Who Killed Twitter?

As murder-mysteries go, this one is baffling, in part because the corpse is still breathing. The one-word answer is: Oprah. But the full truth is far more interesting. Twitter was the hottest, fastest-growing, most attention-grabbing social service for a while, but suddenly it appears that many of its users don't actually use it and its growth is no longer growing. What happened?

How cell phones will replace learning

"Can you fly that thing?" Neo asks Trinity in the original Matrix movie, referring to a nearby military helicopter. "Not yet," she replies. Then she whips out her cell phone, hits speed-dial and says, "Tank, I need a pilot program for a B-212 helicopter. Hurry!" Tank pushes a few buttons and starts downloading skill and knowledge into Trinity's brain. Seconds later, Trinity is flying like a pro. The idea of using a cell phone for prosthetic knowledge is precisely where we're headed. In fact, we're getting there fast.

Microsoft vs. the EU: When Antitrust is Anti-Competitive

EU antitrust regulators are launching new action against Microsoft like it's 1999. They're concerned about the unfair practice of bundling the Internet Explorer browser with Windows. No, I'm not kidding. It's not a misprint. And I'm not mistaking a report from ten years ago. The "victims" -- Google, Apple and Mozilla -- reads like a who's-who of the companies that are positioning themselves to own the future. (Digg it here.)

Bashing Bing, whacking Wave

Why I'm leery of Microsoft's new search engine and Google's new e-mail system.

Why the Palm Pre Will Fail

I'm not here to bash the Pre. Really! I think it's a fantastic phone, and for many users far superior to any other. It's just that no matter how much the power users love it, the Pre is not ready for business, can't top iPhone for consumers and is entering the market at the worst possible time. (Please Digg this story!)

Sleep: Gadgets giveth, gadgets taketh away

PCs and consumer electronics provide us with a gazillion things to do all night. Video games, TV, social networking, chatting with friends, catching up on work. These things are addictive, and they call to us. Getting a good night's sleep has become a challenge. But gadgets can help solve it, too. Electronic sleep helpers have been around for quite a while. But a new generation of products is better than anything that's come before. In honor of the month of May, which is Better Sleep Month (who comes up with these things?), here are some of the newest and most interesting electronic sleep helpers.

The Trouble with Real-Time Search

There are expectations in some circles that Google will soon embrace real-time search by offering results that it normally indexes -- i.e., everything -- but in a Twitter-style, just-posted-5-seconds ago frequency. I'm here to dash those expectations. It's not going to happen. And, to the extent that it does happen, it will be a bad thing. (Please go here to Digg this story!)

Cut your cable!

After canceling my cable TV subscription, I realized that online TV is actually much better!

Does Google's 'Recent Results' Feature Beat Twitter?

Google rolled out this week some of the best new search tools ever. My favorites are the "Wonder Wheel" and the "Timeline." But what about the many comparisons being made between Google's new "Recent results" feature and the search function of Twitter? Are they comparable? Which is better? Here's what I think.

Why you should digitize 'everything'

Two events this week, one personal and another that is making international headlines, made me re-think what can, and should, be digitized: Everything.

Steve Jobs Gets Pwned

Steve Jobs is probably one of the best and most visionary CEOs in the world, and a national treasure. He's also been sick lately, and I wish him a full and speedy recovery, followed by a return to Apple as full-time CEO. But even visionaries have blind spots. Jobs was totally wrong about the market for eBooks. In January of last year, Jobs told a New York Times reporter that the Amazon Kindle eBook reader would fail in the market because "people don't read anymore." Ouch! It turns out that the Kindle is a success, and people do read -- and desperately want to do so on Apple hardware. So what's Apple's next move?

Simplify your life via gadget consolidation

Server consolidation, which is the process of reducing the number of physical servers used at a company without reducing the total number of theoretical servers (through virtualization), can boost efficiency. You can consolidate gadgets for the same reason. Save time, money and headaches by reducing the number of devices you use. Here's how.

