WSJ.com - Apple Sues Web Site Run by 19-Year-Old For Revealing Secrets: "More than almost any other technology company, Apple Computer Inc. likes to keep its secrets. Now it is cracking down on the mysterious mastermind behind a Web site that has gained fame among Mac-lovers -- and notoriety among company executives -- for revealing details about Apple products before they are launched.
But it turns out the target of an Apple lawsuit isn't some industry veteran or disgruntled former employee. Instead, it is a 19-year-old Harvard University freshman and Apple enthusiast known to most of his fans simply as 'Nick dePlume.'
...
"I didn't do anything wrong," says Mr. Ciarelli. "My reporting practices are the same that any journalists use. I talk to sources, I confirm details, I follow up on tips and leads that I get."
Mr. Ciarelli's site accepts ads, including from Apple rivals such as Microsoft. He says the site is profitable enough to help him pay for his Harvard tuition, but declines to discuss details. He adds that he hasn't yet hired a lawyer to defend himself in the Apple suit.
It will be difficult for Apple to prove that Think Secret's coverage violated its trade secrets, says Robert E. Camors, an intellectual property lawyer at Thelen Reid & Priest LLP in San Jose, Calif. Trade secrets usually deal with the formula behind products -- not simply the details about the products' release, he says. Secondly, it would be difficult for an Apple rival to benefit from the news the site has reported. "No competitor can design and market a product in two weeks," he says."
Lots of similarities between Apple's use of the press/media and the way the Bush administration works the press -- tightly control the audience and the message; squelch anything undesirable...
Friday, January 14, 2005
WSJ.com - Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers
WSJ.com - Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers: "Howard Dean's presidential campaign hired two Internet political 'bloggers' as consultants so that they would say positive things about the former governor's campaign in their online journals, according to a former high-profile Dean aide.
Zephyr Teachout, the former head of Internet outreach for Mr. Dean's campaign, made the disclosure earlier this week in her own Web log, Zonkette. She said 'to be very clear, they never committed to supporting Dean for the payment -- but it was very clearly, internally, our goal.' The hiring of the consultants was noted in several publications at the time.
The issue of political payments to commentators has become hot following disclosures that the Bush administration paid a conservative radio and newspaper pundit, Armstrong Williams, $240,000 to plug its 'No Child Left Behind' education policy.
With the growing importance of blogs -- short for Web logs -- Ms. Teachout said she thinks bloggers need to rethink their attitudes toward ethics. A blog is an online personal journal or series of postings, dealing with just about anything. Millions of people use blogs to post diatribes, rants, links to other sites and erudite analyses hourly, daily or sporadically. Some make a little money by selling ads. The Dean campaign's adroit use of the Internet helped make its long-shot effort credible."
Zephyr Teachout, the former head of Internet outreach for Mr. Dean's campaign, made the disclosure earlier this week in her own Web log, Zonkette. She said 'to be very clear, they never committed to supporting Dean for the payment -- but it was very clearly, internally, our goal.' The hiring of the consultants was noted in several publications at the time.
The issue of political payments to commentators has become hot following disclosures that the Bush administration paid a conservative radio and newspaper pundit, Armstrong Williams, $240,000 to plug its 'No Child Left Behind' education policy.
With the growing importance of blogs -- short for Web logs -- Ms. Teachout said she thinks bloggers need to rethink their attitudes toward ethics. A blog is an online personal journal or series of postings, dealing with just about anything. Millions of people use blogs to post diatribes, rants, links to other sites and erudite analyses hourly, daily or sporadically. Some make a little money by selling ads. The Dean campaign's adroit use of the Internet helped make its long-shot effort credible."
WSJ.com - Sun Posts Profit, but Revenue Slips
WSJ.com - Sun Posts Profit, but Revenue Slips: "Sun said unit sales of servers grew 16% in the second quarter from a year earlier, while demand for a new line of systems based on AMD Opteron chips more than doubled. But revenue from its computer-hardware business declined 4%, suggesting that the average selling price of its systems have fallen sharply.
Indeed, Mr. McNealy said the company is trying to use price as a weapon against the competition, particularly in low-end systems, where he said Sun is 'absolutely the low-cost provider in the marketplace.'
But Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein, said he sees little improvement in Sun's marketplace momentum. Adjusting for currency benefits, he estimated Sun's revenue declined about 4.5% in the second quarter -- a time when the computer market grew about 10%. 'We are still talking about a company that is underperforming the market by 10 percentage points, which is pretty significant,' he said."
Indeed, Mr. McNealy said the company is trying to use price as a weapon against the competition, particularly in low-end systems, where he said Sun is 'absolutely the low-cost provider in the marketplace.'
But Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein, said he sees little improvement in Sun's marketplace momentum. Adjusting for currency benefits, he estimated Sun's revenue declined about 4.5% in the second quarter -- a time when the computer market grew about 10%. 'We are still talking about a company that is underperforming the market by 10 percentage points, which is pretty significant,' he said."
Google Sets Sights on Bigger Piece of Business Software Market
Google Sets Sights on Bigger Piece of Business Software Market: "Google Inc. is setting out to expand its share of the business software market with a scaled-down version of its Internet-leading search engine that will go on sale Thursday for $4,995 (euro3,801).
The Google Mini is tailored for the thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses that don't need or can't afford the more sophisticated products that the Mountain View-based company has been building for large companies during the past few years, said Dave Girouard, general manager of Google's enterprise search.
...
Online advertising accounted for 98 percent of Google's $2.16 billion (euro1.64 billion) through the first nine months of 2004. Google pocketed just $35 million (euro26.6 million) from software licensing and other sources during that period.
While it has created the most widely used online search engine, Google has been playing catch up with other software makers such as Autonomy Corp. and Verity Inc. that build products for businesses trying to make it easier for employees and customers to find information on their Web sites.
Google says about 800 organizations have bought its search engine software so far."
The Google Mini is tailored for the thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses that don't need or can't afford the more sophisticated products that the Mountain View-based company has been building for large companies during the past few years, said Dave Girouard, general manager of Google's enterprise search.
...
Online advertising accounted for 98 percent of Google's $2.16 billion (euro1.64 billion) through the first nine months of 2004. Google pocketed just $35 million (euro26.6 million) from software licensing and other sources during that period.
While it has created the most widely used online search engine, Google has been playing catch up with other software makers such as Autonomy Corp. and Verity Inc. that build products for businesses trying to make it easier for employees and customers to find information on their Web sites.
Google says about 800 organizations have bought its search engine software so far."
Thursday, January 13, 2005
WSJ.com - IPod Sales Shine Up Apple's Profit [stock price snapshot]
WSJ.com - IPod Sales Shine Up Apple's Profit [stock price snapshot] At the moment, Apple's stock is at or near an all-time high, with a market cap of ~$29.3B. For comparison:
Microsoft: $289.8B
IBM: $158.8B
Cisco: $124.3B
Dell: $101B
HP: $60.7B
Sony: $36.4B
Sun: $15.5B
Xerox: $13.5B
Gateway: $2B
Hey, maybe Apple should acquire Xerox and/or Sun...
Meanwhile, in another part of the current mini-bubble:
RIMM: $14.6B
PalmOne: $1.5B
PalmSource: $0.17B
Strange days indeed.
Microsoft: $289.8B
IBM: $158.8B
Cisco: $124.3B
Dell: $101B
HP: $60.7B
Sony: $36.4B
Sun: $15.5B
Xerox: $13.5B
Gateway: $2B
Hey, maybe Apple should acquire Xerox and/or Sun...
Meanwhile, in another part of the current mini-bubble:
RIMM: $14.6B
PalmOne: $1.5B
PalmSource: $0.17B
Strange days indeed.
Paul Thurrott's Internet Nexus
Paul Thurrott's Internet Nexus: "My opinions about the MacWorld Expo 2005 keynote--and the products Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced--might just surprise you. The mile-high view is that Apple hit a home run: Most of the new products they announced are quite exciting and it appears the company has actually figured out a way to grow Mac market share. Suddenly, I'm excited about the Mac again, though I remain a lot clearer-headed about Apple than most Mac fanatics. Here's my rundown of the keynote."
Definitely worth reading -- great summary and perspectives.
Definitely worth reading -- great summary and perspectives.
Apple: iPod domination - or just another fad? | The Register
Apple: iPod domination - or just another fad? | The Register: "The upshot: people will keep buying iPods until they see a reason not to, and Apple has discovered a knack for giving them just what they want - four new models (iPod mini, iPod Photo, 'U2 iPod' and iPod shuffle) in 12 months. A former Apple staffer told me of being in a meeting with Steve Jobs's deputy: 'He said that 'if you've lost the battle, one way to win is to move to a new battlefield''. Apple's certainly discovered the right battlefield. On the music side it's starting to look a lot like a rout. But this war too is far from over. The Mac mini may have been the shot heard around the computer world. But does anyone remember who fired the first shots across the trenches in the First World War?"
InformationWeek > Office for the Macintosh > Microsoft To Add More Enterprise Tools To Mac Office > January 12, 2005
InformationWeek > Office for the Macintosh > Microsoft To Add More Enterprise Tools To Mac Office > January 12, 2005: "Microsoft announced upcoming enhancements to its Office 2004 at the MacWorld trade show in San Francisco, saying that it will, for instance, add more support for Exchange to the Mac suite's e-mail application, Entourage. The update, which Microsoft said would release during the second half of 2005, is set to provide viewing of multiple calendars, better server-client synchronization, and improved mailbox quota management tools.
...
Microsoft also promised it would roll out version 5.0 of MSN Messenger for the Mac during the first half of the year -- complete with support for the Redmond, Wash.-based developer's Live Communication Server and a tabbed interface to separate personal and work contacts -- and announced an online resource locale with Office 2004 tips and templates.
...
Also on Tuesday, Apple went public with iWork '05, the follow-on to its long-running AppleWorks entry-level suite. But contrary to speculation last week that Apple might be preparing to battle Microsoft in the application space, iWork '05 is clearly a consumer product.
Unlike Office 2004, iWork '05 bundles only a word processor -- dubbed "Pages" -- and the presentation and photo portfolio maker Keynote 2. "We're building the successor to AppleWorks by taking advantage of the latest innovations in Mac OS X and iLife '05," said Sina Tamaddon, Apple's senior vice president of applications, in a statement Tuesday.
Apple isn't bundling iWork '05 with new Macs, but instead is charging $79 for the small suite."
In other words, now Apple can say "iCharge" for AppleWorks++.
...
Microsoft also promised it would roll out version 5.0 of MSN Messenger for the Mac during the first half of the year -- complete with support for the Redmond, Wash.-based developer's Live Communication Server and a tabbed interface to separate personal and work contacts -- and announced an online resource locale with Office 2004 tips and templates.
...
Also on Tuesday, Apple went public with iWork '05, the follow-on to its long-running AppleWorks entry-level suite. But contrary to speculation last week that Apple might be preparing to battle Microsoft in the application space, iWork '05 is clearly a consumer product.
Unlike Office 2004, iWork '05 bundles only a word processor -- dubbed "Pages" -- and the presentation and photo portfolio maker Keynote 2. "We're building the successor to AppleWorks by taking advantage of the latest innovations in Mac OS X and iLife '05," said Sina Tamaddon, Apple's senior vice president of applications, in a statement Tuesday.
Apple isn't bundling iWork '05 with new Macs, but instead is charging $79 for the small suite."
In other words, now Apple can say "iCharge" for AppleWorks++.
Mac mini Won't Drive Big Enterprise Sales
Mac mini Won't Drive Big Enterprise Sales "# he Mac mini isn’t going to propel Apple into the enterprise in any big way. Nothing is going to do this. But, the mini does make it almost brainless and quite inexpensive for PC users to add a Mac to their desktop or family room.
# Don’t be fooled by the seemingly low price. The mini I want, with the larger hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and 512 MB RAM, costs $803 from Apple’s online store. If you have to purchase a keyboard, mouse, and screen for your new mini, well, the cost can rapidly add up.
# Users who have been looking for an “-ix” desktop should consider the mini as a cost-effective alternative to Linux box. Of course, the main reason people buy desktop Linux is some combination of being a glutton for punishment, a gearhead, and really cheap."
Read the full post for some additional perspectives.
# Don’t be fooled by the seemingly low price. The mini I want, with the larger hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and 512 MB RAM, costs $803 from Apple’s online store. If you have to purchase a keyboard, mouse, and screen for your new mini, well, the cost can rapidly add up.
# Users who have been looking for an “-ix” desktop should consider the mini as a cost-effective alternative to Linux box. Of course, the main reason people buy desktop Linux is some combination of being a glutton for punishment, a gearhead, and really cheap."
Read the full post for some additional perspectives.
At the heart of the open-source revolution | Newsmakers | CNET News.com
At the heart of the open-source revolution | Newsmakers | CNET News.com: "In terms of the e-mail and the calendar components, Chandler sounds a lot like what Mozilla is already doing with Thunderbird and Sunbird. Aren't your open-source foundations stepping on each other's toes?
[Mitch Kapor:] It's absolutely in the same category as Thunderbird. Sunbird is an existing community calendar, which is basic and not complete or robust. They're using that as a base, adding a lot of things to it and integrating that with Thunderbird.
The aspiration level of Sunbird, by everyone's account, is significantly more modest and different than what we're trying to do in Chandler. We're trying to provide a well-engineered, well-designed but vanilla IMAP client and some vanilla calendaring. But when I was talking about overcoming information silos and better integration between the different kinds of data that a PIN [sic] manages--that's a Chandler aspiration. In Outlook, your data is in separate silos when often you'd like to see things much better connected."
[Mitch Kapor:] It's absolutely in the same category as Thunderbird. Sunbird is an existing community calendar, which is basic and not complete or robust. They're using that as a base, adding a lot of things to it and integrating that with Thunderbird.
The aspiration level of Sunbird, by everyone's account, is significantly more modest and different than what we're trying to do in Chandler. We're trying to provide a well-engineered, well-designed but vanilla IMAP client and some vanilla calendaring. But when I was talking about overcoming information silos and better integration between the different kinds of data that a PIN [sic] manages--that's a Chandler aspiration. In Outlook, your data is in separate silos when often you'd like to see things much better connected."
Shared Spaces Research & Consulting: Response to the Sirana Roadmap for Exchange, Jan 13
Shared Spaces Research & Consulting: Response to the Sirana Roadmap for Exchange, Jan 13: "Microsoft lacks a roadmap for its Exchange Server product (although one is due next week apparently), which I discussed last month. Chris Williams of Sirana Software, who previously worked on the Exchange product team for six years and was a senior product planner for Exchange Server 2000, has published a two-part manifesto for Exchange Server (short-term and long-term). I applaud Chris for publishing his thoughts, and in this post I want to consider the points he raises in light of my ruminations on this topic."
More thoughtful analysis/insights from Michael Sampson; see his post for links including Chris Williams' Exchange manifesto.
From my perspective, the key longer-term issue is the underlying application metamodel -- Exchange is now a robust platform for async enterprise communication (email, calendaring/scheduling and personal information mgmt for contacts and to-dos etc.); Notes/Domino is all that along with a much broader/deeper/better integrated application metamodel for document-centric, workspace-based collaboration. I look forward to someday seeing a similarly expansive application metamodel from Microsoft -- as well as from IBM (for Workplace rather than Notes/Domino) and Oracle.
