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SmartBiz...
I was genuinely moved by the words in your post. It reinforced the fact that its not all about the technology or whether the stock price goes up or down (albeit, that is pretty darn important), but its more about the people who are behind all the efforts put forth here.
Those of us Longs who have perservered here for quit some time have made a haven for ourselves far from the maddening crowd at RB. We have come to share our time, talents and emotions regarding a variety of things. Subsequently, we have formed friendships...and I guess when I stop to think about the amount of energy we've all put in here, its a fairly significant part of each of our daily lives.
Most importantly, it's about the sharing of our experiences here together which has become meaningful to me.
I think Retired's passing has caused a void for those of us who knew him. His passing made us realize how fast things can change and how important life truely is. He had a great passion for NEOM. His father told me that he was so enthusiatic about the propsects of NEOM. He told everyone he knew that NEOM was going to be a great success. Both his brothers and father tried in vein to temper his financial involvement. But they couldn't stop him. His dad said they were unable to get into his computer at his home. When his dad asked me approximately how many shares I thought he owned, I said it was close to 3Mil. That was the same day NEOM ran to $0.13. His dad was jumping with excitement even in light of the fact that he and Rich's mom were in mourning.
Retired not only changed the way we look at life, he also changed the way life looks to us. He will be missed sorely. Thanks SmartBiz. All the Best, JP
From a fellow Long...
Who was it that once said "I get by with a little help from my friends?"
1st Article: See Download in the Store
http://www.techdirt.com/news/wireless/
1st Linked Article: i-Tunes announcement that it has sold 800,000 tracks: Downloading will replace CD's....just walk in the store and scan a bar code and download your favorite music to your i-Tunes I-Pod, for a nominal fee of course.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1505&ncid=1505&e=6&u=/afp/20040623/t...
2nd Linked Article: BestBuy announces it will partner with Napster: The key players are forming the allianced now, long before the technology hits the stores.
http://english1.peopledaily.com.cn/200406/25/eng20040625_147488.html
The whole premise here gang is that IF Neom wins against Virgin, other suits will follow and more users of our bridge will be paying us a toll to cross it. Amazon will follow Borders who will follow Home Depot who will follow Target, etc. etc. etc. With the recent announcement of Intel (who was recently publicised as working with Virgin), we are in good company...let alone what is happening overseas on the European front with 12-SNAP, Digital Rum, 7-World Wide, M-Bar Go and Big Gig Strategies; of which gang, we are due for some very big news soon.
All the Best, JP
Retired & Playing Memorial...
Retired would have been well pleased that we have chosen to remember him in this special way. Thanks for all that helped putting this tribute together for him and to those of you who have expressed your love and respect for him. Rest In Peace Rich...All the Best, JP
Great DD guys...
My systen has been down for a few days, but I'm not out. I'm back in action. Keep up the good work. All the Best, JP
Success...
Nice catch, I was wondering what X-Scale technology was. All the Best, JP
LeBonTonRoule...
Wow...Digital Living. Its the who's who of the next level between the real world and cyberspace. Nice post. All the Best, JP
From a fellow Long...
If you read it, you will see how NEOM fits in...it is scary how the pieces are coming together.
I urge u to get a copy of the book...Howard Rheingold predcited the boom in PC, then the net, now this.
JUNE 22, 2004
SPECIAL REPORT: HIGH-TECH MARKETING
A Marketer's Dream: Your Cell Phone
The world's 1.3 billion handsets offer marketers a potential direct link to consumers, and they're starting to exploit it
The champagne was on ice, the music by Puddle of Mudd and Metallica thundering loud and hard. This was America's Party, a live show from Las Vegas on Fox (NWS ), and it looked like a standard televised New Year's Eve bash.
However, this show, like so many others this year, included a new wireless component. A stream of text messages flowed across the bottom of the screen. Tens of thousands of viewers across America were sending these messages from AT&T Wireless cell phones, and waiting anxiously for their jokes, put-downs, or love notes to scroll across. "We had 25 marriage proposals that night," says Are Traasdahl, executive vice-president for sales at TeleNor Mobile InterActive, the technology provider for the service.
