It looks like December 31, 2010 will not mark the end of Google Wave after all. The Apache Software Foundation, the non-profit organization responsible for supporting Apache open source projects, has accepted Google Wave into its incubator program.

Google announced in August that it was ending development of the real-time communication and collaboration project due to low user adoption. Since then, it has been working to prepare Wave in a Box, a standalone version that would give developers the functionality of Waves and the ability to run them on their own server.

As many of Wave’s components are open source, others can and do continue to work on the project. According to Google, at November’s Wave Protocol Summit it was “quite clear that there is a healthy community of startups, independent developers and industry partners enthusiastic to continue development of the Wave Federation protocols and Wave in a Box.” By being part of the Apache Incubator, that community will be able to continue to grow.

Alongside community development, one of the initial goals of Apache Wave is to migrate the codebase from code.google.com to the Apache Software Foundation’s infrastructure.

Google Wave was once one of Google’s hottest projects, promising a new way of communication that might even replace e-mail. Alas, it was not to be, and Google shut it down soon after public launch due to lack of user adoption — but not completely.

Wave still draws interest from users, although it turned out to be more of a niche product than a massively disruptive tool. Recently, Google promised to keep Wave alive, at least until the end of the year, and to open source some parts of it.

Now, Google has finally decided what to do with Wave. According to a recent blog post, Google will release most of the Wave code in the form of an (almost) complete application that Google calls “Wave in a Box.”

For exact details on what this bundle will include, go here.

Yes, Wave was a failure in Google’s hands, but we’re sure that developers will find a way to instill new life into the project. Who knows, maybe soon we’ll see a better Wave, and maybe this new version will (finally) conquer the hearts of users.

There is a lot of action surrounding Foursquare right now. And CEO and co-founder Dennis Crowley has a tough decision to make.

It’s already been widely reported that Yahoo is seriously pursuing a Foursquare acquisition, but now we’re hearing that at least two other companies are in talks or have been in talks recently with the location-based startup as well. And they’re big ones: Facebook and Microsoft. Facebook, from what we’re hearing, has been talking to Foursquare about a range of possibilities in recent weeks, but seems to have cooled on the idea of an outright acquisition. Microsoft, meanwhile, is likely still thinking about buying the company, according to sources.

While we’ve already made the case for why Foursquare shouldn’t shouldn’t sell to Yahoo, these other two players offer other interesting options. And, with multiple bidders, the price is undoubtedly going up, probably north of $100 million. One may make an offer that Crowley can’t refuse.

“Dennis is seriously considering his options,” says one source about these new bidders. That would seem obvious, but remember that Crowley has already sold one startup (Dodgeball) to a big player (Google) and it left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. Following that acquisition, he (and co-founder Alex Rainert, who just joined Foursquare) left Google in somewhat of a huff. And that’s probably the only reason that Google isn’t also in the running for the hot startup as well right now.

And Crowley does have options. There are also no shortage of people just waiting to put money into Foursquare. Last month, we heard that four VC firms, Accel Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures and Redpoint Ventures were all in the running to be the lead investor in a new round of funding for Foursquare. A few days ago, BoomTown reported that Andreessen Horowitz backed out. We’re now hearing that Redpoint may be out as well. But BoomTown also noted recently that Russian firm Digital Sky Technologies (which has pumped a ton of money into Facebook and Zynga) is trying to invest as well. We’ve heard the same thing.

The round, if taken, would probably total $10 million and could value the company around $60 or $70 million. Previously, Foursquare raised a $1.35 million round.

So why not sell? Well, aside from the bad experience Crowley had selling to a big company, Foursquare has been seeing quite a bit of success recently. While the company isn’t yet profitable, it is already making revenue off of some of its partnership deals. And new deals are seemingly being signed on a daily basis. Also, a strong surge of new users post-SXSW helped the service hit 1 million users today. And businesses are signing up quickly using its newly released tools.

Foursquare certainly could also opt to take some money off the table in a new round of funding, that would allow its employees to make some money without selling the company.

So why sell? Well, there’s no shortage of thought that Foursquare’s success may be fleeting. Many think that when Facebook does inevitably enter the location space, it will be game-over for many of these services specializing in check-ins. But based on what we’re hearing, that may not be true.

