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Kindle, Akira, and more.  Man I don't know where to start.

Economics/Geekonomics:
Are startups overfunded? I present this tidbit from Sean Parker to help you think. He thinks we're facing mass consolidation.

Anime Manga and Unwise Adaptions:
The "Akira" film is starting to approach further weirdness in casting, with Kristen Stewart as Kei. I'm starting to wonder if this film might have a chance if it does the Odball-casting-method that made the recent 'Star Trek' movie so oddly endearing. Sort of taking the weirdness and controversy out the other side. Still, doubtful on this end, but observing just to see how it goes.

Geek Law:
Barnes and Noble brings up the Microsoft Patent Squeeze on Android. Sounds like it has a chance to get nasty – but it might pay off for everyone working with Android, and B&N sounds like they want to embarrass Microsoft.

Canada's net speed/volume issues still in debate.

Mobile:
Developers are very interest in the Kindle Fire. Duh. But still worth remembering if you're a dev.

Publishing:
LA Times gets into publishing eBooks. These are based on existing content, and seem to have a broad price range. A reasonable idea that lets them monetize content and expand their horizons – and it might be a model for future publishing industry changes.

Technology:
Quad core tablets seem to be the norm. Presented mostly for curiosity and as a trend to watch. This is mostly for you hardware progeeks, but marketers may be interested.

People suddenly want Siri everywhere and a group of people hacked into it and found out quite a bit about how it works. I found the breakdown interesting, but also the love of Siri makes me think Siri may be the next Kinect . . . and devs may want to bone up on using and implementing voice commands.

Buffet seems bullish on IBM. Might want to think of what that means for job prospects . . .

Video:
Netflix releases an Android update and plays up the Kindle Fire/Nook. Interesting that they did this before the iPad – and they're playing on both sides. As they need to make up losses and keep subscribers, it may be a play for a NEW audience. If their play is more mobile, keep that in mind for dev opportunities.

There's a persistent (as in everyone is talking about it) rumor that Nintendo is considering making EA's Origins as part of their Wii U online infrastructure. OK that may sound very non-Nintendoish, but remember Nintendo does seem to survive on a mixture of affection, good Triple AAA titles, oddball other titles, and doing weird out-of-the-box stuff. Their last online efforts were mediocre, EA is working to reshape itself, and Nintendo has to acknowledge the changes – so this does not seem entirely impossible.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: So, could Siri be the start of more widespread voice command software?

– Steven Savage

So I'm watching the coverage of the entire Occupy Wall Street thing. In most cases, the news does a terrible job:

1. You have what seem to be intentional distortions, which are so blatant as to be pathetic.
2. You have the usual comparisons to the 60's, which is vaslty off.
3. You have general ignorance.
4. You have general cluelessness because people don't seem to want to actually analtze it (and usually fall back to items #2 and #3).
5. Then there are people who just don't cover it.

It's annoying because it seems pretty apparent that this is happening for a reason, is part of larger trends, and seems to be strong in public awareness.

Again, I think this is because economics to many people is religion in the 'revealed" sense – it's about gods and devils, about universal truths that cannot be challenged, and things that must fit into a system of thought.  So something like OWS, which is both about politics AND economics is going to fall into the "religion" trap all too easy.

Which means lousy reporting – and of course for someone like me who tracks economic, political, and geeky issues (and with all the social media involves, this is a geeky issue as well) it's harder to get information.  This frustrates me and makes me write columns.

Frankly?  I think economics should never be considered a hard science – it deludes us into thinking it happens somehow independently of people.  It's a social science – because its about people, and because it acknowledges the messiness of it all.

If people thought of economics as messy, maybe it wouldn't get the revealed religion treatment so much and we could, I dunno, talk about it and report on it better – and people would be less afraid to.

– Steven Savage

Shades of Rojin Z: Toyota Working on Caretaker robots.

Reverse throttling?  Verizon to offer 'fast lane' options?  This may offer a chance for companies to monetize in reverse, as it were – monetize the high-end lines.  Though this might turn ugly . . .

– Steven Savage