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All the entries posted on October 09, 2007.
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Home > Plugged In > Archives > 2007 > October > 09
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Google buys microblogger Jaiku
The folks at Jaiku are still glowing after speaking the Web’s special three little words: “We’re joining Google.”
Jaiku, the Helsinki, Finland-based mobile social-networking provider known as the rival to Twitter, said today that Google is buying them for an undisclosed amount.
Jaiku is built around the idea of people sharing “activity streams,” which it describes as “a log of everyday things as they happen: your status messages, recommendations, events you’re attending, photos you’ve taken - anything you post directly to Jaiku or add using Web feeds.”
Some industry watchers were a bit surprised Google didn’t pick Twitter to get into the microblogging business, but noted Jaiku’s strength in mobile technology.
Given the search giant’s mixed record developing its acquisitions, what will become of Jaiku?
The companies would only say that “useful” technology is on the way.
(Image: Jaiku)
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For Verizon, sometimes less is more
The good people from Verizon Wireless dropped by the other day with a bag full of new mobile phones to show off.
They said they were launching five new phones by Thanksgiving. It’s just a coincidence that it’s the start of the holiday shopping season and that a couple of months ago, Apple and AT&T launched the iPhone and have since dropped its price.
It’s tough to top the iPhone and I’m not trying to help Verizon fight off AT&T. What I found interesting is the company acknowledges that not everyone wants an all-in-one phone, especially at $300 or $400.
Two models that fall well below that price range are worth discussing, and neither allows Internet browsing.
The company’s Coupe model is mostly a phone for the purposes of calling, although it does allow texting. The overarching feature though is the large numbers that flash on the screen when dialing is done. It’s aimed at senior citizens who have trouble seeing.
A second phone, the Juke, named for a hiphop dance and not the old-fashioned jukebox, targets young people who want to download music from their computer. It’s shaped like a disposable lighter and flips open like a switchblade.
Of course, Verizon has a model to compete with the iPhone. But I take comfort in the notion that there are still people who’ll save a little money and wait til they get home to browse the Web.
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