Archive for December, 2007

Here’s something I didn’t expect to read this morning. Virtual worlds are big stuff.
The kid-oriented variety, anyhow. Indeed, The New York Times reported today that despite the less-than-stellar magnetism attributed to the teen- and adult-specific gamespace/marketplace called Second Life, the places on the Web reserved for the youngest of computer-savvy generations are quite the attraction these days. So much so that Disney and other companies are investing heavily in new environments built to attract children with a wide range [...]

The last 365.2425 days - give or take - have comprised a pretty remarkable period of time. Everything in the tech space has appeared supercharged since that day of new beginnings past. Whether you look at advancements made in root technologies that have enabled the transmission of higher and higher quality media over the Web, or more singular accomplishments like new utilitarian services among the likes of office software built both for local and remote use and backup options that [...]

I don't know what the 2007th was like for you but I sincerely hope it was a good and lucky year and now that it is almost over, you are thinking of it with gratitude. And even if you now think this has been the best year of your life, I still want to wish you that the year 2008 will be at least twice as good. And even if the 2007th was not a particularly good year for you, [...]

The first Web browser to garner mainstream acceptance among the Internet’s earliest users (in the general consumer sector, that is), Netscape Navigator has been slated for final decommissioning come February 1, 2008. The news of the program’s imminent departure was released late last week by its current owner, AOL.
As much as we knew Navigator’s time would come to face permanent retirement, it saddens us a bit that the legendary utility, which once was said to saturate roughly 90% of [...]

Web 2.0 event applications have revolutionized the way we socialize in real life in much the same way social networking created a portal to the world for making new contacts and friends inside the computer. With so many web sites offering information and connections on local events, it is no surprise that the digital age has come to the party scene. This year, many are making their holiday plans online.
For some, New Year's plans started weeks or months [...]

Over the last few years we've seen the rise in popularity of Open Source software solutions. As this concept has crept across the Internet, it has left the confines of geekdom and begun to gather mainstream traction. People and businesses everywhere are finally recognizing Open Source software's potential for cost savings and ease of use.
Many people I speak with offline about Open Source seem to think it is a brand, when in fact it is much more a philosophy [...]

The year is almost through. Eggnog’s running low. The once fresh-cut Douglas-firs placed inside millions of homes over the holidays are running dry and approaching their final demise. Bottles of bubbly are being prepped and placed on standby for the global celebration to happen next week for the new calendar’s arrival.
So I think it’s only fitting to follow convention here and offer up a few wise words in anticipation of suspected things to come in the wide world of Web [...]

In a bid to diversify its holdings in the realm occupied by its Web-based business, Wal-Mart has done something quite unpredictable and peculiar. It has launched its very own SEM service. (SEM is short for search engine marketing.)
Indeed. The company that started small and unsophisticated decades ago and grew to become the largest retail force on Earth, has apparently tapped the powers that be at Innuity, a well-known Web software specialist, and arranged to establish a marketing service within [...]

Unlike many retail giants of mostly brick-and-mortar, chain-linked proportions headquartered in the US, Amazon has shown a nice finish to 2007. The company, one of the largest of all online retail outlets, displayed a record number of sales this month – 5.4 million for the day of December 10th alone - effectively pushing the marketplace to a 13-year high, reported the London Times yesterday.
And there’s more. The mega-success, in tandem with the Warner Music Group, also revealed earlier this [...]