Year: 2006

Ben Metcalfe rips apart Google

Post ImageGoogle made an interesting post to their official blog yesterday, titled Do you “Google?” which aside from being extremely calculated and condescending, slightly mocks Yahoo (you know, do you Yahoo?). The post explains that you can’t use “google” and “search” interchangeably, because they don’t want to become genericized like so many other names have (elevator, zipper, etc).

Needless to say, the post sucks. I can’t say it any better than Ben Metcalfe:

But in the end, regardless of whether it’s positive, harmful or somewhat in between for Google, I for one don’t like to be told how to use the English language.

We own our language. So Google, you can go shove your lexicographical ‘advice’ up your ass.

Seriously, go read Ben’s entire post. He does an awesome job of deconstructing the Google post. The Yahoo search team have posted their own comments too.

I understand the need to try and protect your trademarks and other intellectual property, but I am not sure going after the public like this is a good idea. Google should stick to going after organizations and publications which abuse their trademarks. You need to prove that you’ve made every effort to protect your trademark, but going after individuals is never a good idea. Just ask the RIAA.

If “google” turns out to be a generic term in the end, so be it.

Read: Ben Metcalfe

Firefox 2.0

Post ImageI had a chance to install the latest release of Firefox this morning, and I have to admit, it’s pretty sharp looking! The user interface and default theme have both been updated with a fresh, clean look. Here are my favorite new features:

  • The updated user interface of course!
  • The close button for tabs is now on the tab itself, like IE7 and Opera.
  • Session Restore – replaces one of my favorite extensions.
  • The new add-ons manager is easier to use than the old extensions box.
  • You can reorder tabs now!
  • It’s not really a feature, but so far it appears Firefox is using way less memory than it used to.

The obvious question when you install a new browser is – how does it compare to the other browsers? Well, Firefox 2 appears to be a good improvement over Firefox 1.5, that much is clear. Compared to IE7 and Opera 9? They are all so similar now, it is becoming increasingly difficult to say one is better than the other. The installer for Firefox is definitely the best, though I have read some reports of errors when trying to uninstall.

As I mentioned a while ago, I have switched back to IE7 as my main browser, but I’ve always got the three (don’t forget Opera!) installed. If you’re a Firefox user, you should definitely upgrade to 2.0!

Bet you didn’t know: the IE Team at Microsoft sent Firefox guys a cake to celebrate their launch!

Read: Firefox

Wizzard Software buys Libsyn

Post ImageThere isn’t much news on this story yet, except for the official press release from Wizzard Software. Today the company announced that it has agreed to acquire Libsyn, currently the world’s largest podcasting network. From Podcasting News:

According to the companies, the acquisition combines the world’s largest and fastest growing podcast network with Wizzard’s expertise in speech technology integration, creating a powerful new service for podcasters worldwide.

Wizzard has been pretty busy lately, snapping up Switchpod back on September 21st and Blast Podcast less than a week later.

So far, there is no word of this deal on the Libsyn blogs or forums. I’m interested to hear their comments, because I think they understood they had to do something. Wizzard gets the top hosting service, and Libsyn gets some financial support to improve their service (and more importantly, quality of service), so it’s a good deal for both I think.

Libsyn CEO Dave Chekan seems excited in the press release at least:

“We’ve had several investment offers in the past and we chose Wizzard due to its expertise in speech technology, its passion for podcasting and its desire to make money for our independent content creators.”

Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Read: Wizzard

Odeo relegated from company to product

Post ImageYesterday, Evan Williams announced that he has formed a new company called Obvious Corp. which has purchased all of the assets of Odeo Inc. from the other investors and shareholders. Some people are probably surprised at the move, but I’m not. In fact, I saw it coming back in July:

Maybe it’s time everyone stopped calling Odeo a podcasting company. I’ve been critical of Google’s apparent lack of focus and direction many times in the past, but they’ve got nothing on Odeo. I mean here’s a company with some very smart people working for them, some substantial venture capital behind them, and yet very little to show for it.

