Fan To Pro - The Blog of Professional Geekery

Expressing My Condolences

'Tanta' of Calculated Risk passes away.

I've often flogged Calculated Risk as a must-read econoblog and have learned a lot from it.  Sadly one of the bloggers there has passed away.  I want to pass on the sad news and my condolences.

Calculated Risk was just one of those places that gave me knowledge, analysis, and a swift kick in the brain when I needed it to learn more.  I'm sure it will continue.  I'm sure it will be good.  But this is still a loss.

- Steve

Week in Review, 11/30/08

Since it was a holiday week, things were relatively quiet, although news definitely never takes a holiday.

It was another dismal week on the print front, both in newspapers and in book publishing. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt told its editors to stop acquisitions of new properties, and while the move seems to be temporary, it's still unsettling. In another sign of problems on the book retailing front, Borders found itself denying the company is for sale. In magazines and newspapers, Time Magazine announced it was shifting and consolidating, the Cleveland Plains Dealer announced layoffs and even USA Today announced it was eliminating 20 positions.

And meanwhile, the march from print to electronic continued, with publishers expressing more interest in E-books, with Random House in particular announcing plans to expand its E-book library. PC Magazine announced it was going online only, saying that its Web site is now more profitable than its actual publication – a trend that we anticipate will catch fire with other publications, and fast.

Social networking continued to be a red-hot topic, although it seems that not everybody quite knows what to do with it. The New York Times claimed to have utilized Facebook to successfully market its election coverage – although there's indications they may have stumbled on the winning formula entirely by accident. Many mainstream businesses seem to be rather skittish about joining hands with Web 2.0, necessitating the intervention of go-between services.

Meanwhile, Twitter was being cited by no less an authority than CNN as the fastest source of information during the Mumbai terrorist attacks. (The microblogging service was also in the news because of a failed merger attempt with Facebook, which apparently happened three weeks before anyone knew about it). And the advertising industry now has to consider social networking, among other types of new media, while attempting to reach an audience – even video games, borne out by Xbox hiring a provider of in-game ads.

The video game world seemed to be thinking outside the box for uses of its technology in other ways. The U.S. Army announced it would sink $50 million into games to be used as training simulators, and we found out a modified version of Guitar Hero was being used to rehabilitate amputees. And games continue to move more and more toward being total entertainment devices, as Sony returning its movies to the Xbox 360 rental lineup attracted attention.

Cell phone technology stayed at the forefront, with VentureBeat noting that iPhone-type apps are reshaping the industry. Two red-hot technologies came together when online video provider Joost launched its own iPhone app, although initial reports indicate it's problematic.

And finally, an interesting up-and-comer seems to have emerged on the technology front: Linux. The Windows alternative has been around for years, drawing a rabid cult following, but during the past seven days, it seemed to be all over the Geekly World News. Blockbuster's TiVO competitor runs Linux. A Linux Left 4 Dead demo was released, and the 2.6 kernel of the OS was ported to the iPhone (shades of Android?). Maybe all those predictions of Linux stepping up to the plate as a real player in the industry and making Microsoft run scared are finally coming true.

– Bonnie

Fan To Pro - Live!

Want to hear from the founders?  Then tune into Blog Talk Radio on December 4th, at 6 PM PST.  We're going to be interviewed by life coach, writer, and general renaissance man Taylor Ellwood.  We'll discuss fan to pro and more!

- Steve and Bonnie.

Links of the Day, 11/29/08

Anime/Manga

Studio Gonzo parent company GDH has asked 50 employees to voluntarily retire and plans to sell off its GDH Capital Funding subsidiary. Worth noting because troubles on the Japanese side of the industry have inevitable fallout on the American side.

Japanese modern artist Takashi Murikami plans to open an animation studio in Los Angeles, in addition to his studios in Tokyo and New York. The new office will host about 30 employees, so animators, you know what to do with your resumes.

Video Games

Nokia seems to be joining the parade of cell phone manufacturers that are considering their devices to be the future of gaming, as it's currently looking to hire a director of engineering for games.

Technology

Linux is suddenly hot, it seems: The demo for Left 4 Dead contains Linux Steam libraries and the Linux 2.6 kernel has been ported to the iPhone. Interesting to see the Windows alternative get so much attention after so many years of being an also-ran; programmers may want to step up their Linux knowledge.

