MIDOMI.COM RECEIVES POPULAR SCIENCE “BEST OF WHAT’S NEW” AWARD

MIDOMI.COM RECEIVES POPULAR SCIENCE “BEST OF WHAT’S NEW” 

AWARD

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Nov. 14, 2007 - Melodis Corp., a leader in search and sound recognition technologies, today announced that Popular Science has named Midomi.com one of the top technology innovations of 2007 for the magazine’s 20th Annual Best of What’s New (BOWN) Awards. Midomi.com received a BOWN award in the Computing category and is featured in the magazine’s December issue as one of 100 new products and technologies receiving awards in 10 different categories. Midomi.com provides advanced sound recognition technology that enables users to search for music by singing or humming a few bars of a song.

“For 20 years, Popular Science’s Best of What’s New awards honor the innovations that make a positive impact on life today and change our views of the future,” said Mark Jannot, editor-in-chief of Popular Science. “PopSci’s editors evaluate thousands of products each year to develop this thoughtful list, and there’s no higher accolade Popular Science can give.”

“Midomi analyzes pitch, melody, rhythm and other features of sounds,” said Jacob Ward, deputy editor with Popular Science who reviewed the product. “It then compares those measurements against its database of 200,000 ditties sung and submitted by users. It finds the right match 95 percent of the time.”

Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year - the breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. Best of What’s New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in the following categories: Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets, Green Tech, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Personal Health and Recreation. The profile and video review on Midomi is available online athttp://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/computing/item_37.html.

“We want to fundamentally change the way people interact with technology and the way it’s leveraged in an effort to make more meaningful connections between people and communities who share similar interests and passions,” said Keyvan Mohajer, chief executive officer of Melodis. “It is such an honor for Midomi.com to receive this award, as it reaffirms that the work we’re doing in the sound recognition space is impacting the future and the way humans interact with technology.”

The company also announced new voice and text communication tools available now at Midomi.com to enhance the user experience. In addition, the site is now available in five additional languages, helping to bridge the gap between people, technology and cultures.

“We are constantly developing new features that encourage and help people better communicate with each other in personal and intuitive ways. If you’re able to search for a song on Midomi using sound, it only makes sense that you should be able to communicate with the singer of that song in the same medium,” Mohajer said.

Midomi’s comprehensive database of music also leverages user-generated content, enabling users to discover and be discovered, and helping them to establish their own unique presence and viral fan base in a fun and intuitive way. The free member-based service requires a computer microphone to sing and record music on the site.

” Midomi Available in Six Languages and Counting - To date, Midomi.com users have contributed songs in over 33 different languages. The site interface is currently available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian and French, and will soon be available in German, Portuguese, Korean and Polish. Midomi will continuously add new languages to support the collaboration, contribution and discovery of music around the world.

” Enhanced Voice and Text Communication Tools - One of Midomi’s most popular communication features allows users to post messages, notes and comments to each other in both voice and text form. Midomi strives to provide a consistent experience on the site by ensuring that people can search and discover music using voice and text communication, and also connect and build community in the same intuitive ways. Additional features on the site include enhanced playlist capabilities as well as feed and user updates that inform singers as to what their fans and favorites are doing.

” Embedded Voice Search Widget - This enables users and webmasters to add Midomi’s voice search widget to another Web site or social network, allowing their visitors to conduct a voice search powered by Midomi’s comprehensive music database. The embedded widget extends the reach of the “world’s most entertaining search engine” to other sites, making music discovery fun, highly interactive and more accessible. The widget is available on www.midomi.com/embed

About midomi

midomi mobile is the first-of-its-kind online music search engine where you can find songs by singing, humming, speaking, typing or playing original music sources into your iPhone. With new songs in 33 languages added to it each day by members all over the world, midomi is the largest online music repository of its kind.

midomi.com is a vibrant social networking destination for music lovers the world over. Currently available in ten languages and recognized by Popular Science magazine as one of the top global innovations of 2007, midomi.com is a community where you can come together with other music lovers to discover and be discovered.

