Behold: Sun, if it still has $3.5B cash, is now a negative-net-worth company (at $4.62/share, mkt cap = $3.43B). Low price for today so far was $4.51.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Read My Lips: Apple Is a Netbook Maker - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
I would be keen to have a larger form factor iPhone/iPod Touch-class device…
At the same time, he noted that the company already had a powerful entry in the category: the iPhone. (By that standard, Apple is already the dominant netbook manufacturer by orders of magnitude.)
Mr. Jobs also said the company “had some pretty interesting” ideas if the category continues to evolve.
That would seem to confirm findings by a search engine company that spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?
Read My Lips: Apple Is a Netbook Maker - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Inventor Kamen pitches tech for world's poor | Green Tech - CNET News
Read the full article
Segway inventor Dean Kamen on Monday detailed two of his design firm's latest projects aimed at the developing world--a water filtration machine and electricity generator that runs on cow dung.
Kamen gave a talk at the Lux Executive Summit here about science and innovation. But he had a clear ulterior motive: convince a room full of technologists to address the "chilling" need for more scientists and engineers to solve the world's worsening problems.
Inventor Kamen pitches tech for world's poor | Green Tech - CNET News
Why the iPhone is now Apple's most important product | Apple - CNET News
See the full article for more of the accounting details
The iPhone now accounts for 39 percent of Apple's business, having generated $4.6 billion in revenue on sales of 6.9 million units during the quarter. (Apple TV revenue is lumped in with that number, but let's be real: iPhone sales account for the vast, vast majority of that figure.) Those numbers, however, are not included as part of Apple's official quarterly results because of the way the company chooses to account for the sale of each iPhone; Apple reported just $806 million in iPhone and Apple TV revenue for its fourth quarter in accordance with GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles).
Why the iPhone is now Apple's most important product Apple - CNET News
Apple Tops Expectations as iPhone Use Spreads - NYTimes.com
Another impressive quarter for Apple
However, he [Jobs] did not mince words about the company’s progress in quickly becoming a dominant force in the cellphone industry, even against cellphone makers, like Research in Motion, that cater to corporations. “Apple outsold R.I.M. last quarter,” he said. “R.I.M. is a good company that makes good products and so it is surprising.”
[…]
Apple said it shipped 2.6 million Mac computers, representing 21 percent growth over the year-ago quarter when it shipped 2.2 million.
It sold 11 million iPods during the quarter, representing 8 percent growth over the year-ago quarter.
Apple said it ended the year with $25 billion in cash and no debt.
For its 2008 fiscal year, net income was $4.83 billion, or $5.36 a share, on revenue of $32.48 billion.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Arianna Huffington: The Internet and the Death of Rovian Politics
Interesting times; read the full post for more details.
Age has finally become an issue for John McCain. But the problem isn't the candidate's 72 years; it's the antediluvian approach of his campaign.
McCain is running a textbook Rovian race: fear-based, smear-based, anything goes. But it isn't working. The glitch in the well-oiled machine? The Internet.
"We are witnessing the end of Rovian politics," Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google told me. And YouTube, which Google bought in 2006 for $1.65 billion, is one of the causes of its demise.
Arianna Huffington: The Internet and the Death of Rovian Politics
JAVA: 4.70 -1.08 (-18.69%) - Sun Microsystems, Inc.
At this moment, if Jonathan Schwartz’s comment last week about cash-on-hand is still accurate, Sun Microsystems is worthless (i.e., mkt cap = cash on hand).
A Robot Network Seeks to Enlist Your Computer - NYTimes.com
A stark reality check
In a windowless room on Microsoft’s campus here, T. J. Campana, a cybercrime investigator, connects an unprotected computer running an early version of Windows XP to the Internet. In about 30 seconds the computer is “owned.”
An automated program lurking on the Internet has remotely taken over the PC and turned it into a “zombie.” That computer and other zombie machines are then assembled into systems called “botnets” — home and business PCs that are hooked together into a vast chain of cyber-robots that do the bidding of automated programs to send the majority of e-mail spam, to illegally seek financial information and to install malicious software on still more PCs.
[…]
Botnet attacks now come with their own antivirus software, permitting the programs to take over a computer and then effectively remove other malware competitors. Mr. Campana said the Microsoft investigators were amazed recently to find a botnet that turned on the Microsoft Windows Update feature after taking over a computer, to defend its host from an invasion of competing infections.
Alternative Energy Suddenly Faces Headwinds - NYTimes.com
Let’s hope the next president constructively addresses this challenge
Shares of alternative energy companies have fallen even more sharply than the rest of the stock market in recent months. The struggles of financial institutions are raising fears that investment capital for big renewable energy projects is likely to get tighter.
Advocates are concerned that if the prices for oil and gas keep falling, the incentive for utilities and consumers to buy expensive renewable energy will shrink. That is what happened in the 1980s when a decade of advances for alternative energy collapsed amid falling prices for conventional fuels.
Sun Microsystems Expects Quarterly Loss - NYTimes.com
More Sun snapshots
“Sun may be the harbinger of bad times in the hardware business, but their results haven’t been what could be called strong for a few years now,” said Dan Olds, an analyst with the Gabriel Consulting Group. “Their products are good and innovative, but there are no game changers.”
Sun competes against companies like I.B.M., Hewlett-Packard and Dell in the server business.
Last November, Sun performed a one-for-four reverse stock split that pushed shares above $20. Since that time, Sun’s stock has been battered, closing Monday at $5.78 a share in regular trading.
Sun Warns of Deep Loss, Charge for Big Mergers - WSJ.com
It’ll be interesting to see if Sun’s direct competitors make similar adjustments
Sun Microsystems Inc. warned of a deep quarterly loss and a possible charge for the diminished value of acquisitions, the latest sign of the economic slowdown's toll on the computer industry.
The Silicon Valley company sells server systems against rivals that include International Business Machines Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Amid the competition and an anemic economy, Sun has struggled to increase sales this year and announced plans to slash jobs.
Heard on the Street - WSJ.com: Google’s Cash Conundrum: Too Much
Hmm…
Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed Monday to The Wall Street Journal that the company is "thinking" about returning cash to shareholders. It's only a concept at this point, mind you: Mr. Schmidt ruled out a dividend and said no cash return was likely anytime soon.
Even so, it was a telling comment, indicating that despite Google's continued investment in a range of new business initiatives and infrastructure, the company's cash is piling up faster than it can be spent. On Sept. 30, Google had $14.4 billion in cash and marketable securities.
![[Chart]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vUugQBY0KPnBUeenKe96tdxGP-G3Q88rqIAW63k8TQ0Q31wI-owzYj6KstX21ygFKl94KuNOx3s1KAehr-ve4u-blGs4snnqQhbonJQAuynmn40zMRpB2ztrPAhQ4cspCzeWQZf4NvPFSPfEfpbHbp=s0-d)
Monday, October 20, 2008
US nuclear family also technology family (AFP) by AFP: Yahoo! Tech
See the full article for more details; also see “The Internet is No 21st-century Boob Tube” for another take on the results of the same survey
"Some analysts have worried that new technologies hurt family togetherness, but we see that technology allows for new kinds of connectedness built around cell phones and the Internet," said Tracy Kennedy of the University of Toronto, one of the authors of the [Pew] "Networked Families" report.
"Family members touch base with each other frequently with their cell phones, and they use those phones to coordinate family life on the fly during their busy lives," she said.
US nuclear family also technology family (AFP) by AFP: Yahoo! Tech
BBC NEWS | UK | Web content 'disturbing children'
See the full article for details
Three out of four children have seen images on the internet that disturbed them, an NSPCC poll suggests.
