Doron's Take:
Wal-Mart continues to post huge profits while Target continues its slide. I guess consumers care more about having the lowest prices than as to how the companies operate in their drive to thrive. How do Wal-Mart's employees feel about their company's record profits?
The Wall Journal reports that Target Corp. posted its fourth consecutive quarterly slide in profit, which fell 24% as strapped shoppers were unswa yed by the retailer's pitches for fashionable apparel and home goods. While Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest private employer, is reaping big gains from the souring economy even as consumers cut back, retail chains struggle and thousands lose their jobs.
Will Wal-Mart's success continue?
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Google and RIM on Rise
Doron's Take:
Wow, if there's two technology stocks that don't seem to be phased by the current economic downturn, it's definitely Canadian based Research in Motion and Silicon Valley's Google. At the end of last week, Google gained almost 15 dollars to close at $583.00 and RIM (maker of the BlackBerry smart phone) rose over a dollar to close at $138.98.
In another side piece of news, Apple's new iPhone will likely go on sale on June 18th according to various reports, while phones running Google's Android operating system aren't set to launch until late summer or fall. So it's in Google's best interest to do whatever they can do now to woo audiences. If people like what they see, they might wait for Android phones before they decide which, if either phone, to buy. So at Google's developer conference last week, they demoed some sneak peeks of Android to entice people to wait and not buy the latest 3G iPhone.
What about you? Will you wait till the Google Android phone are out or are you a hardcore Apple supporter that couldn't care to wait?
Wow, if there's two technology stocks that don't seem to be phased by the current economic downturn, it's definitely Canadian based Research in Motion and Silicon Valley's Google. At the end of last week, Google gained almost 15 dollars to close at $583.00 and RIM (maker of the BlackBerry smart phone) rose over a dollar to close at $138.98.
In another side piece of news, Apple's new iPhone will likely go on sale on June 18th according to various reports, while phones running Google's Android operating system aren't set to launch until late summer or fall. So it's in Google's best interest to do whatever they can do now to woo audiences. If people like what they see, they might wait for Android phones before they decide which, if either phone, to buy. So at Google's developer conference last week, they demoed some sneak peeks of Android to entice people to wait and not buy the latest 3G iPhone.
What about you? Will you wait till the Google Android phone are out or are you a hardcore Apple supporter that couldn't care to wait?
Monday, March 24, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
You Tube Makes Lonely Girl Famous
Doron's Take:
What started off as a lonely girl's video diary ended up being revealed as a hoax created by a Hollywood talent agency. It could have backfired but instead led to fame and fortune and the cover of Wired Magazine and stories in NYT, etc. What does this say about our society and new media? It means the balance of power has shifted to us as Time Magazine said last year when it voted YOU the Person of the Year.
Read the story in Wired: "She is a high school girl with swooping eyebrows, boy problems, and a webcam willing to listen. The room behind her could be anywhere in America – there's a pink floral-print bedspread, a half-dozen stuffed animals, and a framed picture of a rose on the wall..."
What started off as a lonely girl's video diary ended up being revealed as a hoax created by a Hollywood talent agency. It could have backfired but instead led to fame and fortune and the cover of Wired Magazine and stories in NYT, etc. What does this say about our society and new media? It means the balance of power has shifted to us as Time Magazine said last year when it voted YOU the Person of the Year.
Read the story in Wired: "She is a high school girl with swooping eyebrows, boy problems, and a webcam willing to listen. The room behind her could be anywhere in America – there's a pink floral-print bedspread, a half-dozen stuffed animals, and a framed picture of a rose on the wall..."
Edelman Releases Trust Barometer: Who Do We Trust?
Doron's Take:
It's not a big surprise that we trust our friends and relatives for purchase decisions, etc. more than we do companies like Apple, Microsoft or Procter and Gamble and people like doctors or academic experts.
