News of the Day 11/10/2010

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Lots of venture capital and investment today in geeky job news!

Economics/Geekonomics:
A look at home ownership percentages.

The markets hate uncertainty? Barry Ritholtz disagrees. He notes pundits may hate it – but markets thrive on it.

Video:
Video distribution startup Real Gravity nabs $3.2 million in investment. It's a video distribution tool company that provides ad supported video push. Interesting ideas, they got some money, and they're in geektastic San Francisco. Put here to note you should check them out – and their service might be useful as well.

Get the stats on Hulu here.

In case you havent thought of it Google TV is going to mess up web analytics. OK I hadn't thought of this, but yeah, Google TV will change how they're done, collected, and what they mean.

Video Games:
Methodology watch and resume watch: Social game company Summerlight comes out of stealth mode, won't put a version of its game (Spa Retreat) on Facebook, and is forming an alliance with an indie TV company. No I'm not sure if this is going to work, but it takes enough risks I'd like to see what happens. Even if this fails, it took a lot of cajones to try.

Online game-development platform and monetization company Turbulenz got $5 million in VC. They have a good pedigree, so I'd see what they van do – it's a little late in the game though.

Atari sales down, but losses not so bad. Sounds like they're changing their business model to mix online and freemium and fewer but more profitable games.

Bonus Geekery: Someone making a GameBoy emulator in Javascript and HTML 5.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Can social games make it without Facebook?

– Steven Savage

Thoughts On The Apple Store Model

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So last column I posted on how the Verizon Stores seem to be following in the Apple Store model.  I also noted that these stores give people what they want, so frankly I expect similar models to pop up all over.  I'll call this model  . . .  OK I'll call it the Apple Store Model.

Now it's time to ask what this means progeek wise.  A few speculations:

  • Set Expectations.  I think the Apple Store model will spread – and soon it will become the norm.  Companies need to keep this in mind in setting their store models – or risk seeming insensitive to consumers and behind the times.  If you work in a consumer electronic company or dealer, you need to follow this.
  • A Better Starting Point.  These stores may be better places for people to launch progeek careers (or idle during tough times in the job market) since they're going to require more technical and customer savvy.  People will learn more – and employees who spent time at these stores will be better regarded.
  • Changes in Footprint.  Some stores aren't going to shift to the new footprint easy.  Renovation, moving, merging . . . all that is possible for individual stores.  Shut downs, delays, and so forth may affect people working there.  Work in architecture or at any of these stores, and it's a factor.
  • Location, Location, Relocation.  With the footprint of these stores, and the requirements for staff, some may just plain relocate to make them more profitable for the investment.  Your job at these stores may go away – or an opportunity may arrive.
  • A Destination Model.  Some of these stores seem to be "destination-like" – the kind you go to for awhile, the kind that have many things to do and many shiny things.  It changes consumer habits.  That's something to follow in general.

So a little speculation on what the Apple Model means progeek wise.

– Steven Savage

News of the Day 11/9/2010

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Several companies are doing well – but the American education system may not be keeping up. Investments a-plenty. Geek news time!

Career:
Signs you need a headhunter. Something to make you think. *I* personally think headhunters in the broadest sense (and that includes recruiters and temp agencies) should be part of most any job search.

Economics/Geekonomics:
How bad is the American Education system? A state-to-country comparison is depressing and informative. Certainly a factor affecting the US's development in the future.

The run on gold continues. Me, I sense a big, glittery bubble.

High frequency traders don't like the idea of regulation. They may be part of our economic instabillity, so attempts to reign them in are understandable.

Mobile:
Nokia to add swipe capacity to it's Symbian systems. Obviously they're competing with Android, but they are making an effort.

Publishing:
With Dorchester in trouble, one author self-publishes. Let's see the impact this has.

Technology:
Zuora provides a subscription management and billing service. Not interested? Well consider just how useful that service is, and the fact they just got $20 million in investment. They have what sounds like a solid business model and allies, and I'd consider them resume-worthy. I'd also say they provide an interesting model of an "enabling" system in the modern media, a good place to be.

Some more details on the Kno tablets. I'm seeing mixed-to-slightly-negative assessments of the Kno plans on the internet (mostly around the cost), which I'm not sure are justified. Well we now know what they're doing and what it'll cost, so let's see if it works . . .

Video Games:
Bethesda (and others) are a target of a rant on how people support broken games. Admittedly some of the New Vegas problems were . . . well pretty severe. Considering people's love of fallout, does this issue have legs?

Gazillion, the folks who own Net Devil, raise $60 million. Lego Universe by NetDevil is looking good, and this is a LOT of money. Send a resume.

Bonus Geekery: H.G. Wells predicted one day we'd get news via the phone. MP> QUESTION OF THE DAY: So what is Gazillion going to DO with that much money?

– Steven Savage