Don Dodge spent 5 years at Microsoft and ran the MSFT’s venture capital relations activity on the East Coast of the US. He was downsized by Microsoft and then turned up at Google, reported here.

Don Dodge

A month into his new job, he seems to have just realised that cloud computing is the future.

“Google is an amazing company, even more so from the inside. To the outside world Google is just search.”

“The future of computing – I think Google has made three big bets on the future of computing; Chrome (browser), Google Apps (cloud), and Android (mobile). The trends are pretty clear. All the exciting new applications are running in the browser, with application code in the cloud, and the cell phone as the platform. Your cell phone will become your primary computer. I think in the near future there will be docking stations everywhere with a screen and a keyboard. You simply pull out your phone, plug it into the docking station, and instantly all your applications and data are available to you. Chrome, Google Apps, and Android make this vision possible.”

“2010 the turning point – I think 2010 will be the year that enterprises of all sizes start their transition to Gmail and Google Apps, and take their first steps towards the vision of the future. The move towards Cloud Computing is obvious. Gmail and Google Apps are the easy first steps in that direction. The cost savings are enormous,over $500 per user per year. Compare that to buying software licenses and maintenance from the old style software giants, and add the costs of server hardware, and IT managers to run them.” Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing.

Could he not have worked that our at Microsoft?

The 15th IMRG Hitwise Hot Shops list was published yesterday. Once again, the Top 50 is dominated by high street stores. Only 6 of the top 50 ecommerce sites are pure play retailers. Notable first time entrant in the top ten was Apple who reached number 4 in the list.

You can register to download a pdf version of the top 50 here.

Here are the top 10 UK ecommerce sites for Q3 2009.

1. www.amazon.co.uk
2. www.argos.co.uk
3. www.play.com
4. www.apple.com
5. www.marksandspencer.com
6. www.amazon.com
7. www.tesco.com
8. www.next.co.uk
9. www.johnlewis.com
10. direct.tesco.com

The Daily Telegraph has published a list of the UK’s most influential Twitter users that was produced by INQ Mobile. (Influence is not defined but presumably is a calculation based on number of followers, ratio of followers to followed and amount of activity).  Of course it includes Pete Cashmore and Stephen Fry but it does say something interesting about the medium and who is using it. there is also a sense of humour at work here. I was entertained by the fact that there are a number of ‘Entertainers’ although there seems to be a second category for ‘McFly Band Member’.

We live is a strange world where two of the top five UK Twitter users are from McFly.

The top 20 most influential people on Twitter are (apparently):

1. Pete Cashmore, CEO at Mashable

2. Stephen Fry, Entertainer

3. Russell Brand, Entertainer

4. Dougie Poytner, McFly band member

5. Tom Fletcher, McFly band member

6. Eddie Izzard, Entertainer

7. Zee M Kane, Editor-in-Chief of The Next Web

8. Jonathan Ross, Entertainer

9. Richard Bacon, DJ and presenter

10. Peter Andre, Singer/Celebrity

11. Andy Murray, Sportsman

12. Calvin Harris, Musician

13. Suzi Perry, Gadget show presenter

14. Sarah Brown, Prime Minister’s wife

15. Imogen Heap, Musician

16. Ian Poulter, Sportsman

17. Tom Watson, MP

18. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

19. Darren Bent, Sportsman

20. Steven Gerrard, Sportsman

For all Twitter’s promise of allowing people to have a voice, it seems that for the most part, the people who are getting the most attention don’t have to have a huge amount to say but they need to be well known. Steven Gerrard makes number 20 on the list. He has tweeted 13 times in all. He follows two accounts (both Liverpool Football Club). He has over 50,000 followers.

This is his total influential output:

Havent been on for a while been busy.. hope to have some new updates for you soon.. Thank you and keep following..

• 6:46 PM Sep 18th from web

Thanks to all that are following, I view twitter as my gateway to the fans.. especially liverpool fans.. cheers everyone..

• 7:06 PM Jul 16th from web

Other news. glen is a great bloke and a great player he should really sure up our defence for next season.. thanks to all and keep following

• 6:13 PM Jul 16th from web

I hoped we would try and take a chance on him.. but the gafa wouldnt have it.. it would have been good to train with him again..

• 6:10 PM Jul 16th from web

Havent been on for a while, cant wait for the season to start…. wish michael all the best with his move to united..

• 6:09 PM Jul 16th from web

Is enjoying having some time off….

• 10:27 PM Jun 14th from web

Great result midweek the lads and i were so happy to get one over on madrid after all the rubbish they were saying about our style of play.

• 9:39 AM Mar 12th from web

The season is not over yet….

• 4:34 PM Mar 3rd from web

Hello I was glad to make my return the other night, Tweaked my hamstring a bit so had to come off, Guted with the result. we can do better!

• 4:33 PM Mar 3rd from web

Sorry haven been on for ages concentrating on coming back from injury, thanks for following guys…

• 10:53 AM Feb 27th from web

Thinking about the england lads tonight, wish i was with them.. Going to be sat at home watching the game with the mrs… come on england…

• 4:34 PM Feb 11th from web

Relaxing today hoping for some progess with the hamstring…

• 1:23 PM Feb 9th from web

Im at home, thinking about how close the game was today…. Is pleased we got the result today… hoping to be back in action soon…

• 11:05 PM Feb 7th from web

Subscribe today at www.twitter.com/Steven_Gerrard

Plastic Logic has raised a further $35 million, much of it from existing investor Oak Ventures, as it moves towards a commercial launch of its eReader, the Que, currently scheduled for January 7th 2010 at CES. The company is a spin out from the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University and has offices in Cambridge, Mountain View and Dresden.

