0.20 – Mark brings up MacLeans’ article “The Internet Sucksâ€? which focuses on the worst of the internet, not the promise of the internet.  The guys discuss the philosophical basis for the article – is the internet over-hyped and is the technology media/blogosphere too close to the issue to realize this?

4.53 – The internet isn’t perfect but Mark says that, like the wild west, we will reign in the internet and make it live up to its potential.  Kevin admits that it isn’t perfect, but it does break up time and space which is a good thing

6.08 – Mark says that society did get caught up in the hype of a new tool in the dot com boom and there was some crazy investing going on. Now the investment landscape is very different with web 2.0 companies doing great things on a shoestring budget

8.08 – Check out Mark’s post, co-authored by the writer of ‘The Internet Sucks’, Steve Naich.

9.18 – The guys segue way into Google’s stock which is performing superbly ($488 U.S. at the time of recording) against its peers.  Kevin thinks that Google is overvalued and wonders when the investor euphoria will end

10.39 – Mark thinks the euphoria ends when the music ends, when the first disappointing quarter is announced.  The company will still be a leader, but the sky’s the limit attitude will be gone.  However, Google’s market cap is so huge that it can position itself to brace for the downturn – as with the YouTube acquisition

12.56 – Mark predicts more bold moves from Google while Kevin likes the amount they’re throwing against the walls, even if not all of it sticks

13.46 – Cisco video conferencing.  Mark thinks video conferencing hasn’t lived up to its potential but Kevin believes the new breed of video conferencing technologies are pretty exciting.  Synching video and audio is easy to imagine but hard to do – services like Cisco’s or HP’s Halo cost around $300,000.

15.13 – If you are a multinational company, having to assemble virtual teams, then the benefits could outweigh the costs.  Mark’s new company, b5media, works virtually and the team starting to use Skype video – seeing people’s expressions is invaluable

16.41 – Kevin is fine with a vanilla phone call.  He likes the freedom to multitask and do other things like email.

17.02 – Kevin hasn’t used the new, hyped, tools but says the experience that people have been promised is here.  At a price

17.42 – Mark wraps things up – the internet doesn’t suck, but video conferencing might

What do you think? Email Mark and Kevin at heytalkingtech@gmail.com or leave an audio comment on the Talking Tech hotline: +1 206 333-1327.

As always, the music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke which is available on the pod safe music network.

0:15 – Mark and Kevin open up the show from the world headquarters of b5media, otherwise know as the “Man Room� in Mark’s house.

0:46 – Mark and Kevin discuss Apple’s stellar fiscal fourth quarter results. Mark is amazed that Apple sold 39 million iPods and it is, without a doubt, the Google of potable music players.

1:28 – Kevin equates its success to the “cool factor�. He then wonders how Apple can keep growing.

2:17 – Mark answers by saying that Apple will continue its momentum by extending its platform. Apple started with the iPod, Nano, etc., but what’s next? Mark wonders if rumours about the Apple phone will come to be. They tried it with Motorola without success, and there are rumours that they’ll try it with RIM.

3:08 - Kevin agrees that this may the way to go for Apple, but is skeptical that Apple will be able to compete with the Nokias of the world in the phone market. He sees the Macbook as Apple’s next huge opportunity for growth. He just doesn’t see an iPod phone as killer. He then wonders if the Apple media server will do the trick for Apple.

4:23 – Mark thinks that Macbooks get lost in the iTune/iPod success story. He thinks that the laptop market will be a huge opportunity for Apple, especially with the introduction of the Intel processor. Kevin agrees.

6:00 – Mark explains that he used to be a Windows user, but he has been won over by Apple.

6:24 – Mark introduces Internet Explorer 7. Kevin says that he’s a big Firefox fan – he likes the tab browsing, etc. He thinks that Microsoft may have lost a lot of its browser market share because of how long it took to respond to this challenge. Mark explains that IE 7 uses tab browsing, which he loves, but he’s not going to use IE 7 in the short run. He wants all of the bugs to be worked out first. Kevin thinks that, for the average computer user, IE 7 will probably work.

9:40 – Mark introduces virtual worlds (i.e. Second Life, Weblo) to the conversation. He doesn’t understand it, and both he and Kevin don’t see the appeal. But, Kevin thinks that this might just be a crude version of what’s to come in the future. Mark talks a little about a friend who was taking a virtual course at Harvard’s Second Life campus. He describes a couple more examples and speculates that maybe it will become a standard meeting space. Kevin is amazed that Reuters has jump aboard.

14:29 - Mark is amazed at the amount of real world money spent in the virtual worlds and says he’s a little concerned about some of the money being raised by some, like Weblo. Kevin doesn’t see the value for the end user.

16:05 – Mark wraps up the show.

Comments for Mark and Kevin can now be left at talkingtech@gmail.com or on the comment line: +1 206 333-1327.

As always, the music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke which is available on the pod safe music network.

0.17 – Mark and Kevin jump right into this week’s show with a discussion on Bell Canada Enterprises Telus’ decision to do the same thing

1.20 – Mark wonders if this is a sign that the Canadian carriers are in a battle with the cable companies and that the income trust structure is the best way to be able to spend money. Kevin agrees and says that the low investment phase the industry is in now makes sense for the income trust conversion – for now!

