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Microsoft does Friendster…

Microsoft Research is looking at how to leverage blogs, RSS feeds, Wikis and other social-networking tools. [Technology News from eWEEK and Ziff Davis]

…Wallop doesn’t seem to fit into any one existing software category. While part of the application is a blogging tool, it also includes other “social networking” software.” It builds off of several existing Microsoft Research prototypes, including Sapphire, technology for simplifying and unifying data storage/retrieval; Stacks, technology for organizing photos; Personal Map, technology for organizing contacts; and MS Connect and Point-to-Point, which show connections between people (via Active Directory), as well as between individuals and groups.

All of these projects look at how to make use of metadata and organize information around clusters, Cheng says. “We’ve also been influenced by the Longhorn team’s thinking around how programming databases influences end-user experiences,” she says.

Looks interesting. I wonder if this will be real (not private beta) before Longhorn eventually arrives.

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FCC: Number-switching rules apply to all

The agency issues an order that requires all landline phone companies to allow customers to transfer their numbers to cell phones when signing up for new services. [CNET News.com]

The FCC has required porting for several years, but the telephone industry has managed through lawsuits and other tactics to delay any firm deadline. Monday’s order clarifies the remaining questions that carriers had on the policy and is expected to silence the last gasp of protest from landline phone companies.

“By firmly endorsing a customer’s right to untether themselves from the wireline network–and take their telephone number with them–we act to eliminate impediments to competition between wireless and wireline services,” FCC Chairman Michael Powell said in a separate statement issued along with the ruling.

Commissioner Kevin J. Martin said he was disappointed by the order’s timing, which arrives two weeks before the deadline for carriers to implement it. “The commission has an obligation to minimize the burdens our regulations place on carriers, and I wish we had provided the guidance in this order considerably sooner,” he said in a statement.

I like how the Commish, claims there is not enough time when they have clearly been playing games trying to push off the inevitable. There is a reason MCI wants back in the wireless game, which is that once you cut the cord, there is no going back. The long distance wars may be over, but the war for your handset is really just beginning.

It will be very interesting to track the offers and bundles carriers create to maintain and attract us.

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Yet another bad, Big Media idea

Sony plays new copy-protection song

The company touts a forthcoming CD technology that prevents users from copying songs to file-sharing sites but lets them make copies for themselves. [CNET News.com]

I’m sure this won’t be the last time digital media is encoded with single player player capability, but it just seems ridiculous to me that a) if you use a Mac, you get no play and b) people want DRM protected pre-cut digital music on the CD.

In Sony’s mind, this is a reward for buying protected albums. Too bad they are not the major player in the digital music player space. Good try with a bad idea. This is exactly the reason why people try and (do) defeat these techniques.

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Carriers not ready??

Are the carriers really not ready for Wireless Portability or is this a decided passive aggressive protest. I’ve seen two reports now – one from cellular news and the other from eWeek suggesting the carriers are not ready.

As you may or not recall, there was little if any penalty for not meeting the e911 deadline which seemed a bit more high priority – considering human safety. Given the lack of penalty from our wondrous FCC, it’s hard to accept that there will be a penalty here if we are met with technical glitches or delays.

Both articles referenced above recommend waiting until March of 2004… a nice full quarter and financial period later than the expected deadline. I’m still planning on making the switch ASAP, as my corporate coverage for Nextel expires this month anyway. Hopefully I’ll really get to keep my number.

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ITMS a loss leader…

“Most of the money goes to the music companies,” admitted Jobs.

“We would like to break even/make a little bit of money but it’s not a money maker,” he said, candidly.

So now we have it on record: the music store is a loss leader. Jobs said Apple would pay its dues to the RIAA, then seek to make money where it could, from its line of hardware accessories. When the conversation turned to rivals such as eTunes and Napster, Jobs said: “They don’t make iPods, so they don’t have a related business where they do [make money]” [The Register]

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Sun To Open RFID Test Center

“RFID is a game changer for retailers, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies to name just a few of the impacted industries,” Sun executive vice president Jonathan Schwartz said in a statement. “Sun is committed to providing open, standards-based RFID middleware software that leverages our Sun Java Enterprise System.”

RFID (define) technology allows manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers, and other organizations to “tag” physical goods with tiny radio transponders that can then be used to identify the goods without having to visually inspect them. Applications for the technology include automatic inventory management for retailers and manufacturers, improved supply chain efficiency for logistics companies and their customers, and better tracking of goods to reduce theft and loss. [internetnews.com]

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Teens want phones for Xmas

A survey in the US has found that cell phones are the third most desired present this Christmas for teenagers. While the report found that computers, cd players and games consoles lead the stakes, some 30% of teenagers said that they are looking forward to buying a cell phone.

Computers top the “must-have” holiday wish list for teens this year, according to results of the recent “First Annual Youth Holiday Purchase Patterns” survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). This marks the first time teens age 12-17 were surveyed as part of CEA’s annual holiday shopping consumer research.

“The feedback from today’s tech savvy and influential teenagers are important to us and our members,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. “This survey is one of many initiatives we are using to reach out to teens and reiterate the fun and educational benefits of consumer electronics. As expected, the results reflect how teens are actively embracing a wide array of technology and that they recognize technology influences almost all aspects of their lives.”

