An offbeat look at how life and social issues link back to the tech business landscape.
Eileen Yu began covering the IT industry when Asynchronous Transfer Mode was still hip and e-commerce was the new buzzword. In her B.T.W blog, she takes an offbeat look at issues about life and finds a connection to the tech and business landscape. Eileen is senior editor at ZDNet Asia, where she oversees the business tech news site.
Most of us now surf regularly on our mobile devices, but try doing that while overseas and you might grow a few extra strands of grey hair when you return home to a phone bill for hundreds of dollars--or thousands, if you're a Facebook stalker--in data roaming charges. So, a question begs to be asked: does it really cost our operators so much to support our need for ubiquitous connectivity?
So it's now thinner, lighter and comes in two colors. No, I'm not talking about Steve Jobs...
Every household in Singapore probably did a little jolly jig on Friday when the government announced radio and TV license will be abolished, finally.During his budget speech, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam explained that license fees were "losing their relevance" with increasing media convergence where anyone can now receive broadcast content over the Internet and mobile devices, and TV ownership is no longer limited to middle- and higher-income groups.
Merry year of the rabbit! While some parts of the world celebrated the lunar new year last week, the turmoil in Egypt had escalated into a violent clash between anti- and pro-Mubarak protesters.
By now, most of you would be familiar with Yale Law School professor, Amy Chua, and her infamous essay about the merits of Chinese parenting.In the article, Chua describes how her two daughters were never allowed, among other things, to have a playdate, be in a school play, get any grade less than an A or play any instrument other than the piano or violin.
Belated merry 2011, everyone! After a long break from the year-end festivities, I returned to the office this week feeling somewhat rejuvenated and, as I do ever year this time, nostalgic.
"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand--the largest anarchy that we have ever had."Google CEO Eric Schmidt uttered those words way back in April 1997 when he was then CTO of Sun Microsystems and alluding to how the Internet had emerged as the biggest driver of change.
Ask someone to describe their IT department and the words "geeky" and "EQ challenged" will likely pop up. But, is the image of an awkward bespectacled nerd whose eyes never seem to leave the floor, a misconception of techies in the industry today?
I was having dinner in a restaurant one day when a family sat down at the table next to mine.The kid in the family, who looked to be around six years old, was showing signs of restlessness when his father promptly reached into his backpack, pulled out a portable DVD player, plonked it in front of his offspring, and turned on the device.
Hell hath no fury like a blogosphere scorned, especially when some first practice to deceive, as Shakespeare might say.This week, no one knew that better than Cooks Source editor Judith Griggs, following accusations that the U.