Airwaves....The Next "Land" Grab?

From Assoc. Press Mad Scramble For More Airwaves

As mobile phones become more sophisticated, they transmit and receive more data over the airwaves. But the spectrum of wireless frequencies is finite — and devices like the iPhone are allowed to use only so much of it. TV and radio broadcasts, Wi-Fi networks and other communications services also use the airwaves. Each transmits on certain frequencies to avoid interference with others.

Wait until the "physical world" gets connected.

Now wireless phone companies fear they're in danger of running out of room, leaving congested networks that frustrate users and slow innovation. So the wireless companies want the government to give them bigger slices of airwaves.

A ton of new "land" is available here



Have a great idea? We Invest In Great Ideas

The iPod Nano With Video..A Threat To YouTube?

The iPod Nano and iTunes...disruption ahead for the video industry.

Now that iPod introduced a Nano that is capable of recording video, is YouTube's business in jeopardy?

Will this feature allow users to make money from their content creation?..not just using their Nano but from other video creating devices as well? (phone, camcorder).

Almost everyone has some sort of iPod device and uses iTunes as their upload/download and storage portal. Once people start shooting video with their Nano, and storing on iTunes, wouldn't the next logical step be to earn advertising (and subscription) revenue from public uploads?

Would you take and upload more videos if you knew you could get paid for them? What type of videos would you take? What kind of videos would you pay for?

The Cell Phone, The New Computer

From Live Science Daily Text Messages Exceed 4 Billion Daily

During the first half of 2009, users sent about 740 billion text messages. That's about 4.1 billion per day, or nearly 17 texts per day by everyone with a data-capable phone.

That total was about double the number seen in the first half of 2008, when "only" 386 billion text messages were dispatched.

As texting rates rise, the average call length has been falling dramatically.

Morgan Stanley's Mobile Internet Report

Morgan Stanley just came out with their Mobile Internet Report.

One thing to keep in mind when they refer to the "mobile Internet" is that it will include more than just mobile phones. Think Kindles, MP3s, cars, billboards, appliances, RFID tags, barcodes....just about ANY physical object will be Internet enabled.


"the impact of the mobile Internet will be bigger than the impact of the desktop Internet, personal computer, minicomputer and mainframe"

"the mobile Internet has the potential to create/destroy more wealth than the prior computing cycles"

Here's a quote that caught my eye "winners of each new cycle often create more market capitalization than winners of prior cycles"

the past winners include Google, Microsoft, Cisco, eBay....what will be the Next Google for the Mobile Internet, and how much will it be valued at?

The Google Phone..Disruption In The Wireless Industry Ahead

If the phone isn't tied into a wireless provider, does this count as another example of cloud computing?

If there are no contracts, how will this affect the cell phone manufacturers with regards to rebates?

How long before the Verizon, Sprint etc stores are completely gone? Best Buy Mobile is doing a great job of taking traffic from local wireless stores due to pricing.

From CS Monitor Google Phone Upsets Mobile Industry

"Google could sell the phone directly to consumers without a contractual relationship to a cellphone service provider"

"consumers could use the phone on any service that uses GSM technology — that is, runs with a SIM (subscriber identity module) card.

Instead of being locked into AT&T or Verizon service, for example, consumers could take their newly purchased technology where they pleased, taking advantages of typically shorter or nonexistent contracts that companies offer when shoppers bring their own phone to the deal"

Installation Cost Is Now A Bigger Factor With Solar

 From Reuters,  Solar Companies focus on nuts and bots to cut costs.

That decline has put a spotlight on installation, which now makes up a greater share of the total cost, and has prompted installers, developers and even panel makers to look for low-tech tricks, like quick fasteners and predrilled holes.

