Today In Tech – Episode 1

Today In Tech – Episode 1 show notes – 3/27/2009

Twitter still has no business model

Twitter is engaged in a few experiments that are providing value to other companies, such as letting Federated Media use its content for its Microsoft-sponsored ExecTweets site. But this is not the big Twitter revenue model people are waiting for.

CEO of Twitter said Our question is, how can we help? What can Twitter offer for a fee that will improve the experience? Will it be account verification? Will it be lightweight analytics? Will there be opportunities for introducing customers to businesses on Twitter. So many questions.” And to The New York Times: “If I say any particular idea, it gets made too much of. We think Twitter will make money. I think it will take some time to figure it out.”

No contract iPhones now offered by AT&T

Apple has joined AT&T in offering iPhones without a contract at a hefty price.

Last week, AT&T announced plans to sell iPhone 3Gs without a two-year contract for $599 and $699, but Apple did not respond to inquiries as to whether it had the same idea in mind. Now AppleInsider is reporting that the company has indeed rolled out the similar no-contact offer at its stores, which makes sense, given the tight partnership between the two companies.

It’s still a little difficult to get a sense of how many people would jump on such an offer. Such offers are very common in other parts of the world, but mobile-phone shoppers in this economic climate might prefer to take their savings up front, especially since all iPhone 3Gs sold in this manner will still be locked to AT&T’s network.

Amazon to close three facilitys

Distribution facilities in Munster, Ind., Red Rock, Nev., and Chambersburg, Pa., will be shuttered, with the 210 affected employees offered a chance to either transfer to nearby facilities, or terminate their Amazon employment and receive eight weeks of severance, according to the report.

Earth Hour Saturday

The lights are going down from the Great Pyramids to the Acropolis, the Eiffel Tower to the Sears Tower, as more than 2,800 municipalities in 84 countries plan Saturday to mark the second worldwide Earth Hour.

McDonalds will even soften the yellow glow from some Golden Arches as part of the time-zone-by-time-zone plan to dim nonessential lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to highlight global climate change.

Story 1: Twitter still has no business model http://bit.ly/1fg4D

Story 2: AT&T offering no contract iPhones http://bit.ly/1P1Fof

Story 3: Amazon to close 3 facilities http://bit.ly/11HuMp

Story 4: Earth Hour Saturday http://bit.ly/u3j1

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for Epsode 2, or head on over to http://dylan.combs.tv for even more exclusive content!