Our friends at Pure Networks have a new boss: Cisco Systems acquired the company for $120 million. It's actually a pretty good marriage -- Pure Networks has a great little product in Network Magic, a software that makes it easy for consumers to set up home networks. And the company was already a partner with Linksys, a router supplier that Cisco previously acquired.

-posted by Rachel

Y Combinator, that quirky VC firm that brought us local startups such as JamGlue and RescueTime, is now accepting applications for the winter 2009 funding cycle. Deadline is October 17 at 10:00 p.m. PST. These VCs even have a shortlist of the types of problems they'd like to see solved (talk about being proactive!). If you've got a cure for some of the following, you need to set up a company pronto:
- simplified web browsing tied to social strata/interests
- Internet dating
- any potential competitor to Microsoft desktop software (Microsoft must be really happy about this)
- online learning applications
- off-the-shelf home security

There are other ideas that are even grander, such as solving the declining readership problem newspapers are facing through competition from Internet-based news sources.

-posted by Rachel

I just got around to reading a rather long, but fascinating article in the NY Times on the idea of resurrecting old "dead" brands, such as Nuprin, Brim Coffee, Underalls, Salon Selectives, etc.

This is essentially the situation that River West brokered with the Nuprin brand, which was a dead line of ibuprofen painkillers (once upon a time backed by the widely known “Nupe it” ad campaign). Its trademarks were acquired by River West and sold to CVS, where it is back on the shelves as a stealth store brand. (And presumably enjoying better margins than it would if, like a traditional store brand, it competed solely on low price, not trustworthy-brand familiarity.) My read was that this is what Stone thought should happen to Brim — and that Earle had mixed feelings, believing, perhaps, that Brim could come back as something bigger. Even Stone seemed at least somewhat intrigued with the possibilities of licensing a brand that was familiar but dead. “With Stanley we have to be careful — this is a famous brand; we have to do everything right and mitigate all the risks,” he says. “But with Brim, the risks. . . .” He paused. “There really are no risks.” This brings us to Earle’s ideas about the potential upside of faulty consumer memory. Maybe, for instance, you’re among those who remember Brim. But do you also remember that it was a decaf-only brand? That’s actually why you could “fill it to the rim.” River West’s research found that many who recall the Brim brand have forgotten the decaf detail.

We often play off of the idea of turning old developments into news on the theory that "if you haven't heard it, it's news to you" – but this takes it much further. Interesting stuff if you're into understanding brand recognition.

-posted by Paul

Yes, there were hiccups. Yes, I cursed profusely at my MacBook, then at iTunes, then at my iPhone, then at the USB cable connecting my iPhone to my MacBook, then at my dogs (just because that's how I roll)....then I collapsed in exhaustion and shed some rare tears. However, after the 6 hour ordeal ended, my iPhone was updated with the new 2.0 software and I was downloading my first application (celebrating with some interpretive dance and the running man). The whole experience was so traumatic, I couldn't blog about it until today. My phone was actually a brick for 5 hours -- how do you recover from that. What if I missed a call from Barack Obama thanking me for my $5 contribution!!!

Okay, so I know what's on your mind. What was my first application? Wait for it, wait for it: Big Canvas PhotoShare of course, duh. Now why would I download that application first (before the hailed iPhone Light Saber app)? Well, to be honest, they're a client and I wanted to jump right in and start using it. And, I have to say, it's "da-bomb" (not my term, but a cultural phrase used to express mucho satisfactiono). Why is it "da-bomb" Justin (that's right, I also roll in the third person now)?

Well Justin, the best way to describe this apps value, is to tell a little story. So, here goes. Last Saturday night Justin attended a 30th b-day party at Lucky Strike (a chi-chi high-end bowling alley in Bellevue where a beer costs $8 and all the waitresses are rude, two thumbs down). Some other friends couldn't attend, but wanted to get updates on how it was (couldn't attend, sure, I'm a little sick, cough, cough). Enter PhotoShare to save the day!!! With this app, Justin was able to take pics during the event and immediately post them to my PhotoShare website. Justin's other friends could then access for immediate real-time photo-logging (that's right, new term for photo blogging, absorb it, feel it, wrestle with it, now embrace it)....or people at the event could access them later to get some pics. Best part, no one has to register to see them. A couple quick touches on the iPhone screen and the pics were up and posted. Soooooo easy (queue "heavens open" music and "hallelujah" chants). Justin can't wait to go on vacation and send back constant reminders to co-workers that he's in a tropical location and they're not. End of story.

Net/net, you should all go get this application and join the PhotoShare community. 2,000 people are downloading that application daily and they have more than 10k users since the launch last week!!!!

And, BTW, the Light Saber application – while not a productive app – is pretty much every StarWars geek's wet dream (Justin drops mic, yells "peace, I'm out" and walks away from his desk.)

-posted by Justin

I am one of those sorry saps who drives a lot. I haven’t always been this way, but since joining VOXUS, I have an almost 100 mile round-trip commute. With the recent spike in gas prices, I constantly find myself shopping around to find the lowest local gas prices on TacomaGasPrices.com. It’s a listing of supposedly the bottom of the barrel gas prices in the Tacoma, WA metro area and I’ve found it works well. The site is an arm of GasBuddy.com. The company is a network of gas price listings sites for various areas and claims it is a grass-roots community effort to lower gas prices. It works by having members post prices in their area to the site.

I just signed up to be a resident reporter/member. The site claims a fringe benefit for members is they are entered into a number of raffles based on the number of points they accumulate (mainly through price postings). The site says these raffles include $250 gas cards.

I’ll let everyone know if I’m pumped up about member perks soon.

