The Yahoo P.R. machine is red-hot these days given the buzz about the launch of Yahoo Answers, which lets you ask a question and have a real person - as opposed to a fake person - provide an answer (I asked why Nortel is struggling so badly - can't wait for the answer!) So, riddle me this: why all the excitement? I mean, it's just another quasi-useful service launched by a well-known Web player. To be honest, it has gotten to the point where Yahoo CEO Terry Semel burps and the blogosphere goes into conniptions over what it means to Yahoo's strategic direction. Let's get serious here, folks. Spend less time belly-gazing at minor add-on services and more time looking at services where Yahoo generates major amounts of money.

Remember the late-1990s when portals were all the rage? Remember when they fell out of favour? According to eMarketer, it's good to be a portal again. So, who's number one? In August, Yahoo  attracted 101.3 million unique U.S. visitors who spent an average of 3 hours, 38 minutes and 42 seconds on the site. (How do they  this stuff, anyway?!) Microsoft was second with 95.6 million visitors (45:44), followed by MSN (92.1 million and 1:52:39) and Google (80.4 million and 45:40). So, if portals are back, what are Google's plans? Does it beef up its current offering? Or does it  create a super-Google site that seamlessly melds together the mini-portal, Google News, Gmail, Blogger, Picasa and Google Earth? Now, that would be cool to have every Google service packaged all together.

With all the VC activity in the U.S. - most of it being thrown at cool Web 2.0 with, at best, uncertain business model - it is encouraging to see a Canadian high-tech company receive some love. Third Brigade Inc., which develops software to protect businesses from computer attacks and viruses, has raised $11.5-million from BCE Capital, Celtic House and BDC Venture Capital. This follows a $5-million round earlier this year. This deal is the latest in a string of financings made by BCE Capital, the investment arm of BCE Inc. Some of BCE Capital's deals are strategic to the corporate mothership but the VC has a mandate to pretty much invest where it wants in Canada and the U.S. That said, I wonder if they're still feeling the sting of passing on Skype in late-2003 because they couldn't see a business model? Lesson to be learned: the next time Niklas Zennstrom comes asking for some financing, get the check book out as quick before he changes his mind.  

If you've ever wondered about NTP - the mysterious company making life miserable for RIM - you have to check out a feature story in today's National Post by my colleague, Kevin Restivo. After travelling down to Virgina and Florida, as well as countless phone calls, Kevin has managed to put together a truly insightful story on what motivates Don Stout (the guy in the photo), who is NTP's main lawyer and majority shareholder; NTP's 23 other investors, and how NTP's patent licensing goals go way beyond RIM. In many ways, NTP has aspirations to become the Qualcomm or Dolby of the wireless technology market by demanding - and getting - lucrative licensing fees from dozens, if not hundreds, of wireless hardware makers, software developers and service providers. This explains why NTP seems so intent on doing whatever it takes to convince RIM to reach a settlement. If NTP can get RIM on board, the sky is the limit as far as more multi-million patent deals.
Update: According to Reuters, RIM and NTP have been holding discussions for the past few days through a court-appointed mediator. Does this mean a settlement is on the horizon? If I was a betting man, you have to think something has to give before I-Day (Injunction Day) approaches next month when Blackberry service could be shut down in the U.S. (except for U.S. government employess)