The charity is renewing its call for computer manufacturers and retailers to install security to stop children finding violent or sexual content.
Google Learns Lessons in the Ways of Washington - NYTimes.com
See the full article for details on yet another Microsoft/Google competitive front
Google is now extending its reach in Washington in ways big and small. Over the last few months, it has hired new outside counsel, former members of both the Clinton and current Bush administrations. It has also created Google policy fellowships, placing students in organizations like the Cato Institute that frequently research policies important to Google. And it sent executives, including Mr. Schmidt, to the Democratic and Republican national conventions to network with bureaucrats and politicians.
All this indicates that Google, despite some setbacks, is learning fast.
Google Learns Lessons in the Ways of Washington - NYTimes.com
Google CEO Backs Obama - WSJ.com
Interesting times…
Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt will hit the campaign trail this week on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, signaling Mr. Schmidt's push for a greater voice in politics while giving the Obama campaign a boost from a highly desirable constituency.
Although the Internet-search company has numerous issues pending on Capitol Hill, Mr. Schmidt said in an interview that "I'm doing this personally," adding that "Google is officially neutral" in the campaign.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Daniel Lyons: Why Is Jerry Yang Still In Charge? | Newsweek Daniel Lyons | Techtonic Shifts | Newsweek.com
The final paragraph of a stark reality check:
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently made an off-the-cuff, public comment that seemed to indicate to some he might still be interested in Yahoo. Yahoo shares jumped, but Microsoft quickly refuted Ballmer's statement. The blogosphere teems with speculation about grimmer possible outcomes for Yahoo, including Yahoo getting snapped up by a private-equity fund and sold off in pieces. Jerry Yang would have no one to blame but himself.
Enter Google's Android Software, on a Flawed Phone - BusinessWeek
Check the full review for details
In the software world, a "developers' release" is a preliminary, unfinished version of a program that lets engineers kick the tires and gauge its potential. Think of T-Mobile's new G1 phone as a kind of developers' release, a chance for ordinary customers to test Google's (GOOG) much trumpeted Android software for smartphones.
This iPhone (AAPL) wannabe is an intriguing but flawed effort—worth a look for early adopters but probably not what you want to carry as your everyday phone.
Enter Google's Android Software, on a Flawed Phone - BusinessWeek
Digital Domain - Why This Storm May Stay Away From Apple - NYTimes.com
See the full article for an assessment of the likelihood that people will still pay premium prices for premium products, in the near-term future
Mr. Jobs’s excitement about those new unibody aluminum cases may seem puzzling, but his interest in computer cases is a longstanding quirk. His Next Computer, introduced in 1988, was housed in a 12-inch cube of die-cast magnesium. Metallurgists were impressed; prospective buyers were not.
Digital Domain - Why This Storm May Stay Away From Apple - NYTimes.com
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Al-Qaeda Web Forums Abruptly Taken Offline - washingtonpost.com
Hmm…
Four of the five main online forums that al-Qaeda's media wing uses to distribute statements by Osama bin Laden and other extremists have been disabled since mid-September, monitors of the Web sites say.
The disappearance of the forums on Sept. 10 -- and al-Qaeda's apparent inability to restore them or create alternate online venues, as it has before -- has curbed the organization's dissemination of the words and images of its fugitive leaders.
Al-Qaeda Web Forums Abruptly Taken Offline - washingtonpost.com
Obama’s Ad Effort Swamps McCain and Nears Record - NYTimes.com
Whatever it takes…
Senator Barack Obama is days away from breaking the advertising spending record set by President Bush in the general election four years ago, having unleashed an advertising campaign of a scale and complexity unrivaled in the television era.
Later in the article:
The most recent analysis of the presidential advertisements by the University of Wisconsin, based on the period from Sept. 28 through Oct. 4, found that nearly 100 percent of Mr. McCain’s commercials included an attack on Mr. Obama and that 34 percent of Mr. Obama’s advertisements, which were more focused that week on promoting his agenda, included an attack on Mr. McCain.
Obama’s Ad Effort Swamps McCain and Nears Record - NYTimes.com
Friday, October 17, 2008
IRS computer systems faulted - The Boston Globe
Your tax dollars at work…
Two new IRS computer systems that will eventually cost taxpayers almost $2 billion are being put into service despite known security and privacy vulnerabilities, a Treasury watchdog said in a report yesterday.
The office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said Internal Revenue Service officials failed to ensure that identified weaknesses had been addressed before putting the new systems into use.
Surfing the Internet Boosts Aging Brains - Well Blog - NYTimes.com
Hmm…
Many people search the Internet for health information. Now new research suggests that the simple act of Googling may be good for your brain health.
Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have shown that searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings, to be published in the upcoming issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, suggest that searching the Web helps to stimulate and may even improve brain function.
Surfing the Internet Boosts Aging Brains - Well Blog - NYTimes.com
Reviewers greet new T-Mobile G1 with a rousing “Not bad” | Good Morning Silicon Valley
A timely snapshot; see the full article for a press round-up
The main thing to remember in all this is that the G1 has not made any hideous gaffes that would turn off customers and developers en masse and derail the Android bandwagon before it gets rolling. By all accounts, it’s a worthy first entrant in what will be a stream of Android-based devices, and you can bet other handset makers and carriers are tuned in to the flood of feedback.
Reviewers greet new T-Mobile G1 with a rousing “Not bad” Good Morning Silicon Valley
Microsoft Statement on Yahoo!: Statement from company on Yahoo!
I guess Yahoo’s stock will lose ~15% today…
Microsoft Corp. issued the following statement regarding Yahoo!:
“Our position hasn’t changed. Microsoft has no interest in acquiring Yahoo!; there are no discussions between the companies.”
Microsoft Statement on Yahoo!: Statement from company on Yahoo!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Extended Gmail outage hits Apps admins [Computerworld]
Not good for the SaaS wave… See the full article for more details.
A prolonged, ongoing Gmail outage has some Google Apps administrators pulling their hair out as their end users, including high-ranking executives, complain loudly while they wait for service to be restored.
At around 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Google Inc. announced in the official Google Apps discussion forum that the company was aware of a problem preventing Gmail users from logging into their accounts and that it expected a solution by 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Business & Technology | Google-powered G1 more solid than sexy, still a heartthrob | Seattle Times Newspaper
This analogy probably won’t please the Android team; on a related note, I don’t recall seeing a single Windows Mobile reference in the many G1 reviews I’ve seen this morning.
It's not really fair to constantly compare the first Google-powered phone, the T-Mobile G1, with the Apple iPhone.
That's like comparing a PC to a Mac.
But that PC-Mac comparison became more obvious during the week or so I tested the G1 in and around Seattle.
Microsoft to ditch MSN Groups? | The Social - CNET News
Hmm…
MSN Groups will be closing on February 21, 2009. It'll be replaced with a new service, Windows Live Groups, which debuts on November 17.
Here's the catch: The LiveSide post indicates MSN Groups will not be migrating to Windows Live Groups; the new Windows Live service will be different enough so that the transition wouldn't be a clean one. Instead, the LiveSide post says that existing MSN Groups will transition to community site Multiply--in other words, Multiply is effectively acquiring MSN Groups from Microsoft.
HTC Dream T-Mobile G1 (black) Smartphone reviews - CNET Reviews
Yet another Android review
The bottom line: While we're not in love with the design and would have liked some additional features, the real beauty of the T-Mobile G1 is the Google Android platform, as it has the potential to make smartphones more personal and powerful. That said, it's not quite there yet, so for now, the G1 is best suited for early adopters and gadget hounds, rather than consumers and business users.
