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Jackson West's Posts
A week in which we lapped it up
Sweet mother of mercy was it hot this week. Of course, those at the workplace rated best by Valleywag readers, Digg, can just reach into the company cooler for a cold one. I'm sure Jerry Yang could use a brew, as Microsoft shareholders are making it hot under his Yahoo polo collar. Too bad for thirsty Facebookers that their beer pong match with College Humor was canceled. Looking for air-conditioned bliss? Check out Larry Ellison at a theater near you. CNET shareholders can fan themselves with a cool $1.8 billion from CBS. And VCs spent a night trying to predict the weather at the Chruchill Club earlier this week. For those of you in Europe sunning yourselves topless? Remember, Google Street View only blurs faces.(Photo by L. E. MacDonald)6:00 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
42 views, Comment
Apple will continue to arm military through PA Semi
After a hue and cry from defense contractors who were buying chipmaker PA Semi's core product in bulk, Apple has agreed to continue supplyingmerchants of deatharms manufacturers with the newly acquired company's Pwrficient chips. [News.com]3:20 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
236 views, 4 comments
Adman Alex Bogusky latest Fast Company coverboy
Rising ad star Alex Bogusky of Crispin Porter + Bogusky is the subject of the cover feature in the latest issue of Fast Company. The story focuses on Microsoft's $300 million deal with the agency to, in Fast Company's words, "crush Apple." Bogusky will be fighting an uphill battle on two fronts — one against Microsoft's perpetually clueless marketing drones, and the other against the fact that Apple's products are, you know, better. Microsoft has even had trouble convincing the public largely trapped in the Windows operating system monopoly to buy Vista, and the company's branding is a complete mess. But hey, check out Bogusky's wavy locks, chiseled features, stylish boots and designer jeans!3:00 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
319 views, 10 comments
Latest by raincoaster: @Spy from the Land of Rainpeople: so, you're saying they hired this guy because he looks like Mac Guy? Clever. @michaellamb: Those are RatherGood's Spongmonkeys. + Watch video more »
Gates Foundation refuses to help Bletchley Park
The legendary site in England where the Nazis' communication code was finally broken, Bletchley Park, has hit hard times. The land is being eyed by developers eager to build on the spot situated perfectly between Oxford and Cambridge. Among possible funders who turned the opportunity down was the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — reportedly because it wasn't "Internet related." More »2:40 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
334 views, 5 comments
Bradley Horowitz a Yahoo double-agent inside Google?
What, exactly, is Yahoo's former VP of special projects Bradley Horowitz doing at Google? Innovating! If by "innovating" you mean spending his 20 percent time playing classic arcade games.A "laissez-faire mess" indeed. Doesn't Horowitz know that with an emulator he can play Defender at his desk and at least appear to be working? (Photo by jakrapong)2:20 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
681 views, 2 comments
NSA site goes down in blaze of badly-engineered DNS glory
The website of the National Security Administration went down yesterday. No, it wasn't subject to "cyber terrorism," just bad network management — specifically, its domain-name servers, according to Arbor Networks' Danny McPherson. But don't worry, everyone, the site is back up! Still, the fact that it sports a Flash interface doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the engineering ability of our information overlords. (Photo by Ryan Lackey)1:40 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
247 views, 7 comments
Former billionaire caught in the long tail of dot-bomb securities fraud
Former CEO of PurchasePro Charles Johnson is facing 20 years in jail for his role in stock fraud at the company. An earlier prosecution of Johnson ended in mistrial, but this retrial included the original allegations plus an obstruction of justice charge related to the first effort. The Las Vegas-based PurchasePro sold enterprise software for business-to-business transactions online. PurchasePro executives worked closely with AOL dealmakers, who were implicated in the scheme to manufacture positive sales numbers in 2001 in order to puff up PurchasePro's once-astronomical stock price. AOL cut a deal earlier to defer prosecution. Other executives at PurchasePro had already plead guilty. PurchasePro went bankrupt in 2002, and the assets were scooped up by Perfect Commerce.1:20 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
179 views, Comment
Comcast lies to FCC about blocking file-sharing
Cable copmany Comcast assured the FCC that the company's "network management" practices that involved blocking file-sharing traffic only affected heavy users during peak hours. However, tests found that the Internet service provider blocks such traffic for a majority of users all day, every day, as does fellow ISP Cox. [Torrentfreak]12:20 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
141 views, Comment
Online ad take bigger than that of radio, cable and broadcast television
Online advertising grossed $21.2 billion in 2007, beating cable ($20.9 billion), radio ($19.8 billion) and broadcast television ($19.2 billion), according to a report commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Of that, 41 percent went to search advertising — which means, for the most part, Google. The total represents a 26 percent increase over last year. What's potentially problematic? More »11:20 AM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
395 views, Comment
New York Times puts female geeks in the style ghetto
An article about women in science and engineering from the New York Times, "Diversity Isn't Rocket Science, Is It?" seems like it ought to go in the news or business section. It ran in fashion and style instead. Why? Because white lab coats and Tyvek cleanroom jumpsuits are totes the hot look this summer! (Photo by Steve Jurvetson)10:40 AM on Fri May 16 2008
