EBAY MAY SELL OFF SKYPE AFTERALL, APPLE IS GIVING US CLUES ABOUT
NEW IPODS, AND TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET
FIRED. ITS MONDAY, AUGUST 31ST. I'M NATALI DEL CONTE. IT'S TIME TO
GET LOADED.
[*]
EBAY IS REPORTED TO BE SELLING OFF SKYPE TO A PRIVATE GROUP OF
INVESTORS. THE DEAL IS SUPPOSED TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY BUT AS
OF THIS BROADCAST, IT HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. THE BUYERS
INCLUDE ANDREESEN HOROWITZ, WHICH IS A VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM
THAT WAS STARTED BY THE MARC ANDREESEN, THE FOUNDER OF
NETWCAPE, AND BEN HOROWITZ, THE CO-FOUNDER OF OPSWARE. WE OF
COURSE DON'T HAVE A PRICE BUT REPORTS ARE THAT THE ASKING PRICE
IS SOMEWHERE AROUND $2 BILLION.
[*]
MEANWHILE, YAHOO MAY WANT TO COMPETE WITH SKYPE WITH ITS
NEW VIDEO CHAT PROGRAM. YAHOO MESSENGER 10 BETA IS RECIEVING
HIGH PRAISE FROM CNET'S JESSICA DOLCOURT. IT IS A HIGH QUALITY
VIDEO CHAT BUILT OVER AN IM PROGRAM. IT ALSO HAS LOTS OF OTHER
BELLS AND WHISTLES LIKE FILE SHARING, EMOTICONS AND GAMES. SHE
SAYS SHE MAY EVEN PREFER IT TO SKYPE IF SHE HAS YAHOO UP AND
RUNNING, RATHER THAN LAUNCHING A WHOLE OTHER PROGRAM LIKE
SKYPE. OF COURSE THESE FEATURES DON'T PLAY WELL WITH IM
AGGREGATORS LIKE TRILLIAN OR DIGSBY.
[*]
APPLE CONFIRMED AN EVENT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY, THE
9TH WHERE WE CAN EXPECT A REFRESHED LINE OF IPODS, INCLUDING
NEW TOUCH MODELS. APPLE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO REVEAL
INFORMATION OF THEIR NEW INTERACTIVE ALBUM FORMAT, KNOWN AS
COCKTAIL. LAST WEEK WE MENTIONED THAT THE EVENT FALLS ON THE
SAME DATE AS THE RELEASE OF THE BEATLES REMASTERED DIGITAL
ALBUMS ALONG WITH THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND GAME, SO WE COULD
SEE THE BEATLES MUSIC FINALLY MAKE IT TO ITUNES. WE'LL WAIT AND
SEE.
[*]
SPEAKING OF MUSIC, NOKIA IS NOT HEARING ANY. AT LEAST NOT IN THE
U.S. THE COMPANY TOLD FORBES MAGAZINE THAT THE AMERICAN
LAUNCH OF ITS MUSIC SERVICE WOULD BE DELAYED. THIS IS THE COMES
WITH MUSIC SERVICE THAT GIVES YOU FREE MUSIC ON YOUR PHONE. IT
WAS SUPPOSED TO LAUNCH IN THE U.S. THIS YEAR BUT NOW THERE IS NO
SPECIFIED RELEASE DATE.
[*]
GOOGLE NOW SPEAKS YIDDISH. THE COMPANY'S LANGUAGE
TRANSLATOR ADDED 9 NEW LANGUAGES TO ITS REPERTOIRE. THIS
BRINGS THE TOTAL TRANSLATION LANGUAGE COUNT TO 51. THE NEW
LANGUAGES DON'T WORK IN ALL THE GOOGLE APPLICATIONS THAT CAN
TRANSLATE JUST YET BUT I'M SURE THEY WILL SOON.
[*]
GRAND THEFT AUTO IS COMING TO THE IPHONE AND THE IPOD TOUCH
THIS FALL. ROCKSTAR GAMES CONFIRMED THAT THE CHINATOWN WARS
EDITION OF THE GAME IS COMING TO THE APPLE DEVICE. THIS IS THE
SAME EDITION THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE NINTENDO DS. IT LETS
PLAYERS CONTROL HUANG LEE, A MEMBER OF THE TRIAN CRIME
SYNDICATE, WHO IS INVESTIGATING HIS FATHER'S DEATH IN LIBERTY
CITY. GRAND THEFT AUTO IS NOTORIOUS FOR BEING DIRTY AND GRITTY.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEE IF APPLE'S APPLICATION STORE VETTING PROCESS
LETS IT THROUGH.
[*]
YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THE TAX COLLECTOR. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
REPORTS THAT AUTHORITIES IN MINNESOTA USED MYSPACE TO TRACK
DOWN A TAX EVADER. A MAN WHO OWED BACK TAXES ON HIS WAGES
ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD BE RETURNING TO HIS HOME TOWN ON HIS
MYSPACE PAGE. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FUN HOME COMING.
[*]
TWITTER MAY HAVE RUINED THE GERMAN ELECTION. OFFICIALS IN
GERMANY ARE LOOKING INTO WHETHER OR NOT EXIT POLL DATA WAS
MADE PUBLIC ON TWITTER BEFORE THE POLLS CLOSED THIS WEEKEND. IF
THAT IS TRUE, THE ELECTION RESULTS COULD BE APPEALED. ALSO,
PUBLISHING PREMATURE RESULTS IS AGAINST THE LAW, PUBLISHABLE
BY A FINE OF UP TO 50,000 EUROS. LET THIS BE A LESSON TO US ALL. I
KNOW WE ALL WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO TWITTER THINGS BECAUSE IT
MAKES US COOLER. BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED TO CHILL OUT AND ASK
OURSELVES, "IS THIS A FEDERAL OFFENSE?"
[*]
WHEN SOMEONE WRITES YOU IN ALL CAPS, DOES IT HURT YOUR
FEELINGS OR SELF ESTEEM? THIS WAS CONSIDERED UNACCEPABLE
BEHAVIOR BY A COMPANY CALLED PROCARE HEALTH. THEY FIRED VAN
EMPLOYEE FOR HER CONFRONTATIONAL E-MAILS. THE E-MAIL IN
QUESTION READ: "TO ENSURE YOUR STAFF CLAIM IS PROCESS AND PAID,
PLEASE DO FOLLOW THE BELOW CHECKLIST." IT WAS WRITTEN IN CAPS
AND HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD BLUE...HOW RUDE! TO EMPHASIZE A
PROCEDURE THAT WILL HELP ME GET PAID? I NEVER! THE EMPLOYEE
SUED HER WAS AWARDED $17,000 FOR UNFAIR TERMINATION.
[*]
THOSE ARE ALL OF YOUR HEADLINES FOR TODAY AND I WILL OF COURSE
SEE YOU TOMORROW. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. I'M NATALI DEL
CONTE WITH CNET TV AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN LOADED.
