Napster founders launch social video-sharing platform Airtime
06 Jun 2012
Former Napster founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning have teamed up again to launch a new venture: social video-sharing platform Airtime.
Parker, by virtue of his sizeable stake in Facebook (FB) is now a billionaire, and one of Silicon Valley's biggest celebrities, a role he loves living up to. With him, a new company launch has to be a major event and the unveiling of Airtime yesterday morning, in New York City was a star-studded affair full of grand pronouncements.
"Why is the Internet so boring?" Parker asked the crowd, before answering his question himself. "There's no room for serendipity. Everything now is filtered through the lens of your social graph, but the social graph is somewhat stifling."
Airtime aims to add an element of excitement and discovery to users' online experience. The real-time video chat network integrates deeply with Facebook, which according to Parker is the one and only significant social graph.
Airtime allows users to connect with their Facebook friends, but would also offer pairings with strangers based on common interests.
To illustrate the working of the service, Parker enlisted a swarm of celebrities. He launched a video chat with Facebook friend Olivia Munn, brought in Snoop Dogg and comedian Joel McHale into the discussion.