-posted by Andrew

PCs and mobiles are not stealing traditional sofa TV viewers according to a recent Nielsen report covered by Red Herring. In fact, time spent watching traditional TV rose four percent from 2007. These numbers indicate that there is room for all three screens in the market. For me, any time I spend watching TV on my PC or mobile is supplemental to the hours I log in at home on the couch. While I might be a little less productive with TV at my fingertips all day, I wouldn't want it any other way.

-posted by Lindsay

The LA Times' Top of the Ticket blog has an entertaining post discussing the recent New Yorker magazine Obama cover and reminds us all what not to do when faced with an outlandish or otherwise icky allegation.

For those of you needing a quick recap, the New Yorker ran a cartoon cover with Obama and his wife dressed as terrorists, burning the flag etc. Obama's campaign immediately went public with a strong denunciation of the cover, which drew massive attention to the image, an image that Obama obviously would have preferred quickly die on the newsstands. Instead it became an Internet wildfire.

Days later on Larry King Live, when asked about the cover, Obama delivered a great response...

"Well, I know it was the New Yorker's attempt at satire. I don't think they were entirely successful with it. But you know what? It's a cartoon, Larry, and that's why we've got the 1st Amendment.

"And I think the American people are probably spending a little more time worrying about what's happening with the banking system and the housing market, and what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, than a cartoon. So I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it."

...but as the LA Times points out, it was unfortunately several days too late.

-posted by Adrienne

Seems there are a few gaming geeks roaming the halls of VOXUS. I’ve got news for you all, those of us who use gaming consoles for something other than playing video games have got some good news. Microsoft and Netflix have unveiled a partnership under which Netflix will stream movies directly to you through Microsoft's Internet-based Xbox Live service. Under the deal, customers who have an Xbox 360 console attached to their TVs and who subscribe to Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold service (cost $50/year), and who are also Netflix subscribers, can download Netflix movies at no additional cost. In addition to Netflix, NBC will be adding TV content to the Xbox Live Marketplace and Universal will be contributing movies. I’ve got a secret for you all… I rarely (if ever) use the Xbox for gaming. It’s my media hub to stream pictures and music from my desktop.

Gaming geeks be gone.

-posted by Andrew

Seattle has always been a 'green' city -- and now its taking it one step further. Right now, Seattle is currently considering putting into effect a bag fee and foam/plastic ban.

The bag fee, if passed, would charge shoppers 20 cents for each disposable plastic or paper bag used at grocery, convenience and drugstores starting in January 2009. Stores would keep a nickel to cover the cost of administering the fee. Small stores that gross less than $1 million annually would keep the entire 20 cents. Each household would receive at least one free, reusable shopping bag.

The foam/plastic ban, if passed, would require restaurants and grocery stores to switch from Styrofoam or other polystyrene containers and cups to plastic or biodegradable alternatives in January 2009. In July 2010, the ban would expand to include plastics, such as utensils and deli containers. Businesses would have to use all biodegradable containers.

Personally, as much as this may take some getting use to... This is an initiative that everyone in Seattle, and perhaps all of Washington, should support for a cleaner city and for future generations.

-posted by Shawnna

It has been a bad few weeks for the Mercedes and Lexus drivers here at Voxus, so I thought I'd share two new sites: DriverSide and RepairPal. Still in testing, both sites rely on user supplied data to quote price ranges for various automotive repairs. More details in Stephen Wildstrom's review (he prefers RepairPal).

-posted by Adrienne

Apple is launching MobileMe, Apple's replacement for .Mac, on July 9. Heads up that www.mac.com will be out of service between 6 p.m.-12:00 a.m. Pacific that day. MobileMe remotely syncs computers and devices, including the iPhone, so there is an upside for many of you .Mac fans out there.

-posted by Rachel

Our friends at Seattle-based Imagekind have a new boss...the online art store has been acquired by CafePress for close to $20 million.

-posted by Rachel

We are now a group on FaceBook. Log in, search for "VOXUS" under groups and request to become a fan. We'd love to hear from you...

-posted by Lindsay

As a follower of celebrity gossip, I buy certain weekly magazines on occasion to catch up with what my favorite stars are up to. One magazine always has a section called "Celebrities, They're Just Like Us!" which I disdain. They include pics of celebrities being "just like us" normal folks, and include such stupid things as buying groceries, wearing hats, walking, driving, etc. Wow, after seeing a picture of a Jennifer Aniston buying a gallon of milk I do suddenly feel like she is just like me!

Right...

Anyways, I saw this article in Forbes about celebrities who choose not to (or don't know how to) use technologies most of us use on a regular (and by regular I mean constantly, all the time) basis.

For example, Vince Vaughn doesn't have a cellphone. Orlando Bloom doesn't use email or even own a computer. Paul McCartney doesn't know how to use an ATM. President Bush doesn't use email (and was famously quoted in 2006 for saying he uses "the Google" to look at maps). Simon Cowell doesn't know how to use a computer. There are many more examples and funny tidbits in the article.

I think this does teach us an important lesson.... celebrities aren't just like us... which is probably a good thing.

-posted by Stephanie

Just read on Wireless Week that Chrysler is going to add WiFi to many of the new 2009 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars. My husband (a Chrysler shop foreman) probably already told me this, but I wasn't listening (car-talk goes in one ear...). The Uconnect Web would be a really cool feature for us freaks that can't put our laptops and iPhones down in the car. Very cool, Chrysler. Keep it up! All you need to do now is make your cars more sleek and sophisticated on the outside and I'm in.

-posted by Lindsay

Mashable, one of the more entertaining news sites on social networking, is kicking off its SummerMash Tour in Seattle on July 12. It looks to be one of the events of the season! The party gets started at the Showbox SoDo at 7 p.m. Tickets begin at $14, and you can find out more here.

-posted by Rachel