Author: Bob Caswell

North Koreans Wish for Internet While Retired People Elsewhere Surf Over Gardening

February 4, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

I came across two pieces of information today, and the juxtaposition was too much to not share. First piece: a new study out by AXA has found that retired people in 11 countries are now spending more time using the Internet over traditional pastimes of gardening, hiking, traveling, etc. Apparently, the term for this new demographic is “silver surfers.”

Second piece: Near North Korea’s northern border, Chinese cell phones and prepaid phone cards are a hot black-market item, regardless of the government trying to ban them. The reason: the new phones have free access to the Chinese Internet, which, even if censored, is a portal to the outside world not available to North Koreans through their regular Intranet.

Cyberlaw, Just For Fun, Privacy, Tech News

Can Viacom Force YouTube to Implement Automatic Blocking of Video Uploads?

February 3, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 4 Comments

So we’ve all heard the news of Viacom demanding YouTube to take down 100,000+ videos of various shows including good stuff from Comedy Central. A Viacom executive is quoted as to saying, “People are waking up to the fact that there is no marketing advantage… There’s no novelty anymore.” Hmm… I love the use of the word “people,” as if Viacom can speak for anyone involved in marketing video content.

You have to be pretty uncreative to come to this conclusion when the fifth most popular Internet site in the world has shown your content over a billion times. Interestingly enough, CBS and NBC have found an advantageous way to partner with YouTube despite Viacom’s claim.

Cyberlaw, Media, Tech News, Web 2.0

World’s Best Corporate Reputations: Apple #22, Google #4, & Microsoft #1

January 31, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

The results are here of the eight-annual Harris Interactive/The Wall Street Journal ranking of the world’s best and worst corporate reputations. Helped immensely by Bill Gates philanthropy, Microsoft dethroned cutesy Johnson & Johnson known for its emotionally appealing baby products. Interesting that around the same time a report comes out saying Microsoft has the best reputation, another article explains that “Few Rush Out to Buy New Windows Vista” citing consumers waiting for the bugs to be worked out.

Apple, Microsoft, Tech News

Dell Taking Orders for Vista PCs TONIGHT!

January 26, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 9 Comments

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has some unidentified sources claiming that Dell will begin selling personal computers with Vista tonight just before midnight eastern standard time. These first movers will get their new Vista-loaded computers on Tuesday, the official launch day of Vista for home users. My question:

Will there be a spike or drop in Dell orders tonight?

Computers, Internet, Microsoft, Tech News

Death of DRM Roundup: The World Wants Unrestricted Music

January 24, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

Appleitunes Wow. We’re not even through January and DRM is knocking at heaven’s (hell’s?) door. The latest news comes today with Norway proclaiming that Apple’s DRM via the iPod and iTunes is illegal. France, Germany, and Finland joined with Norway in releasing the following statement:

“We believe consumers have a right to play material purchased online on a portable device of their own choice.”

Amazon, Apple, Music, Tech News

Scandal 2.0: Is Microsoft the only company paying for Wikipedia edits?

January 24, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 2 Comments

Microsoft is getting some bad press for offering to pay a blogger to change a supposedly inaccurate article on Wikipedia. The blogger let it out in the open, and it wasn’t long before it hit the mainstream press. Even the Wall Street Journal decided to run an article based around the situation.

I suppose the principle of payment for Wikipedia coverage is the key issue here (some argue it’s about Microsoft’s clumsiness), though I’m curious to know why Microsoft (or whichever Microsoft employee pulling the strings, more to the point) really felt the need to correct a technical Wikipedia article on Office Open XML.

Internet, Microsoft, Tech News, Web 2.0

What’s Your Google / Microsoft / Yahoo Usage Breakdown?

January 23, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 2 Comments

So Yahoo released earnings info today, which was followed by mildly negative even if hopeful commentary. Google, of course, being cited as the major obstacle. It got me thinking about the fact that I don’t use any of Yahoo’s major offerings (meaning: search, email, or advertising). I don’t do this on purpose; it’s just the way my online habits have evolved, I suppose.

Amazon, Internet, Microsoft, Tech News, Web 2.0, Yahoo

Help This Woman Catch Her Cheating Husband Using a Cellphone

January 22, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 8 Comments

I get all sorts of interesting emails being part of a site like TechConsumer, but I’ve never gotten a request like this. A woman contacted me — we’ll call her Tina — and explained how her husband is cheating on her. She knows this because she took a peek at his cellphone and saw some rather questionable text messages from his new, uh, “friend.”

So what’s she hoping to find is a way to setup his phone (obviously while he’s unaware) so that it forwards his text messages (sent, received, or both) to her cellphone or email address (without him knowing).

Do-It-Yourself Tech, Gadgets