By Jackson West
325 views, 15 comments
Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock to Carl Icahn: Back off
Yahoo board chairman Roy Bostock has penned a response to billionaire investor Carl Icahn's verbose missive, who's trying to replace the Internet company's board with directors who favor a deal with Microsoft:Granted, Icahn's been accused of not understanding the Internet in the past — but acquisitions? About those, he's a widely acknowledged master. Full text of the letter after the jump. More »4:40 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
918 views, 4 comments
Latest by TheGunslinger: The current board is obviously worried because things might change for the better. How about instead of all this fighting, Yahoo! just concentrates on getting the company working smart and efficiently again. more »
NBC Direct still doesn't work
Liz Gannes, a veteran online video reporter whom I've worked with and is no slouch when it comes to getting almost any newfangled content application to function, couldn't get NBC's relaunched video-on-demand software to work. The offering is powered by a file-sharing download process from Pando, but not much good if users can't even install the software. Isn't there a company that already has a delivery and payment system for 720p video content from the networks — one that NBC used to work with? Meanwhile, to get your 30 Rock fix online, Gannes says stick with Hulu. Just looking at the listed bugs on the download page would be enough to scare off anyone who's confused by file-sharing sites.3:40 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
104 views, 1 comment
Latest by WagCurious: NBC are you listening? Here is the problem with your installer. You are testing for a DRM individualization level before install, then attempting to upgrade programmatically. If a consumer has never viewed DRM content before it is impossible to upgrade more »
MySpace avoids liability in Megan Meier suicide, victim of terms of use breach
MySpace's contention that the social network was a victim, and not an enabler, in the suicide of Missouri teenager Megan Meier has paid off. A federal grand jury has indicted Lori Drew on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization, with each count carrying a maximum of five years. The indictment cited how Drew and other unnamed coconspirators breached MySpace's terms of use by creating a fake account to trade messages with Meier, and "used the information obtained over the MySpace computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass the juvenile MySpace member." More »3:20 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
649 views, 3 comments
Latest by jackparsons: @jackparsons: OTOH, I guess this solve's Apple's problems with the OpenMac... more »
Facebook just not that into Google Friend Connect
Facebook has shut off access to Google's new Friend Connect, citing privacy issues, saying that the service "redistributes data" in ways that users don't "expect or understand," according to a blog post by Facebook developer Charlie Cheever. Google Friend Connect collected and displayed information available through Facebook's tools for third-party web developers to use on their own sites. Funny, Facebook hasn't had a problem with tracking users on third-party sites in the past, but then Facebook just launched a similarly named tool, Facebook Connect. More »2:40 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
450 views, 1 comment
Latest by michaellamb: they don't seem to have any problem "connecting" my data to their advertisers. more »
YouTube now offering demographic data
YouTube has added demographic information to the data they offer video publishers. The suite of metrics is known as Insight, which already tracks views over time and geography. The new tools should make YouTube even more effective as a free advertising distribution platform, as you can now see just how many underage Americans are watching your viral video spots promoting sticky-sweet malt beverages — not to mention how many overage men are watching you and your 16-year-old girlfriends lip-sync to Madonna at your slumber party. Presumably partners, such as record labels, can also get statistics for videos uploaded by third parties included, in a quid pro quo for letting YouTube users copy their songs.2:00 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
408 views, 1 comment
Latest by matto: I object to your use of 'overage' and suggest the more sensitive 'youth challenged' in the future. more »
2 comments
3 comments
Broadcom gives "backdating" a whole new meaning
After the SEC accused Henry Nicholas and Henry Samueli, founders of chipmaker Broadcom, of illegally backdating stock options for five years, Samueli stepped down as board chairman and CTO. Nicholas had stepped down from his post as CEO in 2003 amidst allegations of having a drug habit and flying friends and prostitutes from around the country to an underground party lair he'd built in his home. More »12:00 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
660 views, 3 comments
Ask.com buys reference site Lexico
Lexico, the company behind reference sites like Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com, has been acquired by also-ran search engine Ask.com, a unit of Barry Diller's IAC, for an undisclosed sum. It will mean an 11 percent boost in traffic for Ask and more revenue for Lexico's sites, as Google had cut a special deal with IAC for a higher revenue share than it would give to the likes of Dictionary.com. Possibly tipping their hand about future moves, Ask CEO Jim Safka told the AP the site was also looking to improve results related to health and entertainment, presumably through more acquisitions. The move comes after IAC's Barry Diller settled a fight with Liberty's John Malone, a major IAC shareholder, over plans to split the company into five different parts.10:00 AM on Thu May 15 2008
By Jackson West
162 views, 4 comments
Latest by vulturesquadron: @narnio: My problem is IAC is just based on their silly approach of creating a conglomerate of decent companies that subsidize absolute shit. I'd rather just spend my clicks on a homebrew product that deserves it, like Visual Thesaurus, more »