Pondering Primate December Newsletter

Pondering Primate December 08


CNN pitches a cheaper wire service to newspapers, an alternative to The Associated Press
link

WalMart adopts wind power link

The new remote link
Wiimote, which is essentially a 3D mouse, and thus ideally suited for the speedy, point/click/drag navigation that a true big-screen Internet experience requires

FCC pushing free Web plan link

Credit card industry may cut $2 trillion of lines of credit link

Even cows being hit with greenhouse gas tax link

Advertisers tap another sense to pitch products link

Experiential marketing is also an acknowledgment that products and brands must offer alternatives to the interruptive model of peddling that has been the mainstay of advertising for more than a half-century, which disrupts what consumers want to watch, read or hear

The “phone book” for the Internet. New domain .tel link

Increased definition of “broadband” to Mbps by 2010
Telcos and tech companies issue “call to action” for national broadband strategy.
link

Tax breaks, low-interest loans to build out high-speed networks. link

Energy

F.P.L breaks ground on the first utility-scale solar investment in state (Florida)
link


Electrified walls and ceilings. While AC has huge advantages over DC for transmitting power, Patterson said, many of the devices in use in buildings today have to convert it into direct current, with resulting efficiency losses link

How much is the express lane worth to drive during rush hour?
From .25 to $2.65 tolls change according to traffic volume. link

Google teams up with Hallmark Channel for TV ads link

GE stops producing incandescent bulbs link

Should we watch oil stocks to determine economic recovery? (correlation of oil to economy)
link

RFID boarding passes..EZPass comes to airline industry link

Apple to sell $99 iPhone at WalMart? link

In-store price comparison using mobile phone and barcode comes to a halt at Target.
link
Will this lead to a boom in sales of cell phone jammers?

Facebook offers a universal ID (signon resource) and similar to OpenID. Facebook users will be able to log onto other sites connected with the service. When you view a TV show on Hulu, or read something on the Chronicle, it can show up in your Facebook News Feed, alerting your friends as to what you're watching and reading. Then they can click on it, too. Public cookies?
link

New fabric resists water like no other link

Power line networking
Power line networking chips (and the algorithms that go with them) essentially allow communication signals to travel on the same wires that go to the lights. As a result, rapid, finely tuned commands can be shuttled from a utility without worries that other radios or environmental disturbances will hamper it. link

New players in accelerometer space (the chip that detects motion in remote devices)
link

Keeping DNA samples from people with no criminal convictions is a breach of their human rights a European Court ruled. link

Several major cities will be without a daily newspaper by 2010 link

Google uses 16.5% of US consumer Internet capacity, expected to rise to 37% by 2010
link

YouTube launches high definition link

NBC to cut back number of hours it airs programming. link

Treasury Bills trade at negative rates for first time. link
Government can finance the stimulus packages with cheap debt.

Cancer to overtake heart disease as leading killer by 2010 link

Google wants preferential treatment for Internet traffic link

Obesity tax on non-diet soda link

New York State unveils new taxes ..including iTune downloads
link

Facebook the new lawsuit delivery service? link

YouTube accounts for 25% of all Google searches and now is the 2nd largest search engine. More searches done through YouTube than Yahoo.
link
Google’s $1.65B acquisition pays off.

Coupon websites fastest growing online properties

VHS era is winding down. The last big supplier of the tapes is ditching the format, ending the long fade-out of a product that ushered in the home theater. link

Airline passengers can buy carbon offsets link

Internet surpasses newspapers as main source for national and international news.
link

Websites to get cinema-style ratings. link

YouTube Is Now The 2nd Largest Search Engine

It's official, video is the new content.


YouTube Now 25 Percent Of All Google Searches

Video search on YouTube accounts for a quarter of all Google search queries in the U.S., according to the latest search engine numbers from comScore.

If it were a standalone site, YouTube would be the second largest search engine after Google. More searches are done through YouTube than through Yahoo.

Just recently YouTube launches a high definition version.

Things to ponder.

How long before video mail replaces emailing?

Your PC and mobile have an "email address", how long before your digital camera and video camera have one too?

How long before your video camera has its own IP address, or is Internet enabled (while power is on)

When will we see the ability to click on a hyperlink within a video? think interactive product placement within a video..the holy grail of Internet advertising

All of these upcoming features will increase Internet traffic exponentially.

Pondering Primate November 08

I am introducing a new service to the Pondering Primate. Each month I will offer a recap of headlines, mandates, events and breakthroughs that are worthy of pondering.

In order to act on these headlines, should this be offered on a weekly basis?
Email me with your thoughts, likes, and dislikes.

"All the news that’s fit to ponder"


Barack Obama wins Presidential election

A win for CleanTech link
What Obama presidency means for the Cleantech industry link

He is calling for a $150 billion investment in clean technologies over 10 years, aggressive targets for greenhouse emission reductions, and programs to promote energy efficiency, low-carbon biofuels, and renewable energies

Obama’s Energy Plan link

Will Obama’s clean coal plans bankrupt the coal industry?

