Bazinga Journal

Facebook Is Building The Facebook Phone Right In Front Of Our Eyes

2012-05-26T10:45:00.001-04:00

Jay Yarow, writing for Silicon Alley Insider:

"But, right in plain view Facebook is assembling the core applications needed for successful smartphone operating system."

Interesting conjecture by Jay.

Facebook was built around the desktop, where users will sit, sometimes for hours, noodling around on the site. Their mobile offerings for those using the service on the go, in short bursts, have been few. The Facebook app for the iPad appeared only last year, joining the iPhone app, for example.

The company has been on the move lately, though, adding Instagram and their own Facebook Photos app in the past few weeks. No doubt they're building a suite of apps.

My question is whether Facebook intends to collect their growing mobile suite on their own hardware platform. Doing so pits them against Apple's iPhone, the Android clones and Microsoft-and-partners' forthcoming Windows 8 mobile platform. I doubt there's room for four major competitors in the mobile marketplace.

My guess is that Facebook will assemble their software suite and make it operable on multiple platforms.

An iPhone becomes a "Facebook phone" when users launch one of the apps, as they do today. They'll just have more Facebook-centric apps to choose from, exposing more of Facebook's services and perhaps keeping users within that suite (and Facebook's services) rather than using other third party apps.

Warren Buffet Buys 26 Local Papers

2012-05-26T08:09:00.001-04:00

The Verge has a brief piece on Buffet's latest acquisition.

Local papers are a unique source of news too minor for anyone else to report. Too often, though, they bolster their coverage with reprints from the Associated Press and other broader coverage sources, giving readers something they can get elsewhere free. Such content reduces the value of a local paper where the budget is better spent on a local beat reporter or two.

Investing in printed newspapers is a contrarian act. Most papers are struggling against the onslaught of the Internet. Buffet has a long history of picking sleepers that pay off over the long haul, though. He's the self-acknowledged prophet of the buy-and-hold strategy, which makes his latest investment noteworthy. His bet here is that local papers will not only survive, but thrive.

I doubt he'll make much money from these newspapers. The communities they serve, though, will benefit from their assured financing.

Christie Advances Sports-Betting Plan in Face of Federal Ban

2012-05-24T19:39:00.001-04:00

Terrence Dopp, writing for Bloomberg:

"New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he’ll move ahead with plans to legalize sports betting at casinos and racetracks by November even as he faces a possible legal challenge from the federal government.

Christie, 49, a first-term Republican, told reporters today in Atlantic City that his administration will propose regulations next week authorizing sports-book wagering in Atlantic City and at horse tracks."

I finally found a useful modern Republican!

Russian Space Agency Confirms Plans for Moon Base

2012-05-23T16:11:00.001-04:00

Adi Robertson, writing for The Verge:

"Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, has publicly confirmed its plans to create a permanent habitation on the Moon."

and …

"Popovkin has also previously said his agency was in talks with potential European and US partners for such a base."

A manned outpost on the Moon is a good idea. The Moon possesses mineral resources that, if economically harvested and transported to Earth, would change the world economy. It provides a lower gravity jumping-off point for deeper Solar System exploration. It provides a place to refine skills and techniques necessary for sending humans to Mars.

Even better than Russia's plan would be nations pooling their talents and resources to make it happen.

Gruber's New Talk Show

2012-05-23T14:58:00.001-04:00

John Gruber, via Twitter:

"This week’s special guest: Adam @lonelysandwich Lisagor. He will be performing card tricks and other slight of hand feats."

Great guest. I'll listen in.

I wonder how long version 3 of "The Talk Show" will last.

Adam Lisagor is a friend of John's. John will run out of buddy-guests at some point.

He could go on simply talking to listeners. Or he'll have to add the task of finding new guests to the list of things he has to do in order to produce his podcast, and realize that 1. producing a show is work, and 2. he's not in the business of producing shows, so why the hell is he doing this increasingly annoying work?

There-in lies the value of being a co-host on someone else's network, rather than a host with guests. John used to be able to just show up, even phone it in from the bathtub, and have a successful result.

Microsoft Set To Release Office for iOS and Android Tablets In November

2012-05-23T11:47:00.001-04:00

Jonathan S. Geller , writing for Boy Genius Report:

"Microsoft is currently planning to release the company’s full Office suite for not only Apple’s iPad, but for Android tablets as well. The company is targeting November of this year for both launches."

Microsoft is the gorilla in productivity suite software, so it's just a matter of time until they debut a version of Office for the iPad.