HTC Dream T-Mobile G1 (black) Smartphone reviews - CNET Reviews
Obama makes play for crucial swing-state gamer vote | Good Morning Silicon Valley
See the full article for more details on this and McCain’s YouTube issues
Based on the games chosen (among them a couple of “Need for Speed” titles, “Madden 09,” “NBA Live 08,” and the presumed Palin stronghold of “NHL 09″), the ad blitz is apparently aimed at prying reckless drivers and sports fans age 18-34 off the couch long enough to get down to the polls. What’s more, the technology allows the ads to be targeted specifically to the 10 states that allow early voting, including battlegrounds like Ohio and Florida. “These ads will help us expand the reach of VoteforChange.com, so that more people can use this easy tool to find their early vote location and make sure their voice is heard,” said Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro. The cost of the buy was not disclosed.
Obama makes play for crucial swing-state gamer vote | Good Morning Silicon Valley
State of the Art - A Look at Google’s First Phone - NYTimes.com
Looks like the Android press NDA ended. See the full article for another perplexing assessment – lots of issues, but still somehow a net-positive take
So there’s your G1 report card: software, A-. Phone, B-. Network, C.
But get psyched. Although the ungainly T-Mobile G1 is the first Android phone, it won’t be the last; Android phones will soon come in all shapes and sizes, and on all kinds of networks.
With so many cooks, it’s unlikely that any of them will achieve the beauty, simplicity and design purity of the iPhone. And it’s certain that none of them will inspire the universe of accessories — car adapters, cases, speaker systems and so on — that makes the iPhone fun to own.
State of the Art - A Look at Google’s First Phone - NYTimes.com
Google Answers the iPhone | Walt Mossberg | Personal Technology | AllThingsD
See the full article for details (no WSJ subscription required)
In the exciting new category of modern hand-held computers — devices that fit in your pocket but are used more like a laptop than a traditional phone — there has so far been only one serious option. But that will all change on Oct. 22, when T-Mobile and Google bring out the G1, the first hand-held computer that’s in the same class as Apple’s iPhone.
Google Answers the iPhone | Walt Mossberg | Personal Technology | AllThingsD
Android unleashed - The Boston Globe
See the full review for more details
Locale works nicely, when you can get it to work. It's riddled with bugs, as are several Android programs. Apple would never have allowed such programs to crawl aboard its iPhones, but Android, like the Internet, takes pride in an amateur-hour approach to software development. That's not always a bad thing. I expect plenty of innovative programs in the years ahead for the G1, as well as upcoming Android phones from other manufacturers. But I also expect many programs won't work properly.
No surprise, really. Like every other real-life android, this one is an experiment. And it'll probably be a year or more until we know how it turns out.
Boston to get own social networking website - The Boston Globe
Sign of the times
Mayor Thomas M. Menino is launching a Facebook-like social networking website where people with roots in the city's corporate and academic communities can share ideas and information about promoting Boston's business climate.
The site, www.bostonworldpartnerships.com, will be unveiled today at City Hall and is scheduled to go live in November. It will include blogs, profiles of entrepreneurs and business leaders, chat networks, information about local events, and pages focused on everything from finance and investment to green living and clean energy. There is no cost to join the site.
Boston to get own social networking website - The Boston Globe
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Michael Sampson: Currents: "Hello, I'm a PC"
A timely reality check from Michael Sampson; see the full post, and skim the comments
I switched from Windows to Mac. I had used Windows as my main computing platform for 12 years, and was frankly fed up with its instability. Well, after 5 years on the Mac platform, today I switched back to Windows, and demoted my MacBook Pro to a lab machine. And I switched back for a very simple reason: Windows is better for business.
Microsoft Office is better. Support for scanning documents is better. Compatibility with mobile devices is better, eg, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry. Business card scanning is better (make that "possible"). Yadda, yadda, yadda. No more compromises and missed opportunities.
So ends the Apple love.
Obama opens up new campaign front: videogames (AFP) by AFP: Yahoo! Tech
Sign of the times…
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has opened up a new front in his battle with Republican John McCain for the White House: videogames.
The Obama campaign has placed advertisements for the candidate inside the online versions of some of the hottest-selling videogames in the United States.
Holly Rockwood, a spokeswoman for videogame giant Electronic Arts, told AFP the Obama campaign had purchased ads inside nine of EA's top titles.
Obama opens up new campaign front: videogames (AFP) by AFP: Yahoo! Tech
Business Technology : SAP's Big Freeze
Hmm…
SAP announced last week that its revenue for the quarter would fall short of its guidance due to a sudden drop in orders at the end of September. That sent the company into cost-cutting mode, as outlined in an email co-CEOs Henning Kagermann and Leo Apotheker sent to staff last week. A copy of the email was obtained by the Business Technology Blog.
The party line in the tech industry is that businesses will keep spending on tech because it makes them more efficient. This, in turn will help them survive the downturn. We’re not sure whether to file this under irony or hypocrisy, but SAP is – you guessed it – halting new spending on information technology. “We will review all planned investments in IT equipment, hardware, software, facilities, and company cars, as well as internal IT projects,” the co-CEOs wrote in the email. “Do not order any new equipment at this time.”
Apple cuts laptop price to $999 - The Boston Globe
This will be an interesting price elasticity test
Chief executive Steve Jobs cut the price on the current MacBook models to $999 yesterday at an event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. He also introduced an aluminum-clad version with a glass display that will sell for $1,299 and updated the MacBook Pro line with slimmer models.
The stock fell 5.6 percent. Investors may be concerned the price reduction won't be big enough to persuade consumers to buy amid the economic slump, said Piper Jaffray & Co. analyst Gene Munster.
BTW try to find the $999 model on this page (there's a Macbook White link that takes you to this page)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
McCain Fights for Right to Remix on YouTube - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Sign of the times…
Trevor Potter, the general counsel for the McCain-Palin campaign, sent a letter on Monday to Chad Hurley, the chief executive of YouTube, complaining that the video service, now owned by Google, has inappropriately removed McCain commercials from its site.
The commercials incorporated snippets of television news broadcasts. Using provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the news organizations demanded that the commercials be removed from YouTube because they violated the organizations’ copyrights.
McCain Fights for Right to Remix on YouTube - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Cisco CEO sees videoconferencing on planes within 18 months
Yeah, but why do you need to be on a plane, if you’re doing videoconferencing all of the time?…
"I want to be on a plane and have TelePresence in front of me," quipped Thomas Bittman, one of the Gartner analysts who interviewed Chambers onstage here.
"Well, the answer is, you are probably going to," said Chambers, who predicted that the arrival of Wi-Fi services and other types of Internet connections on planes will enable travelers to hook up devices to the Web — potentially moving in-flight Internet access well beyond mere entertainment options. Chambers said he sees such capabilities becoming available within 18 months or so.
Microsoft sticks with 'Windows 7' for next OS
For anyone else trying to figure out where the 7 came from – check out the Wikipedia article referenced in this Computerworld article
Some Windows watchers, however, questioned Nash's claim that Windows 7 would be the seventh iteration of the OS. The AeroXperience blog counted seven as of Windows Vista, and eight if the consumer-oriented Windows Millennium was included. However, only if kernel revisions are tallied, XP wasn't counted -- and Windows kernel was incremented to 7.0 for Windows 7 -- would that work, the blog argued.
According to the Windows timeline on Wikipedia, XP's kernel is tagged as 5.1, and Vista's as 6.0.
