Stephen Fleming's blog about academia, venture capital, and spaceships
So this article is making the news today: Researchers find backdoor on ZTE Android phones The summary is that "Two mobile phones, developed by Chinese telecommunications device manufacturer ZTE, have been found to carry a hidden backdoor, which can be used to instantly gain root access with a password, that has been hard-coded into the … [Read more...]
I got into a Facebook debate last night with some very smart, well-informed, and well-meaning individuals... but I think they are completely wrong. The trigger event was the FDA voting to remove certain formulations of painkillers from the pharmacy. Here's the link: http://t.co/19CmGb4y. I understand liver failure due to acetaminophen … [Read more...]
So it appears that a group of billionaires are going to announce the first asteroid mining company tomorrow. (You don't need me to repeat the news here. Visit http://planetaryresources.com and follow their Twitter account @PlanetaryRsrcs.) Buried deep in this site, you might stumble across a Letter to the Editor that the Washington Post … [Read more...]
It surprises people that, as a well-assimilated Apple fanboy, I didn't buy the first generation iPhone. I was in the store on launch day, I had one in my hand, my credit card was burning a hole in my pocket... and I left without one. I used my Treo for nearly another year until the 2nd generation iPhone (confusingly named 3G) was released. I wasn't … [Read more...]
On a beautiful spring day last week, I was lucky enough to meet Micky Bly, a 1990 Georgia Tech BSME graduate, and the man in charge of the Chevy Volt. His General Motors business card reads, somewhat splendiferously, "Group Global Executive Director, Global Electrical Systems, Infotainment, and Electrification." … [Read more...]
After my post on the JOBS Act last night, I got an email from a friend with a good question. As I composed an answer, I realized it might be of general interest, so I'm putting it here. … [Read more...]
I was asked to write "a few sentences" about the JOBS Act for another website. Since I found myself with over 500 words, I decided to post it here. In today's political climate, it's hard to believe that a major bipartisan reform has passed both houses of Congress and -- as I type this on Wednesday night -- is scheduled to be signed by the … [Read more...]
I'd read all the news stories about NHTSA-induced fires, laughed at all the jokes, and watched Newt Gingrich claim that "You can't put a gun rack in a Chevy Volt." (Wrong.) But I also read "Car Guys vs. Bean Counters" by Bob Lutz, who knows more about the automobile business than anyone alive... and who proudly declares himself to be the father … [Read more...]
Yesterday, I got to meet Doug Osheroff, Nobel Prize winner in Physics. At the reception before his lecture at Georgia Tech, I got to shake his hand and say "I'm glad to meet you. In 1981, you changed my life." You have to admit, it is a good way to hook someone into a conversation! … [Read more...]
During January, the first class of Flashpoint graduates pitched their businesses at three events in Atlanta, New York City, and Menlo Park, California. I've written about Flashpoint before, but I find that a lot of EI2 employees still ask "So does Flashpoint compete with ATDC? Is it replacing VentureLab?" Now that we've seen our first results, it's … [Read more...]
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