The timing, though, is puzzling. A November release coincides with nothing.

Apple's iOS will likely be unveiled at WWDC in June and delivered in the following month. Their next-generation iPhone will certainly hit the shelves by October, in time for the holiday shopping season.

Android releases occur on random Tuesdays when the moon is full. Since Android tablets make up a minuscule portion of the tablet market, and Android users are notoriously averse to paying for software, there's no point in linking a mobile Office suite to that OS.

So why November? Perhaps it will coincide with a rumored 7-inch iPad, also to be released this fall. Kinda late in the shopping season for a new tablet, though. I expect it sooner, perhaps alongside the next iPhone.

Zuckerberg, Banks Sued Over Facebook IPO

2012-05-23T11:31:00.001-04:00

MSNBC.com:

"Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and banks led by Morgan Stanley were sued by shareholders, who claimed they hid the company's weakened growth forecasts ahead of its IPO."

This is going to get very ugly.

As Henry Blodget reported earlier this week, Facebook lowered their guidance for future earnings during their IPO roadshow. That's when the company puts on a presentation for institutional investors in an attempt to garner interest in their shares before they trade.

Apparently Facebook only notified institutional investors of the new guidance, leaving smaller investors in the dark and willing to pay the $42 - $45 initial public price. It's highly unusual for a company to lower guidance that late in the pre-IPO game, and as Blodget further reported, dishonest not to share that revised guidance with all investors.

These guys had to know they were making a terrible error by not releasing their revised guidance to the public.

In the mean time, FB is trading at just under $32 right now. Had Facebook and Morgan Stanley stuck with their original opening price target range of $28 to $35 it's very likely investors would still be in the black on their shares, rather than under water.

Bond: Skyfall

2012-05-21T13:06:00.001-04:00

An early trailer for the next James Bond flick, Skyfall, which premiers November 9, 2012 in the US.

Dan Benjamin: Regarding The Talk Show

2012-05-21T12:27:00.001-04:00

Normal people won't understand the fuss, but the unceremonious end of 5by5's "The Talk Show" last week created a minor disturbance in the Force. And then came silence. And a few posts, speculating on what had happened.

John Gruber made a few sideways posts, obliquely addressing his move to Mule Radio Syndicate by essentially telling his audience that it's his podcast, he need not consult anyone on changing things up, and will offer no words of explanation.

Dan Benjamin, after a weekend of silence, posted a four-minute talk about it.

In it, his healthy respect for the audience comes through. He addresses the fact that cultivating a community of familiar voices brings with it the need to address changes with the audience "friends" he'll never meet. His Right Speech was the right thing to do.

Every now and then I come across a company that gives me above-and-beyond service. Cafepress.com, Zappos.com, Crucial.com have each given me reason to become a "customer for life." Dan Benjamin's 5by5 podcast network is right there, too.

Nasdaq 'Embarrassed' About Facebook Delay

2012-05-20T22:35:00.001-04:00

MSNBC:

"The CEO of the Nasdaq stock exchange says it is 'humbly embarrassed' by its bungling of Facebook's hugely anticipated debut as a public company on Friday."

Methinks they're going to be short a pile of money at some point, too.

Thurrott: Windows 8 Ditches the Aero Interface

2012-05-20T12:03:00.001-04:00

Paul Thurrott details Microsoft's long-term Windows agenda:

"Today, Microsoft boasts of up to 1.3 billion active Windows users. Windows 8 is not for them, not for the most part: We get a few bones, like Storage Spaces and quicker boot times, but the desktop environment is pretty much just Windows 7++ (or Windows 7+1 for you non-programmers). But it is those very users who don’t want or need tablet functionality that are financing Microsoft’s push towards an OS—that is not really Windows—that will replace what they’re using. Maybe not in Windows 8. Maybe in Windows 9, or 10. But eventually."

Thurrott is no Microsoft antagonist. He's a well-known Windows technology writer, enthusiast and, perhaps, apologist, but he's not pleased with the direction Microsoft has taken with Windows 8.

Microsoft disclosed this week that it will discard the familiar Aero Glass desktop user interface in the upcoming Windows release:

We applied the principles of ‘clean and crisp’ when updating window and taskbar chrome. Gone are the glass and reflections. We squared off the edges of windows and the taskbar. We removed all the glows and gradients found on buttons within the chrome. We made the appearance of windows crisper by removing unnecessary shadows and transparency. The default window chrome is white, creating an airy and premium look. The taskbar continues to blend into the desktop wallpaper, but appears less complicated overall. To complete the story, we updated the appearance of most common controls, such as buttons, check boxes, sliders, and the Ribbon. We squared off the rounded edges, cleaned away gradients, and flattened the control backgrounds to align with our chrome changes. We also tweaked the colors to make them feel more modern and neutral.

