Miscellaneous
29 November 2006
If Google Shopped Until It Dropped Business Week
It was a glorious Thanksgiving for the founders of Google, whose shares now trade around $500, having more than quintupled in 27 months. Yes, a market value of $155 billion is some kind of cornucopia. So with tryptophan coursing through their veins and visions of search algorithms dancing in their heads, Sergey Brin and Larry Page let their post-meal thoughts drift to what most other Americans were fixating on: shopping.
28 November 2006
UN warning on e-waste 'mountain' BBC
The UN meets to discuss how to tackle the growing problem of dumping of electronic waste in Africa.
Trouble clicks: “Click fraud” could undermine the boom in online advertising The Economist
Internet advertising is booming. The industry has gone from $9.6 billion in revenue in 2001 to $27 billion this year, according to Piper Jaffray, an investment bank. And it is still early days. The internet accounts for only 5% of total spending on advertising, but that figure is expected to reach at least 20% in the next few years. The single largest category within this flourishing industry, accounting for nearly half of all spending, is "pay-per-click" advertising, which is used by firms both large and small to promote their wares.
25 November 2006
Fundamental socialism by Mick Hucknall (lead singer of Simply Red) The Guardian
Copyright is fundamentally socialist - it is radical and redistributive, subversive even. How else would you describe a form of property that anyone can create out of nothing? Copyright's democratising effect is seen most clearly in the music business. Anyone who can speak, sing, rap or hum and operate a simple sound recorder can create a copyright song. Imagination is the only limit.
24 November 2006
Green IT: Do it for the money, if nothing else ZDNet
While the welfare of the planet may not top their agenda, the vast majority of businesses are still shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to energy savings. Eighty percent of businesses have never conducted an energy audit and only 29 percent of businesses are investing in energy-efficient PCs, according to research from Intel.
Confounding the skeptics, Google shares soar International Herald Tribune/New York Times
Over the years, many have felt that Google stock was overvalued and that it would inevitably suffer the fate of Yahoo. This week, Google shares closed above US$500 for the first time.
23 November 2006
Google shares going gangbusters Sydney Morning Herald
Google's share price surpassed $US500 for the first time, marking another milestone for the internet search leader.
Is Google worth its weight in gold? CNet
As Google's share price neared US$500 Thursday [and subsequently passed it], analysts were unfazed by the fact that the search king's market capitalization is greater than its three biggest Internet rivals combined and about double that of media companies Walt Disney and Time Warner.
22 November 2006
us: Newspapers to link up with Yahoo New York Times/International Herald Tribune
A consortium of U.S. newspaper chains representing 176 daily papers plans to form a partnership with Yahoo that will start with shared ads and extend eventually to news content.
18 November 2006
Here are two signs of hope for the world's secret superpower The Guardian
Timothy Garton Ash writing in The Guardian looks at the growing importance of the media in the world, calling the newspaper "a weapon more powerful than most in the possession of the US army" with "much of its impact comes from its dissemination through electronic screens" today. Garton Ash goes on to say "The engine of this growth in media power, as in military firepower, is technological change." The article then goes on to look at the launch of al-Jazeera English.
17 November 2006
Google, Yahoo, Microsoft adopt same Web index tool CNet
Search engine rivals Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are teaming up to make it easier for Web site owners to make sure their sites get included in the Web indexes, the companies are expected to announce.
15 November 2006
au: Victoria the first to cast e-vote in a state election Computer World
Electronic votes are set to be cast in the state of Victoria today, marking a first for Australia in any state election.
14 November 2006
Can't we all share in the search bounty? The Guardian
Should we be paid for using search engines? For most people that is a silly question. Of course not, they would say. If anything, we should be paying them. The use of search engines has transformed our lives by bringing knowledge on any subject to our computer screens in a fraction of a second - and all for nothing. The more relevant question is: how much would you pay to have a search engine if it were suddenly whisked away from you? The answer is: a lot of money.
08 November 2006
us: Do the Rights of the Disabled Extend to the Blind on the Web? New York Times/International Herald Tribune
According to an advocacy group, Target declined last year to make its Web site fully accessible to blind people with specialized screen-reading technology last year. If true -- and Target has denied the accusation in court -- it was a public relations blunder, and it may have been illegal as well.
06 November 2006
Why you should care about the Stern Review ZDNet
Sir Nicholas Stern, former World Bank chief economist, lobbed a bombshell into the heart of the climate change debate on Monday. His report, compiled at the behest of the Chancellor, laid out in stark terms the measures needed to stop global warming. Its conclusions are not pretty, and have major implications for businesses and IT professionals.
02 November 2006
'Next step' in science studies: The Web International Herald Tribune
In little more than a decade, the Internet has grown to become such a pervasive force in commerce and culture that a group of leading university researchers is trying to make the Web a field of study on its own.
31 October 2006
'The Google' lets homesick president keep an eye on the ranch The Guardian
Two years ago George Bush told the world about things he'd heard on "the internets". Since then the US president has progressed, becoming more familiar with the hi-tech world he leads.
30 October 2006
Small is beautiful for the net giants The Observer
'Web 2.0' highlights how the online world is changing: amateurs come up with the ideas, then the big boys open their wallets:
What exactly is the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0? In essence, Web 1.0 was all about creating simple but effective internet versions of real-world businesses where selling could happen on the web, whereas Web 2.0 really uses the internet as a completely new way to market to people; 'selling' has shifted to 'buying' because the user is in control. He or she broadcasts his or her profile, tendencies and preferences in a way that is picked up by Web 2.0 technology infrastructure and marketing tools.
25 October 2006
Firefox browser for web 2.0 age BBC
A new version of the popular Firefox web browser makes its debut, going head to head with Internet Explorer 7.
20 October 2006
Independence must not be the first casualty of media shake-up The Age
Following the passing on new media ownership laws in Australia, The Age newspaper in an editorial writes: 'And we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." The Biblical text has nothing on the changes that seem likely to Australia's media landscape, and which have, in effect, come to pass before the laws that will allow them to happen were themselves passed yesterday. The stage is being set for whenever the performance is due to start.
Google CEO: Techies must educate governments ZDNet
Those in the know about technology must spend more time reaching out to governments and helping them understand the Internet's role in society, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said.
18 October 2006
55 Million Blogs, and Now a Service to Track Them New York Times
Corporations are growing increasingly conscious of the power, and potential pitfalls, of blogging. A favorable review from an influential blogger can help generate the kind of buzz around a new product that traditional advertising struggles to achieve. A negative write-up can help doom a product before it even hits the market.
On Advertising: Blogs give PR new job International Herald Tribune
To Steve Rubel, senior vice president at the public relations firm Edelman, there is a "conversation gap" on the Internet between America and the rest of the world. Like Americans, Europeans and Asians have become fervent bloggers. But many of them contribute to U.S.- based sites, or to local-language blogs that are fragmented and obscure.
16 October 2006
Is Windows near end of its run? CNet/New York Times
Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft, has his hands full. The next version of the Windows operating system, Vista, is finally about to arrive--years late and clouded by doubts that it might violate antitrust rules in Europe.
11 October 2006
Commentary: Google-YouTube and the value of social computing by Forrester Research CNet/Forrester Research
Google's purchase of user-generated video site YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock is a massive demonstration of the power of social computing. The search giant already has the No. 3 video site, but now it will own a networking platform that makes video stickier--and better for advertisers.
