Unless you were living under a rock recently, you may have heard about a little announcement from Apple about the launching of the iPad. Fortunately, I work at VOXUS, which means there was no way I would not hear about this (we are a tech PR firm after all and full of Apple Fanboys).

Of course, the immediate reaction from many people was to compare the iPad to Amazon's Kindle e-Reader. While I haven't used the Kindle extensively (read know people who do), I was interested in comparing the two and found a couple recent blog posts addressing whether the iPad is a Kindle Killer. Here's one from online tech news site TechFlash and here's one from Ben Elowitz, CEO of Wetpaint.

Not sure I want to weigh in on this one since all I have to go on is the hype and not much experience. The iPad... is it an iKindle killer?



-posted by Andrew

In a surprising turn of events last week, Google said it's willing to stop doing business in China unless the world's most populous country makes concessions over censorship and computer-security concerns. The move followed Chinese hackers reportedly recently prying into the gmail accounts of human rights activists.

Former Seattle P.I. reporter, current freelance journalist, Chinese American and longtime China watcher Brad Wong has an interesting take on the situation. In a TechFlash blog post, Wong notes that due to its "5,000 years of history to draw upon for strategies to gain and keep power," the Chinese government probably won't cave to Google.

Google's threat to pull out of China over censorship is a rare display where foreign companies have more often than not accepted certain levels of intrusiveness to gain access to a huge and growing market. With 338 million Internet users at the end of last June, China has more people online than the entire population of the United States, according to figures from the China Internet Network Information Center. 

A quote by Richard D'Aveni, professor of strategic management at Dartmouth University's Tuck business school, in a Christian Science Monitor article, is particularly thought-provoking. He says, "This is a no-win situation for an American [company's] entrance. I think China is going to want control over the Internet, and I think the fate of any search engine or Internet-based company in China is one that they are either going to have to cooperate with the government by allowing espionage or they are going to have to get out if they want to live by American values."

This Google versus China battle appears to be turning into more of an America versus China ideological battle that has wide-reaching ramifications for companies around the world. It's a classic case of censorship versus cash and it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.



-posted by Andrew

There's been a lot of talk recently about 3D TV, especially during and following the big CES show in Las Vegas a few weeks back. With so many announcements about the future of 3D TV and products - the idea has entered the minds of many folks outside of the technology community.

For example, a friend of mine recently explained to me that he would have 3D TV soon, as he had heard ESPN was going to start broadcasting in 3D. I started to ask him about the new TV he would need to invest in, how he would like wearing glasses whenever he watched, etc. Not to my surprise, he didn't know about any of the pieces that go into making the 3D TV experience (not only the channel or movie, but the TV, the glasses, the new players...), he though it would be as simple as flipping to the channel. 

I suspect this is true for many people - people have heard fleeting mentions of "3D TV: Coming Soon," but what does it really entail?

CNET's Crave blog has put together a fantastic FAQ on all things 3D TV. From what TVs will be needed to the particular glasses that your family will need to wear - it's all there. 

Some interesting tidbits:

- Viewer comfort is a big concern for 3D content producers - as 3D can sometimes cause disorientation or headaches after extended periods (for some people)

- The 3D glasses you will need to watch 3D TV are not the same as the ones you use to watch regular 3D movies in the theater

- Between 5 and 10 percent of Americans cannot see 3D due to stereo blindness.

- Glasses alone could cost upwards of $100 a pair (although no maker has specified exact cost)

Check out the Crave article to see the rest of the FAQ and learn more about 3D TV technology.

-posted by Stephanie

Recently, I made it out to the Seattle Auto Show, which featured hundreds of new 2010 cars in addition to some nifty concept vehicles and more. While there were a handful of some really groundbreaking cars like the Karma by Fisker and Tesla along with hybrids like the Ford Taurus, Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids, for the most part I couldn't help but feel like I was walking through a soon-to-be graveyard of autos. Sure, people will be buying some gas guzzlers in the coming years, but I can't help but think... no HOPE... that in the not so distant future people will be turning to more environmentally-sensitive and less resource-draining vehicles. Unlike today where many of these cars take a good amount of cash, the next few years should bring a full lineup of new-age cars for both the haves and the have-nots. Sure, President Obama's new mileage standards may help fuel this drive for more efficient vehicles, but as an industry, I'm hoping the automakers realize it's not only the economical, but also the RIGHT thing to do. Auto show or car graveyard?




Karma by Fisker





Tesla Battery

-posted by Andrew

The online news site Windows Phone Thoughts just posted a piece on the Mobius 2009 invite-only event, where Microsoft shows developers and others what it’s doing in the mobile space. It’s a critical annual platform for the company to lay out its plans, and as such a good gauge of where things are headed. Thing is, check out the photo below from the article (pay close attention to the computers). (via DF)



-posted by Paul

I love technology and I love looking at homes. So I couldn't resist posting this video of Ron Rosberg, who the media deem a technology icon to many in the Bay Area, building his tech-smart home in Clear Lake, California. Enjoy!

-posted by Andrew

Now I'm no expert of FOX's Family Guy show, but I do know enough to say the program definitely pushes the limits of prime time TV. So that's why I was so shocked initially to see Microsoft was going to exclusively sponsor a special Family Guy episode. The special was supposed to be commercial free with Windows 7 and Microsoft marketing messages built into it.

Here's a short preview clip of what the show was SUPPOSED to look like from YouTube:



But have no fear, Microsoft finally saw the light, pulling out of the show about two weeks before its scheduled November 8 airing. According to Variety's Mike Schneider, who broke the story, everything was humming along just fine until the folks at Microsoft went to the taping of the special last week and were shocked, SHOCKED to find racy humor and tasteless jokes about deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest.

Here's what Microsoft had to say about pulling the 180:

"We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of “Family Guy,” but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand.  We continue to have a good partnership with FOX, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas.  We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent."

Fear not, FOX says the show must go on and they're hoping to line up some new sponsors.

Question... didn't Microsoft know what kind of show it was associating with in the beginning? Maybe the Microsoft marketing/advertising folks should have thought long and hard about agreeing to sponsor the show in the first place. The backlash from this flip-flop might be worse than if Microsoft had followed through with the sponsorship after all. Windows 7 motto is "life without walls"... ironic... don't you think?

-posted by Andrew

You knew this was right around the corner with e911 services and GPS for mobile phones. Read an article recently in Digiday: Daily about what the developer claims to be the first hyperlocal restaurant mobile campaign. According to the article, users that download a mobile application are able to see where friends are located and what they are doing via detailed, interactive maps on their mobile phones. As part of the agreement, people will see B.R. Guest restaurant locations, with 13 locations in Manhattan, and if a friend is located near that restaurant. From there, the restaurant holding company is hoping social mapping will take hold and encourage two people in a similar location to meet up at one of their restaurants (with a little nudge from a free desert offer at all B.R. Guest locations).




Seems to me, this could be either a very successful endeavor or not, based on how people feel about sharing their exact location with others. Big brother or not, you make the call.

-posted by Andrew

Courtney Love, the widow of now deceased Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, is tweeting (warning, these tweets are profanity laden) at the top of her lungs about the appearance of Cobain's likeness in the video game Guitar Hero 5. According to her tweets, Love is considering legal action against Guitar Hero video game developer and publisher Activision for the use of her late husband in Guitar Hero. The Guardian newspaper reports that Love is especially upset where Cobain is lip syncing songs from other artists like Bon Jovi.



Love Tweets, "(I) never signed off on the avatar, let alone this ****ing feature!" she wrote. "There's been four breaches of a very strict contract."

Love is also upset at a profanity laden diatribe by Guardian blogger Everett True where True accuses Love and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl of selling out. In the blog, True posted a YouTube video of Cobain singing various pop hits with the subject line "Someone gives love a bad name: Hint Courtney)".



Activision tells the Guardian that Love was very involved in the process of incorporating Cobain's likeness into the game, even picking out virtual wardrobes and hairstyles. But Love (as shown in the tweet above) says she signed off on nothing.

Seems we'll be hearing a lot more about this video game battle and Twitter will give us an inside look at it every profanity laden step of the way.

-posted by Andrew

PC World just came out with an interesting list of its top 10 tech blunders.

In order to stay as neutral as possible, here's the list without any comments coming from me.

What do you think?

1. Yahoo Loses Facebook
2. Real Networks Punts on the iPod
3. Sony and Toshiba Agree to Disagree Over HD
4. Digital Research: The Other Microsoft
5. Xerox Goes in an Alto Direction
6. Recording Industry Plays the Same Old Tune
7. Compuserve Blows Its Chance to Dominate the Net
8. Newspapers Fail to Read the Writing on the Wall--Craigslist
9. The Google Before Google
10. Microsoft Saves a Rotting Apple



-posted by Andrew

Recently, the honchos at General Motors reported the hybrid plug-in car the Chevy Volt will get 230 miles per gallon when it's available to the public in the next year. While the news created an initial buzz, there was almost immediately some cynicism and even backlash regarding that number.