A Fox New Year's Eve show featuring Puddle of Mudd asked viewers to send in text messages. The resulting onslaught included 25 marriage proposals
Peck out a note or cast a vote on your cell phone. It's a global rage. Text messages are key features on Survivor and American Idol, and they're a growing part of a monster-size business. Callers will send an estimated 548 billion text messages this year, according to industry trade group, GSM Assn. That's about 100 for every man, woman, and child on the planet.
BARELY TAPPED BONANZA. Each one costs between a penny and a dime to send, adding up to a worldwide revenue stream that's expected to reach $27 billion this year. And as phones over the next two years handle more color pictures, video, and hi-fi sound, a flow of more expensive multimedia messages should drive more growth.
Short messages are a bonanza for wireless carriers, but one that's now reaping only a fraction of its potential. Why? The marketing side of the text-messaging business is just now getting started. The 1.3 billion cell phones in the world give marketers a possible person-to-person link with consumers everywhere.
The potential is there to harness the cell phone to the vast databases of user profiles -- the dossiers that supermarkets, retailers, and mail-order companies have created on their customers. A phone marketer with this data could use short messages to deliver millions of personalized pitches and ads, some of them tailored to the user's whereabouts and the time of day.
A GIVE AND GET. So far, however technical challenges and privacy concerns have kept many marketers from venturing into customers' pockets and purses. It's a sensitive business. Anything resembling mobile spam could provoke an angry backlash against marketers.
However, marketers do have a way in. It's as simple as knocking and saying "please." Now, throughout the mobile world, that's precisely what marketers are starting to do. They're devising strategies to win customers' permission to receive text ads on the phone. The pitch often involves offering the customer an enticement, from free text messages to weather updates, in exchange for information about the user -- and permission to come calling.
"You give something to get something," says Neville Street, CEO of InphoMatch, a Chantilly (Va.) company that processes message traffic for phone companies. "You give your information, I give you something in return."
POPULARITY CONTEST. Companies that succeed in signing up large numbers of consumers will be able to target them as never before -- giving them a big leg up on their rivals. For now, U.S. marketers are wooing customers with simple text-based offerings, such as daily jokes, diet tips, and astrology readings. But the spread of color screens, stereo speakers, and video applications in phones opens the door to splashier offerings. In more advanced mobile markets, like South Korea's, advertisers win customers by offering video clips, including movie previews or sports highlights.
Surprising numbers of phone users, say marketers, actually welcome ads and sponsored messages on their phones. According to a survey by Enpocket, a London-based mobile-marketing company, customers aged 16 to 25 actually want their phone to beep with a message an average of 6 to 10 times a day. "Our biggest complaint from teens is that they don't get enough messages," says Jonathan Linner, CEO of Enpocket. "Every time your phone beeps, it shows you're popular."
It's not just kids who want more missives on their phones. Consider one Enpocket campaign for a beauty-care company in Britain that Enpocket declined to name. The company sent to an undisclosed number of women a message promising to give them customized hair-care advice if they responded to 10 text messages over the following 10 days.
Each day, a message would arrive with a question. Is your hair dry? Is it fine? Is it thin or full? Fully 90% of the women responded to all 10 questions. In return, they got shampoo advice. And the beauty-care company had valuable data to build personalized profiles for further campaigns.
MENU OF MOVIES. In another marketing move, Warner Brothers (TWX ) used Enpocket to send messages to a group of women, aged 17 to 35, and offered to give their partners a helpful Valentine's Day nudge. The women had signed up to receive text ads and updates from several women's magazines. The message that arrived on Feb. 1 asked them to send the name and number of their Valentine. In return, the studio would pass along their request to be taken to the Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant romantic comedy, Two Week's Notice, on Valentine's Day.
So how about the people who might have wanted to send a sponsored Valentine message -- but weren't interested in seeing that movie? They didn't respond. The point with these promotions is to hit a large audience with a specific pitch, something they can respond to with a yes or a no. Conceivably, Warner Bros. could have sent a menu of movies to choose from. But that, say marketers, would likely be too complicated, and discourage customers from responding at all.
In time, with the right demographic information, Warner will refine its targeting so that it can reach the right people with the right movie. Enpocket declines to provide numbers on the messages sent or responses. But according to its follow-up research, 41% of the people who responded were taken to the movie.