About Melodis Corporation

MELODIS Corporation is building the next generation of search and sound recognition technologies for the Internet, mobility, robotics, security, home entertainment, automobiles and more. With the launch of midomi mobile and www.midomi.com, MELODIS has combined the world’s most powerful music search technologies with social networking, user-generated content and digital content distribution, and has developed the world’s most comprehensive database of searchable music.
Incorporated in September 2005 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, MELODIS is backed by leading Silicon Valley investors. For more information, visit www.melodis.com.

About Popular Science

Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world’s largest science and technology magazine; with a circulation of 1.3 million and 6.8 million monthly readers. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, with an eye toward what’s new and why it matters. Popular Science is published by Bonnier Active Media, a subsidiary of Bonnier Corporation.

MELODIS, midomi and the MELODIS logo are trademarks of MELODIS Corporation and may be registered in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks shown are the property of their respective owners.

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Cum se fac bani din gunoi?

Cum se fac bani din gunoi?

O afacere cu o materie prima care nu se termina niciodata este solutia cea mai buna in vremuri dificile. Haideti sa aflam cum si mai ales cat se castiga din gunoi, de la cei care au afaceri in reciclare in Romania.

"Daca ar fi sa ma intrebati de trei ori, tot de atatea ori v-as spune ca m-as apuca de afacerea cu gunoiul. Este profitabila mereu. Din gunoi se pot scoate bani", marturiseste Camelia Chirila, fondatoarea Cami Comexim. 

La 20 de ani de la infiintarea acestei companii, Chirila a schimbat de mai multe ori obiectul de activitate, pana cand a descoperit mirosul banilor. Dupa opt ani in industria confectiilor, anul 2000 a orientat businessul catre gunoi: " Am vrut sa imi duc cursurile de la facultate la un punct de colectare si nu avea cine sa mi le ia. Investitia a inceput cu o mie de lei si o masina pentru transportatul marfii pe datorie".

Primul camion pe care l-a transportat a fost catre Vrancart Adjud unde, pentru cele 40 de tone colectate, a primit un pic peste cinci mii de lei. " Ne-am achitat datoriile si am mers mai departe. Am mai cumparat masini pe care seara le reparam, iar dimineata le trimiteam pe drum", isi aminteste ea cu nostalgie. In prezent, Cami Comexim colecteaza lunar 1.500 de tone de hartie si carton pe care le transporta atat in tara, cat si la export in Germania.

"Cumparam hartia cu 10-35 de bani kilogramul si o vindem cu 45 catre reciclatori precum Vrancart si Petrocart, iar cele trei-patru tone de PET-uri pe care le colectam lunar le cumparam cu 0,35 lei pe kilogram si le vindem cu 0,85 lei la Buzau", precizeaza patroana companiei cu afaceri anuale de peste 1,7 milioane de euro si un profit net de 100.000-200.000 de euro in fiecare din ultimii ani.

"Buzaul" despre care vorbeste Camelia Chirila este Greentech, o companie cu actionari taiwanezi, unul dintre cei mai mari reciclatori de PET din Romania. Sau, dupa cum rezuma Cristinel Dobrota, seful Greentech, o afacere pornita la sfarsitul anilor '90 in urma unei idei taiwaneze (a sefului sau de atunci si actionarul fabricii de mase plastice la care lucra Dobrota), dar cu executie 100% romaneasca.

"Cineva tot trebuia sa inceapa, deci mi-am zis sa fim chiar noi. Am avut discutii cu autoritatile de la Buzau despre viziunea Ministerului Mediului in ce priveste colectarea si reciclarea. Toti au vazut cu ochi buni aceasta idee si au fost impresionati. Dar atat, pentru ca alt suport nu am avut din partea autoritatilor", isi aminteste Dobrota inceputurile uneia dintre primele afaceri din domeniul reciclarii deseurilor din Romania.

