Microsoft Invests in Its Own Mobile Browsing Technology
When Microsoft Research built technology that brings smoother video, better
content organization and Web navigation to mobile devices, the company could
have turned it into a Microsoft product, or perhaps added it to its Smartphone
and other mobile OSes.
Instead, Microsoft decided to spin it off as a separate company, and then invest
in it as a venture capitalist.
And
so it is that we have ZenZui (the name seems to have little or no actual
meaning), which is already aiming its software at the Zune. As Microsoft explains,
"ZenZui works as a widget- or icon-based navigation system that allows
the user to zoom in and out of various applications."
Microsoft Demonstrates its Own Mobile Browsing Technology
You might think I'm writing the same story twice, as Microsoft this week talked
about new technology to improve the browsing capabilities of mobile devices.
Instead of ZenZui, Microsoft was extolling
the virtues of Deepfish, a technology that makes cell phone and PDA browsers
look more like their larger PC or laptop brethren.
Deepfish offers the full layout of the Web site, but in a way that lets users
easily read the content.
No, it's not a giant magnifying glass. Instead, Deepfish loads the portion
of the Web site you are actually exploring. And best of all, DeepFish can work
with existing pages without having them recrafted for mobile.
Google vs. K-Fed
My standard search engine went from AltaVista to Google four years ago (I'm
a late bloomer, I know).
That may have to change now that I've found SearchWithKevin.com.
That's Kevin as in Kevin Federline. Do enough searches and I may win a T-shirt,
an autographed picture or, the grand price, an autographed K-Fed CD!
Dang.
Handling Orphanware and Buying From Startups
Ever buy a product for a critical function, only to have the vendor go out of
business? What did you do? How did you support a tool with no vendor to back
it?
And when buying from a startup, which may or may not make it, what special
precautions do you take? Do you demand to see the balance sheet, get source
in escrow or come in with a backup plan in case they go under?
We are writing a feature story about these topics and would love to hear your
war stories, lessons and advice. E-mail me at [email protected].
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.