Author: charles

As a venture investor, one of the really difficult questions to get my hands around is this real question of the market and when it will develop. You can read lots of market reports from Gartner, IDC, or Forrester that predict the elusive $[x] billion market for technology 4-6 years in the future. Nobody believes these research reports, for the most part, but every private company that I see quotes them extensively and puts them in their slide decks. If you really think about it, though, the question of “when” a market really emerges and is addressable has very real consequences for anyone involved in cutting edge technology.

Read More “Why “the when” Matters for Cutting Edge Technology”

I am an avid video game player and am quite intrigued by what I saw from Nokia at the CTIA show in New Orleans. The N-Gage is the first real competitor that I have seen for my beloved Gameboy Advance. I was all set to purchase the Gameboy Advance SP, but the Nokia N-Gage has given me a reason to pause, at least momentatirly. The technical capabilities in these devices say a lot about where portable gaming is going…

Read More “Is the N-Gage a Gameboy Killer?”

In an otherwise dry interview with Mark Andreessen, the wunderkind of browser fame slips in a not-so-subtle dig about his particular views on converged devices and the mobile browser experience. I happen to agree with what he has to say…

Read More “Andreessen assesses browser prospects”

As a self-professed gadget geek, I often think about why it is so hard to build a great gadget that really works for a meaningful number of people. I have talked to a number of people who both invested in and supported very successful gadget companies and I think that I have identified two of the main issues that make this such a difficult space to penetrate.

Read More “Why Great Gadgets are So Hard (and expensive) to Build”

I am here at Esther Dyson’s PC Forum, an annual suaret for the high technology community. Larry Brilliant, now Vice-Chairman and former CEO of Cometa Networks spoke on a panel regarding the company’s strategy to build a wholesale network of 20,000 hotspots around the country in partnership with IBM Global Services, AT&T, and Intel.

One of Cometa’s first announcements is with McDonald’s. I initially thought that this was a bad idea, but I am beginning to rethink my position.

Read More “Is McWi-Fi a Good Idea?”

I must admit that I have come full circle on the issue of mobile gaming. Early on, I did not really believe that mobile gaming was an opportunity that would emerge in a significant way. I have come full circle and now believe that mobile gaming is a very real, near-term opportunity and potentially more lucrative than “data” in the near term.

Read More “Why Mobile Gaming is Real”

As I was writing my review of the Palm Tungsten W, which I finally got my hands on at the latest CTIA show in New Orleans, I came across this curious comment made by a Palm executive in October 2002 (several months before the product’s oficial launch):

“This is not a replacement for a mobile phone,” said Palm senior product manager David Christopher. “We don’t see people trying to use this to make a call while traveling down the highway. But if you are sitting in the airport and want to review a presentation, respond to e-mails and make a call, this would be the device for you. ”

Hmm, I am suspicious here. With a suggested retail price of $549, not counting the cost of ongoing wireless access, that sounds like a very high price for anything but a primary access device.

I am going to take it on faith that the Palm folks did not really mean what they said — they are just smart enough to have realized that these integrated devices do not represent the death of the mobile phone.

Read More “Palm Tungsten W — Disingenuous Comment?”

Yes, I know that the first two handsets reviewed on my site are Sony Ericsson offerings. Please bear with me — this will change over time. I am working through my CTIA backlog and want to address as much as I can.

I am a *huge* fan of the Sony Ericsson t68i. I am currently using this phone as a supplement to my work phone and have a number of pros and cons that I would like to point out to the interested observer:

Read More “Sony Ercisson t68i”

At the CTIA Wireless Expo I finally got a chance to play with the Sony Ericsson P800, one of the hottest new handsets on the market from the Sony Ericsson consortium. The device was pretty impressive, but there are the usual set of pros and cons:

Read More “Sony Ericsson P800”

Welcome to my new blog! I have changed hosting providers and am now using Simplehost, which is a great deal for those of you on a budget. Many thanks to my good friend Sindy Lee who got my MT site up and running in about an hour.