News and Analysis

The Lehman Brothers fraud could sink Geitner, Microsoft spreads its wings phone-wise, and Broadband may rise to the occasion in the US. Get your motion metaphors in place – it's time for must-know geek career news!

Career:
A good look at elements of a successful project proposal, meant for freelance writers, but good in general for anyone who has to do proposals or has gone freelance.

In IT? Healthcare IT positions look promising.

Economics/Geekonomics:
Did Tim Geitner help hide Lehman Brothers Fraud? So much is brewing around Lehman Brothers it's hard to sort it all out. I keep thinking Geitner's days are numbered, and that there's more issues at the fed to be found. However I'm not buying there will be a Big Upcoming Crash – I think everyone involved is going to draw things out with the hope of no massive disruptions.

Media:
A useful roundup of cable alternatives

The state of the news by the numbers. The numbers don't exactly add up either, suggesting that there are going to still be changes in how people get news, how news makes money, and why.

Mobile:
Windows Phone 7 has Netflix, XBox Live support – As Microsoft goes for integration, just like everyone else. Are the Everything Wars turning into the Everything Peace? It seems an even more complex series of relationships are developing among various tech and media companies.

Publishing:
Just what is an e-book worth? A roudup on thoughts on the subject, and a good read. I especially like how it calls out the tension between big stores (KMart), booksellers, and customers – pricing is a big issue, moreso in a downturn.

Hachette launches a social media site. Hachette also owns Yen press, which we've been favorably impressed by. Sounds like they're hip and with it, and may indeed be resume worthy – and worth watching for how this project goes.

Psychology:
An interesting idea that people are avoiding TV to do more productive things. I wonder if some of fandom can fit this trend – inspired by media, it often involves a lot of productivity.

Technology:
MUST READ: A helpful summary of the FCC's national broadband plan. This is noteworthy for many reasons, from attempting to bring the US to high standards, to the money it may pump into providers (it is also part of the Re-investment and Recovery act), to how it was made by social media. Frankly I don't feel this is getting enough attention – something like this could be expanded further as a kind of high-tech recession-buster effort ala the past work in the Depression. Though if we get another banking collapse (above) maybe it'll become that . . .

CEO of eInk talks the future of the company. Never heard of eInk? They do the displays for lots of e-book readers, so you well may. It already looks like color displays are coming. These guys seem savvy, have a good market, and probably need your resume

Video Games:
A look at how a female game designer sought to make a level appeal to women – And what she learned.

Sony has it's Wii-like controller: and is already concerned about shovelware.

Infinity Ward founders sign with major talent agency – an agency that also represents Tom Hanks. Not only another chapter in the current soap opera, but a possible shift in how game talent manages itself. Could be useful if you're in gaming – or if you wonder about a career in talent management . . .

Web:
Twitter's new open platform is here – I am underwhelmed, and some of this sounds like it's browser-breaking (hoverovers?), but still Twitter is big news so let's see where this goes.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Could Hollywood Talent agencies – and other agencies – find fertile ground working with people in game design?

-Steven Savage

GDC is over (surprisingly calmly), there's legal adventures winding down and starting up, and everyone's ready for the iPad. Let's check out the must-know news for geeky pros!

Career:
Never leave home without a business card – Not sure I agree on what it should have, but I agree with the idea.

Economics/Geekonomics:
The ever-wonderful Econompicdata shows that the American consumer is unhappy, yet spending more. With those two factors together I have to wonder what the duration of this is – and if it's been due to pent-up caution, need, etc.

Catch up on just what happened with the Great Recession as Yves Smith of Naked Capitalism launches ECONNED – the book, the trailer, and more. I like Yves and would listen to what he has to say. Frankly the screw-ups, the bad regulation (or lack of it), and more needs to be called out.

Richard Florida calls out a possible US Brain Drain – Which I feel he has reason to be concerned about. I've witnessed countries aggressively recruiting talent at GDC, openly suggesting work Visas or immigration to people and selling their countries strong points. Canada, especially, has a precise immigration system meant to bring in talent . . .

Anime and Manga:
Tokyopop has an manga internship for students coming. So if you qualify or know someone qualified, you know what to do. Or just spread the word. This is also heay on promotion, so it sounds like it'll be pretty educational.

Geek Law:
Netflix cuts its latest promotion due to legal reasons over privacy.

