Author: Rocco Penn

When you enter that level of Internet embarrassment that people start to develop memes about you, you’ve transcended bad to become good again. Just as Rick Astley rematerialized in the form of the Rick Roll, a new effort is being made to “save” IE6. On the website SaveIE6, people can sign a petition to bring the dead browser back from the realm of irrelevance. “These days we are inundated with bloated web browsers that overcomplicate our lives. However, there is one eminent exception: IE6. It has been around since 2001 and is still one of the most powerful and versatile browsers available.” The site…

Matthew Rothenberg, the man who most believed ran Flickr for Yahoo!, announced his departure in a Tweet today. He was there when before Yahoo! bought it and he was the last leader in the company to remain. While Yahoo! said in a press release that it was a “personal decision,” there is speculation that Rothenberg and others are leaving Yahoo! properties because of the future of the company. With so many services entering into the realm of their “sunset” at Yahoo!, who could blame them? Why Facebook Should Buy Them Clearly, Flickr has its flaws. Facebook has its limitations. Adding Flickr into the…

Update: The most recent word from AllThingsD is that the product does not exist in any form other than in the lab. Google is saying there is no product to launch tonight or any night soon. With Google, it’s hard to tell what’s fact and what’s a smokescreen – if the product is real and not ready for primetime, it is unlikely that Google would want it known before it arrives. They have simply been burnt too many times by the hype machine and their most successful launches have simply “happened” without anticipation or rumor. There has been much speculation about Google’s next entry into the social web and…

As the rush to get hands on the iPad 2 starts, there are still some who want to make a decision based upon reviews and opinions before jumping for another Apple product. While their track record has been exceptional, it hasn’t been perfect and there are definitely competitors who may or may not be better buys. The Motorola Xoom is one such competitor, one that many consider the only one around right now that could put a dent (even if only a minor one) in the iPad frenzy. Below, you will find several videos and links to reviews on other high-quality tech sites. If you want to make the smartest decision, take…

This year, the popular South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, returns to celebrate its monumental 25th anniversary. What started as a music festival has now transformed into a comprehensive meet-up for music-lovers, cinephiles and web entrepreneurs alike. Here’s a look at SXSW by the numbers, courtesy of our friends at GetSatisfaction and Infographic Design. Click to enlarge. …

Whenever a state’s tax man steps foot on Amazon’s porch, they make a hasty escape out the back door. That’s been the modus operandi for a while now and Illinois is the latest victim. Governor Pat Quinn just signed a bill that requires Amazon and other affiliate retailers to pay the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax. In response, Amazon is closing up shop in the state. Roger Ebert is not pleased. Amazon continues to fight every state that brings taxes to the table. They’re currently mixing it up with New York and are demonstrating that they are firm with their stance that they shouldn’t be taxing affiliates…

Google has held the keys to their search for years. They’ve attempted to personalize and localize search, but it still makes it challenging to get the exact right results you’re looking for because of poor sites with strong search engine optimization. Now, the power is in your hands. Blocking a domain will prevent it from ever showing up in your searches again. Ever. Whether you find a site offensive, low-quality, or for whatever reason you simply do not like it, you get to choose your own results. The feature is attached to your Google account, so it travels with you to any device you’re logged into….

Let the money exchange flow both ways. That’s what is starting to transpire in the Nokia/Microsoft deal and there are a lot of zeros involved in the transactions. Microsoft is set to pay Nokia Oyj over $1 billion for the development and promotion of Windows-based phones. In exchange, Nokia pays Microsoft for each copy of Windows used in its phones. Stocks have fallen over 25% since the announcement of the agreement between the two companies less than a month ago. According to Colin Gillis, analyst at BHC Partners, “This gives Microsoft scale and allows Nokia to rip out costs. Microsoft is getting…

You have to hand it to the Android Developers team. They deliver the goods when it comes to news and eye-candy. This video they produced gives an awesome visual depiction of Android activations from October, 2008, until January, 2011. First, the overview, then they focus on North America, Europe, and West Asia. Kudos, ladies and gentlemen, for putting together such a strong video as well as for becoming the best-selling mobile operating system. …

When the Demand Media witch hunt started a few months ago, journalists and bloggers called for action against what they termed the biggest “content farm.” There is little doubt that eHow is in essence exactly as described: a venue for low-quality, quickly-written and edited articles that rank well in search engines and draw in tremendous traffic to their ad-loaded pages as a result. Google changed their algorithm. eHow remains strong in the search engines. What happened? Not to toot our own horn here, but we said back in December that Demand Media’s business model is gold and we stand by the opinion…