ups and downs of 2001 ... scoop-style.
http://www.dotcomscoop.com/2001.html
Thursday, December 27, 2001
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The year in music
Britney grows up, the Strokes get the girls, Bob Dylan pencils a moustache and everyone is mad at the goddamn record industry! Why hype finally failed in 2001.
Thursday, December 27, 2001
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Business Week has been very negative on Yahoo for quite some time now. Seems like everything that Semel does gets knocked down. here are a couple recent articles ...
Keeping Sell on Yahoo Shares
BW Online | December 24, 2001
Don't Believe the Yahoo! Hoopla
DECEMBER 21, 2001
By Ben Elgin
Analysts cheer its HotJobs.com acquisition, but how does adding one money-losing company to another create a formula for success?
Thursday, December 27, 2001
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What is going on inside AOL Time Warner?
By Christopher Byron
MSNBC
Thursday, December 27, 2001
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photos and video of the giant squid. i saw an excellent documentary on this thing before they found one. very cool fishy.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/av/squid.ram
http://www.mbari.org/education/cruises/hawaii/Leg4/May16.htm
http://newsday.com/news/health/ny-squidvideo1220.videogallery
http://www.eurekalert.org/sci_pub/vecchione-12-21-01.html
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec2001/2001L-12-21-03.html
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/nm/20011220/ts/imdf20122001233125a.html
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5551/2505/F1
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/squid_links.html
Thursday, December 27, 2001
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Forbes.com: The Best Big Companies In America
01.07.02
Who's on the Platinum 400? Companies that are better than their competitors, with outstanding profitability and growth.
The quest for the Forbes Platinum 400--the Best Big Companies in America--begins by scanning a universe of over a thousand publicly traded corporations, all with revenues of at least $1 billion. Assigned to one of 23 broad industry sectors, each company is then scored against its industry peers on profitability (measured by return on capital)and growth (sales and earnings per share). We measure these values for the most recent year and for the past five years, then compile a composite rank for each company. This composite rank and each firm's projected earnings growth help determine the 400 finalists. Firms tainted with negative news, suddenly poor earnings prospects or bad stock market performances don't make the final cut.
By ranking on the basis of both long-term and short-term results, we give some leeway to companies hurt in the economic downturn. For example, latest 12-month earnings declined for companies like Dell Computer and Oracle Systems, but both made this year's Platinum 400 because of their strong results over the previous five years and because, in our final analysis, these two companies stacked up better than most of their peers in the downtrodden computer industry.
Despite difficult times, many companies are still standouts in their sectors. Among them: Harley-Davidson, our Company of the Year (page 60). This legendary cyclemaker has a five-year return on capital of 23%. The five-year average sales growth of defense electronics maker L-3 (page 66) is an impressive 55%, the best of any of its peers. Omnicom (page 70) is a rare advertising powerhouse. In this tough economic environment it still continues to rack up double-digit growth. Its five-year return on capital is 24%.
The chart to the right highlights companies in each of our 23 sectors with outstanding five-year earnings growth--a good road map for stock picking. For more data on the Platinum 400 as well as a list of Platinum 400 stock market bargains, go to forbes.com/platinum400. --Brian Zajac
Friday, December 21, 2001
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accenture wants it both ways.
the cyberatlas article below refers to a new study published by accenture indicating that the state of european e-commerce is about where the US was in 1999. ok, fine. if we are not talking about mobile solutions, i'd tend to agree. in fact, i'd argue that smart companies in europe will benefit from this lag in the long term by learning from the best practices and mistakes made in the US and adopting strategies designed to incorporate what works and avoid the pitfalls ... but that's another story.
while this new report casts a shadow of doubt on european e-commerce, another major study from accenture indicates quite the opposite. the second study, "eEurope 2001: The Unexpected eEurope" shows that e-commerce in europe is more successful than last year and businesses are strongly committed to their e-commerce strategies despite despite the economic downturn. quoting their press release: New study shows unexpected European eCommerce success.
so, which one is it? a little of both, right? obviously. one reason for this bipolar attitude is that it is pretty clear that different groups at accenture are responsible for these two studies. you can tell not just by the tone or the opinions expressed, but by the style and wording. for example: one group refers to online commerce as "eCommerce" and the other uses "E-Commerce." Maybe they should figure out what to call it before they tell us what it is.
