How Google is Scaring Everyone

My first day at TI wasn't too bad, but I had to sit through a lot of talking. I was there for 10 hours hearing way too much about sexual harrassment, etiquette, benefits, safety, how the company is structured, and the like. I'm hoping that I'll get to start some real work tomorrow and meet my boss. Anyway, on to the real topic today: Google. Who are they a threat to? It may be more companies than you think, since their ad-supported business model is shaking up many fields of software since they offer so many free alternatives. This means that competitors, especially in media, have to make cutbacks that could result in downsizing and the like. I don't believe that the threat is as big as the article suggests simply because a lot of people would rather pay a fee than deal with ads, and it's not like Google is going to be turning out top-of-the-line products (we all know their UIs need work). Another problem is that its near monopoly over searching should be scaring everyone since it gives them the power of bias, and they already discriminate on popularity since their PageRank system favors the bigger sites. The article suggests that Google is not only keeping the rich richer by how AdSense works, which I talked about last week, but by how they're exposed. Could this weakness be big enough for a rival to expose? Or is it a necessary evil for relevant search results?

Nintendo has finally announced the price of the Wii to be a refreshing $250, which is no doubt a sweet sight to those sent into shock by Sony's pricing announcement at E3. I definitely think that this gives them a huge advantage over the PS3, and probably even a little over the Xbox 360, though as you can see to the right here the graphics don't quite match up. Still, they're banking on solid gameplay, which is what I think the rest of us are hoping for also. Meanwhile, I think Sony is banking on the Blu-ray to help sell PS3s, which means they're probably not happy with bad press like this highlighting the specifics of how crazy the DRM is starting to become with these new DVD players. Do you really need more reason to not run out and by a next-gen DVD player or PS3 the day it comes out? Microsoft has decided that they're going to save you a few bucks and sell you the Ultimate package with Windows Vista Ultimate and and Office 2007 Ultimate for just $679. I wonder how much less a Home edition would cost without all the bells and whistles, because I'd rather get a Mac Mini than spent the same amount on a couple of pieces of software I already have in an older version. Then again, I'll get a student discount, so we'll see. Do you remember Seagate's 750 GB (aka the biggest hard drive to date)? Well, we have a pretty extensive review of it, and it sounds pretty good, but I don't think it's worth running out and getting right away. I'm sure they'll work out the kinks within a year and offer it at a cheaper price. It turns out that Intel is looking to release a Conroe-L chip in addition to the normal Conroe one that would be single core and targeted more towards low-end desktop computer users. It sounds to me like just a hyped up rehash of a Pentium 4 chip though, but we don't have all the specs yet. Lastly, it looks like geek fight clubs are sprouting up and are run by bored IT professionals who want to try to get tougher. I think it's kind of funny since I can understand why they'd do it, but these guys may need lives if they prefer fighting other geeks in their spare time.

That's one of a couple of new posters for the new movie on the Man of Steel, and we finally also have a good quality version of the new trailer that premiered in theaters this past weekend. And if that wasn't enough for you, the movie has been pushed forward two days to June 28! I'm guessing that this has something to do with how well X3 did this past weekend. We also have a one-sheet for Apocalypto, and it looks pretty good. Some of the outlets are giving it a little too much praise though. Some new on-set pictures from Spider-man 3 have been leaked with Gwen Stacy, but the actress playing her (Bryce Dallas Howard) doesn't look as good as I would expect from reading the comic. At least she's from Texas! Chris Tucker has signed on to be in the Hollywood remake of Bollywood movie Munnabhai MBBS, or Gangster MD as it is called here. This is a strange choice for him, but that article points out how close in proximity the two movies will be for him averse to the rest of his career. Lastly, you can see a review of Pan's Labyrinth over here, and it sounds pretty good. Harry Knowles doubts its brilliance though, so we'll have to wait on more reviews.

Now back to the Ten on Tuesday meme:

10 Plans for the Summer
10. Slow my pace down from the normal school year.
9. Catch up on TV shows my friend has been bugging me about.
8. Clean out my hard drive and e-mail.
7. Get used to the layout of Dallas so I'll be familiar with three cities.
6. Drive even more carefully than before.
5. Get a new (used) car.
4. Completely finish the NSC site.
3. Try meeting some other interns and make some friends so I won't be all alone here.
2. Learn how to cook more stuff, despite the limited facility in my hotel room.
1. Have a good experience at TI.