Catchy title, eh? No, this post is not about a new foreign knock off of Apple's product (although I would vote my Treo 755 be granted that name given how much it has been locking up recently).
No, this post is about something entirely different - a slick iPhone emulator. If you are designing applications for mobile phones, it is a nice neat little app.
Also, if you have not yet made the iPhone purchase, it's like hanging a picture of your favorite car on your wall. Speaking of the iPhone, we're hearing more reports of email troubles with MobileMe, Gmail, and Exchange. Er...so basically email troubles for pretty much everyone.
Now THAT is surely iPhoney.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A Few Web 3.0-ish Headlines
- UK Government loses passports - No worries, you can only use these things to set up and account, get a job, or enter a country.
- More cases of data loss or theft - Where's my jelly donut? Where's my coffee? Where's my back up tape? Oh, there's my jelly donut - let's roll!
- IRS reports that someone is trying to take your money - What an outrage! Some group out there trying to take your hard earned money - oh well, at least they've caught up with the phishing scams coming out recently
- Apple is now 3rd largest PC vendor - But growth is slowing overall...
- All is not completely rosy in the iPhone 2.0 world - Unless you bought the glasses...or were first in line.
Enjoy...
- More cases of data loss or theft - Where's my jelly donut? Where's my coffee? Where's my back up tape? Oh, there's my jelly donut - let's roll!
- IRS reports that someone is trying to take your money - What an outrage! Some group out there trying to take your hard earned money - oh well, at least they've caught up with the phishing scams coming out recently
- Apple is now 3rd largest PC vendor - But growth is slowing overall...
- All is not completely rosy in the iPhone 2.0 world - Unless you bought the glasses...or were first in line.
Enjoy...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Starbucks Traveling Road Show Revisited
Along the lines of previous posts about our remote office...er...Starbucks, here's some additional information. It appears that many Starbucks have their new AT&T wifi available, at least for certain kinds of AT&T customers.
For the moment, though, if you are an AT&T wireless customer, you won't be getting free wifi service. If you have an att.com or other AT&T Home email address, you will get free wifi service at Starbucks.
You CAN, however, get a lot of free starbucks stuff by getting a Starbucks gift card, and using it to pay for your purchases (the card is free). You get free refills on your first cup of coffee purchased with the card (even if you start out in a New Jersey store and end up in a Connecticut store), free coffee drinks with purchases of coffee beans, and 2 hours of free wifi per day.
That is a pretty good deal - but to get it you have to get a gift card, put money on it, register it online, register for AT&T access through Starbucks online, and use or reload your card every 30 days.
For the moment, though, if you are an AT&T wireless customer, you won't be getting free wifi service. If you have an att.com or other AT&T Home email address, you will get free wifi service at Starbucks.
You CAN, however, get a lot of free starbucks stuff by getting a Starbucks gift card, and using it to pay for your purchases (the card is free). You get free refills on your first cup of coffee purchased with the card (even if you start out in a New Jersey store and end up in a Connecticut store), free coffee drinks with purchases of coffee beans, and 2 hours of free wifi per day.
That is a pretty good deal - but to get it you have to get a gift card, put money on it, register it online, register for AT&T access through Starbucks online, and use or reload your card every 30 days.
Monday, July 21, 2008
CTC New Haven meeting - 5PM START TIME
In my previous post, I indicated that 4:30pm was the start time - it's 5pm.
Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Scoop on Starbucks Wifi
I recently talked with a barista about the new AT&T service at Starbucks, and he gave me some great info:
- If you have an AT&T account for home internet access, phone, and I think even mobile phone, you can access Starbucks Wifi free.
- If you register a Starbucks card (not a credit card, just the gift card) online, you get lots of freebies, one of which is free Wifi access, at least 2 hours per week.
I think you can also pay, but that seems silly given the options above.
- If you have an AT&T account for home internet access, phone, and I think even mobile phone, you can access Starbucks Wifi free.
- If you register a Starbucks card (not a credit card, just the gift card) online, you get lots of freebies, one of which is free Wifi access, at least 2 hours per week.
I think you can also pay, but that seems silly given the options above.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Free Up Space on Your PC?
I'm forever trying to eke out space on my hard disk - it can be a real pain.
An Independent client turned us on to a tool called TreeSizeFree that can help you prioritize what to delete or uninstall. It's a helpful little widget, so we decided we'd share the love.
