Sneaky Business

Is Murdoch After Your Family Website?

News Corporation is no stranger to social networking. After its acquisition of MySpace it holds a pretty potent position in the social scene. Not content with attracting users to his community Murdoch may now be shifting up a gear and going after individual family websites. According to Vallewag:

"This week News Corp. and NBC Universal announced that their online-video joint venture finally had a name, "Hulu". But before Hulu.com fell into Murdoch's hands, the website featured no videos at all -- just innocent pictures of a couple's 7-year-old daughter.

Copies of the Hulu.com website cached by the Internet Archive indicate that Posen and Lucy Hung previously owned the four-letter domain name, rare and valuable because of its brevity. (A person named Posen Hung works for Symbol Technologies in the Bay Area, according to LinkedIn.)"

Insiders suggest that may be just the start in a broader acquisition strategy. "We're trying to fly under the radar for a while by picking off less common names" indicated a source close to the deal, "We want to move on to the bigger names like Smith and Jones before Yahoo! and Microsoft realize what's going on."

That may be harder now that this week's acquisition became public. Microsoft has apparently set aside up to $5B for domain name acquisitions, while Google is planning to lure owners with "free advertising for life" for their family reunions.

Tapping In To The Human Network For Renewable Energy

The price of crude oil, hovering at around $70 a barrel, continues to put pressure on domestic energy bills. As consumers feel the heat, more and more companies are looking to renewable energy as the way forward. Nuclear, hydro, solar and wind energy have been the traditional favorites. However, on the back of continued advances in technology and against the backdrop of ever more challenging oil exploration, a variety of alternatives are being placed on the table.

Gizmag recently covered advances in the use of humans as a source of energy:

"A new thermoelectric system created by researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute is at the forefront of these developments - running on a miniscule 200 millivolts the device is able to create an electrical charge from body heat and could lend itself to an endless array of applications that go way beyond powering your own mobile phone."

And if this isn't enough, human-based piezoelectricity may go one step further:

"Piezoelectricity is the charge generated by certain materials when placed under stress, for example the energy generated by footsteps.  Japanese train stations are collecting the piezoelectric energy of commuters walking through the gates, and MIT is working on a “crowd farm” which would use a special floor to harness the energy created by the circulation of a large amount of people."

So will either of these promising energy sources see the light of day in the business setting? Sneaky Business convened a meeting of our technology advisory board to consider the possibilities. After much eco-friendly debate, we concluded that the following scenarios have the most promise:

• Meetings powered by nervous energy: Piezoelectric floor mats placed below a conference table and smaller devices placed inside swivel chairs capture toe-tapping and seat rocking. The energy generated from a typical six-person one hour meeting should be sufficient to power room lighting and a conference projector.
• Office "electric chair": Thermoelectric generators embedded in seat, back and arm-rests power six tilt and swivel motors. Particularly warm bodied individuals may generate sufficient energy for occasional cross floor motion (e.g. to and from the waste basket)
• Cube-based human generators: Thermoelectric "cube shoes" connect directly to in-building power grid. Rough calculations (completed near the end of a particularly grueling, and highly alcoholic advisory board session) suggest that five hundred users wearing the devices for six hours per day could power sixteen office printers, twenty five fax machines and one Macho Pop, Back Counter Popcorn Machine.
• Piezoelectric office gym: All aerobic exercise machines fitted with piezoelectric devices. Energy generated sufficient to power in room air conditioning and ambient music audio system.
• Carbon neutral PCs: Thermoelectric hand-rests and piezoelectric keyboard / mouse ensure that battery / AC requirements should be reduced by at least 50%. Optional "stress reducing" crank handle would allow users to juice up the battery during idle time in the office.

iPhone Hacks Require Patience, Skill And A Lot Of Spare Time

What's that gentle whirring noise we can hear coming from Cupertino? Could it be the unraveling of Apple's carefully crafted iPhone business plan? Well maybe, just maybe, if teenage hacker George Hotz' crafty modifications catch on. George announced Friday that he has developed the first iPhone hack that unlocks the device from the AT&T network. Specifically it allows users to place calls across rival T-Mobile's network and, potentially, to select other network operators overseas. As PC World reported:

"One blogger, George Hotz, on Friday posted a step-by-step tutorial for unlocking the iPhone that involves both hardware and software modifications. His blog also includes photos of an iPhone he said is unlocked and shows T-Mobile USA as the service provider.  "

Not content with this one, small step, other hackers have immediately jumped into the fray. Sneaky Business, through our technology advisory board, has learned of at least three additional hacks that could further revolutionize the usefulness of Apple's svelte device:

1. Hacker diretribe's mods:  Will allow the iPhone to function on at least fifteen cellular network, including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and New Brunswick Cellular. Diretribe admits that the hack requires a certain amount of skill, but should prove popular for those looking to roam freely. "You'll need to replace the motherboard, screen, casing and OS. But anyone experienced in advanced microelectronics should be able to accomplish this in around eighteen straight hours." 
2. PiratePalooza's steampunk iPhone: Hot on the heels of potential PC industry steampunk interest comes a delightful rendition of the iPhone from PiratePalooza. According to the creator, "rPhone combines three delightfully diverse products into one awkward and cumbersome handheld contraption -- a revolutionary steam-powered satellite phone, a stylish French musicbox, and a vibrasonic multi-purpose tool that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a Sonic Screwdriver."
3. Steve Pendleton's hack: Released on Sunday is said to allow the iPhone to play non-iTunes content, and to wirelessly share snippets of content with nearby users. Requires replacing the case, motherboard and memory with all major components from a Zune device. "Don't even think about calling it a ZunePhone" says Pendleton on his blog.

"ZunePhone" Not Coming To A Store Near You

A wonderful "ad" that's worth checking out if you haven't already seen it. Are they the fingers of Steve B. we can see?

Of course, such an offering could still be hampered by the iPhone business-user issues we covered in an earlier posting.

Dubai Sidesteps National Law And Bets Big On Vegas

In one of those stories that begs the question "How did they get away with that?", Dubai's state-controlled investment vehicle announced a $5B deal with MGM Mirage. This is despite the fact that gambling is officially banned in the emirate. As reported in the Guardian:

"Dubai World, which is controlled by the Middle Eastern emirate's government, is putting $2.7bn into a 76-acre resort on the Las Vegas Strip and will buy up to $2.4bn worth of MGM shares. Although an Islamic nation, Dubai is renowned for its liberal policies. But while alcohol is tolerated, gambling is strictly forbidden for the emirate's 1.4 million residents.

Dubai World's chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, brushed aside questions about the apparent conflict of attitudes by pointing out that the company had long owned a small stake in Kerzner International - the owner of the Bahamas' Paradise Island casino.

"Through our Kerzner investment we're already into gambling, so this shouldn't come as a surprise," he told the newswire service Bloomberg."

So do business relationships get much more curious than this?

Well, staying on the oil-revenue theme, here's one that should raise some eyebrows:

 

US Dependency On Foreign Oil:

Check out the most recent US government data from this year:

Crude Oil Imports (Top 15 Countries) (Thousand Barrels per Day) Country Jun-07 May-07 YTD 2007 Jun-06 Jan - June 2006 CANADA 1,852 1,821 1,843 1,799 1,763 SAUDI ARABIA 1,501 1,574 1,419 1,427 1,423 MEXICO 1,392 1,461 1,456 1,734 1,679 VENEZUELA 1,098 1,232 1,103 1,008 1,156 NIGERIA 893 882 1,021 996 1,111 IRAQ 573 341 477 617 547 ALGERIA 504 496 497 491 297 ANGOLA 502 680 568 525 448 KUWAIT 263 162 196 201 163 ECUADOR 166 201 195 288 280 LIBYA 144 33 66 110 54 COLOMBIA 143 104 108 211 169 UNITED KINGDOM 127 165 114 185 132 BRAZIL 121 152 162 107 109 GABON 101 93 72 89 52

It's good to see our American neighbors sitting pretty in the top three. And of course the UK gets some benefit from the "special relationship" - lifting it just above that oil industry powerhouse of Gabon.