That's because the Environmental Protection Agency has no way formal methodology to come up with HIGHWAY MPG for plug-in hybrids and it turns out GM came up with its own methodology. Also adding to the confusion is that the Volt fully charged runs for 40 miles before turning over to gas. To arrive at its controversial number, Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Volt, said GM used a combination of the E.P.A.'s proposed methodology for measuring plug-in hybrid vehicles in city driving and the company’s own data on real-world driving.

Bottom line, though, if you have a place to plug in your Volt at least every 40 miles, you conceivably would never have to buy gas. Seems to me and plenty of others there needs to be new calculations for the value you're getting out of your car like cost per mile (electricity is 10 cents a kilowatt hour).  Of course that calculation doesn't give you a read on the Volt's environmental impact.

230 MPG... really?



-posted by Andrew

Hot on the heels of Amazon recently pulling George Orwell's "1984" off its virtual bookshelves for the Kindle and the company applying for a patent to post advertisements smack dab in the middle of e-books on the Kindle, the Seattle Times Danny Westneat has a critical article of the online retailer. I tend to agree with Westneat that having an ad pop up as you're trying to escape from reality by reading your favorite book can be annoying. However, having to support a business with new revenue streams is also the sad but true reality of the world we live in... cash is king and nothing's for free. Westneat, out of all people, should appreciate that because as we all know, the newspaper industry has seen better times.



(Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos)

-posted by Andrew

You've probably all heard about the iPhone app gold-rush, but what about the Twitter tool windfall?

You may be asking yourself, what's a Twitter tool? Simply put, it's an added on service to the social micro-blogging site Twitter that's recently taken off.

Companies are flooding the Web with thousands of tools—many of them free of charge—that simplify a number of common tasks on Twitter. For instance, some services let you automatically search for Twitter posts (tweets) that mention a company or person. Other programs let you easily organize the tweets that you follow, or manage how multiple employees use a single Twitter account. But forget outside sites, Twitter is also trying to cash in with these tools and says by year’s end, it will launch several new features of its own for commercial use, such as a directory of business users. The Wall Street Journal Journal has a good rundown of some of these Twitter Tools.

No word yet on how companies plan on making money on these tools if they're free of charge, but profit and Twitter (and most social media sites for that matter) has always been a touchy subject.

So my Twitter friends, keep toolin' along and come tweet us @voxuspr!



-posted by Andrew

In relatively big consumer technology news, online retailer Amazon has agreed to buy online shoe retailer Zappos for $850 million. Amazon said the Zappos management team in Las Vegas will remain intact and Zappos will continue to operate as its own brand.

Following find a video of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos telling Zappos employees of his company's purchase. Bezos make a point of saying how similar the two companies are in this surprisingly low-tech, informal message.



-posted by Andrew

At VOXUS, I'm thankful accessing a Facebook account during work hours is not only OK, but encouraged to a certain degree to support our client efforts. This is in stark contrast to many of my peers that are locked out of social networking sites, or cautioned not to use them while clocked in. According to a survey from WorkPlace Media covered by MediaPost's Online Media Daily, 55 percent of workers that have access to the Web at work maintain a social networking site. Only 43 percent of workers access it at work and usually for less than half an hour a day. A whopping 89 percent of the social networking survey respondents held Facebook accounts.

But what this survey didn't find out is who has borrowed their co-worker's Swingline stapler and not returned it.  Now that's a real office crime.



-posted by Lindsay

The BBC invites 13 year old Scott Campbell to swap his iPod for a Walkman for a week.

It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. That was not the only naive mistake that I made; I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette.

(via Daring Fireball)

-posted by Paul

We look at the good, the bad, the ugly... and the naked? That's right.  Apple just allowed its first iPhone application that focus on pornography into the App Store.  The application, called Hottest Girls, costs $2 and includes “2200+ images of topless, sexy babes and nude models," according to Wired.

What's really hilarious here is Wired's analysis of the application. Maybe someone should check old Charlie's hard drive at work -- the dude seems to know a lot about how porn should be presented!

According to Wired's Charlie Sorrel: "The application itself is terrible. Four photos are shown on screen at once and tapping one will pull a full sized version from the server. From here you can look at it or save it to your photo-roll. There is no slideshow to display a progressive striptease of the same model, so you are limited to one picture at a time before you have to navigate back to the main screen, which shows a lack of understanding as to how a porn app should work. You could of course just use the application for downloading and view the pictures later in the Photos application."

Read the entire short article here.





-posted by Justin

According to an article in the Guardian:

Nokia is developing a phone that recharges itself without mains electricity. A new prototype charging system from the company is able to power itself on nothing more than ambient radiowaves – the weak TV, radio and mobile phone signals that permanently surround us. The power harvested is small but it is almost enough to power a mobile in standby mode indefinitely without ever needing to plug it into the mains, according to Markku Rouvala, one of the researchers who developed the device at the Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, UK.

-posted by Justin

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has released a report, "The Mobile Difference," which places American adults into 10 different Internet user types, depending on how they feel about information technology, what kind of information technology they have in their lives and how they use it in their lives.

CNN has published an interview with the project's associate director of research, in which they explore some of the details of the user types quiz and results. Below is a sampling of some of the 10 user types and the percentage of respondents that identified with each type.

-Digital Collaborators - use information gadgets to collaborate with others and share their creativity with the world - 8%

-Ambivalent Networkers - heavily use mobile devices to connect with others and entertain themselves, but don't always like it when the cell phone rings - 7%

-Desktop Veterans - dedicated to wireline access to digital information and like how it opens up the pipeline to information - 13%

-The Tech Indifferent - unenthusiastic about the Internet and cell phones - 10%

-Off the Network - neither cell phone nor Internet users - 14%

Take the quiz here and see what type of user you are, Digital Collaborator? Ambivalent Networker?

-posted by Stephanie

Just got a peek at the latest mobile video report from Nielsen. After surveying 3,000 mobile video subscribers, they found out that comedy reigns supreme on mobiles. Next is weather, sports, music and news/finance. Does "weather" stick out to anyone else? People are really dialing up video to get a weather report? Hmmm.

Last month, Nielsen reported that U.S. mobile video viewers grew to 13.4 million in Q1. And Pyramid Research projected it to be a whopping $16 billion market by 2014.

It's quite clear that this crappy economy is no match for subscriber demand for mobile video.

-posted by Lindsay

Darren Gladstone, PC World, posted an interesting article about PlayOn from MediaMall Technologies. PlayOn allows users to use a game console or networked television to access shows from places like YouTube, Hulu, etc., to watch on their TV. The software pulls in the media streams and sends them directly over your home network to you device, even converting the format on the fly to make sure devices can play them.

This sounds pretty fantastic, as someone who has a furious love/hate relationship with Comcast (I love TV, but hate everything about my cable bill, service and did I mention the huge bill?). So how does it measure up? According to Darren the quality is no 1080p, but looks good enough considering the money savings. No fancy interface, just simple folder navigation. Consistent software updates to fix quarks from MediaMall. Not the smoothest performance overall. But Darren seems hopeful that with some work, PlayOn can evolve into a great experience for people looking for an alternate way to view television programming.

-posted by Stephanie

We've all seen it by now: text messages from unlikely senders like Dad, Grandma and maybe even Great Grandpa. This growth of texting among late-adopters has driven up the number of U.S. subscribers using text to nearly 60%. This research, covered by FierceMobileContent, indicates that the greatest growth has occurred in older age groups. Of course the tween and teenage segment continue to lead the pack, sending on average more than 500 texts per month.

Earlier this month, a California teen apparently sent a record 300,000 texts in a single month from her iPhone. Now that's just plain crazy.

-posted by Lindsay

Apple has rejected an iPhone app that enables users to fashion their faces into portraits resembling the holy one, J.C. himself. The app, called Me So Holy (cue the 2 Live Crew song), has users take a picture with their iPhone, and then scale and crop that picture to replace Jesus' face. Take a look at a vide of the process below:

Me So Holy iPhone App from Benjamin Margolis on Vimeo.

According to Me So Holy developer Benjamin Kahle, Apple rejected the app saying, "it contains objectionable material." The move comes after recently Apple did a 360 following outrage of its approval of an iPhone app called Baby Shaker, a game whose objective was to shake a baby to death. Apple removed the app after a good deal of parental push-back saying Baby Shaker's approval was a mistake.



Other than being criticized for approving questionable apps such as Baby Shaker, Wired Magazine reports some developers have slammed Apple for being unclear about its App Store approval process. For example, FreedomVoice Systems in March told Wired.com that Apple hadn’t said a word about its iPhone voice app Newber for six months, potentially costing the company $600,000 in wasted investments. But for every app disappointment, there's a success story like Ethan Nicholas, an independent developer whose iPhone game iShoot earned him $600,000 in a single month.

No back to Me So Holy, the iPhone SDK agreement reads, “Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”

Does Me So Holy break the rules? Looks like its a matter of subjectivity. What do you think?