Is Windows 7 Really Mojave? (Part II)

Windows Vista bombed, so Microsoft went back to the old drawing board and cobbled together the current future versions of Windows, which is version 7. I warned last year that, because Microsoft thinks Vista's unpopularity was all just a big misunderstanding, and because of the market pressure to get Windows 7 out early, the company might be tempted to just re-release Vista under a new name with minor cosmetic modifications. Will they? The answer is a resounding yes and no.

In defense of twiviality

Critics slam mundane posts on Twitter. But isn't banality the glue that binds people together?

Is Microsoft Better Without Bill Gates?

Is Bill Gates a good visionary founder like Steve Jobs, or a bad one like Jerry Yang? Now that Gates is no longer involved in key executive decisions at Microsoft, I'm increasingly thinking Gates is the latter type. Here's why Microsoft is better off without Bill.

6 things that could ruin Twitter (and 5 that won't)

Twitter is the hottest thing in technology right now. U.S. visits to Twitter.com more than doubled during the month of March alone. All that success is prompting the Debbie Downers out there to speculate about dangers lurking in the shadows. Well, I'm here to join them, because Twitter really is a good thing and it really could be ruined. (I'm also here to disagree with some of the doom-and-gloom scenarios.) Here are the six things that could ruin Twitter -- and the five things that can't.

Inside Google's 'Facebook Killer'

Google has a "Facebook killer" on its hands. And, no, I'm not talking about Google's Orkut social network (unless you live in Brazil, where Orkut has already "killed" Facebook). Google is just one acquisition away from offering a social network that does everything Facebook does, minus all the things everybody hates about Facebook. This social network is called Google Profiles.

How to kill e-mail (before it kills you)

The average executive spends two hours a day on e-mail. That adds up to roughly one day per week. We probably waste a lot of time every day on phone calls and meetings, too. The difference is that the demands on your time don't grow automatically as they do with e-mail. E-mail has become a pandemic social disease. The more you get, the more you send. And the more you send, the more you get. Here's how to kill e-mail once and for all.

Stop Dishonest Tech Lingo! (that means you, Apple and Microsoft)

New technology requires the invention of new words -- which used to be coined by engineers. Some were descriptive ("electronic mail"), others whimsical ("mouse"). Fast forward to today, and technology is big business. The marketing people now coin words the words we use to describe technology, motivated less by descriptiveness or amusement and more by profit. Sure, It's the job of marketers to spin. But I object when spin ends up in the dictionary. Here are 6 marketing-spin words that have already become legitimized by general use.

Why goofing off boosts productivity

Office "slackers" who sneak in a little Facebook and Twitter time do more work than the all-business, all-the-time folks. Researchers at the University of Melbourne confirmed this little truism in a new study. Their research found that, on average, employees who use the Internet during work hours for personal reasons are 9% more productive than those who don't. In my experience as a boss, employee and as a writer who thinks a lot about how technology affects attention and productivity, I think the Aussie researchers are looking at just one tiny piece of the attention-management puzzle.Here are eight additional reasons why I think Internet slacking boosts productivity.

Why Netbooks Will Run Cell Phone Software

The next generation of netbooks will run cell phone operating systems. And some will even be sold by carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. Here's why.

Don't look Now, but You're a Cyborg

Aren't Internet-connected cell phones technically machines that are enhancing our minds, and increasingly so with each new service, technology or advancement? Haven't they become part of us? If so, we're all cyborgs.

Get Ready for Microsoft's Big Comeback

The recession is bad. And it could get worse before it gets better. But the downturn will end. And when it does, the consumer electronics and IT industries will look very different from those that entered the recession in late 2007. There will be winners and losers — many companies that have been with us for years or decades will be swallowed up, never to be heard from again. Others will shrink to insignificance. I think one of the biggest winners coming out the recession will be none other than Microsoft. Here's why.

Did Lenovo invent Apple's netbook?

I think it's possible that Apple's netbook will be just like the Lenovo Pocket Yoga concept. I think Lenovo found out about it and wanted to assert itself as the inventor of a new form factor that otherwise would be credited to Apple by "leaking" two-year-old photos of a concept it had no plans to build.