In addition, the survey shows that teens plan to purchase portable CD players as a gift to others (49%) this holiday season. Other products targeted for gift giving include game consoles (35%), cell phones (30%), hand-held game systems (28%) and portable MP3 players (27%). Just over half of the teens surveyed (51%) said they were planning to pay for all or most of the gifts with their own money.[Cellular News via textually.org]

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McDonald’s to give away up to 1 billion iTunes songs?

If this is true, this would make Apple the defacto leader of digital music.

A story appearing in today’s New York Post claims that McDonald’s is close to announcing a deal with Apple, whereby the fast food giant will give away up to 1 billion songs from the iTunes Music Store. Pepsi and Apple recently announced a deal with Apple to give away 100 million songs to customers. According to The Post, both Pepsi and McDonald’s are paying Apple’s regular retail price of 99 cents for each song. The article notes that “a spokesperson for Apple declined comment, and a representative of McDonald’s was unavailable for comment.” [MacMinute]

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Plan A for Microsoft

Is Microsoft’s new version of Windows, code-named Longhorn, a radical innovation or a return to the company’s winner-take-all software strategy from a decade ago?

Longhorn, which had its official coming-out party last week, marks Microsoft’s return to “fat client” application development–software that resides largely on desktop or portable PCs rather than on a shared server or network. The company is even considering phasing out the development of a stand-alone browser, instead building Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Web-based applications that would run directly in Longhorn as “native” Windows code.

The result would be “increased lock-in to Windows,” said Michael Silver, an analyst at market research firm Gartner. “Microsoft wants enterprises to write browser applications that take advantage of Longhorn application programming interfaces (APIs), which means that they won’t work on non-Longhorn browsers,” Silver wrote in a research report last week.

With Longhorn, some industry veterans believe, Microsoft is attempting to steer software development back toward the Windows desktop and away from software such as browser applications that can run on other companies’ OSes. Longhorn reinforces Microsoft’s commitment to the notion of powerful desktop machines that have large hard drives. [CNET News.com]

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Why the Friendster bubble ‘has peaked – will pop’

“It’s a bubble. Social networks have been around for a long time,” he says. “Friendster is feeding off the hype. People get excited about joining a network and use it for a couple of months but once they get to know people they’ll use other communication like email or IM.” He likens it to fads such as weblogging, which has a higher abandonment rate, or flash mobs.

It isn’t just VCs who see an opportunity in the hype. Wiki-fiddlers, or HTML coders who have been unemployed since the last dot.com explosion, are also hopeful that this represents a change in fortune. But Friendfinder’s CEO thinks they might all be disappointed.

“I’d like to see the conversion rate when Friendster starts charging for the service. How many people will pay even $10 or even $5 a month, when they have access to their Outlook Express inbox for free?” [The Register]

Certainly an interesting consideration. I was speaking with some people about this very thing today and it seems that after a short while, Friendster interest wanes drastically. Not sure how the professional networks are faring, but I would think they have a slower rate of attrition.

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MTV eyes digital music store by early 2004

Via MacMinute…MTV Networks is preparing to launch a music download service with plans to go up against Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes and other competitors, said MTV chief Tom Freston on Monday.

“There’s no doubt it’s a strong brand, with a strong profile of viewers,” said Phil Leigh, senior analyst at Inside Digital Media, about MTV’s plans. “But they can’t rely solely on their brand come next year … After iTunes launched in April, MTV should have been like a hawk on a field mouse.” [Reuters]

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Musicmatch tries to stay plugged into iPod

On Monday, the San Diego-based music software company sent an e-mail to its customers letting them know that, despite the arrival of Apple Computer’s iTunes for Windows, customers can still use its jukebox program to connect to Apple’s iPod. However, the message warns them that if they install iTunes, Musicmatch’s connection to the iPod will be severed. [CNET News.com]

I would just go for it… F- Music Match. You get better ripping speed (for free) and a much better interface for accessing music you already have, not to mention a great store from which to purchase new music.

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Amazon Promotions to Use Celebrities

Amazon.com is enlisting the help of Bruce Springsteen, Michael J. Fox and R.E.M. to promote its entertainment products over the holiday shopping season, the company said on Sunday. [New York Times: Business]

FYI – Unlike the Apple iTunes Store, which lists celebrity choices of music (ala a Mix Tape) the Amazon selection is straight from the celebrity’s catalog. I just checked and the first celeb on the A-List is Bruce Springsteen… some new content is available via Windows Media Player (why??) and everything else links to Boss-related merchandise.

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CIngular an official Treo 600 Carrier, but….

Just received an email from Handspring which announced that Cingular service available in my area. Checking the site I saw that for some foolish reason they are not offering an unlimited data plan. You can only pay more (24.99) to get get 10 MB/month. On the same page, you can see that Sprint is clearly charging $15 for unlimited data and about $5 more for the same level of voice minutes.

There are other differences in service, like Cingular’s rollover minutes and Sprints desire to charge $.50/min when you roam off their network…

Hopefully AT&T or T-Mobile will have a good deal on this by the time Portability hits.