The NY Times published an interesting article today the impact of robotics on manufacturing jobs using Amazon’s purchase of robot maker Kiva Systems as an exemplar. The core question raised in the article is whether the adoption of automation technologies will create more unemployment or whether – as has been seen in the past – displaced workers will re-train and become employed in other productive areas of the economy. Continue reading →
Mahler’s Ninth
Waiting for the start of Mahler’s Ninth. Performed by the New York Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center, New York.
2012 Predictions
Just for fun – and in no particular order – here are some technology industry predictions for 2012.Continue reading →
Intel’s ARMageddon II
Back in January of this year I published an article about the threat the ARM processor architecture would pose to Intel in the high margin – highly profitable – market for server processors. Bloomberg published a story yesterday indicating that HP is preparing to enter the ARM based server business. I don’t own Intel stock but if I did I’d be selling. ARMageddon is just over the horizon.
Policy Challenges for A Globally Integrated Innovation, Production and Market Platform
“Cloud computing” is much more than simply a new set of technologies and business models. It is rapidly emerging as the platform that will underpin the next generation of digital products and services. Cloud Computing is transforming how consumers, companies, and governments store information, how they process and exchange that information, and how they utilize computing power. Consequently, it opens a new set of policy discussions while at the same time underlining the importance of old debates.
The World Needs Eyes And Ears on Syria
The growing slaughter of innocent civilians by the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad – and his brother Maher Assad – is posing quite a challenge for the international community which risks a re-run of the impotence demonstrated during the Balkan crisis. The situation in Syria is different however and opens doors to more creative approaches at intervention. Its time to deploy the high-tech tools of information warfare.
Chemical Reaction Dynamics as a Model for Technology Platform Competition
In various corporate meeting rooms at Samsung, Microsoft, HP, RIM and Google eager teams of engineers, marketing folks and freshly minted MBAs are trying to figure out the magic formula which will deliver a product to compete with Apple’s iPad. Hopefully they were all paying attention in high-school because the first steps to understanding the dynamics of this type of platform competition were almost certainly covered in chemistry class.Continue reading →
Greece’s “Argentina” Moment
Watching the news coming out of Greece over the weekend reminded me of the economic crisis in Argentina in 2001. Growing public unrest, a history of military intervention and an seemingly irresolvable economic crisis are all common factors but Argentina stands as a defining example of why it doesn’t always pay to follow the advice of the IMF.
Continue reading →
When Apple Became “The Man”
This weekends pranking of the future Apple store in Hamburg shows just how far perceptions of Apple and Microsoft have changed. This puts Microsoft in the position of being the scrappy competitor fighting against all the encompassing dominance of ‘The Man”. If we’re not careful the act of putting a little Windows logo in the rear window of your car may become the very definition of geek counter-culturalism 🙂
Microsoft’s Nokia Nightmare
Last week saw a lot of speculation regarding Microsoft’s possible acquisition of Nokia’s mobile devices business. The rumor was quashed by Stephen Elop speaking at the All Things D conference who denied there had been any discussion with Microsoft regarding an acquisition. Case closed then? Maybe not.
Continue reading →