with any iPod with a dock connector and can be purchased online for $49.99. What about the Zune? What comes next? Only time will tell.

Looks like Google is going to innovate in every move they make. Their latest innovation has little to do with Internet applications but with the way their employees can manage their stock options.

Google has just launched a program that allows their employees to sell their stock options to financial institutions in online auctions. The Transferable Stock Option program, as they call it, is the Google’s latest innovation. Hope more companies follow this great initiative. What comes next? Only time will tell.