Hashemian Blog

Web Tools, Financial Markets, Technology

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Oracle and Bing

Oracle has already bagged the U.S. regulatory approval to acquire Sun. If the Europeans go along as well, Sun will become a part of Oracle by September. That means Oracle will also own Java, the popular open source programming language used widely on the Web.

Today while installing a Java upgrade I was presented with an option to install the Bing toolbar. As you know Bing is the much hyped search engine by Microsoft. As you also know, Oracle and Microsoft are rivals in several industries, the biggest one being the database industry. That will just get bigger when Oracle takes control of MySQL (also owned by Sun.)

I wonder if Java users will still be given the Bing option after Oracle acquires Sun. Then again Sun and Microsoft were themselves pretty big rivals until a few years ago. Passage of time makes strange bedfellows.

bing,java,microsoft,sun,oracle,mysql
Labels: business, Microsoft
<Oracle and Bing>

// posted by rh

0 comments

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Circuit City Goodbye

Last week, walking by a Circuit City store at lunch time, I noticed a few people out on the street holding liquidation signs. Tempted, I went inside the store and took a look around the near-empty and dark store with few remaining items collected in the front of store. There were slim pickings and but I left with a new Batman, The Dark Knight DVD and Saliva's Every Six Seconds CD for about $6.

I suppose getting these items at such a bargain price should have given me a good feeling but the truth is that the experience was a depressing one. Circuit City wasn't exactly the kind of store I would shop at but I remember the times when the stores were vibrant and thriving. There were lots of merchandise on the shelves with shoppers zigzagging the isles and talking to the many associates.

Today Circuit City shuttered its doors for the last time, joining the other bygone stores like CompUSA and Nobody Beats The Wiz. I couldn't help but feel a bit of guilt over the demise of this business, the throngs of people who have lost their jobs as a result, and the neighborhoods blighted by yet another failed store.

In a way the failure of Circuit City is emblematic of the ailing economy as a whole. Whatever satisfaction I might have felt for getting a bargain, quickly turned into an empty and hopeless feeling that the fabric of our economy is fast unraveling under the weight of the economic crisis. I realize that we can't wish the bad times away, but I don't want any more liquidation sales and bankruptcy-driven bargains. I want to walk into a store and see it buzzing with shoppers. Christmas and independence-day sales are just fine with me.

circuit city,bankruptcy,economy
Labels: business, financial
<Circuit City Goodbye>

// posted by rh

0 comments

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Certified U.S. Based Technicians

Here is an interesting banner ad from AT&T I saw tonight while browsing a news site. I'm not sure what the certification process for U.S. based technicians is, but the ad addresses the angst Americans have had dealing with representatives with thick accents, unfriendly attitudes, or low qualifications.

Personally, my experience with foreign agents hasn't been too calamitous. Most have been helpful, and relatively articulate. But I must admit that for those times when I need critical and immediate help, there is no substitute for state-side assistance.

Being an Iranian expat, I know something about foreign cultures and I can say that with some exceptions, U.S. companies offer some of the best customer service around. Not to disparage Iran, but over there you have a snow ball's chance in hell of getting prompt and courteous customer service, unless you're personally known to be a lucrative and loyal customer. It’s the reality of that culture.

And the reality in the U.S. is that customers expect and rightfully deserve to be coddled. I think it's a smart move for AT&T to highlight their state-side operations in their campaigns. If I were shopping around for such a service, I would surely take that into consideration.

tech support,call center,call center agents,at&t
Labels: business, technology
<Certified U.S. Based Technicians>

// posted by rh

0 comments

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Energy Policy? Daylight-Saving Time (DST)

Here we go again. As if this whole idea of daylight-saving time (DST) wasn't bad enough, this year the US has decided to tweak the time-shift and spring forward 3 weeks in advance. I received an email from one of our vendors a few days ago regarding the change and this was a part of it:
On August 8, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. Beginning in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress. Congress retains the right to resume the 2005 Daylight Saving Time schedule once the Department of Energy study is complete.
What kind of moronic "Energy Policy" is that? Someone's ought to tell these people in charge that wasting time with a stupid idea is not a good use of our tax dollars. Those dollars can be used for better ideas than just fiddling with a bad idea.

I wrote about this 2 years ago and I grumble about it every year. Some may say, why waist time complaining, or just do as you're told like the rest of the people, herd mentality. Here we are, in a democracy, and we're expected to follow a lame idea like sheep in a herd. Only those with narrow intellectual capacities would buy the energy conservation claims. There has been no credible evidence linking energy conservation with DST. Even if there are miniscule savings, they can never outweigh the negative effects, namely the so called mini Y2K issue that many people have been busy averting. The mini Y2K refers to the problem of computers losing and gaining one hour during these time changes. A lot of time and resources have gone into making sure that critical systems are not adversely affected because of this latest change. What a waste.