Edelman released a study that says: "Global opinion leaders say their most credible source of information about a company is now “a person like me,” which has risen dramatically to surpass doctors and academic experts for the first time, according to the seventh annual Edelman Trust Barometer, a survey of nearly 2,000 opinion leaders in 11 countries. In the U.S., trust in “a person like me” increased from 20% in 2003 to 68% today. Opinion leaders also consider rank-and-file employees more credible spokespersons than corporate CEOs (42% vs. 28% in the U.S.)."
It's not a big surprise that we trust our friends and relatives for purchase decisions, etc. more than we do companies like Apple, Microsoft or Procter and Gamble and people like doctors or academic experts.
Edelman released a study that says: "Global opinion leaders say their most credible source of information about a company is now “a person like me,” which has risen dramatically to surpass doctors and academic experts for the first time, according to the seventh annual Edelman Trust Barometer, a survey of nearly 2,000 opinion leaders in 11 countries. In the U.S., trust in “a person like me” increased from 20% in 2003 to 68% today. Opinion leaders also consider rank-and-file employees more credible spokespersons than corporate CEOs (42% vs. 28% in the U.S.)."
New Media Boot Camp
I'm in NYC this week for Eric Schwartzman's New Media Boot Camp. Hopefully I'll learn everything I did not know but that there is to know about blogs, search engine optimization, podcasts, RSS and social media.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Japan To Bail out America?
Doron's Take:
In a move to expand out of Japan, senior sources at the “big three” Tokyo megabanks told The Financial Times today that they had readied a combined cashpile of as much as $10 billion and were open to negotiation with any struggling Wall Street bank that approached them for a cash infusion. You might ask why Japan? I think the Japanese banks are smelling opportunity here to expand overseas operations after over 20 years of operating in the strict confines of Japan's domestic market after the bursting of the Japanese bubble.
In a move to expand out of Japan, senior sources at the “big three” Tokyo megabanks told The Financial Times today that they had readied a combined cashpile of as much as $10 billion and were open to negotiation with any struggling Wall Street bank that approached them for a cash infusion. You might ask why Japan? I think the Japanese banks are smelling opportunity here to expand overseas operations after over 20 years of operating in the strict confines of Japan's domestic market after the bursting of the Japanese bubble.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Oracle Buys BEA
Doron's Take:
Oracle continues on its buying spree. The acquisition of BEA propels Oracle ahead of IBM and makes them the number one player in middleware. Middleware is a general term for any programming that serves to "glue together" or mediate between two separate and often already existing programs. Middleware is typically used for messaging so that different applications can communicate together. Looks to be a great deal for both companies. Interesting to see what the two companies' customers think?
Oracle continues on its buying spree. The acquisition of BEA propels Oracle ahead of IBM and makes them the number one player in middleware. Middleware is a general term for any programming that serves to "glue together" or mediate between two separate and often already existing programs. Middleware is typically used for messaging so that different applications can communicate together. Looks to be a great deal for both companies. Interesting to see what the two companies' customers think?
Saturday, January 12, 2008
India Unveils World's Cheapest Car
Doron's Take:
For the same price as a high-end DVD player, India unveiled the world's cheapest car today. Read Jim's post on it here. I'm skeptical that it will really be a disruptive innovation. There's been a lot of innovative cars launched over the last 10 years, how many of them really caught on with the masses? Filling it up with gas for 6 months is about the same cost as the car. How useful is the low cost of the car if all the car's doing is sitting on people's driveways cause they can't afford to gas it up?
For the same price as a high-end DVD player, India unveiled the world's cheapest car today. Read Jim's post on it here. I'm skeptical that it will really be a disruptive innovation. There's been a lot of innovative cars launched over the last 10 years, how many of them really caught on with the masses? Filling it up with gas for 6 months is about the same cost as the car. How useful is the low cost of the car if all the car's doing is sitting on people's driveways cause they can't afford to gas it up?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Is Sun/Google Android fight overblown?
