29
Dec

How Google Is Influencing Server Design

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Google, GOOG, Infrastructure, ibm

As the need for fast, large-scale computing to power sites like Facebook or even computing clouds has grown, manufacturers such as Rackable Systems are taking notes on server design from Google, which builds its own systems. The goal of their mimicry is to provide more computing power in a smaller form factor while using less […]

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17
Dec

Yahoo Will Delete Some Data After 3 Months

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, GOOG, msft, yhoo, Broadband

In a nod toward privacy, today Yahoo  said it would only keep personal data on searchers and portal users for 90 days (double that in cases of fraud or suspicious activity). This ups the ante for other search firms Google, which halved its data retention time to nine months in September, and Microsoft, which has […]

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16
Dec

BlueKai Gets $10.5M to Improve Ads

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web

BlueKai, an advertising startup that hopes to convince users to actively manage their online privacy settings and sell better intent-based advertising information based on such actively managed accounts, has raised $10.5 million in second-round funding from Battery Ventures and return investor Redpoint Ventures. The Bellevue, Wash.-based startup had previously raised $3.2 million. Because I’m trying […]

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5
Dec

Facebook’s Liquidity Troubles

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in twitter, web, facebook, Microsoft, msft

Facebook has postponed its employees’ stock sale, perhaps indefinitely, the Wall Street Journal reports today.  Facebook’s postponement is an understandable bow to market reality — and it prevents the company from setting an official valuation that the social networking site’s investors would consider too low. The market is pretty sure the company is worth less  […]

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4
Dec

The Handset of the Future Needs Wi-Fi

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Mobile, Broadband

Like me, the Wi-Fi Alliance is based in Austin, so I asked them if they wouldn’t mind setting up a home tour that would allow me to see the future of Wi-Fi in action. In the segment below, I sit down with Kelly Davis-Felner, marketing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, whose home I visited to […]

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4
Dec

Why Government Should Meddle in Broadband

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Featured, Broadband

It’s time to stop pussyfooting around the issue of broadband access in the U.S. It quite honestly sucks. This has got to change, and the private market isn’t going to do it because it simply isn’t profitable to string fiber, coax or even copper everywhere people have settled. The government needs to get involved, and it needs to throw some money at the problem. Here’s why.

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4
Dec

Why Government Should Meddle in Broadband

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Featured, Broadband

It’s time to stop pussyfooting around the issue of broadband access in the U.S. It quite honestly sucks. This has got to change, and the private market isn’t going to do it because it simply isn’t profitable to string fiber, coax or even copper everywhere people have settled. The government needs to get involved, and it needs to throw some money at the problem. Here’s why.

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27
Nov

Can You Be a Good Parent and a Good Blogger?

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web

 That’s my personal struggle, but you could insert many all-consuming tasks — such as starting up a company, or training for the Olympics — for blogging and still get to the heart of my question. Most people believe good blogging is about two things: personality and passion. But where does that leave me, a professional […]

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24
Nov

A Quick Peek at the Internet Growth Charts

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Mobile, Broadband

[qi:109] The growth of the Internet is both true and greatly exaggerated depending on which web you look at, according to a rundown of data offered last night by Prof. Andrew M. Odlyzko of the University of Minnesota School of Mathematics. The wireless web growth is far outpacing the rise in use of the wired web, and providers charge more for wireless traffic. Odlyzko compiles an annual report on the growth of Internet traffic that generally looks at growth not as an incoming exaflood of information designed to take out networks or sell more routers, but to actually forecast the growth of networks.

In his rundown of recent, available data, the wired web has been growing by about 65 percent worlwide from the third quarter of this year over last year judging by stats from PAIX, an Internet exchange. Otherwise, growth appears to be slowing on North America and Europe, although Odlyzko is looking at only a few data points for this update. However, he concludes that wireless web growth is up 400 percent based on a report issued last week by Opera, which makes the Opera Mini mobile browser. As wireless growth explodes, look for carriers to implement tight controls on what users can and cannot do on their data plans in a bid to both control access and boost revenue. And even though wired web growth is slowing, don’t expect carriers to suddenly abandon their efforts to squeeze more out of subscribers with tales of video clogging the network.

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21
Nov

Telcos Will See a More Activist Congress

Posted by: Stacey Higginbotham
in web, Mobile, Broadband, Net Neutrality

I’d better hightail it to Washington, because a reshuffling of Congressional Committee members is poised to herald more regulation for telecommunications firms on issues ranging from rural access to Net Neutrality. Yesterday Rep. Henry Waxman ascended to the head of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce — which you may remember for its investigation into how web firms use consumer data — and convened two hearings into online privacy.

As the head of that committee, Waxman has considerable influence over its agenda. The Wall Street Journal speculates that Waxman will delegate many telecommunications issues to Rep. Ed Markey, of Massachusetts, who has already pushed for a Net Neutrality bill, and has a fondness for consumer issues.

In the Upper House, Sen. Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia will likely be named the head of the Senate  Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology, and as the representative from a heavily rural state, is likely to push for access to broadband. He would replace Sen. Dan Inouye of Hawaii, who will chair the Appropriations Committee. Inouye had supported Net Neutrality rules, as well as the entrance of new bidders into the 700 MHz auction.

Of course, if politicians are willing to float regulations on telecommunications, they’re also likely to float more regulations in general — some of which the pro-Net Neutrality crowd won’t enjoy. Rockefeller wants to introduce legislation to make the FCC regulate television violence, while Markey  has sent letters to the FCC expressing concern about the use of product placement in television shows.

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