Mark - Did Conficker start in China?

I'm sure many of you have heard about the virus going around called "Conficker". It was believed that this virus had originated from either Europe or Russia, but there is now a new rumor that the virus code is very similar to the Nimda virus that occurred in 2001. The Nimda virus had supposedly been developed in China, so now there is now reason to believe that their might be some connection between the two viruses because of the similar code that was used. Even with this rumor, officials have still not been able to locate the creator of this virus, but at least now they have some assistance in narrowing down where to block the return of the virus. Make sure you all delete your cookies and don't open any strange emails!

More on this article

Connie - Google to offer free music downloads in China

I found an interesting news item today about Google and Chinda. Apparently, Google and the major music labels have found an alternative way to monetise digital music: advertising.

Google has announced that Chinese users of its search engine will be able to download around 350,000 songs from partners EMI, Sony, Warner and Universal - all free, licensed and legal.
Revenue will be generated for the service from advertising, which Google will in turn share with the four major record labels.

According to the article, the deal will not be replicated in other countries. One wonders if this will eventually be offered in other countires.

To read the rest of the article, click on this link:

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/google-offer-free-music-downloads-china-96591

Shane - Google in China

Through a previous class I had learned about Google's entry into China and the many troubles they were having after doing so. Google, as most people know, promote themselves as being the most complete search of the information you are looking for on the web. China, however, has the most control over information that its occupants receive than any other country. The trouble they had was that if they didn't enter the Chinese market they were missing out on a huge piece of the worlds population. However if they were to enter the Chinese market the Chinese government was only going to allow them to display certain content that they deemed appropriate. In doing so they would be going against their mission statement and what they stand for. Read more through the link...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4645596.stm

Denis - Legal and Ethical Aspects of the Internet

The Internet allows consumers, businesses, and industry to do many new things in unique and efficient ways. The technology around which it is built is also changing and advancing rapidly. A source of concern is that the legal and ethical developments regarding the Internet are not able to keep up with the fast pace of technological change.

http://www.tekxam.com/StudyGuide/concepts/Ethics-and-Legal/TekXam_Legal_and_Ethical_Study_Guide.html

This website is a tutorial that touches on the main areas of legal and ethical concern that have emerged so far, the ways in which they are being dealt with, and the implications for providers of technology related services and products.

Drew-Foreign markets tough for YouTube

I checked out the article Mark posted and found some more about the block of YouTube in China. The heavy internet regulation isn't only in China. It seems like the moment that the government finds something in a website offensive there isn't much evaluation and the entire site is banned. The article went on to talk about the control countries want but don't have over websites like YouTube because they are foreign. In China a big competitor of YouTube is tuduo.com, which the government doesn't mind because they can regulate it. This makes it hard for Internet sites and companies to break into that huge market. I can't say I feel too bad for these huge companies but more so for the citizens. This isn't just in China either. Companies are trying to penetrate markets around the globe that have emergent Internet use but are having difficulty in some places. YouTube isn't only blocked and/or regulated in China but also in Thailand, Pakistan, Turkey, and Germany.

Kerry- Google and Behavioral Advertising

In this article it talks about how Google has introduced a new type of behavioral ad target with YouTube and their partner site AdSense advertising network. What happens is when a websurfer goes on to YouTube and AdSense websites it shows them pages they pursued in the past. So say someone searched baseball on the YouTube website when they go back an ad would be generated towards your previous search regarding baseball. Google has programs for websurfers to opt out of having ads populate based on their search. But for the time being this function could only be used by certain internet explorers and you would have to opt out on all your computers. The Center for Democracy and Technology wants major websites to create an industry wide opt out of all interest advertising.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/11/google_behavioral_advertising/

Liz - ethical & legal issues

http://pwebs.net/marketing/ethics/articles/internetethics.htm
In light of how the Internet is a major part of the daily life for all of us, I found this website very interesting. Blogs, photos, email, anything online is forever in cyberspace. Does Facebook own our pictures once we post them? Who actually owns our words when we post online? The internet is free range for anyone looking. From a business perspective, what is posted online about the company, whether it is through a blog or the company's website, is crucial to its reputation. The company site must make sure that it contains correct information so as to avoid any legal issues and misguided (unethical) marketing. We hear of spyware that invades our email accounts or businesses selling our cell phone numbers. I think we will continue to see more legal action against and to prevent these actions. Just last year an Az man violated Washington’s Computer Spyware Act and Consumer Protection Act when he bombarded people's computers with ads and them presented them w/a software that would block the ads, which when downloaded turned their computers into spamming machines. http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?id=19416