VIRAL MARKETING. Cell-phone companies are figuring out how to use text messages to give young customers a feeling of privilege. Cingular Wireless sends messages inviting fans to exclusive local encounters with stars such as hip-hop performer Ludacris. "If you've got a Cingular phone, you use it as an entry to meet and greet," says David B. Garver, Cingular's director of marketing. He says the prospect of an Atlanta get-together with In Sync's J.C. Chasez had young Cingular subscribers camping out all night.
What does Cingular get out of this? Promotions generate a flurry of text mail, as customers resend the message to their friends. The more phone traffic, the more revenue Cingular can rake in. More important, those messages spread word about the benefits of Cingular membership, and they amount to a viral marketing campaign for the carrier.
Garver says many adults fail to understand the phenomenon text messaging is becoming. Sure, the U.S., which had $1 billion of text traffic last year, is still dwarfed by the $16 billion European market. But led by teens, text messaging in the U.S. is growing fast. Garver estimates that his 16-year-old daughter sends 1,000 messages a month. And that forced him to upgrade the family cell-phone subscription.
HIT OR MISS? Lots of companies use text messaging to give their customers a voice. Every evening at 9 on WDRQ radio in Detroit, the station plays a new song and asks listeners to weigh in with text messages. H stands for hit, M for miss. Each week, says program director Alex Tear, participation rises. Hits, of course, get increased play time. "It gives listeners a chance to mold their own radio station," he says.
Like many companies venturing into the text market, WDRQ hasn't yet begun sorting their voters into databases for future promotions. This is true of the TV networks as well. "ABC and the others can start to get a much better understanding of their customers," says TeleNor's Traasdahl. "They haven't used it for anything yet but area codes."
That stands to reason. The new forms of digital marketing make it a cinch to send messages by the millions. But as bulk e-mailers have learned, making sense of the return traffic is much trickier, even for companies that have a one-to-one relationship with customers. It requires natural-language software that can process and sort through an avalanche of mail and messages. For now, broadcasters are happy to have a simple feedback from customers -- usually just a thumbs-up, thumbs down -- and to pocket their share of the text-messaging revenue.
MORE CENTS TO SPLIT. However, the options are near limitless. Just imagine the possibilities from the marriage proposals at Fox's New Year's Eve bash. A savvy wireless marketer could have sent promotions to those phones for long-stem roses, diamond rings, honeymoons in Maui. And they would have reached consumers in a state of ardor -- every marketer's dream. With transaction services available through the phone, already common in much of Europe and Asia, the suitors could even click to buy.
Opportunities for cross-promotions abound but are unlikely to take off on a big scale until more sophisticated multimedia messaging supplants today's simple texts. The reason is economics. Say the Boston Red Sox teams up with Verizon Wireless in a promotion to get fans to vote for their favorite player on an ESPN telecast. Today, those three companies would have to divvy up the text revenues, which average only 3 cents to 10 cents apiece in the U.S. But within two years, say analysts, multimedia messages, complete with color video and music, might fetch 25 cents each, or more.
The key is to have a big enough pie," says InPhomatch's Street. "If there's enough money in it, all sorts of businesses can grow."
A NEW WORLD. And they will. The winners will be companies that build up piles of cell-phone numbers whose owners opt-in for advertising. But they'll be leaning heavily on software companies to help them digest all the mail and on ad companies equipped with demographers to help them target their pitch.
Spammers? They'll be around, though less free to wreak havoc on mobile networks, which are owned and controlled by phone companies. But that doesn't mean lots of these ads won't feel like spam. An entire new marketing world is opening up. And with each day, look for more of these mobile marketers to be knocking eagerly, asking for access to your cell phone.
ByMoreStock...
I see I'm in good company with you. Keep that up and I will have to start blushing.
Excellent drill down my friend on the HP/Virgin/Intel & BT connection. Have you seen HP's Cool Town video yet? Look at the header on this web page by our one and only SmartBiz. All the Best, JP
Wow, nice action gang.
We sent Retired off with a smile today. He would have been well pleased. We all must raise a glass in his honor in Las Vegas when NEOM hits $1.00. I know he enjoyed the top shelf stuff and mentioned it once in a post. Anybody recall what it was? I will miss him tremendously. But for the Grace of God go I...All the Best, JP
Bymorestock...
I have my idea's about Virgin & NEOM...and your throught process is right on! All the Best, JP
Retired...
