Microsoft to debut new search engine at All Things D?
According to Yahoo!Tech, Microsoft is likely to show a new version of its Internet search engine publicly for the first time next week. It remains to be seen, however, whether the new search engine, which has been tested internally under the name Kumo and which is expected to be unveiled at the “D: All Things Digital” conference, will allow Microsoft to make any inroads on search leader Google, which currently holds more than 64% of the online search market in [...]
Do You Mean to Say That We’ve Reached the Pinnacle of Human Success?
Our pals at Third Way had a nice event on Wednesday with Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway) and Ralph Eckhardt and Mark Blaxill (authors of the new IP-centric book, “The Invisible Edge”). The focus of the event was innovation and American jobs; Kamen talked about his efforts to build future generations who are interested in math and science, and Eckhardt and Blaxill talked about how intellectual property is crucial to innovation and future job creation. All three were great, [...]
What the EU Doesn’t Get: Competitor Harm Does Not Equal Consumer Harm
The European Commission is a loose cannon when it comes to antitrust and competition law. It's record $1.45 billion fine is emblematic of what the Commission just doesn't get: there's a difference, a difference that matters, between consumer and competitor harm. EU Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes said otherwise: Intel had “used illegal anticompetitive practices to exclude its only competitor and reduce consumers’ choice — and the whole story is about consumers.” No, the whole story is not about consumers, [...]
Robbing Intel to Pay European Taxpayers: Did Neelie Kroes Really Say That?
According the BBC, Neelie Kroes joked that her record setting fine against Intel would be redistributed from the American-based company and its employees to European taxpayers.Ms Kroes joked in her own news conference that Intel would now have to change its latest advertising slogan from "sponsors of tomorrow" to "the sponsor of the European taxpayer". This is NOT an appropriate joke, especially in today's environment. In the global economic recession, the urge to resort to protectionism is rising in governments throughout [...]
It’s All About Consumer Welfare: The Varney Speech and Intel Case
On Monday, the US Department of Justice’s lead antitrust enforcer announced a new direction for her agency. In a speech before the Center for American Progress, Christine Varney, assistant attorney general for antitrust, said “as antitrust enforcers we cannot sit on the sidelines any longer.”According to the San Jose Mercury News, the speech is a troubling sign for technology industry titans, particularly Intel:"In the past, the antitrust division was a leader in enforcement efforts in technology industries, and I believe [...]
FBI to station computer crime expert in Estonia
MSNBC reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) plans to permanently base a computer crime expert in Estonia this year to fight international threats against computer systems. According to FBI assistant director Shawn Henry, this is the first time the bureau is placing outside of the United States an agent focused purely on cybercrime. Henry said the bureau decided to station the agent in Estonia because of the country’s expertise in IT, well-developed computer infrastructure and the government's commitment [...]