More thoughtful analysis/insights from Michael Sampson; see his post for links including Chris Williams' Exchange manifesto.
From my perspective, the key longer-term issue is the underlying application metamodel -- Exchange is now a robust platform for async enterprise communication (email, calendaring/scheduling and personal information mgmt for contacts and to-dos etc.); Notes/Domino is all that along with a much broader/deeper/better integrated application metamodel for document-centric, workspace-based collaboration. I look forward to someday seeing a similarly expansive application metamodel from Microsoft -- as well as from IBM (for Workplace rather than Notes/Domino) and Oracle.
Case accepts blame for AOL-Time Warner debacle | CNET News.com
Case accepts blame for AOL-Time Warner debacle | CNET News.com: "From Case's view, the blame starts with him.
'In retrospect, I probably wasn't the right guy to be the chairman of a company with 90,000 employees,' Case said during an event at the Computer History Museum. 'In retrospect, none of us were the right guys.'
Indeed, for Case and then-CEO of Time Warner Gerald Levin, the architects of the deal, grand visions of an Internet-charged media behemoth faded into the bland realities of turf wars and cutthroat politics. Case learned Time Warner's notorious culture of fiefdoms the hard way, as multibillion-dollar businesses bristled at the idea of working with their new AOL masters."
'In retrospect, I probably wasn't the right guy to be the chairman of a company with 90,000 employees,' Case said during an event at the Computer History Museum. 'In retrospect, none of us were the right guys.'
Indeed, for Case and then-CEO of Time Warner Gerald Levin, the architects of the deal, grand visions of an Internet-charged media behemoth faded into the bland realities of turf wars and cutthroat politics. Case learned Time Warner's notorious culture of fiefdoms the hard way, as multibillion-dollar businesses bristled at the idea of working with their new AOL masters."
The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > State of the Art: Pricetags Get Smaller at Apple
The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > State of the Art: Pricetags Get Smaller at Apple: "The Apple spin, however, involves the iPodization of the flash player. And that begins with its looks: this tiny, sleek player resembles a couple of sticks of Juicy Fruit entombed in shiny white plastic. It weighs less than an ounce. It comes with a white lanyard to complement the famous white iPod earbuds. And it can also work as a tiny hard drive for transporting computer files.
Also like the larger iPods, this one syncs effortlessly with the free iTunes jukebox software for Mac or Windows. It plays songs you've bought from the iTunes Music Store but not from other commercial pop-music sites. (Of course, it also plays songs you've copied from your own CD collection and other non-copy-protected music.)
The terrific AutoFill button, new in iTunes, can intelligently stock the iPod Shuffle with a fresh set of 120 or 240 songs - favoring those you've rated highly, if you like - each time you connect it. The word 'Shuffle' in the name refers both to its ability to play its songs in random order and to the serendipity of finding a different set of songs on it each time you sally forth.
Another improvement over other flash players: the iPod Shuffle gets its power from a built-in rechargeable 12-hour battery, rather than a steady diet of AAA's. It recharges when it's plugged into a computer.
...
Will the radical Mini sink like the Apple's previous squarish marvel of miniaturization, the Macintosh Cube? Conversely, will so many people pounce on this tasty morsel that it cannibalizes sales of other Mac models?
That's for the market - and the marketers - to decide. One thing, though, is for sure. The iPod Shuffle and the Mac Mini are bold attempts to shatter the common wisdom that Apple makes gorgeous, expensive things. For the first time in its history, Apple has begun to make gorgeous, inexpensive things."
Also like the larger iPods, this one syncs effortlessly with the free iTunes jukebox software for Mac or Windows. It plays songs you've bought from the iTunes Music Store but not from other commercial pop-music sites. (Of course, it also plays songs you've copied from your own CD collection and other non-copy-protected music.)
The terrific AutoFill button, new in iTunes, can intelligently stock the iPod Shuffle with a fresh set of 120 or 240 songs - favoring those you've rated highly, if you like - each time you connect it. The word 'Shuffle' in the name refers both to its ability to play its songs in random order and to the serendipity of finding a different set of songs on it each time you sally forth.
Another improvement over other flash players: the iPod Shuffle gets its power from a built-in rechargeable 12-hour battery, rather than a steady diet of AAA's. It recharges when it's plugged into a computer.
...
Will the radical Mini sink like the Apple's previous squarish marvel of miniaturization, the Macintosh Cube? Conversely, will so many people pounce on this tasty morsel that it cannibalizes sales of other Mac models?
That's for the market - and the marketers - to decide. One thing, though, is for sure. The iPod Shuffle and the Mac Mini are bold attempts to shatter the common wisdom that Apple makes gorgeous, expensive things. For the first time in its history, Apple has begun to make gorgeous, inexpensive things."
What's up, Mac? Focus on Quality, Support for Tiger
What's up, Mac? Focus on Quality, Support for Tiger: "Microsoft has delivered world-class technology products for the Macintosh platform for more than 20 years. Founded in 1997, Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit (Mac BU) is a leading developer of software products for Macintosh customers. The group is comprised of nearly 200 fulltime Mac product experts who are dedicated to creating innovative software for Mac customers worldwide. Created by Mac users for Mac users, products include Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, a productivity suite that includes the e-mail application and personal information manager Entourage 2004, Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004 and MSN Messenger for Mac, and Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7.
PressPass spoke with Roz Ho, general manager for the Macintosh Business Unit, about her role within the group, its successes and goals, as well as announcements at Macworld 2005 and beyond."
Hmm -- Amazon.com has Mac Office student edition for $132.99 and the SRP for the Pro version is $499 ($329 for a version upgrade). Which company do you suppose makes more money on Mac sales, Apple or Microsoft?...
PressPass spoke with Roz Ho, general manager for the Macintosh Business Unit, about her role within the group, its successes and goals, as well as announcements at Macworld 2005 and beyond."
Hmm -- Amazon.com has Mac Office student edition for $132.99 and the SRP for the Pro version is $499 ($329 for a version upgrade). Which company do you suppose makes more money on Mac sales, Apple or Microsoft?...
The New York Times > Technology > Apple's Profit Quadruples, Thanks to IPod
The New York Times > Technology > Apple's Profit Quadruples, Thanks to IPod: "Mr. Jobs attributed the strong results to rising sales of personal computers and iPods, and said about 40 percent of the quarter's sales came from music-related products.
Revenue for the quarter was $3.49 billion, up 74 percent from $2 billion a year earlier. Analysts had forecast revenue of about $3.18 billion. The company also projected that revenue for the current quarter would be $2.9 billion, and estimated that earnings per share would be 40 cents, also surpassing analysts' expectations.
...
"This is the first proof positive that the halo effect is real," said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, referring to the notion that customers interested in buying an iPod sometimes buy a Macintosh as well.
The iMac is Apple's best-selling personal computer, with an average price of $1,400.
But the iPod remained the big story, with Apple selling 4.6 million of them in the quarter, five times the number sold in the period a year earlier. That brought the total number of iPods sold in three years to about 10 million.
Apple's iTunes music store made a small profit during the quarter and has sold 230 million songs to date, Apple's chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, said."
Okay, I stand corrected on the iTunes profit part, but I suspect "small" => really small...
Revenue for the quarter was $3.49 billion, up 74 percent from $2 billion a year earlier. Analysts had forecast revenue of about $3.18 billion. The company also projected that revenue for the current quarter would be $2.9 billion, and estimated that earnings per share would be 40 cents, also surpassing analysts' expectations.
...
"This is the first proof positive that the halo effect is real," said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, referring to the notion that customers interested in buying an iPod sometimes buy a Macintosh as well.
The iMac is Apple's best-selling personal computer, with an average price of $1,400.
But the iPod remained the big story, with Apple selling 4.6 million of them in the quarter, five times the number sold in the period a year earlier. That brought the total number of iPods sold in three years to about 10 million.
Apple's iTunes music store made a small profit during the quarter and has sold 230 million songs to date, Apple's chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, said."
Okay, I stand corrected on the iTunes profit part, but I suspect "small" => really small...
WSJ.com - Google's Rivals Narrow Search Gap
WSJ.com - Google's Rivals Narrow Search Gap "Internet users like Google Inc. a lot – but now they are warming up to its Web-search rivals.
Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. successfully narrowed Google's lead in user satisfaction during 2004, according to a survey of 2,000 Web users. Survey respondents said they were happier with search results from Yahoo and Microsoft than in a similar survey last spring, and more likely to use those sites regularly.
The study is the first evidence that changes by Google's rivals are influencing how consumers perceive and use search sites. It is further proof that, despite the hype around Google's August initial public offering and its soaring share price, the search battle is far from won. Over time, some analysts believe, improvements by Google's rivals will help them gain market share and ad revenue, putting them in a better position to compete with the search leader."
Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. successfully narrowed Google's lead in user satisfaction during 2004, according to a survey of 2,000 Web users. Survey respondents said they were happier with search results from Yahoo and Microsoft than in a similar survey last spring, and more likely to use those sites regularly.
The study is the first evidence that changes by Google's rivals are influencing how consumers perceive and use search sites. It is further proof that, despite the hype around Google's August initial public offering and its soaring share price, the search battle is far from won. Over time, some analysts believe, improvements by Google's rivals will help them gain market share and ad revenue, putting them in a better position to compete with the search leader."
WSJ.com - Personal Technology: Free Microsoft Program To Battle Spyware Has Some Serious Flaws
WSJ.com - Personal Technology: Free Microsoft Program To Battle Spyware Has Some Serious Flaws: "Unfortunately, the company's first free security program has some serious flaws and lapses. I've been testing Microsoft's antispyware software, called simply Microsoft AntiSpyware, and I can't recommend it, in its present form, over the leading third-party antispyware program I have favored, Webroot's Spy Sweeper.
To be sure, the new antispyware program is not a finished product. It was acquired just last month when Microsoft bought a small software company, and Microsoft engineers had only a few weeks to tweak it before releasing the beta. Company officials insist they intend to fix the program's problems based on feedback from beta users, and I take them at their word. But some of the flaws in this first release are especially disturbing because they make it appear that the company may be subtly using its security software to promote its other products, at the expense of competitors."
Walt Mossberg also comments: "Some critics argue that Microsoft should stay out of the security-software business so as not to use its Windows monopoly to unfairly compete with third-party security vendors. But I have never believed it was inherently wrong for Microsoft to add core functions to Windows, even if they competed with add-ons sold by other companies. And I regard security as a core function. To me, the need to protect Windows users, especially consumers and small businesses without IT staffs, trumps any antitrust considerations."
To be sure, the new antispyware program is not a finished product. It was acquired just last month when Microsoft bought a small software company, and Microsoft engineers had only a few weeks to tweak it before releasing the beta. Company officials insist they intend to fix the program's problems based on feedback from beta users, and I take them at their word. But some of the flaws in this first release are especially disturbing because they make it appear that the company may be subtly using its security software to promote its other products, at the expense of competitors."
Walt Mossberg also comments: "Some critics argue that Microsoft should stay out of the security-software business so as not to use its Windows monopoly to unfairly compete with third-party security vendors. But I have never believed it was inherently wrong for Microsoft to add core functions to Windows, even if they competed with add-ons sold by other companies. And I regard security as a core function. To me, the need to protect Windows users, especially consumers and small businesses without IT staffs, trumps any antitrust considerations."
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
WSJ.com - Apple's Profit Surges With Success of iPod
WSJ.com - Apple's Profit Surges With Success of iPod: "Apple Computer Inc.'s earnings more than quadrupled from a year earlier as the must-have iPod digital music player continued to fly off shelves and the company saw growing interest in its Macintosh computers.
The company also forecast better-than-expected-results for the current quarter.
Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., reported net income of $295 million, or 70 cents a share, for its fiscal first-quarter ended Dec. 25. That compares with net income of $63 million, or 17 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.
Revenue rocketed 74% to $3.49 billion from $2 billion a year earlier."
Nice recovery from yesterday's dip, but...
1. iTunes isn't profitable, and probably never will be
2. Profit margins on iPods are going to tumble, as they face very significant competition (including the new iPod shuffle).
This is very reminiscent of the mid- to late 1980s, when Apple could do no wrong and the Wintel duopoly seemed destined to always be a distant second place to the cool Apple innovations (most of which were adapted from Xerox PARC innovations, but that's another story...), elegant designs, and oh-so-hip marketing. Maybe Apple won't repeat all of the same mistakes this time around, but at this point they're definitely on that trajectory... Apple should exploit its current market cap and acquire and/or merge its way into something more sustainable now, rather than watching while a Microsoft-led coalition decimates its latest leads...
The company also forecast better-than-expected-results for the current quarter.
Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., reported net income of $295 million, or 70 cents a share, for its fiscal first-quarter ended Dec. 25. That compares with net income of $63 million, or 17 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.
Revenue rocketed 74% to $3.49 billion from $2 billion a year earlier."
Nice recovery from yesterday's dip, but...
1. iTunes isn't profitable, and probably never will be
2. Profit margins on iPods are going to tumble, as they face very significant competition (including the new iPod shuffle).
This is very reminiscent of the mid- to late 1980s, when Apple could do no wrong and the Wintel duopoly seemed destined to always be a distant second place to the cool Apple innovations (most of which were adapted from Xerox PARC innovations, but that's another story...), elegant designs, and oh-so-hip marketing. Maybe Apple won't repeat all of the same mistakes this time around, but at this point they're definitely on that trajectory... Apple should exploit its current market cap and acquire and/or merge its way into something more sustainable now, rather than watching while a Microsoft-led coalition decimates its latest leads...
CRN | Breaking News | Microsoft Plans Information Bridge Update
CRN | Breaking News | Microsoft Plans Information Bridge Update: "Microsoft is working on an update to its Information Bridge Framework (IBF) for this spring, a spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.
What had been referred to as IBF 1.5 by partner sources, will actually be a service pack for the integration software. The code, to be delivered via MSDN, will now be hosted on InfoPath and Internet Explorer. The first IBF iteration was hosted on Word 2003, Excel 2003, and Outlook 2003.
The goal of the software is to provide a seamless flow of information back and forth between various Microsoft Office client applications and legacy data of all types on the back end.
...
To spur deployment of the latest Office 2003 applications, Microsoft is working both on new server-based components, including an InfoPath server, as well as better interopability with legacy data. Oracle's recent buyout of PeopleSoft means Microsoft is under more pressure to forge such ties with information in non-Microsoft systems. New Office servers, accessible from Word or Excel would, in theory, drive more deployments of the latest applications and offer enterprises more reason to upgrade their office applications, Microsoft insiders have said."
FYI my take on IBF
What had been referred to as IBF 1.5 by partner sources, will actually be a service pack for the integration software. The code, to be delivered via MSDN, will now be hosted on InfoPath and Internet Explorer. The first IBF iteration was hosted on Word 2003, Excel 2003, and Outlook 2003.
The goal of the software is to provide a seamless flow of information back and forth between various Microsoft Office client applications and legacy data of all types on the back end.
...