Business & Technology | Microsoft's failed Yahoo bid now looks like lucky miss | Seattle Times Newspaper
Interesting times…
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said he was disappointed Yahoo refused a takeover offer that went as high as $47.5 billion back in May. Now he looks lucky.
Yahoo closed Monday with a market value of $18.7 billion, so Ballmer's failure to seal the purchase saved the biggest software maker from a writedown that could have rivaled the industry's most vilified deals. Yahoo ended Monday at $13.49 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Ballmer "might be the luckiest guy in the software industry," said analyst Charles Di Bona at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York. "One of the guys here just looked at Yahoo's share price and said to me, 'Nice miss by Microsoft."'
An Elephant Backs Up Google’s Library - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Hmm – see the full article for more details
Google often says that it likes to take the long-term view of things. But Google’s idea of long term does not appear to be long enough for some librarians, who tend to equate long term with forever, at least when it comes to preserving books.
On Monday, a group of major libraries that are participating in Google’s Library Project, said they are working together to create what amounts to a publicly-accessible backup of the digital library that Google is creating. The project, which is called HathiTrust, includes libraries at 12 Midwestern universities like the University of Michigan, the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois, and the 11 libraries of the University of California system. (Hathi is Hindi for “elephant,” an animal that is said to never forget.)
An Elephant Backs Up Google’s Library - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Quicken Online is finally free | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone - CNET
Sign of the times
Intuit has finally dropped the subscription fee on Quicken Online, its Web-based financial software that competes with Mint, Geezeo, Buxfer, and Wesabe. The company is still selling, as completely separate products, software versions of Quicken.
When I last covered Quicken Online in December 2007, my biggest complaint was its price. In a market with free (and very good) competitors, there was just no reason to pay for Quicken Online. This is a smart move on Intuit's part. But while Intuit Online is a solid service, the online competitors keep getting better, too. It's unclear to me that Intuit's history will translate into market share in this competitive market.
Quicken Online is finally free | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone - CNET
Microsoft makes Windows 7 name final | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET News
Good strategy to stay away from the year suffix in the product name
For the first time in recent memory, Microsoft has chosen to stick with its code name for a final Windows release.
In a blog posting, general manager Mike Nash said that the next version of Windows will retain its Windows 7 code-name when it is released to the market--a date currently pegged as late 2009 or early 2010.
"Simply put, this is the seventh release of Windows, so therefore "Windows 7" just makes sense," Nash wrote.
Microsoft makes Windows 7 name final | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET News
Start-up developing new Web interaction paradigm | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone - CNET
A timely snapshot
In the midst of the financial meltdown and a contentious upcoming election, you might think the U.S. government and taxpayers are just funding wars, bank bailouts, and bridges to nowhere or somewhere. But this is the same government that funded the Internet way back when and is also funding the next generation of technologies that will make the current Internet seem like a Model-T.
Over the last several years, the U.S. government--via DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) grants--has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in PAL, an acronym for "Personalized Assistant that Learns." Smarter software and networks and augmenting human intelligence are useful in times of war and peace.
As part of the PAL project, more than $200 million of DARPA money has been poured into CALO (Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes) over the last five years. CALO has been run out of SRI International with the assistance of 25 research organizations and 400 researchers.
Start-up developing new Web interaction paradigm | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone - CNET
Microsoft Releases Silverlight 2, Already Reaching One in Four Consumers Worldwide
Impressive numbers; see the full press release for more details
Silverlight adoption continues to grow rapidly, with penetration in some countries approaching 50 percent and a growing ecosystem that includes more than 150 partners and tens of thousands of applications. During the 17 days of the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, NBCOlympics.com, powered by Silverlight, had more than 50 million unique visitors, resulting in 1.3 billion page views, 70 million video streams and 600 million minutes of video watched, increasing the average time on the site (from 3 minutes to 27 minutes) and Silverlight market penetration in the U.S. by more than 30 percent. Broadcasters in France (France Televisions SA), the Netherlands (NOS), Russia (Sportbox.ru) and Italy (RAI) also chose Silverlight to deliver Olympics coverage online. In addition, leading companies such as CBS College Sports, Blockbuster Inc., Hard Rock Cafe International Inc., Yahoo! Japan, AOL LLC, Toyota Motor Corp., HSN Inc. and Tencent Inc. are building their next-generation experiences using Silverlight.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mainstream News Outlets Start Linking to Other Sites - NYTimes.com
Times are changing… See the full article for more details
For years, newspapers, television station Web sites and magazines have hesitated about linking to outside Web sites because, the logic goes, they want to keep the users on their own site. More internal page views and longer time-spent-viewing can equate to larger advertising revenue for Web sites.
Mr. Karp argues that Google, the leading search engine, is a direct rebuttal to that logic. “It’s all about sending people away, and it does such a good job of it that people keep coming back for more,” he said.
Mainstream News Outlets Start Linking to Other Sites - NYTimes.com
Advertising - Newspapers’ Web Revenue Is Stalling - NYTimes.com
A stark reality check
Newspapers, already facing a grim economic forecast, are digesting another piece of bad news: the growth in online advertising they saw as their salvation has slowed to a crawl.
In the last few years, newspaper companies have been rapidly expanding their Web presence — adding blogs, photo slide shows and podcasts — in the belief that more features would bring more advertisers. But now, after 17 quarters of ballooning growth, online revenue at newspaper sites is falling. In the second quarter, it was down 2.4 percent compared with last year, to $777 million, according to the Newspaper Association of America. It was the only year-over-year drop since the group began measuring online revenue in 2003.
Advertising - Newspapers’ Web Revenue Is Stalling - NYTimes.com
Beyond WiFi: Connecting by light - The Boston Globe
Hmm…
"The technique used is to flash the light on and off, or modulate the light, to transmit data," Little said. The pulses are so rapid that they can be picked up by an electronic sensor, but not by the human eye. That allows the lamp to light a room and transmit information at the same time.
Nobody expects light-based networking to replace today's wireless radio systems, like the popular WiFi networking technology. But the BU system could use a fraction of the power of radio systems like WiFi networking. It would also offer greater privacy, because signals from a light-based network won't penetrate walls or doors, as WiFi signals do.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
RIM's Impressive BlackBerry Storm - BusinessWeek
Check the full review
The Storm is not an iPhone killer, nor is it intended to be. RIM's emphasis is on e-mail and business applications, and its products are designed to be managed by corporate technology departments. Like its predecessors, the new BlackBerry is aimed squarely at mobile executives. But the Storm incorporates much of the fresh thinking that characterizes the consumer-oriented iPhone. The key test will be whether business users who spend a lot of time on their keyboards will be willing to migrate to a touchscreen. Based on my brief experience, I think the Storm is an excellent alternative to traditional BlackBerrys.
Tech guru Tim O'Reilly challenges next generation to get serious - Los Angeles Times
A timely snapshot -- via Dave Farber
Silicon Valley insiders call it the O'Reilly Radar: Tim O'Reilly's uncanny ability to spot a technology revolution before it happens. But lately the entrepreneur, investor and book publisher has been busier trying to incite the next one.
He is urging young entrepreneurs and engineers to stop making some of the sillier software that lets Facebook users throw virtual sheep at their friends or download virtual beer on iPhones, and instead start making a real difference in the world.
Tech guru Tim O'Reilly challenges next generation to get serious - Los Angeles Times
Amid the Gloom, an E-Commerce War - NYTimes.com
A timely reality check
EBay’s recent problems have made Mr. Bezos and his team look like shrewd and patient stewards of the Amazon franchise. And Amazon’s second wind is making eBay lA ook as if it has missed one of the greatest opportunities in the Internet’s short history.
