Technically Speaking

While there is talk and evidence of a pending recession in the United States, Seagate’s CEO William Watkins is not worried. His main sticking point in this CNET interview is the fact that even though the markets are going to hell in a handbasket, people are still getting online. New companies are still forming, and as we saw late yesterday, a company that’s main bread and butter is a blogging platform secured another round of financing.

So where is the great divide that seems to be reality of Wall Street and the reality that the economy online is doing just fine? Most financial analysts only see the facts at hand such as the credit crunch, billion dollar write downs by companies such as Bank of America, Countrywide Lending, Wachovia, Merrill Lynch and other major financial mainstays. Financial analysts don’t seem to see the millions that are being dropped on new companies via angel and venture capital funding.

While the world’s markets are falling, companies with new innovating technologies that work such as the Swedish startup Polar Rose will continue to forge forward. From what I have seen of it, being invited to the Alpha months ago, the technology they are putting out there works. Face recognition is something that Wall Street should get excited about.

In this day and age of watch out for the boogie man that might lurk around the corner in the form of Al Bundy, there couldn’t be a more perfect time for this to have evolved. Companies online realize that the world economy is in a slowdown, but continue full steam ahead. The reason is that great divide that seems to be in place with reality and reality online.

Companies online are doing just fine. Now the other day I made a note here about Yahoo and pending layoffs, but that is an online entity such as IBM is in the real world. Companies that are huge are taking hits. Now above you are reading that Seagate’s CEO isn’t worried, but again his company is one that is providing a real world product while still investing in the online world.

A great divide does exist between Wall Street and the online companies. Yet in this divide I believe there is a common ground. The operations of these companies still keep driving forward, and VC’s bite once again as shown by the Automattic second round of financing.

Technically Speaking, companies such as Lookery and Lending Club are driving the new economy with innovative ideas that just work.

Full Disclosure: Rex Dixon works for both Lookery and Lending Club.

NEW: This came in moments after I posted this, but it seems that Mr Business Golf (Scot Duke) made the WSJ this morning. Also you can digg the article. As many of you know, his site is located here. performance management

TripIt, a free online travel organizer and social network, is helping travelers stay connected with the release of its new location-based social ”Closeness” alerts.

The new features include “Who’s Close To Me?” which automatically notifies users if their travel plans overlap with fellow travelers while on the road, and “Who’s Coming to my City?” which automatically identifies colleagues who will be visiting their hometown when they’re not traveling.

With the new Closeness alerts, TripIt offers a unique social network for travelers and their community of contacts. In addition to knowing who’s going to be where in the real world, TripIt also allows travelers to “connect” with each other online to share and collaborate on trips. And, TripIt automatically syncs itineraries with calendars and eliminates the need for manual entry, even if plans or details change, so that travelers are always “in sync” wherever they are.

TripIt is an online personal travel assistant that automatically organizes all travel plans. The company was co-founded by Gregg Brockway, co-founder of Hotwire and former president of Expedia’s luxury travel company Classic Vacations, Inc. They just launched back in September of 2007. Branson rentals

Yahoo who had some rumors hit the web late last week is now reported in the NY Times as seriously going forward with layoffs. The giant company which employs around 11,000 may be the first big online company to be laying off a percentage of it’s workers. This doesn’t bode well, as we all saw the world markets taking a big dive earlier today.

The last time Yahoo had sizable layoffs was in 2001, following the dot-com crash. Over the last year, the company added several hundred people, some through hiring and some through acquisitions of companies like the online advertising specialists Right Media and BlueLithium and the e-mail provider Zimbra.

Technically Speaking, how many of you still believe this guy? exercise equipment

California Israel Chamber of Commerce has announced the selection of 15 startups that will be touring Silicon Valley as part of its popular road show.

The Tour will kick off on February 4th, 2008 when CEOs from Israel’s most exciting startups arrive in Silicon Valley for a week of activities. The companies will meet with investors, strategic partners, customers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders in a mix of private one-on-one meetings, roundtable discussions and ad-hoc networking events.

The highlight of the week will be a public showcase on Wednesday, February 6h hosted at Microsoft where each start-up will present to the industry and press. The tour will end with a closing night party in San Francisco on February 7th.

Companies that will be represented this year are as follows:

5min - www.5min.com
PLYmedia - www.plymedia.com
AllofMe - www.allofme.com
NuConomy - www.nuconomy.com
ClickTale - www.clicktale.com
blogTV.com - www.blogtv.com
Sportingo - www.sportingo.com
PicScout - www.picscout.com
Qoof - www.qoof.com
8hands - www.8hands.com
Velingo - www.velingo.com
Innovid - www.innovid.com
Semingo - www.semingo.com
PageOnce - www.pageonce.com
Journeys - www.codename-journeys.com

The IsraelWebTour is an initiative spearheaded by the CICC (The California Israel Chamber of Commerce) - a non-governmental, industry supported organization. The 2008 Tour is sponsored by: Google, Yahoo, Adobe, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Lehman Brothers, USVP, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosatti, Elron and Gemini Israel Funds and the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco.

California Israel Chamber of Commerce (CICC) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental membership supported organization dedicated to strengthening business and economic relations between California and Israel.

Technically Speaking, I’d love to see all these companies give Lookery a looksee. prohormones

I heard about it first on twitter, but it appears that Mahalo is giving away two Apple Air laptops.

I know my co-worker at Lookery (Todd) wants one really bad. I still can’t get over the fact of “mono sound/speaker“, but the thin, fit in a manila envelope Apple Air is rather cool. If you can get one for free from Mahalo, even better.

Technically Speaking, I haven’t been blogging too much lately as you may have noticed.