This week we report on an overturned software patent, gloat about Apple shares and rant about design majors writing on start-ups. Read on for all this and more curated tech news in the eighth issue of Fresh Insights (delivered 18 July 2011, subscribe to get it fresh).
Feature
Write What You Know
In his article, Supercharged: Why do Silicon Valley firms grow so fast?, Andrew McCalister writes, "start-ups need three ingredients: ideas, people and money."
Here's a thought: market, product and profit.
If you think Andrew knows what he's talking about, disagree with me.
iMod
Big-ups to my main caucasian Christopher at iMod for his sweet write-up on iFix! Chris, we love your blog and your great iMod domain name. Everyone, go follow @imodcoza on Twitter and subscribe to iMod for the latest Cape Town tech news.
News
Google All-in on Africa
Without the entropy of a fixed-line carrier, mobile infrastructure in Ghana and Kenya has leap-frogged the developed world. Africa has only 1 domain registered per 10,000 people, so Google is investing in a huge untapped market. With wartime CEO Larry Page back at the helm, Google keeps on making smart moves.
Amazon's 1-Click Patent Overturned
The European Patent Office (EPO) has ruled that Amazon's "one click technology" is too obvious to patent. Too bad Apple licensed it ten years ago. Hopefully, this marks the beginning of reform for the looming software patent crisis.
BlackBerry Doesn't Get It
RIM plans to launch seven new smartphones by year-end. Sigh. You'd think they got it by now: brand convergence also applies to mobile phones.
Better to build one great phone than two shitty ones like Sony Ericsson did in 2005 when it split its K (camera) and W (walkman) product lines.
GoDaddy Sold for $2.25bn
GoDaddy, the largest scummy domain registrar in the world that snipes searched domains you don't buy, has been sold for $2.25bn. Luckily, the new owners also nabbed NoDaddy, a high-ranking site filled with GoDaddy customer horror stories.
If GoDaddy revamps its interface and stops the offensive up-selling, it could be a solid business in a large market with strong lock-in, but I wouldn't go near them.
Murdoch's $5bn Bargain Buyback
News Corp. shares (code: NWS) fell 13.5% following the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. The tragic scandal is selling millions of tabloids owned by News Corp. (e.g. The Sun) and shareholders subsequently...sell?
Murdoch upped his buyback bid from $1.8bn to $5bn in lieu of the plummeting share price. The old dog may have been staving off the fall, but I think he just understands the market better than the average tabloid-reading shareholder. The blocked BSkyB bid warrants a drop, but the steep decline seems like an over-reaction. [discuss]
Stay Tuned
Apple shares are at an all-time high of $364.90 and still climbing. I hate (and by hate, I mean love) to say it, but didn't I already cover this?
Next week's developer meetup is in Cape Town. Hardcore devs welcome.
If you read this far, you should follow me on Twitter and use this to mac on a girl you like.
Best
Petrus
freshcode.co
@FreshCode