“EBay could have closed the door to Amazon back when Amazon was mostly just a platform to sell books and music,” said Scott Devitt, an analyst at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, the investment bank. “But what eBay did in those days was to take a very hands-off approach and let the marketplace control itself. And that ended up being the downfall of the business relative to others that have succeeded.”
Saturday, October 11, 2008
YouTube to Offer TV Shows With Ads Strewn Through - NYTimes.com
Back to the future – see the full article for some of the included shows
After months of experimenting with long-form video, YouTube said on Friday it would start offering full-length episodes of some television shows on its sprawling Web site.
The staggering growth of YouTube — five billion videos were viewed there in July — has come primarily from short videos that last only a few minutes. But Internet users are gradually becoming more comfortable watching longer videos online, prompting YouTube’s commitment to the format.
YouTube to Offer TV Shows With Ads Strewn Through - NYTimes.com
Friday, October 10, 2008
Update: Sun Microsystems: A Lesson in Failed Cosmetic Surgery - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
What a difference a day makes -- now the difference between Sun's cash on hand and market cap looks more like $0.08B...
Sun’s shares dropped close to 8 percent Thursday, closing at $5.21. The company now has a stock-market value of $3.9 billion and has close to $3.5 billion in cash, said chief executive Jonathan Schwartz in an interview Thursday after the market closed.
Update: Sun Microsystems: A Lesson in Failed Cosmetic Surgery - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Is SAP Data Warehouse Hunting? - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Hmm...
The German software maker SAP looks poised to follow major rivals Microsoft and Oracle by making a big splash in the tumultuous market for data warehouse technology, according to one analyst.
Patrick Walravens, an analyst at JMP Securities, has issued a series of research notes arguing that SAP will make an offer for Teradata, one of the leaders in the data warehouse market. Mr. Walravens’s latest evidence pointing to such a move stems from the expected departure of an SAP executive who had been running the company’s NetWeaver software line, which includes a data warehouse package.
Sun Microsystems: A Lesson in Failed Cosmetic Surgery - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Imagine if you will a very big "For Sale" sign...
Sun Microsystems, one of the world’s largest server and software makers, finds itself in an awkward position: It might soon have enough cash to buy all of its stock and go private.
Sun’s shares dropped close to 8 percent Thursday, closing at $5.21. The company now has a stock-market value of $3.9 billion and has close to $3.5 billion in cash, said chief executive Jonathan Schwartz in an interview Thursday after the market closed.
Sun Microsystems: A Lesson in Failed Cosmetic Surgery - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Apple Likely to Unveil New Laptops - WSJ.com
Some interesting Apple stats
If Apple unveils more affordable laptops as expected, it could give investors much needed confidence in the stock, which has recently fallen to levels few would have expected it to reach just a few months ago. The stock has shed about 25% since Sept. 26 on worries that slowdowns in the North American and European economies are finally beginning to affect even Apple.
Though Apple took the word computer out of its name, Macintosh computers are still crucial to the company's business. In the quarter ended in June, computer revenue grew 43% from the previous year to $3.6 billion. Notebook sales accounted for 61% of that, growing 42% from a year earlier.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
MySQL co-founder David Axmark leaving Sun
Check the full article for more potentially bad MySQL news for Sun
David Axmark, a co-founder and former lead engineer at MySQL AB, has resigned from Sun Microsystems Inc. a few weeks after another co-founder said he may also leave the company.
"I have thought about my role at Sun and decided that I am better off in smaller organizations," Axmark wrote in his resignation letter, according to a blog post on Tuesday from Kaj Arno, head of MySQL community relations.
Perfect Storm? RIM Unveils Touch-Based Blackberry
See the full post for more details
To date, all of RIM's Blackberry devices have been notable for two reasons: Seamless integration with corporate email servers and their surprisingly useful but tiny hardware keyboards. The Storm continues Blackberry's tradition of email excellence, but it dispenses with the keyboard, opting instead for a large, iPhone-like touch screen. But it goes Apple one better by fixing some of the deficiencies of the iPhone screen. For starters, the Storm screen is backed by a grid of springs, so every screen press can respond with tactile feedback.
[...]
From a usability perspective, the Storm offers a better Web browser, which can sense lighter and firmer presses on the screen, allowing it to differentiate between clicks and cursor movements. This isn't possible on the iPhone.
Yahoo Investors Seeking a Savior - WSJ.com
A stark reality check -- but I doubt another Microsoft offer would be anything close to that price level
In January, Microsoft offered a cash-and-stock deal initially valued at $44.6 billion, or $31 a share, for Yahoo and later whispered it would be willing to up that to $33 a share when Yahoo was asking for $37 a share. The initial offer was a 62% premium to where Yahoo shares were before the bid was announced.
At Tuesday's close of $13.76, the same premium would yield a bid of just $22.29 a share, or roughly $31 billion.
IBM Shows Solid Profit, Signaling a Bright Spot - WSJ.com
Positive business news -- very unusual lately...
International Business Machines Corp. reported better-than-expected earnings for its third quarter, although revenue growth slowed from previous quarters.
The earnings, released unexpectedly after the close of the New York Stock Exchange, gave the company's shares a boost in after-hours trading Wednesday evening after a dismal day of activity on Wall Street, and could provide support for a market that has been buffeted by the financial crisis and ebbing economic confidence.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Five Reasons To Start a Business Now | Big Think | BNET
Michael Fitzgerald accentuates the positive:
In response to my post Bad Times Are Good Times for Entrepreneurs, James Kwak has posted Crisis and Entrepreneurship, a comment on why he co-founded Guidewire Software right after the 9/11 attacks.
He gave five excellent reasons:
- Talented people were available;
- Rent, etc. was cheap;
- Private companies don’t suffer quarterly scrutiny;
- Dislocation in the economy creates opportunity;
- New companies aren’t expected to sell anything.
See the full post for more
Nation & World | Market losses take $2 trillion out of retirement savings | Seattle Times Newspaper
A stark snapshot...
The stock market's prolonged tumble has wiped out about $2 trillion in retirement savings over 15 months, a blow that could force workers to stay on the job longer than planned, tighten their wallets and possibly further stall an economy reliant on consumer spending, Congress' top budget analyst said Tuesday.
The Dow Jones industrial average has lost one-third of its value in a year, 1,400 points in the past five trading days alone.
Nation & World | Market losses take $2 trillion out of retirement savings | Seattle Times Newspaper
Verizon officially debuts RIM BlackBerry Storm | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET
It took a while, but it looks like RIM finally has a credible iPhone competitor -- see the full review for more details
We all knew it was approaching, but brace yourself, the storm has made landfall. Tuesday night, Research In Motion and Verizon Wireless officially introduced the first touch-screen BlackBerry to the world: the RIM BlackBerry Storm.
Also known by its code name, BlackBerry Thunder, the Storm features a touch-sensitive display that's unlike that on any other touch-screen smartphone available today, thanks to RIM's own twist (more on this below). There are plenty of other highlights as well, including dual-mode functionality, support for Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A, integrated GPS, BlackBerry OS 4.7, and more.
Verizon officially debuts RIM BlackBerry Storm | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET
Technology Review: 'Mail Goggles' might prevent e-mail regrets
Not a joke -- see the full article
If you're the kind of person who types tipsy and regrets it in the morning, Google's "Mail Goggles," a new test-phase feature in the free Gmail service, might save you some angst.
