Alec Saunders SquawkBox

Vringo continues to execute content partnerships.  Just this morning, they announced a deal with Turner Broadcasting Europe, and Adult Swim.  From where I sit, it looks as if Vringo is turning into the peer to peer viral video delivery mechanism of choice for many content owners.  Interesting, and potentially very exciting!

Here's the latest Squawk Box podcast.  We had Jim Courtney, Randall Howard and myself for most of the call discussing the events at MacWorld yesterday.  We talked about the Macbook Air, the iPhone update, and the AppleTV update.  Enjoy, and see you tomorrow!

 

 Squawk Box Jan 16 [22:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dan York says he wants interoperability between Skype and other VoIP networks.  Who wouldn't, right? Apparently not too many of us. According to Skype, the reason they haven't done this is because "customers aren't asking for it".  

I'm calling them out on this one.  I'm betting that they haven't actually asked customers.  You see, here's the dirty secret that all corporate spokespeople use.  When asked these kinds of questions, they all answer "customers haven't asked us for it", because it's a safe answer.  It's unassailable, in fact. "Hey, we'd build it if people were asking for it, but they're not, so why should we spend the money!" 

Customers won't necessarily ask for it, but if you build it, Skype, they will use it.  Moreover, by opening the network a teensy bit, Skype would advance the cause for VoIP globally and that would benefit you and everyone else.  I'm sure you've heard the old saying that a rising tide floats all boats… 

In a move reminiscent of the Grateful Dead allowing concert goers to make their own tapes, prominent author and Stanford law professor Larry Lessig has managed to convince Random House to allow his book The Future of Ideas to be released for free under the Creative Commons Attribution-noncommercial license.  

I've only read Code, one of Lessig's earlier books. It was superb. This may just get me to read The Future of Ideas next.   

Breakup is a new Facebook application that tells you when you've been removed as a friend.  Big thumbs down, I'm afraid.  Part of the appeal of Facebook as a social network is that you don't have to tell people that you've ignored, unfriended or blocked them.  It's one of the privacy guarantees that Facebook makes to their users. Applications shouldn't have the ability to over-ride this basic guarantee.  The Facebook terms of service should be changed to prevent this from happening.