Half of the respondents in a recent survey think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. And, in the run-up to the social network’s initial public offering of stock, the poll also found 50 percent of people say Facebook’s expected asking price is too high.

The company Mark Zuckerberg created as a Harvard student eight years ago is preparing for what looks to be the biggest Internet IPO ever. Expected later this week, Facebook’s Wall Street debut could value the company at $100 billion, making it worth more than Disney, Ford and Kraft Foods.

That’s testament to the impressive numbers Facebook has posted in its relatively brief history. read more »

London — Findings from a survey undertaken by independent digital marketing agency Greenlight indicate that Google+ might be more successful than most have initially speculated, and that Facebook could potentially capture close to a quarter of the search market globally were it to launch a search engine of its own tomorrow. This market share would make Facebook the second-most utilized search engine in every major market except for China, Japan and Russia, where it would occupy an uncontested third place. read more »

An Article by Electronic Privacy Information Center

Shortly after the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Communications Commission for the unredacted version of the FCC’s report on Google Spy-Fi, Google has released a mostly unredacted version of the report.

In May 2007, as part of Google’s initial collection of Street View data, Google deployed special vehicles, equipped with digital cameras and other devices, to capture images in designated locations in 30 countries worldwide. Using hidden Internet receivers, Google “Street View vehicles” also collected a vast amount of data from users of private home and business Wi-Fi networks. read more »

It was just about a year ago that Washington state organized to fight for its economic future … and retain the title of “Aerospace Capital of the World.”

At that time, Boeing was examining the future of the most successful commercial airplane ever built — the 737 — an airliner accounting for 40 percent of commercial fleets currently in service. Since 1967, more than 7,000 737s have rolled off the line in Renton; but, now Boeing was considering all options for building the next generation of this prolific workhorse — the 737MAX. read more »

The Washington State Department of Commerce has applications available for the Local Technology Planning Team grant program. The grants awards will range from $50,000 to $100,000 and are part of the work of the department’s Washington State Broadband Office.

The office was created in 2009 legislation and is charged coordination, programming and outreach on opportunities for funding, education and awareness of broadband issues. The work is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by the National Telecommunications and Information Agency.

The Washington State Broadband Map was launched in May of 2010 and shows a steadily improving picture of broadband access in the state. read more »

The Association of Energy Engineers will hold the 30th annual West Coast Energy Management Congress and Expo May 23-24 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Hosted by Puget Sound Energy, the EMC 2012 conference will provide a multi-track program to participants.

The EMC 2012 features a prestigious line-up of industry leaders including opening session speakers: Cal Shirley, vice president of Customer Solutions for PSE, who will speak on Enlightened or Obsolete — Energy Companies of the Future; Rebecca Zimmer, director of global energy and resource management for Starbucks, with a presentation on the coffee company’s environmental performance and energy conservation; and Bill Drummond, deputy administrator of Bonneville Power Administration, with a presentation on The Evolving Role of Energy Efficiency in the Pacific Northwest. read more »

When the region’s aerospace industry that has Boeing as its epicenter expands, Kitsap County hopes to get a piece of the action by promoting the resources it has to offer here on the west side of Puget Sound.

That’s the mission of the Kitsap Aerospace and Defense Alliance (KADA), which assembled a couple dozen boosters to tout the area’s potential to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell when she participated in a roundtable discussion April 13 at Bremerton National Airport.

The airport was an apt setting, since it’s on a 1,200-acre expanse of land that’s available for manufacturing development in the Port of Bremerton’s South Kitsap Industrial Area. read more »

Approximately 33 percent of Millennial consumers are more likely to buy a brand if it has a Facebook page, as compared with 17 percent of non-Millennials, according to a recent study from Boston Consulting Group.

Younger consumers are very much interested in social media and use their friends and digital networks as persuasion to buy products. Therefore, marketing on social media could help brands to connect with a younger generation and build a relationship with the help of other brand advocates.

“Perhaps not surprisingly, social media is the best way to reach Millennials,” said Christine Barton, a New York-based partner at BCG and author of the study. “But the degree to which may be surprising. read more »

On April 19, a workshop on “Windows 8 — What Happened to My Desktop?” will be presented from 5-7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Poulsbo City Hall, 200 NE Moe St.

According to WSTA, the next version in Windows is a radical leap, and Windows 8 promises to be the most significant release of Microsoft’s operating system lineup since Windows 95. With the embrace of tablets increasing and displacing (or supplementing) traditional computers in homes and businesses, Microsoft is looking to implement major changes in the next version of Windows. read more »