-posted by Andrew

Kelly Smith is a founding partner in Curious Office, a company that is both a seed stage investment firm and a software development company.  The Seattle-based company currently has equity holdings in:  Inkd, CafePress (which acquired ImageKind in 2009), SEOmoz, Shelfari (acquired by Amazon.com), Fanzter (a company that created the popular www.coolspotters.com), Wishpot and FeedDigest (sold and rebranded to Feed Informer by Informer Technologies).

For the Curious Office website, Kelly recently started interviewing CEOs at startup companies through a Q&A format.  We thought it might be fun to turn the tables on him and ask him our top five questions.  Here are his responses.

1) You call yourself a "web slave since 1994."  What was the defining moment that year that made you realize you'd found your passion?

I joined a company called SPRY in 1993.  SPRY sold the first commercial internet product called Internet in a Box.  What was unique about it was that we were the first company to license the Mosaic source code from the University of Illinois where a young Marc Andreessen was still a student and hadn't yet co-founded Netscape.  Sometime in mid 1994 we were all standing around our computers looking at the newly launched FedEx website.  You could enter a tracking number and it would show you where your package was.  That blew us all away.  I fell in love with the web at that moment.  Yahoo wasn't yet even a search engine.  Just a handmade directory of links.  Not long after SPRY sold to CompuServe I was referred to a company in Seattle called Progressive Networks.  They had this idea to deliver audio over the Internet.  I joined in 1994 and they subsequently called the company RealNetworks.  During my 5 years there, the smart engineers figured out not only how to deliver audio but also video.  I remember that our big tradeshow demo was showing live radio station feeds from a Stockholm radio station streaming over the web to our tradeshow floor!  The RealPlayer and the Rhapsody Music service became a household name.  I learned so much and feel very lucky to have worked with so many smart people.

2) Do any difficulties arise when you're in the business of both investing in companies and helping to develop them through incubation? For example, is keeping your eye on revenue growth (for a return to investors) ever at odds with a more management-oriented decision?

Nobody has ever asked me this question before but it's actually something that challenges me.  We start companies ourselves like Imagekind and our latest venture called Inkd: The largest marketplace to download newsletter templates, flyer templates, brochures, business cards and other types of print creative.  However, we also invest in companies such as SEOmoz where we don't have day to day responsibilities.  But we still feel it is important to be as supportive as we can so we need to back away from our computers and sometimes go to meetings and try to help tackle tough questions that our portfolio companies have for their own businesses.  As you can imagine, when we start our own companies we hold a larger stake but I still feel it is just as important to try to be as helpful as possible for our portfolio companies.  When I think about the challenges that Curious Office has, the answer is always the same - not enough time in the day.  

3) When it comes to seed-stage investments, who is the biggest gambler -- you or your partner, Adrian Hanauer?

This one is easy.  Adrian has an incredible risk tolerance.  He brought the Seattle Sounders to Seattle as a Major League Soccer team this year for example.  He is one of my oldest friends and I respect him so much because he thinks for rationally and calmly in every situation...even when very large amounts of money are at stake.  The Seattle Sounders was a far bigger bet than any technology investment.

4) This can be a difficult economic client for early-stage companies.  Any advice you can give to bootstrappers who might be contemplating a first round of funding?

In my experience, fundraising seems to be just as much about relationships as it does about your idea and your technology. If you are contemplating fundraising then get involved in the events and venues where investors and other successful entrepreneurs go.  Sometimes its easier to get close to other successful entrepreneurs than it is to get close to investors but that's a great way to start.  It is also important to remember that previous success is the best way to raise money.  Even if your first success is small, that's better than no previous track record.  It's sometimes smart to establish a first base hit for yourself.  That makes all investors feel more inclined to take a risk with you.

5) We're a little amazed at the sudden surge of Twitter usage.  What type of Web 2.0 or social media company do you think will be "the next big thing?"  Are there particular niche companies that you are looking to bring into the Curious Office family?

I'm interested in working with people who deeply understand the subtle nuances of driving lots of traffic through all available channels.  There are those who are learning and there are those who know.  I don't know what the next big thing is but the best bet is to bet on smart people.  Guys like Andy Liu of BuddyTV or Ben Huh of ICanHasCheezburger are great Seattle examples.  They understand how to come up with concepts that have a viral hook and they understand how to drive and build traffic to their destinations.  Someone who divulged all those secrets would sell a lot of e-books :)

-posted by Rachel

Got a poor credit history? Then T-Mobile has the right cell plan for you. According to a FierceWireless story number four carrier T-Mobile is being accused of lowering its credit standards to boost subscribership. While subscribers with bad or little credit may be a riskier target market – it's a market nonetheless. In fact, I would guess it's growing pretty rapidly during the downturn.

-posted by Lindsay

Apple is about to hit one billion app downloads - one billion! To celebrate, anyone who downloads an app will be automatically entered to win a $10,000 iTunes gift card, an iPod Touch, a Time Capsule and a MacBook Pro. I'm not sure how you could ever begin to spend $10,000 on iTunes, but I'm sure there are plenty of Apple fans out there willing to give it a try. TechCrunch has also announced that they will be offering a TechCrunch t-shirt to whoever can guess (or get closest to) the date and time that Apple will cross the one billion mark.

Apple has a counter up on their homepage - and it's moving at an insanely rapid pace. In the 10 seconds it took me to type that sentence, almost 3,000 apps were downloaded. Wow! You can keep track of the count at http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-app-countdown/.



-posted by Stephanie

Despite the recent push from the U.S. House of Representatives to delay televisions switch to digital until June 12, Comcast has already begun the transition in parts of Washington, Western Oregon and the San Francisco area. According to Comcast, expanded basic customers are eligible for one free basic set top box and two smaller "DTA" converter devices which will enable customers to view all previously available channels. The downside, these free boxes will no longer receive high definition signals and require an additional $6.95 per month to upgrade to an HD service that was once free... Ah, capitalism at its best.

Here's the most recent schedule for the Puget Sound region and a list of affected channels.

-posted by Shawnna

Despite all of the turmoil with the car industry, two industry titans seem intent on trying to innovate, or at least appearing to.

Last week, we got a sneak peak at Chrysler's Peapod and GM's P.U.M.A. Take a read of Engadget's articles which I've linked above. The two vehicles both operate on electricity and are meant for local travel, but that's where the similarities apparently end.



vs



-posted by Andrew

A Computer for Your Wrist

Was just cruising through engadget and came across the Glacier Computer Ridgeline W200 – a PC for your wrist.  I like the small and portable part, but wouldn't your arm get cramped from holding it just so? What's not clear is why someone would select this over one of those cute netbooks (cause it's definitely NOT a fashion statement). Maybe they're targeting the skydiving CEO?




-posted by Lindsay

Hewlett-Packard told InformationWeek that it is studying whether or not it should replace Microsoft Windows with Google's Android operating system on some of its mini-laptops, often referred to as netbooks.

While I don't think Microsoft is shaking in its boots about this – yet – we found the announcement interesting because a VOXUS client, D2 Technologies is using a netbook to demonstrate its Android-compatible communications user interface at CTIA this week. If HP was to select Android for its netbook line, that would give a huge boost to the open source OS that is now being used in a number of smartphones... and that increased market for Android-compatible products would trickle down to developers like D2. And that's good news in the present day economy, because industry analyst Gartner Group is predicting the market for netbooks to grow by 80 percent this year.



-posted by Rachel

According to a recent article in the Tacoma News Tribune, Dell reached a deal in January with attorneys general from 34 states that, without admitting fault, they would pay up to $1.5 million in restitution to customers who experienced a repeated pattern of communication breakdowns. Dell owners who’ve had issues with financing, technical support, warranty repairs or cashing in a rebate must contact the attorney general’s office before April 13 to be reimbursed for money they can prove was lost. Consumers who have filed so far have received an average of $250 per claim, totaling $10,680 in Washington.

-posted by Shawnna

Sometimes (although rarely), I like to be healthy. In those rare, fleeting moments, I often pick up a copy of Seattle's Conscious Choice magazine to learn about the latest health fads. This month's issue had a particularly interested (and disgusting) topic: Shmeat. What on earth is shmeat? Well, its also known as virto meat, cultured meat, victimless meat, vat-grown meat and various other terms to describe meat that was basically grown in a test tube. Shmeat is grown from cell culture (harvested cells from an animal) and placed in a nutrient-rich medium (like blood). Once the cells multiple, they are attached to a spongy scaffold (or sheet) that has been socked with nutrients and stretched to increase cell size and protein content. Sheet + Meat = Shmeat. While this type of meat obviously has its pros and cons,  according to Jason Matheny, director of New Harvest, a nonprofit working to develop meat substitutes, “a single cell could theoretically produce the world’s annual meat supply.” That's one pro that's hard to overlook in a world still stricken with starving third world countries. Read on to learn more.



