Boy things have changed
Since 1996 the web industry as grown greatly. Web design actually consists of designs now. It is no longer a place to display your army of animated gifs.
Here are two links to help you remember why the internet was visually appalling back in 1996.
1. Internet ‘ 96 - this site goes threw some of the worlds top corporations web sites from 1996 by using Archive.com
2. Video Sonic Lab - I’m greatly hoping this is a joke, I laughed in my head when I seen that it was recently updated Jan. 25, 2007
If you know of any other terrible designs that resemble 1996, post it here, we all could use a great laugh every now and then.
Top 10 Hardest NES Games
Although I have not played them all, growing up I have watched many of these games. For the full article head over to retrojunk.com. I also find it to be shocking that there is no Final Fantasy games listed or even Castlevania. I also have recurring dreams of dying constantly in Mario- but maybe that was my lack of gaming skills… Well here is the list provided by retrojunk.com, on the Digg for this many people are stating this list is crappy - I really don’t know do to the lack of games I played back then.
10 - Top Gun
9 - Bart vs. the Space Mutants
8 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
7 - Yo! Noid
6 - The Karate Kid
5 - Double Dragon 3: The Sacred Stones
4 - Mega Man
3 - Ghosts n Goblins
2 - Battletoads
1 - Silver Surfer
What NES game got your panties up in a bunch?
Google Beware: Microsoft’s shocking $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo!
With Google on top as far as search engines and SEO Optimization goes. Could this be a great move for Yahoo? As stated bellow by Steve Ballmer, Microsoft has made a shocking $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, it will consist of cash and Microsoft stock, values Yahoo shares at $31 a share, a 62% premium on Thursdays closing price. Steve Ballmer, CEO and big fan of developers, says, “We have great respect for Yahoo!, and together we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market.”
January 31, 2008
Board of Directors
Yahoo! Inc.
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Attention: Roy Bostock, Chairman
Attention: Jerry Yang, Chief Executive OfficerDear Members of the Board:
I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of Microsoft to make a proposal for a business combination of Microsoft and Yahoo!. Under our proposal, Microsoft would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 based on Microsoft’s closing share price on January 31, 2008, payable in the form of $31 in cash or 0.9509 of a share of Microsoft common stock. Microsoft would provide each Yahoo! shareholder with the ability to choose whether to receive the consideration in cash or Microsoft common stock, subject to pro-ration so that in the aggregate one-half of the Yahoo! common shares will be exchanged for shares of Microsoft common stock and one-half of the Yahoo! common shares will be converted into the right to receive cash. Our proposal is not subject to any financing condition.
Our proposal represents a 62% premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock of $19.18 on January 31, 2008. The implied premium for the operating assets of the company clearly is considerably greater when adjusted for the minority, non-controlled assets and cash. By whatever financial measure you use - EBITDA, free cash flow, operating cash flow, net income, or analyst target prices - this proposal represents a compelling value realization event for your shareholders.
We believe that Microsoft common stock represents a very attractive investment opportunity for Yahoo!’s shareholders. Microsoft has generated revenue growth of 15%, earnings growth of 26%, and a return on equity of 35% on average for the last three years. Microsoft’s share price has generated shareholder returns of 8% during the last one year period and 28% during the last three year period, significantly outperforming the S&P 500. It is our view that Microsoft has significant potential upside given the continued solid growth in our core businesses, the recent launch of Windows Vista, and other strategic initiatives.
Microsoft’s consistent belief has been that the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! clearly represents the best way to deliver maximum value to our respective shareholders, as well as create a more efficient and competitive company that would provide greater value and service to our customers. In late 2006 and early 2007, we jointly explored a broad range of ways in which our two companies might work together. These discussions were based on a vision that the online businesses of Microsoft and Yahoo! should be aligned in some way to create a more effective competitor in the online marketplace. We discussed a number of alternatives ranging from commercial partnerships to a merger proposal, which you rejected. While a commercial partnership may have made sense at one time, Microsoft believes that the only alternative now is the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! that we are proposing.
In February 2007, I received a letter from your Chairman indicating the view of the Yahoo! Board that “now is not the right time from the perspective of our shareholders to enter into discussions regarding an acquisition transaction.” According to that letter, the principal reason for this view was the Yahoo! Board’s confidence in the “potential upside” if management successfully executed on a reformulated strategy based on certain operational initiatives, such as Project Panama, and a significant organizational realignment. A year has gone by, and the competitive situation has not improved.
While online advertising growth continues, there are significant benefits of scale in advertising platform economics, in capital costs for search index build-out, and in research and development, making this a time of industry consolidation and convergence. Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers. Synergies of this combination fall into four areas:
Scale economics: This combination enables synergies related to scale economics of the advertising platform where today there is only one competitor at scale. This includes synergies across both search and non-search related advertising that will strengthen the value proposition to both advertisers and publishers. Additionally, the combination allows us to consolidate capital spending.
Expanded R&D capacity: The combined talent of our engineering resources can be focused on R&D priorities such as a single search index and single advertising platform. Together we can unleash new levels of innovation, delivering enhanced user experiences, breakthroughs in search, and new advertising platform capabilities. Many of these breakthroughs are a function of an engineering scale that today neither of our companies has on its own.
