Google Antitrust? Microsoft just payed $6 billion for a competitor?

When Double Click agreed to sell to Google last month some of the big guys namely Microsoft got all worked up and started raising questions of Google's strength in the advertising market... Fast forward 3 weeks and MS bus aQuantive for $6 billion???

It's Funny how Google gets picked on sometimes..online advertising is a fraction of the whole advertising industry..but yet they are always singled out?

But yet the FTC is opening up a antitrust investigation against Google...I just don't get it..

The thing is that most of their competitors are failing to realize or are just afraid to admit is that people (us minions) like using Google because it makes our lives easier

clipped from www.nytimes.com Technology Google Deal Said to Bring U.S. Scrutiny The Federal Trade Commission has opened a preliminary antitrust investigation into Google’s planned $3.1 billion purchase of the online advertising company DoubleClick, an industry executive briefed on the agency’s plans said yesterday.

Got My Ocean am I cool?

Well I finally took the plunge this week and purchased my first cell phone in 5 years!! .. It was a peaceful 5 years but w/ the new business launching imminently (hopefully) .. I needed a device that allowed me to stay connected all the time..

Our new startup is a Social Commerce play..so I wanted a device that I could essentially handle all IM's/Tweets/emails/sms/pics/ etc etc.. Of course my first inclination was to wait for the Iphone .. but as my initial buzz wore off over the hype and started looking more and more at the features and service.. it became clear that it was overvalued... Two of the biggest reasons for not going w/ the Iphone was price ($499-$599) and the slower Cingular network coverage..

With the Helio in my area of New England it piggybacks off of the Sprint 3G network...I also like the "all in" features of unlimited text/sms/data/myspace (uggh) /buddy beacon, gmaps etc.. for a reasonable price. I choose the $100/month option which is unlimited text/sms/ web browsing etc. and unlimited nights and weekends.. and 1500 daytime mins. (They do have an all you can eat plan for $135/mnth)

Things are working great so far.. some minor bugs but nothing earth shattering (Weak battery life so far but I am trying a possible solution to remedy the problem) ... My first impressions are that is smaller than it looks online.. and the browsing is pretty intuitive. The Search from any box is pretty awesome as well.. Camera works really well.. and I had no problems setting up My Google apps Gmail. I'm not a huge music and video fan but service worked flawlessly when I tried it....I think this phone has a chance at making Helio a name in mobile industry... I will keep you informed w/ any updates..


My friends know that I can't go many posts without somehow bringing up a Twitter thought.. and I just couldn't let them down.. :) Here is my thought.. If the Ocean really takes off... I think that Helio should buy Twitter and combine it w/ their Buddy Beacon GPS tracking system.. Helio has embraced web 2.0 w/ partnerships w/ Myspace and BoingBoing...


p.s. Here is a link for $100 off coupon for using amex.. yes $195 and free bluetooth!

Web 2.0 Awards or Web 2.0 Garbage ?

Interesting read here.. lots of great sites and a bunch that I have not visited before ...even better.. Seems like SEOmoz has good coverage of a multitude of categories.. I did find some of the winners of some categories like Philanthropy a bit off... where's the Kiva love??? I have always heard how some of the awards are done in not so democratic fashion but this one seems pretty legit.. check it out... My favorite Web 2.0 e -commerce solution Shopify won deservingly so..

I must admit I can't wait for the guys at Uncov to let loose on some of their favorite 2.0 sites.. like Wufoo a winner.. or Meebo.. :)

P.S Rafe Needleman of CNET's Webware blog is also putting together what he calls ‘the first user-generated Web 2.0 awards’

It's about time Apple ..

