Avoiding the plummeting death spiral

As a frequent flyer I am able to observe and experience the many variations between airlines with regard to the use of electronic devices on board aircraft. I’m not sure who makes up the rules because each airline seems to quote a different authority, depending on...

Facebook fast becoming first 'unsocial' network

What happens when you hold a referendum and 87 per cent of voters reject the motion? If you were a government, or even a normal corporation, the motion would not be carried – but it seems that if you’re Facebook you can just ignore your members and do whatever you...

Pontiff 'pontwittercating'

It has been announced that Pope Benedict XVI has begun posting messages on Twitter under the handle @pontifex, a term for the pope that means “bridge builder” in Latin. The one man on earth with a purported direct line to God now has a direct line to his flock as...

The digital services balancing act

I wrote in a previous column, “Telcos at the crossroads”, that the telecom industry is reaching a junction where a direction has to be taken and that decision could be critical to its survival. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the move into digital services...