A.viary!

I’ve been watching this startup for a few weeks now. I think this is a lovely concept. A.viary is a purely online replacement for Photoshop, Gimp, or Paint.net. Also they have expanded into other creative tools such as video and sound editing. Their suite should attract Adobe’s lower end customers.

Besides their site and demo looking spectacular, it is an interesting concept we will see more often. Taking expensive corporate suites, dumbing them down a tad, and repackaging them for online consumption. One could say Mint is an online, dumbed down version of Quicken. I’d sure like to see a online version of Mathematica in the spirit of Heroku!

February 12, 2008 | | Filed Under Startups | Comments

Buglabs feedback

Speaking to a few professors, students, and other nerds I’ve gotten a little feedback on the thoughts around buglabs device. They are all excited but it is out of their price range. They see it as a sysadmin’s weekend plaything. It doesn’t look like it will get any cheaper either. I think that their emulator and API will still draw in a few developers while they save up to buy the brick.

I believe bug is an amazing idea, their viral marketing is hilarious, and I think it will be a hit within a few development communities. If and when they hit critical mass will be when either community/corporations start to monetize (ie: LG Bug2200 on Verizon) it or a really killer/innovative app comes out.

January 15, 2008 | | Filed Under Startups, Technology | Comments

Twitter is rad, Can I say it again?

Although I know the club loves my evangelism of Twitter so much, I can’t help it! It is one of those things that comes along every few years that you always knew you wanted! I can see teens and preteens just eating this up over IM. Sending text messages from class and using it like dodgeball. At home it replaces your away/status button. “omg dewing Chelseas hair, Patrick talked to me today in gym!” I could certainly see my teenage sister a using this all the time, albeit, for evil.

A certain amount of features need to be added to Twitter before it hits mainstream, I’m sure some are in the works.

First feature should prob be actually keeping it up, although this might be to much to ask.
A torch carrier: To do what Tom did for Myspace. Someone needs to be brought in for Twitter.
There needs to be some grouping, censoring, and limiting features to keep the noise down.
Better integration with IM and social networks.
A real major client. They almost had this with MTV, I think they can do better. Integration with some TV show. Maybe gossip girl? or get it on some celebreality show. They’ve already shown they don’t care to much about selling out

January 10, 2008 | | Filed Under Startups, Technology | Comments

Overstock CEO Byrne puts on his economist hat

As reported by GigaOM:

“I have been saying for about two years we’re looking at a 1929 kind of event. I think that we are really in trouble in this country. And what you have seen in the last four months is just the beginning of it.” - CEO of Overstock[[OSTK]]

Reading into his Wikipedia entry he has the eccentric CEO thing down pretty well. Conspiracy theories, Star Wars references, and jihads? He really hates naked short selling.

This is certainly not the last we will be hearing from him on this topic. If the market does tend downwards overstock would be a winner, due to the ease of purchasing overstock, he certainly has a vested interest in promoting a downturn in the economy.

Is the sky falling yet? I’m not sure, I think that VC could help save us from going down that road. There is so much VC money out there to not get a few innovative big hits, prop up the economy until the cycle blows over. I know one thing for sure, I wholeheartedly agree with the Gigaom reporter, this man is hilarious.

December 11, 2007 | | Filed Under Economy | Comments

Endeavor Acquisition buying American Apparel

This is one of my favorite stocks right now.
[[APP]]
EDA is a Special Acquisition Company that is buying American Apparel. Warrants are also priced at a very steep discount, considering the vote is less than a month away. There is a big arbitrage opportunity there. Although it is being naked short sold.

November 26, 2007 | | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments

Back to blogging

After taking a hiatus I am back blogging.

About the redesign: I got really sick of the clutter. I want a clean blog where words speak for themselves. Less distractions! I’ll be testing blogging widgets in a sandbox instead.