Practical Technology

We’re used to robots — in their place. Think of a car factory; the image that comes to mind is probably not the assembly line of yore, but instead pivoting robot arms doing mind-numbingly repetitive tasks with great precision. But other than vacuum cleaners and the odd robotic pet, robots are mostly absent from our [...]

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The last time Internet Explorer (IE) wasn’t the top Web browser in the world, late 1998, Bill Clinton was president; France was the World Cup champion; Netscape was IE’s top rival; and, oh yes, Google was founded. One anti-monopoly lawsuit, which was largely based on Microsoft’s illegal tactics against Netscape, and not quite fourteen years [...]

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You may have noticed that when I talk about TV over the Internet, I haven’t been talking about Google TV or the like. Instead, I’ve been focusing on “media extenders” like the Apple TV, Roku, and the various Internet-equipped Blu-Ray DVD players. The main reason is the elephant in the room: “When will Apple announce [...]

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Some people are still sure Windows 8 is going to be the cat’s meow. I’m sure Windows 8 and its Metro interface will be more like a cat’s yowl of pain. The more I look at Metro, the more I’m sure that Microsoft’s new desktop will flop as badly as the Facebook IPO. It’s not [...]

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I told you so. I told anyone who would listen yesterday that investing in Facebook’s IPO would be foolish and I was right. Facebook closed its high-excitement IPO day at $38.37 a share… mere pocket change over its initial price. On Thursday, Facebook had priced its shares at $38, giving itself a valuation of $104 [...]

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