But Venezuela, the well known supporter of the "devilish" Mr. Bush sitting at number 4 on the list? And how about those bastions of democracy - Angola and Libya?

Just goes to show that in a perfect market money talks louder than politics.

Don't Like Search Results? Try Suing Google

American Airlines is disappointed with the sponsored links appearing next to searches for some of its products - so it has decided to sue Google over the practice.

According to Time Magazine:

"A Google visitor who enters certain words or phrases that American trademarked — for example, Aadvantage, the name of its frequent-flier program — will get links to American's Web site but also its rivals under "sponsored links" — targeted ads that appear alongside the regular search results. Google makes most of its money from such keyword ads.

"When done right, search is a great tool, but we have a problem with this part of their business," said Billy Sanez, a spokesman for American. Sanez said the results could confuse consumers and divert customers away from American's own site."

This is not the first time that an unhappy vendor has attempted such a move. Geico made a similar claim which Google settled out of court in 2005. It is perhaps no surprise that Google has lost similar cases in France (no names available).

So where will this all end?

We performed our own search for "Sneaky Business" and were bitterly disappointed by the outcome- absolutely no sponsored links suggestions appeared. We are considering the best course of legal action to rectify this result.

Google To Capture Only Small Slice Of Expanding Search Pie

In recognition of the expanding nature of the search market, ComScore Inc. is extending its criteria for measuring the market share of such products by including results beyond the primary search engine platforms (Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft etc). The new service, described as the second generation of search measurement, was unveiled on Monday.

However, just as Google is already eyeing the potential of advertising far beyond the Web, the concept of search may also be taking a quantum leap beyond its Internet roots. Industry insiders, talking to Sneaky Business under strict anonymity, have hinted at a much broader third generation search measurement yardstick that is just round the corner.

A first draft of the upcoming taxonomy, together with approximate overall search "traffic" is shown below. Interestingly, in this meta-search universe Google captures only around 2% share, putting it well behind the faith-based search traffic of the Catholic Church.

Coming Through! The Best Ways To Make That Flight Connection

Trudging through subways and airports can become a mind-numbing chore for the frequent business traveler. Indeed, a recent DayNovo Consulting Group study found that intra-facility transit can add up to 25% to the length of a typical business journey.

So what can the weary traveler do to reduce his or her down-time from bag-schlepping? Intriguingly, a number of niche startups are approaching this market across the world. We reveal the best of the best below:

Parisian walkway grand vitesse: The French have long had a love affair with the moving walkway. Gustave Eiffel himself proposed a high speed one in 1887 to transport World Exhibition visitors from Paris directly to the Loire Valley. (The journey time of over 28 hours was considered too grueling for even the most enthusiastic of travelers, and the idea was rejected.) More recently the idea has resurfaced in the Paris Metro. The Journal recently reported new trials of a system at Montparnasse Station. Although initial tests only resulted in a handful of serious injuries, RATP management have thus far refused to turn up the speed beyond 3mph. (See full video story from the Journal below)

Dallas airport: Faced with ever increasing transit times between terminals, airport officials have turned to an enterprising startup company for an answer. Starting in December business travelers will be able to hop aboard in-building taxi cabs to ease their connection worries. PriusCab will offer a fleet of twenty-five bright orange vehicles within terminals one through five. Flashing lights and an ear-piercing bull-horn will be used to warn pedestrians of approaching cars, while the use of hybrids will keep in-building fumes to a minimum. Fees are expected to start at $25.

Amsterdam airport: Travelers at Schippol have always faced agonizingly long walks between flights. During 2006 at least fifteen business travelers succumbed to the arduous hike.  It was no surprise then that earlier this year BizBikes began offering rental bikes for business travelers in need of a leg up. Prices start at $30 per ride, though budget travelers can ride tandem for only $10 per person. For an additional $25 travelers can request a professional tandem "driver" to take the strain even further.