-posted by Shawnna

Just when you might be writing it off as purely just a marketing tool or way to communicate with friends/colleagues, a piece of technology is invented that could change the entire way you look at social networking micro-blogging service Twitter. Researchers at New York University's interactive telecommunications program have come up with a device that allows plants to tell owners when they need water or if they've had too much via Twitter. Read more.

-posted by Andrew

Everyone has heard of the term "Facebook Fired", a "verb" used to explain being fired for something you post on Facebook. Now, it’s Twitter's turn... In a recent article on MSNBC, it was uncovered that a recent tweet cost a would-be Cisco employee his potential job after posting:

"Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

Tim Levad, a channel partner advocate for Cisco Alert, tweeted (responded) back:

"Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web."

Though the would-be "Cisco Fatty" immediately set his Twitter account to private and deleted everything from his page -- it was too late and the job offer was withdrawn. Ouch!



-posted by Shawnna

Apple has announced that as of March 19th high-def movies are available for purchase via the iTunes store, beginning with box office hits "Quantum of Solace" and, of course, "Twilight." Until now, Apple has only offered HD movies as rentals, however HD television shows have been available. As Engadget points out, each HD movie purchased will come with an HD file and an iPod or iPhone-ready SD file and will cost $19.99.

-posted by Stephanie

CNET just posted some impressive Twitter growth numbers. Apparently, Twitter has grown more than 1,000 percent over the past year(!). That is incredible. Noticing the growing number of businesses using Twitter, VOXUS just published a white paper on the topic. You can get your paws on the paper by clicking here.

Also, find VOXUS on Twitter (@VoxusPR).



-posted by Lindsay

A new research report from the Centers for Disease Control shows that an increasing number of people have ditched the old land-line in favor of a mobile-exclusive lifestyle. Somewhat surprising to me was the fact that Oklahoma has the highest percentage of cell-only households and adults, with 26.2 percent of households and 25.1 percent of adults having no land-line phone. Other high-ranking states include Utah, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho and Kentucky - while states like New York and California rank in the bottom half, with only 11.4 percent and 9.0 percent, respectively. As far as our home state, Washington, we are in a three-way tie with Michigan and North Carolina, with 16.3 of households adopting the cell-only rule.

While this is great news for wireless companies, this is posing a bit of a problem for data collectors and census takers as cell phone numbers are generally left out of data gathering pools - so an increasingly larger number of people aren't being reached for things such as election polls. It also doesn't help that the large majority of those that have adopted the cell-only lifestyle are part of the same demographic (younger) and therefore are underrepresented in said polls. Perhaps in the future polls will be conducted via text messages...



-posted by Stephanie

Everybody loves American Idol, right?  OK, maybe not.  I don't really start to enjoy it until the contestants are whittled down to what America thinks are the best six or so (right now there are 13). Die hard fans that want more than what the twice a week show can deliver, can now go to their iPhones to get exclusive content.  According to a recent FierceMobileContent story, FreemantleMedia  and Seattle-based Zumobi have unveiled a $1.99 app that allows fans to track contestant progress, predict results show voting and watch unseen videos.

In case you're wondering, Anoop is my early favorite...

Stril out.

-posted by Lindsay

Roman Catholic bishops across Italy are urging people to go on a high-tech fast for Lent this year. Separate Dioceses and Catholic groups across the country are appealing to their faithful to abstain from everything from driving to using their iPods, text messaging or surfing the Web.

For example -- Dioceses and Catholic groups in Modena, southern Bari and other cities have called for a ban on text messaging every Friday in Lent, which began last week. The Modena diocese claims giving up texts is a small way to remember the importance of concrete and not virtual relationships.

Separately the Turin diocese has created a "new lifestyles" calendar with proposals for each week of lent which includes not watching TV, leaving cars at home and enjoying the silence of a week with the Internet or iPods.

However, this technology "abstinence" doesn't sit well with everyone. Rev. Giancarlo Angelo Andreis, a priest at a Roma basilica says. "What does giving up mean? If the use is capricious, then abstinence is welcome, but if technology is needed for work it makes no sense."

My take (despite me not being a Catholic), do it if you can and if you feel like it really is a sacrifice. It will make you look at the world an entirely new way.

-posted by Andrew

MySpace and Citi are partnering up to offer a Citi Forward/MySpace credit card! The credit card is marketed towards a younger generation (MySpace's target audience) and rewards responsible card holders by lowering the purchase interest rate by a quarter of a percent if used wisely. Card holders also receive "MySpace points" that can be redeemed for music downloads, contests, concerts, shows and other events. And card holders can accumulate additional points by participating in socially responsible acts such as using energy efficient light bulbs or volunteering. Who'd have thought one day you'd be using MySpace to get your next credit card!

-posted by Shawnna

VOXUS’ star intern, Julie Olds, wrote this blog. Julie is currently finishing up her undergraduate education at Tacoma's Pacific Lutheran University and is exploring a field in communications. Below is her experience for a job interview in the public sector. Quite a whirlwind process our Julie had!
 

You may have heard of speed dating, but have you experienced speed interviewing? In my most recent job interview, I tried out this new and exciting approach to interviewing. The speed interview had a similar format to speed dating, requiring me to jump from seat to seat to interview. Going into the interview process, I knew it would be competitive. There were nearly 600 applicants bidding for just one position, but the last thing I was expecting was to interview alongside three other people. The completion was on, but instead of finding my soul mate in a five-minute session, I was trying to sell myself to four different faces as I moved around the room at the sound of each bell. I couldn’t help but think of how it reminded me of musical chairs from elementary school. I can understand the benefits of this new technique for the hiring staff. They are searching for just the right person and are hesitant to make such severe cuts to a large number of applicants (the initial number of applicants for this job started at about 500). Speed interviewing allowed them to interview what they deemed 40 viable candidates and narrow down their search to a qualified few. In the sea of faces the hiring staff saw today, I can’t help but wonder how memorable my face or my responses were in our brief encounter. At the very least, this interview opened my eyes to an emerging technique in interviewing. Not to mention that I had fun during the process. So the next time I practice for job interviews, I’ll be preparing myself for some speedy encounters.

-posted by Andrew (and Julie)

For better or for worse, Bellingham, Washington Tatango has launched a new website that chronicles in real time via four video cameras every facet of the startups day 24/7. Here's what Derek Johnson, Tatango's 20-something year-old CEO says about the startup turned real world show; "So why broadcast everything 24/7 and let the whole world watch us? Why the hell not! If people want to watch us, let them watch us. I think we have a pretty cool story to tell with our startup, and what better way to tell that story then to watch it play out in real time, live over the internet." TechFlash recently wrote about Tatango TV and says the vice president of marketing Andrew Dumont told them the idea is not so much about live content as it is about embracing transparency for people like investors. This whole idea seems earily reminiscent of Seattle startup, Earth Class Mail's reality TV show Start-Up Junkies on Mojo TV.

Oh... and for background Tatango is a mobile messaging startup although I did notice ads in all of their streaming video which I'm assuming they're utilizing to subsidize the cost for creating and maintaining the video site.

When I logged on at about 1pm Pacific, I found a team of hungry startup employees munching on a bunch of greasy pizza. Not judging, just reporting.

My thought, expand on the 24/7 idea with separate daily "video confessionals" from various employees on what occurs at the company on a daily basis.

Would love to hear what you think.

-posted by Andrew

I've always thought that you could find out a lot about someone's personality by looking at their music collection.  A new study suggests you can also determine a person's intellience (or lack of) with the same data Virgil Griffith, a college student who gained fame for outing anonymous corporate and government editors to Wikipedia pages, has compiled a chart that links music choice to SAT score. Here's what it boils down to: Beethoven = smart, Lil Wayne = dumb.

Check out Virgil's findings here: Musicthatmakesyoudumb.virgil.gr

Be warned that the above site keeps crashing.

-posted by Lindsay

The popular social-networking site has been hit by what's believed to be the fourth rogue app in a week or so and is investigating the spread of a new variant of the Koobface worm, according to security firm Trend Micro. The Koobface worm spreads via a message from a Facebook friend that includes a link to what looks like a video.


Read more here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10185517-83.html

-posted by Justin

Here's another 'green' blog for you -- the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of protecting the environment and strengthening the economy, recently released its list of America's top 12 greenest cars of 2009.

According to a recent ACEEE release: Despite the beating taken by the industry in 2008 and more tough times ahead, this continues to be an exciting time for green vehicle technology. Manufacturers are fine-tuning their engines and transmissions, improving materials, and adding emissions control technologies to complete the phase-in of Tier 2 tailpipe standards and get a head start on meeting tightened federal fuel economy standards. Worries over the economy and future gas prices are driving interest in high fuel economy vehicles as well. “The economic downturn may put the brakes on technology investment in some sectors,” noted ACEEE Transportation Director Therese Langer. “But unstable fuel prices and a domestic auto industry in danger of being left in the dust by its foreign competitors make fuel efficiency technologies an essential investment in this business.”



