For all the differences between us humans, there’s one topic that we all seem to enjoy freely talking about: The weather. And there’s usually one gripe in particular that unites us all – weather forecasting! On a local level, there’s an outright battle between television stations as to who has the biggest radar, the best...
Five billion. That’s how many devices are hooked up to the Internet of Things (IoT) today. The industry has steadily grown over the past several years… as evidenced by the fact that three billion of those devices are consumer products. From smart utility meters and connected cars on the high end, to fitness trackers on...
Of all the “smart” things we have these days – cellphones, homes, the Smart Grid, utility meters – there’s one big area that hasn’t fully joined the party. Our televisions. Sure… we have “smart TVs” – but the technology around them is still pretty dumb. You know the problem: You’ve got one remote for the...
It’s time for Twitter Inc. (TWTR) to stick or twist. Last Sunday, the embattled social media company suffered a mass exodus of executive talent. If you believe the official statement, Alex Roetter, Kevin Weil, Skip Schipper, and Katie Stanton all “voluntarily” departed. Hmm… consider me suspicious. The timing couldn’t be more ominous. Why? Because Twitter...
In this car crash of a stock market, it may well be worthwhile to focus on the companies that will largely endure whatever investors throw at them. Indeed, companies that significantly outperform the overall market. So let’s look at the “FANGs.” It was CNBC madman-in-chief Jim Cramer who coined the term when referring to a...
From the rugged coastline to the redwood forests and fantastic array of wineries in Sonoma and Napa, the area around San Francisco is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Heck, it’s such a great area, I can almost understand why tech companies put up with California! Why? Well, for as much press as...
Last Thursday, I stuck my neck on the block and issued five tech predictions for 2016. To recap, we discussed how the incredible pace of innovation looks set to continue this year… how virtual reality is poised for a defining year… which tech giant will acquire Twitter… how Nikola Tesla’s dream from the 1800s is...
In summing up the fortunes of the tech sector in 2015, The Verge’s Walt Mossberg pulls no punches. The “next big thing” didn’t show up. There wasn’t a single tech device or service that “captivated and remade the lives of the masses,” he says. He’s right. So will one show up in 2016? Doubtful. Think...
Combine a 150-year-old invention (the automobile) with a fast-growing, emerging technology (driverless cars), and you have a recipe for reducing accidents, taking reckless drunk drivers off the roads, easing congestion, and lowering demand for large, resource-intensive vehicles. But occasionally, that progress seems slow. Literally. Take Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOGL) autonomous car development, for example. The company...
As Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes the world’s movie theaters by storm, U.S. utilities, the Public Utility Commissions that govern them, and solar energy companies are increasingly fighting to control one particular star – our sun. Last year I wrote about a movement by a government-owned utility in Arizona to effectively kill the rooftop...