Calgary airport: Recent tar sands oil exploration has stressed Calgary International airport to its limits. In response AirRides now offers a wide selection of in-terminal steers that are saddled up and waiting to charge their passengers towards the appropriate gate. Prices start at $30 for a more leisurely ride up to $60 for a true bare-knuckles bronco. 

Five ways to make the iPhone more business friendly

Steve J. has undoubtedly scored a big success with the iPhone. Even if few of them are currently visible in everyday life. Or, more to the point, in everyday corporate America.

A recent report stirred up the iPhiles with claims that business users cannot come to grips with the phone's glass-like keyboard. Regardless of whether you fully subscribe to its claims, the article does lay a finger on an important weakness of the iPhone – namely that fat, corporate-styled digits find it difficult to navigate its tightly dimensioned virtual keys. Finger whittling is a solution, though one that is unlikely to catch on among executives.

Sneaky Business tapped into our advisory board to seek alternative ways to buff up the iPhone's corporate appeal. After a long weekend of closed door sessions, brainstorming and intensive drinking they came up with their top-five list of ideas. Let's hope that one enterprising VC has the guts to fund one of them:

• Key-set truncation: Offer only alternate letters from a full QWERTY keyboard. Resulting space between the keys is sufficient for even the pudgiest of fingers. End user only has to type half the number of letters – and built-in software can extrapolate best-fit words.
• Keyboard projector: Built in mini-projector displays enlarged keyboard image onto any surface. Wii-style motion sensors detect keys selected and record entry into phone. May add slightly to bill of materials ($60) – but Apple should be able to pass on at least $90 of this to consumers as an improved "lifestyle choice".
• Voice keyboard: Keyboard image maintained on screen, but user has to speak individual letters. Built-in speech-to-text engine converts spoken word to screen letters.
• Outsourced text-assistants: For severely keyboard-challenged executives. Personalized 1-800 number transfers user to Indian call center staffed with "transcription experts". User dictates message, and words are instantly transcribed back onto the screen.
• RIM-emulation engine: Users type message into their RIM Blackberry device. Service then forwards the message to their iPhone, so that user can have "satisfaction" of sending it from sexier device.

Even with these options, our advisors remained unconvinced about the chances of the iPhone. "Corporate users need their core applications – Outlook, SAP, Siebel, Gears of War. Without at least one of those it will remain a very nice to have"

[Sneaky Business is currently assessing an iPhone device. We'll bring you our opinions in a later piece. Rest assured, none of our fingers will be modified during the trial.]

ECB president talks markets down from “le panic”

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet sought to reassure European markets Tuesday after another day of turbulence. Speaking from the steps of his office, with Mr. Ruffles, his West Highland terrier in his arms, Mr. Trichet said that Euro-zone market conditions have "progressively gone back to normal".

"As I did after our last meeting, I call on all parties to keep their composure" said Mr. Trichet. He went on to say that recent market "nervousness" had brought about a significant reappreciation of risk. The full statement is available from the Journal here.

Mr. Trichet appeared ill at ease during the announcement, and attempted in vain to avoid reporters' questions. Speaking in broken English, visibly perspiring and displaying a pronounced facial tick, he stonewalled most queries with, as Alan Greenspan has described, his "pseudo-financial Eurobabble".

Later, in an unusual move, the ECB president sought to reassure investors through his Facebook homepage. A video showed a smiling Mr. Trichet speaking from his office about the "return of financial harmony" and the "rupture of sub-prime market having been healed". Sometimes through verse, and on one occasion through song, Mr. Trichet spoke of happier times ahead for the Euro-zone markets.

Talking to reported later Ben Bernanke said he was "relieved" about the calming of the European markets, but "scared as hell" by Mr. Trichet's singing. "He should stick to the knitting" said Bernanke, "And focus on the fundamentals"