Anyone Know…..
- why the media, entrepreneurs and investors are obsessed with out-Googling Google? Is there any way this pursuit can be achieved?
- why Ecto suddenly stopped playing nice with Wordpress when it comes to posting images?
- an easy to way to edit and make movies out of Mini DV tapes?
- why Google, Yahoo or Microsoft hasn’t acquired Technorati?
- how to create an e-mail signature within Thunderbird?
- why Roboform and other software makers refuse to develop versions for Mac?
- why Craiglists is so adamant about not tapping new ways to make revenue?
- why the Blackberry still doesn’t have a kick-ass Web browser?
- why Canadian entrepreneurs and investors still haven’t seemed to have embraced Web 2.0?
- why there still isn’t a “killer app” for locating your keys when they disappear within the house?
- why Microsoft is taking so much flack for giving away some free laptops when no one complains when they’re given free copies of Windows or Office?
- why Blogware isn’t seen on the same light as TypePad or Wordpress
- why the iPod continues to dominate the MP3 market? Or, for that matter, the Blackberry?
- why high-definition TV hasn’t gained much momentum despite Mark Cuban’s best efforts? And what about IP-TV?
- why newspapers continue to struggle with the Web?
- why Bell Canada hasn’t pushed its VoIP service more aggressive, and why Telus has launched a VoIP service at all?
- why Canadian retailers aren’t more aggressive about e-commerce?
- what Mark Andreessen and Jim Clark are doing these days?
- why Net Neutrality hasn’t become more of a concern among regulators and consumers?
- how Google put a $1.6-billion valuation on YouTube?
- why no technology has replaced laces on hockey skates?
- how to make iTunes work on multiple computers within the home?
- if there’s a hot browser to join Firefire in taking on Internet Explorer?
- when we can finally stop using Web 2.0?
- whether all those cool high-tech products in the Hedonics catalogues actually work?
- why digital technology involves the use of more paper rather than less? And why e-paper hasn’t become more common?
Note: Thanks to everyone for their suggestions/help. Much appreciated!
January 1st, 2007 at 11:34 am
We actually got something from the Hedonics catalogue a few years back, and it worked great. We got some of those keychains with a light so powerful you can draw pictures on the moon, or send signals to alien civilizations. Mostly, we use them as flashlights when you need to find something in a dark room, at the bottom of a purse.
My new PDA comes with a searchlight attached, so now I can signal two alien civilizations at once!
January 1st, 2007 at 11:48 am
In terms of the adoption of HDTV, my guess is it’s pure economics. The median household income in the US and Canada is roughly $43k - certainly not enough to justify not only the expense of purchasing the HD-TV, but also the additional cable fees to sub to the channels. And the cost of a Plasma TV hasn’t stabilized yet into mass market prices.
It will take a few more years before HD reaches the tipping point, or is mandated on us by the cable co’s in my opinion.
Cheers,
Tamera
January 1st, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Let me take a crack at one of your questions - I suspect Google will enhance Google Blog Search to a point that it will make both Technorati and Techmeme redundant.
January 1st, 2007 at 2:00 pm
as to “how to create an e-mail signature within Thunderbird?”, under “tools”,”account settings”, in the main panel, as part of your identity, your check “attach this signature” and link to a text file (like sig.txt) where e-mail signature is
Happy New Year
January 1st, 2007 at 2:51 pm
- Its a challenge that will yield big rewards. If you out do Google you stand to gain a share of a huge, almost endless, flow of revenue.
- Maybe those designing ecto have a design problem?
- Try DVDSanta over at http://www.download.com. It is free to try, 30 dollars to buy.
- There could be several reasons… does it generate the revenue they are looking for and what they would spend to acquire it? Does it fit their business goals? Is it proven? Maybe those running Technorati are being a pain in the butt. All reasons that have to be hashed out by them.
- Create a thunderbird signature… http://opensourcearticles.com/introduction_to_thunderbird_3
- Roboform and other companies have to weight the cost of developing for another platform against potential audience. When Windows dominates 90% of the world computers and Mac OS sharing the rest with Linux etc, then of the Mac users not all are going to use it, the audience shrinks a lot. May not be worth the time and money at this point in time. Maybe they will later.
- Craigslist is like any other company… they look for ways to make money. Operating costs always increase (people ask for more money, things just cost more to develop etc) or they might be positioning themselves to be more profitable in an attempt to make an acquisition etc. That is what companies do.
- I have no idea why Blackberry doesn’t have a great web browser. Are the users really demanding it? Maybe they have different goals in mind.
- Canadian entrepreneurs have begun embracing it, but at a slow pace. I find Canadian companies are a bit more conservative and like I have mentioned before about the dot com boom versus web 2.0… they are probably waring and waiting to see if it is a safe thing to move into.
- You don’t need to have an application on some computer for it. You could use a device like the one found at http://www.keyringer.com/ to help locate keys.
- Most people still believe that computer software is tangible. In a part they are right since software can be copied etc without acquiring raw materials. However, software is of value and should always be considered as such when listing a company’s assets.
- I have no experience with Blogware and really never heard of it until now. Maybe that is part of the problem. They need to get out there and push it a bit more.
- Most common non-tech savvy have made a crucial link… MP3 = IPod. That is why Apple continues to dominate. The name is synonymous with MP3 and is the first thing that comes to mind when looking for an MP3 player. That will need to be broken to bring down IPod.
