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There are almost more rumors about Google’s activities than there are gossip column reports about Paris Hilton or Britney Spears.  

For several weeks the latest buzz has hinted at Google following Apple’s footsteps and developing a mobile phone that integrates features and function with their web services (Gmail, Google maps etc).  Much of the speculation has been fueled by Google’s hiring of high level analog engineers and mobile hardware/software developers.   It’s certainly possible.  It’s another possibility (which makes a lot more sense) that Google is not interested in building or selling phones but rather is working on phone development to better optimize Google services and products for use and distribution to the wireless world.   A Google-phone may never hit the market but development on one could help Google integrate Gmail into the next line of Motorola or Samsung phones.

Others rumors have swirled that Google is looking at acquiring Click to Read More

Yesterday, I noted that I made my first foray into the blogging world two years ago by way of few comments on Roger McNamee’s blog: The New Normal. At the time, Mr. McNamee was promoting his new book and writing regularly on the site. There were some ongoing discussions that intrigued me. As a passing experiment I wrote a reply to two of Roger’s posts, one on Sarbane–Oxley and the other in reply to a post of Roger’s about the direction Internet video. My replies were an experiment of sorts for me, and I wrote them anonymously. After recently seeing what I wrote in some old files, I decided to reprint my posts as well as links to the original discussions here on Metue. Yesterday I re-printed the piece on Sarbane–Oxley

Today, Internet Video:

Roger’s original discussion can be found here

In his post, Roger began what was to be a multi-part examination of Internet Video, its delivery models, and how he envisioned the market shaping up.

My reply, as with my Sarbane–Oxley posts, ended up being in two parts, first to Roger’s comments and a reply by Marc Andreeson, then to clarify a misunderstanding and add more to the discussion:

Reply 1:

Whenever I evaluate an early stage business, or new idea, there are a number of questions I ask well before I dig into numbers, the quality of the team, and the analysis.  The first, is always the same thing: “Is this a real solution to a real problem (a problem that potential customers are aware of)..or is the solution just for its own sake?” I know the marketing burden of convincing a customer that your solution is the best is already an expensive obstacle.  But having to first convince the customers that they have a problem and then educating them about the solution is a whole different level of risk. 

With Internet video, one of the core promises is broader programming and customer choice.  It’s hard to argue that these advantages are not saleable.  On the other hand, Click to Read More

About a two years ago I made my first foray into the blogging world by way of few comments on Roger McNamee’s blog: The New Normal. At the time, Mr. McNamee was promoting his new book and writing regularly on the site. His observations and his reputation, led to some ongoing discussions that included the thoughts of a wide range of people, including some high-tech executives like Marc Andreeson and Jeremy Allaire (founder of Brightcove, which was just beginning).

I was intrigued and as a passing experiment wrote a reply to two of Roger’s posts, one on Sarbane Oxley where Roger’s speculated the law was influencing corporate earnings guidance, and the other a post of Roger’s about the direction Internet video. With just a toe-in-the-water of blogging, I wrote both pieces anonymously using only an email address (lookingglass@gmail.com) to identify myself.

My replies were an experiment, but after recently seeing what I wrote in some old files, for the sake of nostalgia, and to own what I originally wrote, I decided to reprint my posts as well as links to the original discussion here on Metue today and tomorrow.

Today, Sarbanes-Oxley issues from February 2005(tomorrow net video):

Click to Read More

Tivo (Nasdaq:TIVO), the pioneer in digital video recording, announced earnings yesterday for the quarter ended Jan 31.  The Company reported a quarterly loss of $18.7m (.19c a share) versus a loss of $21.1m (.25c a share) for the same period last year.

Net revenues were at $77.6 compared to $60.1 a year ago. Revenue excluding hardware sales, service and technology was up 22% to $57.4m

For the entire fiscal year, Tivo reported a net loss of $47m on revenue of $259m compared to a loss of $37m on revenue of $196m for the prior year.

With subscription numbers, an important metric of performance for a company like Tivo, Tivo added 101,000 net new subscribers but lost 91,000 customers previously gained through satellite TV provider DirecTV.

In various statements analysts are expressing concern about subscriber metrics.

More detailed press coverage on Tivo’s finances can be found at:

Yahoo Finance
Google Finance
Marketwatch

With rumors of mergers and acquisitions still swirling, Tribune Co. today sold the two smallest (by circulation) newspapers in its portfolio to Gannett. The Greenwich Time and the Stamford Advocate have modest readership but are in premium advertising market. (As much as any newpaper ad market could be considered premium in the currently difficult print ad marketplace.

At a sales price of only $73m, the transaction is small for Tribune but it fits with the company’s stated goal of liquidating at least $500m in non-core assets. The sale may or may not help with Tribunes ongoing effort to sell itself as a whole.

Friday  I spoke about the latest trend in Web 2.0 book-marking technologies, "Social Clipping Services" like Kaboodle, and Google Notebooks.  As a consumer, I love the features these companies are providing.  Any tools that make my routines and work easier are welcome.   But as a business analyst?  Yesterday I couldn’t restrain my skepticism.   

Maybe I’ve been watching too much of the National Geographic Channel but I see companies offering solely these services and the image I have is: a Manhattanite dropped in the middle of an African Savannah with a Swiss Army Knife and a smile.  The New Yorker may make it out alive, but odds are against it. 

Yesterday, I excluded discussing aspects of Clipping Services geared toward retail and merchandising .  My goal was to stay on topic (Media Entertainment and Technology) and avoid tangents.   I focused only on using the tools for interacting with news and published data.  Clipping services which provide a retail/merchandise focus neither fit my broad focus of media, entertainment and technology convergence, nor yesterday’s narrow focus of working with published data on the web over extended periods of time. 

Click to Read More

For a writer, strategist or researcher, or anybody looking for information with purpose, the internet is a phenomenal tool.

Even if search engines only provide access to less than 1% of what’s out there on the web (see Bright Planet white paper on Deep web), what is accessible is, on its own scale, overwhelming.    It’s also overwhelming to work with. 

Who hasn’t run even an obscure search only to be bombarded with thousands more results than wanted, not counting the irrelevant, the unwanted, or the obtuse. And what do you do once you’ve found what you were looking for? Print outs reams of pages? Cut and Paste a quotation from a document to another? Manually plug stock quotations into a spreadsheet?  Or maybe you bookmark a page for later, even though basic book marking functionality is nothing more than a questionably organized archive who’s files sometimes get lost (page not found error?).

Admittedly, none of this matters if the question is a one time thing like the lowest airfare from New York to Boston, or whether the Red Sox beat the Yankees at Fenway. The challenge is with data reused over time like:  if you’re writing a business plan and need reams of market data; if you’re a Venture Capitalist trying to evaluate that business plan; if you’re an analyst, an amateur journalist, a compulsive vacation planner, a student …. if you are anyone looking for more than instant gratification.   

Click to Read More