Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:24:35 -0400

Interesting, if irrelevant analysis. In a way, both the economists and the host cities are correct, depending on how a person looks at the overall economic impact over a period of years. Regardless, people spend however much they'll spend and revenue will be whatever it will be. I certainly hope these economic models aren't projections of income that host cities already have spent before the game even starts - that's just bad fiscal management.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:42:44 -0400

Very interesting way to test out a green initiative, but what I find even more fascinating about this experiment is how well it defines what is really trash. In a way, I think this points to the future of waste management because it shows basically that "trash" is actually 2 types of waste - organic and inorganic. Organic waste is the easy one since it can essentially be tossed onto a compost screen and converted into either fertilizer or fuel.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:55:58 -0400

Usually when I read pieces like this, I'm underwhelmed by the attempt to describe a business model in terms of innovation and the new world order, but there really is some great substance here. Specifically, talking about trademarks as being an old way of thinking, which is very company-centric, really does seem like a dated practice.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:23:19 -0400

On the whole I'm a big proponent of the open-source movement, but I believe this article overstates its importance somewhat. It's true that many great applications, even including some that are used by business and consumers, are completely open source, but the vast majority of software is necessarily commercial. This is mostly because end users can be an inquisitive and impatient bunch and therefore usually require dedicated service and support to be able to use their software at all.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:48:40 -0400

In marketing terms, this is all rather fascinating and certainly innovative, but I'm afraid I instantly dislike the 2 founders since they were responsible for the 2 "innovations" (the teaser rate and balance transfer)that make credit cards appear friendlier than they really are. Since this was published, there have been countless stories about how those "innovations" get people in serious debt. Forward thinking, perhaps, but not for the greatest of goals.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:18:41 -0400

Its very true that photo blankets make great gifts and that many people adore them. In an age where so many gift products are available, it's important to personalize them so they stand out and are memorable.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:32:49 -0400

It's very encouraging for the average health care consumer when private industry tries to reform itself instead of waiting for a government mandate. In this case, it sounds like Geisinger is on the right track, except a lot more cost reduction has to be pursued or nobody will be able to afford it because the cost is so close to normal (which is outrageous without exception). If they could additionally expand into specialties, such as sleep medicine, obstetrics, and even mental health they'd be in a much better position to lower actual patient costs.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:22:19 -0400

As much as all this efficiency-oriented innovation is welcome, it's also long overdue. Frankly, I'm surprised UPS wasn't one of the early adopters of GPS truck accessories since their business stands to benefit enormously from these kinds of changes. Obviously they've had their eye on the goal for some time now and made the effort do develop new tracking software, but when will this finally extend into using electric vehicles?

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:05:13 -0400

It's great to see one of the heaviest oil-dependent industries try to take some steps forward and plan for a greener, more sustainable future. Something obvious seems to have missed FedEx though - Their medium trucks (like the one pictured here) are some of the least aerodynamic out there, which makes a big difference in efficiency. At the least, they should add on a few truck accessories to help smooth out the sharp edges and cut down on wind drag.

Comment on Node ant

Eli Shapiro — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:46:36 -0400

Call me old fashioned, but I wouldn't want to work near a truck that relies on fancy computerized truck accessories to figure out where it's going. Peripherals have a way of breaking down and I definitely wouldn't want to be the guy standing in front of a rolling house when they decide they've had enough.

So is the technology worth 20 years of research? Maybe, but good luck to Caterpillar in finding anyone who's comfortable working around the prototype.