MyStrands social recommender service secures US$25 million in funding
In my personal experience, the internet seems to be evolving into a tool that is actually connecting people more than isolating them. I know in the last couple of years that I have met and corresponded with more people than I would have in my limited "real-life" sphere of living. Software and services that connect people are also developing and revolutionizing the way we interact with each other. I am a user of social networking services like Jaiku and Twitter and have been keeping my eye out for others, especially those that can be used from mobile devices. Rudy sent me a press release last week regarding major funding for an interesting social recommendation service called MyStrands that was actually founded in 2003.
MyStrands just raised US$25 million in Series B funding, primarily from 25-year old Spanish media mogul Antonio Asensio. MyStrands has developed a social recommender engine that is currently used for music recommendations, but could expand into other personal recommendations. You can download and install the MyStrands Social Player for S60 3rd Edition devices, Windows Mobile devices, and Mac OS X and Windows computers. As you listen to music on your PC or devices, you have the opportunity to share music recommendations and as you listen their social recommender engine works to figure out patterns in listening habits to share with others who also listen to that same kind of music. You can even select to buy music that is recommended from Buy.com, Walmart, Amazon, and iTunes. I hope they add the option for services like Yahoo! Music, Zune Marketplace, and Rhapsody since I prefer the unlimited music subscription services for my music.
If you check out their site you will see that there is a lot more than just music recommendations going on as they allow you to blog your listening history and create your own charts, manage your music library, connect and find new online friends, and then use partyStrands to have fun with your music. MyStrands is a completely free service so check them out if you listen to music and want to find some new hits to listen to on your PC or mobile device.