Category: Web 2.0

Erasing or Changing Emails Even After They’re Delivered: Good Idea?

July 24, 2007 Bob Caswell No Comments

BigString is a company set on eliminating “email sender remorse” by allowing you as the email sender to control emails even after they’ve landed in the recipient’s inbox. I was intrigued both from a technical perspective (i.e., how does it work?) and from a sociological perspective (i.e., what does potentially needing this technology tell us about ourselves?). The company even hosts a weekly contest where it asks for your worst emails (sent to wrong person, reply all mistakes, email while drunk, etc.) and awards the most embarrassing ones with cash prizes. So, first off, here’s how it works:

Internet, Privacy, Tech News, Web 2.0

Is Google Still the Best Option for Search?

July 20, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 6 Comments

Switching from one search engine to another is simple, right?

Well, I thought I’d try a couple new options, but it was difficult. I had to consciously remind myself that I was going to use new (for me) search engines. If I didn’t think about it, Google is always where I ended up.

First on the list, the other two of the big three: Yahoo and Microsoft / MSN / Live (come on, Microsoft, I still don’t know what you want to be called here).

Internet, Microsoft, Tech Reviews, Web 2.0, Yahoo

First Magazine Offered as a Complete Audio Edition

July 13, 2007 Bob Caswell 2 Comments

I subscribe to the Economist and received an intriguing email yesterday. It looks like the Economist might be getting into podcasting, er, sort of. This comes not long after the magazine decided to implement RSS, though this latest move is a bit more unique. Check it out:

Tech News, Web 2.0

How I Used Blogging to Sell Computers.net for $155,000

July 5, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 26 Comments

As promised, I thought I’d share how I sold Computers.net and made the move to TechConsumer. Back in June of 2005, I approached the original owner of Computers.net (who I had known for sometime) and asked what his plans were for the site (which was nothing more than a survey page at the time). As it turns out, he had always been interested in selling it but felt it was worth more than the highest offer he had received at that point: $50,000.

So I offered him a deal he couldn’t refuse: I would put together a blog, generate traffic, get advertising revenue, and then put Computers.net up for sale. In the process, I’d pay him a percentage of the ad revenue generated in exchange for a portion of the final selling price. Since he had done nothing with it since 1995, he figured my offer was worth a shot.

Do-It-Yourself Tech, Tech News, Web 2.0

Amazon to Buy Netflix? Cool. But Then We’d Have to Pay Sales Tax

June 6, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 2 Comments

There are rumors afloat that Amazon may be purchasing Netflix. One source has the purchase price at around $1.5 billion while another pins it at $2.1 billion. As a result, Netflix shares are up 5 percent today. The online video rental/download/purchase market is still in its infancy even if crowded with the likes of Apple, Blockbuster, Netflix, Amazon, and even Wal-Mart. And those are just the big boys playing in that space.

Media, Tech News, Web 2.0

Why Do Hotels Still Charge for Internet?

May 7, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 10 Comments

So this week I’m on vacation in Orlando (never been to Disney World until now). The hotel is called the Buena Vista Palace and is located right outside the theme parks. I found the hotel via Priceline.com and thought it was a good deal until I got nickel and dimed to death upon arrival. I’m not sure who to be annoyed at more: Priceline for not including specific, applicable information that any visitor would want to know beforehand, or the hotel, which has a backwards approach to the term “convenience.”

Do-It-Yourself Tech, Just For Fun, Shopping, Web 2.0

Breaking: Microsoft & Yahoo Considering Merger

May 4, 2007August 31, 2008 Bob Caswell 8 Comments

Quoting our favorite source of “people familiar with the situation,” the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) claims that executives at Microsoft and Yahoo are in early-stage discussions about merging the two companies to take on Google. Investors seem to be taking this seriously, as Yahoo shares surged in overseas trading because of this news. The company’s market value is now close to $38 billion up from $32 billion earlier this week. So if you want to quantify this rumor, there you have it: the world thinks its worth $6 billion dollars.

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

SwitchPlanet: Mixing Netflix, craigslist, eBay, and Amazon but for Free

April 24, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 8 Comments

SwitchPlanet is one of the more compelling online communities I’ve seen in a while. Members can switch movies, CDs, books, and games with each other for free. The system is based on Switchbucs, an internal currency. You list whatever items you have for a Switchbucs price and get credited that amount when you ship an item to someone willing to pay that price using their Switchbucs. No real money ever trades hands, just switching with a third-party broker.

Do-It-Yourself Tech, Internet, Tech News, Web 2.0