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First, it was Apple’s MobileMe data sync service downtime. Then, it’s the alleged faulty 3G connectivity issue. AT&T said it would look into the issue on a case to case basis. Sure, Apple fanatics would give Steve Jobs and company the benefit of the doubt but either way, if the 3G complaints are to be believed, it looks like it’s a matter of quality control on the mass production of iPhone 3G.

Web 2.0 companies may have the benefit of putting the ‘Beta’ sign on its product/service offerings while still refining its development. On the other hand, PayPal in its early years was beset with combating fraud and other technical issues but it was able to cross the chasm when it was able to deploy its service on a global scale. With Apple right now, it’s like fixing a plane while it’s flying. The sheer marketing hype is putting its weight on the reliability and reputation of Apple.

With Apple iPhone 3G, I would say the technology adoption is still in the early adopter stage. Those early adopters would bear the consequence of device faults/lapses while the device and software are still in the process of continuous refinement. Nevertheless, it’s really a good start. For now, I might just wait for the mobile internet device to mature. When the price and the network infrastructure matures, and hits the sweet spot for the ordinary Joe, you may just hear that ubiquitous computing is finally upon us.

Motorola’s troubles may stem from consumers’ demand for ultra-stylish mobile phones in part caused by Apple’s iPhone and the emergence of South Korea’s Samsung and LG to innovate and satisfy what the market wants. So it’s no wonder if Motorola might be the next Palm unless the recently approved spin-off Motorola Mobile Devices division (to be fully completed by 2009) get its act together and deliver. So whatever losses Motorola may have incurred since failing to deliver beyond its Razr way back in 2005, the lesson is clear: the global market for the ultra-competitive handset business needs cutting-edge design coupled with a culture of innovation. Maybe the OHA’s Android platform may revive Motorola’s handset business but then Samsung and LG are on the same boat also. If the PC market is any indication, we might see consolidation of handset manufacturers as mobile phones are getting commoditized, or the handset business might venture into the services and/or software market.

But in the final analysis, Apple’s iPhone changed the dynamics of the mobile market and its ecosystem.

From the looks of it, I see Apple vs Nokia vs Microsoft vs RIM vs the OHA Alliance in the ever changing landscape of the mobile business. If mobile phones don’t have that much differentiation from rival’s offerings, it’s the classic cliche you would hear again: "It’s the software, stupid."

While PayPal has been our reliable partner for sending and receiving payments, PayPal is still under fire from the debit card glitch where users are unable to activate their PayPal debit cards or are being denied transactions. Looks like this has been going on for a month now but rest assured, your transactions with LoadnTxt using the PayPal facility is unaffected.

Also, please note that this glitch only applies if you are a PayPal user that is using or will be using the PayPal debit card.

Conferences are magnets of attention from the business, blogging and tech communities so it’s no wonder that the Open Source Business Conference is the center of buzz on the internet. Wired wonders where in the world are the open source billionaires.

In 2007, some 30 open source software companies were purchased for more than $1 billion — double the number of sales in 2005, according to consulting firm 451 Group. And 2008 is proving to be even more frenetic. In January alone, Sun Microsystems announced the purchase of open source pioneer MySQL for $1 billion; open source development players Covalent and SpringSource merged; and Nokia agreed to pay $153 million for the open source mobile-software maker Trolltech. On Wall Street, bankers are rooting around for a good open source company to take public.

How can you build a business by giving away the store? The money comes from selling add-ons, service contracts, and hardware to go with the software. But that model works only if you master a couple of basics. Open source software makers have to win enough users that even the small percentage of customers who pay will generate a torrent of dollars. (Mozilla gets most of its money from Google, which pays to be the browser’s default search provider — something Google is willing to do because Firefox has so many users.)

Meanwhile, Benchmark Capital is capitalizing on open source business models noting that the "opportunities for the next generation of open source companies lies on identifying new problems (rather than moving into existing fields) and being the first to address them. Among other things, moving into a fresh market means you can start monetizing earlier, because you’re adding value sooner."

And that resonates with Funambol’s Capobianco description of open source business model noting that Software as a Service coupled with hosting, licensing or advertising may hold the key to make money with open source.

In a sure vote of confidence and a brave undertaking amid the lingering subprime crisis, Visa raised $17.9 billion late Tuesday to complete the largest initial public offering in US history.

The world’s largest processor of credit and debit cards sold 406 million shares at $44 apiece to easily eclipse the previous U.S. record IPO of $10.6 billion set by AT&T Wireless eight years ago.

Visa shares, trading on under the "V" ticker symbol, are scheduled to begin trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. The San Francisco-based company will debut with a market value of about $36 billion.

The money is expected to help banks strengthen their balance sheets as they write off billions of dollars in loans that have soured amid the worst housing slump since the 1930s.

Unlike lenders who have issued nearly 1.5 billion cards bearing its brand, Visa doesn’t carry any consumer debt on its books. The company makes its money from processing fees, which have been steadily rising for years, including the past two U.S. recessions in 1991 and 2001.

Visa processed 44 billion transactions totaling $3.2 trillion in 2006, according to the Nilson Report, an industry newsletter. MasterCard handled 23.4 billion transactions totaling $1.9 trillion in the same year.

Compare Visa’s market valuation of $36B with Yahoo’s $44.6B original market valuation by Microsoft.  Though this is an apple to orange comparison, Visa is more of a sure bet than Yahoo!. Visa seems to be insulated from any US recession or any downturn for that matter.