Interesting article from GIZMODO from my friend Marshall Sponder (via GoogleBuzz)

So you’re fed up with Google, and you’ve got a litany of reasons. You don’t even have to explain—I’m just here to help you crawl out from under the shadow of the big G, step by step.

You don’t have to be ready to commit to a full overhaul of your online lifestyle to understand why someone might want to yank their data from Google’s servers, and hand it off to someone else: You’ve got Google’s CEO deafly rehashing fallacious arguments about privacy—”If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place”—and hesitating on a drawback; you’ve got contextual advertising that seems just a little too closely tuned to that sexxxy love letter your girlfriend sent you while you were on that business trip; you’ve got that violently insane ex husband who now knows where you are because of Google’s clumsy Buzz rollout. Most of all, you’ve got reasons, and you’re ready for change.

foursquare is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things. We aim to build things to not only help you keep up with the places your friends go, but that encourage you to discover new places and challenge you to explore your neighborhood in new ways.

By the way, in the past few weeks I have, for whatever its worth, reached Superstar status and was just named Mayor of New Paltz, New York…

FOR MORE INFO ON FOURSQUARE CLICK HERE

photo courtesy of Veronique Verscheure

Thanks to my friend Karen Levine for a nice write up on our event last night with Gary Vaynerchuk

I’ve just walked home in my doctor-disapproved pointy toed boots from a Bill Sobel event at the Samsung Experience featuring Gary Vaynerchuk, aka Gary V.

I didn’t start taking notes until 15 minutes into the talk because I was recording it and attempting to single-process by giving him my full attention. But after a bevvy of great tweetable takeaways, I broke down and pulled out my Moleskine notebook.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

From Huffington Post

Posted: February 15, 2010

What a Difference a Week Makes: Google Buzz Arrives With a Bang

by Arianna Huffington

One of my favorite things about working in the news business is you never know where the day is going to take you. You wake up, and Evan Bayh is the farthest thing from your mind. Next thing you know, he makes a “last minute” decision and suddenly you find yourself drilling deep into all things Bayh (to say nothing of all things Brad Ellsworth).

Similarly, one of my favorite things about working in new media is how quickly new technology or killer applications of existing technology can completely change the game.

And it’s starting to feel like that’s what just happened with the release of Google Buzz. A week ago, it wasn’t on anyone’s radar (other than Google’s, of course). Today, it’s part of the conversation — and lots of people are using it. How many? With a host of caveats, Danny Sullivan has crunched some numbers and says that Google Buzz is already generating a quarter of the activity of Twitter.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

from the Chicago Tribune

By Kristin Samuelson, Tribune reporter

February 9, 2010

Guess it wasn’t so Comcastic after all.

Comcast, the nation’s largest cable service, is rebranding itself as XFinity, in an effort the company suggests is designed to produce a full image overhaul.

The brand change starts rolling out Friday in Chicago and 10 other markets, including Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington.

The parent company, which is preparing to take a majority stake in entertainment giant NBC Universal, will retain the Comcast name.

The XFinity brand name is meant to promote the company’s digital technology prowess, the company said, and it will appear on everything from customers’ billing statements to company vans and uniforms to remote controls. Customers’ e-mail addresses, however, will not change.

“XFinity is part of a new customer experience that will be backed by great customer service,” said spokeswoman Angelynne Amores. “Our goal is to deliver outstanding products and customer service that our customers can always depend on.”

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

Bill Gates Joins the iPad’s Army of Critics. Steve Jobs Couldn’t Care Less.

By Brent Schlender

February 10th, 2010

With the sudden ridicule of Steve Jobs’ new do-everything media player, Apple has abruptly become a ripe target for those who would like to take it down a notch. The tsunami of criticism is probably excessive, but it does show a change in how people perceive Apple. Suddenly, it seems, Apple and its visionary leader are fair game. Maybe it’s because we’re less worried that Steve is on his deathbed, and that makes attacking him okay. And perhaps it’s because the iPad is arguably the ultimate example of Apple’s penchant for pre-release speculation and hype gone wild.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

I received the following email from my friend Richard Reisman

I am sending this to MITEF-NYC board and to NYTech, NYEW, and various others who might have the resources/networks to respond to the RFI to get this service in trial in NYC.

This seems like something where a multi-group effort is desirable, and maybe an NYC government involvement (NYTech has city council contact?).

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi

best,
-R

* The Wall Street Journal  
* TECHNOLOGY
* FEBRUARY 10, 2010, 11:49 A.M. ET

Google to Test Ultra-Fast Broadband

By JESSICA E. VASCELLARO
Google Inc. Wednesday said it plans an experiment to deliver ultra-fast Internet access that will target several cities, reaching between 50,000 and 500,000 people.

Google product managers Minny Ingersoll and James Kelly wrote in a company blog post that Google is launching the project to show off what consumers could do on the Internet at very high speeds, like download medical imagery and hi-definition movies.

They said that Google would offer service at a speed of one gigabit per second­or 100 times faster than what many U.S. consumers are used to­and they plan to offer an “open network” allowing users to get the high-speed service from several providers. They said they would offer the service at “a competitive price,” but didn’t give specific figures.

“Our goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone,” Ms. Ingersoll and Mr. Kelly wrote.

The post said that Google is requesting input from interested cities by March 26 and would announce those selected and other details later this year.

Write to Jessica E. Vascellaro at jessica.vascellaro@wsj.com

Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Wondering how Apple can sell the iPad for under $500?

from BNET
Apple iPad Price, Features Say “ARM” All Over

By Chris Dannen | Jan 27, 2010

Here’s what you need to know about the iPad: it’s a 9.7-inch touchscreen pad that’s half an inch thick, sports WiFi and 3G, and runs apps, reads e-books and lasts 10 hours on a charge. And it’s one of the best things to happen to Intel (INTC) rival ARM Holdings (ARMH).

Looks cool, right? You might be bracing for the price tag.  But when you look at it, as compared to smartphones, netbooks and Kindles, it really isn’t too bad at all.

Why? It’s largely because one of the most expensive components — the processor — is a custom-made, in-house Apple (AAPL) 1GHz chip called the A4. In April 2008, Apple bought a chip company called PA Semiconductor, which according to Forbes at the time was “known for its design of sophisticated, low-power chips.” Forbes also said this was a “blow for chip-maker Intel,” which had been trying to sell Apple on its low-power Atom chips.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

(photo courtesy of Apple Inc.)

Interesting article from Brandweek

by Mike Shields and Lucia Moses, Mediaweek

Traditional media — notably representatives from the reeling print world — were conspicuously absent from Apple’s elaborate rollout of the iPad, its highl -anticipated tablet computing device.

But publishers, advertisers and analysts remain optimistic that magazines and newspapers will ultimately receive a readership and business boost from the new product, which was unveiled during a press event in San Francisco yesterday.

Expressing a desire to create a third category between laptop computers and smartphones, Apple CEO Steve Jobs finally revealed specifics on the iPad: it features a 9.7-inch display screen, weighs 1.5 pounds and is a half-inch thick. And despite rumors of prices in the thousand-dollar range, consumers can snag one for as low as $499.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

Perhaps the iPad will breathe new life into the now multi-touch iWork suite. Or maybe not. If the iPad turns out to be a replacement for peoples PDAs, then Numbers and Pages will fit the bill. If the iPad becomes everyones netbook, then people might find Numbers and Keynote lacking.

What might be the real iPad killer app? A camera in the middle of the display. (Patent applied for?)