Many people wondered why Facebook didn’t announce any location features yesterday at f8, but as we noted the night before the event, their location plans likely aren’t finalized yet, and they’ve been experimenting with a lot of different things. That includes federating check-ins from services such as Foursquare and Gowalla. As Inside Facebook dug up yesterday in Facebook’s new protocols documentation, its looks like Facebook will be open to accepting location data from other sources. So while they’ve talked to companies like Loopt and Foursquare about possible acquisitions, it would seem that this federation model is what they’re going to stick with for now.

Foursquare and Facebook have also been talking about other types of arrangements, perhaps broader partnerships, according to people familiar with such talks. If that’s the case, maybe Crowley would be crazy to sell to the likes of Yahoo or Microsoft now. If he could leverage the nearly 500 million Facebook users rather than be stomped by them, his service can probably grow even faster.

But, another source believes that Crowley is leaning towards selling. “Who wouldn’t be? 12 months = $100 million. Assume he had 50% when they started and you’re probably talking $20 million plus for him personally. Not a bad yearly bonus.” Indeed.

Neither Foursquare nor Microsoft have returned requests for a comment. Facebook will only say “we don’t typically comment on rumor or speculation.”

Adobe Flash has been in the spotlight recently, and not for the right reasons. Now the company has opened up on the iPad, iPhone and HTML5 debate in an exclusive interview with Mashable.

Fewer than two months ago, Apple revealed the iPad to the world. And while the company’s highly anticipated device included a lot of features, Flash wasn’t one of them.

A war of words soon erupted over the the multimedia plugin, with Flash responding to Apple and Steve Jobs ranting about Flash, stating that “the world is moving to HTML5.”

What does Adobe think of all of this recent talk? Does Adobe see HTML5 as a potential rival to Flash? What about Apple’s animosity towards Flash? All of these questions needed answering.

Notes: Interview with Aaron Filner

To get Adobe’s side of the story, I traveled to Adobe System’s San Francisco office to speak with Aaron Filner, the group product manager for the Flash platform. I’m going to let the video below do the majority of the talking, but I did want to highlight some key notes and takeaways from our conversation:

– The “battle” between HTML5 and Flash is a “misperception.” They have co-existed for a while, Mr. Filner said, and Adobe has invested in helping extend HTML’s technology.

- Adobe thinks the mobile web has gone in two directions: the open web via the browser and the application store.

- On Apple: It’s Apple’s decision whether or not it wants to support Flash. For now, it is supporting developers creating Flash-based apps for the iPhone app store.

- There has been some discussion about the Flash user experience on computers vs. touchscreens due to the lack of a mouse, cursor and the “hover effect” that some Flash apps currently use. While Aaron didn’t specifically highlight how Adobe intends to tackle that problem, he did say that the company’s playing around with potential solutions and that Adobe believes most Flash apps and videos will still work just fine on touchscreen devices.

- Expect Flash 10.1 for Android to hit in the first half of this year. In fact, we got a full demo of Flash for the Android (Nexus One), which we will be posting in a follow-up article.

Video: Interview with Aaron Filner, Adobe Flash

Today, Stanford University threw its hat into the ring for Google by expanding an earlier agreement with the search giant and agreeing to digitize the University’s library. The move comes amidst legal controversy over the Google Book Search engine.

As you may know, Google Book Search is currently embroiled in a mess of legal issues that arose a few years back when book authors, book publishers, the Author’s Guild and the Association of American publishers filed a pair of class-action lawsuits claiming that the service encroached on their intellectual property. An agreement was reached in 2008 that comprised these five major points explicating what search should include:

– More access to out-of-print and hard to find books.

- Additional ways to purchase copyrighted books and materials.

- A means for educational institutions such as colleges and universities to subscribe to entire collections.

- Free access from US libraries.

- Compensation and control for authors and publishers.

However, back in August 2009, the issue arose again when Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo and multiple library associations joined forces with the non-profit Internet Archive to challenge the Google settlement and push for revisions.

A Settlement in Limbo

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google revised the settlement in November – adding more pricing options and expounding on potential services. A Google spokesperson told the WSJ, “[The settlement] stands to unlock access to millions of books in the U.S. while giving authors and publishers new ways to distribute their work.”

Still, folks remained unsatisfied, and were given the chance to file objections to the document directly to the U.S. District Court of the Southern District Court at the end of last year. The Court has set a fairness hearing for February 18.

Therefore, Stanford’s decision, which makes it a Fully Participating Library according to the University’s website, is a move that shows solidarity with Google on the college’s part. Close to two million of Stanford’s books have already been scanned, and now even more volumes – including those that are rare and hard to find – will be available to the world at large.

