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