In short, Microsoft is firmly moving the Windows 8 desktop in the direction of their new tablet UI, called Metro, even before that product reaches the public.

This is a really big deal for them and their customers. Throwing out the familiar Windows desktop UI in favor of a more Metro-like space is nothing short of betting Microsoft's future on a competitor's ideas, ideas with which Microsoft has repeatedly failed to gain traction (see all past efforts at selling Windows tablets).

Can there be any greater evidence that Apple's iPad and the mobile computing revolution are the future of personal computing?

Thurrott isn't happy about it. In his lede, he states:

It’s about the Windows team abandoning the very market that drove Windows’s success for over 25 years in order to chase a coming and potentially illusory market for tablet devices.

Thurrott's error: failing to see that today's technology may only hint at tomorrow's.

If the iPad and Metro-based Windows tablets are as far as tablet computing will ever go, then Thurrott might have a point. Tablets are not capable of fully replacing laptops and desktops today. What will tomorrow bring?

Microsoft apparently believes the answer looks more like a tablet than a desktop.

Mark Zuckerberg Ties the Knot

2012-05-19T22:48:00.001-04:00

The New York Times' Bits blog:

"On Saturday, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, announced that he had married his long-term girlfriend, Priscilla Chan. The announcement was made, of course, on Facebook."

Not a bad week for Zuck.

IPO Syndicate: If You Can Get It, Run The Other Way

2012-05-19T19:24:00.001-04:00

The Big Picture has a terrific write-up on how IPO allocations work, in other words, who gets the goods at the offering price. Their example is Friday's Facebook IPO:

"In the end, the age-old Wall St. adage proved true yet again: Retail investors should be circumspect (to put it politely) of any offering they’re able to get their hands on. If you can get it, chances are you don’t want it.
How does the syndicate process generally work on the retail side? Herewith, a primer."

Further Musings On Gruber's Split From 5by5

2012-05-19T15:47:00.001-04:00

I wrote a small piece about John Gruber taking his podcast, “The Talk Show,” from its home at 5by5 to Mike Monteiro’s Mule Radio Syndicate yesterday. Since then there’s been a flood of Twitter traffic and a couple of web discussions dissecting it. If you’re an Apple geek, this is kind of a big deal.

Most of the talk revolves around a couple of possibilities.

I think the most likely reason Gruber exited 5by5 is his then-co-host Dan Benjamin’s announcement of new “The Talk Show” t-shirts for sale. Though a seemingly inconsequential topic, it appears to have blind-sided Gruber.

Give the last 2:42 of episode 90 a listen. Dan begins by saying that they have to mention “the t-shirts,” and Gruber replies “what t-shirts?” Dan goes on to say that Gruber approved a new t-shirt. He then takes a step back, saying Gruber approved last year’s t-shirt and the new one is no different, just as Gruber replies “did I? I don’t remember that.” Gruber says little after that, signing off awkwardly. Those were his last words on 5by5.

Gruber put his own “The Talk Show” branded [that should be “Daring Fireball” branded. My mistake.] t-shirt on sale at Daring Fireball shortly before the show appeared on MRS. Given the more elaborate design on his new shirt I’d say he had it in the works for a few weeks, and Dan’s announcement of a competing product set him off.

Another conjecture involves Dan’s sale of the 5by5 iOS app for $2.99. Maybe Gruber expected a cut of the price, given his share in the success of 5by5.

It’s hard to believe Gruber would object to selling the app, or expect a cut of the profit despite its inclusion of “The Talk Show“‘s live stream, when Dan had openly discussed pricing it at least twice with Marco Arment on Build And Analyze. Dan explained, as well, that the profits pay for the (expensive) streaming fees. Maybe Gruber doesn’t listen to the other shows at 5by5.

Gruber’s move is disappointing, because 5by5 has become a hangout for geeks, where Dan has actively encouraged a friendly atmosphere. Sure, 5by5 is a business, but it’s become more than that for many, the very people these podcasts address.

Gruber’s leaving 5by5 is like a popular TV character quitting a favorite show. It lets down the fans.

