Rafe's Blog

Where's that damned cab?

Google is becoming more than merely a search engine; it's emerging as a clearinghouse for live information that's otherwise hard to find and use. Case in point: The beta Ride Finder project, which displays GPS (location) data on cabs and limos in a few major cities. Surprisingly it's not tapped into the handy NextBus system that monitors buses and streetcars, but it's only a matter of time.

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

Shocker: Linux not cheaper

The OS may be free, but nothing else about Linux is. Training and security implementation costs make servers just as expensive to run on Linux as Windows, a new study says. Microsoft, wisely, had no comment.

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

CRM: Not just for the enterprise

Customer relationship management systems are often the engines of sales and customer service operations in big business. But online implementations of CRM these tools are maturing and getting less expensive. There's no reason even a very small business shouldn't employ one. However, setting up CRM in small business does require forethought, as this useful video from News.com explains.

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

Goin' to the Well

The online community, The Well, turned 20 last week. I've had an email account there since 1988. First it was obscure, then it became hip to be a Well user, and now it's obscure again. But it's the only consistent online ID I've had for more than a few years, so I hope to keep it forever.

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

VOIP as a broadcast platform

Some music junkies have begun using the PC VOIP product, Skype, as a broadcasting platform. It's like podcasting in some ways, so it's being called, "Skypecasting."  Did anybody forsee Skype, a telephony app, being used as a media distribution platform? Not really. But it's a great illustration of what can happen when you release a new platform and don't get in its way. Skype is taking a hands-off approach to the development of apps like this. Good for them.

Update 4/1/05: Per feedback post, Bill Campbell of SkypeJournal claims dibs on the concept, and published instructions for Skypecasting with Stuart Henshall in December of 2004. 

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

Startup like it's 1999

Great leaflet spotted in New York: "Internet Startup Seeking Funding." This would probably have worked six years ago. If it works today, we can proclaim the dot-com bust officially over.

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

Who needs Longhorn?

A funny thing has happened to the upcoming "Longhorn" version of Windows. It's gone from being an eagerly-awaited operating system to a phantom that people care less about every day. Maybe that's because Windows XP is good enough for almost all users and uses. Heresy in some circles, yes, but Microsoft is going to have a hard time convincing people to upgrade when Longhorn finally does ship.

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

It knows what you are thinking

New software aims to improve your typing by predicting what you want to say after the first few letters of a word. Great for hunt-and-peck typers. But, a problem: Moving from a keyboard so equipped to a standard one; I've already become dependent on Microsoft Word to auto-correct my common typos. cAnt live witho utit.

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

Identity theft: It can happen to you

For the second time in 18 months, my credit card has been hacked. The bank that issued it called to check on several large purchases as well as a change of address to New Mexico. (The address change was quickly reversed and the charges refused, thank goodness.) But there's more to this story than my own troubles and ongoing worry: Banks are having to tell consumers about potential data leaks, which is necessary but erodes trust in the banks. Worse (for business), some consumers are simply steering clear of online retail, fearing that the stores to which they give their data may not be protecting it sufficiently. We need a better way to safeguard financial identity.

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

Doctors are the new consumers

News.com's Michael Kanellos reports from PCForum: Doctors are a great new market. They've got rich HMOs and drug companies to pay for new hardware, networks, and applications. We're used by now to the "gatekeeper" model of medicine that HMOs enforce; apparently now the MDs are also applying it to technology adoption. Interesting.

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