Author Archive

How to Fix Muni Wi-Fi

Brian McConnell, Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 7:00 PM PT Comments (15)

While the goal of providing free access to citizens is a noble one, muni W-Fi proponents have misunderstood how the Internet is used in public spaces, primarily by assuming that people who can afford laptops are somehow unable to afford Internet access. Perhaps a better solution is to update the concept of lifeline coverage to make it universal and automatic.

F|R Crib Sheet: Key Terms of a Licensing Agreement

Jay Parkhill, Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 9:00 AM PT Comments (9)

People talk about “selling” technology products all the time, but they usually mean licensing them. Licensing is actually the most common way that technology companies generate revenue. A “sale” occurs when ownership of the product changes hands completely. A “license” is when some portion of ownership is held back. For example, Apple sells [...]

Flash Exploit Shows the Dark Side of Web 2.0

Stacey Higginbotham & Alistair Croll, Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 1:00 PM PT Comments (8)

Update: As pointed out in the comments below, Symantec has since clarified their original worries about this being a zero-day exploit affecting current versions of Flash. However it still remains a problem affecting earlier versions of Flash. For details about the specific issue, see Adobe’s post on the problem.
Yesterday’s news of an exploit in Flash [...]

F|R Crib Sheet: The Term Sheet Glossary

Guest Column, Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 9:00 AM PT Comments (16)

I work as an attorney to a lot of company founders, and I know from experience that when the time comes to negotiate a round of funding, entrepreneurs often find themselves at a disadvantage. Much of it has to do with language. There is an array of terms and issues that investors and lawyers work [...]

This August, Get Up & Mobilize

Om Malik & Surj Patel, Friday, May 23, 2008 at 4:30 PM PT Comments (8)

So far, the promise of the mobile web has been just that — a promise. Despite big plans and grand visions, the untethered Internet has eluded us all, largely due to the slower-than-predicted rollout of 3G wireless technologies. But just like the world of wireless, that is all set to change, as many wireless [...]

3 Ways to Win the David vs. Googliath Fight

David Koretz, Friday, May 23, 2008 at 4:00 PM PT Comments (14)

In 1999, half a dozen venture capitalists turned me down for financing because the business plan for my company, BlueTie, put me in direct competition with Microsoft. There simply was no point, they said; between its desktop monopoly, ranks of talent and outsized bank account, Microsoft was a guaranteed startup-killer. Instead, they advised us to [...]

What Makes Gaming Social?

Nabeel Hyatt, Friday, May 23, 2008 at 7:24 AM PT Comments (14)

While it may temping to lump every game that has chat or a shared leaderboard under the social gaming umbrella, to do so muddies the water of a category that just may be the natural progression from social networking. It’s time to define what we mean by social gaming, so that we can better focus on the actual value we are creating for the players themselves — and avoid the trap of slapping a sparkly new phrase on any gaming startup that wanders onto the scene.

Networking: How to Work a Twitter Party

Larry Chiang, Friday, May 16, 2008 at 3:00 PM PT Comments (16)

Networking has always been a high art in business. Just ask Susan Roane, my mentor and author of the seminal tome, “How to Work a Room.” (I know a handful of VCs and startup kings on Sand Hill Road who have her book tucked into a drawer.) I’ve been showcasing Roane’s lessons for founders in [...]

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