To spur deployment of the latest Office 2003 applications, Microsoft is working both on new server-based components, including an InfoPath server, as well as better interopability with legacy data. Oracle's recent buyout of PeopleSoft means Microsoft is under more pressure to forge such ties with information in non-Microsoft systems. New Office servers, accessible from Word or Excel would, in theory, drive more deployments of the latest applications and offer enterprises more reason to upgrade their office applications, Microsoft insiders have said."
FYI my take on IBF
[print version] How the Mac was born, and other tales | CNET News.com
[print version] How the Mac was born, and other tales | CNET News.com: "What's next for you?
If the book does really well, I'd like to do a sequel-prequel type thing of all the early Apple stories, mainly starring Steve Wozniak. I have a great set of stories that have never been written up in that time frame.
Give us an example of a Steve Wozniak story.
[Andy Hertzfeld] Here's a really quick one that follows off a story that is in the book, about Steve Jobs parking in the handicapped spaces--he always parked in the handicapped spaces. One day in October 1983 I got a phone call at my desk at Apple from the Cupertino police saying something like, 'You reported that car parked in the handicapped space. Well, we can't really tow it away because the handicapped space is not properly marked.' I said, 'What?'
Well, it turned out that Woz called up the Cupertino police reporting Steve Jobs' car illegally parked in a handicapped space and told them the person reporting it was Andy Hertzfeld and gave them my phone number. So that was a prank on both me and Steve Jobs; it just didn't quite come off, thank God. I could have just imagined Steve having to go check out his car and finding out that Andy Hertzfeld had reported it."
If the book does really well, I'd like to do a sequel-prequel type thing of all the early Apple stories, mainly starring Steve Wozniak. I have a great set of stories that have never been written up in that time frame.
Give us an example of a Steve Wozniak story.
[Andy Hertzfeld] Here's a really quick one that follows off a story that is in the book, about Steve Jobs parking in the handicapped spaces--he always parked in the handicapped spaces. One day in October 1983 I got a phone call at my desk at Apple from the Cupertino police saying something like, 'You reported that car parked in the handicapped space. Well, we can't really tow it away because the handicapped space is not properly marked.' I said, 'What?'
Well, it turned out that Woz called up the Cupertino police reporting Steve Jobs' car illegally parked in a handicapped space and told them the person reporting it was Andy Hertzfeld and gave them my phone number. So that was a prank on both me and Steve Jobs; it just didn't quite come off, thank God. I could have just imagined Steve having to go check out his car and finding out that Andy Hertzfeld had reported it."
Microsoft and SAP Deliver on Plans to Deepen Integration Of SAP NetWeaver and Microsoft .NET
Microsoft and SAP Deliver on Plans to Deepen Integration Of SAP NetWeaver and Microsoft .NET: "'With this announcement, SAP and Microsoft are delivering on the promise to deepen integration between SAP NetWeaver and .NET in order to help customers better integrate their enterprise,' said Peter Graf, senior vice president of product marketing, Collaborative Solutions, SAP. 'SAP NetWeaver's open integration and application allow customers to leverage their existing software investments to drive innovation through the flexibility enabled by interoperability of third-party platforms like .NET. Thousands of shared customers will benefit from the improved level of interoperability that the PDK for .NET enables.'
Using the PDK for .NET, developers and SAP customers are able to fully utilize the capabilities of the Microsoft .NET Framework to build interactive business content for SAP Enterprise Portal. This business content running on the SAP Enterprise Portal and the .NET Framework leverages key portal services, such as user management, SAP Single Sign On (SAP SSO) and specialized content. Developers can build the user interface of this interactive business content using any combination of the standard SAP .NET controls and user interface controls of SAP NetWeaver. The .NET portal business content is easily deployed through SAP NetWeaver and the Portal Runtime for .NET that processes the .NET business content code and integrates the results in SAP Enterprise Portal."
Interesting development -- especially since NetWeaver is Eclipse-based.
Using the PDK for .NET, developers and SAP customers are able to fully utilize the capabilities of the Microsoft .NET Framework to build interactive business content for SAP Enterprise Portal. This business content running on the SAP Enterprise Portal and the .NET Framework leverages key portal services, such as user management, SAP Single Sign On (SAP SSO) and specialized content. Developers can build the user interface of this interactive business content using any combination of the standard SAP .NET controls and user interface controls of SAP NetWeaver. The .NET portal business content is easily deployed through SAP NetWeaver and the Portal Runtime for .NET that processes the .NET business content code and integrates the results in SAP Enterprise Portal."
Interesting development -- especially since NetWeaver is Eclipse-based.
The New York Times > Technology > Changing Course, Apple Offers Low-Priced Mac for the Home
The New York Times > Technology > Changing Course, Apple Offers Low-Priced Mac for the Home: "The question still remains, however, whether PC users will try Macintosh machines in large numbers.
'This is not going to return Apple to a high level of profitability,' said David Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School. 'The margins on these new machines will be trivial. And I think they will add no more than one or two points of market share.'
He said, however, that even a small growth in market share could be enough to attract software developers willing to write programs for the Macintosh."
My $.02: Apple's stock went down ~6.4% yesterday on the new product announcements because Wall Street isn't fond of internally-generated price competition based on speculative market expansion opportunities (with products that have razor-thin profit margins). I suspect many people were also expecting Apple to unveil some innovative Media Center-like offerings, rather than dumbed-down, steeply price-discounted, smaller-footprint versions of their existing products.
'This is not going to return Apple to a high level of profitability,' said David Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School. 'The margins on these new machines will be trivial. And I think they will add no more than one or two points of market share.'
He said, however, that even a small growth in market share could be enough to attract software developers willing to write programs for the Macintosh."
My $.02: Apple's stock went down ~6.4% yesterday on the new product announcements because Wall Street isn't fond of internally-generated price competition based on speculative market expansion opportunities (with products that have razor-thin profit margins). I suspect many people were also expecting Apple to unveil some innovative Media Center-like offerings, rather than dumbed-down, steeply price-discounted, smaller-footprint versions of their existing products.
WSJ.com - The Mossberg Solution: Test-Driving the $99 iPod
WSJ.com - The Mossberg Solution: Test-Driving the $99 iPod: "I can understand the allure of shuffle play, and of carrying around just a subset of your music. I most frequently use my larger iPods on Shuffle mode. And, like most people, I play favorite songs more often than others, even though my whole music collection is loaded on my bigger iPod.
But, the lack of a screen on the Shuffle would bug me, personally. I really enjoy seeing the song information while I play music. It's one of the big advantages digital music players have over playing CDs. Of course, joggers and others who listen to music while they work out won't miss the screen, because they are rarely in a position to watch it, and the fact that the Shuffle is small and lacks a delicate hard disk will make exercising with it appealing.
There are a few design downsides to the iPod Shuffle. The lack of a screen means you can't use playlists of collected songs on it, because you have no way to select such a list. For many people, play lists are a key part of the iPod experience.
The Shuffle also lacks many of the extra features of the bigger iPods, such as various equalization settings for music playback, and the ability to display calendar and contact information.
And I found the three-way mode button on the back difficult to move. I was forced to press it so tightly that I often tripped the playback controls on the other side.
Still, this is a good product that will enlarge the iPod's appeal, especially with kids, people on low budgets, or people who work out. I imagine some existing iPod owners will also buy Shuffles as sort of add-on players. And the iPod juggernaut will roll on."
But, the lack of a screen on the Shuffle would bug me, personally. I really enjoy seeing the song information while I play music. It's one of the big advantages digital music players have over playing CDs. Of course, joggers and others who listen to music while they work out won't miss the screen, because they are rarely in a position to watch it, and the fact that the Shuffle is small and lacks a delicate hard disk will make exercising with it appealing.
There are a few design downsides to the iPod Shuffle. The lack of a screen means you can't use playlists of collected songs on it, because you have no way to select such a list. For many people, play lists are a key part of the iPod experience.
The Shuffle also lacks many of the extra features of the bigger iPods, such as various equalization settings for music playback, and the ability to display calendar and contact information.
And I found the three-way mode button on the back difficult to move. I was forced to press it so tightly that I often tripped the playback controls on the other side.
Still, this is a good product that will enlarge the iPod's appeal, especially with kids, people on low budgets, or people who work out. I imagine some existing iPod owners will also buy Shuffles as sort of add-on players. And the iPod juggernaut will roll on."
Microsoft turns focus to emerging markets
Microsoft turns focus to emerging markets: "Microsoft Corp.'s research unit is turning to social scientists in a new effort to understand the long-term possibilities for computer technology in developing countries.
A Microsoft Research lab, to be inaugurated tomorrow in Bangalore, India, plans to employ anthropologists, ethnographers and others to observe and document the lives of people in India's rural villages.
...
A primary aim of the new group is to help Microsoft understand the situation in rural villages before the company tries to create appropriate technologies for them -- rather than first creating the technologies and then trying to find areas where they might apply."
A Microsoft Research lab, to be inaugurated tomorrow in Bangalore, India, plans to employ anthropologists, ethnographers and others to observe and document the lives of people in India's rural villages.
...
A primary aim of the new group is to help Microsoft understand the situation in rural villages before the company tries to create appropriate technologies for them -- rather than first creating the technologies and then trying to find areas where they might apply."
Wired News: Real World Doesn't Use a Joystick
Wired News: Real World Doesn't Use a Joystick: "After a recent three-day binge of playing the Japanese cult hit video game Katamari Damacy, Los Angeles artist Kozy Kitchens discovered that walking away from the game was not as easy as putting down her joystick.
In the game, players push around what amounts to a giant tape ball, attempting to make the ball bigger by picking up any and all objects in its path. Kitchens found that her urge to keep picking things up was not so easy to shake.
'I was driving down Venice Boulevard,' recalled her husband, Dan Kitchens, 'and Kozy reached over and grabbed the steering wheel and for a moment was trying to yank it to the right.... (Then) she let go, but kept staring out her window, and then looked back at me kind of stunned and said, 'Sorry. I thought we could pick up that mailbox we just passed.''
...
"I've been using the computer for so long, and command-Z works for undo in all the software programs," Hoffman said. "So whenever I find something in my life that I want to undo, I reach for the command-Z keys and I find it weird that it doesn't work.""
Yeah, I see a lot of people who drive as if they're playing a game and could simply restart if they crash.
In the game, players push around what amounts to a giant tape ball, attempting to make the ball bigger by picking up any and all objects in its path. Kitchens found that her urge to keep picking things up was not so easy to shake.
'I was driving down Venice Boulevard,' recalled her husband, Dan Kitchens, 'and Kozy reached over and grabbed the steering wheel and for a moment was trying to yank it to the right.... (Then) she let go, but kept staring out her window, and then looked back at me kind of stunned and said, 'Sorry. I thought we could pick up that mailbox we just passed.''
...
"I've been using the computer for so long, and command-Z works for undo in all the software programs," Hoffman said. "So whenever I find something in my life that I want to undo, I reach for the command-Z keys and I find it weird that it doesn't work.""
Yeah, I see a lot of people who drive as if they're playing a game and could simply restart if they crash.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Apple - Mac mini and iPod shuffle
Apple - Mac mini: "The modular design of Mac mini lets you upgrade your current system to the elegance, simplicity and reliability of Macintosh. If you already own a monitor, keyboard and mouse, you can get up and running in minutes. Or choose any combination of new devices to meet your individual situation. And yes, Mac mini will take advantage of your two-button USB mouse with scroll-wheel and your favorite USB keyboard. Just plug them in."
Think different -- not just any vendor can sell a PC without a keyboard, mouse, or monitor... The new iPod shuffle is also an advance -- now Apple can specify the random order of your songs as well as the only place you can buy songs on-line for your iPod. They should have called it iGovernor or maybe iPick4You.
Think different -- not just any vendor can sell a PC without a keyboard, mouse, or monitor... The new iPod shuffle is also an advance -- now Apple can specify the random order of your songs as well as the only place you can buy songs on-line for your iPod. They should have called it iGovernor or maybe iPick4You.
Convoq, Inc. Presence-Powered Web Conferencing [and some blog template changes]
Convoq, Inc. Presence-Powered Web Conferencing [and some blog template changes]: "Version 2.0 of ASAP Pro is now available with a number of usability and performance enhancements. It also marks the introduction of ASAP Links, a powerful new way to get closer to your customers and colleagues."
I had a briefing with Convoq (using Convoq 2.0, naturally) this morning and was impressed. I've put an ASAP Link into my blog template; if you want to try Convoq's ASAP 2.0 (and you're not trying to sell me something...), click on the link; I'll respond if I'm available. Pretty cool -- shows my status in quasi-realtime (you need to refresh the page to see changes); uses Flash for real-time communication including video and audio.
I also turned on Google search for my blog -- feedback welcomed if you'd rather I keep it simple/basic.
Update: hmm -- the Google search seems to be generic rather than specific to my blog, as I expected; I may undo it...
I had a briefing with Convoq (using Convoq 2.0, naturally) this morning and was impressed. I've put an ASAP Link into my blog template; if you want to try Convoq's ASAP 2.0 (and you're not trying to sell me something...), click on the link; I'll respond if I'm available. Pretty cool -- shows my status in quasi-realtime (you need to refresh the page to see changes); uses Flash for real-time communication including video and audio.
I also turned on Google search for my blog -- feedback welcomed if you'd rather I keep it simple/basic.
Update: hmm -- the Google search seems to be generic rather than specific to my blog, as I expected; I may undo it...
Wired 13.01: Will We Ever Learn? Jared Diamond says society's future depends on what we take from the past.
Wired 13.01: Will We Ever Learn? Jared Diamond says society's future depends on what we take from the past.: "Jared Diamond's follow-up to his landmark 1999 book, Guns, Germs, and Steel, abounds in specifics. He is a field biologist looking at history and prehistory, deducing pattern from detail, much in the mode of Charles Darwin. His subject this time is the demise of whole societies, especially where collapse is sudden and total, contrasted with the ingenious survival of other societies that faced the same dangers. Diamond's Collapse is about how to avoid the repetition of cataclysmic mistakes. What we learn from those mistakes, he shows, will determine the length of our future.
Diamond identifies five major causes of societal collapse: environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, loss of trade partners, and stupidity. Any one or two plus stupidity will do. Diamond devotes most of the book to environmental damage - humanity's persistent drive to exceed biological carrying capacity. Bog iron was available in Greenland, but it took charcoal from local trees to produce, and once the Norse deforested the land, they could no longer make metal tools. The stub-bladed knife was the result. (While the Norse were busy dying out, their neighbors the Inuit were prospering with elegant solutions to arctic problems. The Norse were careful never to learn a thing from them.) Easter Island once had a rainforest that provided ocean-going canoes along with the rollers and rope for moving and raising the huge statues. When the islanders cut down the last tree, the last statue remained unfinished, and the population crashed permanently. The island is barren to this day."
