sibgat.com

Shanghai blogger Wang Jianshuo points out a less-than-expected reason why riding the bus is faster than driving on his commute: ad hoc protest against traffic enforcement:

This comes in addition to a more engineered factor, the bus-only lane on highways. People bending rules both help and hurt bus travel speeds in Wang’s post. Above, they prevent bus drivers from being punished for illegal expediency. But meanwhile, as Wang notes, lots of private cars violate the bus only lane. The bright side is that the bus lane still remains fast enough to increase efficiency.

Bus drivers don’t follow the traffic rule as strictly as other
car drivers. They just drive wildly, and policemen tend not to care about them. Why? I saw some cases when the policeman stops the bus, and the whole bunch of people on the bus surrounded the policeman and protest to ask the policeman release the driver.

Domize, a domain-finding search tool that launched around this time last year, has a new advanced search mode. Like Google it now lets you craft searches with modifiers that can either leave certain words out, or find synonyms that can help you get around common words that may have already been taken.

Domize - the fastest domain name search ever!

(Credit:
CNET)

In all cases the results show you which domains are open and for sale (for .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .mobi, and .us only). The ones that are taken show up in red and hovering over them with your mouse gives you a preview of what the site looks like. The ones that are still available are blue and link directly to domain registrar GoDaddy. You can also set it to link to Dotster, Network Solutions, and Moniker.

While Domize is useful, I still think you get more bang for your buck from Bust A Name (coverage). I find that search tool a little easier to use, and it lets you find the best deal on the domain by showing you how much it costs from multiple registrars at the same time.

Using a modifier for colors Domize can search through variations of colors alongside whatever word or words are around it.

For instance, a search where I included a like modifier for the word “revolution” gave me words like rotation, gyration, and change. You can combine this with another word, or words of your choice, and it will continue to sniff out open domains combined with each of the synonyms it originally came up with. There are also a slew of other modifiers, including the option to experiment with alternate spellings by mixing up vowels and consonants. There’s also a modifier that can randomly affix various endings to the word you’re searching for, like throwing a -ing, -ed, -est, or -er.

You can give Domize a try below, although for now it appears that the search modifiers only work on the main site.

Before leaving Microsoft, Johnson was heavily involved in the company’s bid to acquire Yahoo. The merger was thwarted by Yahoo’s reluctance to join Microsoft and eventually the software giant withdrew its buyout offer.

Kevin Johnson

The performance-based bonus reached 97 percent of the target because of Johnson’s work integrating Aquantive into the company, increased page views on the MSN portal, and other nonspecified achievements in the Windows and online services business that Johnson oversaw.

(Credit:
Juniper)

Johnson was set to receive a $5 million signing bonus when he arrived at Juniper earlier this month and a base salary of $800,000 a year.

Kevin Johnson, who left Microsoft to be CEO of Juniper Networks this summer, will be receiving almost all of his targeted bonus from Microsoft, or $600,000, according to Securities and Exchange documents filed Monday.

Microsoft’s online services results were lower than expected, but Windows sales were up 15 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter.

The company’s proxy statement shows that Johnson’s fiscal 2008 salary was $620,800 and he owned more than 1.5 million shares of Microsoft stock as of September 5, which would be worth nearly $40 million at current prices.

RIM BlackBerry Storm

Earlier on Friday, we reported on rumors that Verizon Wireless would release a firmware update for the RIM BlackBerry Storm, but it’s now official.

(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

We’ll be installing the update on our review unit and making adjustments to our full review where necessary, so check back soon for a complete report. Meanwhile, feel free to use our Comments section below to discuss your experiences.

The carrier has begun rolling out the software upgrade via the Desktop Software Manager and Web-based software first, while the over-the-air update will be pushed out at 9:30 p.m. PST on Friday so you have three choices as to how you want to get the new software. You can check Verizon’s support Web site for specific instructions.

Update at 1:50 p.m. PST, with information from American Guarantee’s lawsuit against Intel in the Delaware Chancery Court.