University Librarian Michael A. Keller said of the settlement:

“It creates a working partnership among authors, publishers, libraries and Google that will usher in a revolutionary change in access to books on library shelves, even beyond the incredibly powerful vision that Google Books first developed. It’s no longer just about finding books of potential interest; it makes them vastly more readily readable. The agreement also compensates authors and publishers for the use of works that, by virtue of being out of print, would not have earned the rightsholders any income – a novel and, for most authors, a most welcome innovation.”

[img credit: timetrax23]

In many cases it’s worse to have your investor back out on a term sheet then it is to never be offered one. Before popping the champagne bottles and celebrating what looks like an offer, it’s best to remember that VC term sheets are not legally binding. While it’s certainly a feat to be offered one, angel investor and Hunch cofounder Chris Dixon wrote a great piece reminding startup entrepreneurs what can happen if your potential investor changes his or her mind.

In a recent blog post Dixon explains the unfortunate circumstance of one of his portfolio companies. Says Dixon, “Yesterday, one of the 40 or so startups I’ve invested in (either personally or through Founder Collective had a well-known VC back out of a term sheet for no particular reason besides that they decided they no longer liked the business concept. It’s the first time I’ve seen this happen in my career.”

Dixon explains that generally VCs only do this in extreme cases of fraud or upon finding that founders have criminal backgrounds. Because of this, any rescinded term sheet can be devastating for startup companies.

As is the case with startup CEOs, word travels fast on Sand Hill Road. In a recent presentation I watched as one founder revealed his funding from several well-established angel investors. Those in the room perked up as soon as they realized that major players were already involved in the company. The same logic can be attributed to the loss of a term sheet.

When one firm backs out of an offer, others who may have been interested will look at you under extreme scrutiny. Although Dixon’s case appears to be an anomaly, it’s important to remember that as an entrepreneur you should remain ever-diligent and avoid over-promising returns and results.

We’re big fans of Boxee, the media center with a social twist. At CES 2010, Mashable editor Barb Dybwad got a hands-on look at the upcoming Boxee Box which will be just one of many IPTV devices to hit stores this year. However, you don’t have to wait for the Boxee Box to start using Boxee, as the software is already available for Mac, Windows and Linux systems. The Boxee Beta was officially released a few weeks ago and if you haven’t given it a shot, it’s really something you should check out.

As a long-time Boxee user, I thought I would compile some tips for making the Boxee experience even better. Be sure to add your own tips and suggestions to the comments!

Get a Remote

Although Boxee is designed to work just fine with a keyboard or mouse, the platform really shines when paired with a remote control. Boxee can work with remotes made for Mac (both the white remote control that comes with the Apple TV and used to get packaged with all Macintosh computers or the new aluminum remote control), Windows Media Center and even higher-end fair like the Logitech Harmony series.

Additionally, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, there are literally dozens of fantastic WiFi remote applications that you can use to control your Boxee experience, including Boxee’s official iPhone Remote (iTunes link), which is free and easy to set-up.

Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when choosing a remote control:

– If you have a Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, install this handy little Preference Pane utility called Candelair. It’s free and it was created by the same people behind the fantastic Remote Buddy application. Why do you need Candelair? Well, with Mac OS X 10.6, Apple changed how some applications respond to the Apple Remote and consequently, apps like Boxee don’t work with the remote like they did in the past. Install this free utility and enable Legacy Remote support and you’re good to go.

– If you want a little more oomph in your iPhone or iPod touch remote application, check out HippoRemote. While there are dozens of great remote/VNC apps out there, HippoRemote remains my favorite because of its built-in program profiles (including Boxee), great trackpad support and the ability to do stuff like Wake-on-LAN which is really nice if you are using Boxee in your living room.

- Check the Boxee Forums. The Boxee Forums have a dedicated sub-forum just for remote inquiries, so check that out if you need any tips or buying suggestions.

Name and Organize Your Files The Right Way

This is a tip that really works for any media center setup, not just Boxee, and it takes some time, but the net gain is totally worth it. Organize and name your files the right way. Although you can add local and networked sources to Boxee with ease, you can reduce the amount of time that the software will spend scanning for updates and trying to find stuff if you keep things as organized as possible.

Here are some tips:

Organize into folders by media type. You don’t necessarily have to get as specific as Artist, Album, TV Show, Season, etc., but just having movies in a Movie folder, music in a Music folder, and TV shows in a TV Show folder can go a long way to make it easier for you to find stuff if you need to browse manually and for Boxee to automatically start associating files with meta-data.

