Does Google own your content?

Great piece today on News.com concerning the ownership of data or content syndicated through Google Apps. As the writer states, “their terms leave a gaping hole for Google to drive its privacy invasion “truck” through.”

Surely, everyone saw this coming!

A Day of Silence

Internet radio is dead for today, so that means no Pandora for me and no Daddy Yankee for my workmates. Here’s a statement from the CEO of Pandora concerning today’s movement.

A Real American Hero

An old friend and business associate, Thomas J. Deierlein, was profiled in the New York Times concerning his transition from a New York City executive back to an Army Ranger in the Iraqi War.

I first met Tom in the mid 90’s (NetGravity — now, that is a painful memory), and can honestly say his integrity and truthfulness as both a person and business professional is unmatched.

Link: TD Foundation.

CEO Shakeup at Yahoo

Yahoo CEO, Terry Semel, resigned under pressure while the company handed the reins back to Jerry Yang, Jerry was himself replaced when the company went adrift a few years back. Although this may be a step in the right direction, I expect it won’t be enough. I anticipate more news to follow.

Follow Up:

CNET has an interesting article on Yahoo and the Five Steps needed for a turnaround.

They certainly need to streamline internal processes and quicken the pace of development (In this case, buy over build). I would also dump some of their tangential businesses starting with Hot Jobs!

Google: a company born of rejection

There’s a quick little snippet on Cnet’s News Blog about Google being born out of frustration. It is certainly worth the few seconds to read.

Microsoft Buys aQuantive For $6 Billion

Microsoft follows the Google purchase of DoubleClick with the acquisition of interactive ad shop aQuantive for $6 billion in cash. Of the three recent acquisitions, Google (DoubleClick), WPP (24/7 Real Media) and now Microsoft (aQuantive), I believe Microsoft ended up with the jewel of the bunch.

Having worked with all three, aQuantive (formerly Avenue A) has always thoroughly impressed me with their solution(s) and support. Given Microsoft’s commitment to building a thriving advertising business (which they haven’t to date), this acquisition makes complete sense.

Notes from a Microsoft investor call can be found here.

Another great article can be found at Gigaom.

CondeNast Portfolio.com Launches (Beta)

CondeNast launches Portfolio.com. The website looks great and the design is clean. There’s a lot of content, although I found their video a little lacking. I am not quite sure about the Feedroom partnership, but again the site is in beta.

I look forward to seeing the magazine.

Is Free the right price?

I was pointed the an old article titled, Why It Pays to Give Away the Store. It’s pretty straight forward stuff but often forgotten in this latest round of hype.

“Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.”—George Santayana

One of the most important history lessons, and apparently one of the hardest ones to learn…

Google plots e-books coup

I have been a Google skeptic for some time now. Other than the proverbial “white box” search and gmail, I simply haven’t been a big fan of their other offerings. Until now…If as rumored, Google builds a system that would allow readers to download entire books to their computers in a “format that they could read on screen or on mobile devices such as a Blackberry” I would be the first to sign up.

Let see if Google gets this one right.

What if Google adopted Yahoo’s Aesthetic

Found this interesting screenshot on ValleyWag of Google made up to look like Yahoo.

It will never happen, Google is well aware everything starts and finishes with that white box.