If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.
1. The PS3 time is the charm for Netflix
It's about time, Netflix
I understand why Netflix made that choice. After all, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings sits on Microsoft's board. However, it never made sense for Netflix to ignore the PS3. It's the only console that plays Blu-ray discs, so it's a logical home-theater platform for film junkies who pay Netflix a premium for Blu-ray access.
So what's it going to take for Netflix to appease the typically younger Wii families? Surely there's an argument to be made about for supporting the homes that game together. How else is Netflix going to move copies of those Air Bud sequels?
2. Good things come in small packages
There's no such thing as an acquisition so small that it will never move the needle. BioMarin Pharmaceuticals
If things go well, BioMarin will have to pay an additional $7.5 million on approval of the treatment in Europe and up to $36 million more in future payments if certain sales and development milestones are met.
If successful, BioMarin sees peak sales in Europe alone of $100 million annually. If the treatment flops, BioMarin is out only the $15 million. This isn't an acquisition! It's either a call option or a buyout on a contingency basis. Well played, BioMarin.
3. How to praise Steve Jobs in Mandarin
It finally happened. Apple's
Fellow Fool Tim Beyers is also concerned about the quality of the new 3G network in China and about regulators who are stripping the device of its Wi-Fi charm.
I see the speed bumps, but I still think this is a great move by Apple. The company's computing and portable media players aren't as popular overseas as they are domestically. Any success that Apple achieves with its iPhone will help it win over MacBook and iPod users, too.
4. Don't look back, WiMAX
Connectivity may never be the same. WiMAX, the broadband-enabling platform championed by heavies including Intel
What's the big deal? Well, the Taiwan test proves that WiMAX can grow to become an alternative to cellular carriers. Validation will also give its backers greater reason to come together and invest to grow WiMAX networks globally.
This is welcome news to WiMAX fans and Halloweenish scary news for conventional telcos.
5. You've got Gmail, Los Angeles
In a major win for Google
This is a big deal. It means 30,000 city employees will be sending and receiving their electronic missives through Gmail. It's also not a charitable deal, as the one-year outsourcing contract will cost Los Angeles $7.25 million. But it is most certainly a nice victory for Google over rival Microsoft, which was also a contender for the contract.
Google was late to offer free and premium email, so it still lags Microsoft's Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail in terms of user accounts. This contract will help, especially if city employees come to love Google's cloud solutions and spread the word.