New York – At long last, someone has cracked one of the technology world’s biggest mysteries – the identity of “Fake Steve,” a sharp-tongued blogger who had tech aficionados in stitches with a satiric diary purporting to be from Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.
Now for the really good part: Both the blogger and the guy who outed him are from staunch bastions of Old Media – Forbes magazine and The New York Times.
In a story published Monday, Brad Stone of the Times outed Dan Lyons, a technology editor at Forbes, as the author of “The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs,” a daily account of events in the tech industry as seen through a caricature of Jobs.
“Damn, I am so busted, yo,” wailed a headline on the blog’s latest posting, accompanied by a mug shot of someone holding up a floppy-eared dog.
Reached by cellphone in Maine, where he had just begun a family vacation, Lyons said he has heard from several friends who found it ironic that someone from a “dead-tree” media outlet, and not a fellow blogger, had succeeded in solving the puzzle.
DENVER
Ricochet to be bought by Civitas Wireless
Ricochet Networks said Monday that it will be acquired by Denver-based Civitas Wireless Solutions, a company headed by Judi Evans, a former Ricochet executive.
Also, Ricochet announced it has ceased operations of its San Diego network and is no longer in the business of providing wireless Internet services.
DENVER
Qwest names VP of consumer marketing
Qwest announced Monday that Kim S. Whitehead has been appointed vice president of consumer marketing.
Most recently, Whitehead was vice president of consumer marketing with BellSouth Telecommunications. She replaces Tom McLoughlin, who is leaving the company. McLoughlin worked for the company for less than a year. Qwest wouldn’t disclose McLoughlin’s plans.
DENVER
Frontier posts record numbers during July
Frontier Airlines planes were a record 88.5 percent full in July, up from 85.2 percent a year earlier, the company reported Monday.
The airline carried more than 1 million passengers in the month for the first time in its history. Frontier’s passenger yield, a measure of airline financial performance, fell 2.9 percent in July. It increased capacity measured by available seat miles by 14.1 percent while traffic measured by revenue passenger miles grew 18.5 percent.
WASHINGTON
Airlines’ on-time stats worst in 12 years
U.S. airline delays are at their highest level in at least 12 years, and analysts say fliers can expect more of the same for the rest of the summer.
The Department of Transportation on Monday said the industry’s on-time performance in the first six months of the year was its worst since 1995, the earliest period for which the agency has comparable data. In June, nearly a third of domestic flights on major U.S. airlines were late.
At Denver International Airport, about 73.2 percent of flights were on time in June, down from 78 percent in June 2006. That pushed Denver down to No. 9 in a ranking of airports’ on-time arrival performance, from No. 7 a year earlier. Salt lake City’s airport ranked first for on-time arrivals in the month.
DENVER
Moye White law firm to expand office space
The Denver-based law firm of Moye White LLP last week announced that it has expanded its services and signed a long-term lease for an additional 8,000 square feet of office space at its current building at 16 Market Square. Moye White is now offering transactional and dispute resolution services to a variety of industries.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Archstone-Smith says deal will close later
Archstone-Smith Trust delayed the completion of its sale to a group led by Tishman Speyer Properties LP. The company said Monday it expects to close by Oct. 5 after earlier saying it would be finished by Sept. 30.
Archstone, the second-biggest U.S. apartment real estate investment trust, also said in a statement that Barclays Capital joined the group that will provide debt and equity to support Tishman’s $13.5 billion bid.
DENVER
Ski Channel to buddy up with Rage Films
The Ski Channel said Monday it has agreed to invest in Rage Films, with an option to purchase the rest of the Bend, Ore.-based action sports filmmaker later.
The deal gives The Ski Channel access to Rage Films’ clip library and allows the two companies to form a programming and production partnership. Dollar amounts were not released.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Adam Aircraft names new chief executive
Adam Aircraft announced Monday that John D. Wolf has been named company chairman and chief executive effective immediately.
Wolf joined Adam Aircraft in February to help achieve FAA Type Certification of the A700 light jet as well as to establish manufacturing capabilities for the company.
DENVER
Newmont offers loan so locals can invest
Newmont Mining Corp., the world’s second-largest gold miner, will provide a $109 million loan to local governments in Indonesia to pay for a 3 percent stake in its copper-gold, a company official said.
The loan will be extended to the governments of Nusa Tenggara Barat province and the districts of Sumbawa Barat and Sumbawa Besar, Martiono Hadianto, President Director of PT Newmont Pacific Nusantara, said in the capital Jakarta.
NEW YORK
Oil, gas futures fall amid economy fears
Oil and gasoline futures plunged Monday on concerns about the economy’s health and as investors sold to lock in profits from last week’s record-setting rally. September oil fell $3.42 to settle at $72.06 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
