Business currents

Twitter's political coming of age?

First YouTube, now Twitter.

In 2006, George Allen destroyed his political future after his infamous "Macaca" crack on the campaign trail made the rounds on YouTube.

Now it turns out that John McCain's campaign has suspended one of its Internet communications operatives for spreading links to a video mashup smearing Barack Obama.

Soren Dayton had used his Twitter account to spread the news. His Twitter page has since vanished.

Pressed by a reporter from Politico, a former producer for "The Laura Ingraham Show" took responsibility for its creation, saying, "I'm trying to join … Read more

LinkedIn starts living up to its name

I'm one of the 20 million-plus members of LinkedIn but would be flummoxed for a good answer if you asked me why. The truth is that if I didn't need to keep tabs on what's new and groovy in the tech world, I very much doubt I'd bother.

Why? It's as captivating as a sack of russet potatoes.

The site just doesn't inspire or engage and I have no reason to visit other than to answer requests - usually from perfect strangers--to become "linked in." But reading about the rollout of the … Read more

Nazi uproar over YouTube leaving bad choices all around

Google has been caught up in a controversy over anti-Semitic videos that have been circulating on YouTube.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany has gone to court to force the video-sharing site to permanently purge the files, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz. The paper quotes Stephan Kramer, secretary general of the Central Council, saying he believes Google was culpable for "aiding and abetting racial hatred and discrimination."

This question is especially freighted with extra historical baggage in Germany, where the Holocaust occupies a front row in the nation's historical consciousness. And as much as it … Read more

I wonder. What would Eric Schmidt say, post-Android?

What a magnificent bluff! After hearing about the outcome of the FCC's wireless spectrum auction (click for PDF), I have to marvel at the poker face Eric Schmidt assumed throughout the course of the last several months.

Since Eric the Silent rarely talks about what really goes on inside the inner sanctum, I've saved you the trouble of the guesswork and conducted my own imaginary Q&A:

Q: Thanks for taking the time, Eric. Did you ever seriously think about building your own wireless network in case Google actually won part of the spectrum auction? Imaginary Schmidt: … Read more

Is eBay going to the dogs? Don't bet on it

Earlier today, one of my blogging brethren Don Reisinger laid into eBay, dismissing it as "no more than an outdated, bloated company that lost its way years ago."

Once a Internet company gets a rap for being "uncool" you know the corporate marketing team has taken its eye off the ball. But in this Web 2.0-to-Web 2.5 world of ours, the temptation is to shoot first--and then shoot again and again without asking whether you're even aiming at the right target.

So it is that the piece finishes with the suggestive admonishment that: … Read more

Is Wall Street still smoking dope when it comes to Apple?

Is Apple really recession-proof?

American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu upgraded Apple today, roughly two weeks' shy of the end of the company's first quarter. Nothing unusual there. But checking in with his supply chain, Wu came away so impressed that he wrote the following:

"So far, our sense is that the Mac business appears to be recession proof. We were already looking for robust Mac unit growth of 38 percent Y/Y, but now we think it may be closer to 42 percent."

Wu's as good a stock analyst as any in his segment but … Read more

Wish list for social networks: Is this so crazy?

I wanted to repost this reader response to my Monday blog about a slowdown in venture capital funding for Web 2.0 start-ups.

"tehrani625" as he or she is called, comes off as thoroughly unimpressed with the status quo and says it's time to go beyond the conventionally stale thinking about social networks. Take a look and let me know what you think.

"I am bored of all the new social networks it would be nice if some one took something like open id and attached a friends list and then you would manage the thing … Read more

Apple reportedly mulling all-you-can-eat iTunes

The Financial Times may have nailed one hell of a scoop Tuesday evening. According to the paper, Apple is considering an all-you-can-eat plan in which users would receive free access to iTunes "in exchange for paying a premium for its iPod and iPhone devices."

The company reportedly is still in discussions, according to sources speaking on background to the FT.

"The 'all you can eat' model, a replica of Nokia's 'comes with music' deal with Universal Music last December, could provide the struggling recorded music industry with a much-needed fillip, and drive demand for a new … Read more

Web 2.0's high-water mark?

Maybe it's the proverbial exception that doesn't prove the rule. But the publication of new statistics pointing to a slowdown in venture funding for Web 2.0 companies comes at a particularly antsy time in Silicon Valley.

Earlier Tuesday, Dow Jones VentureSource issued a good news-bad news status report on Web 2.0 companies. While funding in Silicon Valley last year grew 25 percent, the numbers don't look so hot when you consider that Web 2.0 deal flow doubled every year between 2002 and 2006. What's more, you need to subtract the $300 million that … Read more