I’d guess the investors are happy to have gotten out without any losses (TechCrunch thinks the buyout price is a little more than $5 million). Odeo is no longer a company by itself. Instead, it is now simply one of perhaps many products in Obvious’ new “model for building and running web products.”

The new model that Evan describes in his post is vague, but interesting. More importantly, he seems really excited about it, and he’s right, “from excitement and bold moves, great things often happen.” I wish him the best of luck with Obvious Corp.

So what does this mean for Odeo? A post on the official blog says that they are now “even more focused on giving Odeo the attention it requires.” Frankly, it would be difficult to be less focused than they are right now, so I guess that’s a good first step. It appears it will be business as usual for Odeo, at least for the foreseeable future. It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, they change or add.

Read: evhead

Back in Edmonton: Trip Recap

As you probably guessed, we’re now back in Edmonton. Yesterday went pretty good in terms of our presentation and the networking aspect. We met lots of really interesting people. It’ll take some time to see how well it went in terms of funding though. The presentation was really short (only 10 minutes) so the questions that were asked were fairly general. In retrospect, I think it may have been better to present in the morning rather than the afternoon, as the investors would have been more awake and there would have been more time to chat afterward.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown which is in the midst of major renovations. The lobby and common areas look excellent, as do the recently upgraded guest rooms. Especially sweet was the flat screen TV! And I love the lighting design too. It’s hard to get the same effect from pictures, but you can try! Here’s the photos I took. The dated hallways clearly do not match the rooms, but a little sign by the elevator says that they will be renovated too.

Here are some interesting facts (or maybe not) about the trip:

# of liquids confiscated at security: 1 for me, many for Dickson
Minutes until we missed our departure: less than 10 (we were the second last people to get on…we had to run after the final boarding call)
Total time in Vancouver: ~25 hours, 40 minutes
Number of blocks walked: ~24
Number of “random” security checks: 1 (Dickson was pulled aside again …it’s because he’s Chinese…the airport screeners have a very loose definition of “random”)
Number of Starbucks coffees I consumed: 2
Number of investors I didn’t like: 1 (the only reason I didn’t like him is that he sat in my presentation laughing to himself…very disrespectful and rude…you don’t have to agree with me, but show some respect!)
Hours of studying accomplished: 0 (but I studied today, I think the midterm went fairly well)

Off to Vancouver

As I mentioned yesterday, Dickson and I are in Vancouver all day tomorrow for the Angel Forum. Our flight leaves tonight at around 7 PM and we’re back tomorrow evening close to midnight. Very quick trip indeed.

Now that Northern Voice 2007 has been announced, it looks like this trip will be the first of many to Vancouver over the next few months! Not to be outdone on the other side of Canada, Mesh 2007 has been announced for May in Toronto. Lots of excellent Canadian conferences to attend!

Notes for 10/22/2006

This week is going to be incredibly busy for me! I have two midterms and a trip to Vancouver, among other things.

  • Paramagnus has been selected to present at the 20th Angel Forum in Vancouver on Tuesday. There will be over 90 investors in attendance, and we have just 14 minutes for the presentation and questions. It should be interesting!
  • Interesting article about Microsoft and the new Computer Architecture Group.
  • Leesa Barnes has the best explanation for why the Starbucks podcast failed. She totally nails it.
  • It appears Wal-Mart is ready to start selling groceries here in Canada. We’re talking fresh produce and everything. Hopefully they show up out west too.
  • I didn’t really like the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks when it came out, but I think I have warmed up to it now. Of course, as soon as the Xmas drinks come out, I’ll stick to those!

Mini-Review: The Departed
I went to see The Departed last night with Megan and Sharon at South Common. While similar to Infernal Affairs, you can’t compare the two. Obviously they will be similar as they are based on the same screenplay, but they are made by different directors so they should be different too. I thought “Gangs of New York” was pretty good, but The Departed is far better. Probably Scorsese’s best work. The cast was excellent, but especially Leonardo DiCaprio. Maybe a little long at two and half hours, but worth every minute. I highly recommend it!

