Category Archives: Technology

CEI Podcast for May 24, 2012: Driverless Cars

Posted on May 24, 2012 | Leave a comment


Have a listen here.

Driverless cars are a new technology that could revolutionize the way we think about transportation. A prototype driverless car made by Google recently made the rounds in Washington, DC, and Land-use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner got to take a ride. He shares his experience, talks about the potential benefits for road safety and congestion, and the regulatory hurdles that driverless cars must clear before they can enter the marketplace.

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Posted in CEI Podcast, Technology

CEI Podcast for April 26, 2012: CISPA

Posted on April 26, 2012 | Leave a comment


Have a listen here.

After a public uproar over privacy concerns killed the SOPA and PIPA bills, Congress is back with the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011, or CISPA. Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia goes over CISPA’s own privacy problems, and discusses the bill’s political prospects.

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Posted in CEI Podcast, Technology

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IBD’s Take on the Apple E-Book Lawsuit

Posted on April 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

I am quoted in an otherwise-excellent writeup on the Apple e-book case in Investor’s Business Daily.

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Posted in Antitrust, Economics, Media Appearances, Technology

CEI Podcast for April 12, 2012: Apple, E-Books, and Antitrust

Posted on April 12, 2012 | Leave a comment


Have a listen here.

Yesterday the Justice Department sued Apple and five major publishers over their e-book pricing model, alleging price fixing. Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia thinks the lawsuit is a mistake, and should be dropped.

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Posted in Antitrust, CEI Podcast, Economics, Technology

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Modernity is Amazing

Posted on April 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Saroo Brierly was a poor child in India. While out begging with his brother, he fell asleep on a train and woke up 900 miles away from home. After some close calls, he found his way to an orphanage and was adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty five years later, he is now a successful businessman. But he always wondered where he came from, and how his family was doing. He couldn’t even remember his village’s name.

In any other point history, that probably would have remained a mystery for the rest of his life. But with the help of Google Earth and Facebook, he was able to locate his hometown and reunite with his family. We truly live in wonderful times.

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Posted in Technology

CEI Podcast for March 22, 2012: Human Achievement Hour

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment


Have a listen here.

From 8:30 to 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 31, buildings in major cities around the world will go dark in observance of Earth Hour. The point is to show that modernity and the environment are incompatible. At the same time as Earth Hour, millions of people will leave their lights on to celebrate Human Achievement Hour. Michelle Minton, CEI’s Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies and also the founder of Human Achievement Hour, explains.

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Posted in CEI Podcast, Technology, The New Religion

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Philosoraptor’s Wisdom

Posted on January 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Good question.

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Posted in Technology

Siri and Modernity’s Iron Laws

Posted on December 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’m fond of saying that the two iron laws of modernity are 1) things are getting better, and 2) people think they’re getting worse.

One more piece of evidence that these laws hold: this article complaining about Siri. Siri is a voice-activated program that comes with new iPhones. Users can ask their phone where, say, the nearest Thai restaurant is. Just say it out loud. No typing. In seconds, Siri gives out a dozen options, with maps, directions, and even menus.

It’s an amazing piece of technology, and it will only improve in the coming years. And this guy grouses that Siri “won’t tell me how much battery life is left, or turn my Wi-Fi antenna on or off.” What an astonishing mindset. It is disheartening that when faced with such cool innovations, people invariably find ways to complain about them.

On the other hand, if consumers weren’t such harsh sovereigns, many of today’s innovations might never happen in the first place. Modernity’s second iron law — people think things are getting worse — is a double-edged sword.

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Posted in Technology

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Google’s Antitrust Troubles

Posted on September 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

Holman Jenkins sums it up:

Google will be accused of having a “monopoly” on search, though its market share is only 65%, and it charges consumers nothing for its services.

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Posted in Antitrust, Economics, Technology

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CEI Podcast for September 1, 2011: The Blocked AT&T-T-Mobile Merger

Posted on September 1, 2011 | Leave a comment

Have a listen here.

The Department of Justice sued this week to stop the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile merger. Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia thinks this is a mistake. The evidence that the merger would make the wireless market less competitive is unconvincing. Nobody knows if the merger will succeed or not. Either way, consumer harm is unlikely.

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Posted in Antitrust, CEI Podcast, Economics, Technology

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