Will Dell Exist the Consumer Computer Business?
Dell announced earlier this week that it was going private in a $24.4 billion deal. The buyout is the largest since Blackstone’s $26 billion takeover of Hilton Hotels in 2007 and will add $15 billion of new debt to Dell. Dell is clearly at a difficult crossroads. In 2005, Dell was the world’s largest maker of PCs […]
A few Thoughts on Global Competitiveness
I returned from Helsinki tonight – where I’ve been for the last four days. It is always insightful to read the news when I’m outside the U.S. The local news always has more relevancy and I see the U.S. news with a fresh perspective. At its root, the different perspectives frequently come down to global […]
Kids with Phones
Greg Hoffman wanted an iPhone from his parents. He received one together with a contract from his mother, Janell Hoffman. Here are the contract terms: 1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest? 2. I will always know the password. 3. […]
Will Interest in the Fiscal Cliff Wain
Since the election, the Fiscal Cliff as dominated the media cycle. Here is Google Trend data depicting web search interest for the term “Fiscal Cliff” over the last twelve months in the United States. Unsurprisingly, web searches have spiked significantly. This has been true not only in the United States, but also in the rest of […]
Digitization of Everyday Things: Wells in Africa
An AP story from earlier this week highlights the work Scott Harrison and Charity Water is doing to to install sensors in wells in Africa so water flow can be monitored remotely. With declining sensor prices, expect to see more sensors deployed to monitor charitable work in hard-to-reach places.
On Voting – Bond Measures
There were a variety of referendums and other ballot measures this election. In Fairfax County there were four separate bond measures and each passed with a wide margin. Surely each of these are “good” and “needed,” but on seeing the results I questioned if most voters understand how municipal bond issues work. There are two primary […]
Another Once-in-a-Century Event….
The East Coast is set to welcome tropical storm Sandy this week. The potential damage is expected to be especially pronounced in the the Mid-Atlantic and New York tri-state areas. Here are a few of the recent headlines: This storm adds to the dozens (if not hundreds) of natural disaster events over the last 24 to 36 […]
File Under Digital Decade: The Evolving Role of Video
I caught the recent story of a man arrested for drug possession in Orlando. Apparently police monitoring a live video feed sent officers to the scene who then made the arrest. In the accompanying video, one of women being interviewed about the role of video cameras says something interesting. When asked if it is acceptable […]
Strategic Immigration
There is often much said on strategic immigration and the competitive battle for the world’s most gifted workers. A recent interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in the Detroit Free Press drives home the negative externalities from limiting the brightest from our shores. Ballmer discusses why in 2007 Microsoft built an R&D facility in Vancouver – just over the […]
A Lack of Confidence Can be Very Contagious
Recently I’ve been asked repeatedly about the current state of Europe. I’ve said since January that 2012 was going to be marked by periods of volatility – stressing that European issues would be a key catalyst to those periods of volatility (energy prices have also contributed to uneasiness – something I’ll say more on at […]