Diamond identifies five major causes of societal collapse: environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, loss of trade partners, and stupidity. Any one or two plus stupidity will do. Diamond devotes most of the book to environmental damage - humanity's persistent drive to exceed biological carrying capacity. Bog iron was available in Greenland, but it took charcoal from local trees to produce, and once the Norse deforested the land, they could no longer make metal tools. The stub-bladed knife was the result. (While the Norse were busy dying out, their neighbors the Inuit were prospering with elegant solutions to arctic problems. The Norse were careful never to learn a thing from them.) Easter Island once had a rainforest that provided ocean-going canoes along with the rollers and rope for moving and raising the huge statues. When the islanders cut down the last tree, the last statue remained unfinished, and the population crashed permanently. The island is barren to this day."
Ross Mayfield's Weblog: Parking Lot Indicatr
Ross Mayfield's Weblog: Parking Lot Indicatr: "My uncle was a guru on wall street when I asked him where I should invest my paper route money. He said to visit the parking lots of Silicon Valley companies during the weekend. If the parking lot was full, there was a good chance they were close to a breakthrough or release.
...
But with enough mobloggers, a panopticon of performance may be a great leading indicator. So this weekend I started the Parking Lot Indicatr group and people have taken interest."
See original post for more links etc.
...
But with enough mobloggers, a panopticon of performance may be a great leading indicator. So this weekend I started the Parking Lot Indicatr group and people have taken interest."
See original post for more links etc.
Open-source database gets backing | CNET News.com
Open-source database gets backing | CNET News.com: "With the move, the PostgreSQL open-source database will gain the backing of an established commercial company, something that it has lacked since its development more than 20 years ago.
'This is an important step for PostgreSQL,' said Noel Yuhanna, an analyst at Forrester Research. 'Until now, the database has been leaderless and no one has been pushing it or marketing it.'
Yuhanna said that on a technical level, PostgreSQL compares favorably with commercial databases and has some features, including stored procedures and triggers, that open-source database company MySQL's product currently lacks. PostgreSQL has the same roots as Computer Associates' Ingres database, which came from academia.
PostgreSQL is used to anchor corporate applications and is popular with developers, but its usage isn't widely publicized, said Lance Obermeyer, director of products at Pervasive."
Not the first commercial offering -- see Progress/NuSphere UltraSQL, for example, as well as support and services from PostgreSQL, Inc. Great to see PostgreSQL get some recognition, in any case.
'This is an important step for PostgreSQL,' said Noel Yuhanna, an analyst at Forrester Research. 'Until now, the database has been leaderless and no one has been pushing it or marketing it.'
Yuhanna said that on a technical level, PostgreSQL compares favorably with commercial databases and has some features, including stored procedures and triggers, that open-source database company MySQL's product currently lacks. PostgreSQL has the same roots as Computer Associates' Ingres database, which came from academia.
PostgreSQL is used to anchor corporate applications and is popular with developers, but its usage isn't widely publicized, said Lance Obermeyer, director of products at Pervasive."
Not the first commercial offering -- see Progress/NuSphere UltraSQL, for example, as well as support and services from PostgreSQL, Inc. Great to see PostgreSQL get some recognition, in any case.
The New York Times > Technology > I.B.M. to Give Free Access to 500 Patents
The New York Times > Technology > I.B.M. to Give Free Access to 500 Patents: "I.B.M. will continue to hold the 500 patents. But it has pledged to seek no royalties from and to place no restrictions on companies, groups or individuals who use them in open-source projects, as defined by the Open Source Initiative, a nonprofit education and advocacy group. The group's definition involves a series of policies allowing for free redistribution, publication of the underlying source code and no restrictions on who uses the software or how it is used.
Just how far I.B.M. intends to go in granting open access to its patents is uncertain. The 500 patents are a small slice of its corporate patent trove of more than 40,000 worldwide and 25,000 in the United States. In recent years, software patents have accounted for about half of the patents granted to I.B.M."
Masterful PR, if nothing else.
Just how far I.B.M. intends to go in granting open access to its patents is uncertain. The 500 patents are a small slice of its corporate patent trove of more than 40,000 worldwide and 25,000 in the United States. In recent years, software patents have accounted for about half of the patents granted to I.B.M."
Masterful PR, if nothing else.
Boston.com / Business / Technology / Cable giants buy software assets to boost interactive TV offerings
Boston.com / Business / Technology / Cable giants buy software assets to boost interactive TV offerings: "Double C Technologies, a joint venture of Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications, agreed to purchase the North American assets of Liberate Technologies, a San Mateo, Calif.-based developer of software that makes interactive TV applications possible.
...
Officials at Liberate could not be reached for comment yesterday. The company has been struggling financially and at one point requested bankrupcty court protection, a request that was turned down by the courts. Liberate appealed that decision, and as part of yesterday's agreement with Comcast and Cox agreed to seek a dismissal of that appeal.
Yesterday, Liberate reported a net loss of $8.1 million for the three-month period ending Nov. 30, compared to a loss of $8.5 million for the same period a year ago. Revenue during the three-month period was $632,000. Over the last six months, Liberate racked up a a net loss of $20.4 million on revenue of $1.8 million."
Anybody else remember when Liberate had a gagillion$ market cap and was expected to vanquish Microsoft in all things TV-related?....
...
Officials at Liberate could not be reached for comment yesterday. The company has been struggling financially and at one point requested bankrupcty court protection, a request that was turned down by the courts. Liberate appealed that decision, and as part of yesterday's agreement with Comcast and Cox agreed to seek a dismissal of that appeal.
Yesterday, Liberate reported a net loss of $8.1 million for the three-month period ending Nov. 30, compared to a loss of $8.5 million for the same period a year ago. Revenue during the three-month period was $632,000. Over the last six months, Liberate racked up a a net loss of $20.4 million on revenue of $1.8 million."
Anybody else remember when Liberate had a gagillion$ market cap and was expected to vanquish Microsoft in all things TV-related?....
Monday, January 10, 2005
Yahoo! News - Entrepreneurs Bet on 'Exergaming' Future
Yahoo! News - Entrepreneurs Bet on 'Exergaming' Future "Company executives insist that "exergaming" or "exertainment" — the marriage of physical exercise and video gaming — is becoming a hot new niche, and the most bullish aficionados say it might even help reduce the nation's obesity epidemic.
...
But medical experts are skeptical. Although they applaud manufacturers for getting people off the couch, they caution against relying on technology alone to slim and tone the record number of out-of-shape Americans. They say individuals, communities, private industry and governments should work together to tackle the problem."
Check out the unkind photo in the original article.
...
But medical experts are skeptical. Although they applaud manufacturers for getting people off the couch, they caution against relying on technology alone to slim and tone the record number of out-of-shape Americans. They say individuals, communities, private industry and governments should work together to tackle the problem."
Check out the unkind photo in the original article.
Wired News: Wikipedia Faces Growing Pains
Wired News: Wikipedia Faces Growing Pains: "The question, then, is what people should expect of Wikipedia. As it grows and becomes a repository of 2 million entries from more and more contributors, more of whom are experts in their fields, it probably will be seen as on par with the Britannicas of the world. But first it must convince those experts to become involved, and that will likely mean finding a way to make them feel welcome.
'What could ensure its survival for a very long time is a system of governance that rewards participation,' said Shirky. 'That's the hallmark of long-standing communal institutions.'"
Fascinating case study -- I often find Wikipedia useful, but I'm always mindful, when reading entries, that "actual results may vary" depending on the topic...
'What could ensure its survival for a very long time is a system of governance that rewards participation,' said Shirky. 'That's the hallmark of long-standing communal institutions.'"
Fascinating case study -- I often find Wikipedia useful, but I'm always mindful, when reading entries, that "actual results may vary" depending on the topic...
Macworld '05: A New Direction?
Macworld '05: A New Direction?: "First, the word is that Apple will field a cheaper version of its hugely successful iPod digital-music player, one that uses lower-capacity flash memory to store songs, rather than a hard drive, as in current models. Even more worthy of note, many expect Apple to unveil a $500 Mac. Even without a monitor, that would be far more affordable than the $800 eMate machine sold mostly to schools or the $1,300 consumer iMac.
...
If Jobs wades into those cutthroat markets, it will likely say a lot about Apple's future. It could that that tomorrow's Mac addicts will look back on 2005 as the year Apple set out to conquer the mainstream -- or shot itself in the foot trying."
Okay, so:
1. Disk-less iPod
2. ProleMac
3. Some type of glitzy me-too on the consumer electronics front (Media Center clone)
...
If Jobs wades into those cutthroat markets, it will likely say a lot about Apple's future. It could that that tomorrow's Mac addicts will look back on 2005 as the year Apple set out to conquer the mainstream -- or shot itself in the foot trying."
Okay, so:
1. Disk-less iPod
2. ProleMac
3. Some type of glitzy me-too on the consumer electronics front (Media Center clone)
Cheaper iMac? Who Cares?
Cheaper iMac? Who Cares?: "With the largest International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) ever wrapping up yesterday, many in the tech press are turning their attention to this week's MacWorld, an annual event held in San Francisco that highlights the rabid nature of the Apple fan base. As usual, rumors are swirling around this year's MacWorld event, with many expecting a $500 iMac based on outdated PowerPC G4 processor technology. But anyone interested in such a device is missing the point: Apple conceded the PC market years ago and its line of Mac computers now constitute little more than a niche market. No, the news from MacWorld this year will be all about consumer electronics and what Apple can do anything to build on the success of the iPod before Microsoft's PlaysForSure cabal can crush it like a bug.
While Apple's historically secretive approach to new products has both served the company well and driven excitement for its trade shows, the company is going to have to do something particularly impressive to thwart the momentum now building for Microsoft's Windows Media-compatible digital media platforms. At the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas last week, an amazing array of companies were showing off software, online services, portable devices, set-top boxes, and other products that build on Microsoft's platforms. Apple, despite being a leading player in the MP3 market with its successful iPod, was not at the show. And the only products at CES that were even remotely Apple related were a few white iPod add-ons that got buried in a sea of Microsoft-compatible products."
$.07 (my standard bet) is that Apple will go for both of the above -- cheaper iMac and new consumer electronics.
While Apple's historically secretive approach to new products has both served the company well and driven excitement for its trade shows, the company is going to have to do something particularly impressive to thwart the momentum now building for Microsoft's Windows Media-compatible digital media platforms. At the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas last week, an amazing array of companies were showing off software, online services, portable devices, set-top boxes, and other products that build on Microsoft's platforms. Apple, despite being a leading player in the MP3 market with its successful iPod, was not at the show. And the only products at CES that were even remotely Apple related were a few white iPod add-ons that got buried in a sea of Microsoft-compatible products."
$.07 (my standard bet) is that Apple will go for both of the above -- cheaper iMac and new consumer electronics.
The New York Times > Technology > New Economy: Observers Wonder If Apple Plans Low-Cost Macintosh
The New York Times > Technology > New Economy: Observers Wonder If Apple Plans Low-Cost Macintosh: "If Mr. Jobs is now actually preparing to plunge into the Best Buy and Circuit City world of razor-thin consumer electronics margins, he would finally be paying heed to the industry pundits who have repeatedly claimed during the seven years since he returned to run Apple Computer that the company was doomed by its higher-priced computers.
The reasoning goes as follows: Having tricked the computer industry into believing that Apple was on the verge of becoming a digital music company on the strength of its wildly popular iPod music player, Mr. Jobs will suddenly reverse ground and begin selling a new iPod peripheral - a cheap Mac desktop - to the legions of PC owners who have eagerly purchased iPods but so far have failed to switch to the more costly Mac computer world.
...
So if Steve Jobs is really thinking differently on Jan. 11, it would make more sense that, instead of cost-cutting, he is counting on his proven ability to create new markets seemingly from whole cloth.
Having successfully connected the music world and the computer worlds with the iPod, Mr. Jobs may have his sights on extending Apple in other new directions - perhaps a high-priced set-top box - rather than looking backwards. He has worked his magic in Hollywood before and would have the credibility to strike an alliance that might permit Apple to deliver movies and video to some sort of elegant digital home server."
If nothing else, you have to admire Apple's ability to orchestrate the press...
The reasoning goes as follows: Having tricked the computer industry into believing that Apple was on the verge of becoming a digital music company on the strength of its wildly popular iPod music player, Mr. Jobs will suddenly reverse ground and begin selling a new iPod peripheral - a cheap Mac desktop - to the legions of PC owners who have eagerly purchased iPods but so far have failed to switch to the more costly Mac computer world.
...
So if Steve Jobs is really thinking differently on Jan. 11, it would make more sense that, instead of cost-cutting, he is counting on his proven ability to create new markets seemingly from whole cloth.
Having successfully connected the music world and the computer worlds with the iPod, Mr. Jobs may have his sights on extending Apple in other new directions - perhaps a high-priced set-top box - rather than looking backwards. He has worked his magic in Hollywood before and would have the credibility to strike an alliance that might permit Apple to deliver movies and video to some sort of elegant digital home server."
If nothing else, you have to admire Apple's ability to orchestrate the press...
WSJ.com - Comcast Plans Major Rollout Of Phone Service Over Cable
WSJ.com - Comcast Plans Major Rollout Of Phone Service Over Cable: "Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable-TV operator, is set to announce today an ambitious push into the phone business, a major escalation in the telecom wars that promises to pose one of the biggest challenges ever to the U.S.'s phone giants.
After two years of keeping Wall Street and the telecom industry guessing about his phone strategy, Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts will detail his plans at an investor conference in Phoenix.
'There is going to be a profound change in what a phone is in a home and we're going to be part of that process,' Mr. Roberts said in an interview.
Comcast plans to market an Internet-based phone service to 15 million homes by the end of 2005 and to practically all 40 million of the households that have access to its systems within 18 months. The company hopes to have eight million phone subscribers within five years, or 20% of the homes its cable lines pass by."
I've been using Comcast phone service for year -- no complaints.
After two years of keeping Wall Street and the telecom industry guessing about his phone strategy, Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts will detail his plans at an investor conference in Phoenix.
'There is going to be a profound change in what a phone is in a home and we're going to be part of that process,' Mr. Roberts said in an interview.
Comcast plans to market an Internet-based phone service to 15 million homes by the end of 2005 and to practically all 40 million of the households that have access to its systems within 18 months. The company hopes to have eight million phone subscribers within five years, or 20% of the homes its cable lines pass by."
I've been using Comcast phone service for year -- no complaints.
Boston.com / Business / Personal Technology / Microsoft jumps into spyware fight
Boston.com / Business / Personal Technology / Microsoft jumps into spyware fight: "While the lawyers debate, our computers groan under the burden of illicit code. At least we can fall back on software that offers to make our machines spyware-free. The newest of these programs comes from Microsoft Corp., which is only fair. When's the last time you heard of an Apple Macintosh or Linux computer attacked by spyware? Because Microsoft Windows makes it so easy for unauthorized users to install software, it's the softest of targets. Having gotten us into this mess, Microsoft is now riding to the rescue with a free program called Microsoft AntiSpyware. The beta test version is available at www.microsoft.com/athome/security.
...
Both programs agreed that the machine was infected with spyware. No matter how careful your Web-surfing habits, it's nearly impossible to avoid the stuff. That's why it pays to scan for spyware at least once a week, just as you should do with viruses. And since new spyware threats pop up almost daily, you've got to update your scanning software before each use.
Which program performed better? Microsoft's was not only faster -- 25 minutes for a full system scan, vs. 30 minutes for Ad-Aware -- it also identified threats that Ad-Aware never noticed."