-posted by Shawnna

I came across a very cool Wired post about some students from MIT that have created a wearable computing system that turns objects into interactive display screens. The article also has a video that shows exactly how this works. The entire setup cost less than $350 and was debuted at the TED Conference. I'd go  into more detail, but you really just need to read and watch the article.

http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/02/ted-digital-six.html

-posted by Justin

In 2009 and 2010, it is estimated that 140,000 U.S.-based jobs will be moved offshore, and more than 50% of those jobs will be in IT, according to the Hackett Group, a global strategic advisory firm. Fortunately, President Barack Obama has made keeping jobs in the U.S. one of his top priorities, and has already proposed tax breaks and initiatives geared towards creating jobs through spending. According to a recent article in Business Week, the proposed stimulus package would direct $20 billion at health information technology and the building of an infrastructure to promote the electronic exchange of health records. That investment will create or retain 86,820 jobs for one year in high-paying industries such as computer hardware manufacturing, software, and IT services. Additionally, the package also includes another $6 billion to improve broadband Internet access in the U.S. That amount would create or retain 29,892 direct telecom jobs for a year and 8,304 capital equipment jobs. If the package passes through Congress, it would definitely be a significant step towards keeping IT jobs here at home.

-posted by Shawnna

Who uses rabbit ears in this day and age?  Apparently, more people than you would think. The House just announced broadcasters have four more months to make the switch to digital service. According to a FierceMobileContent story, American consumers are still lacking the information and assistance they need to make the switch to digital in their homes (me on the other hand, I've seen 200+ commercials on the subject). Meanwhile, Qualcomm has to wait to utilize the more than $500 million worth of 700 MHz spectrum they purchased to significantly expand their mobile TV service.

I think we should treat the digital transition like taxes.  How many people wait until the last second to file?  Once a rabbit-ear viewer is forced to miss his or her favorite shows, they'll figure out how to get on board.




-posted by Lindsay

The X Prize Foundation announced the winner of its "What's Your Crazy Green Idea?" competition on Thursday. The first-place winners, which received $25,000, were University of California at Irvine students Kyle Good and Bryan Le on the Capacitor Challenge team (code for really smart team), for their idea that someone should develop a more efficient energy storage device to replace batteries, for everything from iPods to cars.  Winners were determined by YouTube voting. While not a revolutionary idea, this is a very challenging problem!

So, go forth and create.  Just make sure you stick to their guidelines:

• Use only self-contained capacitors.
• Exceed the energy density of average lead acid batteries.
• Fully recharge in less than a minute and up to 500,000 cycles.
• Be completely recyclable and incorporate nontoxic materials.
• Cost less than twice the price of average lead acid batteries.
• 

-posted by Justin

CareerBuilder is offering a new spin on the anonymous tipoff. Ever wanted to tell a coworker they "smell like the inside of an old cabin" or wanted to encourage someone to pop in a mint after lunch? Using CareerBuilder's Anonymous Tip Giver you can, with a friendly message delivered by one of four characters. These characters include a mustached businessman with strategically torn holes in his shirt, a barefoot businessman laying across a baby grand, a zombie business woman hovering over her desk and, of course, an alligator (or perhaps crocodile) in a shirt and tie.

After choosing which character you'd like to deliver your helpful tip, you can choose a pre-written message (some of the best are below), choose a delightful voice to deliver the message (you may also choose to record your tip by phone, which might make it less than anonymous), preview and then send to the poor soul in need of a heads-up.

There aren't many "premade" tips - I suppose if you are using a tool like this, you already know exactly what you want to say - but the ones they do have are pretty funny. Here are my favorites:

"One out of 10 people think your barking dog ringtone is funny. That one person is you"

"Next time you're like, giving a presentation, like to the boss, you should like say "like" less."

"You smell like the inside of an old cabin. I thought you should know."

Be aware, a small disclaimer along the bottom of the page warns that "emails created are not private messages and can be viewed and played by others on the internet." Tipsters beware.

-posted by Stephanie

Super Bowl Sunday is a day of worship in my house. I can't imagine not viewing the entire game from my or a good friend's couch. But I'm sure there are plenty of people that have to work...or will be in transit that day. Thankfully, Sprint has got them covered. The carrier has teamed with the NFL to offer the NFL Mobile Live service, connecting fans with the game wherever they are. According to ProFootballTalk.com, a Sprint partner, the carrier has pulled out all the stops to make sure your Super Bowl XLIII experience is a great one -- including putting temporary towers in high traffic locations. Wherever I end up watching the game, I hope Warner will lead the Cardinals to a sweet victory.

-posted by Lindsay

Amazon is holding a party in New York City on February 9.  The occasion?  Well, we can only speculate at this point. According to Forbes, the company will likely introduce a sleeker and more powerful Kindle electronic reader.  Rumors are swirling around faster performance, a touchscreen and better access to content. Oprah named it her "favorite new gadget" in 2008, which I'm assuming sent their sales soaring. As a thank you, maybe she had some input on the new features.  Can you imagine GPS (Gayle Positioning System) or SMS (Stedman Messaging Service) added?



-posted by Lindsay

This story reminds me of the late great John Candy's last movie, Canadian Bacon.

After my colleague, Stephanie Martin, blogged about President Obama's refusal to give up his Blackberry, I found a little nugget to follow up on that story. This week, The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft's Randy Siegel, who oversees the company's mobility strategy and relationship with the U.S. Federal Government, questions President O'Bama's use of a Blackberry.  Keep in mind that the company behind the Blackberry device and network, Research in Motion or RIM, is based in Canada. Siegel is quoted as saying “You would be sending your data outside the country. We wouldn’t want the casual musings or official communications of the most important person in the world being intercepted by others.” Siegel argues that a better alternative would be a National Security Agency-approved device, such as the Sectéra Edge. Made by defense contractor General Dynamics and powered by Microsoft’s Windows CE software, the Edge is 12 ounces and costs about $3,350.

Whether it's good or bad publicity, Microsoft has certainly brought some attention to the company surrounding President Obama's first day in office. To Blackberry or not... you make the call.

-posted by Andrew

Will President Obama get to keep his beloved Blackberry? Well, sort of. During the 2008 election, President Obama was not shy when discussing his love for his BlackBerry, even responding to an interviewer asking about his worst habit with, "Checking my BlackBerry." However, when he secured his spot in the White House, the future of his trusted gadget was unclear.

But alas! The President has already won this one, and has been given the okay to use a special, security-enhanced BlackBerry on a day-to-day basis, to keep in touch with both his senior staff and close friends and family (only a select few will be given his email address). According to an article by the Associated Press, Obama will be the first sitting president to use e-mail, as some previous presidents have chosen not to correspond via email, as all messages can be subpoenaed by Congress, courts, and may be subject to public records laws.

A cool article from Network World breaks down the security features the special BlackBerry might need. President Obama seems to be pretty in-tune with technology... maybe an ObamaBlog is on the horizon....?



(Image courtesy Computer Weekly)

-posted by Stephanie

On this day, January 22 1984, Apple launched the Macintosh personal computer with it's now infamous 1984 Super Bowl advertisement. According to Nielsen Media Research, the ad reached a whopping 46.9 percent of all American households although it did air during the 3rd quarter of a blowout between the Washington Redskins and then Los Angeles Raiders (read between the lines, some people might be concentrating on the dip or taking a siesta at this point). Some more interesting facts, Ridley Scott directed the commercial and then little known ad agency Chiat/Day produced it at a then unheard of enormous budget of $900k. Microsoft's board originally didn't want to air the ad, but eventually gave in. As a refresher, the ad is a take on George Orwell's book "1984" in which Big Brother takes over and is shown on a huge television screen. In the ad, a heroine comes to the rescue and throws a sledgehammer through the TV screen meant to show how Apple will shatter conformity in support of individualism. The commercial concludes with text which reads: "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984." 25 years later, do you think Apple has followed through on their original promise?

-posted by Andrew

Being a Mac user, I love this story from TechFlash, way of the Washington Post:

"Thursday's Washington Post has a fascinating story about the technological challenges faced by the Obama administration as it moved into the White House following the inauguration. Mac-loving Obama staffers were flummoxed by all the out-of-date Microsoft software left over from the Bush administration -- to the point that they couldn't complete the most basic of online tasks."

Why does this not surprise me!!



-posted by Justin

I recently upgraded to a new cell phone (okay, it's an iPhone -ed) , and one of my favorite features is that it is a touchscreen. It makes the phone so sleek and stylish looking, and really makes it much easier to maneuver around on the Web. However, I absolutely distain the tiny touchscreen keyboard -- whoever created it must have had tiny hands or used only their pinky fingers to type -- its nearly impossible to properly type out a message on that thing! Luckily, a local Seattle-based company, Jott Networks, has come to the rescue with a service that allows you to capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, text message contacts and even transcribe your voicemail messages... all with your voice! I really wish I had this feature on my new phone...

