2007 2
Microsoft Anonymous
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in General with No Comments
I have gone for a month without using Microsoft. I am thinking about starting a group known as Microsoft Anonymous. Who could join? Anyone who after a life of suffering serious crashes, horrible program installation delays and hours lost simply turning a computer on and off, have left Microsoft for Linux or Mac. This group would focus on all we have in common. I imagine sessions started with testimonials such as. “Since I stopped using Microsoft I make it home for dinner and my relationship with my wife has improved”, or “now that my computer does not crash my girlfriend tells me that I am a happier person”, another one could be ” now that I can install programs so quickly I have also learned to make and keep friends”. Here´s a proposal for the first MA meeting: “Is using Parallels positive for your life without Microsoft?”
2007 30
Our Divinity In Japan
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Fon with No Comments
Is this the secret of the Fon Japan team?
2007 29
FON Gets Warm Welcome In Japan
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Fon with No Comments
Today Yuki Yamamura, the CEO of Excite, and I publicly announced in Tokyo that Excite Japan has invested in Fon. The announcement was very well received. Excite’s shares went up 17.4%. I am very pleased to see that not only the Japanese are adopting FON WiFi in great numbers but that the financial markets over here believe that to share a little WiFi at home and roaming the world for free is a valuable proposition as more and more WiFi only gadgets like the Nintendo DS, the Sony PSP and now the Sony Mylo hit the market. We are also very happy to be the first non Sony product selling in the Sony Style shops. As a Spanish company to be received so well in Japan, the most competitive technology market in the world, is extremely “exciting”.
Muchas gracias Japón!
2007 27
Neuf Rocks…But You Have To Be In France To Enjoy It.
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Fon with No Comments
At FON, we frequently meet with ISPs and it is no secret that we partnered with Neuf, so what I am going to say you can take with a grain of salt. Still I will say it. Neuf Cegetel is an amazing ISP. Even if you don’t understand French, you can probably understand their offers. In France also Free has a great choice. Neuf has a quadruple play for 29.90 euros. Flat rate fixed telephony with unlimited calling, internet up to 20 megs, TV with over 50 channels, a TIVO like machine, 9GB of storage, 1000 movies on demand and one of the most advanced WiFi/GSM mobile phones I have ever seen (among other things it plays WiFi TV). If you live in America, you can look at your ISP’s offers and weep.
2007 26
Xing Buys Spanish Rival eConozco
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Investments with No Comments
Albert Armengol Bertrolí, Horaci Cuevas and Toni Salvatella Pont, the founders of eConozco, have decided to join forces rather than compete with Xing. This is a great move for both companies. eConozco has 150,000 professional members, which is pretty significant in the Spanish speaking world, a universe of 400 million people. To lead the Spanish market in business networking from the start is a good move for Xing.
Disclosure: I am a shareholder of Xing.
2007 26
What Is Going On With Alexa?
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Internet & Technology with No Comments
Lately, every single site I check in traffic measuring tool Alexa seems to be losing traffic. Concerned about this trend I decided to check Amazon´s traffic in Alexa. Since Amazon owns Alexa, I thought it would be surprising if Alexa showed a decline on Amazon´s traffic as well. But this is what I saw. Enormous decline in Amazon traffic over the last 12 months.
Frankly I can´t believe that traffic to Amazon has dropped 50% over the last year so I don´t understand what is going on with Alexa. At this point I am concerned about the lack of reliable measures for traffic on the Internet.
2007 24
The Secret Is In The Fontennas….
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Fon with No Comments
Many people talk about meshing and meshing can be a solution in some cases, but at FON we opted instead for designing our own antennas that we call the Fontennas. These are the specs.
2007 24
US vs French Medical Care, My Personal Experience
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in General with No Comments
I lived in the States for 18 years, I live in Europe now. I reside in Madrid but today I had a medical emergency while visiting Paris. It was so well taken care of that I would like to write an unusual post in favor of the French Health System. This is clearly a case and not a statistic but I will try to draw some general conclusions comparing the US and French health care experience.I will limit myself to three key elements of the medical experience, the quality of the medical care, the paperwork and the cost.
The case: I had a 3 cm cut on my chest that urgently required stitches. I was rushed to Hopital St Antoine which is not far from Place des Vosges where we have an apartment (my wife is French and we come frequently to Paris). I was successfully treated and sent home in less than 90 minutes.
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2007 24
Gapminder: Just In Case You Think The World Doesn´t Suck
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in General with No Comments
One of the toughest problems of humanity is that most of the people who can vote global problems out of existence don´t vote. Many don´t vote in their own countries because they are not democracies, but most can´t vote these problems out of existence because humanity is a very weak concept. As schooling in America, humanity is about being born in the right side of the tracks. Unfortunately “humanity” as a value is a distant second to the extremely to nationality. Income distribution among nations reflects that.
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2007 22
Wish I Could Go To The Supermarket 2.0….
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in General with No Comments
Here’s the Supermarket 2.0 as presented by Lior Katz of the place of your dreams Wishood at Kinnernet.
I also have a wish Lior. I would like all supermarkets to be like this one!