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CES flu?
It appears the must-have
item at CES this year is antibacterial hand wash, as a preventative to "CES
Flu".
This is a new one on a most of us but increasing numbers of people are claiming to have fallen foul of the terrible affliction. The theory goes that sick days in technology companies in the second and third week of January rocket, because everyone's been shaking hands with thousands of strangers for a few days at the show.
Jeff Sandquist at Microsoft swears it exists, message boards warn of it and someone thinks he gets it even after missing the show.
To be honest I'm not sure wiping your hands occasionally is really going to help much. After all, think of the process.
You cram onto flights breathing heavily recycled air, endure days of close proximity, getting tired, stressed, drinking more and eating worse food than at most other times of the year – Sleuth family get-togethers not withstanding.
It's an epidemiologist's nightmare and a moist hand wipe just isn't going to cut the mustard.
The jury's out on the existence or non-existence of the flu. Personally I think it's a great story; everyone knows of a computer company that lost 100 staff but no-one knows the name which is classic urban myth. But a good enough excuse for a fire-breathing boss? I have my doubts.
Spanish
Dear Silicon Valley Sleuth:
Included is the "correct response" to the CES flu, the first edition of my newsletter "valleylist" a weekly newsletter and guide to high tech products companies and consumers. The most important things are yet to come however a weekly is a good idea, what do you and the other "sleuths" think ? Is is worth a mention yet
Regards,
Gregory S. McKenna
Publisher valleylist
2910 Stevens Creek Blvd., #109-503
San Jose, CA 95128
408-649-1614
g_mcpaul@yahoo.com
valleylist Monday 1.7.2008
high tech products, companies and consumers
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My only reason for spending a year in silicon valley instead of the elusive Year in Provence is that I am certainly either going to develop the most outstanding new high-tech product of the year or land the ultimate high paying high tech consulting assignment. A year later it is endless chaos, endless low-paying jobs and only a dfew very good new product ideads going nowhere. Hence, in between time , research becomes crib notes that could possibly be a newsletter or newsgroup called "valleylist" in deference to the many services that reference silicon valley or the silicon gulch or other CPU-specific references to high-tech in the S.F. bay area. The city of San Jose claims to be the capital of high tech, a few blocks past City Hall there is not a thing except urban blight and a light rail to downtown Milpitas where SUN is located. Oracle is out there in Redwood City . Apple the big surprise leader again this year is out there in Cupertino . Why travel to Redwood Washington for Microsoft products when you can order almost all of it online and never leave the comfort of your office, until after 5:00pm that is. E-Bay with the massive discounted on-line auction service of course headquartered in San Jose may perhaps be the best indication that the location is indeed the message because that's how the generalized job search in San Jose feels to a lot of people, and if not E-Bay, then it's other low tech companies of the 21st century, also new low end not quite ghetto like business organizations. Most baffling are the endless CISCO campuses that extend everywhere approaching the San Jose Santa Clara border that do not have anybody ever in spite of the obvious need to list all kinds of new employment opportunities on all the employment boards. Consumer products coming out of the valleylist geographic scope are difficult to pin down even though the are all available through the internet. I contacted a bunch of people, including the infamous commrades of the LInkedIn group on how to map out the valleylist area specifically in regards to high tech products and consumers and the compaines and people who handle those products and since the answer was nil I found myself soliciting help from past associates at Apple about where in the heck is the highly sought after geocode for valleylist in the silicon valley area only to receive the usual "on vacation reply" indicating that something other than business was afoot. Suggestions welcome. The mapping services know the answer. Next week my brand new valleylist website service design document. In the meantime send ideas, suggestions, press releases to valleylist@yahoo.com. Money, proposals, letters, jointventure proposals, etc... need to be received ASAP at my p.o. box. Most needed for this startup is a decent laptop, fully equipped wi-fi ready. Nobody has seen anything like trying to find silicon valley starting with San Jose . valleylist is the correct response.
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online edition http://www.geocities.com/g_mcpaul/index.html
Posted by: g_mcpaul | January 9, 2008 8:28 PM
I'll vouch for this one. Less than 36 hours back from the show and I can already feel a nasty cold coming on.
As if the three-hour keynote wait lines and shuttle gridlock weren't enough, they send you home with a virus too.
Posted by: Shaun | January 10, 2008 6:20 PM