The Tech Opportunity in Toys

The $20 billion toy industry has faltered in recent years as children’s tastes and styles of play have changed. Toy spending has been widely seen as migrating to consumer electronics. Children are increasingly craving devices their parents want, many analysts say, like cellphones, digital cameras and portable digital music players, iPod being the best example of a beneficiary of this shift. Is there an opportunity for the tech sector innovators in this transition?

March of the Emperor

Last night, we saw “March of the Penguins”, a spectacular National Geographic documentary about the mating and breeding cycle of the emperor penguins, over the course of a grueling year, weathering the icy winter in Antarctica. A ritual that repeats itself every year, for thousands of years. It was a touching, moving, loving piece of

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Microsoft offers Home Work Help

Taking note of this daily homework battle, Microsoft has decided to help — or at least to see whether it can make some money by addressing the problem. The software colossus has just introduced Microsoft Student 2006, designed to make it easier for middle-school and high-school students to attack homework efficiently by gathering homework resources in one place on the computer.

Twenty-First Century’s Best Venture

Twenty-First Century’s best venture is the Harry Potter franchise. Starting with a great set of thrilling stories, J.K. Rowling’s marvelous boy-hero has started off a whole generation of youngsters on paths of reading, courage, friendship, adventure, and Rowling herself, on a path of great riches. Traditionally, Venture Capitalists did not finance content plays. But if you look at the numbers, one begins to wonder whether or not they should start … books, music, films, toys, games …

Collin Powell & the Roadmap for John Doerr’s political career

Perhaps, continued hob-nobbing with the political stalwarts also starts to position John Doerr for a Cabinet level role in the not-so-distant future, especially in the Education realm!

Professor Calculus triggers an LBO?

Need Help With Calculus? Tutors Coach U.S. Students Online — From India is an article from the Wall Street Journal. Tanu Basu lives in Boston, but when she wants extra coaching in math, the 16-year-old American gets online and spends an hour reviewing calculus with an Indian teacher who is based in a suburb of

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Rage of the tortured child

That tiny ember of rage flared bright and on dry regrets caught hold.

Batman Begins

I had posed a question: “What does it take to raise a high performance child?” in Einstein’s Mother. Batman Begins answers some portions of that question, and qualifies surprisingly well, as a successful Edutainment product that resonates with the Affluenza crowd. A review by Roger Ebert highlights the storyline and the human aspect. To me,

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