Kristin- New York Times 10 Rules of Blogging

The success and take off of blogging as a phenomenon may be due largely to the fact that there really are no rules or regulations. People can create a blog and really write whatever they want. It seems odd that there are no restrictions really set into place yet. While I'm sure some companies have experience some troubles with their employees blogging (perhaps unfavorably) about the company, to date you don't really hear about any major troubles or disturbances brought about by blogging. Blogging right now is really a entity for people to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly and freely; both good and bad. I can foresee in the future that either the government or companies will put into place rules and regulations for blogging. There is going to be that one person who pushes the envelope too far and ruins it for everyone. Below is a article that better bullet points the New York Times article discussing the 10 rules for blogging. Even these rules are very vague and many common sense for now.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-timess-10-rules-for-blogging-2009-3

Sue H--Revised guidelines for BT

Behavioral targeting has been around for several years, but has recently been receiving increased attention. One of the biggest worries about BT is privacy issues. The Federal Trade Commission recently revised guidelines for behavioral targeting (February 12th) requiring websites to disclose the data they are collecting to their users and give them a chance to opt out. Behavioral targeting in a nutshell is an advertising practice in which a marketer targets ads to consumers based on their past online activity. Privacy advocates feel the new guidelines do not go far enough to protect the consumer, saying it places too heavy a burden on consumers because hundreds of sites are collecting personal information, and the average online user would be easily overwhelmed. Consumer advocacy groups were also concerned about certain categories of information--such as genetics--being used improperly and asked that these areas be entirely off limits. On the flip side Google and Yahoo praised the new guidelines, which do not require either company to change any of their current practices in regards to information gathering.

Mark - Mobile marketing & China vs. YouTube

I came across this article about a public mobile campaign sponsored by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America that I thought was real interesting. The campaign targets parents that might have a hard time and not exactly sure how to talk to their kids about drugs. With the everyday use of cell phones in today's society, I thought this was a brilliant idea. Banner ads are displayed across mobile websites on cell phones, linking users to different tools that can be used to educate them and their children, as well as provide advice on communication about this topic.

More on this mobile marketing campaign

Well, China's at it again, taking away many of the freedoms that us Americans might take for granted. The Chinese government announced today that they were going to block access to the popular Internet site YouTube.com, and not with much reason. There are rumors that one of the reasons this was done was because of a video that was displayed on YouTube.com that showed Tibetan prisoners being attacked by Chinese policemen. I understand how this would cause great concern, but to limit all access? That seems a little ridiculous. Why can't they just block and remove this video from the site like they do with other video clips?

More on China and YouTube

Krista- Twitter can get your fired

I found this story about a guy who was offered a job at Cisco but then bad-mouthed it on Twitter. Cisco found his tweet and now he's out of a job. It says that HR Depts in the near future will have to overlook some of the online faux pas that seem to be occuring more frequently. There were a few other examples of politicians who disclosed (what seems like classified information) but didn't get fired.

But I guess the question is where is the line drawn between your social and professional lives?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29796962/

It also mentioned Twitter is much quicker than Facebook on getting info out so therefore it's quicker to get your fired.

Connie - Blogger's Code of Ethics

When it comes to blogging, I really did not think that people needed to follow any guidelines. But there are come people who feel that bloggers "should recognize that they are publishing words publicly, and therefore have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general."

CyberJournalist.net went so far as to create a model Bloggers' Code of Ethics, by modifying the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics for the Weblog world. These are just guidelines but not something bloggers need to follow.

CyberJournalist says bloggers should be honest and fair (identify and link to sources), minimize harm (show good taste), and be accountable (admit mistakes).

Personally, I just think bloggers should watch what they say - you never know who is going to be reading your blog.

To read the full post about the Code of Ethics, click on this link:
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000215.php

I started my own blog page

And have already blogged it up....

Spent hours trying to figure out blogging -- blogspot was, by far, the most helpful. the "Doing it right" chapter of the book starts out with "...techniques and guidelines that have worked for other successful bloggers." So I followed their advice: I looked for blogs on bloglines (it took me an hour just to figure out how to set up an account and then figure out how to search for what I was interested, hint: my interests were not represented in the top 1000 blogs: I am not particularly interested in more news (is there any good news these days???) And anyway, the ones I was interested in - -one or two design blogs -- I tried to add to my feed but I have no idea if I did it right, or if I'll get the RSS feed -- yes the Really Simple Syndication that I couldn't figure out.

