Posted June 03, 2015in Tech Talk
In the business world, enough is truly never enough. Comcast isn’t satisfied being the biggest cable provider in the country, so it acquired NBC and is moving into the broadcasting business. PepsiCo doesn’t just produce soda, it also owns the entire line of Frito Lay potato chips, Quaker Oats, Gatorade
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Posted May 27, 2015in Tech Talk
The last two decades have been rough for traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. Prior to the rise of e-commerce, finding commercial success meant juggling quality products, store location, correct pricing, supply, demand and much more than could possibly be squeezed into this column. Now with the Internet firmly in place as the
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Posted May 20, 2015in Tech Talk
Imagine you wake up tomorrow in Des Moines, and it’s 1985. Never mind searching for plutonium to power your flux capacitor, how would you figure out a good place to eat? There’s no Facebook to bounce ideas off your friends (who coincidentally are probably infants in the mid-’80s), just two
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Posted May 13, 2015in Tech Talk
There is a weird phenomenon in technology where all too often an innovation doesn’t fully get its due until the second, third or fourth iteration. Whether it’s file sharing, e-commerce or online video, many revolutions are delayed. Currently the latest old technology-turned-new is live video streaming with the mobile application
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Posted May 06, 2015in Tech Talk
Why is it that films set in dark dystopian futures are always beset with fascist governments, evil multinational corporations or tech firms that foolishly program indestructible robots? Shouldn’t the heroes of these films be battling the real oppressors of modern life like student loan officers, the I.R.S. (please don’t audit
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Posted April 29, 2015in Tech Talk
One of the scariest things about being an adult is making large purchases. With every high-ticket item — be it houses, cars, refrigerators, washers or dryers — every buy reminds you that as an adult you need to be a responsible decision maker. Still, for those who can’t commit to mortgages
Read More →If science fiction has taught us anything, education will likely be pointless in the future, as computers will know everything. Whether it’s as far off as “Star Trek” or as immediate as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” computers will handle all the tough issues while we’re simply along for the ride.
Read More →Depending on your shopping disposition, iKEA is either the worst or best storefront in the history of time. Best because it has more options for home decor than any store on the planet; worst because all those options make it the size of three Wal-Marts put together, and it’s built
Read More →Premium technology is the specter all developers long for, but few have achieved. Luxury is easily attainable. Six-figure cars and stereo systems pack in pricey, high-end technology but require stringent upkeep. Premium means a steep price tag but not the excessive maintenance necessary for ownership. Apple builds premium consumer devices,
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Posted March 31, 2015in Tech Talk
Is there a more terrifying company in the world than Apple? Sure, the company offers bulletproof devices, intuitive software that seems to know what you want before you do. And yes, it is continually two steps ahead of the technology market. The thing is, those same qualities are a nightmare
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