Web 2.0: Confabb Provides Directory And Ratings For Conferences
Most Web sites for conferences are pretty poorly designed. Simple tasks, like scrutinizing the schedule or finding the show hotel, take too long and are too painful to accomplish. That's one of the problems that Confabb, a directory, rating service, and social network for conferences, is looking to solve. I met with Confabb at Web 2.0 Expo, and got the lowdown from the company chairman.

Not Just About Code, Part 2
The hardest part about open source isn't the code -- it's the community.  Examples of this come up all the time, with Sun being one that has come up a good deal lately -- not just because of its acquisition of MySQL (which I'm still fairly positive about), but the way perceptions of its behavior can affect its acceptance.  Even if you do the right thing, it needs to also look like you're doing the right thing.

Microsoft's Third Quarter Results: Uncollapsed
For a company whose cash cow is supposed to be collapsing, Microsoft seems pretty chipper. A pretty good third quarter shows that reports of Microsoft's demise are somewhat premature. Even the weak U.S. economy worked to Microsoft's advantage this past quarter.

Is AT&T Sitting On The 3G BlackBerry Launch?
Some interesting reports are surfacing of late that suggest AT&T is delaying the launch of the BlackBerry 9000 from June to August. The BlackBerry 9000 has been floating around Internet rumor sites for months, and is said to be the next-generation device from RIM complete with 3G. I'll give you one guess as to why AT&T might delay it.

Google Uses Its Googley Eyes When It Comes To Design
Does Google's design language do anything for you? Do you find the cleanliness of its sites pleasing to the eye? Or do the white spaces and primary colors drive you nuts? Even though it looks like some Google sites were designed by a kid with crayons, there's a method to the madness.

First Impression: FriendFeed Is The Social Network For Power Users
FriendFeed is absent in body from Web 2.0 Expo this week, but present in spirit. It's coming up quite a bit in conversation, even though the company isn't exhibiting or speaking here. FriendFeed is a social network for power users -- it aggregates feeds from your Twitter account, blog, Flickr, LinkedIn, and 31 other types of social services and presents them in a single feed for your friends to read. I decided to give FriendFeed a try and share my first impressions with you.

Desperately Seeking: Green Tips And Tricks (Big Or Small) That You Think Can Make A Difference
We're just a few days away from Energy Camp, which we're holding on the day before Interop in Las Vegas. We've got close to 100 people signed up and we're anticipating quite a few walk-ins. So, we're on target in terms of the event's size and intimacy. But even if you don't plan to be there, I've established a way for you to participate virtually by sharing your own energy saving tips and tricks (or just green tips in general). I'm calling it Ways To Save The Earth and it was inspired by some school kids in Massachusetts. Regardless of whether it's big or small, if you've dreamed up a green idea that you think can make a difference ...

White House Staffers' BlackBerrys Stolen Five-Finger-Discount Style
This story is disturbing. In what was described as a "common practice," White House staff and others attending a meeting with President Bush left their BlackBerrys sitting unattended on a table outside the meeting room. With the meeting in progress, a Mexican press attaché decided to lift six or seven of them and make a run for it. Thankfully, the Secret Service was able to catch him before he got too far. What I want to know is, what are government BlackBerrys doing sitting on an unprotected table?

Controlling Content In A Social Publishing World
I read this PC World story and I couldn't help but think how indicative it is of the typical command and control mentality within enterprises. I know there's a balance between fighting the external social network (SoNet) effect and creating a corporate one of your own. With all the technology, horsepower, and APIs gone wild, shouldn't we be able to figure out how to create some harmony between the two?

Quick! Unplug Your Internet Connection!
According to the security vendor Sophos, one Web page is infected with malicious software every five seconds. Yeah, but it's probably mom-and-pop and porn Web sites with all of the infections, you say. Think again.

Improving Operational Efficiency and Business Performance in Midsize Retailers
This webcast reveals the new challenges facing today's mid size retailer.

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