Google Docs Gaining 'Impressive Uptick' In Office Share

Google's online office productivity suite, Google Docs, is gaining enterprise share, posing a long-term threat to Microsoft's Office suite.

• Sep 18, 2009

Google Pushing New Product Through Bloggers

Google has been emailing a "small set of expert bloggers," asking if they would be interested in looking at a new product that apparently hasn't yet been announced, according to an email, forwarded to me, from a Google marketing person. The company is offering "a gift package" to ship in the next few weeks, though is giving no indication of what the product is.

• Sep 18, 2009

Are Zune Ad-Supported Apps a Wrong Move?

Microsoft is reportedly relying on ads to support an apps infrastructure for Zune. But while I'm sure the company figures it will jump start adoption because, hey, it's all "free," which means that the app developers get a cut of revenue and are happy, I suspect it's one of those moves that will prove to be foolish. Here's why.

• Sep 18, 2009

Tech Law: Gamer Sues Bungie, DOJ Eyes MicroHoo, K-Mart/Sears Spyware, More

A look at highlights of the past week in the high tech legal world: courts, regulation, and lawsuits, including: gamer sues Bungie over Halo 3 bugs; DOJ to look closely at Microsoft-Yahoo deal; Microsoft escapes patent infringement fine -- for now; FTC gets consent decree over K-Mart and Sears spyware scheme; and social network gaming vendor Zygna sues competitor Playdom.

• Sep 18, 2009

Sirius Has Serious Share Price Hangover

When a company has been hurting and its share price is largely in the toilet, it faces a potentially big problem: delisting. The exchanges demand a certain floor price to remain listed. And today, Sirius XM announced that Nasdaq sent notice that it was out of compliance. In this case, it means that the share price has closed under a dollar for more than 30 consecutive business days.

• Sep 17, 2009

Skype Future Owners Jolted by Joltid

Having been involved in due diligence during M&A myself, I understand that it's a critical activity. And for that reason I have to shake my head at eBay as well as some of the companies taking over Skype: private equity firm Silver Lake and VCs Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. And it all comes down to how ineptly they have dealt with an IP licensing scheme that should have been nailed down literally two years ago.

• Sep 17, 2009

Higher Fees and Other Notes on the Patent Front

USPTO director David Kappos gave a talk earlier this week, and it gives some hints as to what companies might expect on the patent front.

• Sep 17, 2009

Next Steps for Google Books: More E-book Conversion and Retail?

Google has moved in two directions that will be critical for its bigger view of Google Books, and for book publishing in general. And the combination suggests that some deft strategy could leave the company as one of the most powerful players in the market.

• Sep 17, 2009

YouTube Blows Up For Google (In A Good Way)

YouTube is giving users the ability to add interactive features to their videos, thus increasing stickiness and value to Google's model, in contrast to the staid Hulu model.

• Sep 17, 2009

Comparing Bing, Yahoo, Google: Get Beyond Search

A recent Nielsen comparison of search results for U.S. search engines again raised one of those periodic fascinations for the tech industry. This one is called Who's On Top In Search. But I wonder if the measures people are taking do justice to the question.

• Sep 17, 2009

Apple: From Hero to Zero

Apple may do little wrong from the view of the stock market, but in terms of strategy and tactics in a competitive industry, it has been pulling a series of blunders that must be putting smiles on the faces of CEOs at Microsoft, Google, RIM, Palm, Sony, and Motorola, just to mention a few companies.

• Sep 17, 2009

Did Apple Really Lie To Business Users?

Apple's upgrade to its iPhone OS fixes a flaw that disables support for Microsoft Exchange for many users, raising the issue of whether Apple deliberately misled customers in order to sell more devices into corporate environments.

• Sep 16, 2009

Apple Brings in Lawyers that Know Regulatory Heat

Apple announced today that Bruce Sewell would become its general counsel. It's a smart and necessary choice because Apple continues attracting the unwelcome attention of regulators and Sewell, late of Intel, knows that playground well.

• Sep 15, 2009

Apple Blocks Zune With Multiple Barriers

Microsoft's introduction of the new and improved Zune music player as a rival to Apple's iPod couldn't come at a worse time -- for Microsoft. Microsoft was already late to the party when it first introduced Zune in 2006, but then again, Apple wasn't an early entrant either, and Microsoft had to b...

• Sep 15, 2009

Bing Visual Search Interesting, but Needs More Purpose

It seems a good day to discuss new approaches to displaying information on the web. Not only is there the news of Google Fast Flip, an intriguing approach to what a news stand metaphor might be, but Microsoft has unveiled the beta of visual search for Bing. Finding a new approach to what has become old hat -- search engines -- will be necessary if Microsoft wants a prayer of being competition to Google. However, as important as new techniques is applications for them, and that's where Bing's new look has largely fallen down.

• Sep 15, 2009

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