Doron's Take:
From what Jonathan Schwartz has been saying, it doesn't look like he's looking for a fight with Google! Read his blog post on the partnership here for more.
Sun/Google Android “fight” overblown by ZDNet's Ed Burnette -- Ever since Google kicked off the Open Handset Alliance and released the "gPhone" Android SDK for mobile devices, the blogosphere has been buzzing about a new conflict brewing between Sun and Google over the future of Java. But I'm here to tell you, it's all bunk.
From what Jonathan Schwartz has been saying, it doesn't look like he's looking for a fight with Google! Read his blog post on the partnership here for more.
Sun/Google Android “fight” overblown by ZDNet's Ed Burnette -- Ever since Google kicked off the Open Handset Alliance and released the "gPhone" Android SDK for mobile devices, the blogosphere has been buzzing about a new conflict brewing between Sun and Google over the future of Java. But I'm here to tell you, it's all bunk.
Facebook Founder Goes on 60 Minutes
Doron's Take:
Turn on your t.v. this Sunday at 7 pm for an interview with Facebook founder, Zuckerberg. I'm sure it'll be a worthwhile one. The reporter Stahl focuses heavily on the controversy surrounding Beacon, the advertising beacon used by Facebook. We all heard the story of the guy who bought his girfriend a diamond ring online and before he knew it his girlfriend and his entire Facebook network knew about it. Well, so much for the surprise proposal he planned for his girlfriend.
Facebook, one of the fastest growing sites online has 60 million users. Zuckerberg started Facebook while a student at Harvard and he's now worth $3 billion based on the Microsoft deal. But sounds like the $ hasn't gone to his head yet as he showed up to the interview in sweatshirt and sandals. :-)
Click here now for a preview, 60 Minutes interview with Zuckerberg. He'll speak to Beacon, the controversial advertising device many accused of invading the privacy of Facebook users.
Turn on your t.v. this Sunday at 7 pm for an interview with Facebook founder, Zuckerberg. I'm sure it'll be a worthwhile one. The reporter Stahl focuses heavily on the controversy surrounding Beacon, the advertising beacon used by Facebook. We all heard the story of the guy who bought his girfriend a diamond ring online and before he knew it his girlfriend and his entire Facebook network knew about it. Well, so much for the surprise proposal he planned for his girlfriend.
Facebook, one of the fastest growing sites online has 60 million users. Zuckerberg started Facebook while a student at Harvard and he's now worth $3 billion based on the Microsoft deal. But sounds like the $ hasn't gone to his head yet as he showed up to the interview in sweatshirt and sandals. :-)
Click here now for a preview, 60 Minutes interview with Zuckerberg. He'll speak to Beacon, the controversial advertising device many accused of invading the privacy of Facebook users.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Intel Leaves One Laptop Per Child Project
Doron's Take:
In reading the buzz around the below news today, it sounds like Intel didn't want to do what Negroponte wanted which was to stop selling its Classmate PC while it was part of the OLPC, which is currently shipping its XO laptop based on a chip from AMD.
CNET reports that after settling their dispute just 6 months ago, Intel and Nicholas Negroponte have parted ways. The two had joined forces in bringing PCs to children around the world.
Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project had brought Intel on board as a partner and a possible future supplier. Intel was the 11th member of the OLPC's board, joining other companies such as Google, eBay, Nortel and Intel's bitter rival Advanced Micro Devices.
In reading the buzz around the below news today, it sounds like Intel didn't want to do what Negroponte wanted which was to stop selling its Classmate PC while it was part of the OLPC, which is currently shipping its XO laptop based on a chip from AMD.
CNET reports that after settling their dispute just 6 months ago, Intel and Nicholas Negroponte have parted ways. The two had joined forces in bringing PCs to children around the world.
Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project had brought Intel on board as a partner and a possible future supplier. Intel was the 11th member of the OLPC's board, joining other companies such as Google, eBay, Nortel and Intel's bitter rival Advanced Micro Devices.
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