According to Intel’s lawsuit, Old Republic Insurance provided $16 million in comprehensive liability insurance as the first line of defense, and XL Insurance America provided a second layer of $50 million in coverage under a commercial umbrella policy.

Despite the clear potential of covered liability presented by the AMD litigation, AGLI summarily denied coverage leaving Intel to defend itself in the AMD litigation without the benefits owned under the AGLI Policy.

American Guarantee, Intel alleges, had an obligation to begin paying toward Intel’s defense costs once the other two policies were exhausted. Intel’s policy with American Guarantee calls for $50 million in total defense and or indemnity coverage.

Considering the vast majority of civil cases ultimately reach a settlement, the Intel and AMD case has the potential of following a similar path.

“Settlements usually happen when all the chess pieces are on the table and everyone knows what they’re looking at,” said Chuck Mulloy, an Intel spokesman.

A trial date in AMD’s lawsuit against Intel is set for February 2010. The two parties currently have depositions under way, said representatives for both Intel and AMD.

In Intel’s lawsuit against American Guarantee–referred to below as AGLI–the chip giant states:

The chipmaker, which holds a $50 million policy with American Guarantee, purchased several layers of comprehensive liability insurance from a variety of insurance companies from April 2001 through April 2002. Beginning in mid-2005, chip rival Advanced Micro Devices and consumers filed lawsuits against Intel, alleging that the chipmaker engaged in anticompetitive conduct and unfair business practices in the sale, promotion, and marketing of its microprocessors.

American Guarantee declined to comment.

Click on the image for a PDF of the entire lawsuit.

“Any settlement we would consider would have to include an end to any business practices that are at the heart of our case,” said Michael Silverman, an AMD spokesman. “A check is not enough.”

But in a lawsuit American Guarantee filed in the Delaware Chancery Court last week against Intel and the other insurance carriers, American Guarantee alleged:

The chip giant further notes in its complaint:

An AMD spokesman said his company is looking for more than a check from Intel.

(Credit:
Intel)

In response to Intel’s tender, American Guarantee sent multiple letters to Intel seeking information necessary to assist in its evaluation of Intel’s coverage claim. Although Intel has supplied certain information to American Guarantee, most of the information requested has not been provided

Intel has filed a $50 million lawsuit against insurance carrier American Guarantee and Liability Insurance, alleging breach of contract.

Intel, in the lawsuit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, alleges that American Guarantee did not step up to the plate and begin paying for the chip giant’s legal costs after it had exhausted $66 million in insurance policies provided by two other insurance carriers. (To read the entire lawsuit, click here for a PDF.)

Upon information and belief, Intel has also tendered the AMD Actions to certain of the Defendant Insurers. American Guarantee has requested that Intel provide it with the coverage positions of all other Defendant Insurers but does not know whether Intel has provided full and complete information in response to this request.

The complaints in the AMD litigation, allege, among other things, that during the AGLI policy period of 2001 to 2002, Intel engaged in unfair business practices and anticompetitive conduct in its sale, promotion, and marketing of its microprocessors. Accordingly, these allegations trigger the potential for coverage under the “Advertising Liability” provision of the AGLI policy.

Intel is asking the court to find that American Guarantee has a duty to defend Intel in the AMD litigation, as well as pay out $50 million in damages plus interest.

The alleged breach involves the insurance firm’s failure to pay for Intel’s legal defense related to antitrust lawsuits filed by rival Advanced Micro Devices and consumers.

However, it is likely too early in the game for an immediate settlement, given that the parties are gathering more information via depositions.

Globaltel Media, a company that provides mobile media services, announced the pre-release version of Cherple, which allows users to engage in a two-way text messaging conversation between those using mobile phones and friends using the Web. Once users register with Cherple, they can communicate with other users through their mobile phone. In essence, one user can send a text message from their mobile phone, which is then received by their friend in their browser. That person can then respond in their browser and the message will be delivered to the recipient’s mobile phone. Cherple will be officially launched at CES in January, and integration into Facebook and MySpace is on the way. For now, the service is only available on the company’s site.