Name your TV show files using the sXXeXX format. For instance, if you have an episode of “30 Rock” The file name should be something like 30.Rock.s04e11.avi (meaning season 4, episode 11) or something similar. You don’t have to be that picky about using periods or underscores, modern files systems will understand spaces, but make sure you have the show title and the season and episode number in the title so that when Boxee does a comparison against IMDB and other sources it can get the right artwork and description info.

Make shortcuts to favorite or frequently used folders. One of the best features of the Boxee Beta is the new homescreen layout and the ability to add shortcuts directly to folders or directories or applications. If you have a local source that you frequently use to add new content to, add a shortcut to it so that you can easily access it.

Access Mature Hulu Content via Boxee

As it stands, Boxee works with Hulu (in an unofficial capacity) by using its built-in Mozilla-based Boxee Browser, and by associating shows in its TV database with their Hulu counterparts. The only problem is that for content like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” you’re going to see an option to watch on FXNetwork.com, but not Hulu, because you need to be of a certain age to watch that programming, and that requires logging in with your Hulu account.

In the Boxee Forums, NomadDNA has a great how-to post that shows you an easy trick to use your Firefox cookie settings (just be sure to login to Hulu in Firefox first) in Boxee to trick Hulu into seeing you as a logged in user!

Change-up Your Background

The new Boxee Beta has a really great look, but who doesn’t love to customize their media center even more? You can change the background in Boxee by going to Settings, General and then selecting the Background Image option. Here you can point Boxee to a folder of your choosing and Boxee will rotate through the photos in that folder for your background.

Courtesy of Boxee Forum user ganar is this Flickr gallery of bokeh-styled images that can be used with Boxee.

Your Tips

Have you used the Boxee Beta? What are some tips and tricks you can offer for getting the most out of the experience? Let us know!

Earlier this week, Spiceworks took a big step in proving that ad-supported network management tools provide a new world of social IT services that are Web-based, free and even well-liked in the IT community. The company closed $16 million in Series CS funding from Institutional Venture Partners (IVP.) The round included participation from existing Spiceworks investors Austin Ventures and Shasta Ventures.

With most online applications, the model works like this: You sign up for a free, Web-based trial. You give it a go for 30 days. If you like it, then you pay for the service on a per-user basis.

Almost every SasS provider we talk to uses this model. The model is so predominant that you could end up paying thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in monthly fees for Web-based services. The best plan is to know exactly what you need so you can be efficient with your use of these services. Still, the costs can become substantial when you consider your business requirements.

That’s what’s interesting about the Spiceworks approach. It’s a free Web-based application that is supported by advertising. You can pay if you prefer and block out the advertising. The model seems to work. IT users get an application that helps manage their networks and in return are served with relevant advertising.

More than 850,000 people have signed up for the service from 196 countries. It’s attracting 1,000 users per day.

Technology companies seem to be interested. Spiceworks has thousands of partners developing plugins such as the Intel power manager released last year.

Does the Spiceworks approach make sense for Web-based application providers serving the enterprise market? Maybe so. If the advertising is relevant and helpful, perhaps application providers can extend past the free-now-pay-later model that is now so predominant.

Google added a couple of nice changes to Reader to serve the goals of improving your discovery of new items and personalizing your feed reading experience.

First up, they’ve introduced a new Explore section designed to enhance discovery. A new “Popular items” section helps the most interesting new stories bubble to the top. Popular items surface the news stories or viral videos gaining attention around the web, not just from within your own subscriptions.

The recommendations feature has been renamed “Recommended sources” and moved over into the new Explore section. It makes use of your web history if you’re opted-in plus your Reader Trends to recommend new sources you might want to subscribe to.

The next change is a great step towards an even more personalized feed reading experience. The new personalized ranking feature re-orders the items in your unread feed based on your own past reading history and overall activity inside Reader. It gives you a view of your feeds informed by what you’ve liked and shared in the past.

To turn on the personalized ranking view, go to the Feed or Folder settings dropdown in the feed or folder you’re viewing and select the playfully named “Sort by magic” setting. If you don’t like the results, you can improve them over time by liking and sharing items in your feeds.

Let us know your thoughts on popular and personalized addictions to Google Reader. Does it enhance your information-gathering experience? Will it increase your usage of Google Reader, or have the potential to make you switch RSS programs? Or is RSS just plain dead to you?