Omar Hamoui sold his company AdMob today for $750M. That’s nice, but the stories behind the story is even more impressive. Read more on WSJ in The wisdom of Omar Hamoui here.
Here is an interview Robert Scoble did with him a few years ago:
Most impressive? Sequoia added a picture of the guy on their home page. Wow.
Video #1:
In this clip we hit up the GDGT Launch Meetup party to find out what the coolest tech and gadget gifts are for 2009, and chat briefly with company founders Peter Rojas and Ryan Block.
Video #2:
In this clip we get a peek at the latest in the Blackberry Curve family with a look at the new 8520 smartphone. I also asked Blackberry about the Apple iPhone rivalry is affecting them, though it’s worth noting Blackberry’s sales since the iPhone launched have soared exponentially.
Video #3:
In this clip we check out the 2009 GDGT Launch Meetup to get up to date on the latest tech gadgets including head-mounted HD camera (Contour HD), printers and portable TV.
Video #4:
In this clip we talk with a Playstation fanatic for his top 5 games and Al De Leon from Sony Playstation to find out whats in store for the PSP in 2010.
This weekend, we uploaded a hilarious video from 1993 on Internet. Today, we travel back in time and look at cell phones:
From MSNBC:
Now that Apple has once again passed Google in market value, can the consumer-electronics maker maintain its lead?
While Apple’s capitalization has risen above that of Google for short bursts in the past, it has remained higher since July 22. As of Aug. 11, Apple was worth $145.87 billion, compared with Google’s $143.40 billion. This could be a momentary shift in Wall Street’s whims — like when Cisco Systems briefly surpassed Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable company in 2000.
More likely, Apple has more solidly unseated Google as tech’s No. 2 powerhouse and is now on track to one day challenge Microsoft for the crown. While both Apple and Google are likely to remain highly valuable in the coming years, there’s reason to believe that Apple may outshine Google in the eyes of investors.
A couple of pieces I wrote ages ago:
- Google is 21st Century’s Monopoly
- Will Google Surpass MSFT’s Value by 2010?
- Will Google Become World’s First Trillion Dollar Market Cap Company?
Maybe I should look into Apple’s odds?
It is astounding that eBay forked over $3B for Skype and didn’t actually buy Skype’s underlying technology.
It is amazing that they didn’t realize this and outright criminal that they didn’t get a fully-paid, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive (exclusive for the purposes of international calling) license.
Om Malik has all of the links you need:
- Skype Founders suggest they still own underlying technology to Skype
- Will Joltid turn eBay’s planned Skype IPO into a nightmare?
- Why eBay Should Accept Skype Founders’ Buyout Offer.
Now this will probably get settled one way or another, and as a non-Skype user, non-eBay shareholder, I don’t really care either way.
But a few points:
- this proves that just because you hire expensive lawyers doesn’t mean anything.
- One more example of upward failing, and to think this woman, Meg Whitman, could have been our Treasury secretary. I am sorry how wonderful Ms. Whitman was, this was done on her watch and it’s just appaling in terms of botched due diligence.
- With all due respect to Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, you have to wonder, will anyone ever buy a company from them again? I mean, sure Viacom/CBS and a number of VCs invested in their next venture Joost (hmm… is there such a thing as karma?), but this was before this bit of news was out. Ultimately, I am not sure I would have a lot of comfort and confidence doing a deal with these guys.
Plush puppies have been popping up all over the streets of Ontario as part of a promotion to raise awareness of the opening of new Fido locations.
“Fido’s lost puppies await a sympathetic soul to bring them home in a new campaign promoting the opening of new Fido locations across Ontario. In the guerilla marketing stunt, little stuffed Fidos are abandoned in high-traffic locations like bus shelter and parks within a kilometre radius of a new store, the openings of which will unroll through October.”- Melita Kuburas.
If Michael Arrington and his gang of crazies managed to actually build this darn thing, then yes, this puts Tech Crunch into a whole other sphere of accomplishments.
To put this into context, back in 2008, they put out the call.
It’s one thing to build a successful rag that covers other companies and bears influence (as is: it’s tough enough), but to build an actual product from clunky materials and make them come together into something resembling this:
… let alone working, would be quite the feat.
Image courtesy of the hacks at Gizmodo. And yes, we mean hacks in a nice way, as in “man, that Michael Jordan is suck a hack!”
Everyone was clamoring today about how Apple surpassed Google in market cap today.
In all fairness, indeed, when measured by market capitalization (shares outstanding x share price), that is true.
But while Google has $12.7B in cash on its balance sheet, Apple has a whopping $20.7B. In fact, in 2009, it’s expected that Apple will have $30B in cash, and by 2010 might even surpass MSFT’s cash hoard.
What does this mean? Well, not much, other than the fact that when measured by enterprise value (market cap less cash plus debt), Apple trails Google $135.79B to $145.31B.
Over time, I don’t doubt that Apple can continue to see both its market cap and enterprise value grow, and eventually surpass Google’s. Google remains a one-trick pony (search/AdSense) whereas Apple now has computers, music players and phones to boost its growth rate… no wonder Eric Schmidt et al. are so hellbent on video and wireless.
One of the things that strikes me as odd (from a trying to please users perspective, not so much from a technology or business perspective) is Apple CEO’s Steve Jobs’ reluctance to enable flash on the iPhone.
Naturally, with flash being ubiquitous in online video, and the iPhone become a increasingly important piece of the wireless entertainment landscape, it was a matter of time before someone looked at converting flash for the iPhone.
Enter Episodic, who did just that. Thanks to their help, check out WatchMojo.com’s videos here, enjoy and send me feedback. Note the URL http://iphone.episodic.com/watchmojo is available via iPhone only… in a web browser nothing will show up. If getting WatchMojo.com on your wireless device isn’t a reason to swap your current phone for an iPhone, I don’t know what is. Jokes aside, you have to wonder, is Jobs being wise by not enabling flash on the iPhone?
PLAY