2.37 – Bell had its chance to make a big play in the space, but blew it when Microcell was lost to Rogers. Both Mark and Kevin agree that this is a platform for a push into wireless

4.15 – Will Bell even be in existence in five years? All their business units are on the decline but Kevin thinks it will still be around in some form – due in part to the resources at its disposal. Once Bell turns the battleship around, it will be a major force

5.33 – The guys turn their eyes on the international scene and the Google YouTube deal. Kevin says the deal is all about advertising and Google has simply combined its cash with YouTube’s “eyeballs�. Mark thinks advertising will be key, but the ability to deliver video to consumers will transition from free to paid fairly soon

6.05 – Cheap entertainment isn’t going away, but as the networks and studios get more “user friendly� companies will increasingly look to monetize their content.

7.34 - Google Video was not a success so Google is looking to buy, not build, and Mark predicts history will credit Google with a great bargain. Kevin agrees that the acquisition is a calculated gamble but that there’s not a lot of downside – as opposed with the rumoured Yahoo! Facebook deal

8.19 – Neither Mark nor Kevin is worried about copyright for YouTube – The power of Google will conquer all!

8.56 – What’s next? Are we on the precipice of another technology M&A bubble with a lot of strategic moves to where sites with big numbers being bought so companies aren’t outflanked? Kevin thinks so and points to back of the napkin style “valuations�

9.53 – There is an exponential danger in Yahoo! going after second or even third tier players especially with a fad-site like Facebook whose U.S. visitors actually dropped last month.

10.20 – Mark and Kevin discuss legal music downloads - they have doubled over the first six months. Does that mean the people are abandoning file-sharing services? Kevin doesn’t think that they are going away, but as iTunes and others offer more, consumers may be more willing to pay.

11.40 – Mark introduces a Russian player to the music download scene, All of MP3.com. They contend that because they are only subject to Russian law, they are are perfectly legal. Both Kevin and Mark have tried it on an experimental basis. Kevin thinks that if the Russians want to be a part of the World Trade Organization, they better get their copyright laws in order.

12.51 – Kevin points out that the music business at home could do itself a service by “taking the pill� and offering up as much of there music as possible. Until legal services offer as much variety as rogue sites, people will still be inclined to download illegally.

13.25 – Mark wraps things up by saying that iTunes and others should learn from All of MP3.com because it is very user friendly, well designed and priced properly.

Comments for Mark and Kevin can be left on the comment line: +1 206 333-1327.

As always, the music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke which is available on the pod safe music network.

Comments for Mark and Kevin can be left on the comment line: +1 206 333-1327.

0.14 - Mark welcomes back listeners and explains the hiatus from last week. Kevin explains what analysts do at trade shows before congratulating Mark on the birth of his son. He then sets the stage for a shock announcement

0.59 - Mark is leaving the National Post to become Vice-President of Operations at b5media, a global new media company consisting of a network of 150 blogs, and reiterates his passion for the web 2.0 world.

2.40 - The first topic is Jim Balsillie following in Paul Allen and Charles Wang’s footsteps and buying a sports team – the Pittsburgh Penguins. Will they become the Waterloo Blackberries?

3.35 - Kevin says Jim is in a no-lose situation and even if he can’t get the new stadium out of the City of Pittsburgh, he can easily bring the franchise up to Kitchener-Waterloo. Mark notes that this is out of character for him.

5.05 - Rogers Wireless is interested in carrying the Pearl, but without the suite of data services that U.S. and Europe get. He wonders if the Pearl will be as successful with the general public as it has with its corporate customers.

5.32 - Kevin think it will be a runaway success with the consumers and offers some hockey advice for Jim Balsillie – invest in youth and speed.

6.19 - Mark gets back onto the Pearl and wonders if the sure-type keyword will deter users until the, slightly larger, 8800 comes out with a Qwerty keyboard.

7.28 - The guys agree that the new market will be attracted to the form and the lower price point and that RIM has the advantage as the market leader and in terms of ease of use, security and form.

8.07 - Google to buy YouTube? Mark brings up a Wall Street Journal article about a rumour that Google may be buying YouTube for $1.5bn (U.S.) and wonders if it’s worth it for something that essentially just kills time at work.

8.26 - Kevin doesn’t think so but defers to Mark’s better 2.0 judgment but points to some past deals and the mountain of cash that Google has.

9.02 - Mark says that YouTube has users and is starting to attract serious revenue - a front page ad on the site is worth $175,000 (U.S.). If Google wants to become a player in the video space, it makes sense. Kevin adds that it makes more sense for Microsoft to go after YouTube after lagging behind in the web 2.0 stakes.

10.31 - Mark wraps things up by promoting his other blogs – Maple Leaf 2.0, All Nortel, All The Time and his flagship Mark Evans blog – all of which will be moved into the b5 network eventually.

Comments for Mark and Kevin can be left on the comment line: +1 206 333-1327.

As always, the music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke which is available on the pod safe music network.