Archive for May, 2008
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
What exactly will be the nature of mobile search in the future? How will technology enable people to conveniently search and retrieve relevant information from the touch of a button from their mobile handset (be it an iPhone, Blackberry or some other smart device)? Say, you are visiting the Grand Canyon or the Empire State Building for the first time and you want to know the history of the site or the building, wouldn’t it be nice to point your phone, snap a picture and do a search on the building and get your answers instantaneously. This type of sophisticated search is not far in the future.
A number of companies are looking into capitalizing the new wave of mobile search. For instance Microsoft is working on software called Lincoln that, once downloaded into phones, will allow people to access online movie reviews by just snapping pictures of movie posters, DVD covers, or from an advertisement on a magazine or displayed on the side of buses.
But Microsoft is not alone. There are other players in the market. Kooaba and SnapTell services allows you to point to a real-world object, snap it and send pictures to their servers that will return results relevant to the context of the object.
http://blog.crispwireless.com/index.php/category/chan-komagan/
Filed under: Digital Media, Broadband | | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
So folks,
When will the big oil bubble (that has been in the works for some time) be burst? maybe when it touches $150 or $200?
2) This forces airlines to pass down the fuel surcharge to consumers (American airlines to charge $15 for first checked bag, cut flights and work force to offset fuel costs)
3) Democrat Senators are at again on the case of price-fixing and lack of Corporate conscience
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080521/oil_congress.html
4) Finally, this will have a negative impact on our future economic growth
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080521/fed_economy.html
Are I predicted earlier in the year, are we really going into a stagflationary mode here?
(Courtsey: BigPicture)
Which reminds me, has anyone been looking at Rice prices lately? Don’t even go there! I am switching to wheat in my daily food consumption.
Filed under: Economy, Energy | | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 19th, 2008
Is this rumor worth looking into? Zuckerberg repeatedly denied selling Facebook to anyone. Given the fact, Microsoft already has a stake in Facebook, would they make a 2 way deal with Facebook and Yahoo to stave off Google’s threat?
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/17867/Yahoo-Microsoft-Facebook-3-way?tickers=yhoo,msft,goog
The speculation is that Microsoft will buy Yahoo’s search and then buy Facebook for $15 to $20 billion. Google is locked out of the Facebook access that soon will be owned by Microsoft. We will never get an open Web back if these two deals happen.
Collins Stewart analyst Sanded Aggarwal reported earlier today that Microsoft might buy key pieces of Yahoo’s online operations instead of doing a search advertising partnership or acquiring the entire company. He values Yahoo’s search technology at $21 billion, its display advertising service at $14 billion and its Internet holdings outside the United States at $9.25 billion.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080519/microsoft_yahoo.html
Hmm..let’s see how this is all going to turn out.
Filed under: Digital Media | | No Comments »
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I recommend watching it (especially if you are a Tech geek).
Sarcos Inc. has taken the concept from Iron Man and run with it, producing a mature exoskeleton design that may just possibly lead to the first real life “Iron Man” suit. Sarcos comes from a decidedly non-militaristic background of designing robots for “Jurassic Park” rides at the Universal Studios theme park. However, the contractor quickly morphed into a military contractor embarking on an exciting new project — the Sarcos Suit.
http://www.dailytech.com/Building+An+Iron+Man+Pt+I++Military+Grade+Exoskeleton/article11810.htm
Filed under: Digital Media, Arts & Culture, Games | | No Comments »
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Earlier this year, we predicted that Microsoft will bid for Yahoo. And it came true. Unfortunately Yahoo wanted more from Microsoft and the deal fell apart. Now that this long takeover saga has failed, what will Yahoo do next? A number of options have been thrown into the mix
1) Deepen its relationship with Google by outsourcing some of its search advertising to Google
2) Merge with News Corp (which did not go anywhere)
http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSWEN542720080504
3) Merge with Time Warner’s AOL (no progress there either)
In this ever evolving saga, the latest news is that the omni-present board activist Carl Icahn who is famous for forcing companies to change their strategies will seek control of Yahoo. Icahn has successfully pressured and convinced several boards to give into take over bids. Remember Medimmune? Lear Corporation? or BEA Systems? He was successful in those take-over deals. Although he did fail in the case of Motorola. He didn’t manage to get a board seat there.
I digress, anyhow what Icahn is proposing is that he wants his own slate of board members to take over Yahoo’s current board. This new board will try to reopen talks with Microsoft, which walked away from its $47.5 billion offer this month. I am sure he bought a good % stake in Yahoo (50 million to be specific) right after Yahoo stock plummeted after Microsoft dropped the bid.
Now given his history of successful board-room activistm, I am pretty sure he will influence Yahoo’s board to re-approach Microsoft’s board. This is working pretty well for Microsoft.
We still predict that Yahoo will merge with Microsoft before the end of the year.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/carl-icahn-destroy-yahoo/story.aspx?guid=%7BB3DF0AF7-2898-428F-9AD7-FE0E9766BA9B%7D
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On a related news, CBS is buying CNET for $1.8B in cash. The acquisition will increase the total of unique monthly visitors to CBS sites to around 200 million worldwide. CNET brands include CNET, GameSpot, Tv.com, ZDNet, BNET, CHOW and TechRepublic.
Filed under: Digital Media | | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
I like this inflation chart posted on New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/business/07leonhardt.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Filed under: Economy | | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
May 6 (Bloomberg) — Crude oil may rise to between $150 and $200 a barrel within two years as growth in supply fails to keep pace with increased demand from developing nations, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts led by Arjun N. Murti said in a report.
New York-based Murti first wrote of a “super spike'’ in March 2005, when he said oil prices could range between $50 and $105 a barrel through 2009. The price of crude traded in New York averaged $56.71 in 2005, $66.23 in 2006 and $72.36 in 2007. Oil rose to an intraday record of $122.49 today on speculation demand will rise during the peak U.S. summer driving season.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ayxRKcAZi630&
Filed under: Economy, Energy | | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
Media and entertainment companies are in strong consensus as to what will propel the future growth of the digital market, where the opportunities lie and what will drive revenues over the next five years, according to a study conducted by Accenture.
Four of the main sources of revenue growth cited by respondents are multi-platform distribution, short form video, social media and advertising.
When asked when they believe the mobile market will become a mass market, respondents were split, with slightly more than half (55 percent) saying within three years. On the other hand, 45 percent said they believe it will take longer.
http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/944.html
Filed under: Digital Media, Broadband | | No Comments »
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
May 03, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Microsoft Corp. has withdrawn its $42.3 billion bid to buy Yahoo Inc., scrapping an attempt to snap up the tarnished Internet icon in hopes of toppling online search and advertising leader Google Inc.
http://www.komotv.com/news/18550409.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080503/microsoft_yahoo_timeline.html
Watch Yahoo stock plunge on Monday morning trading. I suspect Yahoo trade in lower 20s.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Digital Media, Financial Markets | | No Comments »
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