Operational efficiencies: Eliminating redundant infrastructure and duplicative operating costs will improve the financial performance of the combined entity.
Emerging user experiences: Our combined ability to focus engineering resources that drive innovation in emerging scenarios such as video, mobile services, online commerce, social media, and social platforms is greatly enhanced.
We would value the opportunity to further discuss with you how to optimize the integration of our respective businesses to create a leading global technology company with exceptional display and search advertising capabilities. You should also be aware that we intend to offer significant retention packages to your engineers, key leaders and employees across all disciplines.
We have dedicated considerable time and resources to an analysis of a potential transaction and are confident that the combination will receive all necessary regulatory approvals. We look forward to discussing this with you, and both our internal legal team and outside counsel are available to meet with your counsel at their earliest convenience.
Our proposal is subject to the negotiation of a definitive merger agreement and our having the opportunity to conduct certain limited and confirmatory due diligence. In addition, because a portion of the aggregate merger consideration would consist of Microsoft common stock, we would provide Yahoo! the opportunity to conduct appropriate limited due diligence with respect to Microsoft. We are prepared to deliver a draft merger agreement to you and begin discussions immediately.
In light of the significance of this proposal to your shareholders and ours, as well as the potential for selective disclosures, our intention is to publicly release the text of this letter tomorrow morning.
Due to the importance of these discussions and the value represented by our proposal, we expect the Yahoo! Board to engage in a full review of our proposal. My leadership team and I would be happy to make ourselves available to meet with you and your Board at your earliest convenience. Depending on the nature of your response, Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.
We believe this proposal represents a unique opportunity to create significant value for Yahoo!’s shareholders and employees, and the combined company will be better positioned to provide an enhanced value proposition to users and advertisers. We hope that you and your Board share our enthusiasm, and we look forward to a prompt and favorable reply.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ Steven A. Ballmer
Steven A. Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corporation
Could this be the beginning of the end to Google? What do you think Google will try to ‘invent’ in response to this ‘threat’?
Energy Efficient Search Engine
For those of you who wish to save energy while they search Blackle is for you.
Blackle was created by Heap Media to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search.
With our monitors defaulting to a black state when it is not being powered Blackle uses this to our advantage, and uses less energy. Created by Heap Media ” to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy.”
What better way to help conserve? Seriously, must of us spend countless of hours searching the internet. Heap Media is also investigating the best ways to improve Blackle, such as incorporating Google images.
Let us know what you think about this energy efficient search engine. Will you use it? Let us know why or why not.
Greener Gadgets Confrence Today!
The Greener Gadget Conference started this morning in New York City, unfortunately I will not have the pleasure of watching it do to my current employer.
Those of you who wish to watch the conference you can do so here.
Also, for a further look at Greener Gadgets, head over to Inhabitat - they have a more in depth look at it then I can post at the current moment.
side blog test
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Costum Theme for WEE design in the works
I just wanted to point out that right now We Evolve Everyday Design is still under construction. In the near future I plan on posting updates on our new theme while its in the making.
Samantha @ wee-design.com
Gates’ Donates $306 million
During this week’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Bill Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be pledging $306 million in grants to fund farming in in poor/developing countries. Personally I think this is wonderful. It’s about time someone (with plethoras of cash) stepped forward and donated a HUGE amount of money.
“If we are serious about ending extreme hunger and poverty around the world, we must be serious about transforming agriculture for small farmers, most of whom are women…The challenge here is to design a system including profit and recognition to do more for the poor. ” said Gates
Gates received a standing ovation for his announcement at the suggestion of U2 front man Bono. Gates, is to step down from the computer giant later this year.
Sierra Club Wants To Heavily Tax Games
Personally I think this is ridiculous, granted kids these days dont go outside enough, but I believe that should be up to the parents and/or guardian of the child.
The Sierra Club — a group dedicated to environmentalism and preservation — has proposed that a tax be levied against kids who choose video games or computers rather than venturing out-of-doors. The tax, also being referred to as “No Child Left Inside,” would ostensibly encourage kids to get up off of their fat, lazy back-ends and hit the trails, mountains, and waterways of our nation’s parks and other natural treasures… by further taxing video games and TVs. Recent studies have shown links to obesity, lowered academic scores, and the rise of attention-deficit disorder in America’s kids to increased time spent indoors, though we suspect the problem lies with bad parenting rather than an entire industry of game-makers and electronics companies. Would adding a one-percent sales tax on our gear (and penalizing children who have plenty of good reasons to stay inside) increase kids’ desire to head outdoors instead of “finishing the fight?” We’ve got our doubts.
What are your thoughts?
Source G4TV and Engadget
Heath Ledger found dead CONT.
Here is a quick update on the devastating passing of Heath Ledger.
He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime, adding prescription pills were found near his body.
According to NYPD a masseuse arrived at Ledger’s apartment and was let in by a housekeeper. When he didn’t answer his bedroom door, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened it and found him unconscious. They attempted to wake him, and when they couldn’t they called 911.
We’re told when paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ledger may be best known for his groundbreaking role as Ennis in “Brokeback Mountain.”
