Blog » Archive for July, 2005

Microsoft offers Home Work Help

Uncategorized | July 28th, 2005 | 2 Comments

Taking note of this daily homework battle, Microsoft has decided to help — or at least to see whether it can make some money by addressing the problem. The software colossus has just introduced Microsoft Student 2006, designed to make it easier for middle-school and high-school students to attack homework efficiently by gathering homework resources in one place on the computer.

Yahoo! starts beefing up

Uncategorized | July 28th, 2005 | No Comments

Between Yahoo and Google, I still like the former, despite the latter’s sky-high stock prices and current halo-effect. Long time back, Microsoft won against IBM and Apple (and many others) with a Fast-Second strategy. Yahoo may not be at the fore-front of innovation anymore, but some of the properties they have - especially My Yahoo! , Yahoo! Groups, and HotJobs - could be interesting leverages, IF they spend the cycles to figure out how to take those to their true potential. Now, with the focus on better technology and usability, they can, if they fix Product Marketing next.

Perspective on Time

Uncategorized | July 27th, 2005 | No Comments

Last week, I was in Jerusalem for a day. My guide, Mishi, was a knowledgeable man with a Masters degree in comparative religion. As we walked through the streets of the old city, he walked me through 10,000 years of history - religious and political - and led me through the sites and monuments that [...]

The Personalization Potential of Konfabulator

Uncategorized | July 25th, 2005 | No Comments

Yahoo! Konfabulator should pay a lot of attention to what widgets people want, because mosquito conditions in a certain area, I am afraid, is not exactly a killer app. However, finding the right clothes from the private desktop of big, fat women may well be one!

Twenty-First Century’s Best Venture

Uncategorized | July 19th, 2005 | 5 Comments

Twenty-First Century’s best venture is the Harry Potter franchise. Starting with a great set of thrilling stories, J.K. Rowling’s marvelous boy-hero has started off a whole generation of youngsters on paths of reading, courage, friendship, adventure, and Rowling herself, on a path of great riches. Traditionally, Venture Capitalists did not finance content plays. But if you look at the numbers, one begins to wonder whether or not they should start … books, music, films, toys, games …

Starbucks and the Music Business

Uncategorized | July 19th, 2005 | No Comments

Perhaps, a natural extension would be to start having live-music and dancing at Starbucks cafes as well, with carefully selected musicians, in carefully selected musical genres!

Collin Powell & the Roadmap for John Doerr’s political career

Uncategorized | July 13th, 2005 | No Comments

Perhaps, continued hob-nobbing with the political stalwarts also starts to position John Doerr for a Cabinet level role in the not-so-distant future, especially in the Education realm!

Professor Calculus triggers an LBO?

Uncategorized | July 8th, 2005 | 3 Comments

Need Help With Calculus? Tutors Coach U.S. Students Online — From India is an article from the Wall Street Journal.
Tanu Basu lives in Boston, but when she wants extra coaching in math, the 16-year-old American gets online and spends an hour reviewing calculus with an Indian teacher who is based in a suburb of [...]