Is this the right idea but at the wrong time? link

However, an E.P.A decision may give Obama what he wants link
Recession will allow lower carbon caps. link

The U.S. and European Union can afford to set tougher limits on emissions because slower economic activity will cut greenhouse gas output and lower emission permit prices.

Businesses are already expediting deals before new Obama tax rates go in effect:
Miami Dolphins owner rushes sale of team link
Signing bonuses before the first of the year for employment contracts link

Former U.S.Energy secretaries call cap and trade an “industrial manager’s nightmare”
link
T. Boone Pickens delays his wind farm plan. The biggest advocate of clean energy loses billions with drop in oil prices. link
He cited the fall in natural gas prices, a competing source of electricity generation, as a deterrent.
Biggest U.S. wind energy adopter cuts capital expenditures. link

Will drop in oil prices lead to another “deja vous” for CleanTech industry (remember the renewable energy buzz in the 70’s?).


The era that defined Wall Street is over link

How is New York City starting to cope with the downturn.
New York City proposes additional tax ideas.
Plastic bag surcharge link

Transit Agency sees higher fees link

Oil prices lose 60%…why did the price of oil drop so fast?
hedge funds have gone into commodities as investors, rather than arbitragers.

Like real estate, commodities permit a high degree of leverage — typically 10 to 1 — compared to stocks margined at 2 to 1. Because of this ability to “leverage-up,” and the fact that the supply-demand equation has been unusually attractive over the last two to three years, these “new speculators” have been encouraged to bid up prices to extraordinary and unsustainable levels
This trend service called it perfectly. link

Oil prices save consumers $270 Billion link

The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns oil will hit $200 by 2030 link
Mexico will soon be a net importer of oil and be forced to stop oil exports to U.S.(11% of our imports) link
Could this have any impact on NAFTA?

Brazil a new oil giant. Offshore drilling pays off big for both employment and oil. link

Could Brazil’s success and Mexico’s aggressive deepwater exploration force US to reconsider offshore drilling?

IEA says world energy use is “patently unsustainable” link
A revolution in the energy business is required to maintain economic growth

Congress proposes $50 billion auto bailout. Tough love could lead to tough times. link

Could conditions for bailout be the catalyst for “green cars”?

Fixed labor and healthcare costs prevent auto industry from adapting and competing. What happens to companies that don’t recognize or have the ability to change.

U.S. unemployment rate hits 25 year high link
Winners (armed services, temporary job services, collection agencies, job training, blood banks)
Losers (charities, high end retailers, restaurants)

Voters approve high-speed rail for California. link

Al Gore wants carbon-free electricity in 10 years link

Clean coal initiatives will force smart grid adoption

Will clean coal lead to more blackouts? link
Carbon policies will have to take into account the problems that will come with switching over from a coal infrastructure. The power grid will also have to be upgraded to allow electricity to be consumed more efficiently.

How much will upgraded grid cost, $2Trillion link

The plan could also help solve the country's economic crisis by creating "millions of new jobs that cannot be outsourced."

Renewable energy adoption goes mainstream when there is an efficient delivery method (smart grid).

Goldman Sachs invests in carbon-offset companies.. Carbon offsets are projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. link
These two deals show Goldman Sachs’ interest in the global carbon market.

An immediate solution to our energy crisis?

What has as much capacity as US wind, solar, geothermal and biomass combined? (and it exists today) link
This technology is equal to 29,000 megawatts of capacity during periods of peak summer demand--as much as all U.S. wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass power combined.

One of the largest energy user (Dept of Defense) adopts demand response. link


The “next generation” Internet

Energy is really just another form of data that travels across a network.
Google joins Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition link

How will Google use the power of information for the energy industry?

Are smart meters the next generation PCs?

The grid is similar to the Internet. Instead of zeros and ones, megawatts is the new “content”. How will Google utilize (and monetize) the data created by the grid?