Apple: The cell phone 'Soup Nazi'

Maybe I'm a pathetic Seinfeld fanboy, but it occurred to me this week that each smartphone handset maker is exactly like a restaurant in the popular '90s TV series. Research In Motion, or RIM, which makes the BlackBerry line of phones, is like Seinfeld's neighborhood coffee shop. RIM phones simply work. Nothing fancy, but they're very popular, functional and great for every day. Like Babu's restaurant, Palm would be popular if it didn't constantly change the menu, fail to innovate and offer people what they don't want. And then there's Apple. The company is just like the "Soup Nazi" when it comes to both product quality and customer service.

Why Global Is the New 'Local'

It's time the so-called local media opened its eyes to the new reality: Nothing is local anymore. And it's a huge opportunity. The new mantra should be: Cover local events exclusively, but for a global audience.

Apple's Epic E-Book Fail

Amazon's new Kindle for iPhone application shipped this week. The software lets you read any of Amazon's 240,000 Kindle books on an iPhone much like you would on an over-priced Amazon Kindle. Unfortunately, the launch exposes Apple's biggest blunder since the Apple Newton: They forgot to dominate the e-book market.

Paperless Office? Ha! How About a Paperless Life?

Just three years ago, achieving a completely paperless personal life was very difficult to do. But since then, a wide range of products and services has become available that makes it much easier and much better. As a kind of "lifestyle experiment," I've been trying to completely eliminate paper as a data storage medium for the past six months. I'm ready to declare my experiment a success!

Legalize Cell Phone Jammers?

Jamming a cell phone is illegal in the U.S. Very illegal. And not just by ordinary citizens. It's illegal for theater and restaurant owners to jam calls, and even state and local police or prison officials. The U.S., in fact, has the strictest laws in the world against jamming cell calls. But the harsh laws against jammers in the U.S. apply to everyone except federal government officials. Which raises the question: Is that right? U.S. prisons want to use jammers. So do police. And while we're at it, so do many movie theaters, restaurants and other businesses. Some individuals want to use jammers as well. Who decided that only federal officials can be trusted with cell phone jammers?

Facebook Thinks You're Stupid

Facebook quietly changed its terms of service agreement (TOS) recently. Bloggers freaked, triggering a public uproar that forced Facebook to revert back to the older version and come up with a better TOS agreement. All of this — the terms of service, the stealth editing thereof, the revocation and Zuzkerberg's explanation — demonstrates that Facebook suffers from a disease I like to call "People Is Stupid Syndrome." Facebook treats users like their puny pea brains can't handle either the basics of corporate legal protection or recognize when they're being talked down to or manipulated.

Don't Be Fooled by Google's Phony 'Beta' Label

What are we to make of Google's "beta" products and "experimental" features?

Just like Microsoft and many other software companies, Google designates a huge number of its many online services as beta, and many features as merely "experimental."

For example, did you know that Gmail is still in "beta," and has been in the "beta" stage of development for five years?

Some of Gmail's best features aren't "real" features, but designated by the company as "experimental." Gmail Labs launched in June, and since then the company has posted more than 35 "experimental" apps or features.

How much money has Google made from Gmail? The business model is and will always be an "attract users and sell advertising" proposition, regardless of when it arbitrarily chooses to remove the word "beta" from the Gmail logo. So what makes it "beta," exactly?

I'm proposing that we all stop taking Google's "beta" and "experimental" labels seriously, and just see them for what they are: Marketing gimmicks. Read more.

How Social Media Can Save TV News

As the shameless co-opting of social media by cable and network TV news accelerates, the flaws and inadequacies of those TV news programs becomes ever more obvious.

Almost every day, I take a break or two from my PC, where I'm constantly monitoring social media, and I check out CNN, MSNBC, and Fox news or, if it's the right time of day, the network news on ABC, CBS and NBC. I'm always appalled by what I see on TV news. It's pathetic.

