Links for 02-23-2010

• Can a Chameleon Change its Spots? » ocb - Citrix Community - "If the use case involves the customer buying, installing and running Linux to achieve virtualization, KVM will eventually do a fine job. If on the other hand, the user expects to deploy a virtualization platform that is entirely guest OS agnostic, using a complete virtual infrastructure platform then a type-1 hypervisor that is OS agnostic (xen.org Xen Cloud Platform, Citrix XenServer, OracleVM, VMware vSphere) is what they will go for. I have previously made the case that OS-bundled hypervisors have both inherent advantages and disadvantages in penetrating the market:" I don't necessarily disagree but ease of acquisition is a big factor here too as many technologies become 'good enough.'
• Matrix: Impacts to Alumni Organizations In A World of Social Networks « Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang | Social Media, Web Marketing - Interesting discussion of how Alumni Associations fit with social media. Good insight that (at least from the perspective of alumni), associations are largely middlemen.
• It's the End of Cisco As We Know It (CSCO) - "I don't know how Cisco could ever repair the damage it's causing to its own heart and soul these days. That might sound like a heap of touchy-feely hippie talk to ardent Cisco investors, but I truly believe that Cisco is heading down a wrong track that will inflict serious damage on its lofty stock price. Furthermore, it's way too late to do anything about it."
• The key to Apple's success? Focus | The Open Road - CNET News - "For start-ups and earlier-stage companies, focus is the key driver for growth, because it allows an organization to pull together in the same direction. Which direction it is is far less important than choosing a direction to attack."
• Novell and Red Hat: Taking Linux to the Cloud | Open Source Journal - "It is interesting to see how Open source rivals Red Hat and Novell have transferred their Linux warfare to the cloud. As both companies seek to use their open source history to advantage on the web platform by spouting standard mantras about avoiding vendor lock-ins and low cost, they have also taken different approaches on other counts when taking their cloud services to market."
• Observations on changes in the analyst ecosystem » SageCircle Blog
• Olympus and Panasonic rumors - As some of you know, this is one of the most interasting areas of camera development to me right now.
• Search is the Web's fun and wicked problem - O'Reilly Radar - "
  Search is the Web's most powerful and frustrating tool."
• tecosystems » Maemo + Moblin = MeeGo: The Q&A - "Q: You’re arguing, then, that purpose built devices are the rule, rather than the exception here?
  A: Certainly seems that way. There appear to be two general user paradigms: general purpose, and device. " There are degrees within device certainly (e.g. app store model vs. fixed function) but the basic point, I think, holds.
• SF Signal: SF Fanatic: Current Science Fiction On Television - Agree more than I disagree with this rundown (though I haven't watched everything listed).
• Data center hardware wars: VARs take on vendors - "VARs and integrators take a different view on that "one-throat" mantra for data center hardware. Said one East Coast Cisco and HP VAR: "Absolutely, customers want one vendor, but we're the vendor! They're working with us to build a multi-vendor solution that suits their needs." " This is an area of real tention with the vendor drive towards more integrated systems.