As a huge fan of both Google and Apple I am beginning to worry about my interest/obsession of all things i - iMac, iPhone, iGoogle, etc. And since purchasing my iPhone just before Christmas I seem to be spending more and more time on it surfing the web.
Why, I wonder, having a choice of desktop and laptop computers to play with, do I choose to surf on a mobile phone. I don’t understand it - it makes no sense, but I can’t resist it - it’s like a drug. Sure the iPhone has a host of sexy features and is a delight to use but the screen is a fraction of the size of even my smallest laptop.
Do they have rehab for i?
News on today’s Guardian website is that Gordon Brown is to seek the help of major multi-nationals, including Google.
At least twenty of the world’s largest companies are being approached to help tackle the development emergency in poor countries.
In the spring of 2008 Brown will call a conference of heads of private sector businesses, with the G8 meeting in New York in the summer and a UN session next autumn, he is to appeal for help with this crisis.
With billions of dollars in profits, Brown will attempt to solve the problem of the developing world with the backing of Google, Vodaphone. etc.
News in today’s Guardian that 23andme, a start-up company based in Silicon Valley has launched a personal genotyping service. Anyone providing a sample of saliva, and a fee of around £500, can have their DNA run through a gene-reading microchip, the results of which are uploaded to the web.
Using various tools clients can explore their ancestry/origins - and also find out the chance of contracting any hereditary diseases.
So why am I writing about this in an SEO blog? Because they have Google backing them - and Sergey Brin’s wife, Anne Wojcicki, is one of its co-founders.
Hmmm, let me think, what would I do if I had Google bank-rolling my next project? It would probably involve luxury motor yachts in the Mediterranean Sea…
Yahoo yesterday apologised to the families of two journalists currently in jail in China. Both journalists have been given 10 year sentences after Yahoo handed their email over to the Chinese authorities who accused the pair of “incitement to subvert state power” and “passing on information that was designated a state secret” - prompting a US congressman, Tom Lantos, to describe Yahoo as moral pygmies.
One of the incarcerated journalist’s wives said they were “subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including arbitrary, prolonged and indefinite detention, for expressing their free speech rights and for using the internet to communicate about democracy and human rights matters”.
Landos yesterday described Yahoo’s behaviour as a “disgrace”.
Read more here
News in the Guardian technology section that Google’s shares reached $700 on wednesday, putting it into the top five American companies beating the likes of Bank of America, Procter & Gamble and Citigroup.
The other members of the top five are ExxonMobil, General Electric, Microsoft and AT&T.
Story here
News on the Guardian website this morning that MySpace is doing a deal with Skype to offer free phone calls to MySpace members.
MySpace chief executive, Chris DeWolfe, said: “Our network has no geographical boundaries - internet calling is the natural next step for how our members communicate.”
Both Skype and MySpace parent companies, eBay and News International are under pressure to make money from their massive online presence.
Read the story here
News on the dBTechno site today is Google adding Postini to its suite of Google Apps software.
Google bought Postini in July, vice president and GM of Google Enterprise Dave Girouard said, “With Postini, we saw the potential to deliver a more complete hosted solution for businesses of all sized.”
Postini is is an email service provider with 35,000 business customers as well as 10 million users around the world.
Full story here.
A couple of months ago it was just an idea in the back of my mind, but thanks to the organisational skills of my good friend 4eyes, soon to change his nick to “cat-herder”, last weekend it became a reality - and a roaring success.
Thanks to all that showed up for making this event such a great weekend - especially those that came from the States, Israel, etc. It was a great mix of SEO old-timers and the new generation of bright, young online marketers.
As usual there are a few pics springing up on the web (and a seriously crap video…) - if you’re bored, check out these links 
Pics
Video
If anyone has any more - please let me know.
Here’s to the next one - Cheers folks!
Well, it seems like months since this gathering was announced, but now the fun begins
Last minute finalisation of the meals is taking place as the attendees start to arrive - and last night I found out that my favourite American small arms expert and real-ale connoisseur, Mivox has arrived in London for a couple of days before completing the journey to Manchester. With attendees flying in over the next couple of days from Israel, France and Germany - and a few die-hards kicking it off on Thursday, I can almost smell the beer 
Seems odd that this didn’t start with the legendary “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines”… Still, maybe next year…
How are the mighty fallen…
The darling of the VOIP industry just took a major hit as a result of being pretty much screwed for two days.
Now all websites and online services have problems from time to time, but two days without Skype really caused me some grief. Along with Messenger (no voice support for Macs) I use Skype extensively to discuss everything from client work, to personal conversation and collaborative online meetings. In fact I have one client who is creating a new online business who’s communications system is based on Skype - I don’t think that will an option now.
A few hours downtime can soon be forgotten - but two days of no communications is unacceptable!
Must do better…