Plastic Logic Que to launch January 7th 2010

The pre-revenue business has already raised around $200 million to fund the development of a manufacturing facility in Dresden. The eReader is just one part of the plan to create an entirely new industry in printed plastic electronics. This could be as fundamental to the future of technology as the invention of the transistor according to some commentators.

“Plastic Logic’s Mission is to lead a revolution in the way people acquire, organize and consume information. We are using our proprietary technology leadership in plastic electronics to create a range of products enabling immediate information access, organization and consumption.

“We are a dynamic, fast-growing entrepreneurial company. We are seeking qualified professionals who want to join our teams in Cambridge, U.K., Dresden, Germany; and Mountain View, California. If this describes you, please take a look at our

career opportunities.

“Plastic Logic has raised over $200M in financing from top-tier venture funding sources in Asia, Europe and the U.S. We are using the funds to complete product development in U.K. and the USA, build a specialized, scalable production facility in Germany and build our go-to-market teams.”  Company website.

This is preview of the Plastic Logic Que that is being launched at CES on January 7th. WARNING May contain extreme French accent.

“Extra thin, lightweight and wireless-enabled, the innovative QUE proReader features the largest screen in the industry, an intuitive touch screen user interface, and access to a file cabinet’s worth of documents, plus your favorite – and most necessary – publications. Its battery lasts days, instead of hours. Full product specifications, availability and pricing will be announced at the QUE premiere on January 7, 2010 at CES, Las Vegas.

“Below are some of the features of the QUE proReader.

• QUE is about the size of an 8.5 x 11 inch pad of paper and is less than 1/3 inch thick
• QUE weighs less than most magazines
• 3G network connectivity from AT&T, Wireless (Wi-Fi) and wired access via USB connection
• Full touchscreen interface
• Active Matrix Display
• Long lasting battery life: measured in days not hours
• Tools and applications for reading, annotating and managing documents” Company web site.

It just goes to prove that if the idea is big enough, the science good enough, the team strong enough and the timing is right, venture capital investors will invest heavily into European ideas. (And don’t forget this was actually a University Spin Out). Loving British scientists!

Interesting analysis from Merrill Lynch about smart phones which puts some of the discussions about smart phones into a market context.

• WINNERS
• Merrill believes Apple, Google, Sybase, Qualcomm, Mediatek and Broadcom will create most of the value for the Smart phone market with Apple and Qualcomm being the big winners as they understand the value creation process best and are best positioned to benefit from the growth of smart phones.

• LOSERS
• Samsung, LG, HTC, SEMC and Motorola with a significant manufacturing focus will suffer as hardware and software elements of smart phones are decoupled.

• ALSO RANS?
• RIM, Nokia and Palm have good history but poor strategy and consumer propositions may affect their long term ability to compete even if their stocks are potentially undervalued in the short term.

Before the Smartphone...

“Bank of America Merrill Lynch global tech research team has taken a deep look at various aspects of how value is created around smartphones, from devices to mobile payments, carriers, semiconductors and applications. We discuss the changes we have already started to notice and the ones that will almost surely come. The term itself may soon disappear, as smartphone revenue will likely overtake regular phones in 2010, with Nokia expecting smartphones to account for 60-65% of industry revenue in 2011. Our note discusses the following topics:

• How value is created and the way it is distributed among the various groups of players. We discuss the genius of Apple and Google, Microsoft’s challenges, RIM’s defiance, and Nokia’s poor execution.
• Risks embedded in Android’s efforts to decouple software from hardware; emerging similarities to the PC ecosystem and how this could impact value distribution.
• Is there a market for a stand alone operating system? The value of Microsoft in a market that thrives for applications and services.
• Semiconductors: apps processor wars: TI’s OMAP vs. Qualcomm and integrated vs. discrete solutions; Intel’s targeted entry to the high end segment.
• Understanding the uniqueness of smartphone-based mCommerce and discussing Google’s strategy to address the new opportunities. Sizing the market and the potential contribution to Google’s earnings.
• The carriers’ perspective. Compare the cost of subsidizing smartphones to their benefits; quantifying the contribution to ARPU and subscriber additions.
• Lastly, we look at the market for mobile payments, and look at the differences between the potential in mature vs. emerging markets.

Conclusion: 2010 will be a defining year

We believe that many of the above trends will take their almost final shape, or at least will turn much clearer in 2010. We believe Apple, Google, Sybase, Qualcomm, Mediatek and Broadcom will create most of the value from the proliferation of smartphones. We think it is not a surprise, that like in the PC value chain, the list is mostly composed of software/app and semiconductor vendors. On the other side of the market, we note likely challenges for the traditional handset vendors LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and HTC to create and sustain value over time.

We have doubts, but we are not losing hope, on the ability of Nokia, RIM and Palm to grow/sustain current positions in the consumer smartphone market. On one hand, they failed so far to put together the necessary ingredients for an attractive offering. However, the stocks are cheap and they all have notable advantages and could recover if manage to improve the solution set/scale, respectively.

Trust Apple to go one better