- Rescuecom Declares Victory... In Dropping Its Lawsuit Against Google
We've covered some of Rescuecom's bizarre lawsuit against Google for selling Adwords based on Rescuecom's trademarks. The lawsuit has been going on for a while, without Rescuecom getting very far. At almost every turn it was pointed out that what was happening was not trademark infringement. Finally, after many years, Rescuecom has given up and dropped the case... but in the process it's declaring "victory" in the lawsuit. Seriously. The explanation for the "victory"? That Google now lets trademark holders remove trademarks from the "keyword suggestion" tool. Only problem? Google enabled this in 2005.
Basically, the more likely story is that Rescuecom knew it was going to lose and just gave up and declared victory.
Oh, and also, just a few months ago, we noted that Rescuecom was on the other side of nearly an identical lawsuit, in which it was buying ads on Best Buy trademarks (hypocrisy much?). Being involved in two lawsuits at the same time we're you're making totally contradicting arguments isn't likely to end well. So it seems likely that given the two lawsuits, and the likelihood of losing the Google one, Rescuecom threw in the towel on that one and then pretended it "won" for the sake of a press release. Based on that logic, can we declare "victory" in our decision not to sue Rescuecom for insulting our intelligence?
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  - EU Politicians Get Serious Demanding ACTA Transparency And No Three Strikes
Last week, there were reports that the EU trade policy folks had decided to stand up for ACTA transparency, and now it looks like they're really doing it. As various reports are noting, a joint resolution was put forth by nearly all party groups in the EU Parliament demanding that ACTA negotiations be opened up. It also goes further, demanding that there be a ban on imposing "three strikes" laws included as well and a promise that ACTA will not impose personal searches at the border. This is tremendous news, and if this gets approved, it could reshape ACTA in a positive way. But, of course, let's see how the US reacts. While repeatedly insisting that it wasn't the US that was trying to keep negotiations secret, at this point, it looks like the only countries that are actively opposed to transparency in negotiations remain South Korea and Singapore -- with the US remaining silent. This would be the time at which the USTR needs to stand up and either open up the negotiations or admit that it's the reason they've been so secretive all along.
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 - White House Cyber Security Guy: There Is No Cyberwar
We recently wrote how some special interests have been playing up the idea that there's some sort of cyberwar going on that the US is losing. Of course, there have been similar claims going back for a decade, without anything to support it. Are there state-supported hackers breaking into computers of other countries? Absolutely. Does that reach the level of "cyberwar"? Not at all. At best its a bit of espionage and maybe a tiny bit of sabotage, but escalating it to the cyberwar level only is good for companies trying to sell "solutions." Thankfully, it sounds like there's actually some sanity in the White House over this, as the top cybersecurity adviser to the president, Howard Schmidt, is playing down the whole "cyberwar" rhetoric in an interview with Wired:
"There is no cyberwar," Schmidt told Wired.com in a sit-down interview Wednesday at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco.
"I think that is a terrible metaphor and I think that is a terrible concept," Schmidt said. "There are no winners in that environment."
Instead, Schmidt seems to be focused on the real issue: espionage. Hopefully, Schmidt's view prevails, and other politicians aren't swept into the moral panic around a non-existent "cyberwar."
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- Observations: Uncategorized - March 8, 2010
Standard disclaimer: don’t take from my selections, ordering, headlines, etc. any indications of the interests or plans of my employer (if you do, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed when they don’t play out.)
What does it mean to you, when Google says ‘Mobile First’ ?
FCC’s Genachowski previews broadband plan, demands half gigahertz of spectrum for the task
Apple: [...] - Enabling Technology: March 7, 2010
The Law of Mobility talks about value increasing with mobility. The impact of this law is being felt because the barriers to building mobility in are being obliterated week after week. Here are examples of technology advances enabling this to happen:
SimFi
Pantheon
Continuous packet connectivity
Integrated WiMax/LTE chip
5MP RAW sensor
MeeGo
Color compensation chip
Graphene nanomesh
Bluetooth 4.0
Microring
Si-alloy batteries
MagiTact
DAS
- Observations: Uses - March 5, 2010
Standard disclaimer: don’t take from my selections, ordering, headlines, etc. any indications of the interests or plans of my employer (if you do, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed when they don’t play out.)
Petty’s Fine Foods iPhone App
Can mobile phones help people ‘EatWell?’
Text-Messaging Vs. Paging for Restaurants
Can’t Find the TV Remote? Use the Cell Phone Instead
Visa [...] - Recent Research: February 2010
Bonus: The Tomi Ahonen Cheat Sheet on all major mobile industry numbers
Research is good. Free highlights from expensive research reports are great. Here are some recent headlines:
Smartphone Market Grew 39% in Q4 2009 (IDC)
Netbook Shipments Grew 79% in 2009, Further Growth in 2010 (Strategy Analytics)
Wireless M2M Modules in Security Apps to Reach 22 Million by [...] - Beyond the Phone: February 2010
Bonus: GigaOm’s Stacey Higginbotham on “Connected Gadgets Need a Business Model That Works”
Converging products into a cellphone is one way that mobility is getting built into every product, but it’s not the only way. Every month, I’ll focus on devices that are integrating the power of mobility into products themselves in ways that create new [...] - Big Bell Dogma: February 2010
As we work to build mobility into every product, service, and process, our greatest inhibitor is the mindset represented by those who defend the tethering of products and processes to specific places. This mindset is fueled by the investments that have been made that establish power in the companies, departments, and individuals that stand in [...] - Observations: Services - February 24, 2010
Standard disclaimer: don’t take from my selections, ordering, headlines, etc. any indications of the interests or plans of my employer (if you do, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed when they don’t play out.)
Nokia’s Ovi Maps with free navigation races past 1 million downloads in a week
Europe to Drive Demand for Mobile Tickets
YouTube Will Kill Flat-rate Mobile [...] - Observations: Devices - February 23, 2010
Standard disclaimer: don’t take from my selections, ordering, headlines, etc. any indications of the interests or plans of my employer (if you do, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed when they don’t play out.)
Smartphone Share — Google Grows While RIM Slows, Palm Reverses
Majority of smartphones now have touch screens
Stat Shot: How the iPhone Changed the Handset Market
PUMA [...] - Observations: Carriers - February 22, 2010
Standard disclaimer: don’t take from my selections, ordering, headlines, etc. any indications of the interests or plans of my employer (if you do, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed when they don’t play out.)
Mobile phone operators unsure that data will drive growth
Is usage-based pricing inevitable?
Traffic management and offload - diverging solutions
Mobile Industry Dances Toward Consolidation
Evangelical churches to [...] - Observations: Uncategorized - February 20, 2010
Standard disclaimer: don’t take from my selections, ordering, headlines, etc. any indications of the interests or plans of my employer (if you do, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed when they don’t play out.)
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Location
Context is the killer application for mobile
One quarter of all game developers now creating mobile titles
The Big [...]
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