...
Both programs agreed that the machine was infected with spyware. No matter how careful your Web-surfing habits, it's nearly impossible to avoid the stuff. That's why it pays to scan for spyware at least once a week, just as you should do with viruses. And since new spyware threats pop up almost daily, you've got to update your scanning software before each use.
Which program performed better? Microsoft's was not only faster -- 25 minutes for a full system scan, vs. 30 minutes for Ad-Aware -- it also identified threats that Ad-Aware never noticed."
Boston.com / Business / Personal Technology / Group aims to capitalize on Firefox success
Boston.com / Business / Personal Technology / Group aims to capitalize on Firefox success: "Mozilla, which recently introduced an e-mail program called Thunderbird, is working to combine it with the foundation's Sunbird calendar application in a project, code-named Lightning, that could compete with Microsoft Corp.'s ubiquitous Outlook program. Lightning's developers are planning their first general-user release for mid-2005.
At the same time, the Open Source Applications Foundation, headed by Lotus Development Corp. founder Mitchell Kapor, is moving forward on a next-generation e-mail/calendar program, code-named Chandler, designed to enhance computing collaboration by expressing more meaningful relationships between different categories of data. Chandler is targeting its 1.0 version for late this year or early next year.
...
''Competition and market choice are good for customers, and Microsoft welcomes it," said Microsoft group project manager Dan Leach, noting that Microsoft already vies with a bevy of competitors, from IBM Corp.'s Lotus Notes to Sun Microsystems Inc.'s OpenOffice, in the office productivity, mail, and calendar space. ''Customers continue to choose Microsoft Office because we focus, not on competitors, but on customers and delivering tools they need to be more productive in a seamless, consistent, interoperable environment."
...
Kapor said the Chandler project, which has taken longer than anticipated, is intended to be a more ambitious platform, combining e-mail, task management, data storage, and other free-floating features into a more intuitive system. A prerelease version, called 0.5, is scheduled for February. And Kapor clearly sees it a building block for an open source alternative to Microsoft.
''Let's just say you have an irresistible force and an immovable object," he said. ''The irresistible force is open source, and the immovable object is the Windows operating environment. I would expect there would be increasing collisions over the next decade.""
At the same time, the Open Source Applications Foundation, headed by Lotus Development Corp. founder Mitchell Kapor, is moving forward on a next-generation e-mail/calendar program, code-named Chandler, designed to enhance computing collaboration by expressing more meaningful relationships between different categories of data. Chandler is targeting its 1.0 version for late this year or early next year.
...
''Competition and market choice are good for customers, and Microsoft welcomes it," said Microsoft group project manager Dan Leach, noting that Microsoft already vies with a bevy of competitors, from IBM Corp.'s Lotus Notes to Sun Microsystems Inc.'s OpenOffice, in the office productivity, mail, and calendar space. ''Customers continue to choose Microsoft Office because we focus, not on competitors, but on customers and delivering tools they need to be more productive in a seamless, consistent, interoperable environment."
...
Kapor said the Chandler project, which has taken longer than anticipated, is intended to be a more ambitious platform, combining e-mail, task management, data storage, and other free-floating features into a more intuitive system. A prerelease version, called 0.5, is scheduled for February. And Kapor clearly sees it a building block for an open source alternative to Microsoft.
''Let's just say you have an irresistible force and an immovable object," he said. ''The irresistible force is open source, and the immovable object is the Windows operating environment. I would expect there would be increasing collisions over the next decade.""
Sunday, January 09, 2005
The New York Times > Technology > Young Cell Users Rack Up Debt, a Message at a Time
The New York Times > Technology > Young Cell Users Rack Up Debt, a Message at a Time: "In the last two years, text messages - which cell carriers generally limit to 160 characters - have become a rage among teenagers, who embrace the technology as yet another way to escape a boring class or stay in touch with friends.
But text-messaging, or texting for short, has a downside. It can be expensive. Although phone companies offer relatively inexpensive packages - like Verizon Wireless's $9.99 for 1,000 messages a month - industry experts say that carriers sometimes fail to draw customers' attention to the cost-saving deals, and that customers themselves, especially young people, often exceed the number of messages allowed. In those cases, sending a text message usually costs 10 cents; the cost of receiving one ranges from 2 to 10 cents."
This and similar pricing/usage discontinuities on the data side are major inhibitors to broader wireless beyond-phone usage. Very counterproductive for the service providers, especially given the infinitesimal marginal cost for supplying the services.
But text-messaging, or texting for short, has a downside. It can be expensive. Although phone companies offer relatively inexpensive packages - like Verizon Wireless's $9.99 for 1,000 messages a month - industry experts say that carriers sometimes fail to draw customers' attention to the cost-saving deals, and that customers themselves, especially young people, often exceed the number of messages allowed. In those cases, sending a text message usually costs 10 cents; the cost of receiving one ranges from 2 to 10 cents."
This and similar pricing/usage discontinuities on the data side are major inhibitors to broader wireless beyond-phone usage. Very counterproductive for the service providers, especially given the infinitesimal marginal cost for supplying the services.
Microsoft Executive Circle Webcast: Make Collaboration the Engine of Business Productivity (Jan 20)
Microsoft Executive Circle Webcast: Make Collaboration the Engine of Business Productivity (Jan 20) "The world of communication and collaboration is transforming. Join us for an overview of market trends and innovations in business productivity tools. We will cover the new standards-based communication and collaboration model and examine the latest offerings from Microsoft and IBM that take advantage of this new approach."
FYI I'm presenting this webcast -- it'll be an overview of enterprise communication/collaboration market dynamics.
FYI I'm presenting this webcast -- it'll be an overview of enterprise communication/collaboration market dynamics.
Scripting News: 1/8/2005: Dan Gillmor takes Bill Gates to task
Scripting News: 1/8/2005: Dan Gillmor takes Bill Gates to task: "Dan Gillmor takes Bill Gates to task for a 'howler' about neo-communists who want musicians to give their creative work away. As usual, I'm suspect of criticism of Gates. Would Dan criticize Kapor, Omidyar or O'Reilly, the three capitalists who sign his paycheck? Further, isn't it obvious that Gates is trying to show he's even more enthusiastic about protecting Hollywood's intellectual profits than good-guy untouchable (mostly) Steve Jobs?
...
And finally doesn't Dan have a bit of a conflict because he's paid for his creativity, unlike most musicians? To be really believable, wouldn't Dan have to forgo his salary? My purpose here is to frame some questions for the Credibility conference, below. If we're going to examine the integrity of bloggers, let's take a look at the pros too. (Assuming Dan is still a pro.)"
...
And finally doesn't Dan have a bit of a conflict because he's paid for his creativity, unlike most musicians? To be really believable, wouldn't Dan have to forgo his salary? My purpose here is to frame some questions for the Credibility conference, below. If we're going to examine the integrity of bloggers, let's take a look at the pros too. (Assuming Dan is still a pro.)"
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Wired News: We're Creative Commonists, Bill
Wired News: We're Creative Commonists, Bill: "The comments show just how out-of-touch Gates is with a large and growing community of people who have embraced the ideas of open source and building on one another's creative works, proponents of copyright reform say.
Creative Commons was formed to provide a more balanced alternative to those who want to protect their works, but share them under certain conditions. The group devised a series of flexible copyright licenses available for anyone, for free."
An example of the communist/commonist etc. debate -- hadn't seen this one when I composed the post below.
""And let's not forget just how many creative people's lives were ruined by irresponsible name-calling not too long ago. Remember the Hollywood blacklists?" he wrote."
Give me a break... I'm all for exploring Gene Roddenberry-style market models (e.g., the quasi-utopian macroeconomic models in Star Trek), but Gates made a perfectly reasonable comparison, for those looking at market system model differences and not just searching for melodramatic headline fodder.
Creative Commons was formed to provide a more balanced alternative to those who want to protect their works, but share them under certain conditions. The group devised a series of flexible copyright licenses available for anyone, for free."
An example of the communist/commonist etc. debate -- hadn't seen this one when I composed the post below.
""And let's not forget just how many creative people's lives were ruined by irresponsible name-calling not too long ago. Remember the Hollywood blacklists?" he wrote."
Give me a break... I'm all for exploring Gene Roddenberry-style market models (e.g., the quasi-utopian macroeconomic models in Star Trek), but Gates made a perfectly reasonable comparison, for those looking at market system model differences and not just searching for melodramatic headline fodder.
Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism: NY Times to Charge for Online Viewing?
Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism: NY Times to Charge for Online Viewing?: " '# Reuters: New York Times Mulls Charging Web Readers. According to the upcoming issue of BusinessWeek magazine, whose cover story focuses on The New York Times Co., an internal debate has been raging at the newspaper over whether its online edition, which had about 18.5 million unique monthly visitors as of November, should adopt a subscription fee.'
I'd probably pay. Then again, I've been paying for Web journalism for years, for such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Salon and Consumer Reports (I even paid for Slate when it was charging). Part of my motivation has been to support online journalism. But part has been the value I received.
Would you pay for the Times online?"
Yeah, I'd (reluctantly) pay, and have also paid for my wsj.com subscription since 1996 (and even have a limited-edition Slate umbrella, as a Slate charter subscriber...); it'd be disappointing in terms of ramifications for my blog, however -- I frequently link to NYT articles.
I'd probably pay. Then again, I've been paying for Web journalism for years, for such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Salon and Consumer Reports (I even paid for Slate when it was charging). Part of my motivation has been to support online journalism. But part has been the value I received.
Would you pay for the Times online?"
Yeah, I'd (reluctantly) pay, and have also paid for my wsj.com subscription since 1996 (and even have a limited-edition Slate umbrella, as a Slate charter subscriber...); it'd be disappointing in terms of ramifications for my blog, however -- I frequently link to NYT articles.
David Coursey: Give Bill A Break
David Coursey: Give Bill A Break "Bill Gates’ getting the dread “blue screen of death” during his keynote this week at the Consumer Electronics Show is more a comment on the hazards of live performances than it is on Microsoft products. Over the years, I have hosted a number of highly-produced events and the occasional crash is going to happen almost regardless of how much you prepare or rehearse.
...
Sure it’s embarrassing that Bill got a blue screen and it’s fun to say, “Well, if Bill Gates can’t keep his software running what hope is there for the rest of us?” But that’s just fun and I think anybody who goes onstage with a live demo of beta software will eventually have a crash. This time it was merely Bill’s turn."
I agree completely. BTW the people who are having a field day with Gates' use of the term "communist" during a CES interview last week might want to brush up on their history a bit; communism != Stalinism (nor "communism" as practiced today in, e.g., China or North Korea), and the founding tenets of communism do indeed have a lot in common with the free software movement.
Excerpt from ZDNet interview:
"[Q:] In recent years, there's been a lot of people clamoring to reform and restrict intellectual-property rights. It started out with just a few people, but now there are a bunch of advocates saying, "We've got to look at patents, we've got to look at copyrights." What's driving this, and do you think intellectual-property laws need to be reformed?
[Gates:] No, I'd say that of the world's economies, there's more that believe in intellectual property today than ever. There are fewer communists in the world today than there were. There are some new modern-day sort of communists who want to get rid of the incentive for musicians and moviemakers and software makers under various guises. They don't think that those incentives should exist."
...
Sure it’s embarrassing that Bill got a blue screen and it’s fun to say, “Well, if Bill Gates can’t keep his software running what hope is there for the rest of us?” But that’s just fun and I think anybody who goes onstage with a live demo of beta software will eventually have a crash. This time it was merely Bill’s turn."
I agree completely. BTW the people who are having a field day with Gates' use of the term "communist" during a CES interview last week might want to brush up on their history a bit; communism != Stalinism (nor "communism" as practiced today in, e.g., China or North Korea), and the founding tenets of communism do indeed have a lot in common with the free software movement.
Excerpt from ZDNet interview:
"[Q:] In recent years, there's been a lot of people clamoring to reform and restrict intellectual-property rights. It started out with just a few people, but now there are a bunch of advocates saying, "We've got to look at patents, we've got to look at copyrights." What's driving this, and do you think intellectual-property laws need to be reformed?
[Gates:] No, I'd say that of the world's economies, there's more that believe in intellectual property today than ever. There are fewer communists in the world today than there were. There are some new modern-day sort of communists who want to get rid of the incentive for musicians and moviemakers and software makers under various guises. They don't think that those incentives should exist."
Friday, January 07, 2005
BusinessWeek online: Gates Still Aims for TV Stardom
BusinessWeek online: Gates Still Aims for TV Stardom: "Yet for all its effort build a business in the living room, Microsoft hasn't made a dime there yet. The Xbox gaming console has been a financial sinkhole, with Redmond pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into developing the business. It also has registered no significant business from its set-top box efforts, despite more than a decade of trying.
TOUGH COMPANY. 'We've been investing in software for the TV probably for longer than we should have,' Gates said, acknowledging the shortfalls and added: 'It has been almost 12 years that we've been building on this.' So for all the flash of Gates's presentation, Microsoft appears unlikely to see financially meaningful business anytime soon.
What's more, Microsoft competes with tough rivals such as Sony (SNE ) and Apple (AAPL ) -- the former a longtime consumer powerhouse and the latter a pioneer in merging consumer electronics with traditional tech. 'It's just not clear if Microsoft's vision is the vision that will prevail,' says Goldman Sachs analyst Rick Sherlund.
Nonetheless, after a dozen years in the TV business, Microsoft and Gates are clearly not about to back away now. "
TOUGH COMPANY. 'We've been investing in software for the TV probably for longer than we should have,' Gates said, acknowledging the shortfalls and added: 'It has been almost 12 years that we've been building on this.' So for all the flash of Gates's presentation, Microsoft appears unlikely to see financially meaningful business anytime soon.
What's more, Microsoft competes with tough rivals such as Sony (SNE ) and Apple (AAPL ) -- the former a longtime consumer powerhouse and the latter a pioneer in merging consumer electronics with traditional tech. 'It's just not clear if Microsoft's vision is the vision that will prevail,' says Goldman Sachs analyst Rick Sherlund.
Nonetheless, after a dozen years in the TV business, Microsoft and Gates are clearly not about to back away now. "
Thinking Faster: Talking past each other
Thinking Faster: Talking past each other: "We are some of the most connected people on the planet. We talk, IM, email, voice mail, blog, WiKi and communicate in hundreds of short and long face to face conversations every day. It seems that all we do is communicate with each other. But I have to believe we talk a lot but we learn little, mostly due to two factors: we listen with filters and we don't even explore or ask some questions."
Timely reality check via Michael Sampson/Shared Spaces.
Timely reality check via Michael Sampson/Shared Spaces.
Bo Selections!: Groove Virtual Office is here to stay
Bo Selections!: Groove Virtual Office is here to stay: "Groove is a critical business tool, more valuable than email in my case. Thanks to Groove software I can efficiently manage and fullfil my two current jobs: one as an independent Groove consultant and the other running a small services company in Spain."
Useful real-world examples of how Groove is used.
Useful real-world examples of how Groove is used.
