I have been having some very lively conversations with friends and co-investors regarding new opportunities for software investors. Overall, it looks pretty bleak. There is a real dearth of exciting packaged application vertical opportunities (there are some out there, but it isn’t my place to disclose those) at the moment and most investors that I know aren’t as interested in software that plays in niches they don’t understand. I do think, however, that this theme of “software managing software” is important for a number of reasons and we are seeing early evidence of movement in the space.
Read More “Software Managing Software — The Next Big Opportunity for Software Investors?”
All of the despair around the state of enterprise-focused information technology has obscured the fact that there are some pockets of strong growth in the broader world of information technology. I recently purchased a Minolta Dimage Xi digital camera and am astounded by the ecosystem that has emerged to support new digital camera customers.
I have been reading quite a few 
I am not sure that I can add anything to the chorus of debate surrounding AOL’s new foray into broadband services — many of the nation’s leading business publications have made this very topic a cover story. I do, however, think that some of the market pundits are missing some of the key points. AOL’s struggles to remain viable in a broadband world are not just about the shift from dial-up to broadband; the struggle is really about remaing relevant in a world where AOL’s traditional value proposition is less compelling for consumer.s
I have been testing out the Jabra FreeSpeak BT 200 Bluetooth headset to see how it works. Generally speaking, I have been pretty happy with the voice quality, the form factor, and (surprisingly) the battery life. A colleague of mine saw me using the headset and made a remark to the fact that he didn’t even know that people were still pursuing Bluetooth development. This got me to thinking about whether Bluetooth is still a relevant technology.
A lot has been written about Apple lately. The new iTunes service is a hit. The iPod has become the killer gadget for MP3 enthusiasts. A lot of people are again touting the rebirth of Apple as a cool company. Apple has always been cool. But all of these product announcements make me question whether Apple has long-term aspirations about remaining a player in the desktop computing world.
I was very excited to read that T-Mobile will finally go where no wireless carrier has been willing to go and offer both discounted Wi-Fi for existing customers and the simplicity of unified billing (for the entire article, see