Smart grid startups merge link
Smart grid is required in order to meet booming electric car demand. link
Smart Grid will require $2 Trillion link

Demand Response Smart Grid Coalition seeks tax breaks for “Negawatts”. 21 policy recommendations for Obama.
link

Newly discovered energy is a huge source of untapped energy. Frozen natural gas could heat 100 million homes for 10 years. link

Could the smart meter be the “next PC”? link

Smart meter rollout and the effects link

Every home and building will have one and it too will be connected to the Net. It will provide energy efficiency and numerous revenue opportunities.


The Future Of Newspapers?

One of the oldest newspapers (Christian Science Monitor) ceases daily print publication and focuses on the Net. link

Will the New York Times adapt quick enough to changing viewing and advertising trends, or will it go under by May? link

Will newspaper extinction drive up online ad prices? Did Craig’s List (online classifieds) eliminate newspaper’s major revenue source….or was the drop in real estate (listings/ads) the final nail?

Yellow Pages Face Extinction link

They could have dominated location based advertising. Will the death of the Yellow Pages be a boom for Google’s local ad biz?

Here’s what the Yellow Pages could have done to be competitive. link
Even this link

Imagine if the Yellow Pages had offered a service for local merchants (Joe the plumber or Sal’s Pizzeria) to create a website quick and cheap (in addition to being placed in the book). Many of these small businesses didn’t have the time or knowledge to create a Web presence. This would have made the Yellow Pages the local search engine of choice.


US Postal Service considers layoffs..first time ever in history (another unionized industry facing obsolescence?) link

Internet services (online banking etc) are eliminating mail revenue.
More proof the government is not a business saavy.

Is the auto industry next? A sign that unionized businesses are antiquated?

Can you see me now?

Cisco sees Telepresence adoption in 12 months link

High-quality video conferencing systems are helping companies save on travel expenses and a consumer version would help people experience something closer to real-life meetings.

Citrix buys high definition conference call equipment player Vapps link

Will the set top box be the “server” for the home?

Cisco introduces new router that can help phone companies and cable operators deal with onslaught of video traffic link


A “M.P.G”. rating for computer hardware?

The Green Grid is hoping to have a new package of standardized metrics in place from next year that will allow firms to compare the energy efficiency of different servers, storage systems and networking equipment, in much the same way motorists compare the fuel efficiency of different cars. link

Virtualization energy efficiency software for servers?
Data center energy bills could be cut by 30% link

Virtualization software comes to mobile devices link next virtualization bonanza


One of the largest US electronic retailers, Circuit City files for bankruptcy. link
Could it be because flat panel TV sales have peaked link

Was there not enough room for two electronic retailers (Best Buy Circuit City)to survive? Could the same thing happen to home improvement market? (Home Depot Lowes)

First the PC and then the high priced high-def TV, what is the next high price electronic item that will save retailers? Hint, it’s already in your living room.

What’s China’s Economy Doing?

China reported its first decline in monthly electricity output in four years, one of the strongest signs so far that the country's economic slowdown may be worse than thought
link

What happens if to world economy if China’s economic slowdown is this drastic?

Chinese solar companies slowing production. link

What companies benefit from falling solar prices ? link

China takes steps toward a national emission trading platform. link


Google shares flu outbreak search results link

Privacy issues? Will people use alternative search engines for privacy matters? Will advertisers use specific search engines knowing this and choose ads based on specific search topics.

Is bandwidth the new oil?

The combined cost of broadband, home phones, cable or satellite TV and mobile phones can easily outstrip our energy bills, and our connected lifestyle is making these services essential. Is history repeating itself? Will our internet addiction become as costly and as dangerous as our addiction to oil? link


“Wi-Fi on Steroids” Gets FCC approval

FCC approves Google backed white space spectrum. Digital TV transformation represents opportunity for true broadband for America. link

Cheap broadband access represents a $100 billion dollar plus a year market. This spectrum will allow billions of devices and objects to be connected to the Net. With speeds up to 80Mbps, it represents a threat to fiber-to-the-premises solutions like Verizon’s FiOS networks.

One of the beneficiaries? GE announces Smart Appliance program link

It could also provide a network for the smart meter.

Dell incorporates white space radios into laptops link
A threat to the Wi-Fi, WiMax and mobile provider players?


No e-waste dumping in landfills or developing countries link

FedEx cuts aircraft emissions, increases fuel efficiency. link

One of the largest users of fuel takes steps to improve costs by eliminating “gas guzzler” planes, will other carriers too?
What airplanes are most efficient? Least?