I guess what I'm saying is that the technical sites the authors of Naked Conversations sent us to are useless to those with a vocab deficit like me. Blospot on the other hand -- its almost as easy as AdWords Starter edition. The page isn't what I want it to eventually look like, but I feel confident enough to try my hand at it on another day. And isn't that what it's all about? When you create a how-to, you want it to be simple enough for people to follow, it builds confidence and interest, and that keeps your audience coming back. Who knows, maybe I'll try a little html tomorrow.

So here's my blogspot -- leave me a note! http://kissutissue.blogspot.com/
And, by the way, how do people find out about your blog other than sending them an invite via e-mail? Is it really just through the links you leave and key words you use in writing your blog? That does seem a bit far fetched...

David- Why Blog

In reading an article from theatlantic.com the guy stated that "We bloggers have scant opportunity to collect our thoughts, to wait until events have settled and a clear pattern emerges". Bloggers obviously blog to give an option on particular topics and at times many conversations can come out of it. For example when Chris Brown hit Rhianna many people gave there suggestions and commented on what should be done and why. I personally disagree with a man putting his hands on a female just not cool and unacceptable. When endorsements were taken from him I agreed with that. If Michael Phelps got suspended for something he did that came to light a few months later then Chris Brown should of been punished as well. I see blogging as a way to express what you feel and see what others feel on the particular topic as well.





http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/andrew-sullivan-why-i-blog

Shane - A new way of communicating

Communication has no doubt evolved over the past several years. Telephones, both land and cellular, revolutionized the way people communicate with each other. Blogs have done much of the same thing. What seems to be one of the easiest forms of communication paths, blogging is able to make information available to mass amounts of people worldwide. While blogging has taken off on a personal route, businesses now depend upon blogs for generating traffic to their company. Since direct contact with a person is not required to gain the, often personal, information blogs set forth they are increasingly popular for those who wish to gain information from a company with a "no strings attached" frame of mind. It has widened the information gateway.

Kristen - Blogging and Sacred Heart

As you all probably know, blogging has become an influential part of business today. We write blogs for classes, companies use blogs to keep customers up to date and even celebrities in the entertainment industry use blogs to keep fans "in the loop" with their current projects. I work in the Undergraduate Admissions office at Sacred Heart and we especially use blogs to keep our prospective students up to date with things that we are doing. We use a bunch of current students, faculty and staff members to keep these blogs running and have had a decent amount of hits to the blogs, especially as we near the beginning of deposit time to gain our incoming class.

Denis - YouTube had been blocked for nearly a year in Turkey

The row began when a Turkish judge ordered telecom providers to block access to the site because it was carrying videos that insulted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, which is a criminal offence in the country. Turkish prosecutors then objected to dozens of other videos allegedly attacking Ataturk or "Turkishnesss" or promoting Kurds. Google agreed to block videos that were illegal in Turkey so that they could not be viewed in Turkey. When, last June, a Turkish prosecutor demanded they be blocked worldwide, Google refused and the Government blocked access to the whole site.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/07/news/turkey.php

Sue H--Digital Mom report

I recently saw a report on the Today show about digital moms that caught my attention(being the mom of an active 11-yr old).  The report examines the the role of digital technology in modern moms.  Some of the findings were very interesting and got me thinking abou the ways modern technological changes have influenced my parenting.  I check my daughter's school website for any up-to-the-minute announcements, also all her sports activities are online. Her school just implemented an automatic emergency response system, which,when activated, dials parents from a computer to alert them of early closings, delays, or if there were an emergency situation in the school.  The report did mention  moms with children 12 or older are more likely to use social media and text messaging, and instant messaging. The report went on to see what a unique opportunity this was for marketers to utilize  these channels to facilitate conversations among moms and influence decision making.  A quote from the article states, "Among digital moms, the gap is closing between TV and other channels in creating initial awareness about products.  Marketers should consider the relative influence of each channel when determinimg how, when, and where to reach digital moms."

Drew- Will blog for money

I searched blogging on Google and in the suggestions that came up were, among other things, blogging sites, software, tips, project runway(?). The one that was most interesting to me was blogging jobs. The amount of websites that came up that were dedicated to finding and providing blogging jobs was surprising. Despite it being a tough time to find a job it seemed like there were about a million blog jobs out there. All different kinds of companies are looking for bloggers for a variety things. Some of the job descriptions described things that could be directly related to naked conversations. The other thing that was great was that plenty of the jobs were part/full time from home or even simply on a pay-per-blog basis. With a little extra time and plenty of digital marketing we could make some dough.

