Filed under: Business, Internet, Web services, web 2.0

As Facebook and Google join DataPortability.org for streamlining the technologies and standards used with social applications, on the internet real estate listings are quick not to be left behind.

In an open letter to Yahoo, Google, Trulia and Zillow, the RETS community (Real Estate Transaction Standard) encouraged a data standard for real estate listings so that home sellers and others who list real estate on the internet can easily take one listing and make it work for all the participating websites. So instead of having to rewrite the listings for each site’s particular style of listings, it only has to be written once. How very, oh, web 2.0.

With the speed that data standards are sprinting along, it’s only going to be a matter of time until everything (that is useful anyway) has been reduced to standards that allow for maximum compatibility across services. Data standards for other areas such as classifieds, documents, and on the web personals might be closer than we think. Or maybe that’s just a usability lover’s pipe dream.

[via Mashable]

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Filed under: Consumer experience, Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), AT and T (T)

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is getting a lot of traffic to its mobile search applications from the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)’s iPhone. That does not quite add up since the iPhone “accounts for just 2 percent of smartphones worldwide, according to IDC, a market research firm,” writes The New York Times.

The data would seem to show that iPhone users will access internet search features 10 to 20 times more than customers with other smartphones. Based on the industry’s perception of how good the handset’s interface is for going on the web, that’s possible.

The news raises two important issues. The first is that the iPhone is only available on the AT&T (NYSE: T) 2.5G network now. Later this year, it is apt to work on the faster 3G network, which could increase access to on the internet services even more.

Beyond that, fees from using an interent browser and downloading data can be fairly significant. In other words, Apple and AT&T could be bringing in more revenue than most analysts think.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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With the advancement in technology communication is becoming better and better. It’s very simple now to connect with others. The major resource of communication is the internet phone service. The major advancement in this is voip phone service. The voip software isn’t only cheap but reliable as well. It works on the principal of voip client and voip server. You require certain software like skype download able software should be installed. One of the worlds leading voip providers is vonage which offers world wide web telephony voip plans to home, residential and business customers. Many companies have installed internet phone system as well at their work places.

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Filed under: Deals, Apple Inc (AAPL), China, iPhone, China Mobile Limited (CHL), Technology

According to management at the world’s largest cellular carrier, China Mobile (NYSE: CHL), speaks to sell the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone have ended. Reuters reports, “News that the two telecom giants were in speaks over the device’s potential launch in the world’s largest telecoms arena helped Apple’s stock climb more than 10 percent on November 13.”

It would be easy to say that the iPhone will not be in China soon because Apple wants revenue-sharing agreements that the Chinese think are too one-sided in Apple’s favor. Or, the phone’s $500 price is too high for an emerging market. China does have a large middle class, so that excuse may be thin.

What is probably more accurate is that China Mobile does not need the iPhone and can afford to walk away from a partnership. Unlike cellular carriers in the U.S. and Europe that are facing market saturation, China Mobile has over 350 million subscribers. But that is not a huge number compared with the country’s overall population. It does not need one “hot” phone to keep growing.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Filed under: Deals, Consumer experience, World wide web, Competitive strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), PepsiCo (PEP), Amazon.com (AMZN), Technology

A commercial on this year’s Super Bowl will promote free music downloads from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN)’s new MP3 store. The company has lined up the four largest record labels to offer music without digital rights management. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) only has a similar relationship with one — EMI.

According to The New York Times, “Consumers who purchase Pepsi drinks will receive points that can be redeemed for music downloads at a special section of the Amazon site. Amazon and Pepsi, a brand of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), will give away up to a billion songs.”

The deal may be born from the music industry’s hatred of Apple as much as from any love for Amazon. Industry estimates indicate that over 70% of all song downloads come from iTunes. That puts Apple in a position to dictate pricing and revenue sharing to the major music labels. With CD and physical album sales falling, that leaves music publishers in a bad position.