Thank you for all of your concerns. I am in touch with Rich's parents. I will be relaying info. regarding where you may send your condolence's or who Rich's favorite charity was, if they so wish to inform me. They are terribly distraught, but are strong with their conviction regarding the wonderful person Rich was and how proud they were to be his parents. You all know how to reach me if you need to. This is a bitter sweet day gang. Please say a prayer. All the Best, JP
Retired...
It is with the utmost trepidation that I must inform all of you that Retired has suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. You may contact me by email at: JPetroInc@aol.com
I will try to get around to all of your inquires as best as I can. Please give me alittle time to respond.
Lastly, congradulations to Chaz Fritz, Chuck Jensen and all NEOM Longs who have made the grade this day. Retired would have been well pleased. All the Best, JP
Swivel...
Providing a secure means to use credit via cellphones:
http://www.swiveltechnologies.com/home.asp
Tech Officials Gear Up For Next Internet
Tuesday June 15, 7:00 pm ET
Donna Howell
Tech firms are marching toward the next-generation Internet, now that it has gotten a big boost from the Defense Department. But the trip will be a long one, fraught with some risks.
The Internet and other networks are very gradually upgrading to a newer operating structure, called Internet protocol version 6, or IPv6. This accommodates a vaster, more capable digital world that's friendlier to electronics and other gadgets.
It opens up ways for all kinds of devices to get their own numbered Internet addresses, and makes setting up the connections easier. So anything from an air quality sensor to a battlefield weapon can report data online. IPv6 also improves security and aids transmission of real-time data, such as voice and video.
A Defense Requirement
Major tech firms are upgrading their gear and software to work with IPv6. Their efforts are invigorated by a Defense Department mandate, said technology leaders at this week's North American IPv6 Summit, in Santa Monica, Calif.
With nimbler battle systems in mind, in October the Defense Department made IPv6 compatibility a requirement for all its new networking-related buys. So tech firms are changing to keep up.
"Big IT vendors like Cisco, HP, Microsoft, Sun, a few others -- they've been doing IPv6 for years", said Yuri Rich, business director for the North American IPv6 Task Force. "Now we're seeing a greater number of vendors spreading out across the spectrum who are implementing v6 in a serious way. It's not just a minor, passing interest. It's spending R&D money to get IPv6 up and running and to let the DoD know they have it."
Widespread commercial adoption of IPv6 will take at least a few years, Rich says. The military aims to transition to it around 2008, as part of an initiative to get better networked.
"The Internet is a medium in which we have to conduct commerce and cultural activities, and it is vital to our national interests," said conference keynote speaker Tom Mayhew, a senior director with Oracle's (NasdaqNM:ORCL - News) technology business unit. "The military has to figure out how to fight in that environment."
Interest in learning about IPv6 has trickled from the DoD to the Commerce Department, the Homeland Security Department and the Transportation Department, says Alex Lightman, marketing director for the North American IPv6 Task Force.
"There's actually word that the Office of Management and Budget will also propose that we mandate IPv6 for the entire government," he said.
Are technology vendors seeing interest in IPv6 outside government?
"A lot of the interest we've seen is coming from academic institutions and other technology companies in the process of developing next-generation applications," said Cody Christman, director of product engineering at Verio. It's a unit of NTT Communications that provides IPv6 service in the U.S.
Will Aid Wireless
Wireless providers are likely to show a growing interest in IPv6, Christman says. One reason is that IPv6 will make it easier to handle calls when a person travels outside their home area. Another reason is that IPv6 lets more devices have their own Internet addresses.
"China has 60 million Internet users and 30 million IPv4 addresses," Christman said. "As wireless proliferates, that's why China's interested -- because they don't have any address space."
IBM's (NYSE:IBM - News) seeing some customer uptake of its IPv6-enabled platforms and applications, says Jackie Jackson, a senior technical staff member in the company's enterprise networking solutions center.
"We're seeing more of it in Asia-Pacific than we are in the U.S.," Jackson said. "But we spend a lot of time with the government. We're part of several different government projects for IPv6."
The switch to IPv6 brings risks, security specialists warn.
"IPv6 is several years old, but many of the security aspects are in effect still being thought out," security consultant Richard Graveman told the conference. He says the biggest security worry is denial-of-service (traffic-flooding) attacks.
There's also the risk of cross-platform attacks by hackers as firms start to do IPv6 networking alongside their existing IPv4 networks.