Is somebody watching you?

Many online companies have developed tools that can track every click a person makes, which articles they read, which advertisements they click, the purchases they make, the length of time on a page, and more. This has brought up privacy issues. Should this be self regulated? Or state and/or federally regulated? It is definitely great to see ads on the pages you look through that pertain to your interests. But to have a company know what should purchase? Now, that’s a different story.

I found an article from the FTC, dated back to February 12th, about the issuance of a report describing their ongoing examination of online behavioral advertising. It describes both the advantages and disadvantages of behavioral advertising to consumers.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/02/behavad.shtm

Liz - Google and China

TIME Magazine has some great articles on China and the Internet. I thought the following was interesting - it was pulled from the article, "A Brief History of Chinese Internet Censorship" dated 3/18/09 (link is below) ...

"A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 80% of Chinese think the Internet should be managed or controlled, and 85% think the government should be responsible for doing it."

The Pew Research Center is based out of Washington DC, but were those results filtered like everything else coming out of and going in to China? Did they alter their numbers to advocate what they do? You run the risk of arrest if you go against the Chinese government. The citizens of China are getting access to a greater amount of worldwide news even with the censorship and the existence of the Great Firewall of China. As Google puts it, "offering a limited set of information in China is better than no information at all." I guess something is better than nothing, but talk about Big Brother - most of the time people have to give up personal information to gain access to the internet.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1885961,00.html

I found this article "Secreets to Building a popular blog" on www.doshdosh.com

"The success of a blog often depends on its audience size." So the articles #1 advice is to have a core audience of supporters. The circulation of your blog outweighs the content. Blog readership = word of mouth marketing.

3 Strategies for builing a core audience
1. Power networking- make sure your blog offers value to the intented party w/o requesting something in return. Stay on the radar by blogging often and encourage discussions with and amongst readers
2. Content Syndication - include guest bloggings, recommendations and links
3. Use social media websites as a distribution channel like Digg or Reddit

Mark - Engadget and the wimpy guy

I thought this was an interesting blog. I had never heard of it before, but Engadget is a blog that discusses and talks all about customer electronics. From what I have read, this blog constantly updates itself with the most current information on customer electronics today. This is great for customers who are doing research and maybe thinking about buying a particular electronic product, because chances are, it has been discussed on this blog. Even for those of us who enjoy looking at this stuff, it's a great blog to browse through.

Engadget's blog

I also came across one guy's blog who doesn't like Engadget because they update their information so frequently. I guess this isn't a good thing if your a competitor in the same market, and trying to bring customer electronic product information to viewers faster. For everyone else, it's great!

Check out this guys blog and how upset he is

Kristin- Top 25

This site features the top 25 blogs for March 2009

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=most+popular+blog+sites&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebizmba.com%2Farticles%2Fblogs

When checking out this list I have heard of many of those mentioned. One that caught my eye was PerezHilton.com. For those of you who don't know...PerezHilton is a blog site created by a man by the name of Mario Armando Lavandeira. On his blog he writes under a pseudonym of Perez Hilton. He has gained an almost celebrity like personality through his blog. He posts gossip items about musicians, actors, and celebrities. For those of you(like me) who are gossip junkies this website is a dream come true. He updates his blog multiple times a day to keep everyone informed on the latest gossip around Hollywood. His blog has garnered both positive and negative attention for its brash attitude, and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media. It's amazing to me how this man has become a celebrity in his own right just from his blog. Perez and his outlandish styles are often present around Hollywood. Below are just a few of his crazy styles. To check out his site go to...

http://www.perezhilton.com/

Connie - Social networks more popular than email

I found an interesting article on Usatoday.com about social networking and blogging. According to a Nielsen Company report, they are both more popular than e-mailing.

Nielsen Online examined nine global markets. Among these, penetration for social networks and blogs was highest in Brazil where 80% of the online audience visited such sites. That compares to 75% for runner-up Spain and 67% for the USA. As the most popular social network globally, Facebook is visited monthly by three in 10 people across the markets in the report.

To read the article, click on this link:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/03/social-networks.html

Kerry- Blogging your way into a Job

I came across this article from Forbes on how blogging could help you get a new job. This article gives you tips on how to become a successful blogger in your profession or industry. If you have the ability to blog it could give you the edge in an interview or in even in your current job. You should keep your blog to about 500 words when commenting on industry news or new trends. It gives you tips on how to get your blog recognized in a search. There are 3 websites that are mentioned in the article to help you start your own blog. The article also gives you tips on how often you should update your blog after you found a new job.


http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/blog-jobs-start-leadership-careers-networking.html

Shane - An Apple a day...