Two booming technologies come together with Joost's new iPhone app. The new technology allows users to view streaming movies, music videos and TV shows, although initial reports indicate it's got some technological problems to iron out.

Social Networking

Are businesses ready to embrace Facebook and MySpace? Some of them have apparently been rather skittish, and go-between businesses have sprung up trying to get the two sides to join hands. Makes an interesting reality check, plus the go-between businesses might prove a good opportunity for some people.

Economics/Geekonomics

Personal consumption spending experienced its biggest drop since 1980 in the third quarter, and analysts think things are only going to get worse. Another sobering reminder that we have to continue to be cautious, we're not going to be out of the woods with this for awhile.

Publishing

The downward trend in print continues, as the Daily Tribune, a Detroit suburban area paper, has cut back to four days a week. Suburban papers, again, seem to be taking the biggest hit from the economic downturn – employees at these types of publications definitely should be aware of what could happen.

– Bonnie

Review: Startups and Venture Capital Job Searches

Working for a startup may seem like a gamble in this economy, and though looking where the Venture Capital is flowing may help you find a job, there's always the wonder if you're working for the next VentureCapitalCompleteWaste.com.  However startups also provide opportunity and following the VC is a good way to find opportunity as well - and there's two sites to help you find jobs if this sounds good to you.

VENTURELOOP.COM
First up is VentureLoop.com.  Though it provides other services to those involved in VC, for the average job seeker the big deal is the job postings.  A simple search (and search results) will yield you a decent list of jobs - though right now only by state.  The job leads look to be pretty good quality, and you get the added benefit of seeing what companies are hiring (incase you want to go the extra mile to check out their sites or look them up).  If there's a flaw its that there's not a huge selection of jobs, and the results are very obviously biased to major areas where the VC is flowing.

Simple, fast, and streamlined, this is a good addition to your regular job search sites and routine.  There's a lot of room for growth, but I think it shows promise to improve.  Its also a market that could be tapped in a more focused manner - I know I pay attention to where the VC is going, and I can't be the only person like that.

STARTUPLY.COM
Next, we have Startuply for those of you wanting to leap right into new or mostly new companies. Startuply is focused, of course, on startups.  Its got a mediocre job search engine with a decent advanced search, and nice, colorful, organized results - but with one problem, the title of the job is almost always truncated - you have to mouse-over to get a profile (which is cool, but still annoying).  I'd rather have had a better results formatting than the need for a mouseover.  The quality of jobs seems very good, and there's some extra company detail that may help you out, but you'll want to broaden your search to get the best results.

Startuply also has a few more things: a blog (standard), a newsfeed (not sure about it), etc.  However one of the things that stands out is a startup map of the world that allows you to filter and zoom in on results.  This is not only good for research, but I think it speaks well of the future potential of the website.  There's a lot of ambition here, the technology is solid, and I suspect this is a site that want's to become THE destination.

One thing that does make me wonder is what the business model of Startuply is.  It seems they're trying to get eyeballs now with perhaps an eye on deluxe service later.  Then again I figure they probably have a better idea of what they're doing than the average startup since they've got a lot of research material coming in daily.

Overall Startuply is another addition to your regular job search if you're interested in startups, obviously.

Links of the Day, 11/28/08

News is still a bit slow on this Black Friday, but the geekonomy continues to roll on . . .

Technology

Another shakeup at Yahoo: Toby Coppel is leaving after 18 months as its executive vice president and managing director for Europe and Canada. Rich Riley, senior vice president of Yahoo Europe's Advertiser & Publisher Group, will be his successor. Meanwhile, billionaire investor Carl Icahn bought $67 million more in company shares and now owns about 5.5% of Yahoo. Given that major advertisers still see the site as a must-buy despite its problems, it's quite easy to see why Icahn would be interested in buying it piece by piece.

Twitter is being cited by major news organizations as the fastest source of information during the Mumbai crisis. Good news for the future of the microblogging site, as it's had some financial issues and was involved in a failed merger with Facebook - once they get the solid backing they need, they'll be a company on the way up and will probably be a candidate for rapid expansion.

Video Games

Playstation Home director Jack Buser says that the PS3's virtual world, which has been delayed several times, will launch in the near future. He describes it as "a 3D social gaming community." If it succeeds, it could be a much-needed shot in the arm for Sony's troubled system, and could lead to imitators at other consoles.