Primul pas a fost sa cumpere o fosta ferma in apropierea Buzaului pentru depozit, iar in zona industriala a orasului au amenajat instalatia de transformare a deseurilor in materie prima. " Mai apoi am inceput sa umblam din poarta in poarta, la societati de salubritate, centre de tip remat sau puncte mici de colectare si la toti cei care aveau legaturi intr-un fel sau altul cu deseurile", explica seful GreenTech, remarcand ca la acea vreme plasticul nu se colecta niciunde.

Strategia a dat roade si daca in 2003 Greentech colecta anual circa 150 de tone si avea o singura instalatie de reciclat, in prezent cantitatea colectata este de 200 de ori mai mare, iar grupul detine patru instalatii de reciclare, doua la Buzau si doua la Iasi, unde din 2006, grupul a trecut la nivelul urmator de integrare si a infiintat o firma care transforma fulgii de PET-uri reciclate in fibre poliesterice, folosite, de exemplu, pentru covorasele masinilor sau umplerea pernelor.

Circa 50.000 de tone de fibra pot fi produse intr-un an la Iasi, potrivit lui Dobrota, in conditiile in care consumul anual de fibra din Uniunea Europeana este estimat la 700.000 de tone, din care doar jumatate din cantitate este fabricat pe continent, restul fiind importuri din Asia.

Numai ca fiind al doilea producator de fibra poliesterica ca marime din Europa, GreenFiber (compania care transforma fulgii de PET-uri reciclate produsi de Greentech in fibra) s-a confruntat cu o mare problema: nu gasea in tara suficienta materie prima, pentru ca nici furnizorul sau principal - Greentech - nu strangea atat de multe PET-uri din tara.

"Cea mai la indemana solutie a fost sa importam gunoi. Oricine aude acest lucru pare amuzat, dar sa stiti ca noi importam gunoi din Grecia, Bulgaria sau Serbia", explica Dobrota, care incepe sa faca o serie de calcule pe hartie pentru a dovedi ca o astfel de solutie este viabila din punct de vedere economic. Produsa din materie prima din import si de pe piata romaneasca deopotriva, fibra a insemnat anul trecut, potrivit lui Dobrota, afaceri de 38 de milioane de euro, fiind destinata in proportie de 90% exportului.

Iar daca adunam la activitatile de reciclare PET si pe cele cu reciclarea deseurilor de echipamente electrice si electronice (DEEE), derulate printr-o alta companie infiintata la Buzau - GreenWeee, atunci afacerile intregului grup ar trebui sa ajunga anul acesta la 50 de milioane de euro. Valoarea ar putea creste accelerat in anii ce vor urma, deoarece, asa cum spune Dobrota, planurile grupului iau in calcul si acoperirea altor domenii de reciclare, precum ulei, baterii auto si lampi de iluminat. "Exista pasiune si fac treaba asta cu placere. Nu ma imaginez in alt domeniu. In reciclare poti investi ca in orice alta afacere, daca te concentrezi putin in ceea ce faci. La prima vedere pare foarte simplu sa faci bani, dar nu e chiar asa. Trebuie sa bagi mana in deseuri. Nu poti sa stai doar la birou. In plus, mai miroase", povesteste amuzat Dobrota.

Fibra nu este sigura modalitate in care gunoiul procesat in Romania ajunge la export. O alta companie specializata in reciclarea PET-urilor, Esox Caracal, este printre putinele din Europa care poate produce R-PET, adica un fel de PET ecologic, un produs tot mai des folosit de gigantii din domeniul bunurilor de larg consum pentru un singur motiv - e mai ieftin cu 15-20% fata de materialul virgin utilizat la realizarea sticlelor de PET.

"Va dati seama ca pretul unei sticle PET scade astfel de la 7-8 eurocenti la circa sase?", spune plin de entuziasm Daniel Stancescu, cel care alaturi de sotia sa, Alina, controleaza compania Esox Caracal.