I learned from my presentation the other week that very few people in our class do not own an iPod or an iPhone. It's amazing to me that one company could have such an influence on society that they made their product a standard. A visit to any gym would reveal an iPod in almost every gym-goers hand. They have turned a laptop into a "green" attraction by making it earth friendly. Who knew a laptop could be earth friendly! By using recyclable products to produce the laptop and adding a battery that lasts twice as long as its previous version with a life cycle of over 1,000 charges they have managed to come out on top of the market yet again, despite the increasing pressure of caring for the earth. Apple seems to consistently come up with "must-have" gadgets that grab my attention almost every day. I've mentioned before that I am an advertisers dream. If it looks really good on a commercial I can't get it out of my head. My roommate has an iPhone and it amazes me the "apps" he has on his phone. There's an app that he can set to "ring" his phone as if someone is calling that he sets for a certain time should he need an excuse to get out of a situation or conversation. The commercial currently running that turns the phone into a level is a perfect example. Turning a phone into an actual tool. Now that's innovation.

Drew-Despite tough times Apple isn't going anywhere

It would be tough to say that Apple is struggling but with the current economic conditions they aren't doing quite as well as usual. I read a few articles in the WSJ about how they are examining their pricing strategy to stimulate their business. In some respects they do have some good price cuts but for other products it's vastly different experts say. The end of last year for them was not good just like everyone else and it might be a bit tougher because they do charge a premium price and is not so appealing with everyone's wallets hurting. I also read an article that talked about certain speculations of layoffs but is apparently rumors based on a few conclusions drawn. The biggest reason was that according to laws in California they have to report a mass layoff to the state before its done. Both were pretty interesting articles and although they might be hurting a bit, it is evident that Apple isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Check it:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123609470232119461.html
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/03/03/layoffs-at-apple-unlikely/

PS

I still use my GPS when I'm in delivery mode. And I know I sound old-fashioned, but it is a really good thing to put down the apps and explore the world at least for some part of everyday. you'll never be where you are right now again. Or now. Or now.

Amy & Apple

I am proud to say that I had (and still have -- maybe I'll bring it tonight) a mac from the first year it was available; however, after it chewed-up and spit out my 65 page (without end notes) thesis I switched to PCs, and it's been up and down ever since -- but generally not a disaster.

My daughters both use Apple computers and swear by them, but it really wasn't until a friend of mine illuminated the incredible benefits of Apple computers that I started to think about a switch. Wilson built and launched his entire website www.eyedit.tv and he's my age....he composed the animation that serves as my website splash page with his "pretty standard" Apple. www.kissutissue.com

These are all business/professional applications, and for that purpose, I might spend the extra hours trying to learn a new machine; but for regular life applications? Let me explain: I had grown to love my GPS. Then one day, it didn't work and I had to use my faculties to get myself home. At first I was panicked, and then I realized I had become lazy and dependent in a way that allowed -- even built -- distance between me and my environment. So I now view all these apps as enablers. They help make us lazy, we no longer have to explore our world, take chances, and we can have whatever we want when we want it, or so it seems.

All these apps? they just make us lazy. And while iPods seem harmless, ask a person who works with teens if they think iPods are harmless. These kids NEVER have to spend time reflecting, dealing with discomfort, or talking with anyone; they can just plug in their earbuds and they're good to go....

Sue H--Amazon to sell E-books for Apple devices

Amazon.com will soon begin selling e-books for reading on Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. Owners of these Apple devices can dowload a free application,(Kindle) from Apple's App Store which will give them full access to over 240,000 e-books for sale on Amazon. All this has happened just 1 week after Amazon shipped the updated version of its Kindle reading device--a move that may signal a growing interest in becoming a retailer of e-books. Amazon, however, has said they feel readers will use the mobile app for shorter periods, they will more readily adopt the stand-alone reading devices for reading complete novels. Amazon will also create bookmarks so that a user can stop reading a book on one device and pick it up on another device in the same spot. All these recent developments also suggest that Steve Jobs has little interest in the market for digital books. Jobs was quoted as saying "the whole conception is flawed beacause people don't read anymore." May industry analysts view Apple's skipping the e-book market as a significant sign....

Denis - Apple Inc.