"Can you afford for a v4 resource to go down if somebody exploits a v6 risk?" asked speaker Dennis Vogel, a product marketing manager for Cisco Systems (NasdaqNM:CSCO - News). "Could they use a v4 tunnel to get to a v6 resource?"
Hackers long ago discovered IPv6, Vogel told the conference. He's identified more than 20 software programs that can be used to try to compromise next-generation networks. At least one decoy network set up to trap hackers has been hit with an attack that used IPv6 techniques. And a 2002 worm called Slapper could have been IPv6-enabled.
The risks are reminders to pay attention to security as IPv6 adoption increases, Vogel says.
Still, IPv6 is ultimately supposed to improve Internet security. It uses a standard called IPsec (short for Internet protocol security) to encrypt data in transit.
World's First Mobile Phone Virus Created
By Lucas van Grinsven, Reuters
AMSTERDAM (June 16) - A group of underground virus writers has showed off what is believed to be the world's first worm that can spread on advanced mobile phones, but security software companies say the virus had no malicious code attached.
The worm, named Cabir, was sent to security software firms Kapersky Lab of Russia and U.S.-based Symantec by a member of 29a, a group of virus writers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia who pride themselves in creating ''proof of concept malicious viruses,'' Kapersky Labs spokesman Denis Zenkin said.
Avoid accepting a download that looks like the one above, anti-virus firms say. (Symantec)
''This is the very first version of a network worm which propagates via mobile phones,'' he said on Wednesday.
The worm is designed to work in smartphones running on Symbian and Series 60 software, Symantec said on its Web site.
This software is used to power millions of Nokia phones, such as the popular 6600 model.
Nokia was not immediately available to comment.
The worm is not regarded as dangerous because even if it spreads it carries no code that destroys files or executes other damaging operations, the security software firms said. The virus attempts to jump from phone to phone by using the handset's wireless short-range Bluetooth connection. It scans the environment for other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Once it has found one, it sends itself disguised as a security file. The file must be accepted by the mobile phone owner and then installed before it can propagate.
Mobile viruses will become more dangerous when they can spread without human intervention, said Matias Impivaara, business manager for mobile security services at Finnish security software firm F-Secure.
''The main (turning) point will be when the virus-writing community knows the software well enough... to find holes,'' he said.
''The information about the (Symbian) operating system is very close to the hands of the virus writers.... (Cabir) could be a trigger to start developing these ideas earlier.''
A spokesman at London-based technology firm Symbian said that, unlike personal computers, it was not possible to penetrate the software of its smartphones without approval.
''But we can never say it's not going to be possible. Smartphones have been designed... as open, programmable networked devices,'' he said, adding that users should be careful before accepting to install new software.
(Additional reporting by Brett Young in Helsinki)
Reut07:01 06-16-04
Good man...
I believe we are all looking to average down to some degree or another. The fundamentals of the company are not reflected in the share price. I believe this company is far and away worth way more that the share price it is currently trading at. I'm hopeful they complete their dilution with Cornell and Stone Ridge by the end of this week. That is critical for the supply/demand aspect of the share price. All the Best, JP
Where are we?
We need a little proactive commentary from our seasoned management. Any day to make that happen will be alright by me. All the Best, JP
We need a PR regarding AirClick
This is fantastic news. For the life of me, I can't understand why Chuck Jensen does not provide an update on these types of events. Great find Personalizit. Good follow-up Success. All the Best, JP
Service provider complaints...
NEW YORK (June 4) - Your cell phone company knows you hate it. Mobile phone service was the second-lowest ranked industry - beating only cable providers among the 40 rated - in the University of Michigan's newest customer satisfaction index.
And there's more: mobile companies were the No. 2 sector in complaints last year to Better Business Bureaus, dropping from first place in 2002. Only auto dealers did worse.
"The industry claims that people love their cell phones and they're very happy with the service," said Carl Wood, a commissioner on the California Public Utilities commission who fought the industry for four years to establish state wireless regulatory power. "That's half right."
Consumers complain of frequently dropped calls, lousy customer service and exorbitant penalties for exiting a contract. Then there are the fees - Verizon Wireless plans to collectively charge customers more than $173 million a year in fees for number portability alone.
The complaints range from mundane to dramatic.
