Jordan was very surprising to me. It was more developed than I thought and I didn’t even get to the north and Amman. The population is very well-educated. English is taught in most schools. The people are very welcoming. Even when people knew I was Jewish and that I was staying in Israel, they were still very friendly.
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Latest Entries
It’s not big brother that should worry you, it’s little brother, the spy in your pocket.
In 1949, George Orwell wrote a book called 1984. I probably read it when I was about ten years old, in 1955. Then, 1984 seemed like a long time in the future. So it was interesting that Apple used this concept for it’s famous 1984 Macintosh SuperBowl ad. The concept of 1984 was that a totalitarian government was spying on all its citizens. It was busy developing “double talk” and had journalists whose job it was to rewrite history. Big Brother was not just a TV show. It was a term for the leading political boss (think Putin). If you have not read it you should, especially these days. So I find it ironic, to use the term “Big Brother” when talking about Apple Computer. Continue reading
There would be no Israel if it were not for European anti-semitism and British Self Interest
It took a lot of effort to understand the recent history of the area we now call Israel and Palestine and then to figure out how I personally felt about what I learned. Please take the time to read this post through. Continue reading
Why Mark Penn is the best person to lead Microsoft’s strategy
At first when I read that Mark Penn would become responsible for strategy at Microsoft, I though this was crazy. I don’t know Mark Penn but I understand that he is brilliant if not a bit strange. But what would a 60 year old political advisor that lives in Washington DC have to offer a technology company like Microsoft especially one that disparately needs to major strategic choices driven by changes in technology and customer behavior.
Then I realized that he was the perfect person. It is all about politics. Continue reading
Israel and Palestine, the most difficult post(s) I have ever written
This is one of the most difficult blog posts I have ever written. In fact, I have decided to make it a series of posts. The situation here is so complex that it makes my mind explode. I am used to writing about things I understand well, but frankly, I am not sure it is possible to understand this situation. That is beyond my and perhaps anyones capabilities. It it is just my attempt to try to make sense out of what I am experiencing. If you think I am confused, you are right. I also imagine that there are those on both sides of the conflict that will be angered by my comments. Continue reading
More than 90 minutes of Avram TV
I gave an almost two hour oral history for the Computer History Museum. It was fun. Then they sent me the transcript to edit. Not only was that not fun but it was awful. When I saw the video, I was pretty much pleased. But reading the transcript put me into a major depression. Clearly, our brains are very forgiving when we hear speech but not when we read it.
Then I found out the the museum would post the transcript but probably not the video. Evidently, there are some practical issues about posting video. I won’t go into that here because I do not know how much of what I have been told is confidential. The museum which I have supported in many ways including donations is doing its best I believe.
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Why it makes sense to pay $16 billion for What’s App
Facebook pays $16 billion for What’s App and I think this actually makes sense for FB even at this amazing price. Most of it will be paid in FB funny money. That is, it is paid in stock which they will just create out of thin air just like the US Federal Bank creates money. Maybe Ben Bernanke is advising Facebook. Continue reading
Mixed emotions about the potential acquisition of Time Warner Cable by Comcast
So I while I am proud that my old friends at Comcast have done so well, I will be disappointed if Comcast ends up with the Time Warner Cable business. I would have preferred that Google, Apple, Microsoft or even Intel would have bought it. Then the model could be changed because they would aggressively adopt new forms of content programing and commerce Continue reading
The I-Pad and the Information Furnace-1994
Gizmodo recently posted about an Associate Press article that ran in June 1994 in which I describe a number of things including the Information Furnace and the I-Pad. This post has been moving around in the world of iPad blogs and there are a number of comments. Rather than reply to them on the various blogs, I thought I would do that here and link to my post on a few of those blogs.
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The Microsoft CEO Transition and the NBA
The succession of a CEO is one of the most important events in a corporation and unfortunately, it is often a step downward, in Microsoft’s case, there is a not a lot of room to descend. Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 