Legislators Putting Benzene, Toluene, Xylene and Ethylbenzene in Their Cars

A breathless headline in the NYTimes: "Chemicals Were Injected Into Wells, Report Says". The Times was reporting on a report by Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California, Edw More...

Why did Mary’s AT&T iPhone Ask To Use Verizon?

"My iPhone wants to use Verzion," Mary said. As old telco hands, we both know that is impossible. AT&T uses GSM technology on its network; Verizon Wireless (VZW) uses CDMA. The technologies are incompatible. But she was right. Can you figure out what was going on?

Hint1: We More...

The Pickens Plan Bill: The Wrong Way to Get the Right Result

Getting government to pay your customers for buying your product is no substitute for creating compelling value. A marketplace dominated by political decision making will result in neither innovation nor wealth creation. So why is American business allowing itself to succumb to the weakening infl More...

Bankers Crying Wolf on the Debt Ceiling

Failure to raise the debt ceiling does NOT have to lead to default! That claim is a scare tactic by bankers, the same crowd that TARPed us. The pundits' wisdom that Congress shouldn't discuss deficits while raising the debt ceiling is almost as funny as the line "No fighting in the w More...

AT&T and Verizon Wireless: Opposite Strategies to Win Landline Business

Both AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless (VZW) charge $19.99 (plus the usual extras) for unlimited US calling from residences. Both plans are clearly aimed at winning business away from the legacy landline carriers in those areas where the big dogs themselves are not the landline providers. Bo More...

Verizon Wireless Aims Salvo at Residential Landline Market

The banner in the window of the Verizon Wireless (VZW) store in Montpelier was a declaration of war on local landline providers. "Save on your home phone service," it said; "Unlimited [nb. US] calling for $19.99/month." This is particularly interesting here in Northern New Eng More...

Bill Gates and I: 60 Milliseconds on 60 Minutes

Billg was berating a group of us. "Somebody's confused. Somebody just doesn't understand. You guys are all wrong. I'm not going to use this thing!" The camera cuts to me looking dour, then back to Bill. The episode is part of a More...

Moore’s Law and Medicine: Why We Should Be Spending More

Within twelve hours of granddaughter Lily's birth, we knew she might have a hearing problem. Within two weeks we knew she did. She had hearing aids almost immediately. After several anxious months for genetic testing and many visits to specialists, we knew that the mutation causing her hearin More...

Talking About Moore's Law, Medicine, and Innovation

My friend Bill Sayre interviewed me today on Common Sense Radio on WDEV. The show is sponsored by the Ethan Allen Institute, where I recently talked ab More...

Ending Tax Giveaways Isn’t Raising Taxes

OK. Now we all agree that the deficit needs to be cut by some huge amount in the next decade. That's some progress. We also mostly agree that the deficit cutting has to start real soon. That's even more progress. And President Obama says he believes that you can't and shouldn't make the deficit g More...