Semimonthly Tech News - August 1-15, 2009

Semimonthly Tech News - August 1-15, 2009

Semimonthly Tech News - August 1-15, 2009

Google

• Google's Schmidt Resigns Apple's Board
• Google Woos Business Users With Billboard Ad Campaign: An editorial on the Motley Fool
  called the strategy "just dumb", "worst idea yet", and "downright nonsensical". I definitely wouldn't go that far. I think the move makes sense, it makes Google Apps seem more mainstream and recognizable, which is necessary for it to gain adoption in businesses and large enterprises while competing against Microsoft. Anyway, all the press and buzz about the irony of the ad campaign has probably already gotten more attention than the actual billboard ads themselves.

Twitter

• Twitter had two outages due to denial-of-service attacks
  
• ESPN, NFL And U.S. Marines Crack Down On Twitter Use: Seems like an overreaction to me, but as with any new technology it takes some adjustments and getting used to. I think it should be treated like any other communication tool. Obviously if you are bashing your boss/team/company, they won't be happy about it, regardless of whether if it's on Twitter, Facebook, a blog, a web site, on a phone call, or in a public place. Likewise, discretion and professionalism should be used when discussing any rumors or potentially confidential/sensitive information.
  
• Study: Twitter is 40 percent 'pointless babble'

Facebook

• Or as Conan O'Brien called it on the Tonight Show, "FaceBox": I thought this episode was hilarious!
• Facebook Acquires FriendFeed: Admittedly, I never did sign up and use it, but I always had a good impression of FriendFeed. I saw co-founder Paul Buchheit speak at Startup School a couple years ago, and I liked his talk. From what I saw the product looked like it had really good features, a clean design, and a usable interface. Part of me wishes they had gone farther before being acquired.
  
• Facebook Begins Testing Facebook Lite, A Faster Simpler Version Of The Service

GM

• General Motors to sell used cars on eBay
  
• GM Claims Chevrolet Volt Will Get 230 MPG: Many others have already questioned/criticized the MPG claim, google it if you want full details. Basically the 230 number is not particularly meaningful because actual gas usage will depend entirely on the usage pattern and how much the electric power can be utilized (i.e. short trips with recharging in between vs. long trips).
  

Shot Down

• Microsoft Word Sales Banned In 60 Days
• RealNetworks DVD Copier Nixed

Launches, Releases, New Features

• Zune HD available for pre-order: See my post for details, including a list of features comparing it to the 2nd generation iPod Touch.
  
• iLike's download store debuts: It will be interesting to see how they will fare competing against larger companies (Apple, Amazon). The social aspect of their application will be an advantage.
  
• Samsung has unveiled dual-screen digital cameras that make it easier for people to take pictures of themselves alone or with friends
  
• Sony officially unveils new Readers, drops price of e-books
• New Nikon Coolpix Has a Built-In Projector
• Toshiba ships 512GB SSD
  

Milestones

• Tesla turns profit in July for the first time: I think that is great news. This is impressive with the current state of the economy, considering they have only been selling the high-end roadster, while the less expensive sedan is still under development.
  

Liquidation Events (Mergers, Acquisitions, IPOs)

• Facebook Acquires FriendFeed
• VMware To Buy SpringSource For $362 Million: I remember when Spring started as an open source framework, before SpringSource the company. I'm glad - I don't know what kind of revenue they generated, but it seems like a strong valuation, especially for an open source company.
  
• Publicis Buying Microsoft's Razorfish For $500-600 Million: Razorfish was a big name back in the dot-com boom times. I always find it interesting to see how those companies fare now, especially after managing to survive the dot-com bust.
  
• Ancestry.com Files for IPO
• Google Acquires Video Compression Technology Company On2 For $106 Million
  

Deadpool

• URL Shortening Service Tr.im is Back From the Dead: Well, it's not quite dead yet, but for a while there it seemed like it would be a cautionary tale on relying on web services in the cloud.
  
• Dell's Mini 12 bites the dust (but the Mini 9 is still hanging on): Sound like they will have another laptop model fill the void left behind by the Mini 12, so this is probably not a big deal. Alternatives include the Lenovo IdeaPad S12, Samsung NC20, and Acer Aspire One 751h.
  
• Social broadcasting tool SplashCast to shut down
• Windows Live Events dies next year, Calendar named successor