"It shouldn't take up to six months or a year to fix a bill," said Tracey Griser, 31, of Clinton, Iowa, who had a series of problems with her Sprint PCS phone and the company's customer service. Sprint blamed her problems on the phone she was using, then gave her a free replacement that had the same problems.
Carl Hilliard, president of the Wireless Consumers Alliance, heard from a woman who had a Verizon Wireless family plan with her husband. After he died, Verizon Wireless charged her an early termination fee on his service.
"I just happened to be in a meeting with Verizon Wireless's attorney and mentioned it to him," Hilliard said. "It was reversed."
California last week adopted a Telecommunications Bill of Rights that requires companies to inform customers about rate increases, bill customers only for services that they request and allow customers to drop a service, without penalty, within 30 days.
A tougher measure failed to pass. "In the last year or so, the industry has just gone all out on every front to stop this," said Wood, the utilities commissioner. The industry has promised to challenge the new regulations in court.
The new rules offer fewer safeguards against deceptive marketing and advertising than Wood proposal, which also would have blocked companies from changing the terms of an existing contract.
Eric Rabe, a spokesman for Verizon Communications Corp. said the company thought even the watered-down rules unnecessary.
"We do the majority of this stuff already," he claimed. "This is an attempt by a regulatory body to exercise regulatory authority where they have not heretofore had it."
But many consumers are frustrated.
Claire Smith, 21, of San Diego, set up automatic payments for her Cingular Wireless bill. Cingular charged her credit card, then sent paper bills. When she didn't pay the duplicate bill, they cut off her service, saying she was delinquent. "They tried to double bill me," she said.
Neil Coleman, 34, of Jersey City, N.J., asked for a national plan when he signed up with AT&T Wireless. He worked inside his local calling area for months, then was sent to Dallas. His next mobile bill was $600, most of it roaming charges.
Calls to AT&T Wireless's customer service ended with a representative telling him it was his responsibility to review his bill. There, on page four, in the left-hand corner, in small print, the bill said "local plan."
Even simple things, like making a call, aren't always possible.
"Wireless carriers have been the victims of people believing their advertising," said Roger Entner, director of the wireless mobile services practice at The Yankee Group. "The carriers have been able to position it as a utility in the eyes of the customers, but it can't live up to that."
Companies insist they're working on improvements, that they're investing in their networks, simplifying billing and tying bonuses to customer satisfaction. But they've got some ways to go.
Sprint PCS ads even acknowledge consumer's frustration. A four-page ad in USA Today asked, "What if the rest of the world were like the wireless industry?"
It showed a group of children outside a fenced playground, reading the rules, which included, "You have to guess how many minutes you're going to use your ball - for the next two years. Don't guess too high or too low, or you'll be sorry."
The final rule: "If you don't like the rules, try another playground. It'll be exactly the same."
To improve service, the company has increased training for customer service employees to 10 days a year, introduced a new plan it said addresses common complaints and tied executive compensation to customer satisfaction, said Cindy Rock, senior vice president for customer solutions at Sprint PCS.
Cingular Wireless's chief operating officer, Ralph de la Vega, claims the company's service is also improving.
In April, it started giving new customers a summary of contract terms and costs. It also gives them a sample copy of what their first bill will look like.
AT&T Wireless, which has led the industry in complaints, according to Federal Communications Commission statistics made public by Consumers Union, was bought by Cingular for $41 billion in February. Cingular is in the process of merging the two companies.
Verizon Wireless said it added 1,600 customer service employees last year.
The company has led customer satisfaction surveys, although the Michigan survey, a quarterly index which this past week included wireless for the first time, said it was tops in "a lackluster field."
Asked about the ranking, Verizon's Rabe said, "Compared to what? Lands' End? You have to compare apples to apples. I wouldn't compare the customer experience of dealing with a complicated technology with buying a shirt. It's just a whole different challenge."
Cell phone troubles even dogged the reporting of this story.
Twice spokespeople for different wireless companies called on cell phones whose signals faded to silence.
06/04/04 14:02 EDT
Success...
Nice find on the BSDS/Triton news front.
Funny, I was spaeking with SmartBiz the other day. I told him I went in to see my Cingular sales rep. to upgrade my Motorola V60t to a 400 camera series with MEdia web access. I asked him if he knew anything about applications involving clicking on a bar code and accessing the internet to that code. He said: "There is a compoany in Florida working on that and I believe it will be available by Christmas, 04." I cued him into who NEOM was. He said that since Cingular acquired ATT Wireless, he believed ATT had the direct handle on it.