The New York Times > Technology > DirecTV Machine Will Compete With TiVo
The New York Times > Technology > DirecTV Machine Will Compete With TiVo: "The move ends an exclusive relationship between the companies that supplied TiVo with two million of its three million subscribers.
The satellite company hopes that many of its customers who now use machines with TiVo technology will switch to DirecTV's machine.
'We will still support our TiVo service, but our core marketing and sales efforts will be with our new DVR,' said Bob Marsocci, a DirecTV spokesman."
This helps to explain why TiVo is looking for new partners.
The satellite company hopes that many of its customers who now use machines with TiVo technology will switch to DirecTV's machine.
'We will still support our TiVo service, but our core marketing and sales efforts will be with our new DVR,' said Bob Marsocci, a DirecTV spokesman."
This helps to explain why TiVo is looking for new partners.
Welcome to Technology Review: Microsoft's Gates Touts 'Digital Lifestyle,' Despite Technical Bugs
Welcome to Technology Review: Microsoft's Gates Touts 'Digital Lifestyle,' Despite Technical Bugs: "But while promoting what he calls the 'digital lifestyle,' Gates showed how vulnerable all consumers -- even the world's richest man -- are to hardware and software bugs.
During a demonstration of digital photography with a soon-to-be-released Nikon camera, a Windows Media Center PC froze and wouldn't respond to Gates' pushing of the remote control. Later in the 90-minute presentation, a product manager demonstrated the ostensible user-friendliness of a video game expected to hit retail stores in April, Forza Motor Sport.
But instead of configuring a custom-designed race car, the computer monitor displayed the dreaded 'blue screen of death' and warned, 'out of system memory.'
The errors -- which came during what's usually an ode to Microsoft's dominance of the software industry and its increasing control of consumer electronics -- prompted the celebrity host, NBC comedian Conan O'Brien, to quip, 'Who's in charge of Microsoft, anyway?'"
During a demonstration of digital photography with a soon-to-be-released Nikon camera, a Windows Media Center PC froze and wouldn't respond to Gates' pushing of the remote control. Later in the 90-minute presentation, a product manager demonstrated the ostensible user-friendliness of a video game expected to hit retail stores in April, Forza Motor Sport.
But instead of configuring a custom-designed race car, the computer monitor displayed the dreaded 'blue screen of death' and warned, 'out of system memory.'
The errors -- which came during what's usually an ode to Microsoft's dominance of the software industry and its increasing control of consumer electronics -- prompted the celebrity host, NBC comedian Conan O'Brien, to quip, 'Who's in charge of Microsoft, anyway?'"
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism: Truth and Bill Gates
Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism: Truth and Bill Gates: "CNet's interview with Bill Gates has any number of howlers, but a couple of them stand out.
He claims, for example, that Internet Explorer is the best browser. Insulting people's intelligence is par for the course for Gates, but this one is beyond laughable.
More serious, and ugly, is Gates' attack on people who want to restore a modicum of balance to today's grossly tilted system of intellectual property. He snidely dismisses 'some new modern-day sort of communists who want to get rid of the incentive for musicians and moviemakers and software makers under various guises. They don't think that those incentives should exist.'"
I think Dan Gillmor should take a longer vacation before he starts his new gig; he needs to recalibrate his objectivity a bit, imho. If this is representative of "grassroots journalism," it may need a new name.
He claims, for example, that Internet Explorer is the best browser. Insulting people's intelligence is par for the course for Gates, but this one is beyond laughable.
More serious, and ugly, is Gates' attack on people who want to restore a modicum of balance to today's grossly tilted system of intellectual property. He snidely dismisses 'some new modern-day sort of communists who want to get rid of the incentive for musicians and moviemakers and software makers under various guises. They don't think that those incentives should exist.'"
I think Dan Gillmor should take a longer vacation before he starts his new gig; he needs to recalibrate his objectivity a bit, imho. If this is representative of "grassroots journalism," it may need a new name.
WSJ.com - Microsoft Offers Free Virus-Removal,Anti-Spyware Programs
WSJ.com - Microsoft Offers Free Virus-Removal,Anti-Spyware Programs: "Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), whose popular Windows software is a frequent target for Internet viruses, is offering a free security program to remove the most dangerous infections from computers.
The program, with monthly updates, is a step toward plans by Microsoft to sell full-blown antivirus software later this year.
Microsoft said that starting Thursday, consumers can download the new security program from the company's Web site - www.microsoft.com - and that updated versions will be offered automatically and free each month.
Also being offered is a free program to remove 'spyware,' a category of irritating programs that secretly monitor the activities of Internet users and can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads.
Microsoft said the virus-removal program will not prevent computer infections and was never intended to replace the need for traditional antivirus software, such as flagship products from McAfee Inc. (MFE) or Symantec Corp. (SYMC).
But a senior Microsoft executive confirmed the company's plans to sell its own antivirus software, which would compete against programs from McAfee, Symantec and others."
The program, with monthly updates, is a step toward plans by Microsoft to sell full-blown antivirus software later this year.
Microsoft said that starting Thursday, consumers can download the new security program from the company's Web site - www.microsoft.com - and that updated versions will be offered automatically and free each month.
Also being offered is a free program to remove 'spyware,' a category of irritating programs that secretly monitor the activities of Internet users and can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads.
Microsoft said the virus-removal program will not prevent computer infections and was never intended to replace the need for traditional antivirus software, such as flagship products from McAfee Inc. (MFE) or Symantec Corp. (SYMC).
But a senior Microsoft executive confirmed the company's plans to sell its own antivirus software, which would compete against programs from McAfee, Symantec and others."
BBC NEWS | Technology | ITunes user sues Apple over iPod
BBC NEWS | Technology | ITunes user sues Apple over iPod: "A user of Apple's iTunes music service is suing the firm saying it is unfair he can only use an iPod to play songs.
He says Apple is breaking anti-competition laws in refusing to let other music players work with the site."
He says Apple is breaking anti-competition laws in refusing to let other music players work with the site."
Gates taking a seat in your den | Newsmakers | CNET News.com
Gates taking a seat in your den | Newsmakers | CNET News.com: "What changes does this mean for Microsoft? Do you see yourself becoming, let's say, more of a seller of content?
Well, the most explosive piece of content this holiday season was 'Halo 2.' We sold 6.3 million copies, we've had 69 million hours of online game play. And so is Microsoft a content company? Well, I'd say 'Master and Commander' is good--people have talked about how the story made them cry--that's content, but it's also software.
The boundary there has always been a bit gray. Our main role is to provide the platforms and the tools, and simply partner with the content companies like MTV and let them do what they're good at. It's mainly in this interactive realm that we need to come in and do some complete content ourselves.
One of the big phenomena of the year has been blogging. Has the growth surprised you?
Well, actually I think the biggest blogging statistic I know, which really blew me away, is that we've got close to a million people setting up blogs (Web logs) with the Spaces capability that's connected up to Messenger.
Now, with blogs, you always have to be careful. The decay rate of "I started and I stopped" or "I started and nobody visited" is fairly high, but as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) has gotten more sophisticated and value-added search capabilities have come along, this thing is really maturing.
And we've done some things in Japan and Korea that are unique blog experiments. The Spaces thing is a worldwide effort. It's a great phenomena, and it's sort of built on e-mail, and so we need to integrate more blogging capability into the e-mail world--and as we do the next generation of Outlook, you'll see that. We need to integrate it more into our SharePoint, which is our collaboration Office platform, and then, as I discussed, MSN is embracing it so that instead of thinking about, "OK, I go to one community to do photos, one community to do social networking, one community to do this," we say, "Hey," off of Messenger, which has got your buddy list already, then, "Let's let you do the photos and the social networking and everything--but starting in an integrated way off of Messenger."
...
Apple is doing things the way Apple does--where it's the Apple hardware and the Apple store, that's great for them. We're doing it the Windows way, where you've got things like this Creative Zen Micro, which sold out this holiday season. This brings the photo capability in, and it's a very attractively priced device. So the variety story is an important one for us; it uses our rights management format and supports a subscription approach that we think can be a significant part of online music sales.
What do you think of Apple's success so far? I mean, they clearly have had a hit with the iPod.
Absolutely. They had a hit with the Apple II, they had a hit with the Macintosh, and they have a hit with the iPod, so this is a company that's had three hits, and that's very impressive. There are a lot of companies that don't have three hits. And in the same way that Macintosh helped get people exposed to the graphical user interface, the iPod is doing a great job getting people to think about digital music.
In the long run, there will be a lot of people making digital music players, and we think that there will be a very different market share with dozens and dozens of companies. And other than Apple, all those player makers are signing up to work inside the Windows PlaysForSure ecosystem. "
Well, the most explosive piece of content this holiday season was 'Halo 2.' We sold 6.3 million copies, we've had 69 million hours of online game play. And so is Microsoft a content company? Well, I'd say 'Master and Commander' is good--people have talked about how the story made them cry--that's content, but it's also software.
The boundary there has always been a bit gray. Our main role is to provide the platforms and the tools, and simply partner with the content companies like MTV and let them do what they're good at. It's mainly in this interactive realm that we need to come in and do some complete content ourselves.
One of the big phenomena of the year has been blogging. Has the growth surprised you?
Well, actually I think the biggest blogging statistic I know, which really blew me away, is that we've got close to a million people setting up blogs (Web logs) with the Spaces capability that's connected up to Messenger.
Now, with blogs, you always have to be careful. The decay rate of "I started and I stopped" or "I started and nobody visited" is fairly high, but as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) has gotten more sophisticated and value-added search capabilities have come along, this thing is really maturing.
And we've done some things in Japan and Korea that are unique blog experiments. The Spaces thing is a worldwide effort. It's a great phenomena, and it's sort of built on e-mail, and so we need to integrate more blogging capability into the e-mail world--and as we do the next generation of Outlook, you'll see that. We need to integrate it more into our SharePoint, which is our collaboration Office platform, and then, as I discussed, MSN is embracing it so that instead of thinking about, "OK, I go to one community to do photos, one community to do social networking, one community to do this," we say, "Hey," off of Messenger, which has got your buddy list already, then, "Let's let you do the photos and the social networking and everything--but starting in an integrated way off of Messenger."
...
Apple is doing things the way Apple does--where it's the Apple hardware and the Apple store, that's great for them. We're doing it the Windows way, where you've got things like this Creative Zen Micro, which sold out this holiday season. This brings the photo capability in, and it's a very attractively priced device. So the variety story is an important one for us; it uses our rights management format and supports a subscription approach that we think can be a significant part of online music sales.
What do you think of Apple's success so far? I mean, they clearly have had a hit with the iPod.
Absolutely. They had a hit with the Apple II, they had a hit with the Macintosh, and they have a hit with the iPod, so this is a company that's had three hits, and that's very impressive. There are a lot of companies that don't have three hits. And in the same way that Macintosh helped get people exposed to the graphical user interface, the iPod is doing a great job getting people to think about digital music.
In the long run, there will be a lot of people making digital music players, and we think that there will be a very different market share with dozens and dozens of companies. And other than Apple, all those player makers are signing up to work inside the Windows PlaysForSure ecosystem. "
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Gates pitches products at CES
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Gates pitches products at CES "In a historic moment for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivered his annual opening speech last night without the customary PowerPoint slides.
Instead, Gates opted for a talk-show-style presentation featuring actual host Conan O'Brien presenting a mock version of his own show, with Gates as the guest. For about 90 minutes, they gave the latest version of Microsoft's pitch for the "digital lifestyle."
O'Brien teased Gates — and other tech luminaries such as Jeff Bezos and Paul Allen — but the humor wasn't enough to disguise several embarrassing technical glitches that interrupted demonstrations of Windows Media Center software and a new Xbox game.
"OK, and right now nine people are being fired," O'Brien said as he and Gates waited for a slide show to appear.
The slides were of a fictional night of carousing the two had in Las Vegas. "I got too drunk, I woke up with a hooker," O'Brien said. "Bill got too drunk, he woke up with an Apple computer."
Instead, Gates opted for a talk-show-style presentation featuring actual host Conan O'Brien presenting a mock version of his own show, with Gates as the guest. For about 90 minutes, they gave the latest version of Microsoft's pitch for the "digital lifestyle."
O'Brien teased Gates — and other tech luminaries such as Jeff Bezos and Paul Allen — but the humor wasn't enough to disguise several embarrassing technical glitches that interrupted demonstrations of Windows Media Center software and a new Xbox game.
"OK, and right now nine people are being fired," O'Brien said as he and Gates waited for a slide show to appear.
The slides were of a fictional night of carousing the two had in Las Vegas. "I got too drunk, I woke up with a hooker," O'Brien said. "Bill got too drunk, he woke up with an Apple computer."
The New York Times > Technology > Breaking Free of Cable's Stranglehold
The New York Times > Technology > Breaking Free of Cable's Stranglehold: "TiVo is using this week's show to announce several moves to bypass cable systems, by using the Internet and personal computers as media for television delivery and viewing. 'Offering service through one of the primary cable platforms is not the best way to grow our business at this time, because the economics are not very attractive,' said Michael Ramsey, TiVo's chief executive. Instead, 'we have decided to embrace the PC as our friend.' As the various other consumer electronics companies here weigh whether to work with or end-run the cable systems, none of their options are entirely satisfactory."
I am cautiously optimistic that this trend will lead to more not-awful programming options; mainstream TV lately is a nearly complete wasteland, from what I've seen. No doubt there will be progress at the intersection of these trends and the podcasting model -- let me manage subscriptions based on personal preferences etc. and use my existing multi-channel (email, RSS, etc.) client to alert me of potentially relevant/useful TV++ programming.
I am cautiously optimistic that this trend will lead to more not-awful programming options; mainstream TV lately is a nearly complete wasteland, from what I've seen. No doubt there will be progress at the intersection of these trends and the podcasting model -- let me manage subscriptions based on personal preferences etc. and use my existing multi-channel (email, RSS, etc.) client to alert me of potentially relevant/useful TV++ programming.
CES 2005: Gates Promotes "Digital Entertainment Anywhere" Successes and New Initiatives
CES 2005: Gates Promotes "Digital Entertainment Anywhere" Successes and New Initiatives: "In the unexpected category, Gates revealed that Microsoft is working with TiVo on its TiVoToGo service, which will let Windows users access TiVo recorded TV shows on Windows-based PCs and notebooks. 'We want to make sure that Windows XP and Media Center users can easily access TiVo content and then copy it to Windows Mobile devices [including Pocket PCs and Smartphones and Portable Media Centers],' the representative told me. Here's how it works: The TiVoToGo Desktop software will act as an intermediary between the TiVo device and your Windows PC. Once you've logged on veryify your TiVo membership, the content can be freely moved from Windows Media Player 10 to portable devices or other PCs. When I expressed surprise that Microsoft was partnering with a company that was essentially a competitor, I was told that the company was 'building bridges with companies like TiVo. We're serious about 'Digital Entertainment Anywhere,'' the Microsoft representative noted. '[Your digital media content] should work no matter where you get it.'
