InformationWeek Daily - Tuesday, April 15, 2008

OpenMoko's Next Step: Running Free Remember OpenMoko, the makers of the Neo 1973 handset that runs Linux and is designed from the ground-up to be a hacker's and customizer's paradise?  They're back again with more tinkerer's delights: the FreeRunner.  They've also learned a few things from their experiences with marketing and developing the Neo -- not just hardware and software, but how to sell something this unusual. First, some history.  The original Neo handset came out in two editions: a basic version for everyone and their brother, and an advanced edition for tinkerers and hackers.  According to a post on the OpenMoko community mailing list, the forthcoming FreeRunner (400 Mhz processor, WiFi, BlueTooth 2.0, microSD card, et al) won't be sold like that -- there will be a single standard version at US$399.  If you want tinkerer-specific features, like the debug board (US$99), you'll need to buy them as totally separate items. A major reason for changing the packaging of the product was bringing costs down.  A smaller box with less in it costs that much less to ship and store; in the words of the developers, they "optimized the box like it was code".  The developers can still get their goodies, just separately -- and for those who want a price break by buying in bulk, there's a ten-pack that brings the price down to $369 per handset. What's most striking about the OpenMoko is the openness of the development process -- not just the software, but the hardware (you can now get full CAD designs for the 1973 and the FreeRunner), the marketing, the whole thing.  Contrast that with Apple, whose every move is shrouded in "Above Black"-style secrecy until their products are officially announced -- and who go to great lengths to keep the iPhone from being customized (read: hacked) by the end user. I'm still convinced the best thing that OpenMoko could do would be to partner with an existing cellular carrier as a way to get the handset into as many people's hands as possible.  That's how phones generally reach the masses -- as cost-plus additions with a new cell contract.  But with change in the wind for the way telecom in general does business, maybe there'll be a far bigger market in the coming year or two for phones that are unlocked from the git-go. What do you think of OpenMoko? What's its outlook for the future? Let us know. Serdar Yegulalp thegline@optonline.net www.informationweek.com
"The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps." -- Benjamin Disraeli
Google, Salesforce To Jointly Deliver Online Business Software The service could pose a formidable challenge to Microsoft's efforts to establish itself in the SMB applications market, which remains widely fragmented. Related Stories: Microsoft Rolls Out Dynamics CRM 4.0 Worldwide Google Targets Microsoft With Launch Of Business Applications IBM, Partners Offer Customers Latest 32-Nano Chip Technology IBM, semiconductors, 65, 45, 32, 22, nano, nanoscale, transistors, East Fishkill, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Freescale, Infineon Technologies, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Toshiba, Intel, Citrix Plunges Deeper Into Desktop Virtualization Showing off their partnership, Citrix will equip XenDesktop with its ICA protocol that Microsoft's products can recognize and respond to. Patent Office Curriculum Teaches Kids Respect For Intellectual Property The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office designed the program to inspire K-12 students' creativity and teach the value of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Minorities To Account For More Than One-Third Of Telecom Spending Hispanics alone will spend the most, making them a key to survival of telecommunications providers, according to Insight Research. Google Comes Knocking In Search Of Hidden Data By crawling using HTML forms (and abiding by robots.txt), Google claims it leads search engine users to documents that otherwise would not be easily found -- but privacy concerns remain. Google, Salesforce Partnership Owes Legacy To Microsoft, SAP, Oracle While the integration of Salesforce and Google Apps builds on work of its predecessors, it also represents a fundamental departure from most of those previous integration efforts. Microsoft Unveils World's Cheapest Windows Laptop The MiLeap H Series will run Windows XP Home and will sell for 17,000 Indian rupees, or about $425. XO Builds Unified Communications Platform IP-based services bridge the gap between desktop and field environments, landline and wireless, IP and conventional telephony. American Apparel Taking Wireless Inventory With RFID Each of its 17 stores in New York will be equipped for RFID during the next three months; an additional 120 locations in North America will follow. Layered Technologies Buys FastServers.net Layered is targeting its growth toward consolidation and virtualization in the data center, as corporations look to reduce high real estate and leasing costs. Psystar Offers $399 Mac Clone The OpenMac vendor believes Apple's EULA, which forbids installation of the Leopard OS on third-party hardware, violates monopoly laws. Senate Considers Striking Down 'Common Carrier' Exception The wireless industry is expected to fight hard against repealing a rule that exempts telecommunications providers from the requirements of the FTC Act. All Our Latest News See InformationWeek's daily breaking news on your mobile device, visit wap.informationweek.com and sign up for daily SMS notifications.	