Avatar photoSteven Savage

News Of The Day 1/21/2011

by

Some economic oddities and acqusitions, looks at just what happened to jobs, and say goodbye to ever buying a new computer? Lots of news, so buckle in!

Economics/Geekonomics:
MUST READS: The economy is humming yet people are unemployed in the US? So what happened to the jobs? It may be that they weren't needed? Insightful and disturbing reads.

Comics:
DC Drops the old comics rating for a more modern one.

Social Media:
Evidence suggests Facebook will do an IPO on or before April 2012. This in turn means other companies (like LinkedIn) will need to gauge their IPO plans because the Facebook announcement will suck all the oxygen (and money) out of the room. Expect a run on IPOs before that in related social-like technologies who want to get in on their releases before Facebook gets all the attention, then a gap afterwards as people see how Facebook did before they do their IPOs. An unexpectedl low performance would discourage IPOs.

Google is going to make it's own Groupon. Man they REALLY wanted it – and I can't see why as its lifespan of profitability would be relatively short-term. Any suggestions?

Technology:
If this is true, then AOL has problems: is it still making most of its money off of subscribers in what is a simple ripoff? I can't get to the article, the blog is a political blog so the comments aren't always helpful, so I'm not sure. But this is vital enough I want more details – because as AOL expands if this is true, then they're on a shaky foundation.

Massive CorpTechPocalypse Alert: Neverware wants to make sure you never need another computer. It's cloud computing on a more local level, and though the statement is sensationalistic, the basic idea is not and fits very well into the current patterns of IT. Must-read, and really if you're in NY, throw this guy and his company a resume.

Here's a sweet unboxing of the ASUS Eee Slate EP121. Sounds like a higher-end system (about a grand) for business and serious users. It sounds pretty sweet, and I like the speed. So another volley in the tablet wars . . .

Interesting – Sounds like Google Docs will stop just being an officelike and focus on cloud features. This is an interesting development since it means changing some of the appeal of Google docs, and suggests possible shifts in user demands.

Video Games:
Zynga, who you may have heard of before, purchased Area/Code who previously worked with Ubisoft to make Facebook games. Sounds like a logical acquisition for them.

Yes Virginia, Duke Nukem will be out May 3rd, 2011. But will it live up to this review? Actually I have faith in Gearbox they have a sense of humor and they use good planning techniques. I get the impression they used a lot of Borderlands to make this – which is good.

Blizzard won't stop the developers of the World of Starcraft Mod. In fact it may net the people behind it an opportunity with Riot games.

Odd:
A dating site for apple fans.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: o Duke Nukem?  Could its return revive interest in other faded, tarnished, and forgotten properties?

– Steven Savage

Frustration Friday: Nintendo Isn’t Getting It

by

So the Nintendo 3DS is coming out, and it's insanely highly priced, doesn't do much new, and too many games are remakes.

I have to come to the conclusion that Nintendo No Longer Gets It.  I'm sort of sad at that as they were doing so well, but the DS is just . . . a DS with a few more extra things.  Nintendo's problem is that they're walking between two business models.

The first model is the Monofunction model.  That's the Kindle, that WAS the DS.  It's a device largely used for one thing, dedicated to its use – and cheap enough that you don't want to get a multifunction device.  $250+ for a device is sort of getting beyond the price point for an ideal device – especially when you have competition from the other model . . .

The second model is the Multifunction model.  This is the Smartphone, the Tablet, and so forth.  More pricey than the Monofunction devices, they also do a heck of a lot more, and are often expanding and evolving.  People, in my experience, are willing to pay about $500+ for a good Multifunction device – and in the realm of phones, sign-up deals give you incredible discounts.

The new DS doesn't have nearly enough features to be a Multifunction Device.  It's price is a hefty chunk higher than the $200 or so price point I find is the break point for most Monofunction devices.  Throw in the fact that you're still shelling out a decent amount of money for a game on a cart when you get the much cheaper on the Multifunction competitors . . .

The DS, once a great device, simply no longer makes sense in today's age where Cheap And Single Function or More Expensive And Multifunction are the two patterns.

I see two ways for the DS to go:

  • A cheap, download-oriented system that also runs old carts.
  • Evolving into a multifunction device, a kind of two-screened tabletlike device.

Somehow I don't see that happening.

I feel, for some reason, sad.

– Steven Savage

 

News of the Day 1/18/2011

by

A big media merger is done, Michigan tries to lure tech, and "How To Train Your Dragon" goes multimedia!

Career:
Need a mentor? Here's how you get one. Nice simple bits of advice.

Regional:
Michigan launches a $120 million Venture Capital pool to help invest in their tech startups. Something to keep in mind to see how it works out, and if there's a job shift to Michigan.

Comics:
Celebreties from Justin Beiber to Lady Gaga to get comic books. Bluewater, the company behind it seems to specialize in biography and often music titles. Wal-Mart will be carrying the Beiber title. I wonder if this is a "reality show" element coming into comics . . .

Reorgs at Image and Top Cow. Also sounds like Image has an issue finding the right PR focus. Any opportunity perhaps?

Media:
'How To Train Your Dragon' looks to launch films and a TV series. This also sounds like there will be an emphasis on worldbuilding. This was a well-recieved film, and further efforts to built it into a multimedia franchise have a promising foundation.

DC goes further multimedia with A 'Fables' novel as an eBook.

Publishing:
Lulu and Smashwords get a lot of attention, but Scribd just landed $13 million in venture capital. That just stirred the publishing pot a bit, let's see how they do – oh, and with that money and the location, consider a resume.

There will be new Sherlock Holmes and James Bond novels. I want to see how these go over, especially Holmes – whose author is known for doing YA books.

Social Media:
Looks like Facebook is not sharing phone numbers and addresses.

Technology:
Cheezburger haz $30 million in venture capital. Remember this is a company that leveraged LOLCats. What they're going to do with $30 million is intriguing, especially as word is they run pretty barebones. Sounds like the focus now is to "get bigger."

A look at HP's new tablets. OK they may be running the Palm OS, but they do have a slick iPad look to them.

Of course everyone is reporting on Steve Job's health.  I'm pretty sure Apple will go on.

Video:
Comcast/NBC merger approved. Not surprising, but this is going to change issues of net neutrality, carriers, and ownerships. Comcast and NBC are a powerful package and people might not like that.

Video Games:
Hmmm. A promotion at Marvel's game division with new VP TQ Jefferson. Sounds like the right guy to have in a high position. Also note Marvel is looking to go very Multiplatform.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What does the Comcast/NBC merger mean for Netflix?

–Steven Savage