Wireless at Red Deer College

Post ImageMy sister and I came down to Red Deer last night to visit Tom. He’s on the Kings soccer team, so we figured we’d come down to watch his game today. Today is the second last game of the season, and I think it’s fair to say that the Kings are looking forward to the end. After placing third in the province last year, they haven’t done so well this year! You can see the current standings here.

The game isn’t until noon, but I came down to the college with Tom this morning anyway. I figured I’d do a little work so I came to the library which is where I am writing this post. I am connected to their public wireless Internet network, and I have to say, I am really impressed. The speeds are just amazing for a wireless network, and I haven’t had any connectivity issues whatsoever. That’s far more than I can say about the wireless network at the UofA (granted, it has far more traffic than the one here).

I was so impressed actually, that I ran a speed test at DSL Reports:

When you convert those numbers, it works out to roughly 227 KB/sec download, and 90 KB/sec upload. Not bad at all. I wish all wireless hotspots were this good!

Kim and I are heading back to Edmonton this evening.

2007 Honda CR-V

Post ImageIt’s not often I blog about vehicles, but I just love the brand new 2007 Honda CR-V. And as far as I can tell, it’s not yet available in Canada. I think it’s a damn sexy SUV, and I really like the marketing campaign too – “something new to crave” is catchy and works well given the cryptic model name. Here’s the little blurb from the website:

The all-new 2007 CR-V has been dramatically transformed, with a sleek new exterior and amenity-rich interior that are unlike anything else you’ll find in a crossover SUV. As always, the CR-V is big on safety with new features including Advanced Compatibility EngineeringT (ACET) body structure to help you feel secure. Pamper yourself in the EX-L and you will get leather-trimmed seats and the available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation SystemT to help guide the way. Get in to the all-new CR-V-it’s the SUV you’ve been craving.

I’m craving it! If I was going to buy an SUV, I’d seriously consider the new CR-V.

Read: Honda CR-V

Halloween is sexy not scary!

Post ImageOver the last couple days I have had conversations with at least two friends about Halloween and how the girls dress up in revealing costumes. As you might have guessed, I am generally in favor of the trend! Then today while browsing the NYTimes, I came across this article on the phenomenon:

In her thigh-highs and ruby miniskirt, Little Red Riding Hood does not appear to be en route to her grandmother’s house. And Goldilocks, in a snug bodice and platform heels, gives the impression she has been sleeping in everyone’s bed. There is a witch wearing little more than a Laker Girl uniform, a fairy who appears to shop at Victoria’s Secret and a cowgirl with a skirt the size of a tea towel.

Anyone who has watched the evolution of women’s Halloween costumes in the last several years will not be surprised that these images — culled from the Web sites of some of the largest Halloween costume retailers — are more strip club than storybook.

Is that really so surprising? Sex sells, as they say. Halloween is basically an excuse for women to dress in something they wouldn’t normally dare admit they own, much less wear. The feminists of course don’t like the idea very much, and they are quick to point out that there aren’t many sexy costumes for guys. But you have to ask yourself why there aren’t as many for men: is it because there’s a double standard, or is it because there are more sexy females than sexy males? Or maybe it simply tells us that more people like to see sexy females, including other females, rather than sexy men.

I’ll never forget last year. I was with a bunch of friends at Denny’s at around 3 AM, so after the bars have closed and people have started to trickle into reliable old Denny’s. A group of girls walked in, with a couple of them dressed in sexy bunny costumes. They walked by our table, and one deliberately dropped something and bent down to pick it up, allowing us to have a good look if we so chose. Maybe she was drunk, or maybe she was just what I like to call an “attention whore”. Either way, it was memorable to say the least.

What are some of the sexiest costumes you’ve seen? Have you worn one, or would you consider wearing one?

Read: NYTimes