An Independent client turned us on to a tool called TreeSizeFree that can help you prioritize what to delete or uninstall. It's a helpful little widget, so we decided we'd share the love.
Spam, Spam Everywhere... (PayPal Phishing Scam)
No Samuel Taylor Coleridge fans out there? Iron Maiden fans?
Well, never mind then. It seems that scams abound these days - this one is a PayPal scam. I've omitted the hundreds of letters I get from the sons of African royalty, requesting my help in exchange for lots of money...someone out there must be falling for these scams, because they keep pumping them out...
Anyway, back to these folks trying to hornswoggle us into believing they're sending a PayPal message. Again, the notice looks very real, but there are telltale give aways, similar to those I've mentioned in the past. First person to find them and post a reply will get a prize. Abundant good karma.
PayPal Scam Email
**** From: PayPal [notice@notice.com] To: Undisclosed Subject: Notice from PayPal.**
Dear PayPal Member,
We have noticed several attempts of fraud. Seems like somebody tried to access your account. You are able to log into your account but all your payments are suspended untill you will update your personal information. PayPal works day and night to help keep your identity safe. That's why it has come to our attention that your PayPal account information needs to be updated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service.
However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension.
Click on the link below. if you can`t, copy and paste the link into the address bar of your web browser.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-run
The link will take you to our Verify Your Identity page.
On the Verify Your Identity page, please fill in the correct information to verify your identity.
Thank you for using PayPal!
Yours sincerely,
PayPal Ltd.
Well, never mind then. It seems that scams abound these days - this one is a PayPal scam. I've omitted the hundreds of letters I get from the sons of African royalty, requesting my help in exchange for lots of money...someone out there must be falling for these scams, because they keep pumping them out...
Anyway, back to these folks trying to hornswoggle us into believing they're sending a PayPal message. Again, the notice looks very real, but there are telltale give aways, similar to those I've mentioned in the past. First person to find them and post a reply will get a prize. Abundant good karma.
PayPal Scam Email
**** From: PayPal [notice@notice.com] To: Undisclosed Subject: Notice from PayPal.**
Dear PayPal Member,
We have noticed several attempts of fraud. Seems like somebody tried to access your account. You are able to log into your account but all your payments are suspended untill you will update your personal information. PayPal works day and night to help keep your identity safe. That's why it has come to our attention that your PayPal account information needs to be updated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service.
However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension.
Click on the link below. if you can`t, copy and paste the link into the address bar of your web browser.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-run
The link will take you to our Verify Your Identity page.
On the Verify Your Identity page, please fill in the correct information to verify your identity.
Thank you for using PayPal!
Yours sincerely,
PayPal Ltd.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
IRS Email Scam
After my last post, I realized I hadn't blogged about an email I've been getting repeatedly for the last several months.
The email purports to be a letter from the IRS, about a refund I haven't claimed. It looks somewhat official, but has a few key failings:
- I have never experienced the IRS seeking anyone out for a refund - and most of its communications are via mail
- The email address it is sent from is service@usa.org, rather than an IRS email address
- The email is marked undisclosed-recipients: in the To: line
- As you'll see, there are plenty of typos - suspicious for as detail oriented an organization as the IRS
Also, I wonder if this is THE Jon Stewart...
********Notice from the Department of Treasury [from service@usa.org]
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity
we have determined that you are eligible to receive
a tax refund under section 501(c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. Tax refund value is $189.60.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 6-9 days
in order to IWP the data received.
If u don't receive your refund within 9 business
days from the original IRS mailing date shown,
you can start a refund trace online.
If you distribute funds to other organization, your records must show wether
they are exempt under section 497 (c) (15). In cases where the recipient org.
is not exempt under section 497 (c) (15), you must have evidence the funds will
be used for section 497 (c) (15) purposes.
If you distribute fund to individuals, you should keep case histories showing
the recipient's name and address; the purpose of the award; the maner of
section; and the realtionship of the recipient to any of your officers, directors,
trustees, members, or major contributors.
To access the form for your tax refund, please click here [the link is routed through AOL]
This notification has been sent by the Internal Revenue Service,
a bureau of the Department of the Treasury.