Hands-free Email & Text Messaging:


-posted by Shawnna

I couldn't resist posting this short blog entry, but boy is this cool. I'm a self proclaimed neat freak and there were some neat TVs unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Neat in the fact that 1) They're really cool and 2) They don't take up much space. Panasonic showed off a prototype set that was 8.8 millimeters thick and Samsung gave a glimpse at a TV that measured in at 6.5 millimeters. Forget about what I write though, take a look for yourself at a Washington Post article and Seattle Times blog from our friend Brier Dudley.

Thin is in!

-posted by Andrew

I love my iPhone, but would love a cuter, smaller version even more. Recently, Engadget helped spread the Apple iPhone Nano rumors a little further. Covering a story in DIGITIMES, the Engadget article reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is poised to secure chip orders for a mini-sized iPhone Nano. Rumored to be a low-cost, entry-level version of the original, whispers of a Summer launch have got me on high alert.

Update: President of VOXUS and Apple enthusiast Paul Forecki has just crushed my dreams for the iPhone Nano. He says if the iPhone Nano is ever launched, it certainly won't be this Summer.

Apple: let's prove him wrong.

Paul: confident enough to bet me one iPhone Nano?

-posted by Lindsay

Looks like there's finally a cost-effective option for turning your car, truck or van into a mobile hotspot – Autonet Mobile. Autonet Mobile is the first wireless Internet Service Provider designed for your car. The Autonet Mobile router will turn your car into a WiFi hotspot, allowing multiple passengers to connect their own WiFi enabled gadgets to the Internet at the same time. Very cool and cheap. Only $29 a month!! The router’s sleek form factor was designed to be easily installed in the trunk of your car or the cargo area of your SUV.

-posted by Justin

According to a new Wireless Week article, most of us are phone dummies. That is, many users are not taking advantage of all the extra features phones deliver, like cameras and calendars, etc. NPD reports a whopping 45% of U.S. mobile phone users "just make telephone calls." This definitely isn't the crowd I hang around with...but I could see that being the case for older generations. Calculators, text, GPS and other apps would improve the life of so many. Perhaps users just need an in-depth how-to lesson (the quick demo at the store doesn't count) and some pocket size cheat sheets to get on board.

-posted by Lindsay

As the minutes tick down for the baton to be passed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, I can’t help but let my mind wander to a time when Gates was king. This year, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will keynote CES after years of Microsoft’s Chairman Bill Gates assuming those responsibilities.

Gates was known for his list of celebrity guests which included Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, The Rock and more. TechFlash has a great retrospective on these star-studded events.

Having been privy to take part in one such keynote at CES 2007 when doing PR work for Microsoft, I learned first-hand how Gates’ keynotes resembled more of a rock concert than a meeting of some of the world’s greatest minds. It’s that buzz that led to Gates’ selection year after year and now to Ballmer’s succession.

This year, Ballmer takes the stage. While he seems to garner a lot of attention himself through antics like his now infamous monkey boy video, something tells me he’s not going to steal the limelight quite like Gates.

-posted by Andrew

According to our favorite third-party tech blog, TechFlash, Internet Explorer continues to lose market share to other Web browsers, including Firefox and Safari. Not a big surprise here... we use both Firefox and Safari in an attempt to stay away from that horrible mess called IE (can you say vulnerability). While IE still has 68% of the market, that's down 11% over the previous year. Losing more than 10% market share in a year is HUGE (at least in my book), especially when you consider that back in the early days, IE held more than 90% of the share. Also worth noting, Google Chrome has 1%, which sounds like nothing, but as the TechFlash folks point out, it was introduced in September (not bad for three months work).

-posted by Justin

Mashable's Open Web Awards were determined by more than 90,000 votes in the final round. Although no local companies were deemed winners, there are some interesting sites such as Zoosk and Coolspotters mixed in with the more traditional Google as people's choices.

-posted by Rachel

$100 Netbook Now At RadioShack

Not sure what to get your workaholic loved one for the holidays? Check out the pint-sized 3G netbook now available at RadioShack for $100.  This ultra portable Aspire One netbook from Acer weighs less than two and a half pounds and offers WiFi connectivity.  The catch? You have to sign up with AT&T Mobility's DataConnect mobile broadband service for two years at $60 per month. This little guy (covered by RCR http://tinyurl.com/66jfmb) is the equivalent of a puppy in the canine world.  So cute and sure to draw "ohhs" and "ahhs" from passers by.




-posted by Lindsay

I Want an iCar
 
With all of the talk surrounding the big 3 automaker bailout, some media outlets like ZDNet, CNET, TechNewsWorld and the New York Times are suggesting Steve Jobs take the helm at GM or be appointed the feds new “car czar”. Some of the reasoning for the GM top spot, Jobs would cut out the corporate fat, speed up innovation (and actually innovate at that) and market products correctly.
 
I love some of the comments from readers on possible Jobs GM cars:
 
·               Acceleration and braking would be handled with a single pedal
·               It would drive slower in Redmond than it would in Cupertino
·               You’d have a choice of: brushed aluminum
·               Steering would be done via touch screen.
·               You could only use Apple brand gasoline from Apple brand gas stations.
 
Who’s ready for an iCar? I am!

-posted by Andrew

First it's Black Friday...then it's CyberMonday...now its Mobile Tuesday? According to a recent NewsFactor story, mobile marketing firm Mobigosee is launching Mobile Tuesday -- a new mobile shopping campaign aimed to increase sales the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Unlike Black Friday, Mobile Tuesday isn't restricted to store hours and doesn't call for driving, parking, searching aisles or standing in lines. Shopping via mobile is a great option for people like me who favor quick and low stress shopping – any time of year.

-posted by Lindsay

The announcement of Google Mail Goggles is cracking me up. If you haven't already heard, the Goggles (hopefully) prevent you from sending email you may later regret, be they the product of inebriation or whatever else you might do on Saturday night. When enabled, the Goggles check to make sure you really want to send that email to your ex-boyfriend at 2 am on Friday night with, what else, but a few math problems. I guess the idea is that if you are cognizant enough to solve some math problem, you can be trusted to make the right decision on your own. However, if you cannot answer what 196 x 7 is, maybe you should wait until the morning to profess your love or tell someone off. I like this idea... although I think for some people it might be more useful on cell phones...

-posted by Stephanie

Nokia, the world’s number one mobile phone maker, recently announced it would begin selling a touch-screen phone that offers free music downloads.

The phone comes with Nokia’s new ‘Comes with Music’ bundle which has signed up all the major record labels (Universal, Sony, Warner Music Group, and EMI) and even many of the independent labels and is said to offer about five million tracks. Nokia’s music will differ from others on the market since you’ll be able to download tracks for free (data and airtime not included… so this could add up).



The phone is called the Nokia 5800 xpressMusic handset. The phone’s 8 GB internal memory can be beefed up with another 16 GB on a micro SD type memory card - which means you can store over 18,000 songs. The company claims it’s able to offer the tracks at no cost because it bundles the cost into what you pay for the phone (an estimated $395). The first such phone offered will be available in the UK, the world’s third-largest music market, on October 16.

No word yet if/when the phone will be offered in the U.S. However, the launch has created a media buzz both favorable and unfavorable. Gizmodo's also got a hold of Nokia's canned video for the 5800. Is this going to be the iPhone killer? You make the call.



-posted by Andrew

Seems like I'm experiencing a rise in spam lately. While I have a folder these junk emails usually drop into, it's annoying to have to view and delete them later. While I don't look inside any of these emails, I do occasionally read the subject lines (spammer marketing speak can be quite entertaining). I got one last night that was both humorous and disturbing. The subject line read "We have hijacked your baby." Can you hijack a baby? I don't think so. In any case, I don't have a baby, but If I did, I probably would have checked to make sure he or she wasn't snatched from the house. It's a shame spammers are getting more aggressive and all we can do is sit back and take it.

-posted by Lindsay

What do you do when your competitor has slowly been pecking away at your reputation for years? Sit quiet? Speak up? Microsoft, which apparently has been TiVoing through the highly entertaining and brand-trashing "Mac vs. PC" commercials, finally appears to be gearing up for a major counter-attack. According to the News Tribune, in September, Microsoft will launch a $300 million ad campaign to help improve its image. Microsoft has hired some major star power for the campaign -- Jerry Seinfeld, Will Ferrell and Chris Rock. I can't wait to see these comedic giants in action, but don't think for a minute that I'll consider giving up my Macbook, iPod or iPhone.

-posted by Lindsay

I headed up to Giggles on Saturday night to see one of my favorite comedians Jeff Dye (third place winner of this year's Last Comic Standing). It seems that social networking has become a bottomless pit of comedic material. Jeff and the two opening acts couldn't resist poking fun at the social networking phenomenon that consumes all of us. One of my favorite comments was from a comedian who admitted to changing his activities/interests to "showing up to work on time, filing, sweeping, etc." when he had his resume out. All of this is a good reminder not to take ourselves or our social networking too seriously.

