This week, Fred R. Shapiro, editor of the Yale Book of Quotations, came out with his top 10 quotes for 2007.

Number 1 on the list wasn’t George Bush, Britney Spears or even a little known scholar… rather a senior at the University of Florida. His quote now heard around the world was “Don’t Tase Me Bro” while being hauled away by campus police during a speech by Senator John Kerry.

Two things struck me with this quote… the first was the use of the word “bro”. No way would anyone have cared about this quote unless the student hadn’t used the word “bro”. The second… how a little known person became so famous. In this age of information where a couple words can make you instantly known around the world thanks to the web and YouTube, this student has a claim to fame that should be reserved for heads of state and such.

Keep in mind… this is the most quoted person of 2007… ahead of such outspoken people like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Makes you wonder who'll be the most quoted person of 2008…

-posted by Andrew

So I just started working at Voxus and have the unenviable or enviable task (depending on how you look at it) of migrating from a PC to a Mac.



Let me just preface with the fact that prior to Voxus, I worked for one of Microsoft’s PR agencies and in fact was in New York City for the launch of Windows Vista. I’ve got everyone breathing down my neck saying, “what do you think about the Mac?” From a mom in education whose worked on a Mac for years to a dad in high tech that’s lived with a PC for years. As for me… we had a Mac in our house when I was really young, but like the rest of the world migrated to a PC in the early 90’s. In absolute delight that her son is becoming a Mac user, my mom has sent me article after article explaining why a Mac is so much better than a PC. Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle most of my life, I’ve heard it all… “Microsoft is big brother”, “Microsoft gives you so many more options”, “Apples are for creative types”, “Windows makes it easier to do what you want, when you want”, blah blah blah.

Honestly… after a few days… I can’t tell much of a difference. Sure, an apple is “cooler looking” with their super-sleekness and all. But when it comes down to it for us business types I just need a computer that turns on, allows me to use Word, Excel and Power Point, has an email application and lets me surf the net. My point is, and this is quite anti-climatic, it’s all about preference. I’ll keep you posted on how my experience is down the road, but until then…

“Hello, I’m a Mac user and I’m a PC user”.

-posted by Andrew

Matthew Mullenweg, the founder of the software WordPress that runs much of the world's blogging sites, had one of the funniest blog entries (http://photomatt.net/) of the new year so far. Matt names the top ten folks who emailed him the most in 2007 -- and his mom ranked third. I'm not sure who I got the most email from, but it might very well be the person in Nigeria needing help to launder money. I bet Matt's Mom is a lot more interesting.

-posted by Rachel

Kingston resident and Pulitzer Prize winner Byron Acohido, who now writes for USA Today has co-authored a new book with USA Today tech writer Jon Swartz on security threats to sensitive data and financial transactions. Due to be released in April, Zero Day Threat explores how banks and credit bureaus are actually helping cyber crooks steal personal identities. Barnes & Noble will carry the book, and it's garnering rave reviews from security consultants who know the industry well. Local residents may remember Acohido in the mid 1990s as the then-Seattle Times reporter who broke the story on design flaws with Boeing's 737, causing a massive (and expensive) recall and replacement effort.

-posted by Rachel

David Berlind, formerly an editor and blogger at CNET (parent company to ZDNet) for the last 10 years, has moved on -- and his new gig is pretty impressive. He'll be joining CMP as the executive director of the Interop conference. Hope he loves Las Vegas...you can read more.

-posted by Rachel

Time to vote for our home-grown startups. Two area ventures grabbed semi-finalist spots in Intuit's "Just Start" contest : Melodies About Me, based in Bremerton, creates personzlied music for children, and Seattle-based Inu Treats makes all natural dog snacks with an Asian flair. The winner gets $50,000 in startup seed money.

-posted by Rachel

Attention, Vancouver BC-area startups: nPost will host a networking event at Library Square sometime in early February. You can learn more about the event by monitoring the signup wiki here. And if you're fans of Jay and Silent Rob, the duo is already registered to attend.

-posted by Rachel

The next meeting of the Seattle Tech Startups group will be on Tuesday, January 22 at the downtown branch of the Seattle Public Library, beginning at 6 p.m. The topic: "From Startup to Steady Revenue," exploring how young companies can build a sustainable business.

-posted by Rachel

Want to ogle Google?

Google will have an open house at its new office in Fremont on Tuesday, January 15, beginning at 6 p.m. You're invited to sneak a peek and grab a bite, but you have to RSVP.

-posted by Rachel