Linked List: May 9, 2011

Monday, 9 May 2011

Google Music Beta to Be Unveiled Tomorrow ★

Greg Sandoval, reporting for CNet:

“We’re launching a beta service called Music Beta by Google that lets users upload their personal music libraries to their own account on Google’s servers,” Levine told CNET. Users can “access those libraries anytime or anywhere from web connected devices”.

Why start talking to the press about this before the keynote address?

Levine said that Android owners will be able to access their libraries when offline as well.

While the service is still in beta, users will be able to join by invitation only. Initially, to access the service, users will require a browser that supports Flash — that means no Apple devices — or on any Android device that’s version 2.2 or higher, Levine said. Currently the service will start off in the United States only and will be free.

Presumably, where by “no Apple devices”, he meant “no iOS devices”. But still, the future of online music is Flash? And still no music store?

WSJ: ‘Microsoft Nears $7 Billion-Plus Deal for Skype’ ★

Anupreeta Das and Nick Wingfield, reporting for the WSJ:

At a value over $7 billion, the Skype deal would rank at or near the top of the biggest acquisitions in the 36-year history of Microsoft, a company that traditionally has shied away from large deals. In 2007, Microsoft paid approximately $6 billion to acquire online advertising firm aQuantive Inc. Many current and former Microsoft executives believe Microsoft significantly overpaid for that deal. But they are also relieved that Microsoft gave up on an unsolicited $48 billion offer for Yahoo Inc. nearly three years ago. Yahoo is valued at half that sum today.

Skype for $7B sounds nutty to me. Skype loses money. Everyone agreed Skype wasn’t worth much after eBay took a bath on it a few years ago, at a far lower price than this. What’s changed?

Codifying How Apple Works ★

Horace Dediu:

Apple University was first mentioned in 2008 when Joel Podolny was hired from running Yale Management School to join Apple in creating this new “University”. [...] But nothing was heard about Apple University again. Until yesterday.

According to the article in Fortune and some additional details from another source, Joel Podolny has been building an understanding of how Apple is run. He’s then been asked to codify this understanding into a curriculum that can be taught to Apple employees.

Peter Kafka on Condé Nast’s Subscription Deal for the iPad ★

Seems like a good deal for both.

Joining the Club ★

John Lettice, writing for The Register back in 1999:

Further evidence of deterioration of relations between Apple and Microsoft emerged in court yesterday, as Paul Maritz was confronted with a February 1998 email saying that “MacOffice is the perfect club to use on them [Apple]”. Maritz had been on the CC list for this message, sent by Don Bradford to Ben Waldman (head of Microsoft’s Mac development team), but yesterday told the court that he didn’t know what Bradford meant by this, and no, he hadn’t asked him.

Don’t be evil.

How Osama Bin Laden Changed America ★

Speaking of The New Yorker, David Remnick’s piece this week on Bin Laden is the best take I’ve seen.

The New Yorker Adds Subscription Support to Its iPad App ★

At last. My print subscription runs through next year, but I suspect I’ll go digital-only when it expires. More coverage here from Jim Romenesko.

Where Are They Now? Products Announced During Past Google I/O Keynotes ★

Danny Sullivan:

The keynotes at Google I/O — Google’s developer conference — are always filled with such promise. Google TV, Google Wave, music in the cloud! But the products themselves haven’t always gone on to meet expectations. With Google I/O 2011 beginning on Tuesday, here’s a look back at what’s happened with past keynote product graduates.

The one big hit: Android. The others: not so good.

I’m curious to see whether tomorrow’s keynote has the same confrontational tone regarding Apple as last year’s.

The Sophie Choice ★

Steven Levy on Google’s “Dear Sophie” TV spot.

Update: Fireballed; cached here.

Dribbble ★

Dribbble is a website where designers can posts “shots”:

Shots are small screenshots (400×300 pixels max) from players to show what they are working on. Some have called Dribbble “Twitter for creatives.” Shots are to Dribbble as tweets are to Twitter.

Such a great idea, so well done. My only problem with Dribbble is how much time I can lose to it. Even better: come next month, Dribbble is joining The Deck.

‘We’re Using Compatibility as a Club to Make Them Do Things We Want.’ ★

Steve Lohr, reporting for the NYT:

A stack of internal e-mail messages from Google, which a Massachusetts state court made public last week, provide a glimpse into the competitive tactics and decision-making inside a business that is crucial to the company’s growth — its Android software for smartphones. [...]

Android phones must adhere to a “compatibility” standard determined by Google. In an e-mail on Aug. 6, 2010, Dan Morrill, a manager in the Android group, noted in passing that it was obvious to the phone makers that “we are using compatibility as a club to make them do things we want.”

See, but it’s an open club.

Verbs — IM App for iPhone ★

Instant messaging app for iPhone with support for Google Talk, AIM, and MobileMe. So much better than AOL’s official AIM client it isn’t even funny. $2.99 cheap.

(My only gripe: I wish the text input field grew vertically as you type longer messages, as in Apple’s Messages app.)

Skype 5 for Mac Security Vulnerability ★

A new version of Skype 5 closes the vulnerability, and Skype 2.8 (with its simpler, superior interface) was unaffected all along.