Europeans Still Working the Kinks Out of E-Commerce
By Michael Pastore
CyberAtlas
Consumers in the United States are seeing several improvements when they hit the online stores this holiday season, a sign that retailers that do business online have learned from their past mistakes. According to Accenture's third-annual holiday eFullfillment survey, which included for the first time this year France, Germany, Spain and Britain, e-commerce in America remains far ahead of key European markets.
Online Ordering Improves for e-Tailers in the U.S. as Europe Struggles to Catch Up
Accenture news release: Third Annual Holiday eFullfillment Survey
i've always enjoyed reading this one ...
Accenture: Perspectives on Europe
Accentures’s study, “The Unexpected eEurope,” shows that eCommerce is more successful than last year and businesses are strongly committed to their eCommerce strategies despite despite the economic downturn.
Friday, December 21, 2001
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Organic Board Recommends Seneca Buyout
By Christopher Saunders
@NY
The board of directors of San Francisco-based interactive shop Organic (NASDAQ:OGNC) recommended that stockholders agree to sell their shares to Seneca Investments -- paving the way for a buyout and potentially, a merger.
Friday, December 21, 2001
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a couple articles about i-mode's arrival in europe ... the folks at wired seem to have liked the press release ...
 
Europe Getting a Taste of Japan
By Elisa Batista
2:00 a.m. Dec. 20, 2001 PST
A couple of European mobile operators will kick start the New Year with "i-mode," a popular Internet service for mobile phones that has been restricted until now to Japan.
but it seems like not everyone is convinced ...
i-Mode in Europe is like a duck out of water
In keeping with the tradition of thinking Japanese technology is better than Western, we have been quick to dismiss its western equivalent, WAP as a failure and quick to send people east to learn the secrets of i-Mode, argues Strand Consult.
Thursday, December 20, 2001
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Feature: Top ten technologies
IT budgets are tight, but there are some technologies that companies can’t ignore. Anthony Sibillin reveals what every savvy CFO should have on their radar screen.
Thursday, December 20, 2001
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here is another year-end review ... this one has my leading candidate for techie quote of the year:
"Lovely to look at, adored by obsessive fans, attracts breathless headlines with every move, pretty insignificant in terms of real-world results -- I'd hoped in April that the attractive, not-overpriced iBook signaled a new attitude, but it seems Apple is content to be the Anna Kournikova of the computer industry."
couldn't have said it better myself ...
The Best, the Worst, and the Ugliest
E.G. for Example: The Year in Review
HardwareCentral - Editorials
by Eric Grevstad
Thursday, December 20, 2001
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self-proclaimed "journal of pop and design culture." cool site. clean design. excellent css and dhtml ... check out how the images react to your rollovers.
coudal partners
Thursday, December 20, 2001
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a great idea ... such a no-brainer ... and it works pretty well, even for a beta. you have to wonder why they couldn't pull the trigger on it before the holidays.
Google sees profit in product images - Tech News - CNET.com
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
December 19, 2001, 4:00 a.m. PT
Google is testing a feature that lets consumers browse the pages of mail-order catalogs, a departure from its core search business that signals a major move into commercial listings.
The beta service is currently free to catalog companies such as L.L. Bean, Pottery Barn and Lands' End, but Google is developing programs "to boost catalog sales," according to its Web site. Those for-fee services may include shopping-search analysis, advertising placement and direct linking to online retailers' checkout counters.
check it out:
Google Catalog Search
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
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eBay: The People's Company
BusinessWeek Online - December 3, 2001
eBay's customers tell the world about eBay through word of mouth... In essence, customers are eBay's de facto product-development team, sales and marketing force, merchandising department, and security detail - all rolled into one.
Of course, eBay is a unique company with a unique business model; few companies have millions of online customers to listen and react to. But regardless of the company, the lesson holds that customers are important - vitally important - to respect, to listen to, and to create for. Customer experience work, at its essence, is simply listening to what customers want and making the appropriate changes.
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
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the Deloitte & Touche Fast 500 ... worth a look. some interesting companies to keep an eye on, and some in chapter 11 - like excite@home (#3) and exodus (#21). how do you make the fast 500 if you are out of business? what does this say about the way d&t went about their analysis?
