Rafe's Blog

Ma Bell and Pa SBC to get back together to fight ankle-biter VOIP vendors

Speaking of big, two divested telcos, AT&T and SBC, say it’s in consumers’ interest if they re-marry. This way they’ll be able to provide one-stop shopping for telephone, video, and Internet services. Right, it worked so well the last time.

From my "Business Buzz" on CNET.com - work.cnet.com.

FolderShare is great

If you struggle with keeping files on two computers (work and home) in sync, as I do, check out FolderShare.  It runs in the background and updates files on a remote computer when your local system changes.  Prior to using FolderShare, I was using LapLink to sync my systems manually every few days. Now it looks like I can forget about the manual operation.  Very nice.  Cost is $4.50 a month for basic service. A pro version is available with more features. A free trial version with limited capabilities is also offered.  (I've covered syncing before, but FolderShare wasn't quite as developed at that time.)

Am I online?

I am experimenting with Convoq's ASAP. It's a cool Web conferencing service that offers, among other things, a utility that shows if you are online and available to meet, or not. 

Here's my presence:

Whose site is it, anyway?

Google is going down a rocky path that Microsoft scraped its knees on once before: hyperlinking any and all Web text to additional information sources. Which sources? That’s up to Google, and that’s what troubles critics. At least Google’s “AutoLink” feature doesn’t activate until you press a toolbar button.  Much worse are the hyperlink ads from companies like Vibrant Media.

Even cheaper printers coming

Aren’t inkjet printers cheap enough already? Apparently not cheap enough for HP’s board, which, post-Carly, wants to lower prices even further.  No word yet on whether the ink will be reduced from its current average price of $3,840 a gallon.

Philly is silliy for Wi-Fi

Wireless wonks in Philadelphia are trying to set up a citywide Wi-Fi network.  Sounds good for everybody, right?  Not so fast – big telecom interests and several politicos are trying to block municipal Wi-Fi, comparing it to Boston’s Big Dig.  Over at News.com, there’s a lively ongoing debate between Philly’s councilman, Frank Rizzo, who’s opposed to muni Wi-Fi, and the city’s CIO, Dianah Neff, who’s in favor. Also See Glenn Fleishman’s excellent ongoing summary of the fracas.

What this means to small business: Don’t count on your business taxes paying you back with useful wireless networking anytime soon; your government is too busy fighting amongst itself.

Thin clients: Fat chance

Hitachi announced this week that it will soon be shipping a diskless notebook computer. Everything will happen via wireless networking (and nothing at all will happen when it’s not connected). It will be more secure than a traditional laptop, since if it’s lost or stolen, there will be no data on it for bad guys to swipe.  Such a device might useful by some low-level corporate drones, and in industrial and government applications, but it’s wholly unsuited for the small business. Plus, you pay extra for the neutered machines: About $2500. Better bet: Get a real notebook with good security, like an IBM ThinkPad with biometrics.

 

I just interviewed Ray Lane

I just interviewed Ray Lane (former Oracle COO, now VC at Kleiner Perkins) at an event put on by TiE Silicon Valley.  Johannes Ernst, CEO of NetMesh, blogged the interview. Thanks Johannes!

Johannes will be on a panel I’m hosting at PC Forum about presence-aware applications.

Life with a SPOT watch

I wore a Fossil FX3005 SPOT watch for a few months.  The upside: Great, fun features, and geek appeal. Downside: Everything else, including the expense, the bulk, the styling, and the ridiculous ginormous charging station that makes it a royal pain to travel with. My CNET review is here.

Finally, a new IE

Bill Gates said Tuesday at RSA that Microsoft will beta Internet Explorer 7 this summer. Of course MS needs to fix its security issues, and Firefox is breathing down its neck. And maybe now we’ll finally get useful features that we’re beginning to take for granted in other browsers, in particular, tabbed browsing and an RSS reader.