All in all, it was nice to know that PaperClick (or the application of) is being spoken about in inner circles, even if it's not synonymous with the name NEOM yet. All the Best, JP
If they keep these PR's up, they will be able to conduct a buy-back rather than a R/S. Wouldn't that be something! All the Best, JP
Bravo...
Well done. Agreed, there are many good items to be expected from NEOM in the near future. All the Best, JP
L-Scan financial condition...
Again, I go back to the fact that Retired had indicated L-Scans vulnerability towards near bankruptcy in a prior post. I don't question whether he is credible or not, for he has not missed a beat yet. I get the distinct impression Chaz & Chuck would not wilfully run a company such as L-Scan into the ground. IMO, its not in their nature. Secondly, there is value in creating revenue for both parties, not destroying it. If L-Scan did file bankruptcy protection, it was because they were having financial difficulties long before a patent infringement suit was initiated by B&P. I've requested some feedback from Chuck & Chaz, but have heard nothing as it is a long holiday weekend. All the Best, JP
SmartBiz, give me a shout.
Personalizit...
I have emailed Chuck & Chaz with this info as well as the Open Source Standards question. I will let you know what the response is.
I also believe your break down of the L-Scan possibilites is very pragmatic. I do believe that Retired stated they were close to bankruptcy. If this were the case, I would think it would be to L-Scans advantage to merge technologies with NEOM rather than continue with a legnthy and costly legal battle.
All the Best, JP
Personalizit...
Isn't Virgin up to bat this 26 June, 04. If L-Scan is off the hook, then Baniack & Pine have the answer. Lets see what we can find out. All the Best, JP
Back in the saddle...
Vancouver was beautiful as was Seattle. How are we looking on NEOM these days gang? All the Best, JP
CeBIT America...
http://www.cebit-america.com/
All the Best, JP
SAIC companies...
http://www.saic.com/about/companies/
All the Best, JP
Success...
Nice find. I've noticed when I travel abroad, the security procedures coming in to the US have gotten increasingly tighter. Yes, I see the iris scanners, finger print ID pads, drug & bomb sniffing dogs, x-ray luggage scanners, eye in the sky, armed security personnel, etc. I've also noticed that from the time you enter those bording gates and carry on scanners, you are pretty much locked in the terminal until you exit the terminal of your destination.
I believe that encryption RFID tags inserted into seemless passports is less invasive than all the above "obvious" airport and marine base security protocol. The ACLU should have no problems with privacy complaints via full RFID deployment in world wide passport distributions...something that InterPol could easily track monitor in RT without being invasive to the public at large.
We have got to establish a uniform benchmark for countries to be in syncronization with all peoples crossing each others borders. Ron Parsons is a good man on the watch for us in Washington, DC. He is our RFID guru. All the Best, JP
"There is excitement and momentum at NeoMedia,"
as quoted by Chuck Jensen in todays SAIC PR.
Well Chuck, there is excitement and momentum here on the I-HUB boards as well.
Congradulations Chaz, Chuck and all fellow Longs. Retired, your observation regarding Ron Parsons & SRP is well founded. SAIC is heavily entrenched in the US Government speciality applications sector. Its also quit apparent that the quiet period may very well be over, meaning more to come...for sure.
I can't wait for the really big news to start hitting the press.
All the Best, JP
Right you are Retired...
NEOM has international exposure through ISO. X9 sets the standard in the international community.
"ASC X9 is the USA Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the International Technical Committee on Financial Services (TC68) under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), of Geneva, Switzerland. X9 standards are the basis for many international standards used in facilitating global commerce."
Good catch. All the Best, JP
We're on the national map...
to becoming the industry standard for patented bank check authenticity and security measures. Great news...the puzzle has gained one more valuable piece. Apparently, our friends in Washington, DC have been very busy of late. All the Best, JP
Nice posts this morning guys...
Take a look at this little Florida cellular company...it seeks to revolutionize the way cell phones get and stay connected by establishing the standard for seamlessly switching between cellular and Wi-Fi Networks for next generation of handheld devices such as laptops, cellular phones and PDA's.
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/040517/57630.html
All the Best, JP
Retired...