Deloitte & Touche Fast 500
Deloitte & Touche Rising Stars
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
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the fall of Enron
Enron Auditor Raises Specter of Crime
New York Times (free registration required)
The Murky Demise of Enron
MSNBC
Enron Board Comes Under a Storm of Criticism
New York Times (free registration required)
Enron Makes Whitewater Look Like Peanuts
CNN
Washington Friends Desert Enron Chief
LA Times
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
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The "winter show" of New York University's ITP (Interactive Telecommunication Program)
Wednesday, December 19 through Friday, December 21, 6-9 p.m.
721 Broadway at Waverly Place
4th floor, South Elevators
Free
Winter Show: http://itp.nyu.edu/nuweb/winter_show/
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
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The Mirror Project
The Mirror Project is a growing community of like-minded individuals who have photographed their likenesses in a variety of reflective surfaces.
http://www.mirrorproject.com/
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
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Jamie-Lynn Sigler has launched a singing career ... Looks like Meadow Soprano jumped the shark.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler "Here to Heaven"
http://www.jamie-lynnsigler.com/
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
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WSJ.com - Yahoo's Revamped Music Site Strays From Traditional Branded Approach
December 17, 2001
Yahoo's Revamped Music Site Strays From Traditional Branded Approach
By MYLENE MANGALINDAN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Do you, um, Launch? ... Yahoo Inc. introduced Monday its revamped music Web site and a newly acquired one under the "Launch" name, rather than branding it as Yahoo Music or some other extension of the Yahoo brand. That's a big change for the Internet company that is known for wrapping everything it does in its trademark purple and yellow.
Monday, December 17, 2001
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Tech Investors Cautiously Return
While venture capital investment, the bread and butter of technology start-ups, is far down from the highs of the dot-com bubble, it is by no means dead, according to The New York Times. Indeed, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs point to a number of types of technologies that interest them and which they may invest in during the year ahead.
Monday, December 17, 2001
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cumulative patch for any number of Explorer security problems
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-058.asp
Saturday, December 15, 2001
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weekend = golf ... or at least virtual golf ;-)
two putt-putt games:
This one is okay. (Not too hard)
This one from ElectroTank, is excellent. (Kinda tough.)
Friday, December 14, 2001
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2001 predictions/opinions from newmedia.com. makes some sense, but they are a bit buzz-word heavy, don't cha think?
Future of Marketing for 2002: New Priorities, Part I
The flash and excess that were the mark of marketing in the 1990s are officially gone for good. Today, customer knowledge and calculable returns rule. The following issues will be essential to marketing success in the coming year:
1. Multi-Channel Synchronization
2. Sensitive Messaging
3. Brand Messages
4. Customer Loyalty and Retention
5. 360 Degree Customer and Company Knowledge
6. Customer Self-Service
http://www.newmedia.com/default.asp?articleID=3265
Friday, December 14, 2001
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Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, the French luxury goods group, has dismissed reports that he might buy a controlling stake in Sotheby's, the auction house, according to The Times of London. A. Alfred Taubman, the former chairman of Sotheby's, is under pressure to sell his holding in the
company, and it has been suggested that Mr. Arnault's name is being put about in an attempt to create an auction for the Taubman shareholding.
Go to Article from The Times of London
Friday, December 14, 2001
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in case you haven't noticed, i'm pretty interested in the goings-on over at messier's little shop. first, he moves to nyc. then, they start buying back media assets here in north america. they have taken an active interest in satellite television in the us. how come this is not making bigger headlines? levin steps down from aol, and all we can talk is parsons and pittman. (where *is* steve case?) i think vivendi is loving this. while aol is trying to defend itself and their stock price, little 'ol vivendi is holding quiet meetings with analysts and going on an acquisitions spree. classic. i'm not trying to say that vivendi will outpace aol and become the leader ... but you know, the french are *really* good at finishing second.
The commensts below are from The New York Times DealBook ...
Signaling that negotiations may have ended successfully, Vivendi Universal has called a board meeting to approve an expensive deal to buy back its television assets from Barry Diller's USA Networks, The New York Post reported. Mr.Diller will not only personally pocket a bundle of cash, but also assume the vacant post of chairman and chief executive of Universal Studios in addition to overseeing his own transactional business, including Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster.
Go to Article from The New York Post
Go to S.E.C. Filing
Jean-Marie Messier's designs on Barry Diller's USA Networks raise questions as well as answers, according to The Financial Times. Is it an opportunistic move on the part of a company in which he inherited a 43 percent stake (a part, indeed, once sold by Edgar Bronfman Jr., his departing vice-chairman)? Or is it the best U.S. content/distribution deal he can see from his lofty new perch on Manhattan's Park Avenue?
