All Things Old Are New Again: New Media Invents Solutions to Old Problems - Cory Treffiletti - MediaBizBlogger

As the saying goes, all things old are new again. Old friends from high school are new again because I've been in contact with so many of them through Facebook. Old-fashioned values are new again as the world re-learns the benefits of savings and cost-cutting in a time of economic crisis. I even went back to 1991 this week with the re-release, re-mix and re-packaging of my favorite album, "Ten" from Pearl Jam. We tend to revisit the past for two reasons -- either it brings back solid, happy memories or we find a new way to tackle an old problem. With maturity comes wisdom, so they say.

With this week's edition, we wanted to see how some new companies are revisiting old ideas, or at least enabling new wisdom to present a new answer to an old challenge.

First stop on the way-back machine is MIDDLESPOT (www.middlespot.com). Middlespot is presenting a new way to present search through a visual display rather than text. A number of new companies are presenting similar ideas (like SearchMe and CoolIris), and each of them is very interesting in its own right. Middlespot presents results through a mouse-over display accent that affects the location of the highlighted results. It's a unique play on an old idea and one worth checking out.

If you're like me, you love to take notes. I have so many notepads that I have to organize them at least once a week. If that sounds like you, why not add one more note pad via SPRINGPAD (www.springpadit.com)? SpringPad offers a virtual online notebook service to help you keep track of your digital life. It can be used for meal planning, party planning, trip planning, whatever you need. They only launched last year, but the technology is solid and it looks like it could be a winner. It's like a new way to keep track of your thoughts!

If you're constantly getting into arguments, why not settle them in a new way, with SIDETAKER (www.sidetaker.com)? The service provides a forum for two people to air their grievances and get advice from the web-at-large! Think of it as cheap counseling, but the counselors tell you what they really think. Even if you don't have a debate to settle, just reading the arguments posted on the site is like watching an episode of Oprah!

If you're still looking for a way to have your Lloyd Dobler moment with a mix-tape, check out 8 TRACKS (http://8tracks.com/). 8 Tracks presents a legally authorized way to create a mix tape and share it with your friends. There are a number of these services, and they seem to keep getting shut down, but this one appears destined for the long haul. Click and play – that's all it takes to revisit the world of the mix tape!

In the world of the iPhone Apps, there are many ongoing ways for old to be new again. Check out the GRATEFUL DEAD app as a way of reading the history of the Grateful Dead and bringing them into the digital age. Check out MONOPOLY, another game from EA that reminds us how great the old games really were! And if you just need a little break, check out the I CAN HAS CHEEZ BURGER app for more funny pictures of kittens and cats.

That's it for this edition – have a good one!