That he took the show name and re-started it elsewhere without at least a nod to its former home or a word of explanation to the fans assumed something about the audience. It assumed they would search him out, that he didn’t need to make any effort at explanation, that his success is assured regardless.

That’s the trouble with this move: it fully disregards the fans. And that’s a low-class act.

Neither Gruber nor Dan have had or will have anything to say publicly about this. I think Dan’s co-hosts will let it lie, though if anyone were to broach the subject it would be Merlin Mann. I’m a fan of his “Back To Work,” so maybe I’ll hear something there.

5by5 still has a bunch of great podcasts. My favorite is John Siracusa’s “Hypercritical.” John is a geek’s geek: well prepared, fully engaged and passionate about technology and what he has to say about it.

I like Marco Arment’s “Build And Analyze,” too, regardless of his topic-of-the-day. His keen interest in whatever is in front of him makes even a discussion about a new wall thermostat interesting. He’s got a good sense of humor, too, and doesn’t fall into the easy trap of thinking too highly of himself despite his success with Instapaper.

There are many more podcasts at 5by5, and Dan’s latest, “Big Week,” will appear soon. Worth checking out.

I wish Gruber good fortunes at MRS. I’ll listen for a while, at least. He showed a renewed energy and interest during his first MRS outing, so who knows, maybe there will be a silver lining to this cloud.

Jason Snell, editor of Macworld and a podcaster at 5by5, correctly put this brouhaha in perspective:

May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens erupts violently, causing widespread destruction. May 18, 2012: A podcast changes servers and co-hosts.

It’s admittedly a small thing, but it’s the small things we do that people remember us by.

John Gruber Takes Ball, Goes To Mule Radio

2012-05-18T16:16:00.001-04:00

[updated here.]

This week’s “The Talk Show” appears as a first episode on Mike Monteiro’s Mule Radio Syndicate, after skipping last week’s episode on its then-home network, 5by5. Neither the show’s host, John Gruber, nor his ex-co-host, Dan Benjamin, who owns and operates 5by5, had any comment immediately after Gruber announced the new show on his web site.

This is a shame. I first found out about 5by5 on John’s weblog, Daring Fireball, when he and Dan re-started “The Talk Show” 90 episodes ago. The show has been fun, engaging and thought-provoking, and I’ve become a fan of Dan’s other shows, including Hypercritical with John Siracusa, and Build And Analyze with Marco Arment.

I don’t know that moving the show name to Mule Radio was the right thing to do. Sure, it’s John’s show (as Dan always managed to slip into the talk), and taking along the show name will bring listeners with it, but “The Talk Show” without Dan Benjamin isn’t “The Talk Show.”

I wonder if we’ll hear any of the reasons behind the move.

∴ Facebook Does a Faceplant, Recovers

2012-05-18T14:32:00.001-04:00

An interesting thing happened shortly after the somewhat delayed trading of Facebook stock began today. The share price crashed from the open, from nearly 10% over the initial offering price to break-even at $38. It has since recovered. It’s an interesting, if short story why.

The investment banks underwriting the offering priced Facebook’s shares at $38 after yesterday’s market close, setting the selling price to their prime customers. Those shares could be re-sold to the public today, perhaps netting sellers a nice profit. IPO shares usually trade up as small investors come into the market, buying at any price.

When the appointed hour arrived, though, there were no FB trades. First 11 AM passed, then 11:05, then 11:30. It wasn’t until shortly after 11:30 that the first trade crossed at $42.05.

The share price began to slide after a flurry of 82 million shares changed hands in the first thirty seconds. Before an hour was up, FB was trading for its initial price of $38.

It was at that point that, according to CNBC’s David Faber, the underwriting banks stepped in and bought shares of FB, propping up the price. The share price recovered to the low $40s, where it stands now, a little after 2 PM.

So what happened? The delayed trading was ascribed to NASDAQ’s inability to create an orderly flow of transactions. Hours later, some investors had not received confirmation of their trades on the opening price.

Investors hearing this news backed away from trading, causing an imbalance where there were more sellers than buyers. The price crashed. It wasn’t until the underwriters removed the imbalance by holding the line at $38 that FB recovered.

So what’re Facebook shares really worth? About $40 right now, within the 5% - 10% target range set by the underwriters. As it stands now, Facebook's IPO is a success, netting the company maximal income while providing early investors with a reasonable profit.

While some investors may still be cautious after its rocky opening, can anyone doubt that Facebook shares will be trading higher by this time next year? Even if what we call Facebook today amounts to a fad, the momentum the company is carrying as it unveils new features and services is enough to keep users and investors interested.