LightInTheBox.com, a China-based global online distribution company that competes with Amazon.com, announced Wednesday that it too witnessed record holiday sales over the past month. According to the company, it tripled its fourth-quarter sales over last year. LightInTheBox would not divulge any more financial information, but its executives were quick to note that Amazon’s increase–16 percent–was substantially lower than that of their own company. Regardless, Amazon is still a much larger company.

Angelsoft, a service that connects venture capitalists with entrepreneurs, has released a software update and has decided to open its service to angel investors. Dubbed Anglesoft 3.4, the company’s new software gives users the option of e-mailing deals to a default e-mail address and includes a slew of minor improvements to help venture capitalists manage their deals more effectively. It also added back-end features to provide services for angel investors. The software is available now.

General Patent Corporation, a company that provides patent licensing and enforcement services, announced Wednesday that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against game developer NCSoft on behalf of 3D online design firm Worlds.com. The lawsuit was brought against NCSoft for its alleged infringement of Worlds.com’s three-dimensional technology used in MMORPGs. General Patent Corporation is citing NCSoft’s City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Tabula Rasa, Lineage, and Lineage II as examples of possible infringement. Worlds’ CEO, Thom Kidrin, says his company wants “fair compensation” for the use of its patented technology.

“They essentially didn’t have the back-end budget, so there was a slow churn off the store shelves, he said. “You have to do follow-up media, and couponing, etcetera, in the course of the year…If you don’t have the marketing dollars, then the product will just sit.”

• Click here for more Super Bowl stories.

To be sure, that’s a strong argument in a weak economy. Still, if they have the budget, advertisers will want in. And that explains why the networks so covet broadcasting this event each year.

Marshall Ross, the chief creative officer of the Cramer-Krasselt advertising agency, oversaw CareerBuilder.com’s series of “monkey” Super Bowl ads. His agency also was the brains behind the Master Lock’s Super Bowl spot. And he quite frankly acknowledges that from a TV commercial point of view, advertisers are taking a big risk.

This year marks GoDaddy’s fifth Super Bowl appearance, and Adelman is unequivocal about the role he says the advertisements have played in his company’s growth.

“You need a big program going into the Super Bowl, and a big program going out,” Ross said. “Otherwise, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons…It’s only a dumb thing to do if you think this is all you have to do.”

Three million dollars to make a 30-second pitch? You might as well sail a Hail Mary pass into the end zone and hope for the best.

“We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think it would work,” said Warren Adelman, the president and Chief Operating Officer of Internet registrar GoDaddy.com.

(Credit:
On Ideas)

But even though Super Bowl 43 takes place against a backdrop darkened by an economic recession and rising unemployment, executives involved with current and previous Super Bowl advertising spots remained convinced that Sunday’s game offers a potential payoff that outweighs any attendant risks.

Advertising execs caution companies not to delude themselves into believing their prime-time appearances will automatically resolve their product and marketing challenges for the next 12 months. If anything, it’s just the start of the relationship with their customers.

That experience has left Contorakes more realistic about the expectations companies should have in the lead-up to the big game. Like many colleagues in the profession, Contorakes acknowledges the “great reach” afforded by a Super Bowl appearance. But in a recession, he says there are more cost-effective ways to promote a brand message.

(Credit:
Cramer-Krasselt)

“I’m one of those ad guys who still believe that there’s value in that 30-second television commercial,” he said. “And in this venue, I think there’s even greater value.”

That’s because any examination of success or failure involves a more nuanced calculus of considerations. For Ross and others, it’s the follow-up that determines success and failure. Recalling Master Lock’s Super Bowl experience, he said that the company spent half its annual budget advertising during the game. The rest of year was spent leveraging that ad with hardware retailers.

“The cost per thousand (of the Super Bowl) is astronomical, and with all the deals to be had now, there’s a thousand better ways to do it,” he said.

Frank Costantini was behind the 1994 Lipton Original Ice Tea commercial with multi-sport star Bo Jackson, which still ranks among the all-time great Super Bowl spots, and he maintains that the Super Bowl still is a “bargain.”

