Democracy Player got the $15,000 award for its focus on using online video technology to create societal change from the NetSquared Technology Innovation Fund at the N2Y2 Non Profit Technology. The Open Source Video Application (www.getdemocracy.com) was created by the non-profit Participatory Culture Foundation (participatoryculture.org), is an online TV platform that allows users to watch, share and download video on the Internet. Miro brings the online video world higher digital resolution, full-screen video playback, continuous non-buffered play and an open standards environment free of adware or spyware -- a much more TV-like experience than traditional web video. The platform has been supported by leading venture capitalists, foundations and, recently, Mozilla, makers of Firefox.

    Online video technology and Open Standards advocates were in full force at the NetSquared (www.netsquared.org) N2Y2 conference at the Cisco Campus. Three hundred and fifty conference attendees voted on 21 different technology start-up projects with the greatest potential to create social change using social technology.

The first three social technology projects, MAPLight (www.maplight.org), Miro: Open Source Video (www.getdemocracy.com) and FreeCycle (www.freecycle.org) split $50,000 in Fund award money.

    Nicholas Reville, Miro Executive Director, said: "The Miro team was so fortunate to have been a part of the NetSquared community's technology conference. We were surrounded by innovative social technologists and non profit advocates. We're hoping that our technology can be a part of helping them accomplish their mission."

    N2Y2 Conference attendees included technology developers, non-profit activists, funders and software developers. Miro: Open Source Video participated in conversational Q&A sessions with attendees to walk through basic social impact, economic sustainability and technology innovation topics.

    Reville added: "Miro is focused on providing online TV viewers and content creators a platform to develop their own voice and connect directly with their audience. The N2Y2 helped us connect with projects, funders and technology companies."

    NetSquared (www.netsquared.org) is a non profit technology support and awareness group formed by TechSoup, a project of CompuMentor. The organization works with non profit groups, bringing them with direct assistance, resources, web-based knowledge and donated technology. Technology and social issues advocates take part in the NetSquared community through NetTuesday meetings throughout the United States and at the annual Net2 Technology Conference.