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Cisco Details Consumer Push and ProductsToday

At a press conference at CES today, Cisco’s CEO John Chambers talked about the router maker’s push beyond routers and into the home. As Om has said before, this is a well-worn path trod by Cisco in its need to continue its growth, but it’s pretty hard to make it as successful consumer electronics company, even if those products are connecting back to the Internet where Cisco rules.

So today, Cisco tore the veil off two consumer products: a router that also provides music, akin to a Sonos player, and a media hub that will aggregate all your digital content and display it on whatever screen you choose — in the home or on the go through a browser. For the content companies, Cisco will offer its EOS software platform, which gives Big Media a way to create social web sites around their artists –kind of like a Ning for music or other publishers.

I’m surprised we didn’t hear more about

Intel Writes Almost $1B Off Clearwire InvestmentToday

Aside from slashing its sales estimates today, Intel said it would take a $950 million impairment charge related to its investment in Clearwire, citing a decline in Cleawire’s stock price (to $4.93 as of Dec. 31). Intel has invested millions into Clearwire, which is building a nationwide WiMAX network, with the hopes of selling more chips into web-connected portable computers. From Intel’s release:

The company now expects the net gain or loss from equity investments and interest and other to be a loss of between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion versus a previous expectation of a loss of approximately $50 million.

While Clearwire comprises a lot of that amount, there’s an extra $150 million to $250 million in there that is likely a result of the financial crisis forcing Intel to write down some assets. And it likely won’t be the only company reporting these charges. Under current accounting rules, a company has to test for “impairmen

As Earnings Disaster Strikes, Intel Crying InsideToday

A few weeks ago Terry Gou, chairman of Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world’s largest original equipment maker, warned that the troubles facing the technology industry (because of the global economic downturn) were much steeper than people realized. His comments were met with skepticism. Perhaps more should have listened. Intel today announced that the sales for the fourth quarter of 2008 will be at least 20 percent lower than its previous forecasts, which it had already slashed to begin with.

Given that Intel supplies chips to every major PC maker, it is a good proxy for the PC ecosystem and the troubles that will ensue. Dell, for instance, is bracing for a rough 2009. Other device makers aren’t immune either. Memory-chip makers are hurting as well. The slower PC sales also impact Microsoft as it impacts the total sales of Windows operating system and other applications. 2009 isn’t going to be an easy one.

Verizon’s Open Network Starts Slow But There’s HopeToday

Verizon says it’s willing to provide access to its cellular network for wireless devices like the Kindle reader, according to Tony Lewis, vice president of open development at Verizon. He spoke to Reuters in the lead up to CES yesterday and said the public could expect e-readers comparable to Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle running on the Verizon Wireless network in 2009. If Verizon will offer wireless access to the Sony eReader, then economy be damned, I’m picking one up.

Aside from my own e-reader dreams, the news is welcome for those who have been curious as to how accessible Verizon’s open network will actually be. In November 2007, Verizon said it would open up its network to other devices. On Monday, the carrier released data showing its progress toward openness. I wasn’t impressed.

I thought we would have to pry Verizon’s network open with a crowbar, judging by the fact that in the last year it has certified two indepen

Bad Things (or Layoffs) Happen to Other PeopleToday

Americans, by nature, are an optimistic bunch. Even in tough times, there is something to be optimistic about. Where others see the glass half empty, we see it as half full. That is probably the only reasonable explanation for the findings of this survey conducted by Glassdoor, a Sausalito, Calif.-based startup that ranks employers by taking anonymous feedback from their employees.

Despite the dismal global economy, widespread layoffs and rising unemployment, 61 percent of surveyed employees would not be willing to take a pay cut if they discovered their job was in jeopardy. A whopping 40 percent expect a pay raise in the next 12 months, despite job cuts at their employer. Of those eligible for an annual bonus, 57 percent expect a bonus and 40 percent do not expect a bonus

The most amusing part? Four out of five employed adults say they are not concerned about being laid off from their job in the next six months. Just one in five employees are concerned they will be laid off during the same period. Perhaps the pessimistic 20 percent are reading the news.

Today, a report put out by ADP