Sincerely Yours,
John Stewart
Director, Exempt. Organization
Rulings and Agreements Letter
Internal Revenue Service
The email purports to be a letter from the IRS, about a refund I haven't claimed. It looks somewhat official, but has a few key failings:
- I have never experienced the IRS seeking anyone out for a refund - and most of its communications are via mail
- The email address it is sent from is service@usa.org, rather than an IRS email address
- The email is marked undisclosed-recipients: in the To: line
- As you'll see, there are plenty of typos - suspicious for as detail oriented an organization as the IRS
Also, I wonder if this is THE Jon Stewart...
********Notice from the Department of Treasury [from service@usa.org]
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity
we have determined that you are eligible to receive
a tax refund under section 501(c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. Tax refund value is $189.60.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 6-9 days
in order to IWP the data received.
If u don't receive your refund within 9 business
days from the original IRS mailing date shown,
you can start a refund trace online.
If you distribute funds to other organization, your records must show wether
they are exempt under section 497 (c) (15). In cases where the recipient org.
is not exempt under section 497 (c) (15), you must have evidence the funds will
be used for section 497 (c) (15) purposes.
If you distribute fund to individuals, you should keep case histories showing
the recipient's name and address; the purpose of the award; the maner of
section; and the realtionship of the recipient to any of your officers, directors,
trustees, members, or major contributors.
To access the form for your tax refund, please click here [the link is routed through AOL]
This notification has been sent by the Internal Revenue Service,
a bureau of the Department of the Treasury.
Sincerely Yours,
John Stewart
Director, Exempt. Organization
Rulings and Agreements Letter
Internal Revenue Service
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
New Bank "Phishing" Scam
I just received this bank scam, and I have to admit, I did a doubletake. Unlike the normal ham-handed emails, they take the time to use really official looking labels and web addresses.
Keys to cracking the scam are simple - first, check to see if the email was sent to the email you have on file with your bank. In my case, that was the first tell-tale sign.
Second, look carefully at the email address the "notification" was sent to - if it is not precisely the same as the address you get your usual notifications from, it probably isn't. In my case the URL was identical except that they added the number 7 at the end of the normal bank domain name.
Third, always mouse over (without CLICKING!) any addresses given. Even if the text of the link looks right, the actual URL behind that text can be completely different. In my case, the address was just an IP (numerical), so it was a dead giveaway.
Fourth, and this was a new one for me - my bank is a US bank, but the word Center in Service Center was spelled Centre. So clearly this was a student of British English...not an automated system developed with US markets in mind.
Be forewarned - the best policy in these cases is to call your bank to double - check, and just delete the email. This scam clearly builds on the weaknesses of past scams I've blogged about in a few important ways:
- It looks much more official and is clearly modeled after a REAL communication my bank sends out
- The issue they cite is much more believable - a fraudulent or just suspicious ATM purchase
- They've taken greater pains to mask their URLs under authentic URLs
In this day and age of lost corporate backups, you should be suspicious and guard your information carefully - even if it IS your bank asking for the info.
***************** TITLE: ID#XXXX Important Information Regarding Your Account
Dear [email],
We recently reviewed your account, and we suspect an unauthorized ATM based transaction. Therefore as a preventive measure we will temporary limit your access to sensitive [Bank Name] features. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please login to your Online Banking and verify your identity to prevent deactivation.
SERVICE: [Bank Name] Online Banking.
What you need to do:
- Go to: [Bank Name] Online Banking
https://[normal bank url]/cgi-bin/[bank abbrev]/portal/l/l.do
- Login to Online Banking.
Thanks for your patience.
Sincerely,
[Bank Name] Centre
****************************************************************************
For any inquiries, contact Customer Service.
****************************************************************************
Keys to cracking the scam are simple - first, check to see if the email was sent to the email you have on file with your bank. In my case, that was the first tell-tale sign.
Second, look carefully at the email address the "notification" was sent to - if it is not precisely the same as the address you get your usual notifications from, it probably isn't. In my case the URL was identical except that they added the number 7 at the end of the normal bank domain name.
Third, always mouse over (without CLICKING!) any addresses given. Even if the text of the link looks right, the actual URL behind that text can be completely different. In my case, the address was just an IP (numerical), so it was a dead giveaway.
Fourth, and this was a new one for me - my bank is a US bank, but the word Center in Service Center was spelled Centre. So clearly this was a student of British English...not an automated system developed with US markets in mind.
Be forewarned - the best policy in these cases is to call your bank to double - check, and just delete the email. This scam clearly builds on the weaknesses of past scams I've blogged about in a few important ways:
- It looks much more official and is clearly modeled after a REAL communication my bank sends out
- The issue they cite is much more believable - a fraudulent or just suspicious ATM purchase
- They've taken greater pains to mask their URLs under authentic URLs
In this day and age of lost corporate backups, you should be suspicious and guard your information carefully - even if it IS your bank asking for the info.
