El Blog de Daniel Nantón

By reading this article in the webpaper New Intel Chip for Digital TV Could Remake the Market , it triggered my mind on what will happen down the road with our computers and appliances. Interesting article, where it shows again that Intel is starting probably another turn from their core business segment, and expanding onto the pure Consumer Electronics world. This could not only bring them a broader market, but hopefully help them create the long awaited, computers that work as well as a TV set. If this is not what happens, at least I think better monitors, and media will be created, since they already have investments in web TV broadcasting company feedroom.com, which has a very interesting approach at what TV will be. Meanwhile we wait for the transition to easier to use computers, I sure hope we don't get more complicated to operate consumer electronics. This thought comes from my many problems when using microwaves, it seems like there is no standard on how to ope...

Saddam is down, US fires up the economy, and hopefully Costa Rica tech sector will skyrocket in the next 6 months. I have been reading about the US economy, and all I see are good signs which I normally interpret as good signs to our country's economy as well. This is not only shown by the tourism hitting again our beaches, and other beautiful our country shares with the visitors, but also from the companies that have established here. The government is struggling with a chaotic telecommunications monopolies problem, and possibly with the helping hand of CAFTA the airwaves will be free to economic forces to dance. Christmas is almost here, and we may convert it into a green Christmas (no snow down here), which again is the standard color for things to go ahead. All and all, I see only good things coming our way, after all, life is what we want it to be, which really means "life is the way we want to perceive it". Until the next, let's all have a great ti...

When analyzing nationalism, many think protectionist (bad word). But if we apply it to Costa Rica, (proudly our country) it seems complicated due to our anti-nationalist culture which does not allow to appreciate our good things. We have always been bombarded with the idea that foreign = better quality, this is true sometimes, but not always. Costa Rican human talent has world class recognition. My conclusion is that we must center in quality recognition, independent from where or who it comes. I feel that it is as bad to not be nationalist as to be it excessively. Both of them disable each individual to self evaluate their true potential, which is very needed to deploy ideas, and allow economic growth, both individually as it's country. That is kind of the reason of which I think we are having a bit more trouble to startup our entrepreneurship driven economy. This is not easy to change, but for sure every person can make a difference. That is the only way. I am.

Oh boy, here I go again. If it wasn't enough, spending almost 4 years listening to angry customers, now I am in the customer side, even though I don't get angry, still my problems only grow bigger. I can picture myself behind the technicians I have been talking to, and I would automatically try to help a bit more the customer, basically to show that we are humans, but sadly I am not behind the tech. Well, at least I can now say that I have problems with 2 companies at once. UPS sent my computer to the repair facility, and in the process destroyed it. So Averatec is now giving me some options, 1. Do nothing and received pieces of a computer, with a smile on my face, 2. Pay for the damage I did not create, which by the way is even more expensive than the new computer's cost, 3. Call UPS and file a claim. Of course, the last part is the one I am doing, but interestingly UPS says they will only accept a call from the people that received the package, which is not me...

Is computing the "MAC WAY" the right way for a company to go? I have always tried to understand why the computer industry has changed so many times from one way of doing things onto a different one. Going a bit back into history, Mac and IBM both started onto a niche segment, trying to tie up everything related to their machines, although enabled by a cheaper chip design. This all of sudden changed, and no longer is either IBM the standard nor is Mac. The major difference is standardization ruled the way, and even though IBM tried to adopt to that side, it never gained the advantage it always had on the upscale server market. On the other hand, Mac has always stayed at the non-standardized end, and although almost gone broke a couple of times, it's still alive. My question is, will the non-standardized be the possible way onto a mature industry, such as computers? This question aroused when comparing in my mind the palm business model, to the pocket PC. Even...

Interesting difference between the Costarrican culture and the American, is that although both have an emphasis in consumerism, they do it differently. In Costa Rica, when high season as Christmas comes, it will be very unlikely to see any product to go on sale, or special, or have its price lowered. This is the opposite in the US culture, where people are lured to buy things by getting it even easier. Does this mean that we are wrong in our commercial policy, or is it mainly that we are different?

The thought of the moment: "Be sure to move towards the good, so that good things start happening"