Random Thoughts on Random Tech Stories

Some interesting tech stories from this week and a little commentary.

1. Facebook value plummets $5bn
   Facebook is ad-driven. The ad market is down. Shock!
2. Apple counts $1bn for mystery data center
   Twice the cost of the average Google data center: XServes cost twice as much as the average Google server. ;)
3. Ubuntu AppCenter and Android apps on Ubuntu
   The App Center (in other words, an app store) is now high priority for 9.10, and UDS is showing off Android apps. Hmmmm. These couldn't be related in any way, could they?
4. UNR doesn't have vision
   Summary: Netbooks aren't small notebooks. We need to treat them differently and the Internet has to be woven into every interface.
   Take: I agree on the intent of using a netbook, but the market (and I mean customers) dont, and are pushing to make them small, cheap notebooks. Good luck changing their minds.
5. Free software will kill Redmond
   Redmond ain't dying any time soon, folks. There's one real truth here, though: Free and Open Source software are going to destroy 90% of the market for software sales (not implying that total software-related income will drop). Once a class of app is commoditized in FOSS, you'll need good luck selling a license for similar software. What will be left? Niche markets and service contracts (including web services).
6. Linux desktop adoption "easier than expected"
   The Linux desktop is ready for the enterprise. Businesses have the ability to start with more amenable groups and expand the roll-out later. Once the change is obviously permanent, people deal with the change.
7. Video Editing On Linux: Things are looking up!
   Keep holding your breath. Don't start breathing yet. Pitivi is still massively buggy, but it's getting there.
   

Related articles by Zemanta

• Canonical giving Ubuntu the gift of Android apps (engadget.com)
• File Synchronization Services (autonomo.us)
• Mark Shuttleworth - Free Software and Wealth Creation (itc.conversationsnetwork.org)