Author: Jeff Morgan (Page 80 of 168)

      Etsy founder Rob Kalin resumes control

      December 21, 2009 /

      Etsy founder Rob Kalin.Etsy founder Rob Kalin wrote in a blog post today that he will resume his position as CEO of the handmade site as the company has started to turn a profit. Etsy’s current CEO, Maria Thomas, who came to the site from NPR to help it make some money, will be headed for greener pastures.

      Etsy’s not just turning a profit now, it’s blowing up. The site has grown from more than $100 million in sales in 2008 and 1.7 million unique US visitors to nearly $200 million in sales and 3.4 million unique US visitors. Worldwide the site gets some 11 million unique visitors per month.

      As young as Kalin is, a lot of people wondered if he would be looking for another CEO. He responded to TechCrunch saying, “I’ll be CEO as long as it’s good for Etsy.” Now that the site is making some money, and has some potential for ad revenue, I’d say Kalin should be fine.

      News, Websites

      Has Apple already scheduled WWDC 2010?

      December 21, 2009 /

      Moscone Center in San Francisco.AppleInsider is reporting that Apple may have already locked in dates for WWDC 2010. A calendar listing at the Moscone Center in San Francisco shows a “Corporate Event” from June 28th to July 2nd, a name that has designated Apple events in the past.

      The date also coincides with the launch of the original iPhone. Since that launch, Apple has made major iPhone announcements at each consecutive WWDC. The rumor this year is that we’ll finally see the phone make the jump to multiple carriers in the US, though it’s not clear who that could be. Most people think Verizon, but the CDMA standard is not exactly iPhone friendly. T-Mobile would be a much easier choice, but it’s also much smaller.

      You can’t make mention of WWDC without bringing up the iPhone SDK conference that happens some time in March. Think we’ll see OS 4.0?

      Apple, iPhone, Mobile, News

      Reading Material: Will mobile web kill off the App Store

      December 21, 2009 /

      Cute little Fennec.There’s an interesting article up on Wired this weekend that’s worth a look if you have the time. The focus of the story is Fennec, Mozilla’s new mobile browser. It’s meant to be the closest thing to a desktop browser you can get for a mobile device, replete with features that have to date required native apps to work. Features like full Java and HTML5 support.

      That kind of flexibility is great for developers and users, but it’s a promise we’ve seen before. Remember that Java pitch from so long ago? Java was supposed to be the great equalizer, allowing one string of code regardless of machine. Different hardware capability and Java versions meant that never happened, and ambitious developers spent more time debugging than adding new features.

      It’s hard to say whether things could be different this time around. It could be fantastic for consumers, leaving us to make the choice between PC and Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360, Android or the iPhone based on more than just native Facebook support, or whatever else becomes the flavor of the month.

      Check out the full article on Wired.

      Mobile, Websites

      Nook owners will be happy with the “holiday certificate”

      December 20, 2009 /

      Barnes and Noble nook.In a post regarding Nook delays yesterday I mentioned the Barnes & Noble holiday certificate, a gift card that would be sent to Nook pre-orderers who wouldn’t receive the device by Christmas. There was also some talk of a $10 gift card. Believe me, you want the holiday certificate.

      A reader over at The Consumerist emailed in the image he received from Barnes & Noble this week. It included the following information:

      If for whatever reason we are not able to ship your Nook in time for arrival by December 24th, with our sincerest apologies, we will send you an email notification on December 23rd with a $100 Barnes&Noble.com Online Gift Certificate to use as you wish at BN.com, including for eBooks that can be enjoyed immediately on your devices enabled with free Barnes & Noble eReader software, and soon, your Nook.

      Yup. A hundred big ones for your patience. All you people bitching about canceling your pre-order should shut up and enjoy at least ten free books. For me, this would completely make up for any kind of “lost time” associated with the delay.

      Source: The Consumerist

      Computers, Digital Media, News

      More Nook shipments pushed back

      December 19, 2009 /

      Nook won't be home for Christmas.There seems to be a never ending string of delays associated with Nook shipments. Barnes and Noble’s Mary Ellen Keating, the senior VP of corporate communications and public affairs, has confirmed to TechCrunch that more shipments have indeed been delayed. It seems the company will be offering a holiday gift cretificate and a $10 gift card (maybe not both to every customer) to assuage the anger of affected customers.

      I’m amazed B&N couldn’t see this coming. The company made a huge deal about the announcement and for good reason. The device is cool, much better than a Kindle, and it previewed some features that Amazon later copied for Kindle users. So why so many problems? A commenter over at TechCrunch ordered his device on November 12th. That’s a two-month delay without much notice.

      The worst part of the story is that B&N had to know this was coming, but it chose to delay giving customers information until a week before Christmas in some cases. That’s pretty terrible PR, regardless of how good the device turns out to be.

      Computers, News

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