The Goggles can kick in late at night on weekends. The feature requires you to solve a few easy math problems in short order before hitting "send." If your logical thinking skills are intact, Google is betting you're sober enough to work out the repercussions of sending that screed you just drafted.
And if you can't multiply two times five, you'll probably thank Google in the morning.
Technology Review: 'Mail Goggles' might prevent e-mail regrets
Airline to Filter Internet Service - NYTimes.com
Sign of the times...
American Airlines said on Tuesday that it would filter an in-flight Internet service to block pornography sites after complaints from flight attendants and passengers.
American said it was working with a technology provider, Aircell, to allow filtering of its nascent Internet service.
Google Puts Tunes From YouTube a Click Away - NYTimes.com
Interesting times...
In its continuing effort to find a way to make money from its YouTube unit, Google introduced on Tuesday a type of e-commerce ad that YouTube users can click to buy digital goods from Apple’s iTunes or Amazon.com.
Under the new program, viewers of a video with a music track, for example, would be able to click on an icon to download that song from one of the two music stores.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
New Readers, Software Heat Up E-Book Market (NewsFactor) by NewsFactor: Yahoo! Tech
I'd like to have a larger form factor iPod touch for this usage scenario...
The battle over e-readers is heating up rapidly, thanks to new hardware entries from the world's two leading e-book manufacturers and the surprising popularity of e-book software on Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. Although the total number of e-books is still well short of a single Steven King press run, the next-generation devices point to a steadily maturing market for digital literature.
[...]
When it released the iPhone and the iPod touch, Apple did not set out to create an e-reader. But with the opening of its Apps Store, the devices have developed a growing number of e-reader fans. By most estimates, downloads of e-reader software vastly exceed the number of e-book readers sold by Amazon and Sony combined.
New Readers, Software Heat Up E-Book Market (NewsFactor) by NewsFactor: Yahoo! Tech
Portuguese bank offers "McCain/Obama" rate deal - Yahoo! News
Strange days indeed...
A Portuguese online bank unveiled a novel interest rate deal Monday by letting clients bet on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
Banco Best's customers will be awarded interest on their 60-day deposits on the basis of whether they bet correctly on the winner of the November 4 U.S. election between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, the bank said in a statement.
Portuguese bank offers "McCain/Obama" rate deal - Yahoo! News
Official Google Blog: The VP debate: Candidates, questions, and queries
An interesting snapshot -- check the full post for more details
If information is the currency of democracy, as Thomas Jefferson allegedly said, then during last Thursday's vice-presidential debate between Senator Biden and Governor Palin a lot of people used Google Search to get a bit wealthier, metaphorically speaking. Using Google Hot Trends, we can see some of the more interesting things that people were researching, and you can do the same to follow along yourself during tomorrow night's second presidential debate (9 PM ET). But first, here's what people were curious about during the VP match.
Official Google Blog: The VP debate: Candidates, questions, and queries
EBay Trims Its Work Force and Makes Acquisitions - NYTimes.com
Mighty morphing eBay; read the full article for more details
On Monday, eBay announced it would lay off 10 percent of its 16,000 workers, including 1,000 permanent employees, and pay $1.35 billion to acquire the Web payment firm Bill Me Later and the Danish classified advertising companies Den Bla Avis and BilBasen.
EBay, based in San Jose, Calif., said most of the layoffs would be in its core marketplace division, which has suffered from declining single-digit growth rates while online commerce has been growing at a double-digit clip.
EBay Trims Its Work Force and Makes Acquisitions - NYTimes.com
A.M.D. to Split Into Two Operations - NYTimes.com
Interesting times...
Advanced Micro Devices plans to announce Tuesday that it will split into two companies — one focused on designing microprocessors and the other on the costly business of manufacturing them — in a drastic effort to maintain its position as the only real rival to Intel.
In addition, the company said two Abu Dhabi investment firms would inject at least $6 billion into the two firms, mostly to finance a new chip factory that A.M.D. planned to build near Albany, N.Y., and to upgrade one of the company’s existing plants in Dresden, Germany.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Laptop stolen from McCain campaign in Missouri [Computerworld]
Hmm...
Republican campaigners in Missouri are beefing up security after a laptop containing "strategic information" was stolen from a campaign field office of presidential contender John McCain.
The theft occurred at a campaign office in Independence, Missouri, sometime between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to Tina Hervey, a spokeswoman with the Missouri Republican Party. When staffers showed up for work Wednesday, they found that someone had thrown a brick through the glass windows fronting the office, rifled through a bag and stolen a Dell laptop belonging to a regional campaigner.
IBM launches Bluehouse, a Facebook for business
SaaS communication/collaboration from IBM Lotus
IBM will today open the online door to a service that merges some of the best features of social networking with business collaboration tools.
A SaaS (software-as-a-service) product, Bluehouse is, for now, free during this public beta release. Once the testing ends sometime in the next few months, subscription pricing, which has not yet been detailed, will kick in.
Bluehouse combines a familiar pallet of collaboration tools, including IM (instant messaging), Web conferencing, document sharing, profiles, directory and tools to build business networking communities -- all delivered via a cloud platform.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
As Tech Slips, Sun Could Stumble - BusinessWeek
Check the full article for more details
Sun may be particularly vulnerable. Consolidation on Wall Street means fewer customers to go around, and the company is at a disadvantage if it has to compete in a price war against rivals like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and IBM (IBM). Although Sun has laid off 6,500 workers since Jonathan I. Schwartz became CEO two years ago, the computer maker still spends far more on research, development, and administrative costs as a percentage of sales than does HP or IBM. Schwartz has made bold moves, including giving away the company's software to spur server sales, but growth is sluggish. Sales fell last quarter and are expected to rise less than 2% through mid-2010. "Sun has excellent technology, but do they last as a stand-alone company?" asks analyst Sushil Wagle at J. & W. Seligman. "My gut tells me that at some point, they'll be part of something else."
The final paragraph:
Roger McNamee, a partner with the Silicon Valley private equity firm Elevation Partners, says the current market turmoil calls for unconventional thinking. Among other things, he says tech executives should ignore the wild swings of their company's stock prices and focus on their businesses: "Placating your shareholders for the next 90 days is a losers' game."
Nokia Aims to Be No. 1 on the Mobile Web - BusinessWeek
A timely snapshot; also see the related contender summary
Now, Nokia is striking back. The company is launching its first mass-market touchscreen phone this month. The 5800 will have a shape and screen similar to the iPhone, but its price will be about a third less than the Apple device. In addition, the Nokia phone will come with a year-long music service subscription that will let customers download and keep all the music they want from the four major record labels. Nokia plans a steady stream of touchscreen phones in the coming months, an effort aimed at overwhelming Apple and others with devices for different customer segments and price ranges in local markets around the world. "We're able to do this faster than anyone else," says Vanjoki. "We have a localizing machine that spans all countries."
HP Pavilion dv7-1130us 17" Widescreen Entertainment Laptop (circuitcity.com)
A semi-random snapshot/sign of the times:
The HP Pavilion dv7-1130us is a large laptop, with high-performance processing power and entertainment features to rival most desktops. This laptop is equipped to handle demanding applications as well as high-end graphics. This model has premium features including powerful dual-core processing, a DVD SuperMulti drive, built-in webcam and 64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium.
Dual-core 64-bit, 4 gig RAM, 64-bit Windows Vista, built-in webcam, 17" display... All for $679.99 (after rebates). Yow...
