Econo-wha?

Maybe not new to everyone but new to me (Athough it seems the blog has archives (available) from May this year. Got sent this blog http://econometa.com/ Nice postings about Power curves and MicroFormats. Find out more here

Virtual Mirrors

Microsoft Research has created prototype Wi-Fi software that allows a user on a PC with a single network card to connect to multiple local area networks concurrently via "virtual mirrors." More…

MS Office Communicator Mobile

I’ve been running this for a week or so and it’s pretty cool

Pa Git Yer Laptop

Wi-Fi on the Farm by CNN.com

MMM Spam

I feel so loved now. I am getting spam on the site – Funny thing is that it is based of the original host of blogger – Free and Easy…

Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 2:55 PMTo: jason_s_hamilton@hotmail.comSubject: [Jason Hamilton's Personal Blog] 10/24/2005 02:51:22 PM

free and easy internetjob for everybody in the world home jobs --Posted by Anonymous to Jason Hamilton's Personal Blog at 10/24/2005 02:51:22 PM

Unity is Not Simple

Infoconomy’s article on unified foundations for IP communications. Money is to be made here for folks who understand this. The article quotes Forrester Research who believes 1/3 of all organizations will be on a unified backbone by 2010

Top 5 Red Flags

Signal to Noise’s Top 5 Red Flag O’ Software Development

Everybody Into the Pit

An interesting article in BusinessWeek about how Moto designed and created the wildly successful RAZR phone. What’s interesting is the concepts are not new but how they are new to the folks using them. Also there is this weird underpinning within the article that equates in-city vs. suburban complex as a hip factor that influenced the phone. Also the phone was kept away from the “suits” and there are a few negative comments about this equating to MBA types. These are weird stereotypes that are simple minded. What’s most important about the process isn’t the location or the "types" in the room but rather the collaboration that leads to rapid innovation. In this case this simply equals making the best decisions and making them very fast. Most great engineering and business schools teach this already.

Can You Find Me Now

RFID’s in U.S. Passports by October 2006. I am surprised I have not seen a flurry of privacy posts on blogs but I have only been in scan mode lately due to time crunch so I might just be overlooking it.

Mobility Search The Killer App

A good article in the Seattle Times about companies in Seattle who are trying to enter and compete in what they consider a potential market. Search on your cell phone and not they way you search on a PC. They compare it to the 2 billion dollars a year directory services business (e.g. 411).

Can you WIFI me now?

Read a recent article that discusses municipalities setting up wireless networking in their areas. In some locations Telcos take notice in others they do not. Many of the municipalities are using this approach to cross the digital divide to allow access to lower income individuals who may not be able to afford access. Telco on the other hand see this as a potential threat to their business. They are probably both wrong and below outlines my opinion. Don’t agree? Post to the site.

First I’d contend that using these WIFI’s to cross the digital divide won’t impact the current revenue base of the Telco’s since the majority of it comes from business consumers from their cell phones. New smart phones are being enabled with WIFI which could impede future revenue growth or an expansion of the base set of customers. However this threat shouldn’t be mitigated via legislation but rather Telco should think about better business models that could offer compelling premium content and flexible rate package structures to impress and retain the users of these systems and networks. In short they can distinguish between their services and free.

Secondly I argue that free is free which is a good thing. Have you looked at the municipal budgets and services in most cities? It’s bare and with issues like homeland defense and other social economic pressures it’s getting thinner. In other words these installations either are basic in nature or experimental in nature (e.g. mesh networking). With this in mind the networks will be organic or basic at best or will be productized to create new business which is competition and competition is good for all capitalistic endeavors. Probably more realistically crossing the digital divide with these services won’t affect the companies they will affect the users of the service. The basic premise here is users educate themselves, are exposed to more, have more access to better job searches etc… that empower them to increase their knowledge and potentially decrease the divide. While I believe this the problem is with penetrating this user base. The cost of the hardware is still the problem even if the laptop is 500 dollars, which still a lot of money for a family of four on a low income especially if everyone needs a computer. Forget smart phones in this space because they are too expensive for the divide e.g. data plan, phone plan, price of the hardware etc… Also the question has to do with time. Wealth allows for more freedom of choices, and that translates to more leisure time.

Finally I’d argue that basic connectivity has already been commoditized and that’s a good thing. This drives new services and business models around this commoditization which benefits the user. Smart companies will figure out or they will become extinct. In summary these networks should be available at the basic level and IMHO are not a significant risk factor for Telcos. Plus if I could use my smart phone on WIFI as well as other networks I’d use it more and I think the high tide raises all ships model would apply.

What I found interesting in this article is that U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas introduced a bill that would restrict this ability. No surprise since he from Dallas which is Telco heavy and secondly is from a district that where most of the Telco businesses are located, and where many affluent people live.