Trailblazers

Facebook Is a Fraud
May 28, 2012

I've been up to my armpits talking about Facebook for most of this month, and maybe because I'm unusually dense, just realized that Facebook is a new kind of dot-com. By this I mean its revenue and profit are based on a series of false beliefs. Unlike the first dot-coms, which failed, Facebook does have revenue and profit, but just like them it has been built on a stack of false assumptions.

Pulling a Zuckerberg, or How to Kill a $100B IPO
May 14, 2012

Last week was rather quiet except for the increasing drama surrounding Facebook and what was to be their $100B IPO. It could still be, but thanks to its young, inexperienced, and clearly still-maturing CEO, it found itself digging out of an avoidable hole. Its experienced executive team was by all reports doing a terrific job until Zuckerberg decided to show up at an IPO pitch in a hoodie.

Under Zuckerberg's Hoodie
May 11, 2012

The Facebook IPO roadshow -- a crucial time for the company -- is well under way, and the company's CEO has been in the spotlight. It was no doubt expected that Mark Zuckerberg would ditch his trademark hoodie for attire more befitting the circumstances, but no. At the few events Zuckerberg has attended, including the launch event in New York, he has sported the hoodie.

Burying Conventional Wisdom at The Next Web Conference
April 27, 2012

The Next Web, a network of online technology outlets, continued its annual conference Friday in Amsterdam. Heeding to Amsterdam's night life, The Next Web waited until 10 a.m. to get things started, which was probably just about as early as the sleep-deprived attendees could have hacked it.

Asteroid Miners May Set the Stage for Space Colonization
April 24, 2012

On Tuesday, the founders of Planetary Resources held a press conference at the Museum of Flight in Seattle to announce a new megamillion-dollar plan to use commercially built robotic ships to travel to the asteroid belt to mine for valuable minerals including platinum and gold. "As we move beyond the bounds of Earth to a universe that is full of resources, we can finally bring those materials back to Earth," said speaker Peter Diamandis, cofounder of Planetary Resources.

Linus, Linux and the Millennium Technology Prize
April 23, 2012

It doesn't happen often here in the Linux blogosphere that FOSS fans agree unanimously on -- well, on pretty much anything. Truth be told, there's generally good reason for the dissension. Take Microsoft's latest maneuvers, for example -- are they good news? Bad news? It's not always easy to tell. Last week, however, one of those rare announcements was made that brought universal joy to Linux aficionados around the globe.

Java Trial: Page Walks Tightrope While Staring at Ceiling
April 19, 2012

Google CEO Larry Page continued his testimony on Wednesday in the trial over whether his company violated Oracle's Java patents and copyrights. Like Oracle CEO Larry Ellison attempted to do with his testimony on Tuesday, Page did his best to give little ground to the opposing counsel. Yet they managed to score points against Google anyway.

Zuckerberg's Instagram Poker Face
April 18, 2012

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg apparently lives by the idea that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission. This seems to have been the case with his decision to acquire Instagram earlier this month. Zuckerberg reportedly alerted the board of directors only hours before making its largest acquisition ever, a billion-dollar deal for the digital photo-sharing service, which had only launched in October 2010.

Google Split Preserves Founders' Power
April 16, 2012

Google has announced plans to issue a new class of stock to existing shareholders. Normally, a stock split is viewed positively by shareholders and the Street because it implies the company expects the stock to continue to grow. However, the way Google has structured this split has raised eyebrows among corporate governance watchers.

Larry Page: The Year of the Big Cleanup
April 06, 2012

Google CEO Larry Page issued a public dispatch on the state of the company Thursday, enthusiastically promoting the Android platform and next-generation search techniques. Page took over as CEO of the company about a year ago.

An Analyst's Ad Hominem Hell
April 02, 2012

I clearly hit a nerve last week when I compared Meg Whitman's moves at HP to Tim Cook's at Apple. I do sincerely think Tim Cook was set up to fail. Steve Jobs didn't hire Cook to replace him -- he hired him to do the jobs he didn't want to do. This is why a lot of great companies slide. The existing CEOs see replacement candidates as rivals, so they make sure they don't have the skills or otherwise can't do the CEO's job.

Cook Does China His Way
March 30, 2012

Tim Cook this week made his first visit to China since he took the tiller as CEO of Apple last August. Cook's trip to the Asian nation mixed business with politics. He visited a Foxconn factory that makes iPhones and an Apple Store in Beijing. He conducted skull sessions with the city's mayor, Guo Kinlong, and the country's Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who is expected to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier of the nation.

Meg Whitman vs. Tim Cook by the Numbers
March 26, 2012

Last week was an interesting week. Apple announced what appears to be a penis iron in the new iPad, and folks are burning through their monthly 4G data plans in a few hours. Tim's having his first Antennagate moment, and Steve Jobs he isn't. On the other hand, Meg Whitman announced her first major restructuring since taking over HP. Whitman appears to have Carly Fiorina's vision and can execute, which bodes well.

OpenSUSE, Linus' Daughter, and a Question of Security
March 08, 2012

There's nothing like a rant to get the conversational ball rolling here in the Linux blogosphere, and if it can be a rant from Linus Torvalds himself, well, it doesn't get much better than that. That, in fact, is just what last week afforded in the form of a Google+ post from the father of Linux on the topic of openSUSE security. "I don't think I can talk about 'security' people without cursing, so you might want to avert your eyes now," Torvalds began.

Jerry Yang and Yahoo's Humble Beginnings
February 04, 2012

Jerry Yang is no longer "Chief Yahoo." He left Yahoo after 17 years. That's the news most people read or hear. Most people don't know Jerry or his approach. Let me share a personal story. In 1995, I first met Jerry at Yahoo. this was before the company was public and before anyone really cared much at all about "the Internet."

Zuckerberg to Keep Iron Grip on Facebook's Reins
February 02, 2012

Facebook has finally filed for its IPO. The social networking giant submitted an application to the SEC on Wednesday. It plans to raise up to $5 billion. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who cofounded the company in February 2004, currently holds a 28.4 percent stake. Details in the SEC document illuminated the extent of Zuckerberg's control over Facebook.

Sony Installs New Chief in Quest for Identity
February 01, 2012

Sony announced on Wednesday that Kazui Hirai is being appointed as its president and CEO, effective April 1. Current Chairman, CEO and President Howard Stringer will become the chairman of the board of directors in June. Sony has had a turbulent year, so a switch in leadership might help the company find a smoother road.

Assange to Test His Charm on Russian TV
January 25, 2012

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has plans to host a new TV show called "The World Tomorrow." The half-hour weekly episodes are scheduled to begin airing in mid-March on Russia's English-language RT channel. It will reach some 60 million global viewers. Assange sees the series as a vehicle to discuss the issues of the day with the people who are shaping the future.

What If Cook Really Isn't a Product Guy?
January 19, 2012

At first, I was surprised to see the flurry of blog and comment traffic recently over Scott Forstall, the Apple "CEO-in-waiting," as portrayed by a new book about Apple coming out next week. I thought, What's wrong with current CEO Tim Cook? Is he going somewhere? Didn't he just get a bunch of new compensation packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars?

Yahoo Bloodletting Runs Deep as Cofounder Yang Exits
January 18, 2012

Yahoo cofounder and former CEO Jerry Yang has left the company in the wake of pressure from shareholders and the appointment of a new CEO earlier this month. Yang announced his departure from all positions at Yahoo on Tuesday. Following the announcement, speculation grew that a general housecleaning at the top is pending.