Yes, a European Service Provider followed by scores of Brand Partners (of which we know there are several pending LOI's) is what my premonition is as well.
Pragmatically speaking, if I were looking to solidify the foundation for launching PaperClick in Europe, the one item that would give me the greatest amount of comfort would be resolvement of the patent infringement issue. However, I personally do not believe that this item alone would act as a hinderence for a Service Provider signing on, but rather to clear away any uncertainties prior to formal execution with one.
My hunch if Virgin settles favorably with NEOM (irresepective of an out-of-court agreement), a license fee arrangement will have to be established between these parties, thereby acting as a watershed for faster settlement time involving other infringment suits (AirClick, L-Scan and ScanBuy). Additionally, this settlement will also act as a catalyst by setting the stage for the American SP agreement and subsequent BP contracts, all here in the US.
As previously referred to, we may have a settlement agreement between NEOM and Virgin in very short order. If just this one item comes to fruition, it will set off a world-wide precedence by establishing a legal benchmark for all other possible infringers. People who are in the know, know this. I also believe because of it, we are being watched very closely by some large institution buyers.
80Mil. shares in one day will pale in comparison to the volumes we could see if any number of the open items on NEOM's plate are favorably publicised. Two months going forward for these events to take place is not a lot of time to wait. Heck, most of us have been here for close to a year anyway, and some for longer. All the Best, JP
Retired...
As usual, I bank on your intellectual prowess to sift through and sort out what are at times, seemingly complex and somewhat confusing financial data, especially when it is in chronoloigcal order. It takes a certain mind-set to get in there and drill down for the facts; then portray it in a practical manner to us laymen to understand.
My mind has some difficulty with more complex accounting procedures such as warrants, otions, exercisable rights, debentures, etc. let alone keeping track of all these items for well over one years time. I guess its like a puzzle, the more pices a trained mind has to work with, the better the view. Thanks again. I believe we are all Bound for Glory here my friend. All the Best, JP
No Wires, No Rules...
New wireless technologies will soon reconfigure the Web using radio spectrum that doesn't cost a dime
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_17/b3880601.htm?c=bwwireless_051304&n=link1&...
A Machine-To-Machine "Internet Of Things" Facilitating machine-to-machine communication could be a $180 billion business by 2008 -- and mobile-phone companies are scrambling for a piece
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_17/b3880607.htm?c=bwwireless_051304&n=link2&...
Samsung Gets Wired On Wireless: Instead of churning out me-too products, the company is embracing cutting-edge technologies
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_17/b3880607.htm?c=bwwireless_051304&n=link3&...
Intel's Telecom Weapon: WiMax
Sean Moloney says this wireless technology will surprise critics:
"I'm just looking forward to proving people wrong"
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_17/b3880607.htm?c=bwwireless_051304&n=link4&...
To see the entire investment outlook package, click here:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/04_17/B38800417wireless.htm?c=bwwireless_051304&n=link5...
Retired & Joe...
I can see both sides of the coin here. But, if I have to state where the stregnths are regarding NEOM, then I'm behind Retired's last assessment...all the way.
Entrophy is analogous to a boulder at the edge of a cliff. There is a tremendous amount of energy waiting to be released. All it takes is an incredibly small amount of inertia to move a very large mass.
We too have inertia built up in NEOM by the amount of hard work, new contacts, LOI's, pending European primary SP contract along with BP contracts, plus a whole host of other activities happening concurrently here in the US as well.
This board is great. Its a we thing. I don't have to do this alone, and thats a great feeling my friends. Thanks for everyone's contributions thus far...and I mean it. All the Best, JP
Congradulations Wongyal...
Its a good feeling to know that you've bought a winner and it runs hard for you. I hope you made a bundle on ONEV! All the Best, JP
Virgin is mega for sure...
However, with 400,000 items at a charge of $1,000.00 per item per code, I would suspect that NEOM would provide some sort of cost savings package for an order that large. Albeit the way in which you have framed-up the circumstances, the dollar numbers are staggering.
The best part is that Virgin is only one brand partner of countless others. Hopefully, they will be the first. This way we can enjoy 3 scenarios; a settlement agreement, establishment of NEOM's patents as being the world standard and the first in a series of many brand partners to follow.
Great job SmartBiz...as usual, you have impressed me with your business savy. All the Best, JP