IBM, Partners Offer Customers Latest 32-Nano Chip Technology Citrix Plunges Deeper Into Desktop Virtualization Patent Office Curriculum Teaches Kids Respect For Intellectual Property Minorities To Account For More Than One-Third Of Telecom Spending Google Comes Knocking In Search Of Hidden Data Virtualization At The Desktop? Examine how more than 250 companies plan to adopt server virtualization technology in this recent InformationWeek Research report, Server Virtualization. The BI Explosion Examine the business intelligence strategies of 500 companies, including deployment drivers and challenges, spending plans, and vendor selection, in this recent InformationWeek Research report. Live Mesh To Push Microsoft's Synchronization Strategy Synchronization has become a major theme for Microsoft's online strategy, and the forthcoming launch of Live Mesh at next week's Web 2.0 Conference shows that the company is finally getting ready for more of its "software plus services" coming-out party. Google To Aid Search For Abused And Missing Kids Google has taken its commitment to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children another step by offering tools to help search for lost or missing children who might be the victims of abusive criminals. Today Is Cell Phone Freedom Day In Cuba Before today, it was illegal for everyday citizens in Cuba to purchase and use a cell phone. President Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, has relaxed some policies, much to the joy of many. People lined up by the hundreds outside Cuba's government-run telephone offices today to be the first to join the mobile community. Welcome, Cubans! The Weekly Watch On Content Management Since my post last week mentioning the fight to surpass SharePoint in the marketplace, I've received a lot of feedback from various SharePoint partners and competitors. This installment of the "Weekly Watch On Content Management" is peppered with some SharePoint-related stuff, collaboration news, and an acquisition rumor that just won't die. Verizon Attempts To Be More Competitive With Smartphone Plan Pricing Of all the national wireless operators, Verizon was charging a bit more than any other for smartphones and PDAs to access vital things such as e-mail and the Web. As of today, Verizon changed up the rates it charges Small Office/Home Office users, and is even offering a new hosted Exchange-based e-mail service to boot. Little Silver Boxes On The WAN Pano Logic's virtual desktop solution (VDS) is getting a major rev update to v2.0, picking up WAN, wireless, and improved USB support for its tiny, shiny VDI client. The Temperature Of Storage Why can't I look away from the morning weather report, or just turn the page when I come across the odds-makers' lines on the sports section? Maybe it's the control freak in me. Or that I want to believe some mere mortal really knows how this will all turn out. Maybe I just want information, even if it's deemed reliable but not guaranteed. MIT & CIO: Impressive Acronyms, Separately And Together Networking is an important ingredient in a CIO's stew of knowledge. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium looks like a good place to indulge. Intel 'Atom' Mobile Internet Device Previewed I've changed my mind about Intel's new downsized Atom processor, which is being pitched by the semiconductor behemoth as a little chip with enough power to deliver a biiiiiig handheld Web-browsing experience. My initial thought was: Who needs a mobile Internet Device (MID), when you're already toting around a laptop, smartphone, iPod, Bluetooth earpiece, and who knows what else? Then I heard about Gigabyte's prototype MID. 10 Tips For Starting A Startup Budding entrepreneurs mingled with startup veterans at a meeting this week hosted by the Pittsburgh chapter of TiE, a national association that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation. You could read volumes on how to start a company, but nothing's more valuable than talking to people who have done it. Here are some do's and don'ts from the TiE meeting. HP's Got Linux On The Low End Seems like everyone's getting into the low-end notebook market these days.  Hewlett-Packard is the newest of the bunch to step up to the plate with its VIA-driven HP 2133 Mini-Note, a nifty-looking machine that clocks in at $499 for a Linux edition.  A little pricier than the ASUS Eee, but it looks like low-cost computing is one niche for Linux to derive wider market penetration. IT Automation: Moving IT from Panic Mode to Managed Mode IT automation provides the means to maximize IT investments and align them with business objectives. Read this white paper to learn more about IT automation and why your clients must understand the need for this strategy and why it is being used today. How Operations Supports Business Service Management This webinar explains how IT operations are becoming increasingly focused on business, and it will demonstrate how a new Business Service Platform can process metrics to support Business Service Management initiatives. Intelligent Merchandising: Creating a Unique Shopping Experience, Part 1 Learn how you can how you can hook customers with fresh, unusual and relevant shopping experiences. Drive customer loyalty by training, empowering and providing employees with the technical tools to capture the nuances of customer behaviour. Featured Jobs: Broadcom seeking Sr Staff Systems Analyst in San Jose, CA Accenture seeking Siebel Administrative Specialist in Florham Park, NJ ISES, Inc. seeking .Net developer in Whitehouse Station, NJ Platinum Solutions seeking Development Database Administrator in Washington, DC Apple Inc. seeking Software Instrumentation Engineer in Cupertino, CA For more great jobs, career-related news, features and services, please visit our Career Center. Try InformationWeek's RSS Feed Discover all InformationWeek's sites and newsletters Recommend This Newsletter To A Friend Do you have friends or colleagues who might enjoy this newsletter? 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