If TV news wants to really leverage social media — and become timely, relevant and engaging in the process — they're going to have to take some control away from their over-paid "personalities," and hand it over to viewers. Here's how.

Here Comes the E-book Revolution

The big announcements this week by Amazon.com and Google promise e-Books everywhere, including cell phones. But six unrelated trends will drive e-books into the mainstream: 1) the economy; 2) the environment; 3) a publishing revolution; 4) aggressive e-book marketing; 5) electronic-specific books; and 6) the decline of the newspaper industry. Here's the whole article.

Google's Business Model: YOU Are the Product!

Why does Google invest so heavily in great products, such as its new Latitude friend-tracking service, then just give them away? There's only one way to understand Google's business model, which is to understand that Google's services are not products. In fact, Google has only one product. And that product is YOU!

Three Bad Tech Products We Love Anyway

Normally, people love good products and hate bad ones. But three of the most lovable and popular tech offerings are in fact horribly designed and conspicuously flawed: Facebook, Kindle and Digg!

The Digital Camera Presidency

Much has been written about technology and Barack Obama. The conventional wisdom is that the Obama campaign's superior use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, helped win the election. And everybody's talking about Obama's "Barackberry." But the technology that should be most closely associated with the Obama campaign and presidency is the overlooked and underappreciated digital camera. Here's why.

'Making It All Work' In 60 Seconds

David Allen's new book, third in his "Getting Things Done" series, is called "Making It All Work." It's awesome. But most people don't embrace Allen's approach to productivity because, ironically, they're too busy, overworked and stressed out to focus on it. Here's what you need to know with just 60 seconds of reading. (Oh, and buy the book!)

Palm and Sony out-Apple Apple

Before Macworld, the Applesphere buzzed with chatter about an impending "iPhone Pro" or "iPhone Elite" upgrade. The wonderful improvement would, according to this vision, include a physical keyboard that wouldn't reduce the size of iPhone's huge touch screen. It would fold or slide out. Some also hoped for a better camera, new user interface innovations and other iGoodies.

The other major fanboy expectation was that, finally, Apple would enter (and, natch, dominate) the thriving netbook market. Nobody expected a boring mini-MacBook, but instead a revolutionary new form factor that would demonstrate, once again, that Apple is smarter than everyone else.

Surprisingly, an "iPhone Elite" and a "MacBook Nano" were both announced. But not at Macworld and not by Apple. They were unveiled at CES by Palm and Sony -- two industry laggards written off as pathetic has-beens.

How China's '50 Cent Army' Could Wreck Web 2.0

The CCP has hired thousands of freelance Internet propagandists whose job is to infiltrate chat rooms, message boards and comment areas on the Internet posing as ordinary users to voice support for the agenda and interest of the CCP. The BBC calls these freelance propagandists China's 50 Cent Party. The Guardian newspaper calls it the 50 Cent Army. (50 Cent isn't a rapper in this case, but a reference to the pay: 50 Chinese "cents" per post, which is equivalent to about 7 US cents). Some estimates claim that the 50 Cent Army includes a whopping 300,000 people. If that’s accurate, China's freelance propagandists exceed in number the total populations of 47 countries. Here's why China's 50 Cent Army is a major threat to the Web 2.0 and to the future of free speech on the Internet.

Why Products Fail

Why do some people prefer Windows XP and Mac OS X over Windows Vista? After all, Vista is pretty and sleek and much more advanced than XP, and, in many areas, Mac OS X. Why is there so much love for Xbox, but none for Windows Mobile? Why do BlackBerry users love their BlackBerrys, but the public is lukewarm about Palm devices? Why is the Amazon Kindle, which is an unsophisticated, clunky, poorly designed gadget so popular with owners? Why do people love plain, ugly Gmail? The answer to these questions is a mystery to most of the companies that make PCs, gadgets, consumer electronics devices and to software makers. The reason is that they their research never seems to get at the root cause of user happiness and misery: Control. Give me control, and I will love your product. It's as simple as that.