Saturday, October 04, 2008
I, Cringely . The Pulpit . Data Debasement | PBS
The final paragraphs of another thought-provoking Cringely essay:
To scale the Google search service, then, they figured that many large problems did not intrinsically require doing actions one at a time. But Google first had to free itself of the false dependencies. So they coined the term MapReduce and created both a set of operations and a way to store the data for those operations natively, all while preserving the natural independence that is inherent in each problem, building the whole mess atop the remarkable Google File System, which I'll cover some other day.
Google led the way but many other companies have followed suit, opening doors to a wide range of new ways of thinking about large-scale data manipulation. Suddenly there are different ways to store the data, new ways to write applications, and new places (thousands of cheap boxes) to run such applications.
What this does for Larry Ellison and his libido is a great question, because it looks like he's bought up most of the traditional database-centric software industry just in time for it to be declared obsolete.
I fundamentally disagree with the thesis of the full essay, primarily because it implicitly assumes DBMSs can't evolve (e.g., go hybrid traditional/massive memory), but it's still a timely snapshot.
Microsoft Promises New, Fluffier Version of Windows - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Hmm -- that would be Mr. Cutler of VMS and NT fame...
So what exactly is Windows Cloud? Well, Microsoft won’t budge on exact details just yet.
But Dave Cutler, one of the company’s top software engineers, has spent years working on a project code-named Red Dog that some suspect will serve as the underpinning for the new operating system. Mr. Cutler has a knack for developing sophisticated code, and he may have come up with an operating system tailored to this notion of distributing software across thousands of servers and letting customers tap into all that horsepower from their home or office computers.
Microsoft Promises New, Fluffier Version of Windows - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
SEC launches probe into phony Jobs heart attack report | News - Digital Media - CNET News
iAccountable?...
Some observers have speculated that someone may have posted the story to manipulate the stock market. A source close to the investigation said that CNN has attempted to contact the anonymous poster but hasn't received a reply. Martin declined to say what kind of information the SEC has requested.
In order to submit a story on iReport, a person need only submit an e-mail address. Martin said that it clearly says on the site that most stories are not edited, filtered, or vetted. Those stories that have been checked out are labeled "On CNN." This means that the cable network has verified the report and is using it on a CNN-branded TV show or Web site, she said. The Jobs heart attack story never got that label.
SEC launches probe into phony Jobs heart attack report | News - Digital Media - CNET News
Steve’s fine, but some of the investors needed CPR, redux | Good Morning Silicon Valley
A timely reality check; read the full post
We need, however, to get one thing clear: No matter how their sponsors spin it, iReport and its ilk are not citizen journalism. They are not journalism of any sort. They are unfiltered bulletin boards of rumor, gossip, speculation and unverified accounts, and they have a base-level credibility rating of zero. The practice of journalism has well established principles involving accuracy, thoroughness, fairness and accountability, and well established practices involving vetting stories through layers of trained skeptics. When journalists fail to meet these standards, the price is paid in credibility. A site like iReport, with its open invitation to “tell the stories we’re not used to seeing,” is an outlet for citizen participation, not a venue for citizen journalism, despite the CNN logo. All it takes to be a “reporter” is an anonymous log-in. We may never know if “johntw” was simply a misinformed naif with a hair-trigger for rumor, a greedy trader making a crude attempt to move the market, or a bored griefer getting his jollies by watching everyone scuttle about like startled cockroaches. Unless there’s something the SEC decides to look into, he pays no price because, unlike a journalist, he has no concerns about credibility.
Steve’s fine, but some of the investors needed CPR, redux | Good Morning Silicon Valley
Friday, October 03, 2008
Book Review - 'Hot, Flat, and Crowded,' by Thomas L. Friedman - Review - NYTimes.com
Required reading, imho; read the full review and then buy the book
The environmental movement reserves a hallowed place for those books or films that have stirred people from their slumber and awoken them to the fragility of the planet: Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” Bill McKibben’s “End of Nature” and, most recently, Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Thomas L. Friedman’s new book, “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” may lack the soaring, elegiac qualities of those others. But it conceivably just might goad America’s wealthiest to face the threat of climate change and do something about it.
Book Review - 'Hot, Flat, and Crowded,' by Thomas L. Friedman - Review - NYTimes.com
Google Boasts of Its Energy-Efficient Data Centers - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Yet another front in the Google/Microsoft war -- trying to out-green each other
Google has always considered these data centers among its most prized crown jewels and has gone to great lengths to protect information about them — their design, operation, energy use and even their location — as a corporate secret.
So it came a bit as a surprise to industry watchers when on Wednesday Google boasted that its data centers were perhaps the most efficient in the industry. The company also unveiled a Web site where it reveals some of the secrets behind its efficiency.
Google Boasts of Its Energy-Efficient Data Centers - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Microsoft Xbox 360 outsells PS3 in Japan in Sept (Reuters) by Reuters: Yahoo! Tech
Hmm...
Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 in Japan in September, beating the rival machine in monthly unit sales for the first time in Sony's home market, a game magazine publisher said.
Strong sales growth came after Microsoft cut prices for its game console last month.
Microsoft sold 53,547 units of the Xbox 360 in the four weeks to September 28, compared with 33,071 units of the PS3, data from Enterbrain showed on Friday.
Nintendo Co Ltd safely maintained its leading position in the Japanese console market, having sold 109,548 units of the Wii during the month.
Microsoft Xbox 360 outsells PS3 in Japan in Sept (Reuters) by Reuters: Yahoo! Tech
New Sony Reader has light, note-taking stylus - Boston.com
If at first you don't succeed, ...
Sony Corp. unveiled a new e-book reader Thursday with a built-in light and a touch-sensitive display, features that set it apart from Amazon.com Inc.'s competing Kindle reader.
The PRS-700 is Sony's third model of the Reader, and will go on sale at the end of the month for about $400. It represents further experimentation on the part of manufacturers trying to find the right formula to make e-book readers more than a niche product. Neither Sony nor Amazon have revealed sales figures for their readers.
BBC NEWS | Technology | Obama uses iPhone to win support
I've been very impressed with the Obama campaign's PC browser-based apps as well.
US Democratic candidate Barack Obama is set to turn the iPhone into a political recruiting tool with an application aimed at getting the vote out.
The software has a "Call Friends" option to help organise contacts in swing states.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Skype President Addresses Chinese Privacy Breach - Skype Blogs
See the full post for details from Skype's president
We also learned yesterday about the existence of a security breach that made it possible for people to gain access to those stored messages on TOM's servers. We were very concerned to learn about both issues and after we urgently addressed this situation with TOM, they fixed the security breach. In addition, we are currently addressing the wider issue of the uploading and storage of certain messages with TOM.
It's important to remind everybody that the issues highlighted in yesterday's Information Warfare Monitor / ONI Asia report refer only to communications in which one or more parties are using TOM software to conduct instant messaging. It does not affect communications where all parties are using standard Skype software. Skype-to-Skype communications are, and always have been, completely secure and private.
Skype President Addresses Chinese Privacy Breach - Skype Blogs
Real Dan Lyons Web Site » Blog Archive World’s biggest energy hog wants taxpayers to spend trillions so it can have cheaper electricity «
Classic post-FSJ post -- see the full post for more
Google, outed last year by Harpers as “an energy glutton that is only growing hungrier,” wants the U.S. to invest $4.5 trillion to get off fossil fuels and onto new fuels which would ultimately lower the cost of electricity so that Google could make more money. Squirrel Boy doesn’t come right out and say that, however, because, um, I guess the idea of a wildly profitable $20 billion energy hog demanding that taxpayers solve its energy cost problems might come off as, well, evil.
Nokia to take on Apple in music, touch-screen phones | Reuters
Hmm...