Go to Article from The Financial Times
Vivendi also agreed to buy about 10 percent of EchoStar Communications Corp. for $1.5 billion to expand into U.S. satellite television.
Go to Article from Bloomberg News
And Vivendi showed it was ready for more deals by raising $1.5 billion through the sale of a third of its stake in BSkyB, leaving it with a 15 percent share. The move bolsters a war chest that is likely to be used to expand Vivendi's television production business in the U.S.
Go to Article from The Guardian
Friday, December 14, 2001
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Tim Berners-Lee assesses the future of his seminal invention and warns of the dangers of not letting the Internet remain an independent, impartial medium.
Charting the Web's next transformation
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Friday, December 14, 2001
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some commentary about aol's new ceo, richard parsons
A self-styled pony horse
Dec 6th 2001
The Economist
AOL Time Warner has sprung a surprise by picking Richard Parsons as its next boss
Old media take the reins at AOL
By Jim Hu, Special to ZDNet News
December 6, 2001 3:18 PM PT
Richard Parsons' ascension to the chief executive throne of AOL Time Warner shows how fast and hard the fortunes of the new-media revolution have fallen.
The Successor
December 6, 2001
AOL Time Warner Turns to a Diplomat as Levin Retires
By Saul Hansell with Seth Schiesel
The New York Times (free registration required)
Thursday, December 13, 2001
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another article in the 2002 trend series ...
Silicon Alley Views: Technology Trends 2002: The Bandmaster's View
By Hitesh Seth, Silverline Technologies
With the continuing evolution of the Internet, the ideal enterprise-computing platform now seems to be within reach. The Internet is obviously the "great connector" -- a ubiquitous communication platform that can link anyone, using any device, to any source of information or process.
But is the Internet the "Holy Grail" that we were looking for?
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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Europemedia.net: News - Over 50% of UK children have mobile phones
52 per cent of UK children aged 7-16 years have mobile phones, according to a survey conducted by NOP World. Amongst 14 to 16 year olds, however, the figure for mobile penetration is an almost saturated 82 per cent. The figure for 7 to 10 year olds, meanwhile, was 23 per cent.
Information, communication and internet technologies the future for European youth
While two of the most popular activities among 15-24 year old Europeans is watching TV and listening to music, at 69 and 66 per cent respectively, 43 per cent of youth claim to use a computer, play video games or use the internet, twice the number from 1997, states European Commission research.
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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Bob Pittman ... Now that Levin is gone, expect to see his name more than you ever thought possible.
The Original Evangelizer Still Believes: AOL TW's Bob Pittman at Internet World 2001
Silicon Alley Daily
by Rafat Ali
Bob Pittman still plays the part of the Internet evangelizer, liberally sprinkling the word revolution into his speeches. Today, for instance, delivering the keynote lecture at Internet World 2001 in Manhattan, the newly appointed COO of AOL Time Warner (NYSE: AOL), talked about the future of the networked home and how AOL's current consumer relationship could accommodate it. Yet he wasn't so forthcoming about his thoughts on the recently announced retirement of Gerald Levin from the CEO position.
Pittman pins AOL's future on broadband
Tech News - CNET.com
Robert Pittman, co-chief operating officer of AOL Time Warner, on Tuesday highlighted broadband Web access and home networking as the next phase in the Internet's penetration into households. In a keynote speech delivered during the Internet World and Streaming Media East conventions here, Pittman offered a picture of wired households firmly linked to the company through the interactivity of its America Online division and the media and entertainment assets of its Time Warner unit. That idea begins with broadband, or high-speed Internet connections, delivered through AOL Time Warner's cable system.
AOL-TW's Pittman: Now the Fun Begins
By Erin Joyce, @NewYork
Electricity producers tried a number of systems before the current delivery model took hold in the American home. Much like Internet access, consumers wanted the service and now view it as a necessity.
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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Happy holidays in Dot.com land
Nua Internet Surveys Weekly Editorial
December 10, 2001
The holidays are coming and online seasonal shopping trends underline how e-commerce follows the same rules as bricks-and-mortar business. A number of recent Internet reports have highlighted both how both online sales and traffic have increased thanks to the arrival of the holiday season.
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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size matters.
Google Launches New Salvo in Search Engine Size Wars
Google's web index has grown to more than 3 billion documents, including an unprecedented archive of Usenet newsgroup postings dating back to 1981.
