ITA Software : Google's dark cloud obscuring the skies ?

mot-bile 2010 - Location, location, location. That's what matters when you're purchasing properties.

ITA Software Inc., an expert in online travel solutions, is said to be the next target of Google. Google, a young and promising company, is said to have a few ambitions in things mobile. Come to think of it, Google Earth is the world's biggest virtual airline.

Big G strikes when all airlines are grounded by an icelandic volcano, and competitors can be fuming : some rely on ITA for their travel search engines.

Google's engines probably won't be damaged by their ashes.

PlayStation Home, Sweet Home - Virtual Dissociative Identity Disorder

As Home hits shelves, employees hit home.

With a weird sense of timing, Sony launch PlayStation Home, a free 3D social networking service, a few days after inviting 16,000 of their staff to rediscover their own HomeSpace - provided they're lucky enough to avoid foreclosure (bonus: a fourth dimension included - time)...

Air France - KLM's Bluenity is taking off the same week. Yet another 2D, 2.0 social networking scheme. But there, you can pal around the terrorist who'll take the same plane as you, and even learn from him about the charms of Afghan mountains.

I suggest a new social networking concept : with VdId (Virtual Dissociative Identity Disorder), I will make all my online aliases meet each other. Who knows, they may find out some kind of common ground / common sense.

Korea's W-CDMA : all paths lead to roam

According to Yonhap (see news), interoperability trials are under way with NTT DoCoMo : Korea's KTF and SK Telecom can provide W-CDMA roaming in Europe late may 2005, on time for the summer boom.

This quick fix may give W-CDMA some appeal to Korean frequent travellers. Things are not that easy for the third 3G operator : LG Telecom is supposed to provide a cdma2000 1x EV-DV service even Qualcomm can't offer (Big Q's shareholders seem to be discovering the CDMA roadmap limits).

Yet. After satellite DMB, Korean MNOs relying on Japanese operators for a key technology... Not the best way to remain one step ahead for the next gen (ie OFDM centric).