-posted by Lindsay

I've been trying to resist blogging about the "I Am Rich" application for the iPhone since it first started making news last week, but I can't hold back any more. After a respectable 8 purchases, the $999.00 app has been pulled from the App Store... but it still has some "fans." Gizmodo has posted a guided tour of the "I Am Rich" app, and it is truly a work of art - I mean, how can you not get ahead with the inspiring mantra and beautiful gem that glows in the background, reminding you that "you could afford it." Watch this video, its delightful... and if they ever let "I Am Rich" back in the App Store, consider getting it, you "deserv" it!

-posted by Stephanie

Technology is always more fun when you can use it to make mischief! VoIP is now taking prank phone calling to a new (and improved!) level. The new Disney’s Hannah Montana Wake-Up Call allows users to enter a phone number and the delightful Miley Cyrus’s voice will wake them up or send them a reminder: “Dear [name], don’t forget that today you have [activity].” There is no authentication of the user, which allows the user to enter any source phone number they want -- enabling the user to make the calls look like they are coming from someone else. Naughty, but fun!

Read more about this new service in Alistair Croll's blog entry in GigaOM.

-posted by Shawnna

Cliff Edwards' Tech & You column this week profiles a new product from Emotiv Systems, a San Fran-based start-up backed by Technology Venture Partners (out of Australia) and Epicure Capital Partners. Emotiv has developed a mind-reading headset (yes, that's right) slated to ship this year for just $299. The device translates your thoughts into computer instructions using EEG technology (similar to what hospitals use). Emotive says it is initially targeting the entertainment and gaming markets. Sign me up, as long as I get to keep my hair that is.



-posted by Adrienne

Microsoft unveiled a controversial focus group study last week that involved its now year and a half old Windows Vista operating system. The company recently set up a blind study involving a video demonstration of what they were told was the forthcoming “Mojave” operating system. However, the subjects of the study never actually got to demo Mojave AND were actually watching a disguised demo of Windows Vista but were never told this until after the video. Microsoft says it conducted the Mojave experiment over three days in San Francisco before 120 subjects. The company says the subjects, on average, gave Vista a rating of 4.4 out of 10 prior to participating. The average rating jumped to 8.5 after the subjects watched the demo, according to the company. Some journalists claim Microsoft is trying to insinuate there is a big disconnect between the actual performance of Windows Vista and the PERCEIVED performance based on negative media coverage and ads by mainly Apple.

I was part of the general launch of Windows Vista for Microsoft, so I’m glad I could get a peak into their re-launch of Windows Vista.

-posted by Andrew

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

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

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

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

Following up on the Debating Twitter post from earlier this week, this morning found me doing some research and design work for our clients that are targeting the MySpace/ Facebook crowd. Now, a little back story is in order: I have a rather unique last name. It is Eastern European in origin. Specifically Polish, according to most records. Most all of my relatives, those that aren't back in the old country, are based somewhere in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with some having migrated to Michigan, and a little splinter group that went first to DC, where I was born, then to California. That's pretty much it. Suffice it to say that if someone has the last name of Forecki, we're related by blood or marriage.

Also, I'm old. Okay, not really, but -- as the late George Carlin would say -- older. I've been around a while. I predate the Web and email. Back in high school I was using Apple computers that weren't a Macintosh, because those hadn't been invented yet. And I've been in technology and around computers ever since. I know things. Like Google.

Specifically, I know about Google Juice, which is basically the idea of owning your name on Google rankings. Thanks to the fact that I'm in technology PR and that my name (and email address, damn you spammers!) is plastered all over the Internets, I've generally owned most of the Google searches for Forecki. (Except for a certain author who has been my nemesis on Google searches for years and who shall now remain nameless lest I help her rankings.)

All of which to say that I basically pwned Forecki-wannabes on Google. And Facebook. And LinkedIn. In fact, to the point that I stopped really searching a year or two ago, because it seemed pointless (and a little vain, but that's beside the point). Unfortunately, while I wasn't looking my relatives clearly launched a sneak attack. In the form of a new generation of teenagers and twenty-somethings. Their offspring, with the same last name. These kids know things too. And they are suddenly crushing me on Google. There are almost a dozen on Facebook. One has even registered forecki.com for crying out loud.

Sigh. I need to get busy.

-posted by Paul

Nice review by Associated Press tech writer Peter Svensson for the new Samsung Instinct, the first real competitor to the Apple iPhone. Sprint Nextel will begin offering the phone on June 20, getting a jump on the new 8-gigabyte iPhone, launching on July 11 and backed by the AT&T network. Apparently, there are also new BlackBerry models coming out later this year for Verizon and AT&T. It's interesting to note that all of these phones are featuring cameras with at least 2 megapixels -- the first thump in the death knell for low-end stand-alone digital cameras.

-posted by Rachel

If you're like the majority of users, "in between activities" is the most popular time to watch mobile TV. Next favorite scenarios include "while waiting in line" and "while in transit." Of the same pool of users, 31% report watching mobile content for less than 5 minutes with only 8% watching for 31-60 minutes. Among the non-watchers, perceived expense is the most popular reason for not trying mobile TV services.

To view the full study, visit Wireless Week.

-posted by Lindsay

The Social Networking Dilemma: Too Many, Too Little Time

Having trouble picking the right mix of social networking sites? Well, the list just keeps getting longer (see FierceWireless' Jason Ankeny break it down). These new sites will no doubt contribute to the social networking overload many professionals and students experience today. I can only hope that consolidation in the marketplace comes soon. Wouldn't it be nice to Twitter from your FaceBook?

-posted by Lindsay

Although it's a competitor's slogan, Clearwire might be wondering whether or not its investors can clearly hear it, along with the tunes its proposed suitor, Sprint Nextel, has been singing. A general investor's meeting is being held this week in New York to discuss the implications of the companies' merger. There might be a lot more news coming out of this conference, since industry rumors are swirling about a reorganization (again!) within Sprint to shore up sales. The Wall Street Journal also reported last month that Deutsche Telekom is "considering" acquiring Sprint...this as a follow-up to its purchase of VoiceStream (now T-Mobile) seven years ago. Might make sense, but this would mean the combined companies would have three different networks, handset supply chains and brand names. Stay tuned.

-posted by Rachel

When I first began working in the PR business, late night runs to Kinko's for last minute presentations and copies were the norm. Before Powerpoint, color copiers and whiz-bang office supplies were readily available, it was just me and "Kinky's" that stood between a client's success or failure on the road. So it is with some regret that I noted that FedEx, the new parent company of Kinko's, is dropping the name in favor of shoring up the FedEx brand. I suppose it was inevitable, as thousands of us no longer make midnight runs in our pajamas to fix one final typo in a presentation booklet. Maybe that's a good thing.

-posted by Rachel

So, on May 21st, Wii Fit was released in the U.S. (with the exception of NYC, which got an early batch last Monday). As a proud owner of a Wii (which was played constantly for the first month or two after Christmas and has since been collecting quite a bit of dust... which I suspect has happened to many of the Wii owners such as myself who have no kids and can only swing a remote in the air like a tennis racket so many times before finding the couch and American Idol far more interesting) I am very intrigued by this whole concept.

The Wii Fit is a bundle of game software and a white board that you stand on that can weigh you (boo!) and sense your movements (yay!). "Games" include yoga, hula hooping, skiing, running and many more. There have been a ton of articles written in the past week about the Wii Fit, including this one from CNN that gives a good summary of what it's like to actually experience the Wii Fit. The general consensus seems to be that it is super fun, somewhat challenging and will get people off the couch and moving around, although it may not be quite enough to replace regular work-out routines.

In conclusion, yes, I will probably go out and buy this new contraption, because I do things like that - and yes, it will probably be fun and entertaining - but no, I don't think I will be canceling my gym membership... at least not yet.

-posted by Stephanie

Virgin Mobile has expanded its subsidized mobile program, appropriately named "Sugar Mama," with a new Facebook feature. According to a FierceWireless story, Virgin Mobile users that download the company's Fund My Phone application to their Facebook profile can earn minutes when their friends view advertising and participate in market research. I'd like to see this same type of creative subsidization in the mobile entertainment market: allow friends to help other friends earn credits toward TV and video.

-posted by Lindsay

Interesting article in VentureBeat earlier this month. Microsoft is notorious for fluffing its market figures by emphasizing the positive, so it's been widely noted by analysts, editors and bloggers that the company has been curiously silent on Zune...and now we know why. Only 2 million units have been sold since it launched in late 2006; in comparison, Apple sells a little over 3.5 million iPods a month. It's hard (and maybe unfair) to compare the two figures, as Zune is only sold in the U.S. (and the iPod is global), but one can safely say that Zune is underperforming -- and I don't think its new gaming initiative is going to make up the sales gap.

-posted by Rachel

Six Hour Startup, a Seattle-based networking and educational organization, is sponsoring a pretty interesting conference on May 31 at the Columbia City Theater. If you're interested in starting a business, this is the place to go -- you'll get all of the nuts and bolts you need to be off and running. Best of all, it's just $99 and includes lunch (a bargain). Speakers include entrepreneur Andy Sack, Dan McComb from Biznik.com and Carolyn Duncan from Fundinguniverse.com.