Energy efficiency will shape US economic recovery.
“the cheapest and most available source of new energy is the energy we waste”. U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman


Information Technology (IT) members are urging lawmakers to keep big picture in mind when they create economic and energy legislation link

How does America waste over 50% of its energy? (you'll never guess) link

China merges electricity infrastructure with information technology. link

Project aims to reduce China’s energy consumption per unit.
China’s stimulus plan that focuses on increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy (smart grid) should be a wake-up call for the US.

IBM proposes a technology-fueled economic recovery plan. link

Sixty-seven percent of electrical energy, for example, is lost because of inefficient power generation and grid management.
Energy efficiency offers the highest return for our economy.
Grid management and power efficiency companies should be monitored.

IBM is also reviving an old idea, broadband over powerlines. link
Google also invested in this space link

Advertising Comes Into Digital Age

YouTube, otherwise know as the world’s second largest search engine introduces targeted advertising to video searches link

New online video site to match YouTube’s revenue. link

This proves media companies can generate revenues online without having to go through Google. (Apple’s iTunes controls the music industry). The end of Google's video monopoly?

Will they start to include consumer produced videos? A threat to Google/YouTube?

Search videos using text link
A search engine is able to search videos using closed captioning technology and image recognition technology.

Dynamic ad insertion for both linear and non-linear TV viewing (HUGE implications for advertising industry)
Targeted ads to be inserted before, after and during on demand content playback
link

Advertisers can now reach prime time and “my time” TV viewers link

Advertisers can now place targeted ads based on WHEN show is watched, not when it is broadcast. A reason for advertisers to love the TiVo now? TV morphing into PC.

Blockbuster enters the set top box market with an on-demand device. (dumb) link

This is just prolonging the inevitable death of this company and industry (retail video stores). Blockbuster failed to capitalize on movies/games being downloaded over the Net. They didn’t recognize that the physical items in their stores were being replaced with digital content online.


The TV remote comes alive with sensing technology.

The first type of ecommerce through the TV? (order pizza using TV remote control)
link

When Apple incorporated sensing technology (accelerometer) in the iPhone, they didn’t just disrupt the mobile phone industry, they disrupted the entire remote device space.
This sensing technology is transforming remote controls into PC mouses. What’s inside an accelerometer?…small micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)

The new remote control.

Wii controller and a browser will reinvent the TV and viewing. link

Will the Wii be the new TV remote? Will hand gestures replace button pushing?

Will set top box manufactures incorporate this motion sensing technology (accelerometer)? What other devices will include this technology? The TV is morphing into a PC.

Biggest spam company shuts down link

Who does this affect? Viagra ( sexual and prescription drugs), email database companies. Will eliminating spam drive up the price of keywords at Google AdSense?

The eBay of working capital?

Recession and tight credit markets create a new way for businesses to tap cash. By selling outstanding receivables, much needed financing is available without resorting to vulture financing. link

How will this financing method What kind of impact will this financing method have on balance sheets? Will this put pressure on banks to lend, or will they too get into this business?

Philips develops “intelligent pill”… contains a microprocessor, battery, wireless radio, pump and a drug reservoir to release medication in a specific area in the body link

Intel gets into the home health care business link new laptop (computing device) will remotely sync patients with health care providers

File sharing Internet darling BitTorrent falls on hard times. link

Have .99 songs offered on iTunes AND the iPod eliminated this once Internet file-share darling? Or does geographical distance no longer matter for file delivery?

The rebirth of the barcode…a Physical World Hyperlink
Airline industry adopts mobile barcodes for boarding passes. link
Sprint enables mobile phones to scan barcodes for Internet connectivity. link

The 2d barcode represents a way for camera phones to link physical objects with the Internet. Can the barcode save the print industry?

Is Apple building a search engine? link

The end of phone landlines is near. link

Internet of things fights traffic jams. Cars with mobile sensors that pick up real-time information on the location and speed of the vehicles as well as the condition of the roads. The data are fed back to a central computer that calculates the traffic patterns and can predict the optimal route link

Search engine for sound wave recognition link

Streaming online videos to a high definition TV is next major boom.
So far there’s Apple TV but a new player has emerged link

New bulletproof tire is airless link
What other products could this material be used for?


