John Taschek

Take this with a grain of salt. Im by no means a usability expert. When it comes to computer interfaces, Im not looking for the easiest way of getting something done. Im looking for the fastest way. And yet, Im writing about the usability of Windows XP, with Microsoft saying XP refers to the “experience.” […]

Magically, it appears that nearly every company has become an infrastructure company. This is odd because it seems that it was only yesterday that having infrastructure in your business plan got you booted out of the venture capitalists offices. “Scat!” theyd say. “Youre too technical for our money.” There are still noninfrastructure companies around, and […]

With Napster barely alive (but going down with a lot more respect than Metallica), the peer-to-peer frenzy has kicked off, with new companies looking to supplant the unfortunate music-stealing service and do what it did, albeit more righteously. Most, although not all, of the new P2P companies are staying away from music thievery. Theyll all […]

At Demo, the annual shindig for new and potentially noteworthy companies and technologies, most vendors were more concerned about simply getting their products to work than about announcing themselves. For the most part, they succeeded. Slam Dunk Networks Inc., for example, demonstrated its new business-to-business transaction software. The 3-year-old company wants to be the FedEx […]

In just one week, severe damage may have been inflicted on our personal privacy—or at least on our privacy on public and private networks. First, it has been widely reported that a database containing information on world leaders who attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was hacked and that personal information was compromised. […]

Oh, that wacky wireless world. Wireless carriers cant figure out the right way to put ads on the wireless network without angering their customers. They should stop trying. Last month, advertisers, carriers and service providers met to see why consumers in the United States resist ads. They concluded that more technology was needed to provide […]

Scientists have been studying road traffic patterns for years, yielding absolutely no discernible results. Now, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, scientists are working on a “unified” theory of traffic, an idea I fully support, even if the randomness of the world makes such theories implausible. Alas, theres no unified theory of Internet traffic, but […]

I pity companies that make real products that solve real problems. Theyll never be able to compete with the fantasies and myths of todays computer industry. After all, what else could explain the tremendous hype over Ginger, something that no one knows anything about, by an inventor whose best work was in the medical field? […]

It seems as if only a few years ago, employees were being called the key asset of most corporations. I suppose that was just the bosses attempt to persuade worker bees to stay around a while longer and work for less money. What a failure that was—now no one stays around, everyone gets paid too […]

Its gotten so gloomy around silicon valley that even I, usually full of mirth, am starting to get depressed. Even the road ragers look melancholy as they cut off unsuspecting tourists. Boohoo. This case of manic despair has been incubating for months, and its hard to feel sorry for anyone. Theres a way to relieve […]