Seems like Apple is finally getting it... Steve Jobs hasn't been as clear w/ his message over the last 6 months but w/ the eminent death of DRM.. Rentals and Subscriptions should really help Apple gain long term customer loyalty and more importantly gain significant traction in the mainstream. This kind of service allows the user to have more control over their content and the tipping point for Apple is that they have platforms (Ipod / Iphone / Apple Tv etc ) that users can watch or listen to anywhere... I know that I would gladly give Apple the $$$$$ I waste on Comcast every month...

clipped from www.appleinsider.com Apple hints at video rentals through iTunes Apple Inc. strayed from making any material announcements during its shareholders meeting on Thursday, but did hint that it will offer video rentals through iTunes at some point in the future. "Timing of this is difficult to determine, but we would expect [iTunes video rentals] sometime in 2008," said PiperJaffray analyst Gene Munster, who attended the shareholder gathering in Apple's hometown of Cupertino, Calif.

Google Come to the Live Free or Die State !!

A couple of weeks ago I was reading Danny Sullivan's piece on Google coming to Oklahoma... and I couldn't help but think of why not NH?? We have a very business friendly tax structure for business's .. we are very close to allot of main hubs i.e Boston/NY and Google really hasn't setup shop in the New England area.

So that got me thinking if Google where to come to NH where would be a viable option... The first place I thought of was Berlin. Katie Delahaye president of KD Paine and Partners recently made the move up to Berlin... There are two reasons why I think that Berlin would be a prime candidate for future move..first Berlin is a former Paper Mill Town that was decimated by overseas competition leaving the town in a very unenviable position...The town of Berlin has taken a proactive approach in attracting new ideas to jump start this proud resllient town..

The Second reason I think that Berlin would be a good fit..is the energy infrastructure in place .. NH has recently made a much progress in becoming more energy independent and Environmentally responsible.. NH just recently passed a renewable portfolio standard.

In that area of the state Wind Resources are very strong as pictured here ... Berlin has also embraced Wind Power as discussed in this NH Public Radio article. There is also a plentiful source of Hydro power in that area w/ many rivers...

Ok so Google the perennial do-gooders for the free world could not only build an eco-friendly Data Center that would breathe life back into a community that welcomes such a move but it makes sense business wise.. We have a Governor in office that is very popular and is business friendly as well..

Let me know if I am crazy....

Another Reason Politics and Religion Don't Mix

For the record I am a Christian..and I am an American as well.. and it really bothers me that as a Christian we can't make up our own minds on subjects (individually) .. This is a classic example of Hypocrisy .. where is the outrage by the church about the death penalty? And does the Catholic Church have any moral ground to stand on after all of the sexual abuse that has taken place for decades?? Or that fact that some Evangelical leaders seem to always set themselves up for failure... i.e Ted Haggard / or the empty promises of the President to Evangelicals almost 8 years ago for his faith based initiative program that never materialized ..

The Main goal for Christians is to Love one another and to grow closer to God by developing a relationship through him.. it's really simple and somehow we forget it time after time...

clipped from www.reuters.com Pope warns Catholic politicians who back abortion ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Wednesday warned Catholic politicians they risked excommunication from the Church and should not receive communion if they support abortion. It was the first time that the Pope, speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him on a trip to Brazil, dealt in depth with a controversial topic that has come up in many countries, including the United States, Mexico, and Italy. The Pope was asked whether he supported Mexican Church leaders threatening to excommunicate leftist parliamentarians who last month voted to legalize abortion in Mexico City. "Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by Canon (church) law which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is receiving the body of Christ," he said.

New Housing Trend.. Green Friendly and Economically Friendly

Saw this article the other day.. and I have been totally consumed by the possibilities of cheap/safe and readlly available option for home owners..

Typically these containers sit and collect dust on our docks.. they can be picked up for $2000 for a 40" container.

This seems like a perfect fit for projects like Habitat for Humanity and urban driven initiatives..and they can look good too... and I think cool designs could be easily developed w/ tools like this guy did w/ Google Sketch Up.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com Shipping containers find new life as homes Inexpensive and abundant, they’re turning into affordable housing ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - This takes a little inside- and a whole lot of outside-the-box thinking. What looks like and lives like a house is actually a shipping container.