Steven Savage

Apple has to watch it's back since everyone else is, Avatar keeps breaking records, 3D is further advancing it's agenda, and Zynga is partnering with Microsoft. Everyone's on the move – and you need to be too! That's why we have this news round up for Progeeks,Profans, and Protaku!

Career:
3 ways to design your career – Some good advice on taking the lead on making your career what you want.

Economics/Geekonomics:
Put on your geekonomic hat for this gem from the Santa Fe Reporter: An economist who studies inequality and how it damages productivity. A friendly but deep discussion on inequality, economic issues, and more. Get ready for interesting ideas like one-shot welfare and the damage caused by guard labor (the more people involved in having to enforce a system, the less productive it is).

Movies:
'Avatar' passes 'Titanic' for domestic box office. Article includes some analysis of just why this is a big deal – it happened FAST.

On Avatar's muscular blue heels, comes the news Sony hopes to conver older films to 3D for Blu-Ray. At this rate, I think 3D is going to be one of those things that has staying power because it's going to be everywhere ANYWAY. So keep aware of it if you're in media production – or work on the tech.

Technology:
Amazon working on a superKindle? All signs point to 'seems likely.' I find this interesting as I feel the Kindle's best bet is to become software, but Amazon appears to have an investment in it, and also has a touch-screen company. Now I'm thinking Amazon's strategy might be twofold – produce a deluxe reader device that's vaguely iPad like, and software to get everywhere else, and pursue the Apple 'store' model for books and book-related apps.

And as a followup, a look at why Amazon must win the e-book war. In rough, e-books will affect it a lot more than they affect Apple. Point taken. Worth reading.
Sounds like Sony is interested in challenging the iPad – As they've go their own technology base, why not? In fact I'm seeing a lot of potential dog-piling on the iPad, more than I honestly expected, and it's specific targeting. I think Apple is going to need to work hard to support this one. On the Sony end, good move for them, they never quit do they?

Video Games:
Uforia to mix MMOs and Trading Card Games – Color me intrigued (some similar elements worked for Wizardry 101). A gutsy move that continues the interesting trend of fusion games – Puzzle/RPG (Puzzle Quest), Side-scroller RPG (Dungeon Fighter), and so on. Also it appears Uforia is hiring . . .

A look at tactics to keep people from selling games back. Take a look at what companies are and may do, and what it may mean.

Features of the arcade-MMO Dungeon Fighter – Buried in all the information (which does sound cool) is a statement that the game actually has a Fan Fiction page for creating individual stories. Nice bit of relations-culitvation there. Also I confess the game looks awesome, and I need to get Parallels on my Mac . . .

Zynga's plans for world domination continue. They'll be bringing their games to Microsoft sites including MSN. That's a brilliant shift for them – since they have recognizable properties, developed properties, and leverage, why not put their stuff everywhere? Also they're hiring, so check them out. I just wonder who will rise to rival them . . .

Question of the Day: Will Apple get dogpiled by people wanting to take a chunk out of the iPad market – and is there enough interest to seriously hurt them?

-Steven Savage

We’ve got plenty of i-enthusiasm for e-books, today, but just how enthusiastic are comic companies?  Here’s the geek news you need to know!

Career:
Is Gen Y failing at University Life? A Gen Y member is concerned about the possibility that universities aren’t being taken as seriously as they should be.

Monster.com buys HotJobs.com from Yahoo – Which doesn’t impress me as both are lousy. Maybe this is a good sign and something will come of this, but I’m not hopeful.

Economics/Geekonomics:
You’ve heard about people who, when their home’s value is less than the owe, they just walk away and let the bank take it? Well in some states they can be on the hook for the difference between the mortgage price and the sale price. This varies by a lot of factors, from the state one lives in to various legal agreements – and a bank may not come after the former homeowner for years. The impact of this can’t be understated, as people often walk away from a home when they can’t make payments anyway. This will ruin more people, continue to depress home prices (less buyers), depress home-related businesses (construction), and of course keep ramping up people’s hatred of the banks.

Have I mentioned that right now I would not work at a large bank or the credit card industry? Well I just did – if finance or finance tech is your geekery take a look at local banks, smaller banks, reliable investment companies, e-commerce, and credit unions. At some point the big banks and other institutions will get hit hard with worse reps, lawsuits, and new regulation – and that’s those that still survive.

Alan Particof on Venture Capital – Namely, it’s tougher to raise right now. He knows what he’s talking about, so keep his words in mind.

Comics:
Comics publishers react to the iPad – Forward-thinking, somewhat positive, is my take. We know e-comics will be bigger, we just don’t know how much or how it’ll be pulled off.

Publishing:
Major textbook publishers strike deal with ScrollMotion to make e-versions of textbooks – Details are a bit sketchy, so my guess is this was going on before the iPad, but knowledge OF the iPad was a driver. This fits the predictions that e-reader devices and e-reader capable devices may find a place in the classroom. If things go that way – and I imagine they will (have you BOUGHT a college textbook lately?) – it’s good news for Apple, e-reader companies, and ScrollMotion. Come to think of it it might be worth tossing them a resume at their website.

Border’s future? Probably consolidation with Barnes & Noble over bankrupcy says William Ackerman. That idea surprises no one – but then we know it’ll be one big brick and mortar store versus Amazon. What of the smaller bookstores then?

Social Media:
Mashable’s Social Media Job Roundup.

Technology:
Hackers steal carbon credits? I include this for the sheer geekery of all of it – environmental science, geekonomics, AND technology? Of course I had to!

Video Games:
Video game sales fall 8% worldwide in 2009 – A variety of factors seem to be involved, not just the global recession – including PS2 decline, portables, and more.

Star Trek Online has some virtual goods – I’m hearing a bit of annoyance on this – it’s unlockable species basically

Question of the Day: So, do you think e-comics will be successful in the near term? The far term?

– Steven Savage