Archive for May, 2007
Freakonomics
In an eye-opening talk — presented before the publication of Freakonomics — Steven Levitt presents one of the book’s more fascinating analyses. Sifting data collected through first-person interviews with a Chicago drug gang, he shows that drug dealing is not at all a quick route to riches. And yes, a drug gang does have a [...]
Simplicity Sells
New York Times technology columnist David Pogue opens his talk with a rousing musical number about the trials of customer support, then launches into some sharp commentary on “The Software Upgrade Paradox” (“Improve a piece of software enough times, you eventually ruin it”). Next he takes on the worst interface design offenders, the causes of [...]
There’s Innovation Ahead
The dot-com boom-and-bust is often compared to the 1849 Gold Rush, and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos offers historical evidence showing how similar they were: from the riches made by pioneers to the media hype that attracted luckless speculators. But a better analogy can be found in the early days of the electric industry, he says. [...]