***************** TITLE: ID#XXXX Important Information Regarding Your Account
Dear [email],
We recently reviewed your account, and we suspect an unauthorized ATM based transaction. Therefore as a preventive measure we will temporary limit your access to sensitive [Bank Name] features. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please login to your Online Banking and verify your identity to prevent deactivation.
SERVICE: [Bank Name] Online Banking.
What you need to do:
- Go to: [Bank Name] Online Banking
https://[normal bank url]/cgi-bin/[bank abbrev]/portal/l/l.do
- Login to Online Banking.
Thanks for your patience.
Sincerely,
[Bank Name] Centre
****************************************************************************
For any inquiries, contact Customer Service.
****************************************************************************
Mobility & The New Frontier (July 14, 2008)
Last night at JPMorgan's offices, the New York Software Industry Association held a very well attended panel presentation and discussion on the future of the mobile web. The presenters were from Nokia, RIM (makers of Blackberry), a mobile web analytics firm, and a mobile web consultancy. The moderator was a senior executive for Vodafone, part owners of Verizon.
The discussion was interesting for a number of reasons. The main conclusions of the presenters seemed to be the following:
- The mobile web is now where the internet in general was in 1998 - there is a lot of fragmentation in terms what different devices/mobile browsers will support, etc.
- Mobile applications are constrained in many ways developers may not anticipate - battery life and form factor, for example, are major issues in a mobile context. Developers have to orient themselves to these set of constraints the same way they did over the past 10 years in PC-based internet applications. A very interesting observation by the mobile web analytics firm that many may not realize - all the big analytics companies still do not track mobile web browser hits. Also, the DHCP structure of most carriers limits the detailed analytics which can be captured.
- The blossoming of social networks and highly-demanded smart devices like the iPhone creates a new set of challenges for CIOs - there is greater pressure than ever to accomodate the applications and devices people want to use, in spite of not having additional resources and tools to manage them.
- Firms like Nokia and RIM are clearly attempting to keep pace with the iPhone and iPhone app store, but they are pursuing very different strategies. Given their installed base, it is likely that there will continue to be differing standards, tools, etc., available on different device platforms. That will continue to make it more difficult for developers.
The discussion was interesting for a number of reasons. The main conclusions of the presenters seemed to be the following:
- The mobile web is now where the internet in general was in 1998 - there is a lot of fragmentation in terms what different devices/mobile browsers will support, etc.
- Mobile applications are constrained in many ways developers may not anticipate - battery life and form factor, for example, are major issues in a mobile context. Developers have to orient themselves to these set of constraints the same way they did over the past 10 years in PC-based internet applications. A very interesting observation by the mobile web analytics firm that many may not realize - all the big analytics companies still do not track mobile web browser hits. Also, the DHCP structure of most carriers limits the detailed analytics which can be captured.
- The blossoming of social networks and highly-demanded smart devices like the iPhone creates a new set of challenges for CIOs - there is greater pressure than ever to accomodate the applications and devices people want to use, in spite of not having additional resources and tools to manage them.
- Firms like Nokia and RIM are clearly attempting to keep pace with the iPhone and iPhone app store, but they are pursuing very different strategies. Given their installed base, it is likely that there will continue to be differing standards, tools, etc., available on different device platforms. That will continue to make it more difficult for developers.
Fund Raising War Stories - New Haven CTC Growth Meeting (July 22nd 2008 at Leon's - 5:00pm)
The next meeting of the Connecticut Technology Council's New Haven Growth Cell is scheduled for July 22nd at 5:00pm at Leon's on the Wharf in New Haven (see www.ct.org for more details). Anyone in the process of raising capital or on the verge of raising capital to move their company forward should attend.
Our presenters come from a variety of backgrounds and have unique experiences to share, and there will be time for Q&A as well. Bring your insights into fund raising to share with the community.
See you there.
View Larger Map
(Web 3.0 Note: An easter egg for all those interested in Google's latest advances - click the More button on the map and select Wiki - you'll see an nice little wikipedia reference to the Pearl Harbor Bridge. And you'll probably notice the opportunity to fill in your own wikis to items of interest to you...people like me will see it).
