posted 10-17-2000 07:18 PM         

Start-up internet companies are finding themselves strapped for cash in the wake of the dot-com massacre as venture capitalists are loathe to put up the funding. So-called 'vulture capitalists' have been filling the void, but the start-ups must make much greater sacrifices to get their money. (source: MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.com/news/477492.asp

posted 10-16-2000 06:54 PM         

The FTC is preparing litigation against the AOL/Time Warner merger, as the two sides have been unable to agree upon the exact language of a guarantee allowing rivals access to the combined company's high-speed Internet service. (source: The Washington Post)
http:// www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4024-2000Oct13.html

posted 10-13-2000 05:56 PM         

According to statistics firm PC Data, the pace of business at the top online retailers in September was virtually unchanged from August, marking the second consecutive month of lackluster activity. The report comes as e-tailers gear up for the holiday selling season, which many observers view as crucial to the long-term health of e-commerce. (source: e-commerce times) http://www.ecommercetimes.com/news/articles2000/001012-3.shtml

posted 10-11-2000 07:00 PM         

European regulators have conditionally approved the $125 billion merger of America Online Inc. and Time Warner Inc., removing a major hurdle to the creation of the world's largest media company. The proposed merger partners agreed a package of concessions designed to break AOL's links with Bertelsmann; together, the companies account for one-third of Europe's music business. (source: CNNfn) http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/10/11/deals/aol_time/

posted 10-10-2000 06:32 PM         

Yahoo has partnered with Net2Phone to provide free voice-activated telephone services. Users will be able to make free PC to telephone calls, and receive email and news over the phone. Yahoo is going up against a number of players in the voice-activated market, including AOL. (source: MarketWatch) http://www2.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B5BAE27F1%2D0D93%2D4D49%2D98FB%2D59EAD1BFD3C7%7D

Upstart PC maker eMachines will be in the Internet appliance business by the end of the month. The company is working with Microsoft to market its monitor-less MSN Companion, which, with a price tag of $349, will target the low-end of the market. (source: ZDNet) http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2638153,00.html

Buy at 70, sell at 10 - is that any way to become an Internet millionaire? It is if you’re a "star" stock analyst covering the Web sector (witness some unnamed analysts' coverage of Priceline.com). For brokerages attached to large investment banks, pumping up stocks is big business, and their analysts do the dirty work by touting the stock just about anywhere they can get exposure. Pity the poor investor who takes their advice. (source: MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.com/news/472643.asp

Amazon.com has come under fire from every which way, as investors grow weary of the company's absence of profit. In response, the online retailer has surreptitiously been raising book prices. This may seem like a good opportunity for independent booksellers to regain market share – but this columnist says Amazon's strategy is bound to succeed. (source: E-commerce Times) http://www.ecommercetimes.com/news/viewpoint2000/view-001010-1.shtml

Yahoo reported third quarter earnings of 13 cents a share excluding one time charges, compared with Wall Street expectations of 12 cents a share. Revenue surged 90 percent to $295.5 million. (source: TheStreet.com) http://www.thestreet.com/tech/internet/1118481.html

In Brief:
- BMG Entertainment launched its digital download service Tuesday morning, comprised of some 100 singles and full-length albums from its roster of artists. The move makes BMG one of the first of the Big Five music labels to sell digital content over the Internet.

posted 10-09-2000 05:40 PM         

Fending off criticism of Amazon.com's business model, CEO Jeff Bezos says the model works and that his company's offerings will continue to diversify. (source: CNNfn) http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/10/09/technology/wires/amazon_wg/

One analyst sees panic selling ahead for internet stocks, the moment when people capitulate and sell their oversold shares. But, there is a reason to believe there will be another internet boom, as the technology creates efficiencies and reduces administrative costs for large companies. (source: MarketWatch) http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/20001009/news/current/stwatch.htx

posted 10-09-2000 10:48 AM         

This columnist says that important lessons can be learned from the monumental failure of ERP vendors. (source: Upside) http://upside.com/Opinion/39c7f4540.html

USA Technologies has unveiled its e-Port, an e-commerce device that it says can be attached to vending machines, gas pumps, office equipment and almost any point-of-sale terminal. The technology enables unattended e-commerce transactions when the consumer swipes a credit card. The device supports micro-credit transactions for as low as $1 and has a small video display which can show banner ads. (source: AllNetDevices) http://www.allnetdevices.com/wireless/news/2000/10/06/wireless_vending.html

Traditional financial institutions are now enjoying the spoils of the online banking race, while most of their pure-play rivals in the banking sector have fallen by the wayside. (source: Red Herring) http://www.redherring.com/investor/2000/1005/inv-jupiter100500.html

About half of all Americans believe that most home mortgages will be handled over the Internet by 2005, and more consumers have become willing to consider applying for a home loan online, according to a survey by mortgage-market giant Fannie Mae. (source: Yahoo) http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001004/tc/mortgages_internet_1.html

This is a tale of Wall Street that would be funny if it weren't so sad and typical. It's the story of Salomon Smith Barney analyst Tim Albright and his touting of e-commerce company priceline.com to the bitter end. It could just as well be about dozens of other analysts and well-known firms of the day. http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/markets/brettfromson/1114343.html

The founders of Kibu.com, realizing that their teen advice and shopping site was going down the tubes, elected to return $22 million of the original investment made by VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Does this move signal a new era of dot-coms – a time when they die with dignity? This columnist prays that's not the case. (source: eCommerce Times) http://www.ecommercetimes.com/news/viewpoint2000/view-001006-1.shtml

Investors hacked CMGI shares as much as 13 percent on Friday after the internet incubator said it has enough cash to operate for about two years. (source: Reuters) http://news.excite.com/news/r/001006/14/net-tech-cmgi-dc
Could this be the time to buy? (source: Boston.com) http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/276/business/Reversal_of_fortune+.shtml

posted 10-06-2000 05:18 PM         

When it comes to assessing the health of
The internet is now the key technology of our time, making the techno-visionaries of the past unecessary. This article says that's a good thing, because there isn't anyone on the field of play today that can compare to Bill Gates or Andy Grove. (source: Fortune) http://www.fortune.com/fortune/2000/10/16/inf.html

posted 10-05-2000 05:39 PM         

With the federal government lagging far behind in the technology revolution, some members of Congress suggest hiring an IT czar to shape things up. The title could give someone a killer business card. But who should it be? (source: Business2.0) http://www.business2.com/content/channels/ebusiness/2000/10/05/20351

In Brief:
- Priceline.com announced plans Thursday to close its gasoline and groceries operations, the latest in a series of setbacks for the Internet marketer.
- According to Media Metrix, the number of unique users of Napster has grown 505.8% between February and August of this year. The growth, from 1.1 million to 6.7 million, makes Napster the fastest growing web application Media Metrix has ever tracked.

posted 10-04-2000 06:22 PM         

Is NTT DoCoMo's partnership with AOL is only a piece of a global play for world domination? (source: Red Herring) http://redherring.com/insider/2000/1004/tech-ww100400.html

posted 10-03-2000 06:21 PM         

Oracle is one of the few old technology companies that has made a successful transition (so far) to the Internet market. But will the company's Net business be able to outperform the competition? (source: Redherring.com) http://www.redherring.com/investor/2000/1003/inv-oracle100300.html

In Brief:
- Internet advertising company DoubleClick has agreed to buy NetCreations, and opt-in email advertising business, for about $191 million in a stock transaction. DoubleClick, hit by concerns over slowing online-ad spending, is attempting to broaden its product package through the deal.