October e-commerce slowest growth ever, 1%..lowest monthly growth rate since comScore began tracking data in 2001 link

Another form of physical content gets digitized and goes online. Is the end of book retailers fast approaching? link

Digital music finally surpasses compact disc sales. More than half of music sales in the United States are now from digital products, like downloads on iTunes and ring tones for cellphones.
link

While the losers are easy to see, such as retailers, packaging could it also include the management industry? If an artist can produce an album and get it online, what happens to the agency business?

Merrill Lynch Calls Cleantech The Sixth Technology Revolution

Cleantech, the next investing boom?


Merrill Lynch Compares Cleantech To Computing In The 70's

History shows that technology revolutions occur about every 50 years.

"We believe cleantech is at the beginning of a high-growth period much like computing was in the early 1970s. The application of technology to resource problems should cause profound changes in the energy, utility, and automotive industries." says Mr. Steven Milunovich

Mr. Milunovich believes the sixth technology revolution will be driven by clean technology - the application of technology to optimize the use of natural resources - and biotech.

The current pressure on cleantech stocks may continue for now, but the combination of friendlier government policies and economic improvement should lead to investment opportunities in 2010-11.

Is Bandwidth The New Oil?

Does America face another addiction with limited resources?

"Bandwidth is kind of like a drug," says Dana Waldman (CEO Voyant International). "The more you get, the more you want"

The number of devices connected to the Net is expected to grow exponentially with the "Internet of Things". If you include the growth in video related devices/application (and include the high definition capability) we could be facing another commodity crisis.

Tech Radar asks the question What If Bandwidth Was The New Oil?

While our oil habit continues to cost us dear, we're busily establishing another addiction. This time, it's bandwidth. The combined cost of broadband, home phones, cable or satellite TV and mobile phones can easily outstrip our energy bills, and our connected lifestyle is making these services essential. Is history repeating itself?

Will our internet addiction become as costly and as dangerous as our addiction to oil?

The solution

Is The New Economic Indicator Signalling That Smart Grid Plans Are On Hold?

From W.S.J.
A drop in power use, disrupts utility industry.

An unexpected drop in U.S. electricity consumption has utility companies worried that the trend isn't a byproduct of the economic downturn, and could reflect a permanent shift in consumption that will require sweeping change in their industry.

compel major changes in the way utilities run their businesses. Utilities are expected to invest $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion by 2030 to modernize their electric systems and meet future needs, according to an industry-funded study by the Brattle Group.

However, if electricity demand is flat or even declining, utilities must either make significant adjustments to their investment plans or run the risk of building too much capacity.

But what has executives stumped is that recent shifts appear larger than others seen previously.

"Oil Is Finite But Information Is Infinite".. Google's CEO Eric Schmidt

Bits, bytes, megawatts and kilowatts...it's all just data to me, but Google sees it as content. We saw how they revolutionized content traveling over the Internet.

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said “the cheapest and most available source of new energy is the energy we waste”.

Is an antiquated power grid the biggest form of waste?

Here comes the “next generation” Internet. Think of all of the computing devices that are connected (plugged in) to the

"EnerNet" (Energy+Internet=EnerNet)

Eric Schmidt gave a speech at the New America Foundation that outlined what the "next generation" Internet will allow.

How will Google use the power of information for the energy industry?

Energy is really just another form of bits and bytes (data) that travels across a network.

When an air conditioner is turned on, data (or content) is being created.

Millions of ACs, refrigerators, Ipods etc. There are probably fifty times the number of other "computing devices" in your house generating data (content) compared to PCs/laptops.

When Google joined the Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition they signaled their intent to dominate handling "information" traveling over the "EnerNet"

Schmidt's first suggestion is to use some of the bailout funds to upgrade the electric grid, and make it smart. Broadband was required before people could really utilize the Net, a smart grid is necessary for the CleanTech boom.

Every structure that relies on heating or air conditioning will require a "new PC".

Are smart meters the next generation PCs? The grid is similar to the Internet.

How will Google utilize (and monetize) the data created by the grid?

Here's how I see the next generation Internet and the analogy of previous Net winners.

Smart meters (Dell), chips that make devices more energy efficient (Intel), software that connects these devices to the EnerNet (Microsoft) and managing the data (content) that is generated when these devices are connected (Google)....and Google again.

