GidoGeek

Where the nerds meet the hippies →

Neelie Kroes:

In summary, Silicon Valley offers a lot of insights for Europe. We should not try to replicate it, but we can learn from its example, and devise our own models. We need to inject a more entrepreneurial culture in our universities; invest in stronger trans-European networks of researchers, venture capital, and entrepreneurs; and stimulate our ‘old’ multinationals and incumbents to be more innovation friendly and to embrace, not fight, new technologies and disruptive business models. Going to the Valley is a breathtaking experience and anyone in Europe interested in developing an ICT business should go; hopefully they will bring back ideas to build the new global businesses of the future here.

Appsterdam unites indies against Patent Trolls →

Mike Lee:

Let App Makers be as the ants of East Texas, minding their business until someone invades their anthill. Then Swarm! Swarm! Swarm! We will let the patent trolls know: if you attack one indie, you attack all indies, and we will file every motion we can against you, we will attack your patents, and we will show you for the mafioso thugs you are.

Why is European broadband faster and cheaper? Blame the government →

Rick Karr reporting for Engadget:

We went to the Netherlands because it has one of the world’s most advanced and fastest-growing fiber-optic networks. We visited homes there that get 100 mbps service in both directions — they can upload as fast as they download — as well as TV and phone for under $100 a month.

Another reason to come to Appsterdam.

Sofa has been acquired by Facebook →

When I woke up this morning I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading on Twitter. The talented guys from Sofa announced they have been acquired by Facebook and are moving to Palo Alto to work at Facebook HQ.

The Sofa team will be moving from Amsterdam to Palo Alto in the coming weeks – and we’ll make sure to infuse some of our particular flavor of Dutch culture at Facebook.

These guys are the people who brought us Versions (which landed them an ADA in 2009) and Kaleidoscope. These apps were however not part of the acquisition.

They have a page up giving some insight into the future of these apps:

That leaves our developer tools, Kaleidoscope and Versions. They will remain available from both their websites and the Mac App Store and our support email address will be manned by all the usual suspects. The apps are temporarily not available from the App Store for administrative reasons, but we’re working with Apple to get them back up as soon as possible.

Great developer tools are built by great developers. We feel that both Versions and Kaleidoscope have a tremendous amount of potential ahead of them. We are working on a stellar way to fill the gap our team leaves behind and can’t — but will have to — wait to tell you more soon.

So stay tuned.

Although I’m sad to see such a talented team leave Amsterdam Appsterdam, I’d like to congratulate the team on their deal and wish them all the best of luck at Facebook.