That said, no, I don’t own any shares of the company. You’ve got to be nuts to buy on opening day.

Ridley Scott and Hampton Fancher In 'Blade Runner' Sequel Talks

2012-05-17T22:01:00.001-04:00

Sam Byford, writing for The Verge:

“The director and screenwriter of sci-fi noir classic Blade Runner are in talks to collaborate on a sequel. Production company Alcon Entertainment has announced that Ridley Scott and Hampton Fancher are developing the idea, which is confirmed to be a new story set ‘some years after’ the original film’s conclusion.”

Blade Runner gets better every time I watch it, which will only heighten my apprehension about a sequel. Here's hoping for a "Godfather II," while dreading a "The Matrix: Reloaded."

Aaron Sorkin Talks About Writing the Upcoming Steve Jobs Film

2012-05-17T21:47:00.001-04:00

Reuters:

"It can't be a straight ahead biography because it's very difficult to shake the cradle-to-grave structure of a biography"

I'm imagining Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography, "Steve Jobs," itself a collection of anecdotes from the Apple founder's life, transformed by artistic license, a la "The Social Network." A very entertaining movie, especially if you're a geek, though only accurate in the gross details.

Saverin: I'll Pay Taxes On Anything I Earned As a U.S. Citizen

2012-05-17T18:44:00.001-04:00

Eduardo Saverin, as reported by The Situation Room:

“My decision to expatriate was based solely on my interest in working and living in Singapore, where I have been since 2009. I am obligated to and will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to the United States government. I have paid and will continue to pay any taxes due on everything I earned while a U.S. citizen.”

(Via pandodaily.)

I call bullshit.

As Saverin says, his tax liability ends with his US citizenship, which he renounced last week to avoid capital gains taxes on any Facebook shares he sells after Friday’s initial public offering. Saverin’s share of the company will likely net him an additional $3 - $4 billion, making any past taxes paid a drop in the bucket compared to what he might owe had he remained a US citizen.

Saverin’s act is nothing but a tax dodge. Creating jobs, investing in US companies and changing his residence make no difference.

Making the Love Happen On Pandora

2012-05-16T12:34:00.001-04:00

This is really neat: Kyle Taylor proposes marriage to his girlfriend via Pandora.

Lenovo Refreshes Its ThinkPad T, W, L and X Lines

2012-05-15T08:21:00.001-04:00

Lenovo digs into Intel's new Ivy Bridge processor offering to refresh their super Windows laptop line. Dana Wollman, writing for Engadget:

“All told, the upgrades span Lenovo’s ultraportable X series, mainstream ‘T’ lineup, budget ‘L’ models and the W-series workstation. In general, you’ll find Ivy Bridge processors (natch), Dolby audio and, in some cases, optional 4G radios. Additionally, the company tweaked its famed keyboard ever-so slightly and added a backlighting option to almost every system”

The Thinkpad line has long been the top choice if you're in the market for a Windows laptop of any size or weight. You'll pay more, along the lines of an Apple laptop, but you'll have a machine that lasts.

The $144,146,165 Button

2012-05-14T18:20:00.001-04:00

Joshua Gross:

”In 2007, NYC forced cab drivers to begin taking credit cards, which involved installing a touch screen system for payment.

During payment, the user is presented with three default buttons for tipping: 20%, 25%, and 30%. When cabs were cash only, the average tip was roughly 10%. After the introduction of this system, the tip percentage jumped to 22%.

Those three buttons resulted in $144,146,165 of additional tips. Per year. Those are some very valuable buttons.“

(Via DF.)

Why Nikola Tesla Was the Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived

2012-05-14T17:49:00.001-04:00

The Oatmeal publishes an awesome pean to Nikola Tesla, king of the geeks.

What Eduardo Saverin Owes America

2012-05-12T18:08:00.001-04:00

Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who was famously cheated out of his share of the company, only to regain a portion in a settlement with Mark Zuckerberg, has decided to renounce his US citizenship in order to avoid taxes on the immense gain he stands to realize after Facebook goes public this year.

Here’s Farhad Manjoo’s take on Saverin’s distasteful act.

Keep Calm and Carry On

2012-05-07T18:49:00.001-04:00

The true story behind the ubiquitous poster.

I’ll offer one further reason it resonates today. It conveys a firm conviction with uniquely British character, or perhaps, as I like to imagine the British. The day the world truly goes to hell, someone in the UK will continue to keep a stiff upper lip.