View from the Valley
Palladium Interactive, a small Silicon Valley CD-Rom manufacturer, has provoked uproar in the valley over its latest software product. Most of the outbursts are in the form of laughter though, since the software consists of cruel - some would say accurate - jokes at Microsoft's expense.The product is called Microshaft Winblows 98, and is a $20 concoction of spoof tools and games. It includes The Roll Ahead, a game where you play as Microsoft CEO Bill Gates versus all-comers, and Windows Exploder, a shooting game involving never-ending error messages. My favourite part is the Billagotchi, a virtual pet chief executive; the only way to keep him alive is to feed him money.
Spend, spend, spend
A recently published US survey shows that the majority of US corporates plan to increase their spending on information technology in 1998, despite worries in the industry about Asian economies and falling demand for PCs. But the most interesting part of one survey I read concerns resellers. Over 70 per cent of respondents say they will spend more with Vars, despite the fact that most major hardware manufacturers say they are planning to push more direct sales.
The reason seems to be the year 2000 problem. Only about a quarter of US companies hope to handle the issue in-house - the vast majority want to pay someone else to make it their problem. As long as any Var involved is clear about what the legal implications of its year 2000 fix not working are, it will be the next big money-spinner for the reseller community.
Cruiser schmooser
Digital Queers, a non-profit making group that provides technology support to gay, lesbian and transgender groups, launched a spoof browser called Cruiser 6 at a party in Silicon Valley last week. The group is renowned for issuing some great press releases, full of Julian Clary-style innuendo.
The Cruiser launch was no exception. Digital Queer executive director Scott Walton claims batteries are preferable to plug-ins, for example, and said Cruiser will feature both push and pull technologies. 'It's the push and pull feature that really enhances the user experience,' he said. Oh er. Digital Queers said one in 10 people will come out and say that Cruiser is the natural option that feels right for them.
Tie me up, tie me down
My favourite prank for the internet user has to be Tie Down - a browser plug-in. The idea is simple but cruel. Tie Down tells the user that the wonder of modern disk drives means he or she can add their initials to their tie, using only their computer. Users place the tie in the floppy drive of their PC and then presses the Monogram Now icon.
The tie is pulled into the machine and gets hacked to bits, while the user ends with his or her face pressed against their PC. Top drawer entertainment, and if you can get someone to do it without giving away your identity, very useful for seeking revenge on people. How about that relative who sent you those hideous slippers for Christmas?
Falling without a net
Poor old Netscape. Everyone has been jealous of Netscape's rocketing rise from anonymity, been frustrated with its products, but are ultimately rooting for it in the impossible battle against Microsoft. Now the company that was a dramatic success story - until late last year - is having some financial trouble.
The good news is that the company wants to concentrate on cutting costs and improving the performance of its European and sales arms - which is great for corporate software resellers in Europe. The company has also said it wants to target specific resellers for its high-end products. The only bad news is that it has taken a small disaster - rather like the year 2000 issue - to persuade companies to increase their business through the reseller channel.
Magazine geek show
Wired, the so-called trendy magazine of the digital age, may be on the brink of closing but is still coming up with some incredible ideas. Its people take the sublime and make it ridiculous. They have recently introduced an amazing section called Geek of the Week. You would think this is an irreverent feature on some socially inept personality in the industry, but it is a serious profile on a normal person who happens to know their stuff.
Poor Rachel Cox, a Website builder, who is the latest Geek of the Week. She confesses: 'I can't think of anything no one knows about me that anyone would find remotely interesting. I see more of my computer than I do of people.' The shocking thing is that people have to enter and be considered for Geek of the Week. Imagine being rejected - you would be a Geek but not good enough to be of the Week.
Land of the rising San(yo)
Sanyo means three seas in Japanese and hence no company is able to own the name. This should not pose any significant problems you might think - at least until you find that the name is used by over 2,000 Japanese companies, 15 of which are listed on the stock exchange in Tokyo. Amazingly, when a securities firm called Sanyo went bust in November, the other Sanyos were inundated with phone calls from countless customers worried that their Sanyo was the one in trouble.
But the name game has further implications for all the Sanyo companies, even the electronics company of cheap Argos stereo fame. When one Sanyo went bust, the stock prices of most Sanyos fell thanks to Chinese whispers. Well, Japanese whispers, in this case.
James Harding is US Editor of VNU Newswire, based in San Francisco.
He can be reached at [email protected] or on 00 1 415 306 0879.