Another cautionary tale of a very big company that made a very big mistake: The Wii version of Tomb Raider: Underworld apparently has a very major glitch making it impossible for some players to complete the game. Manufactuer Eidos Interactive is claiming that the bug pops up only occasionally - but even an occasional problem is enough to get you extremely bad publicity sometimes.

Economics/Geekonomics

The Big Picture brings us Wall Street Crisis Overviews, links to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal's pages on the ongoing financial crisis. Both contain roundups of recent economic news and explanations of where we are and how we got there, and are worth checking up on regularly to get a full picture of the ongoing crisis.

- Bonnie

Links of the Day 11/27/2008

A slow Thanksgiving day, but the Nerd World, the Geekonomy, and everything else we love still goes on:

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonomics:

• Let's see how the bailout stacks up against other government projects  - A good example of economic geekery, as well as quite depressing.

Publishing

• Time Magazine is shifting, consolidating, and otherwise dealing with economic changes - Which we can guess may mean more cuts and soforth depending.
• Borders is NOT for sale - It may still sell Paperchase, but it appears the CEO thinks they can make it through.  Good news for writers as I think competition is very good for the market.

Video Games:

• THQ's Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon canceled for the PS3 - Not sure why, things are tough all over - and THQ has its own issues.  It's also the second playstation-related DAH cancellation.  There's many possible reasons for this, but no news yet - I'm more paying attention to it for what people may say about it.

- Steve

Links of the Day 11/26/2008

Comics

• Horror seems to be having a resurgance in comics - Even to the ressurection of classic titles and horror comics.  I'd also note that horror comic movie adaptions are probably creating even more interest.Worth considering in your writing/publishing career - and if any big adaptions open opportunities.

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonomics:

• An amusingly cynical look at why TV coverage of the economic crisis coverage is so dismal.

Media

• Microsoft is using its technology to broadcast popular web series 'The Guild' - Doesn't hurt that it's A) Funny and B) has Felicia Day (of Doctor Horrible fame) in it.  The article however notes that the shift to a more branded approach may affect people's attitude towards it.  I'm not sure - people seem more willing to let these projects find way to make money.  Worth watching for your own independent projects.
• Sony's movies are back on the 360 - Which should put to rest the conspiracy theories surrounding the incident.

Publishing

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer is planning layoffs - and they may come soon
• Just what went on at the big API summit last week?  Things may be more disordered and unsure in publishing - and in their public image - than one may think. 

Technology

• The reshaping of the mobile phone industry - As it grows more app-centric (thanks to the iPhone, the author argues), it changes marketing, accessibility, and who you're trying to appeal too.  Worth reading.  As far as I'm concerned mobile phones are already portable computers and utility devices, this is making it more obvious.
• Blockbuster has its Tivo/DVR competitor out - and it runs Linux - A lot of too little too late, but there's a quick overview of the gizmo.  And its the second time we've had Linux enter the consumer electronic market in the recent past, so it is noteworthy.

Video Games

• Ubisoft profits down, sales up, still doing well - Company sounds confident desite the economic challenges.  Good news in the market.
• Reception of the DS remake/re-release/update of the famous Chrono Trigger is very positive - In fact, I plan to get a copy soon.  Interesting to watch this because as the backlog of games grows, remakes are ways for companies to both make money, keep loyalty, and re-sell the past properties in new ways.  We've seen it in the DragonQuest series, on the Wii, and now with Chrono Trigger.  If you're going into gaming for your career, a remake just could be on your radar - which might be an interesting pitch or focus if you want to court a company doing a particular product.
• Disney is integrating game elements into their parks - And are doing so more and more.  Now, with this in mind, just how far can (and will) Disney take this? Consider the tie-in potentials, bluetooth integrations . . .

- Steve

Links of the Day 11/25/2008

Anime:

• Hollywood is doing a  film of the Japanese property Oldboy. But it will be based on the manga, not the movie based on the manga.  In short, as opposed to a remake, the film will go to the source of the Japanese "Oldboy" film.  Nice to see an approach that goes to the original material. Throw in the presence of Will Smith (who is not only a good financial bet, but usually does well even in adverse circumstances), and this is one to watch.  Hollywood is obviously looking to Japan for new ideas, as we've documented, so it's nice to see an film take a look at core material of a property.  If a big name like Smith is attached, what other big names will soon turn their attention to anime and manga? 