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/01/sd1211-google.html
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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isn't it nice when the new york post gets the scoop over the business press and clears up rumors and stories like what is happening over at vivendi? where was the WSJ on this one? oops. the commentary below is from the new york times.
Vivendi Universal is negotiating to buy the television business of Barry Diller's USA Networks for as much as $18 billion, The New York Post reported. The price is a steep markup from the $4.1 billion that Mr. Diller paid four years ago when he acquired USA from Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s Seagram before it was merged with Vivendi. The deal was one of the main reasons Mr. Bronfman announced his resignation as Vivendi's executive vice president last Thursday, The Post reported.
Go to Article from The New York Post
When Mr. Bronfman, 46, resigned last Thursday, Vivendi said that Mr. Bronfman had agreed to stay at Vivendi for at least a year to manage its music business, but that "the time has come for him to return to the management of his personal and family interests."
Go to Previous Article from The New York Times
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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a couple cool companies featured at @D:TECH and highlighted in a recent SAR Daily
eyeblaster
"You can't ignore them: They bounce, float, and then explode on your computer screen. The Eyeblaster animated ads have become the rage in a new market where advertisers are desperate to catch users' attentions. These ads combine DHTML and Flash and literally float over webpages, creating a storytelling environment not unlike TV ads. The ads do not require any special plug-in."
http://www.eyeblaster.com/
EyeWonder
"EyeWonder's Eyeris technology allows companies to incorporate streaming video and audio in ads without any download. Think of it as instant streaming-video technology for Internet and wireless devices. It utilizes the company's proprietary, Java-based video compression technology to provide high-quality video and audio in these ads."
http://www.eyewonder.com/
L90
After L90 sold off its ad-serving technlogy to DoubleClick in October for $6.84 million, the company cut its costs drastically and is focusing on its media business. It is still the third largest ad network, now using ad-serving technology from DoubleClick. The company is also moving into offline marketing, with the May acquisition of Novus List Marketing, a database marketing firm.
http://www.l90.com
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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random ...
No Thumbprint, No Rental Car
A Wired magazine article about personal information and how it may impact things like ... you guessed it ... renting cars.
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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an article about a videotape of the attack on the World Trade Center
New York Times (free subscription required)
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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Email Can Do That?
Email is going to be the killer app of interactive marketing, unless, of course, it becomes the app that kills interactive marketing.
Click Z
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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This is the first post of 2001 wrap-ups and/or 2002 predictions ...
Unimaginable -- Yet True
2002's to-do list: the online media buying issues that need to be fixed in the new year.
Click Z
FIVE REASONS TO LOVE THE TECH BUBBLE
There's been criticism, but without the bubble, some major developments wouldn't have materialized.
Forbes
THE OVERACHIEVERS
Five companies that have had a stellar 2001 despite this year's severe economic slump.
Forbes
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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Damn funny ads. These are the ads featuring DeNiro and Crystal in Central Park, Yogi Berra conducting, Woddy Allen ice skating, etc ...
The New York Miracle
http://www.nycmiracle.com/
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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Where do you want to go tommorrow, MSN?
In the second of a series of features, Duncan Parry talks to MSN UK about the effects of the downturn in online advertising and their future plans.
EuropeMedia.net
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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Levin to Depart AOL Time Warner
@NewYork
AOL Time Warners Pittman Defends AOLs Growth Potential
ISPWorld.com
AOL to buy Europe stake
CNN Europe
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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A couple articles about the moves going on at Vivendi:
Vivendi combines Web units
CNN Europe
Send Jean-Marie a gift basket or something. He moved to NYC ...
Vivendi's Chairman Seeks to Woo U.S. Investors
New York Times (registration required)
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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I've run across a few interesting articles about Yahoo ...
Yahoos Chief Moves the Company Away From Its Old Culture
New York Times (free subscription required)
Few willing to pay for once-free Web sites
ZDNet
Yahoo Is Soooo Over
Business 2.0
How Yahoo! Will Make You Pay
TheStreet.com
S&P stock picks & pans
Despite Holiday Shopping Sprees, Sell Yahoo!
Business Week
Insiders: Yahoo director makes $1 million on options
SiliconValley.com
The strange saga of Yahoo and WebRing
Salon
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
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So, this is my weblog. A diary of sorts, but one I'll share with you. ... Whoever you are.
Sunday, December 09, 2001
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