MSN previewed a new service called MSN Video Download. While details are scarce--I wasn't able to find out pricing at press time--the service will let subscribers access video content, including news and sports, from Microsoft's many partners. Then, you can watch that content on a PC, Media Center PC, Media Center Extender, or copy it to a portable device, such as a Windows Powered Pocket PC or Smartphone, a Portable Media Center, or other similar PlaysForSure-compatible device. Speaking of partners, Microsoft will also announce many new services partners for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005's Onlight Spotlight, including Discovery Channel, Fox Sports, TitanTV, XM Satellite Radio, and Yahoo! Inc."
Meanwhile, HP introduces a bunch of Linux devices for the living room -- see HP Unveils Next Phase of its Digital Entertainment Strategy, a press release in which the words "Microsoft" and "Windows" are not to be found (also see the Carly quote about Linux here). I wonder how many HP-branded iPods have sold so far...
MSN previewed a new service called MSN Video Download. While details are scarce--I wasn't able to find out pricing at press time--the service will let subscribers access video content, including news and sports, from Microsoft's many partners. Then, you can watch that content on a PC, Media Center PC, Media Center Extender, or copy it to a portable device, such as a Windows Powered Pocket PC or Smartphone, a Portable Media Center, or other similar PlaysForSure-compatible device. Speaking of partners, Microsoft will also announce many new services partners for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005's Onlight Spotlight, including Discovery Channel, Fox Sports, TitanTV, XM Satellite Radio, and Yahoo! Inc."
Meanwhile, HP introduces a bunch of Linux devices for the living room -- see HP Unveils Next Phase of its Digital Entertainment Strategy, a press release in which the words "Microsoft" and "Windows" are not to be found (also see the Carly quote about Linux here). I wonder how many HP-branded iPods have sold so far...
Gates Showcases Technology Breakthroughs, Alliances and Market Momentum That Bring Microsoft's Digital Lifestyle Vision to Life
Gates Showcases Technology Breakthroughs, Alliances and Market Momentum That Bring Microsoft's Digital Lifestyle Vision to Life: Microsoft CES highlights:
"# An agreement with MTV Networks (MTVN) that will create new ways for consumers to access MTV content through a variety of digital entertainment products. As part of this agreement, MTV intends to launch a new PlaysForSure (TM) -compliant MTVN digital music service with portable subscription capabilities.
# New digital music and video devices that expand Microsoft's PlaysForSure logo program to more than 50 currently verified devices and seven online services, ranging from small, low-cost, flash-based players to full-featured hard-disk-based units and forthcoming network-connected high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and DVD players. Gates also announced that 90 million copies of Windows Media Player 10 have been downloaded since its launch in October.
# Continued momentum around interactive entertainment, with Media Center PC sales doubling year over year, surpassing 1.4 million units globally and growing by 40 percent in just three months
# An agreement with BellSouth Corp. to test next-generation TV services using Microsoft TV IPTV Edition
# Strong momentum for the Xbox system, with industry-leading sales for the 2004 holiday season, and expected sales of more than 20 million consoles by July 2005. The 'Halo 2' game generated $125 million in revenue in its first weekend of availability, surpassing the biggest opening weekend in box-office history, for 'Spiderman,' which generated just under $115 million.
# A new collaboration with TiVo Inc. that will enable TiVo subscribers to easily transfer their recorded TV content from a standalone TiVo Series 2 standalone digital video recorder to their Windows XP-based and Media Center PCs, Windows Mobile (TM) -based Portable Media Centers, Pocket PCs or Smartphones using new TiVoToGo software"
The TiVoToGo model makes Portable Media Center devices a lot more interesting, but I'm not thrilled with the prospect of kids watching MTV junk on their schoolbuses etc.
"# An agreement with MTV Networks (MTVN) that will create new ways for consumers to access MTV content through a variety of digital entertainment products. As part of this agreement, MTV intends to launch a new PlaysForSure (TM) -compliant MTVN digital music service with portable subscription capabilities.
# New digital music and video devices that expand Microsoft's PlaysForSure logo program to more than 50 currently verified devices and seven online services, ranging from small, low-cost, flash-based players to full-featured hard-disk-based units and forthcoming network-connected high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and DVD players. Gates also announced that 90 million copies of Windows Media Player 10 have been downloaded since its launch in October.
# Continued momentum around interactive entertainment, with Media Center PC sales doubling year over year, surpassing 1.4 million units globally and growing by 40 percent in just three months
# An agreement with BellSouth Corp. to test next-generation TV services using Microsoft TV IPTV Edition
# Strong momentum for the Xbox system, with industry-leading sales for the 2004 holiday season, and expected sales of more than 20 million consoles by July 2005. The 'Halo 2' game generated $125 million in revenue in its first weekend of availability, surpassing the biggest opening weekend in box-office history, for 'Spiderman,' which generated just under $115 million.
# A new collaboration with TiVo Inc. that will enable TiVo subscribers to easily transfer their recorded TV content from a standalone TiVo Series 2 standalone digital video recorder to their Windows XP-based and Media Center PCs, Windows Mobile (TM) -based Portable Media Centers, Pocket PCs or Smartphones using new TiVoToGo software"
The TiVoToGo model makes Portable Media Center devices a lot more interesting, but I'm not thrilled with the prospect of kids watching MTV junk on their schoolbuses etc.
WSJ.com - Personal Technology: New Version of Wi-Fi Expands Both Range And Speed of Networks
WSJ.com - Personal Technology: New Version of Wi-Fi Expands Both Range And Speed of Networks: "Several makers of Wi-Fi gear are expected to offer wireless routers -- base-station transmitters -- and matching add-on cards for laptops that sharply increase range and speed simultaneously. These products are based on a new technology called MIMO from Silicon Valley chip maker Airgo Networks.
MIMO -- which stands for Multiple Input, Multiple Output -- is likely to be the basis for the next major flavor of Wi-Fi, now under development, which goes by the technical name 802.11n. It's intended to replace the most common flavors used in homes today, which engineers call 802.11b and 802.11g. But MIMO is so good that makers are rushing it into the market even before the new standard is complete.
...
Also, these new MIMO products are backward compatible with older "b" and "g" equipment. So you can use the new Belkin base station with laptops that have older "b" and "g" Wi-Fi circuitry, or use the new Belkin laptop cards with older "b" and "g" base stations.
Belkin claims that when its pre-N base station and laptop card are used together, wireless coverage can increase up to 800% compared with "g" gear, and speed can increase up to 600%. And, in mixed setups with older Wi-Fi equipment, the company says range can increase up to 20%.
...
One downside to the Belkin Pre-N gear is that the complete setup works only on Windows. You can set up the base station with a Macintosh as your main computer, but there is no software yet to allow the receiver card to function in a Mac laptop."
Also see Linksys Announces New Line of Mimo-Based Wireless-G Products
MIMO -- which stands for Multiple Input, Multiple Output -- is likely to be the basis for the next major flavor of Wi-Fi, now under development, which goes by the technical name 802.11n. It's intended to replace the most common flavors used in homes today, which engineers call 802.11b and 802.11g. But MIMO is so good that makers are rushing it into the market even before the new standard is complete.
...
Also, these new MIMO products are backward compatible with older "b" and "g" equipment. So you can use the new Belkin base station with laptops that have older "b" and "g" Wi-Fi circuitry, or use the new Belkin laptop cards with older "b" and "g" base stations.
Belkin claims that when its pre-N base station and laptop card are used together, wireless coverage can increase up to 800% compared with "g" gear, and speed can increase up to 600%. And, in mixed setups with older Wi-Fi equipment, the company says range can increase up to 20%.
...
One downside to the Belkin Pre-N gear is that the complete setup works only on Windows. You can set up the base station with a Macintosh as your main computer, but there is no software yet to allow the receiver card to function in a Mac laptop."
Also see Linksys Announces New Line of Mimo-Based Wireless-G Products
WSJ.com - Microsoft Mulls Sony Partnership To Counter iPod's Success
WSJ.com - Microsoft Mulls Sony Partnership To Counter iPod's Success: "Microsoft Corp. has watched with envy as Apple Computer Inc. and its slick iPods have stolen the digital-music spotlight. Now the software titan is fighting back.
Microsoft is enlisting a raft of new allies for its growing ambitions in digital entertainment -- and even may pursue an alliance with another industry giant galled by Apple's runaway success: Sony Corp.
In a speech last night at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates outlined agreements with Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks, digital-video-recorder pioneer TiVo Inc., Yahoo Inc. and others to make more music and TV programming available through Microsoft Web sites and on devices using Microsoft software.
And in an interview earlier this week, Mr. Gates suggested that both Microsoft and Sony could benefit from a broad partnership in digital entertainment. Specifically, Mr. Gates said that both companies 'have a lot of incentive to work together' in digital-music 'infrastructure,' including online-music services and protection against improper music copying."
Makes a lot of sense, especially since Sony has killed its Palm OS-based PDAs (at least in North America) and is facing new competition with companies including Apple, Dell, HP, and others.
Microsoft is enlisting a raft of new allies for its growing ambitions in digital entertainment -- and even may pursue an alliance with another industry giant galled by Apple's runaway success: Sony Corp.
In a speech last night at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates outlined agreements with Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks, digital-video-recorder pioneer TiVo Inc., Yahoo Inc. and others to make more music and TV programming available through Microsoft Web sites and on devices using Microsoft software.
And in an interview earlier this week, Mr. Gates suggested that both Microsoft and Sony could benefit from a broad partnership in digital entertainment. Specifically, Mr. Gates said that both companies 'have a lot of incentive to work together' in digital-music 'infrastructure,' including online-music services and protection against improper music copying."
Makes a lot of sense, especially since Sony has killed its Palm OS-based PDAs (at least in North America) and is facing new competition with companies including Apple, Dell, HP, and others.
Om Malik on Broadband Six Apart to buy Live Journal
Om Malik on Broadband Six Apart to buy Live Journal "Folks have been predicting a big year for mergers and acquisitions in 2005, and we are starting the year with a bang. I have learnt exclusively that Six Apart, the parent company behind hosted blogging service TypePad, and Moveable Type is about to acquire Live Journal, for an undisclosed amount. The deal is a mix of stock and cash, and could be announced sometime later this month, according to those close to the two companies. If the deal goes through, then Six Apart will become one of the largest weblog companies in the world, with nearly 6.5 million users. It also gives the company a very fighting chance against Google’s Blogger and Microsoft’s MSN Spaces."
(Via Dave Winer and others)
(Via Dave Winer and others)
Welcome to Technology Review: Tuning in to Technology’s Past
Welcome to Technology Review: Tuning in to Technology’s Past "On a winter’s night in 1894, a 20-year-old Italian inventor named Guglielmo Marconi invited his mother into his attic workshop. Leading her to a table, he pressed a switch connected to an elaborate apparatus that produced a spark and a snapping sound. Instantly a bell sounded across the room. Marconi had linked the switch to the distant bell, but by sending a wireless signal through the air. The technology was primitive by modern standards but also strangely precocious. More than a century after the first “spark gap” transmitters crackled into life, wireless technology is returning to its roots. The latest ultrawideband wireless devices, which are just starting to appear on the market, have much in common with the very first transmitters. History is repeating itself."
Tom Standage's (author of the article) 1999 book The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-Line Pioneers is a great read.
Tom Standage's (author of the article) 1999 book The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-Line Pioneers is a great read.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
CRN | Breaking News | Cooper To Leave IBM Software
CRN | Breaking News | Cooper To Leave IBM Software: "Scott Cooper, who was part of IBM Software's channel marketing efforts, is leaving the company, industry sources said.
IBM confirmed that Cooper, vice president of worldwide channel marketing at IBM Software, is leaving, but the company hasn't announced the move. Cooper will join Nokia as vice president of Mobility Solutions, part of the company's Enterprise Solutions Business Group, a Nokia spokesman confirmed. Cooper couldn't be reached for comment."
Best wishes for your next adventure, Scott
IBM confirmed that Cooper, vice president of worldwide channel marketing at IBM Software, is leaving, but the company hasn't announced the move. Cooper will join Nokia as vice president of Mobility Solutions, part of the company's Enterprise Solutions Business Group, a Nokia spokesman confirmed. Cooper couldn't be reached for comment."
Best wishes for your next adventure, Scott
Vonage Phones in Hot WiFi Plans (washingtonpost.com)
Vonage Phones in Hot WiFi Plans (washingtonpost.com): "The New Jersey-based Vonage yesterday said it will offer its customers a portable WiFi phone 'that can make calls over the Internet at homes or at public WiFi hot spots. For Vonage subscribers, the phone could amount to a kind of limited-use cell phone that would cost nothing extra. Several smaller companies have introduced Wi-Fi phones in the USA at prices ranging from $130 to $750. But Vonage's move would mark the first mass-market rollout of the device at a lower price, probably around $100,' USA Today reported in advance on Monday. Vonage is touting its new product and other services at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas."
Pretty cool... I'm still a happy Vonage customer -- indeed, I'm about to switch to a more basic cell phone service plan since I now use Vonage so extensively, and since it works much better than my wireless service provider. (I had been using a $100/month unlimited wireless + US long distance plan from AT&T Wireless as my primary office line, but Vonage is unlimited US + Canada, works better, and costs a lot less...). I like almost everything about Vonage -- except their recent "People do stupid things" ads which are really stupid, imho...
In any case, the increasing virtualization of telephony continues -- I don't want a fixed relationship between my telephony identifier and a place, set of devices, or network service type; I want to be able to pick and choose as I see fit. E.g., I suspect Vonage will eventually add SIP identity support as well as traditional phone numbers, and I hope it will let me dynamically associate devices with identifiers..
Pretty cool... I'm still a happy Vonage customer -- indeed, I'm about to switch to a more basic cell phone service plan since I now use Vonage so extensively, and since it works much better than my wireless service provider. (I had been using a $100/month unlimited wireless + US long distance plan from AT&T Wireless as my primary office line, but Vonage is unlimited US + Canada, works better, and costs a lot less...). I like almost everything about Vonage -- except their recent "People do stupid things" ads which are really stupid, imho...
In any case, the increasing virtualization of telephony continues -- I don't want a fixed relationship between my telephony identifier and a place, set of devices, or network service type; I want to be able to pick and choose as I see fit. E.g., I suspect Vonage will eventually add SIP identity support as well as traditional phone numbers, and I hope it will let me dynamically associate devices with identifiers..
Tim Bray: UBL by the Numbers
Tim Bray: UBL by the Numbers "Via Jon Bosak, a pointer to this XML 2004 presentation (PowerPoint, sigh), about the Danish Government’s deployment of a bunch of XML technologies including UBL. Check out slides 4 & 5: they estimate the annual savings achievable from invoicing in UBL at somewhere between €100M and €160M. I may be out of step with the crowd but it seems painfully obvious to me that UBL is going to be huge and I don’t understand why more technology vendors (including my employer [Sun]) aren’t refocusing their e-business strategy around it."
I've seen very little interest in UBL -- from end customers or vendors.
I've seen very little interest in UBL -- from end customers or vendors.
The New York Times > Technology > Hewlett to Offer TV Media Hub
The New York Times > Technology > Hewlett to Offer TV Media Hub: "Hewlett-Packard will introduce a new device this fall meant to record and play back television as well as organize digital media, including photos, music and video, the company said yesterday.
Hewlett already offers similar devices based on Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition. The device, called the HP Media Hub, will be based on the Linux operating system.