In my view, the real answer behind the DST is the same answer behind just about any other question, money. I've always known that the DST had little to do with saving energy and more to do with profits. Maybe kicking people out of bed earlier and having them outside for longer hours translates into more opportunity for spending. It could also mean more hours of work for employees, many of whom will see little compensation for the additional work. Always follow the money, it'll lead to the truth.

So while you're yawning in your car driving to work on Monday with bloodshot eyes, consider that fact that you (and I) are nothing but sheep in a big herd driven by the big business and their insatiable quench for more money. And the guard dogs? Politicians, of course.
dst,daylight saving time,politicians,business,money,mini y2k
Labels: business, business-finance, money, politics
<Energy Policy? Daylight-Saving Time (DST)>

// posted by rh

1 comments

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Company Meetings

I hate company meetings. I understand that sometimes they are necessary evils and on occasion they are useful, but generally I've found them to be a waste of time. That was my feeling when I worked at one of the largest companies in the world and today, working for a small company, I am just a contemptuous towards meetings.

It's not that I have disrespect for my colleagues or my superiors. One problem is that I have a short attention span and if I don’t feel a vibe within five minutes into the meeting, my mind starts to wonder. One time I was berated by my boss at that large company for doodling during a meeting. I told him that it actually helped me concentrate. When he pushed, I stopped the Picasso artwork and transferred the work to my mind. My thoughts drifted to a programming project I was working on with occasional excursions to food, women, work out, and even old Star Trek episodes.

I've had some good meetings too where I was laser focused. Those were generally held with my counterparts like programmers, system admins, and network engineers. You know, the types of people that I can actually learn something from and there's an educational and productive discourse.

This is not to say that I don’t feel guilty about my attitude. I have often viewed other people in meetings with envy and wonder. How could they possibly hold their focus during these boring meetings? But then along the way something wonderful happened that finally helped to relieve my guilt, at least partially. It was a validation of sorts to observe that most people in meetings weren't as focused as they appeared to be.

The next time you're in your company's meeting take a look around at the participants. You will hear mouse clicks and keyboard taps on open laptops and slumped heads focused on Blackberries and Treos conveniently hidden under the mahogany table being frantically scrolled and thumbed, a phenomenon known as "chipmunking". Yeah sure, these guys are really paying attention. Even the argument that they're working during the meeting (multi-tasking) is a weak one at best. Why bother to come to a meeting, when there's urgent work to be done? Wouldn’t they be more productive at their desks where they don't have to fake interest in the topic being discussed?

Certainly I am not the only one complaining about this. Here's an article in a recent issue of CIO magazine I stumbled upon bemoaning the same issue. Then again, I'm not really complaining. In fact, I am hoping that recognizing the dubious value of frequent meetings, companies cut back on the frivolous gatherings, leaving only the necessary and productive ones. It would also help if aviation rules of take-off were fully enforced, requiring all participants to leave their devices in the off position during the meeting.
meetings,blackberry,palm,treo,laptops,notebooks
Labels: business, computers
<Company Meetings>

// posted by rh

1 comments

Links

Technorati Profile

TMCnet.com

Hashemian Blog

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Oracle and Bing

0 comments showOdiogoReadNowButton (_odiogo_feed_id, " Oracle and Bing</BlogItemTitle>", "8935727056113665048", 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (_odiogo_feed_id, "8935727056113665048", 290, 0);

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Circuit City Goodbye

0 comments showOdiogoReadNowButton (_odiogo_feed_id, " Circuit City Goodbye</BlogItemTitle>", "1465391201114002136", 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (_odiogo_feed_id, "1465391201114002136", 290, 0);

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Certified U.S. Based Technicians

0 comments showOdiogoReadNowButton (_odiogo_feed_id, " Certified U.S. Based Technicians</BlogItemTitle>", "3811665587707615455", 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (_odiogo_feed_id, "3811665587707615455", 290, 0);

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Energy Policy? Daylight-Saving Time (DST)

1 comments showOdiogoReadNowButton (_odiogo_feed_id, " Energy Policy? Daylight-Saving Time (DST)</BlogItemTitle>", "8330291818568812491", 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (_odiogo_feed_id, "8330291818568812491", 290, 0);

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Company Meetings

1 comments showOdiogoReadNowButton (_odiogo_feed_id, " Company Meetings</BlogItemTitle>", "6512523996648906322", 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (_odiogo_feed_id, "6512523996648906322", 290, 0);

Links

ARCHIVES

0 comments

0 comments

0 comments

1 comments

1 comments