I don't know about you guys, but I am just in love with apple. If I would have the money, I would buy basically all their products. I don't know if they brainwashed me...but I don't see any argument against their products, except the price sometimes.

Anyways...

There is a really good website to get info about what to expect in the future and current news. A lot is based on rumors, but it is a very serious source. I followed it for a long time now. It is a really good forecast and more.

http://www.macrumors.com/

Kristin-Not In My House!

I was recently browsing some news articles online and came across this one that I found pretty humorous. The article discusses an interview Microsoft founder, Bill Gates gave to Vogue magazine. The article mentions how Gates' house is top of the line with all the latest technology. Gates then goes on to say he absolutely does not allow Macs, iPhones, or iPods in his house. His wife and 3 children often have a hard time since most of their friends have iPods or iPhones. Gates refuses to allow his family to support his biggest competition...Apple. It seems like almost everyone these days has an iPod...guess not!

To read the article:
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/40926

Krista - Smartphones

According to NPD Group, a market research firm, 1/4 of all handsets sold in the US during Q4 '08 were smartphones, like the iPhone 3G. This is almost double the amount sold in Q4 '07.

Average prices have dropped for the iPhone- from $216 in 07 to $167 in 08. ($200 seems to be the price consumers are wililng to pay.) iPhone competitors- Blackberry Storm, T-Mobile G1 Nextel are in the same price range. High-speed data services are becoming standard on smartphones, 66% use the 3G wireless network vs 46% last year.

Verizon Wireless is running a buy one get one free special on their smartphone Storm but these deals can cut into carrier's profits. NPD Group suggest selling more accessories to increase profits.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10187024-94.html

Ritsa- iPhone applications

If anyone has an iPhone, or doesn't, I'm sure you have seen all of the applications that are available for use on the phone. There are millions. Some examples include:

• application to find where your car is parked (in case you totally lose it in the mall parking lot)
• GoodFood- best places to find eats in your neighborhood
• prescription drug search- my friend is a nurse and she has an application on her iPhone that lets her describe the pill (color, shape, size) and figure out what it is
• AreYouSafe DC- lets you know how safe you are at any given time based on your current location within the city.
• SpeedoCheck- turn your iPhone into your own handheld speedometer. like reallllly?
• BudgetCare- control your personal expenses

I guess you get my point. You can do absolutely anything from your iPhone. But unless you really want to know how fast you walk, doesn't your car have a speedometer? duh.

Kerry- Apple iPhone

The success of Apple continues to grow everyday. Apple not only has laptops and i-pods but they have made their way into the mobile business. Their mobile industry has taken off in a whole light. In the below article it shows how popular their mobile industry has come about. The iPhone has generated more web search to beat out their competitors. The Apple iPhone beat out Google Android and the Blackberry even when these mobile phones have their market shares increasing rapidly. After reading this article it made me put into perspective the growth of Apple with their increase in success. Apple is going to continue to invent new things and will somehow in some way beat their competitors. When Apple comes out with a new product they go all out.


http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-iPhone-Tops-Mobile-Web-Searches/

Mark - Apple + Mac Mini

I saw a commercial for the mac mini this morning, and it jut re-emphasized how innovative Apple is and why they continue to gain more market share. Especially with today's "green-goers", the mac mini directly targets these type of customers. Apple claims that this is the company's, as well as the world's most efficient desktop computer on the market today. It uses less than thirteen watts of power when it is sitting in idle mode, which is very beneficial because how many of us just leave our computers on when we're not in the room? I know I do all the time, because it takes so long to boot up after being shut down. These thirteen watts is about ten times less than a conventional personal computer. Again, to attract the "green goers", Apple advertises their computer with the fact that the company uses many recyclable materials, while wasting less materials on shipping, because less is used than normal. This is such a smart business strategy because Apple is doing their part to make the world more environmentally friendly, which will catch the attention of many potential customers. I have never had an Apple computer, but this is definitely a great reason to buy one.

Here's more on an article I found about the Mac Mini

Liz-Apple application

I thought this was pretty funny - you can buy a card counter application from iTunes for your iPhone or iPod Touch. The application is supposed to assist with learning and playing blackjack on the phone and also teaches you how to count cards in your head so you can "count legally ...and have a lot of fun..." Apple can say the app is for their phone all they want, but let's face it, someone (or many) is bound to try it at a casino. (they already have) Ethical business?

The Nevada Gaming Control Board issued a warning to the casinos about iPhone's card counting application, issed after gamblers in California were caught using the counter at an Indian casino.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/17/iphone_card_counter/
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aCg5OXOia80U