- High definition TV is still a bit too highly priced (even though it is dropping like a rock this holiday season and so adoption will be coming shortly). Once they come on par with TV’s use to be, they will be snatched up and adopted. Also, people wait till their old TV breaks before getting a new one. So you should see wide adoption within the next couple years. IP Tv…. that is really out there when it comes to the ordinary citizen and hasn’t been addressed yet.
- Newspapers continue to struggle because they are having to throw out most of their money making model and look for a good way to advertise and generate revenue… virtually. I think some newspapers are embracing it pretty well. The New York times, Washington post, etc all have some pretty decent websites even though they need to move it to the next level with better advertising. That and why read the news there when I can get the news from many other sources on the web for free? This is what they are fighting against.
- Bell Canada is probably struggling with implementing the infrastructure. It takes time and money to put that in and investing the kind of money needed to upgrade. Why Telus hasn’t gotten in the game is beyond me. They are going to really suffer for it.
- I don’t really agree with this. Canadian retailers are out there and making a stamp. Every time I look at a company, especially in the US, they almost always have a mirror for Canada. You got to remember, there is only 1/10th as many people in Canada as in the US. That is 1/10th the businesses and 1/10th the involvement in the e-commerce arena.
- Mark is probably investing more time in Digg and trying to get in the on the ground floor of social networking. Jim Clark… I can only hypothesize.
- Net neutrality just hasn’t hit home. By the time they figure out it is a problem it may be too late. Their lives will be on the net, what they do will be watched, and they will be following regulations set by lawmakers who do not even use the Net that much.
- Google probably applied a formula of what they expected advertisers would pay for a spot on a site which generates millions of hits a month. Just yesterday I saw a full sponsor spot by Chevy. Wonder how much they paid. 1.6 billion though was a bit much I think.
- Hockey is full of superstitions like other major sports. Some players still prefer old wood sticks because they think they shoot better with it. Whatever makes a player comfortable is usually what they prefer. That and out of habit they hang on to the old ways.
- I don’t know much about iTunes on multiple computers.
- Firefire? You mean Firefox and yes, there is Opera. Who knows, Netscape may come from the ashes. I guess it is still in the wind and being worked on. But they have a lot of catchup to do. Firefox has brand name recognition now, like the IPod with MP3, that type of linkage is pure gold.
- We will stop using web 2.0 when a new buzz word comes along… probably something unoriginal like Web 3.0.
- Right on the Hedonics site it states “Hedonics makes no claims as to the effectiveness of this suite of products, especially as each of us has different levels of sensitivity to environmental pollution and will find results vary considerably. Nor are we involved in service or warranty issues regarding these products.” So in other words, we sell dreams and if it works great, but if it doesn’t (and it probably doesn’t) don’t blame us.
- It requires more paper because we deal in a lot more info online now, are more productive, do more work than ever before and we still want a hard copy of what was done. Compare the amount of information we handle now compared to back in the 50’s for instance.
Hope these answers help with your many questions. Happy New Year!
January 1st, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Regarding software as tangible… I meant it is not seen as tangible.
January 1st, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Do you mean ‘why Craiglists is so adamant about *not* tapping new ways to make revenue?’ That was my impression–that their goal isn’t to make as much money as possible, but to serve users. Maybe I’ve misunderstood?
January 1st, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Craigslist is simple: they are replaceable, easily, if anyone makes a better classified system. Making classified systems is easy. So the second that Craigslist starts accepting interstitial talking Flash ads that romp around the screen and hijack people’s browsers, two things happen:
a) great gobs of money start coming in
b) users start fleeing in droves to the next-best classified system
In about a month, Craigslist has 1/4 the users it used to have, and the next best system has twice the users it used to have. This is not a recipe for long-term success.
January 2nd, 2007 at 7:23 am
Net Neutrality - This should be a hotter topic as far as I’m concerned, but I think that apart from the tech specialists that write for newspapers, most media don’t understand it, so they won’t comment on it. I hope that this will change since most of Canada’s big Telecom are looking at this as a source of revenue.
Bell’s VoIP- I’m not sure they want to promote a product they know to be more costly then their competitors. Now that Maxime Bernier’s directives to the CRTC may have given them more slack, this could very well change. In the longrun I believe that Bell will not promote it’s VoIP service until, the Top Brass accepts that it will be the end of more traditional services. Only time will tell.
January 2nd, 2007 at 9:45 am
Hockey Skates.. They Do.. Unfortunately only for kids and juniors.
http://www.canadiantire.com/browse/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672265&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443282729&bmUID=1167749076118&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true
January 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 am
“why Canadian entrepreneurs and investors still haven’t seemed to have embraced Web 2.0?”
Not enough practical applications that can generate revenues and profits. Too much “cool” and not enough reality has always been a problem with Web 2.0.
George
January 2nd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Itunes has a share feature enabling you to share music from a central PC to 5 pc’s in your household or under the same subnet.
Easy to use..under Preferences/Sharing.
January 3rd, 2007 at 7:49 am
Why Bell doesn’t push it’s VoIP? Why TELUS doesn’t have a VoIP offering?
In speaking with Bell folks, for them it’s all about not eroding their traditional services. Their sole reason for even having a VoIP offering is to try and retain the 20-30ish crowd who are looking for VoIP features. It’s priced out of the market, but atleast they can say “we have VoIP too”.
TELUS has VoIP services for Enterprises, but you can look to TELUS to offer residential VoIP services this year, beginning in areas where they are the ILEC. CLEC VoIP services will follow as the residential TELUS market grows in the East.
-jules