Thoughts?

WalMart Makes Commitment To Wind Power

Having a major retailer commit to a product or service can be as transformational as a government mandate.

From Wall Street Journal Blog

WalMart Commits To Wind Power

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer just announced a deal with Duke Energy to use wind power for 15% of the electricity at hundreds of its Texas stores. The wind will come from a Duke wind farm slated to go operational next spring.

What’s interesting about Wal-Mart’s announcement is the company’s long-term bet that using wind power will be cost-competitive with traditional power sources. Wal-Mart’s vice-president of energy said in a statement, “We’re purchasing renewable power at traditional energy rates,” though the company didn’t disclose specific terms.


Wind Energy stocks

Pondering Primate (Team Monkee Do) Off To Race In IronMan Arizona

The end of IronMan racing season is almost here.

Team Monkee Do (Scott Shaffer) is taking off for beautiful Tempe to race in IronMan Arizona.

An Ironman race consist of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run (marathon). It is by far one of the most agonizing but rewarding things to experience.

Follow the race at www.ironmanlive.com

There's a little unfinished business in the desert to take care of.

Google, iPhone and Speech Recognition...Will QWERTY Keyboards Lose Their Significance?

The iPhone represents two major transformations, one is speech recognition. (know the other?)

One of the selling points to smartphones is the QWERTY keyboard. Will speech recognition technology eliminate the need for them?

When word processing was introduced, it was the beginning of the end of handwriting.

Can you think of the last time you wrote anything of length on sheet of paper?

Google is blending the PC with the mobile phone, and will be creating another revenue stream for keywords

NY Times has a story about Google, iPhone and Machines That Listen

Google’s new speech recognition service for the iPhone, understands you most accurately when you speak to it just the way you enter queries into the Google search box. It may even signify an inflection point — speech recognition that is more useful than typing.

Not only will Apple (using Google's technology) transform search on a mobile, but imagine the other applications that will change with this speech recognition technology (text messaging, email, location based services).

(second transformation)
In addition to transforming the way we use a mobile phone, Apple also disrupted the entire remote device space, when they incorporated sensing technology (accelerometer).

What other industries will benefit from this?

Energy Efficiency And Grid Reliability Represent $65 Billion Market

Lux Research report predicts that focus energy efficiency and grid reliability will drive a $65 billion market opportunity in 2013.

The advent of distributed generation, distributed storage, and distributed intelligence will change power infrastructure into an intelligent and more nimble power web, according to a new report from Lux Research, "Alternative Power and Energy Storage State of the Market Q4 2008: Weaving the $65 Billion Power Web.

"Smart grid technologies, like advanced metering infrastructure and demand response services, will enable the transformation of the current grid to a more reliable and intelligent power web," said Ying Wu, Senior Analyst at Lux Research.

More on demand response and smart meter

Comcast Rolls Out Extreme Broadband..But Who Can Afford It?

If you roll it out, with they buy it?

As consumers cut back on unnecessary expenditures, I can't help but think that Comcast's extremely expensive broadband service will receive a lukewarm reception.

Comcast to Roll Out Extreme 50 Mbps

Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services, today announced it is making the leap from broadband to wideband with the launch of next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

* Extreme 50, offering up to 50 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 10 Mbps of upstream speed at $139.95/month.*
* Ultra, offering up to 22 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 5 Mbps of upstream speed at $62.95/month.*


To see what broadband speeds you're really getting (as opposed to what they advertise) do a free test at www.speedtest.net

The eBay Of Working Capital

Recession and tight credit markets create a new way for businesses to tap cash. By selling outstanding receivables, much needed financing is available without resorting to vulture financing.

eBay of working capital

What kind of impact will this financing method have on balance sheets?

Will this put pressure on banks to lend, or will they too get into this business?

The First Type Of Ecommerce Using TV Remote Control?

What other order menus do you see cable companies inserting in shows?

Dominos and TiVo Hook Up For Remote Control Ordering

Users can also access the Dominos site through any number of entry points -- Gold Star sponsorship, program placements, interactive tags in live TV spots, and through Music, Photos, Products & More by clicking on "Order Your Pizza" -- and manually enter an address and pizza order. Users will also be able to track their pizzas, according to Domino's.