Mårten Mickos, CEO of Eucalyptus Systems, argues that when companies lock in to their own design and customizations, it's as harmful as when they lock in to a vendor. Mickos explains why he thinks using standardized open source products is the best way to avoid both types of lock-in.…
Read MoreApril Kilcrease
Twitter’s “buy now” button could finally unlock micropayments for the media
Past experiments in micropayments on Twitter have flopped. Could the new "buy now" button be the answer struggling media companies and publishers have been longing for? Paul Armstrong looks at the potential rewards and challenges ahead.…
Read MorePrivacy vs personalization: The risks and rewards of engineered serendipity
When companies successfully design for online discovery, people are delivered the information they need before they realize they need it. But as Facebook’s newsfeed experiment reminded us, the challenge is to engineer a sense of serendipity without invading users' privacy. Jay Patani, an analyst at EC1 Capital, imagines a path forward.…
Read MoreMesh networks could bridge the gap between internet capacity and demand
Internet providers are about to face a connectivity crisis. Micha Benoliel, CEO of Open Garden, says software-based mesh networking is the solution. According to Benoliel, soon every smartphone, tablet, computer and wearable device will become a node in the global internet.…
Read MoreWhy the net neutrality debate also matters for VoIP
It's been a disheartening year for net neutrality and the open internet. While much of the furor has focused on the implications for video-streaming services, Zingaya's CEO Alexey Aylarov thinks the future may be even more perilous for VoIP.…
Read MoreIf left unchecked, cloud fever could make us sick
For better or worse, cloud computing has rushed toward centralization, leaving us with few options for where our data can live. It's time to consider more private alternatives to the centralized cloud. BitTorrent's Erik Pounds explains why.…
Read MoreIn a connected world, the smartphone remains king
Even as wearables and connected environments gain popularity, smartphones will play an increasingly important role in people’s lives. Fjord CEO Olof Schybergson explains why the smartphone is not going away anytime soon.…
Read MoreBusiness process API-ification: The LEGO promise fulfilled
Amazon has proven that developers are happy to outsource the data center, and Salesforce has proven that end users and IT organizations are content to consume a Web-based application — but what about all the core functions in between? Enter the providers of business process APIs. Mayfield's Robin Vasan offers an overview of the emerging area.…
Read MoreYour phone will soon be your new doctor
Soon, your phone will know more about your health history and fitness goals than your doctor does. And according RunKeeper founder Jason Jacobs, when this plays out at scale, it will change the dynamic between you, your doctor and the traditional healthcare system.…
Read MoreBalancing team passion and product-market fit
Entrepreneurs are often told to figure out what the market wants and to follow their passions. Unfortunately, these can be competing directions. Dave Kashen, founder of Quantum Leading, has his own bit of advice for startup founders -- don’t settle for what the market wants if it doesn’t intersect with what you're passionate about doing.…
Read MoreHow WebRTC will upend the mobile world
What this proposed new standard could do for or to the mobile industry is nothing short of monumental, says Erik Lagerway, cofounder of Hookflash. In the wake of WebRTC, the usual suspects will struggle to find a lifeboat while some faster-movers will rise to the occasion. ?…
Read MoreSilicon Valley is stupid (which is why it works)
According to David E. Weekly, CEO Oha.na, Silicon Valley is stupid in three important ways — its startups are stupid, its government is stupid, and its investors are stupid. Companies are successful here because business intelligence is distributed, and the ultimate arbiter of correctness is the market.…
Read More