****
Funding Experiences of Connecticut Companies
Panel Discussion/ Case Studies
Moderator:
Anthony Price, Urban Capital Solutions, www.urbancapitalsolutions.com
Case studies:
Keith Samolyk, Global Blood Resources www.mybloodfirst.com
Heidi Douglas, MysticMD www.mysticmd.com
Matthew Wallace, VRSim www.vrsim.net
__________
About Anthony Price, Urban Capital Solutions
Anthony Price is a business professional that combines a rare blend of hands-on economic development, corporate business development and entrepreneurial experience. He has directed economic development activities in Waterbury and Hartford, Connecticut. In Waterbury, Anthony was responsible for developing strategies to retain, recruit and develop new businesses. He created innovative marketing strategies and loaned millions of dollars to small businesses.
About Keith Samolyk, Global Blood Resources
Keith Samolyk, a practicing perfusionist, is the inventor of the Hemobag, a patented medical device that returns the patient's whole blood in a concentrated form to him or her after cardiac surgery.
In 2004, after receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the Hemobag, Keith began marketing it. Global Blood Resources now supplies 62 medical institutions across the nation. The Connecticut Technology Council named Global Blood Resources one of this year's 14 most promising early-stage companies in 2008.
About Heidi Douglas, MysticMD,
MysticMD Inc. c-Founder, president and CEO, Heidi S. Douglas, MS, MBA sets direction and controls the business. She has over 25 years of high tech business leadership experience. Prior to starting MysticMD, she was a consulting partner with Deloitte managing some of the firm’s largest engagements at Fortune 100 companies. MysticMD focuses on developing proprietary conductive solutions using formulations of carbon nanotubes alloyed with traditional materials and/or other nanoparticles to solve problems. MysticMD is a CTC's FastTrack company and has been identified as a high-potential, early-stage company.
About Matthew Wallace, VRSim
Matthew Wallace is the President & CEO of VRSim, located in the CCAT technology incubator in East Hartford. VRSim provides products and services to enable data manipulation, visualization and interaction. VRSim's products give the user the ability to create traditional simulations, immersive virtual reality environments, and desktop interactives.
Our presenters come from a variety of backgrounds and have unique experiences to share, and there will be time for Q&A as well. Bring your insights into fund raising to share with the community.
See you there.
View Larger Map
(Web 3.0 Note: An easter egg for all those interested in Google's latest advances - click the More button on the map and select Wiki - you'll see an nice little wikipedia reference to the Pearl Harbor Bridge. And you'll probably notice the opportunity to fill in your own wikis to items of interest to you...people like me will see it).
****
Funding Experiences of Connecticut Companies
Panel Discussion/ Case Studies
Moderator:
Anthony Price, Urban Capital Solutions, www.urbancapitalsolutions.com
Case studies:
Keith Samolyk, Global Blood Resources www.mybloodfirst.com
Heidi Douglas, MysticMD www.mysticmd.com
Matthew Wallace, VRSim www.vrsim.net
__________
About Anthony Price, Urban Capital Solutions
Anthony Price is a business professional that combines a rare blend of hands-on economic development, corporate business development and entrepreneurial experience. He has directed economic development activities in Waterbury and Hartford, Connecticut. In Waterbury, Anthony was responsible for developing strategies to retain, recruit and develop new businesses. He created innovative marketing strategies and loaned millions of dollars to small businesses.
About Keith Samolyk, Global Blood Resources
Keith Samolyk, a practicing perfusionist, is the inventor of the Hemobag, a patented medical device that returns the patient's whole blood in a concentrated form to him or her after cardiac surgery.
In 2004, after receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the Hemobag, Keith began marketing it. Global Blood Resources now supplies 62 medical institutions across the nation. The Connecticut Technology Council named Global Blood Resources one of this year's 14 most promising early-stage companies in 2008.
About Heidi Douglas, MysticMD,
MysticMD Inc. c-Founder, president and CEO, Heidi S. Douglas, MS, MBA sets direction and controls the business. She has over 25 years of high tech business leadership experience. Prior to starting MysticMD, she was a consulting partner with Deloitte managing some of the firm’s largest engagements at Fortune 100 companies. MysticMD focuses on developing proprietary conductive solutions using formulations of carbon nanotubes alloyed with traditional materials and/or other nanoparticles to solve problems. MysticMD is a CTC's FastTrack company and has been identified as a high-potential, early-stage company.