The world's top mobile phone maker Nokia will launch its free music package on Thursday, which analysts see posing a serious threat to Apple's dominance in the digital music business.
Nokia is expected to unveil more details on its "Comes with Music" package later on Thursday at an analyst and media event in London. The Finnish company will also launch its first touch-screen phone, to rival Apple's popular iPhone, sources have told Reuters.
Nokia to take on Apple in music, touch-screen phones | Reuters
Zune Raises the Crimson Omen; Declare Your Loyalty to Delta Squad With a 120GB Zune “Gears of War 2” Special Edition
Sign of the times...
In celebration of the sequel to one of the best-selling Xbox franchises of all time, Xbox and Epic Games Inc. have collaborated with Zune to create this unique portable media player. The Zune “Gears of War 2” Special Edition is based on the new Zune 120GB device and features a laser-etched Crimson Omen on the new gloss black enclosure, collectible “Gears of War” packaging, and 244 pieces of “Gears of War” media including the original game soundtrack, behind-the-scenes videos, game trailers and concept art galleries.
“This special edition Zune is a great way for ‘Gears of War’ fans to carry around all their music and videos while sharing their enthusiasm for the game,” said Michael Capps, president of Epic Games.
Huge System for Web Surveillance Discovered in China - NYTimes.com
More on the latest Skype controversy
The Citizen Lab researchers issued a report on Wednesday, which details an analysis of data on the servers. “We were able to download millions of messages that identify users,” said Ronald J. Deibert, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “This is the worst nightmares of the conspiracy theorists around surveillance coming true. It’s ‘X-Files’ without the aliens.”
Jennifer Caukin, an eBay spokeswoman, said, “The security and privacy of our users is very important to Skype.” But the company spoke to the accessibility of the messages, not their monitoring. “The security breach does not affect Skype’s core technology or functionality,” she said. “It exists within an administrative layer on Tom Online servers. We have expressed our concern to Tom Online about the security issue and they have informed us that a fix to the problem will be completed within 24 hours.” EBay had no comment on the monitoring.
Huge System for Web Surveillance Discovered in China - NYTimes.com
Google Unveils Plan to Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuels - WSJ.com
Interesting times
The proposal is based on the U.S. halting the generation of electricity from coal and oil by 2030 and relying on power from wind, nuclear and geothermal sources instead. It also entails cutting oil use for cars by 40%.
While requiring $4.4 trillion in expenditures, Google estimates that the plan would return a net savings of $1.0 trillion over its 22-year duration and create many new jobs. Work on the report was led by Jeffery Greenblatt, climate and energy technology manager for Google.org, the company's nonprofit arm.
"With a new Administration and Congress -- and multiple energy-related imperatives -- this is an opportune, perhaps unprecedented, moment to move from plan to action," states the report, which the company made available via a link off the company's corporate blog.
Google Unveils Plan to Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuels - WSJ.com
Evidence Suggests China's Skype Is Monitoring Internet Messages - WSJ.com
Hmm...
A group of Canadian researchers said they found evidence suggesting that a Skype joint venture in China is monitoring its users' Internet text chats and storing messages that contain politically sensitive content on publicly-accessible servers.
In a report published Wednesday, the researchers allege that the monitoring-and-storage program led to the disclosure of millions of records containing personal information of users of the Chinese service, as well as who participated in voice calls using the service. It said the data was stored on eight servers operated by the service, which is a joint venture between Skype, a unit of eBay Inc., and TOM Online, a unit of Hong Kong-based TOM Group Ltd.
Evidence Suggests China's Skype Is Monitoring Internet Messages - WSJ.com
One Way to Turn a Mac Into a PC Just Got Better | Walt Mossberg | Personal Technology | AllThingsD
I'm a Mac; I'm a PC; no wait, I'm both... (no wsj.com subscription required for the full review)
But Fusion has some other features Parallels lacks. For example, it allows you to automatically take those protective snapshots at timed intervals. It also permits you to completely customize keyboard commands so that the same common key combinations work in both Windows and Mac programs. It allows the faux Windows machine to take full advantage of multiple monitors, if you have them.
Fusion also uses a more modern and capable version of the proprietary 3-D graphics system in Windows, called DirectX. That means some Windows-only games and other programs that won’t work in Parallels will work in Fusion. I successfully tested two such programs, both from Microsoft: Worldwide Telescope and Photosynth.
One Way to Turn a Mac Into a PC Just Got Better | Walt Mossberg | Personal Technology | AllThingsD
IPOs slow to lowest in decade - The Boston Globe
A chill for Bubble 2.0
As the financial crisis deepens, venture capital firms that bankroll high-tech and life sciences start-ups are experiencing the slowest market in a decade for recouping their investments.
Just one venture-backed company went public in the third quarter nationally, and none in New England, long a US venture capital hub, according to figures released yesterday by the Thomson Reuters research firm and the National Venture Capital Association.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Microsoft forced to go on the offensive (Seattle PI)
Having worked for P&G a couple decades ago, and understanding the culture there, I would have been shocked to see it go with a broad deployment of Google Apps
Microsoft Corp.'s operations chief took it personally when one of the company's biggest accounts was threatened by Google Inc.
Hundreds of workers at Procter & Gamble Co. were testing Google's e-mail, word processing and spreadsheet programs as potential replacements for Microsoft products. It would have been an unprecedented loss. So Kevin Turner flew to Cincinnati in July, spent a day wooing P&G Chief Information Officer Filippo Passerini and left with a bigger three-year contract.
Redmond Developer News | Can Chrome Lure Developers?
A timely reality check -- read the full article for more Chrome developer-oriented details
Silverberg says if anything is going to hold back Google's platform ambitions, it's Google itself. "I know a bunch of ex-Microsoft folks who went to Google with the idea of building a platform, but most have left by now, saying Google just doesn't have platform DNA," he explains.
"They left [Microsoft] because they believed in the Internet and they didn't think Microsoft would ever really get the Internet," he adds. "They saw Google got the Internet but didn't get the platform. These were all super-star kinds of people-the exact people I would hire if I wanted to build a platform, and especially if I were running Google. But many of them have left Google, frustrated with the lack of platform DNA, commitment and an overly consensus-oriented decision-making process."
Google + Rise to Power + Audacious - BusinessWeek
Another review of the new Randall Stross Google book -- an excerpt from the full review:
The challenge facing anyone who writes about Google (GOOG) is that readers may assume they already know all that can be said about the Internet search giant. After all, the 10-year-old juggernaut has been the subject of many thousands of press reports and at least two mainstream books. But to his credit, in Planet Google: One Company's Audacious Plan to Organize Everything We Know, author Randall Stross digs beneath the usual Googley tales of lava lamps and free gourmet food for employees to offer new insight into the company's pointedly unorthodox business practices. At a slim 200 pages, not counting notes and index, Planet Google isn't comprehensive. Yet Stross, a New York Times columnist and San Jose State University business professor, dives in far enough to illuminate the method and singleminded madness behind Google's mission to "organize the world's information."
Google's Android Nips at iPhone's Heels [BusinessWeek]
See the full review for more details
I spent only about an hour with the G1 ($180 with two-year contract; unlimited data plans start at $25), which is co-branded by Google and handset maker HTC. Disappointingly, the phone is a bit thick and heavy. The screen slides up to reveal a keyboard, but the way the keys are recessed between raised areas on either side makes for slightly uncomfortable typing. And while the big touchscreen is nice, you can't resize objects simply by pinching or stretching them with your fingers. Once you get used to this trick on the iPhone, you expect it on every handset.
Google's Android Nips at iPhone's Heels
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)