How to Stop Bad Predictions -- Or, at Least, Enjoy Them

It's that time of year again! No, not the holidays. It's the season for self-appointed "experts" and "pundits" to freak everybody out with outlandish predictions -- most of which will never come true. I'm going to tell you how use the Internet to expose, embarrass and shame bad prognosticators for your own enjoyment.

10 Things That Won't Survive the Recession

Economic downturns have a way of accelerating the demise of the obsolete and inefficient. Here are 10 things that I believe won't survive the recession.

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Lazy Procrastinators

I'm going to tell you how -- and where -- to do all your holiday gift shopping in less than an hour, buying all your loved ones the best gifts you've ever given and at low prices. OK, we've got no time to waste, so let's get started.

Hard Work is Dead. Call It 'Work Ethic 2.0'

Since the turn of the new millennium, the nature of work has evolved to the point where hard work is becoming less important to a successful work ethic than another, more useful value: attention. As New York Times Columnist David Brooks says, "Control of attention is the ultimate individual power." In terms of defining the information-age work ethic, it has to be said: Hard work is dead.

Why You'll Never See a Real 'Zune Phone'

A rumor circulating this week says Microsoft will unveil a Zune phone at CES. Most columnists and bloggers who mentioned it said Microsoft should not build a Zune phone, but probably will. My view is that Microsoft should sell a Zune phone, but probably won't. Why? Because the company simply doesn't have the vision to build something really great in the consumer electronics space. No, I'm not kidding. A Zune phone done right would be awesome.

Media Companies Have Only Themselves to Blame

The recession is hitting everyone. But print media companies -- newspapers, books and magazines -- are getting hit harder and sooner than most. It's their own damned fault. Like the US automakers and the music industry, print media companies squandered most of their time and money during boom times clinging to the past rather than preparing for the future. And now they're left totally unprepared for the bust.

Why Are PCs and Gadgets So Slow?

Moore's Law says computer chips double in speed every 1.5 to 2 years. Your PC should be 32 times faster than the PC you used in 1998. The chips ARE faster, so why isn't your PC? Chip speed improvements are being SQUANDERED by everyone from OS makers to driver writers to hardware makers and component manufacturers.

Is Technology Causing Humans to Mutate?

Consumer technology evolves fast. It's hard to believe that just two years ago, the Apple iPhone, Asus Eee PC, Amazon Kindle and Twitter didn't exist. Only college students were on Facebook. And Bill Gates still worked at Microsoft. What's harder to fathom is our own evolution. As technology changes, technology changes us -- how our minds and bodies physically work. It's not evolution, exactly. Call it culturally induced mutation.

Why the Downturn Can Be Good for Digital Nomads

Economic downturns, painful as they are, have a tendency to force new priorities on everyone. The cost savings and efficiencies inherent in the digital nomad lifestyle can become irresistible during recessions, and so the trend in that direction is ACCELERATING.

Satellite Radio Is Dead

I hate to say it, but somebody has to: Satellite radio will come crashing down to Earth within the next two years. The newly merged Sirius XM Radio is already living on borrowed time -- and borrowed money. Meanwhile, six trends are all conspiring against it. Let's face it: SATELLITE RADIO IS DEAD.

How to Post on Twitter by Talking Into a Phone

Microblogging on Twitter is great. But sometimes you're just too busy to sit down and type that 140-character tweet. Maybe you're climbing a volcano, sprinting through the airport or running a marathon and just can't stop to type. HERE'S HOW TO POST ON TWITTER USING ONLY A PHONE CALL.

Why You'll Buy a Netbook On Black Friday

Resistance is futile. You're going to buy a netbook (or two or three) on Black Friday simply because they're going to be so fricken cheap. How cheap? Definitely under $300, and possibly under $200! Here are my FOUR REASONS WHY NETBOOKS ARE IRRESISTIBLE THIS YEAR (and my 10 tips for how to get the best deal -- without getting ripped off).

Mobile Tech Under Obama

We've just elected a new president. Barack Obama starts a four-year term Jan. 20. There's no way to know how America and the world will change during this time. But we can see how mobile technology will change.