About Matthew Wallace, VRSim
Matthew Wallace is the President & CEO of VRSim, located in the CCAT technology incubator in East Hartford. VRSim provides products and services to enable data manipulation, visualization and interaction. VRSim's products give the user the ability to create traditional simulations, immersive virtual reality environments, and desktop interactives.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Yowza! What a deal...
You may not have ever visited www.woot.com (w00t is an internet-ism which originally was the victory cry "we owned other team", but has morphed a bit into a general purpose triumphant exclamation).
If you haven't check out this deal.
If you've followed the blog, you know we look at evidence of the transformation of internet computing in a lot of different areas.
$5.99 for 2GB of data (in a memory card format)? That's pretty darn amazing from our perspective, not just because it is a deal, but as a sign to come. When storage is this cheap at the consumer level, it is orders of magnitude less expensive in other applications...that brings down all sorts of costs affected by storage prices.
Perhaps the pricing behind the latest iPhone is a sign of things to come? Device price drops...service prices go up. It will be an interesting issue to watch, that's for sure.
If you haven't check out this deal.
If you've followed the blog, you know we look at evidence of the transformation of internet computing in a lot of different areas.
$5.99 for 2GB of data (in a memory card format)? That's pretty darn amazing from our perspective, not just because it is a deal, but as a sign to come. When storage is this cheap at the consumer level, it is orders of magnitude less expensive in other applications...that brings down all sorts of costs affected by storage prices.
Perhaps the pricing behind the latest iPhone is a sign of things to come? Device price drops...service prices go up. It will be an interesting issue to watch, that's for sure.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
eBay Ordered to Pay LVMH for Fakes Sold
In spite of eBay's belief that it does not have a legal responsibility for what's sold on its site, a French court ordered them to pay about $61M in damages to LVMH (a French products company) for allowing fake copies of their products to be sold through eBay.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Google's New, Published Privacy Policy
It appears that Google has come out with a specific statement on their privacy policies.
article
(Thanks, Matt!)
article
(Thanks, Matt!)
iPhone Revisited - Good News or Bad News?
Last week's post on the new iPhone focused on the hardware, but other bloggers are also dissecting the cell phone plan AT&T is offering with the phone. For example, here's a solid post on eWeek analyzing the true cost of the new iPhone.
Ugh.
The phrase "pay me now or pay me later" comes to mind. It appears that the Apple/AT&T duo is trying to find some ways to work around the unpopular device cost, but may be relying on people being just plain dumb. Which is probably a bad assumption...
Ugh.
The phrase "pay me now or pay me later" comes to mind. It appears that the Apple/AT&T duo is trying to find some ways to work around the unpopular device cost, but may be relying on people being just plain dumb. Which is probably a bad assumption...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Give Away The Game?
The Economist (June 25th, 2008) features a new article on gaming business models, featuring the new game "Battlefield Heroes." It's an interesting read - in the current world of Web 2.0 "free stuff," it seems that more gaming companies are embracing the strategy of giving the game away for free, and charging avid users for extras like special costumes, swords, etc.
It will be interesting to see whether and how this model may transition into more serious gaming applications, like learning.
It will be interesting to see whether and how this model may transition into more serious gaming applications, like learning.
New 3G iPhone Set for July 11th Release
New 3G iPhone
The demo above gives you a little more information, but in summary, Apple has addressed a couple of the big red flags on the iPhone. First and foremost, the new phone improves its speed with a 3G/quad band capability, but the phone now also supports Microsoft push technology (Exchange server), provides secure access to corporate resources, includes a standard headphone jack, and adds GPS to its maps feature.
The video doesn't provide detail on whether corporate IT managers will have access to remote device control/software upgrading, but clearly this is a huge step even without that.
On top of it all, the new, lower price of $200 puts the iPhone in a new range of price-to-features, clearly setting the stage for market penetration.
The demo above gives you a little more information, but in summary, Apple has addressed a couple of the big red flags on the iPhone. First and foremost, the new phone improves its speed with a 3G/quad band capability, but the phone now also supports Microsoft push technology (Exchange server), provides secure access to corporate resources, includes a standard headphone jack, and adds GPS to its maps feature.
The video doesn't provide detail on whether corporate IT managers will have access to remote device control/software upgrading, but clearly this is a huge step even without that.
On top of it all, the new, lower price of $200 puts the iPhone in a new range of price-to-features, clearly setting the stage for market penetration.
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