November 2010
9 posts
2 tags
Do you *really* use all those mobile apps?
Robert Scoble writes: I have [downloaded] 359 apps on my iPhone… So, I’ve switched to searching for apps. Need Instagram? I swipe to the left, to get to Apple’s search screen. Then I start typing “I..N..S..T” by the time I get to the fifth character, or usually sooner, the app comes up and I can click on it and use it. … So, I search for apps by name and what they do. Typing...
Nov 23rd
2 tags
Was Apple coerced into heavily marketing the...
Yesterday was a day that EMI will never forget. All 17 Beatles albums found themselves in iTunes coveted Top 50 list less than 12 hours after first appearing in the iTunes Store. The Beatles’ digital launch was a stunning success, but this all of this comes as no surprise. Apple heavily marketed the launch. The fact is, Apple’s internal PR firm is far superior to that of any record company. ...
Nov 18th
2 tags
Nov 16th
2 tags
“Failure is a matter of perspective.”
–  Jonathan Abrams, the founder and former CEO of the social networking website Friendster.
Nov 14th
2 tags
Nov 11th
2 tags
“Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to...”
– From “Tragedy of the Commons” by Garrett Hardin, 1968.
Nov 10th
2 tags
10 Things Economists Agree On →
Greg Mankiw puts things into perspective: Tariffs and import quotas usually reduce general economic welfare. (93%) Fiscal policy (e.g., tax cut and/or government expenditure increase) has a significant stimulative impact on a less than fully employed economy. (90%) The United States should not restrict employers from outsourcing work to foreign countries. (90%) Local and state governments...
Nov 4th
2 tags
The Swing Voter's Curse →
Oftentimes voters are placed in the precarious situation of whether to vote for or against an incumbent candidate. Jeff Webber applies some basic auction theory to show how such a situation should be handled: Your vote makes a difference only when it is pivotal.  Because if your vote only makes a difference when it breaks a tie (or makes a tie), then when it comes time to decide how to vote,...
Nov 3rd
2 tags
The Value of An MBA
(Cross-posted from my Posterous) Critics have long argued that the limited utility one receives from a Master of Business Administration (MBA) does not warrant its total cost. However, having someone around with a sense for business often is useful. The question then becomes, must one receive an MBA to acquire a formidable sense for business? Several years back I hired a private coach to help me...
Nov 2nd