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonomics:

• Nouriel Roubini Approves of incoming president's economic picks - This is actually important on several levels.  First, Roubini was one of the people who accurately predicted the economic crisis.  Secondly, because of that, people are paying attention to him (finally).  Though he's known for his pessimism, he does seem to think the current economic problems can be addressed.  Expect to see his name more often in the future.
• Problem banks are increasing, trying to make more money, and not doing too hot at it.  The bloggers at Naked Capitalism take a look at the Bloomberg report's highlights.

Publishing

• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt temporarily stops acquisiton of new properties - It sounds temporary, and it sounds like its not exactly hard and fast, but information is sketchy.  Even the reasons aren't clear.  They've had trouble for awhile, but I'm not sure what this means - a rational approach, a temporary panic, etc.
• E-Books seem to be enthusing publishers - Including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, interestingly enough.  Maybe what they're in right now is a re-organization.
• Reuters closes it's Second Life branch - They're pulling their one reporter and seem to feel that its just not as interesting as it was.  I note this mostly for curiosity's sake.
• USA Today is cutting 20 positions - Not to the layoff stage (to the "volunteer" stage).  But still, it's USA Today.

Social Media

• Kick Apps Raises $14 Million dollars for Social Networking - KickApps tools are for the making OF social networks, so of course you can guess that middleware-loving-me is paying attention to them now.  Their model sounds similar to a few other companies who provide tools to build popular functionality.  $14 million isn't anything to sneeze at.  Pay attention to them - not just for jobs, or an economic touchstone, but the tools they make might be good for your company to use . . .
• Did the New York Times figure the best way to leverage Facebook for business?  Or did they get lucky? PaidContent.org seems a bit unsure on the NYTs boom considering the election was driving media and news interest - and I agree.  However the model the NYT used could still be relevant, it just needs to be tested now that this unpredictended election is over.  Link to the study provided, so go and dissect it.  Also expect this to get bandied about in discussion of social media and corporate relations - especially big in the ever-moving-online publishing industry.

Video games

• In-game commerce tech company playspan nets nearly $17 million in Venture Capital.  They integrate commerce tech into games with seamless development tools.  More ways to monetize games and provide in-game transactions, so you know people will pay attention.

Finally, want to report on media and content issues, with a financial aspect?  PaidContent.org is hiring financial reporters.  They've provided us with endless amounts of useful information and some good reporting, so I'm glad to plug them.  In fact, as publishing is getting hit badly, if you're in publishing in a related role, this may be a very good chance . . .

-Steve

Links of the Day, 11/24/08

Anime/Manga Even with the move to online the industry has taken as of late, it seems traditional distribution isn't completely dead yet: The latest Gundam series, Gundam 00, is making its U.S. debut via the Sci-Fi Channel. Once online distribution like Viz's Naruto release become the norm, though, we predict these big TV debuts will become much more scarce, if they happen at all.

Video Games

Video games look like they might become one of the hot venues for advertising in the future. Following the much-celebrated Barack Obama in-game campaign ads, game publisher THQ has named Microsoft's Massive division, which created the election "billboards," as its exclusive provider for Xbox game ads.

Game industry employees also may find themselves working for very non-traditional end users in the future – like the U.S. Army and the medical industry. The Army is going to invest $50 million in video games that will be used as training simulators, while a modified version of Guitar Hero is being used at Johns Hopkins to help amputees adjust to their prosthetics.

Technology

Contemporary "Mad Men" say that advertising has been changed drastically in recent years by new media – companies now not only have to think print and prime-time network TV, they have to think YouTube and Facebook as well. Definitely must-reading for anyone thinking of working in any kind of media – advertising can show up anywhere and everywhere nowadays (see our item on video game ads above for proof of that).

Twitter and Facebook were considering a merger, but the talks broke down three weeks ago. It's quite interesting that this all happened so quietly and off-the-radar, considering how high-profile Facebook in particular has been lately.

Publishing

The industry continues its march away from traditional print and toward the Web: PC Magazine has become the latest publication to announce that it is going online-only. It's a logical move for them, since their Web site has been drawing more ad revenue than their publication. Book publishers may be inching away from print as well, with Random House increasing its E-book library. We've been saying that people going into newspapers should be sure to be E-technology savvy, but that should be expanded to all print venues as well.

– Bonnie