Automating Product Launches

This is a screenshot of my feedreader, sorted by time (not keyword). I think Sony may have come out with something today. Maybe something with letters in the model? I'm not sure.

Here's what I don't get: Wouldn't it be easier for these companies to release their product information directly into a public database from which all these sites and their readers could pull? I guarantee a bunch of gadget writers stayed up late last night to rewrite all those Sony press releases. It would have been much more efficient for everyone if the press releases were just injected into the stream without any human interaction.

(If I had one millions of rubles, I'd build a system to handle this.)

[#1 posted by icky2000 , February 26, 2008 7:07 AM]

They've had a bit of inflation in Russia. The exchange rate right now is one ruble = 0.0410627 American dollar. Thus, your one millions of rubles = $41,062.70. I guess the key would be to hire Russian coders.

[#2 posted by Simon Greenwood , February 26, 2008 7:10 AM]

Actually, it does exist, but you need a Reuters, AP, PRPresswire or similar feed to use it, and of course they cost money. I have been toying with a similar idea for years but of course the fun bit would be getting the companies to use it. I suppose if it could be seen to be useful you could get them to use it, but then you'd have the joy of trying to make an honest bean out of it without stepping on Reuters or AP's toes.

[#3 posted by Eli , February 26, 2008 8:42 AM]

I guarantee a bunch of gadget writers stayed up late last night to rewrite all those Sony press releases

Oh really?

Betcha $5 those gadget writers got early press releases on the condition they stay embargoed until Tuesday. They wrote up posts on them yesterday, and scheduled them to auto-publish at 12am PST (aka 3am EST).

[#4 posted by Joel Johnson , February 26, 2008 8:57 AM]

@Eli: Well, yeah. That's more or less what I meant. :)