8 comments
Top 5 unintended uses for Microsoft's tactile interfaces
"Every surface will be a computer." So spake Bill Gates at the annual CEO Summit, sounding much like himself a few decades ago when he promised a computer on every desk. Since then we've collectively turned our laps and our pockets into computing centers as well. So why not walls and tables, like the new TouchWall unveiled today? While Gates defined "every surface" as being in homes and offices, we here at Valleywag couldn't drag our minds out of the gutter long enough to think of the top 5 unexpected places where surface computing just might take hold. More »5:00 PM on Wed May 14 2008
By Jackson West
1,931 views, 5 comments
Latest by inkhead: You guys aren't think creatively enough. We all know what's going to happen when the surface is in a public place. You set down your MS enabled camera, and the photos spill out just like MS promised...remember? saturday night? when you more »
George Bush to terrorize world with emails
The president of the United States, George W. Bush, has been banned from sending emails during his term in office, with officials citing security concerns. That's all about to change once he's termed out of office — soon friends and supporters can expect a steady stream of "You know you're a redneck when" forwards, links to GodTube videos, and the like. It's only a matter of time before he sets up a Facebook profile and starts Twittering, which I'm pretty sure was predicted in Revelations to be one of the signs of the impending rapture. (Photo by AP/Ronen Zvulun)4:40 PM on Wed May 14 2008
By Jackson West
402 views, 11 comments
Latest by dalejo: @cyc: 4 more years? McCain is going to waltz into the whitehouse if that is all the democrats have. At least McCain is the only one who has actually crossed the aisle. more »
The first rule of Hair Club is you do not talk about Hair Club
Hollywood star Edward Norton gleefully shakes hands with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom at a hearing on green building practices today before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming on Capitol Hill. Write your own caption, and the winner becomes the new headline. Yesterday's contest drew no winning entries, so do try harder, won't you? (Photo by AP/Lawrence Jackson)4:00 PM on Wed May 14 2008
By Jackson West
1,645 views, 38 comments
Intel Atom to be used in new, larger iPhone
At a birthday party for chipmaker Intel held in Munich, Hannes Schwaderer, CEO of Intel Germany, confirmed that Apple will be using the company's new Atom processor in a future version of the iPhone. Iit won't be the iPhone that we've come to know and love, or the 3G model expected soon, but a new, larger version — possibly a rumored mini-tablet. Less pocketable than an iPhone, less useful than the MacBook Air. Let the Apple Newton jokes commence! Update: Intel has written in to say everyone's wrong! No larger iPhone with or with Intel Inside™.(Photo by Windell Oskay)3:40 PM on Wed May 14 2008
By Jackson West
632 views, 2 comments
Latest by isights: "Less pocketable than an iPhone, less useful than the MacBook Air." Can you say Kindle-killer? Portable DVD player killer? Dedicated game-gadget killer? Whole-house remote control? I can think of quite a few niches such a device could slide into quite nicely. Especially more »
How YouTube's sucking up to Modest Mouse (and other giants of media)
An eagle-eyed Valleywag tipster with a taste for Modest Mouse spotted an interesting new feature on YouTube. Uploads of music videos from the band by non-official sources now carry a link reading "Contains content from Sony BMG," which leads users to the official Modest Mouse page on the site. The unofficial version of the video "Float On" has over a million views — the official version only 235,000. Also, both the official and unofficial versions have had the embed codes which allow users to post the video on third-party sites removed. My question? Whether this is automated by YouTube or if Sony BMG is flagging their videos by hand. More »1:20 PM on Wed May 14 2008
By Jackson West
5,800 views, 2 comments
Latest by Jackson West: @Mr. E.: Thanks for posting that. According to the terms of the deal YouTube struck with Sony/BMG, this is also supposed to apply to fan-made lip-syncs and the like as well. Hence, AudibleMagic's technology can conceivably just recognize more »
Google invests in BrightSource's steam and mirrors
BrightSource Energy, a renewable energy startup that wants to build solar thermal plants which use sunlight reflected from mirrors to heat water to steam and power electricity-generating turbines, has pulled in $115 million. The investment was led by Google.org, Google's quasi-nonprofit arm; VantagePoint; BP; Statoil Hydro; and Black River, and brings the Oakland-based startup's total funding to $160 million. The company has already signed a contract to supply local monopoly Pacific Gas & Electric with 900 megawatts of power by 2016. More »11:20 AM on Wed May 14 2008
By Jackson West
513 views, 2 comments
Latest by sample032: @Vulture: You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to find someone who will have sex in a shower (and not of the golden variety). On the kinky scale, that's got to be somewhere near girl on top. more »
Mayor wants Israeli electric car startup to setup shop in San Francisco
On our hunky God-mayor's "Gavin Newsom for Governor" tour that included stops in donor-rich New York and Los Angeles, a stop in Israel got the excitable pol talking about Israeli startup Project Better Place. The company's plan is to build a network of charging stations for a fleet of electric vehicles in Israel. Of course, there's no actual money behind bringing the idea to our shores yet, so you can probably expect it to become a reality about the same time San Francisco turns on the free Wi-Fi network Gavvy-Gav promised. Can't get enough of the hair? Video after the jump. More »6:00 PM on Tue May 13 2008
By Jackson West
501 views, 4 comments
Latest by Jackson West: Ah, Fidel, have you not embraced post-modernism? Worked so well for the East German government. more »