Caralis

Blackberry Killer!

The blackberry killer PDA has finally arrived. It will never run out of batteries, understands your handwriting, can be dropped on the ground without concern (excpet into a puddle) and, well that should be enough of an enticement - good clink on the link. I'm addicted.

PocketMod.com

NewsBlade

NewsBlade has a new look and feel along with some new features. Check it out at NewsBlade.com.

Idea?

One of the phrases that used to drive me crazy as someone that ran an engineering organization was "wouldn't it be cool". Cool usually equals hard, bloated and not profitable. I'd much rather hear "wouldn't it be profitable if".

So....

I'm not sure whether my latest idea is cool or profitable but here it is.

The last two posts I made where the result of emails that were forwared to me from friends via email. I get them all the time and I know a lot of people who get and send them. So wouldn't it be COOL if there was a way to send these stories in a way that could be read as an RSS feed. Basically an RSS feed populated by your friends (especially ones without blogs) You could then read them in my yahoo or an RSS reader or NewsBlade! or some other mechanism?

Best of the Web 2006

The 2006 Webby (the best sites on the web) awards have been announced. Check it out - especially the http://www.moma.org/contemporaryvoices/ site.

Microsoft offically joins the ad wars

Microsoft unveiled adCenter, their latest attempt to attack Google. This should be good for sites selling ads. More competition is going to lead to better returns for publishers.

Search as we know it and Ad networks are quickly becoming a commodity...

What could be on the horizon?

WSJ article - this is free

Legal used software is here

Saw this on slashdot...

Here is a link to the article - Users turn to second-hand Microsoft licences  and the company.

Excerpt from artcle:

Sales of second-hand Microsoft software licences have doubled month-on-month since the market was opened in November 2005, according to the Staffordshire start-up that spotted the opportunity in Microsoft's small print and Britain's insolvency laws.

Please somebody stop the madness!!!!

In the latest high profile patent dispute, Netflix is suing Blockbuster for patent infringement. According to the article from AP on Boston.com Netflix claims Blockbuster copied it patented wish list and flat fee pricing system. Now you can patent pricing stems. It seems anything done on the Internet is considered novel.

What is the bar for getting a patent. Apparently all you need is a patent attorney and a half-baked idea.

Jeopardy Online Contestant Test

I've always loved game shows, I called night after night to get on Who Want's to be a Millionare when it was all the craze. I made it past the phone test a couple of times but never got a call. So I felt compelled to post this story I read on Slashdot.

Ever want to be on Jeopardy, now you apply and take a test online.

Back to freedom fries...

Not really, I always thought that was ridiculous.

But for those inclined, the New York Times has an interesting story on how France wants to force Apple to allow its ITunes downloads to be played on any MP3 player. For those that have been too lazy to sign up with NYT here is a Mac News article.

I can already hear the giant sucking sound of Apple picking up it's stakes in France and leaving the market if this passes in their senate.

AdWords as Political Weapons

Here is a link to a piece John Battelle did on how Google AdWords are being used as highly targeted political ads against/for legislators in NY.