The dark side of the alliance with Amazon is that it has to work well. If music companies fail in their attempt to get around Apple, they may have to come crawling back to be “friends” with Apple again. That set of meetings may not go well.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Earnings reports, Forecasts, Deals, Bad news, Market matters, Citigroup Inc. (C), Merrill Lynch (MER), Sears Holdings (SHLD), Economic data, Federal Reserve

Stock futures were higher this morning as investors put their hopes on the Federal Reserve as its officials, primarily chairman Ben Bernanke, have been signaling more aggressive response to the danger of recession, favoring steps to “insure” against an economic downturn. The Street is also affected this morning by the upcoming bank earnings, specifically as Citigroup may write off up to $24 billion according to published reports.

As recession odds increased, stocks saw significant losses last week. On Friday, stocks saw huge declines as the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 246 points, or 1.92%, the S&P 500 dropped 19 points, or 1.36% and the Nasdaq composite declined 48 points or 1.95%. For the week, the Dow industrials droppes 1.5%, with the S&P 500 lost 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.6%.

There are no economic reports due today.
Despite a possible U.S. recession, which could lower demand for oil, the increased geopolitical tensions caused oil prices to rise above $93 a barrel this morning.
Meanwhile, as estimates that a rate cut move by the Fed is all but in the cards now, the dollar fell to a seven-week low against the euro as U.S. interest rates might fall below those of the 15 nations that share the euro for the first time in three years.
Gold futures, on the other hand, surged to a new record Monday, climbing as high as $915.90 an ounce for the same reasons the dollar dropped.

Overseas, Asian markets ended with declines. European stocks, including London, moved higher in morning trading. In the U.K., factories increased manufacturing and prices at the fastest annual pace since 1991 in December, adding to the case for the Bank of England to wait before slicing interest rates further.

News this morning is focusing on banks ahead of several of them reporting earnings this week.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) might write off up to $24 billion over subprime- and credit-related losses, putting as many as 20,000 jobs at risk, according to reports from CNBC and the Wall Street Journal. Citi also might cut its dividend payment and raise as much as $15 billion from selling stakes to foreign and domestic investors. Possibilities include Prince Alwaleed bin Talal increasing his holdings, a $2 billion investment from China Development Bank, or a $3 billion investment from Kuwait Investment Authority as the Financial Times reported.

The same Financial Times report suggested also Kuwait Investment Authority to invest $4 billion in Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER).

Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) warned fourth-quarter earnings per share may fall as much as 51% from last year’s levels after Sears and Kmart chains saw declines in same-store sales during the holiday season. Sears also stated it doesn’t have the cash to finish a share-buyback program. SHLD shares are dropping over 10% in premarket trading.

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Most economists agree: 2008 is going to be another tough year for residential real estate.

However, forecasting the real estate market is far from an exact science. And while I happen to agree with the vast majority of folks who are predicting another rough year, not everyone sees gloom and doom in 2008.

There’s Clark Toole, for instance.

Toole is president and chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate’s Sarasota, Fla.-based Florida operations. In an interview with the Herald-Tribune newspaper in Southwest Florida, Toole says he anticipates residential real estate to make a gradual recovery in 2008 in the say.

You can read the interview here.

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Filed under: Business, Microsoft, Freeware, Open Source

In case you were rooting for Vista to take over the world, we’ve got bad news. The bureau that takes care of all things technology in regards to education in the U.K., Becta, states in a press release that the upgrade to Vista should be “avoided.”

Taking into account that free and open source operating systems and office suites do things about as well if not superior than Microsoft products, especially if price is taken into consideration, this is hardly surprising. Becta stated that a primary reason is incompatibility - Office 2007’s lack of support for the ODF format as well as the new Office format (those blasted DOCX files) - which doesn’t make it a hot contender.

The release advocates that Vista should be considered an option only if there are any institution-wide ICT provisions being planned. Even so, that doesn’t sound too good when you’ve schools on a budget trying to get the most out of their money. And when it comes to the bottom line, the Microsoft option looks downright grim.

The beginning of a trend? Perhaps. It’s hard to beat free.

[via InformationWeek]

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