Think of what has happened in mobile technology during the last administration. When George W. Bush was re-elected four years ago, the world had never seen the iPhone, the netbook, 3G, Blu-ray, the Amazon Kindle or Twitter. Back then, Facebook was for college students, Treo was the best smart phone (and couldn't run on Windows Mobile).

Of course, the president has little to do with all this innovation other than as perhaps the most famous user of the "BarackBerry" (pictured). Still, it's a meaningful way to mark time and take stock of how our culture is being changed by the most personal of personal technologies. Here's what you can look forward to during OBAMA'S FIRST TERM.

Why Netbooks Will Soon Cost $99

Netbooks like the Asus Eee PC, the Dell Mini 9 and the HP 2133 Mini-Note will soon cost $99. The catch? You'll need to commit to a two-year mobile broadband contract, just like your cell phone. Why so low? 1) the economy; 2) the cell phone sales crash; 3) the netebook explosion; 4) the netbook glut; 5) the netbook's Internet dependency; 6) the backlash against 3G; and 7) MOORE'S LAW!

The Internet's Newest Danger: Election Addiction

In the past month or two, I've noticed a new addiction arise, one that's more powerful and widespread than any other: ELECTION ADDICTION. People are compulsively spending huge chunks of time surfing political sites and video sharing sites, social bookmarking services and news sites. They're looking for content that supports their political opinions and candidates, then e-mailing links to people who disagree. A heated conversation ensues, often with long diatribes, rising frustration and anger, peppered with links to still more online content. Election Addiction is virulent, and unlike other Internet-enabled addictions. Are YOU addicted?

In Search of the Smart Phone Laptop

In the past two years, cell phone and laptop companies have unveiled breathtaking innovations -- from 24-hour battery laptops to dual-screen laptops to "augmented reality" cell phone applications. Despite these advancements, the industry has failed to solve the oldest and most central problem of mobility: How to add a larger keyboard and screen to a tiny cell phone. Palm tried it and failed with Foleo. AIM proposed it with Olo. Apple hinted that they might take a crack at it. Celio is already doing it -- but you need an approved Windows Mobile device. And IMOVIO is working on a solution doomed to failure. WHO WILL GET IT RIGHT?

How Facebook Is Destroying the 'Nuclear Family'

A new study published this week by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that technology is actually good for "nuclear families." According to the study, the Internet, cell phones, e-mail, IM and Twitter make nuclear families closer by enabling members to stay in touch between times when they're physically together. But that same process is also breaking down the wall that has separated the "nuclear family" from the "extended family." Because the whole "nuclear family" institution is all about isolating mom, dad and the kids from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, FACEBOOK IS ACTUALLY KILLING THE NUCLEAR FAMILY.

Will AT&T Let 'Emerging Devices' Emerge?

We're about to transition from an era where everything is in the cell phone - cameras, GPS devices and more -- to one in which the cell phone is also in everything. Your stand-alone digital camera and your in-car GPS system will connect via the cell phone mobile broadband network and will do powerful things on your behalf. AT&T says they want to lead the revolution. But will greed and a lack of vision put the company in the position of KILLING THE REVOLUTION before it even begins?

Would You Buy Furniture From Microsoft?

Microsoft might be getting into the furniture business. The company is apparently contemplating the development of a consumer version of Microsoft Surface, the company’s advanced multi-touch table-top computer now available only to companies that want to use it for promotions in hotels, casinos and at cell phone stores. The MICROSOFT FURNITURE in question would be a kitchen table. Here's how you'd use it, according to Microsoft:

"While eating breakfast, read newspaper headlines and e-mail, get updated on the daily commute, or use your fingers to expand your calendar and get details on the day’s events.” And you can use it to "help your children with their homework or oversee their play activities while getting dinner ready."

The question is, would you buy one?