Sounds like China isn't backing away from pressuring Google – And Google may not be backing down. China comes off looking awful bad from this, and though it may be a big market it IS a limited one. I expect China to crack – eventually and slowly and in a piecemeal fashion – if only because trying to keep up control of the Internet is a loosing battle.

Media:
Reuters plans to syndicate third-party video news producers – That could be useful to many people – reelancers, up-and comers, etc. I can also see it being a way to take on content mills and leverage their brand in this case.

Publishing:
How are people preparing for the iPad? Find out! – A look atwhat people are doing to prepare, with different styles, etc.

Earings up, sales down at Books-A-Million

Technology:
Apple's iPad orders are open – Two to a customer, sorry. So let's see how these numbers look . . . By the way, Crunchyroll is giving an iPad away, which tells you what direction they're heading.

Video Games:
At GDC Sid Meier says most game devs have it wrong – And goes into his theory on games. I don't agree with all of it, but agree with some of it. Then again I have some theories of my own . . .

And where is the Wii going next? Not sure if it's going anywhere. I still bet some improved version has to bein order, but I am not sure how Nintendo would bull this off . ..

Writing:
How someome moved from unemployment to freelance writer.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:Is there a brain drain in the US, and what are it's geekonomic implications?

-Steven Savage

Lots of everything wars, as cable companies talk to the FCC about new rules, the Kindle may be getting a browser, and everyone on the planet wants to add Geolocation to their media. I can see your house – and your resume – from Google maps! Let's go – it's progeek, profan, and protaku news time!

Career:
Man puts his resume on Google Maps.

Economics/Geekonomics:
A further look at jobless demographics by education – That makes the point that we've got more long-term unemployed in the United States, and the problem that means.

Another look at the improving(?) labor market – There could be an issue with employed people not wanting to leave jobs. That also suggests to me that openings are in areas with some restrictive qualifications.

For some fun, a look at slang that has evolved in or been widely adopted in the Great Recession – At least some of these terms may predate the recession, but still an interesting read.

Geek Law:
If your company is in the UK and uses social media, prepare for stricter advertising/marketing regulations. Roughly, you're not just responsible for what's on your site, but also on social networks.

Media:
Time Warner leads a group to ask FCC to change programming deal rules – After several blackouts and high-profile tiffs, this is understandable (say, in the wake of the Cablevision mess). Comcast is interestingly absent.

Netflix wants to stream movies to your DS? They seem to be seeing if people would go for it. Wouldn't you want to work on that team . . .

Publishing:
Borders has begun job cuts.

Technology:
Amazon pulls out of Colorado associate advertising due to legislation in the state that 'increases the compliance burden' and sounds like it could evolve into online sales tax. Not the only case of this going on as well – a good read.

Next up in Everything Wars – Location Wars! Twitter has/is adding geolocation to its service, jumping on the latest bandwagon to destroy people's ideas of privacy. Geolocation seems to be the next big thing judging by Foursquare, Facebook's interest, etc. For me, that's starting to go a bit far. Still if you're in tech, you need to be aware of this – and if you're in social media, the same.

Blackberry outages continue – It's sad I didn't know about it until day 2. A blow to Blackberry since they've got other competitors out there.

It looks like Amazon wants a browser on it's Kindle, judging by a recent job posting. More and more I see Amazon trying to evolve Kindle into some kind of e-reader plus – a tool for reading with many other functions (just the way the iPhone is a phone with other functions). I think this points to them making a play to have the Kindle be around a long time – not a temporary device as I first thought.

Video Games:
Beg pardon? EA teams up with baseball player Curt Shilling as well as author R.A. Salvatore and artist Todd McFarlaine for a new epic RPG. OK that's an unusual cast there – Shilling sort of seems to be the outlier, but as I understand it he's a gaming enthusiast. This sounds like a case of EA wanting to create a seriously powerful new IP.

God of War III cost $44 million to make. Just so you know.

Don't expect World of Warcraft on your console. MMO developers, keep this in mind because that could be a gate to success.

Find out just what you sign away when you post your app to the iPhone App Store.

Emergent is back in the news with a new CEO and growth via social MMOs. Sounds like they're thinking broader and smaller.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: So, is the Netflix-to-DS a viable idea or straight up impractacal?

– Steven Savage