Marshall Ross

“We think it helped put GoDaddy on the map,” he said.

“It’s a rip-off,” Ross said. “It’s not really worth it from an advertising television point of view.”

Frank Costantini

Of course, if the game turns out to be a blowout and your company’s advertisement was timed to run in the fourth quarter, it will be a tough office commute the next day to face all those Monday morning quarterbacks. But that’s the nature of a Hail Mary.

So it is that advertisers are virtually guaranteed a huge lift in Web traffic immediately after the Super Bowl. Of course, translating that initial spike into something more tangible is the tricky part.

Evan Contorakes, CEO of the Miami-based Ronin Advertising Group, can identify with that comment. During Super Bowl 40, his client, PS Cleaning Solutions, paid for a commercial about cleaning solutions. The spot wasn’t a favorite, but the bigger problem was what happened–or more accurately, what did not happen–next.

“There’s no other time in the world during the year when you have both a captive and a captivated audience,” he added. Costantini these days is partner and chief creative officer of On Ideas, an advertising agency in Jacksonville, Fla.

And an audience of advertisers with perhaps even more desire. A survey released earlier this week by Emarketer found that marketers remain convinced the ads are worth the price. One reason: while general television viewership is in decline, the Super Bowl ratings remain sky high. What’s more, an unusually large number of people pay close attention to the commercials during time-outs.

“You’re not necessarily going to see the needle move immediately. It may take a month or more. But there’s nothing like that moment. Your expectations are piqued. It’s the one show where people literally are glued to seeing what’s going to happen during the break. So you’re focused…it’s an audience with major desire.”

That may be true, but it’s become an increasingly costly map. NBC is charging $3 million for each half minute of air time. Of course, advertisers also know this will be the most-watched television event of the year in the United States.

I’ve asked SourceLabs’ executive team for comment but, in the interim, anyone care to venture a guess as to what EMC is hoping to get from SourceLabs?

No, I don’t think EMC is interested in an open-source community site, but it’s clearly interested in the core SourceLabs technology. I’m struggling to understand the fit. Is EMC hoping to tap into expertise in various open-source technologies? If so, to what end?

In addition, SourceLabs has managed to pull in some big-name customers like Fidelity and Merrill Lynch, demonstrating that it offers real value to real customers. Unlike some competitors like Spikesource, SourceLabs focused early on big enterprise needs and arguably did a better job of tailoring its products to meet those needs than its competitors, notwithstanding its share of financial struggles, which TechFlash details.

commentary

TechFlash is reporting that EMC has purchased SourceLabs for an undisclosed fee. The unanswered question in TechFlash’s report is why EMC would buy SourceLabs, a provider of support tools for Linux and other open-source software.

No, my question is what EMC, largely a provider of storage solutions, gets from a relatively broad-based open-source support technology company. TechFlash points to Swik.net, SourceLabs’ open-source news and information repository as a source of value for the company, but I’m guessing that EMC didn’t buy SourceLabs for Swik.net, given that the company had been contacting potential buyers just a few weeks ago to gauge interest in buying Swik.net, likely because EMC wasn’t interested in that part of SourceLabs’ business.

It’s not that SourceLabs isn’t a good company. I have followed SourceLabs since its inception, meeting with founder and CEO Byron Sebastian back at OSCON (in 2003) before the company was founded in 2004, and spent some time in the SourceLabs office in 2004 getting a demo of its technology. It was cool back in 2004, and has improved since then.

Is it unique in this? No. CNET breaks a lot of technology news and has done some interesting work with blogs (pats himself on the back), plus it remains a must-visit product reviews site. Nobody does general business news better than The Wall Street Journal. The Register? It provides a great deal of exceptional content with a fantastic, biting tone.

Contrast that with TechCrunch. TechCrunch routinely breaks real news. It covers startups that matter (and many that don’t). It has become an hourly read for me, as it offers content that I don’t easily find elsewhere.