Three Ways SMBs Can Survive the Meltdown

Stocks are plummeting. Banks are failing. The money's all gone.
If you're a small or medium-size business owner with employees, I'm going to tell you something you already know: Layoffs are coming, too. The knee-jerk impulse to lay off half your staff in order to cut employee costs by 50% can be just some antiquated institutional habit. Technology enables all kinds of desirable alternatives to letting people go. Here are three ways to USE NEW TECHNOLOGY TO CUT COSTS WITHOUT LAYOFFS.

How to Know Everything, All the Time: Automated Searches

I love automated searches. Setting up automated "bots" to do your searching for you saves enormous amounts of time and effort. You "set it and forget it." But you have to know where -- and how -- to do it. Here are my favorite FIVE WAYS TO KNOW EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.

Stop Ignoring the GPS In Your Phone!

You hear a lot about how great cell phone GPS is. Tech pundits blather endlessly about the amazing new features and capabilities of cell phone GPS (guilty as charged!) And you even shelled out extra for that fancy smart phone with GPS as one of its best features. So WHY AREN'T YOU USING IT?

Gadgets That Will Make Your Cell Phone Jealous

Cell phones are the Mother of All Convergence Devices. In the past 10 years, bland, single-purpose cell phones have assimilated digital cameras, media players, PDAs, GPS devices, camcorders and much more. Phones are great for convergence because we always carry them. Stand-alone digital cameras, GPS devices and others might be left at home most of the time, but anything built into the camera goes everywhere. But phones aren't the only objects carried everywhere. SUNGLASSES, WRISTWATCHES AND PENS go, too -- and that's why they're getting the convergence treatment.

Is Windows 7 Really Mojave?

People don't like Windows Vista. Users are moving to Mac or Linux. In order to stop the bleeding, Microsoft is apparently rushing Windows 7 to market. But is this really the Windows 7 they set out to create? Or is is just Windows Vista with window dressing. Wait, Windows Vista labeled as the "next version of Windows"? Isn't that called "MOJAVE"?

I Want My Mobile Social Address Book

Business cards are as obsolete as fax machines. And like fax machines, business cards have us still using paper to move electronic data from one digital system to another. Business cards suck, but the good news is that the MOBILE SOCIAL ADDRESS BOOK of the future is coming soon.

Why Online Product Placement Is a Good Thing

If you're unfamiliar with the term, product placement is a form of advertising where companies pay or barter for their products to be used as "props." So, for example, Batman uses the not-yet-released Nokia XpressMedia 5800 cell phone to foil the Joker in "The Dark Knight," because Nokia arranged for it. The reason I hate movie and TV placement is that it's sneaky. It only works if the viewer is kept ignorant about the fact that the advertiser paid for placement. The reason I love online product placement is that it's not sneaky. It works best if the placement is "OUTED" AS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT.

Mobile Social Networking Goes Mainstream

This past week has seen a flood of announcements from major companies about new mobile social networking services. All this industry activity has sparked widespread interest and engagement in mobile social networking. Twitter, Facebook and other social sites have been burning up the wires this week talking about, linking to and getting on mobile social networking services. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF MOBILE SOCIAL NETWORKING.

How the Blogosphere Killed the Press Conference

While nobody was looking, the Internet, the blogosphere and the Twitosphere rendered the old-fashioned press conference OBSOLETE. (Don't tell the media!)

Got a subnotebook? Get Ubiquity!

Subnotebooks are easy to take anywhere, but hard to use once you get there. Mozilla, the company that makes the popular Firefox browser, announced this week a software plug-in for Firefox called Ubiquity, which wasn't designed for, and isn't promoted as, a subnotebook usability enhancer. But it turns out that UBIQUITY IS ESPECIALLY POWERFUL ON SUBNOTEBOOKS, and makes them far easier to use for multi-window tasks.

Social Networking: What Are 'Friends' For?

According to one theory, humans developed language in order to be able to live in larger groups. Expanding our "social networks" -- then, as now -- enhances survival. And the desire to maintain as many relationships as possible is part of what makes us human. That's why I'm here to urge you to JUMP ON THE SOCIAL NETWORKING BANDWAGON with new-found energy.