Isolationist no more: The Internet goes to Washington
Today’s launch of a new think tank call DisCo that wants to educate Congress about disruptive technologies is just one of several new efforts proposed by the Internet and startup community to get their voices heard. No longer will the conversation between Silicon Valley and DC rely solely on big tech firms like Amazon, Google, Facebook and others. The Internet upstarts are hoping they can disrupt politics too.
http://gigaom.com/2012/06/04/isolationist-no-more-the-internet-goes-to-washington/
Twitter’s Co-founder Biz Stone To Pen Book
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone is writing a book calledThings A Little Bird Told Me. In the book, Stone will talk about his experience, which includes a stint at Google, co-founding Twitter and his latest venture The Obvious Corporation, a company that he co-founded in 2011 that is focused on “building systems that help people work together to make the world smarter, healthier.”
http://www.mediabistro.com/appnewser/twitters-cofounder-biz-stone-to-pen-book_b23426
The Security Paradox Of IPv6; Shoring Up The Holes
IPv6 presents a security paradox.
The capabilities IPv6 provides will enhance online security – but the shift to the new Internet address scheme may also present risks if not properly managed.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2012/06/04/the-security-paradox-of-ipv6-shoring-up-the-holes/
Facebook faces new lawsuit over IPO disclosures
Facebook has been served with another lawsuit related to its IPO by investors who claim the company’s executives and its bankers misled them by “selectively disclosing” material information about its revenue outlook.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57447135-93/facebook-faces-new-lawsuit-over-ipo-disclosures/
Some Perspective
I don’t disagree with PG when he says that Facebook’s IPO performance (or lack thereof) has the potential to impact valuations in startup land. I think it will be particularly impactful on the late stage and secondary markets where most of the IPO valuation speculation is happening.
But let’s put Facebook’s current valuation in perspective. At the closing price of $26.90, Facebook commands a valuation of $57.5bn (according to Google Finance). Facebook had around $4bn of cash prior to going public and raised about $10bn so let’s assume they have $14bn in cash on the books. That means Facebook has an enterprise value of roughly $43bn.
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2012/06/some-perspective.html
Face To Face: How Airtime Will Re-Humanize The Internet
One minute into using Airtime I was laughing with someone I’d never met. That’s something special when despite all the asynchronous connection, the Internet threatens to make us feel lonely. On Airtime, you experience together thanks to real-time video chat and video sharing. You’re both the performer and the audience. When you look at your friend or a stranger you’ve been paired with, you get their body language, gestures, and attitude. Co-founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning tell me that on Airtime “there’s a depth of communication that doesn’t come through on something like Facebook. It’s much higher bandwidth.”
http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/05/airtime-experience-together/
Rethinking Privacy in an Era of Big Data
Some years ago an engineer at Google told me why Google wasn’t collecting information linked to people’s names. “We don’t want the name. The name is noise.” There was enough information in Google’s large database of search queries, location, and online behavior, he said, that you could tell a lot about somebody through indirect means.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/rethinking-privacy-in-an-era-of-big-data/
Apple and Google Expand Their Battle to Mobile Maps
Since they got together in 2007, the iPhone and Google Maps have seemed like ideal digital bedfellows.
Google Inc.’s blockbuster map service—which allows web users to find businesses, check traffic conditions and get directions—has helped Apple Inc.’s iPhone become wildly successful. Surging iPhone use has, in turn, driven tons of web traffic to Google’s search engine through Google Maps.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304543904577398502695522974-lMyQjAxMTAyMDAwNDEwNDQyWj.html
Microsoft SmartGlass: Xbox Live Companion on steroids?
As many of my readers know, I’m not a video game fan, nor I am I a big TV fan. So sitting virtually through a two-hour E3 keynote address, chock-full of video game first-person-shooter previews…kill me now (pun intended).
But there were a couple of interesting bits from Microsoft at its E3 unveiling. One of these — about which there had been conflicting earlier leaks — was something called SmartGlass technology. But despite a few mentions and demos, I still felt as if I had no idea what SmartGlass is after watching the keynote. And it looks like I’m not alone.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57446908-75/microsoft-smartglass-xbox-live-companion-on-steroids/
More On Meebo: Price Is Around $100M, Product Team To Work On Google+ Publisher Tools, Layoffs Hit Sales
Meebo, the seven year-old chat service that morphed into a website toolbar and ad platform, is indeed selling to Google. The companyconfirmed the news a few minutes ago, and we’ve since dug up some more details.
First, the amount. After raising some $70 million in four venture rounds, Meebo’s acquisition was in fact for around the rumored$100 million, we’ve heard from a source close to the matter.
Second, we’ve learned that the product team will be using its expertise to help build out publisher tools for Google+. We don’t know if this means there’ll be some sort of new Google+ toolbar coming. But, presumably the existing Meebo properties will be morphed into G+ or otherwise closed.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/04/more-on-meebo-price-is-around-100m-product-team-to-work-on-google-publisher-tools-layoffs-hit-sales/