When it broke news, even scandalous news, it was good. When it didn’t, well, it wasn’t.

commentary

Valleywag? Increasing snide, decreasing substance. Owen Thomas did much better work while he was at Business 2.0. I like his writing. I just think he had to pander to the wrong elements at Valleywag. Hopefully we’ll get the best of Valleywag (and Thomas) as it’s folded into Gawker.

Valleywag is dead (or, at least, diminished), as CNET’s Caroline McCarthy reports. About time. I used to like Valleywag, but then it started trying to drive page views by breaking “news” about the sex trade in Silicon Valley, trying to foment controversy around Peter Thiel’s personal life, and so on.

The fewer things that stand in the way of using the product as it’s intended (installation process, user interface, price, and availability at retail) the more convenient it is overall.

It’s not enough to have simply the best design or be first to market, or have the best market researchers on your side to experience success in the electronics world. In the study, McQuivey uses TiVo as an example. Logically, TiVo should be the leader in the category it essentially invented. It was one of the first DVRs on the market, became the verb for recording a live TV show on a DVR, and has what is generally regarded as the best interface in its category. Yet the company has struggled from the beginning and has less than 2 million subscribers. Cable and satellite companies offer DVRs with far less functionality yet have 30 million DVR subscribers between them.

Lowest price doesn’t necessarily mean guaranteed success either. Though the Eee PC from Asus and Acer’s Aspire One Netbook are incredibly similar devices and the Eee PC is in some cases cheaper and was first to market, Acer is dominating the Netbook game.

The first Kindle was ugly and awkward, yet consumer still embraced it.

In a new report released Friday, Forrester analyst James McQuivey zeroes in on what makes seemingly good products fall flat once they reach store shelves: lack of convenience. And he doesn’t just mean “convenient” in that you can, for example, transfer a music device easily from your pocket to your
car dashboard, but rather the entire experience using that music device–from buying the songs to putting them on that device, to having a battery that lasts long enough and can be easily recharged.

But Forrester’s new methodology would say it wasn’t improbable at all, and in fact it was quite predictable. That’s because of the convenience of accessing cheap, digital copies of books at the Kindle Store, and the ability to do it on the fly and wirelessly–without any need to sync up with a computer.

A prime example of the convenience quotient in action is the Amazon Kindle, according to the study. The original version was downright ugly and awkward to use, but it’s now judged to be an improbable success (moving what some analysts count as 500,000 units last year) considering how it was originally received, and the relatively high price of $399 and eventually $359.

It can also explain Acer’s success in Netbooks. It wasn’t first or lowest priced, but consumers have responded well to its decision to bundle its Aspire One Netbook with mobile broadband subscription services. A 3G contract subsidizes the price of the Netbook and enables customers to use Netbooks they way they’re intended: accessing the Web quickly while on the go.

The industry analysts at Forrester Research now say they know why this happens.

Sometimes even a well-designed and innovative product can still be a total dud. See the Apple Newton.

(Credit:
Amazon.com)

Feel free to leave examples in the comments of gadgets you think this theory does or does not apply to.

(Credit:
TiVo)

Forrester has just introduced this methodology and hasn’t officially released its rating of products yet, but promises to do eight to 10 studies this year weighing gadgets by their convenience quotient.

Think this all sounds rather obvious? Far more companies would release successful products if it were. (And then Forrester wouldn’t be able to charge $750 for this report.)

Forrester's new research method says TiVo's superior design is trumped by cable DVRs' convenience.

The same factor was likely at work with
Apple’s iPod success. The iPod is not as widely available at retail locations, or priced nearly as well as some of its competitors. Yet it’s dominated the MP3 player market because of its convenient eco-system of iTunes software for organizing music files, iTunes Store, and the accompanying iPod.

Forrester says convenience is key. It defines the concept in this way: A “comprehensive measure that considers the total product experience.” That includes researching the product, obtaining the device, using it, and eventually getting rid of it. The study also says that in successful products, convenience is not a benefit, but “a measure of how easy your product makes it for people to get the benefits your product promises.”