-posted by Rachel

Have you ever uttered text-speak out loud? I'm guilty of saying "OMG" in social situations and yes, I've received some interesting looks. While I thought that may be a sign of some dysfunction on my own part, the long-term impact of mobile communications on language and society never really crossed my mind. The Economist recently took a hard look at this trend. In the article, experts suggest that "Entire subcultures now define themselves primarily or exclusively through their chosen text-messaging or instant-messaging argot." This can be troubling for younger texters learning language in school and also texting shorthand, a form of communication that oftentimes lacks spelling, punctuation, syntax, and other core language rules.

-posted by Lindsay

With all the data loss and identity theft around these days, you'd think the term "flash drive" would make IT professionals, especially security professionals, cringe. BUT, apparently not – do these folks live in an alternate reality! A new survey conducted by SanDisk reports that companies around the world are unaware of the extent to which unsecured flash drives are used in their organization.

Check out these stats from Sandisk:

- 77 per cent of corporate end users use personal flash drives for work-related purposes, but, when asked to estimate what percentage of the workforce uses personal flash drives, corporate IT respondents reckoned only 35 per cent.

- According to SanDisk, people use flash drives to hold customer records (25 per cent), financial information (17 per cent), business plans (15 per cent), employee records (13 per cent), marketing plans (13 per cent), intellectual property (6 per cent), and source code (6 per cent).

- Approximately one in ten (12 per cent) of corporate end users reported finding a flash drive in a public place. And when asked to pick the three most likely actions they would take if they found a flash drive in a public place, 55 per cent said they would check out what was on it.

- Almost half (44 per cent) of end users revealed that, to their knowledge, their organization did not have a policy forbidding the copying of corporate data on personal USB flash drives.

- 41 percent of corporate IT managers report they are at least 'somewhat uncomfortable' with the level of USB flash drive usage in their organizations, revealing a significant level of potential risk.

-posted by Justin

For the second time in the last month, a Google executive has jumped ship for Facebook. Ethan Beard, the former director of social media at Google, will join the privately held company as director of business development.  Some speculate the move to infiltrate Google's ranks is a direct result of the social-networking company trying to provide some senior support to its 23-year-old CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.  They say the momentum started to shift from Google to Facebook much like it moved from Microsoft to Google about a year ago.  That's when ex-Googler and current Facebooker Justin Rosenstein wrote a public email declaring the social network (Facebook) was "the Google of yesterday, the Microsoft of long ago.  That company where large numbers of stunningly brilliant people congregate and feed off each other's genius."

Will people begin saying ‚ "Google is so last year"?

-posted by Andrew

Red Herring recently reported that Modu, the Israeli startup that the Guinness Book Of World Records claims has developed the lightest cellphone at 1.41 ounces, has raised $100 million in venture funding.  Not bad for a company that launched its phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year.  The company was founded just a year ago by Dov Moran the founder, chairman and ceo of M-Systems, which invented the USB Flash Drive.  Modu claims its phone can be slipped into a wide variety of Modu jackets and transformed into different electronic devices, from a phone to a digital camera to a music player.



Check out the picture of the phone.  It may remind you of the phone from one of my all-time favorite movies Zoolander.



-posted by Andrew

Starbucks at its annual shareholder meeting has pledged it will get back to its roots - coffee. New equipment, better/more informed baristas, fresher coffee, yahda yahda. Sounds like a good branding 101 plan. Joe Pine, co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP and an expert on marketing experiences, warns that the plan could go wrong if the company doesn't do a good job explaining the changes to baristas who will be responding to "confused customer's questions." Not sure what's confusing...Starbucks is going to give me a better latte. What I do find confusing though, is the company's plan to begin offering energy drinks and get into the health and wellness business. Pretty sure last time I checked energy drinks and caffeine weren't so great on the body. Oh well, I'm just happy about the better latte.

Allison Linn's MSNBC article has more info.

-posted by Adrienne

Apple hasn't always caught my eye... making the MacBook Air a rare exception. Every time the commercial comes on, where the MacBook Air is pulled out of a manila envelope, the longing to own one intensifies. Recently, reviews for the MacBook Air have highlighted a few negative aspects. Including faults like the MacBook Air doesn't include a built-in optical drive, FireWire, Ethernet, mobile broadband, and the fact that it only has one USB port. And like with its other laptops, Apple refuses to outfit the Air with a media-card reader or an expansion card slot. There has even been controversy surrounding MacBook Air's claim to be the "world's thinnest notebook." Some say the Mitsubishi laptop from 1997 was even thinner. Still, none of these faults have stopped my wishful thinking that someday a trade will be made for my iBook G4 to a slim and sleek MacBook Air...

Find more info on one of MacBook Air's latest reviews.

-posted by Shawnna

Rachel just posted about an interesting "workplace experiment" over at 37signals. I'm a huge fan of the company, regularly use their Backpack hosted application and routinely read the company's popular "Signal vs Noise" blog. In fact, I was reading this particular entry at home when Rachel called and asked what I was doing. I replied "learning about how to make VOXUS better..." or words to that effect, and I am always looking for good ideas. As such, I have some thoughts on the 37Signals experiment, which breaks down into three areas:

Shorter Work Weeks: the company has instituted a 4-day work week...

We found that just about the same amount of work gets done in four days vs. five days. So if that’s the case we could either push everyone to work harder during those five days or we could just skip one of those days. We decided to skip one of those days. So recently we’ve instituted a four-day work week as standard. We take Fridays off. We’re around for emergencies, and we still do customer service/support on Fridays, but other than that work is not required on Fridays.

The last sentence is the kicker. This abbreviated work week is not a new concept, and I agree with it in general as it applies to companies that produce products. Hell, I had friends that worked at aerospace companies that were doing this in the 80s and 90s, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that it goes back further than that. But notice that 37Signals doesn't give its customer service/support business an extra day off. Why? Because a service business has to run on its customer's schedule. From our standpoint, even having our primary account folks work a part-time schedule is problematic, because in a service business clients expect to be able to reach you whenever they need you, and expect you to deliver work on their schedule, not yours. Certainly there is a great deal of latitude in approaching this issue, and a strong set of mobile and collaborative tools can work wonders. But it remains a fundamental difference between companies that manufacture goods and companies that provide a service.

Funding People's Passions: another 37Signals innovation...

We decided that 37signals would help people pay for their passions, interests, or other curiosities. We want our people to experience new things, discover new hobbies, and generally be interesting people. Part of the deal is that if 37signals helps you pay, you have to share what you’ve learned with everyone. Not just everyone at 37signals, but everyone who reads our blog. So expect to see some blog posts about these experiences.

This is... insightful. I am quite intrigued by the approach, which is a riff on the traditional "lunch and learn" that has been kicking around at companies for years. I'm not sure what we're going to do with the idea yet, but it's definitely a keeper.

Discretionary Spending Accounts: and finally...

We’re in the process of giving everyone at 37signals a credit card. If you want a book or some software or you want to go to a conference, it’s on us. We just ask people to be reasonable with their spending. If there’s a problem, we’ll let the person know. We’d rather trust people to make reasonable spending decisions than assume people will abuse the privilege by default.

Again, not a new idea, and we already more or less do this at VOXUS. The part I like best about their approach is embodied in the last two sentences. I have personal experience with companies that basically managed down to the lowest common denominator; if someone did something wrong, an entirely new policy or process was instituted company-wide to address the issue with one person. Which is just dumb, and frankly an example of bad management. Trust, verify and correct is much better.

I still don't see this working into a trip to Greece for Rachel, however.

-posted by Paul

I like to think that VOXUS has taken the lead in creating an enjoyable work atmosphere -- but my hat is off to the folks at 37signals (www.37signals.com), that nifty little company that brought Basecamp and Campfire to the market for building collaborative work environments. According to a blog post, 37signals has adopted several new workplace strategies for 2008 that I'd like my boss to take note of: four day work weeks (oh, yeah, I'm so there), stipends to pay for the development of new hobbies (I'm thinking I'd like to learn Greek...in Greece) and individual credit cards for discretionary spending (see previous reference to Greece). I used to envy the cafeterias, bus systems, massages and gyms for Microsofties and Googlers, but now those perks seem so old school.

-posted by Rachel

According to researchers at Informa, the mobile social networking market is expected to reach a whopping $29 billion by 2012. As reported by FierceMobileContent, mobile social networking generated $1.5 billion in 2006 and is on a path of high growth. In a related story, CNET suggests that social networking via mobile devices hinges on the availability of location-based services, providing users with information specific to their location, like what friends are nearby, the nearest jazz club, etc..

Admit it, "mobile social networking" is a mouthful and "MSN" doesn't work either. Anyone else in favor of a shorter name? Maybe "mobisoci"..."mobisocnet." Got any other ideas?

-posted by Lindsay