Carleton S. Fiorina, the chief executive, said that by using Linux, rather than Windows, Hewlett can reduce the cost of the device, which has not been set, she said.
'The real motive is not the cost,' she added, but 'the ease of use and simplicity.'"
Hewlett already offers similar devices based on Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition. The device, called the HP Media Hub, will be based on the Linux operating system.
Carleton S. Fiorina, the chief executive, said that by using Linux, rather than Windows, Hewlett can reduce the cost of the device, which has not been set, she said.
'The real motive is not the cost,' she added, but 'the ease of use and simplicity.'"
WSJ.com - Wi-Fi Access to Be Offered in Cars
WSJ.com - Wi-Fi Access to Be Offered in Cars: "Road warriors may soon have a new weapon -- a fast Web connection in their cars via satellite.
RaySat Inc., a closely held company in Vienna, Va., says it has developed a satellite antenna that can turn a moving car into a rolling 'hot spot' -- with Internet access for any onboard laptop or pocket computer equipped with the wireless-networking technology known as Wi-Fi.
The company is not targeting a mass audience, at least at first. RaySat's antenna alone is expected to start at nearly $3,500 when it becomes available in the third quarter of this year. That's before any monthly service charges.
Nevertheless, RaySat expects to find a ready market for a satellite-based service among long-haul truckers, emergency personnel and other people who are frequently out of range of other wireless networks and are frustrated about it."
RaySat Inc., a closely held company in Vienna, Va., says it has developed a satellite antenna that can turn a moving car into a rolling 'hot spot' -- with Internet access for any onboard laptop or pocket computer equipped with the wireless-networking technology known as Wi-Fi.
The company is not targeting a mass audience, at least at first. RaySat's antenna alone is expected to start at nearly $3,500 when it becomes available in the third quarter of this year. That's before any monthly service charges.
Nevertheless, RaySat expects to find a ready market for a satellite-based service among long-haul truckers, emergency personnel and other people who are frequently out of range of other wireless networks and are frustrated about it."
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Paul Thurrott's Internet Nexus: With the Mac, Apple has lost its way
Paul Thurrott's Internet Nexus: With the Mac, Apple has lost its way: "So now we hear rumors about a potential headless iMac, a la the failed Mac G4 Cube, which I always thought was a cool idea, because of its appliance like design. However, the Cube was, of course, hugely overpriced, and it failed horrifically. I don't know if Apple is really planning a lower-cost iMac, but I hope so. Because otherwise, it's pretty clear that the company has abandoned the ideals that drove the original Mac team. What those people accomplished twenty years ago is both monumental and inspiring. I'd like to see those qualities reappear at Apple now and replace the needlessly over-designed [computer] products that so few people can afford and so few people want. Apple will likely succeed for a while as a high-end consumer electronics company, and that's great. But it's the Mac I'm concerned with here. Anyone else remember the Mac?"
Read the entire essay...
Read the entire essay...
Apple office software seems likely | CNET News.com
Apple office software seems likely | CNET News.com: "A small Macintosh software developer has renamed an application it had been calling iWork, lending credence to rumors that Apple plans to introduce office software of the same name.
...
Enthusiast site ThinkSecret reported last week that a product from Apple called iWork would include an updated version of Apple's presentation software, Keynote, and a new word processing program, which the site says will be called Pages. The site predicted Apple would unveil the product at next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Such a program would be an interesting move for Apple, which has for years kept its office software ambitions limited, counting instead on Microsoft to produce a Mac version of Microsoft Office."
Still a rumor, but it'd be pretty weird, if it's true; I can't imagine Apple will continue investing in Safari now that Firefox is available, for example, nor would it make sense for Apple to build its own suite instead of bootstrapping with OpenOffice.org.
...
Enthusiast site ThinkSecret reported last week that a product from Apple called iWork would include an updated version of Apple's presentation software, Keynote, and a new word processing program, which the site says will be called Pages. The site predicted Apple would unveil the product at next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Such a program would be an interesting move for Apple, which has for years kept its office software ambitions limited, counting instead on Microsoft to produce a Mac version of Microsoft Office."
Still a rumor, but it'd be pretty weird, if it's true; I can't imagine Apple will continue investing in Safari now that Firefox is available, for example, nor would it make sense for Apple to build its own suite instead of bootstrapping with OpenOffice.org.
Yahoo! News - Microsoft Looks Beyond UML
Yahoo! News - Microsoft Looks Beyond UML: "The December approval of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0 specification by the Object Management Group marked a milestone for software modeling, helping to recast the mainframe practice of analyzing and modeling applications before writing them. IBM is strongly behind the standard, but Microsoft has been coy, saying it will support UML as well as other 'domain-specific languages' in its upcoming Whitehorse modeling suite, set for release as part of Visual Studio .Net 2005. Other approaches are needed, Microsoft contends, because UML is too general for some applications. Defenders of UML-IBM, in particular-counter that support for domain-specific modeling is an important part of UML 2.0 and that Microsoft's approach will weaken the standard and potentially lead to modeling languages that can't communicate with each other."
WSJ.com - Online Shopping During Holiday Increased 25%
WSJ.com - Online Shopping During Holiday Increased 25%: "Consumers spent $23.2 billion online during the holiday season, up 25% from a year earlier, according to a survey.
Several factors drove the increase, including consumers' comfort level with shopping on the Internet, which continues to rise, said Heather Dougherty, a retail analyst at research firm Nielsen/NetRatings."
Several factors drove the increase, including consumers' comfort level with shopping on the Internet, which continues to rise, said Heather Dougherty, a retail analyst at research firm Nielsen/NetRatings."
Monday, January 03, 2005
InfoWorld: Year of the enterprise Wiki: December 30, 2004: By Jon Udell
InfoWorld: Year of the enterprise Wiki: December 30, 2004: By Jon Udell: "Ward Cunningman created the first Wiki site in 1995 to collaborate with a band of like-minded programmers on the elucidation of common software patterns. That work continues today at Microsoft (Profile, Products, Articles), where he works in the patterns and practices group. Meanwhile, the Wiki concept -- a Web site that every reader can also write and edit --has flourished beyond all expectations.
Flexible, direct, lightweight, and requiring only a Web browser to use, Wikis suit a wide range of applications. There are Wiki implementations for a dozen programming languages and content management systems. Wikipedia, the collaborative encyclo-pedia project that began in 2001, reached critical mass in 2004. Wikipedia milestones this year included the millionth article, the 30,000th contributor, and an explosion of press coverage."
More timely insights from Jon Udell. I also admire the use of "Infoworld screencasts" -- very powerful multimedia via Flash. Jon is apparently using the Blue Pacific tools for this; I hope to start capturing similar demos/interactions with Macromedia's new Captivate product. I'm also very impressed with JotSpot, the subject of the screencast/demo/discussion. Finally, note that Jon rates Groove 3.0: "Full-featured peer-to-peer app is still the leader in shared workspaces."
Flexible, direct, lightweight, and requiring only a Web browser to use, Wikis suit a wide range of applications. There are Wiki implementations for a dozen programming languages and content management systems. Wikipedia, the collaborative encyclo-pedia project that began in 2001, reached critical mass in 2004. Wikipedia milestones this year included the millionth article, the 30,000th contributor, and an explosion of press coverage."
More timely insights from Jon Udell. I also admire the use of "Infoworld screencasts" -- very powerful multimedia via Flash. Jon is apparently using the Blue Pacific tools for this; I hope to start capturing similar demos/interactions with Macromedia's new Captivate product. I'm also very impressed with JotSpot, the subject of the screencast/demo/discussion. Finally, note that Jon rates Groove 3.0: "Full-featured peer-to-peer app is still the leader in shared workspaces."
Adam Bosworth's Weblog: We all stand on the shoulders of giants
Adam Bosworth's Weblog: We all stand on the shoulders of giants: "Recently I pointed out that databases aren't evolving ideally for the needs of modern services and customers who which must support change and massive scale without downtime. This post was savaged by an odd alliance; the shrill invective of the Microsoft apparachiks perhaps sensing an opportunity to take the focus away from Ballmer's remorseless attack on all that is not Microsoft (but most especially on Open Source) and certain Open Source denizens themselves who see fit to attack Google for not 'giving back' enough apparently unaware that all software benefits in almost infinite measure from that which comes before. As usual the extremes find common ground in a position that ignores common sense, reason, and civility.
Many years ago, Eric Michelman and Brad Silverberg and Ken Ong and I built a product, Reflex, before Windows, but with a GUI front end for a PC. In order to build it, we had to build fonts and event managers and heap managers and graphical routines and so on. Later Windows/Mac came along and made all this unnecessary, but then we still had to build huge amounts of code in Access for database and indexing and and much more code for rendering within Windows, brushes and XOR and line drawing and manual bitblitting. Still later we built a browser and we helped to build shared relational databases. As these became a central theme in most applications, we realized that it was now possible for anyone to build Reflex with infinitely less work because the database work was done as was the rendering (the browser) and so one could focus purely on the other issues. This is the nature of science, of learning, of education, of engineering and of software. We all benefit from those who came before us. We benefit most when the knowledge is free and generally accessible., but we benefit either way. It would seem that these cacophonous critics, yammering about giving back and sweepingly ignoring the 100's of billions of times people use and appreciate what Google gives them for free every day from Search to Scholar to Blogger to gMail to Picasa, do not understand this basic fact."
I'm seeing a pattern here --
1. If it's an important technology, Adam Bosworth invented it a decade or more ago
2. If you disagree with Adam, you're a moron (or at least a "Microsoft apparachik [sic]")
Many years ago, Eric Michelman and Brad Silverberg and Ken Ong and I built a product, Reflex, before Windows, but with a GUI front end for a PC. In order to build it, we had to build fonts and event managers and heap managers and graphical routines and so on. Later Windows/Mac came along and made all this unnecessary, but then we still had to build huge amounts of code in Access for database and indexing and and much more code for rendering within Windows, brushes and XOR and line drawing and manual bitblitting. Still later we built a browser and we helped to build shared relational databases. As these became a central theme in most applications, we realized that it was now possible for anyone to build Reflex with infinitely less work because the database work was done as was the rendering (the browser) and so one could focus purely on the other issues. This is the nature of science, of learning, of education, of engineering and of software. We all benefit from those who came before us. We benefit most when the knowledge is free and generally accessible., but we benefit either way. It would seem that these cacophonous critics, yammering about giving back and sweepingly ignoring the 100's of billions of times people use and appreciate what Google gives them for free every day from Search to Scholar to Blogger to gMail to Picasa, do not understand this basic fact."
I'm seeing a pattern here --
1. If it's an important technology, Adam Bosworth invented it a decade or more ago
2. If you disagree with Adam, you're a moron (or at least a "Microsoft apparachik [sic]")
TiVo(R) Goes Mobile; Delivers Groundbreaking TiVoToGo(TM) Service Enhancement
TiVo(R) Goes Mobile; Delivers Groundbreaking TiVoToGo(TM) Service Enhancement: "TiVo announced today its new TiVoToGo(TM) service enhancement is now available and has begun to roll out the software update to standalone TiVo Series2(TM) boxes. The TiVoToGo service enhancement allows subscribers to transfer programs from their TiVo box to a laptop to enjoy their favorite shows anywhere, anytime. The TiVoToGo service enhancement is available at no extra charge as part of the TiVo service. TiVoToGo adds to a growing list of exclusive features found only on the TiVo service and not available on generic cable or satellite DVR. These include, Online Scheduling, Season Pass(TM) recordings, WishList(TM) searches, and home networked music and photos."
Boston.com / Business / Personal Technology / File-sorting software coming of age
Boston.com / Business / Personal Technology / File-sorting software coming of age: "These programs index your hard drive the way an Internet search engine indexes the Web, so you can find old e-mails or digital photos in seconds. A year ago, you could hardly lay hands on good file-sorting software. But in the past 12 months, at least five companies have introduced desktop search tools that are free for the downloading.
...
The most comprehensive and powerful desktop search tool comes from Copernic Technologies Inc., a Canadian firm with US headquarters in Newton. Copernic Desktop Search is even faster than Microsoft's, and with extra features that allow for ultra-granular searches. Say you want to search old e-mails by subject line and date. Now you can, but not with Google or Microsoft desktop search tools -- only with Copernic."
...
The most comprehensive and powerful desktop search tool comes from Copernic Technologies Inc., a Canadian firm with US headquarters in Newton. Copernic Desktop Search is even faster than Microsoft's, and with extra features that allow for ultra-granular searches. Say you want to search old e-mails by subject line and date. Now you can, but not with Google or Microsoft desktop search tools -- only with Copernic."
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Pew Internet & American Life Project: Blogosphere
Pew Internet & American Life Project: Blogosphere: "By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a key part of online culture. Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November established new contours for the blogosphere: 8 million American adults say they have created blogs; blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users; 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online; and 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs. Still, 62% of internet users do not know what a blog is."
Michael Crichton's State Of Fear
Michael Crichton's State Of Fear This is a very timely and important book -- highly recommended. It's not an exceptional novel, in terms of entertainment value, and some parts are both predictable and probably designed to be good screenplay material, but Crichton has once again encouraged his readers to think about key issues in a creative and engaging story. There's a lot of information and more than a little wisdom weaved into the book. Be sure to read the author's message at the end of the book, and to read and ponder the "Why Politicized Science is Dangerous" appendix.
The New York Times > Business > Your Money > Sunday Interview: New Year, New Scraps for Sun's Feisty Chief
The New York Times > Business > Your Money > Sunday Interview: New Year, New Scraps for Sun's Feisty Chief: "Q. Now that you've settled with Microsoft, how do you make sure that your collaboration with it won't lead to a blurring of the unique products and services of each company?
A. I always say that Sun and Microsoft shaking hands is a little like two boxers tapping gloves just before they beat the living daylights out of each other. And quite honestly, that really is where we are."
...
Q. Do you see anything in the industry that bothers you, besides the Microsoft- Intel partnership?
A. I find it interesting that I.B.M. won't port their enterprise WebShare applications to Solaris x86, yet every other enterprise application vendor has committed or is already there.
Q. Why do you think I.B.M. did that?
A. My theory is, all of a sudden, we have a stubbornness or a religion or maybe market power that says, "We don't have to do what the rest of the industry has to do" coming out of I.B.M., which is potentially as worrisome. When I talk to a lot of customers, they're as nervous about I.B.M. taking over too much of their shops as anything."
A. I always say that Sun and Microsoft shaking hands is a little like two boxers tapping gloves just before they beat the living daylights out of each other. And quite honestly, that really is where we are."
...
Q. Do you see anything in the industry that bothers you, besides the Microsoft- Intel partnership?
A. I find it interesting that I.B.M. won't port their enterprise WebShare applications to Solaris x86, yet every other enterprise application vendor has committed or is already there.
Q. Why do you think I.B.M. did that?
A. My theory is, all of a sudden, we have a stubbornness or a religion or maybe market power that says, "We don't have to do what the rest of the industry has to do" coming out of I.B.M., which is potentially as worrisome. When I talk to a lot of customers, they're as nervous about I.B.M. taking over too much of their shops as anything."
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