The War Against Cold Fusion What's really behind it? Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, May 17, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1999/05/17/coldfusion2.DTL Two months ago, I reported that Dr. Michael McKubre, an electrochemist at Menlo Park-based SRI, was, like other researchers, generating unaccounted-for heat in a carefully-controlled cold fusion experiment. McKubre presented his findings at the...
Oh Holy Net Does the Hand of God Know HTML? Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Wednesday, April 28, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/04/28/holynet.dtl Recently, while driving through downtown Cairo, our tour guide, Mohammed, turned to me in surprise. "You're Jewish?" he asked, "I've always wondered something: do Jewish people think Jesus was a God, or...
Love Bytes Will the Net flatten Maslow's pyramid? Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, April 12, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/04/12/love.dtl You remember Maslow. He was the noted psychologist who suggested in 1954 that people develop in a predictable way: serving our physiological requirements first, like food and shelter, before concentrating on higher order needs like...
Killing the Rainmakers The dying art of high-tech public relations Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, March 29, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/03/29/pr.dtl Faced with shrinking profit margins and more competition despite strong sales, high-tech executives are cutting costs. And often, that means decimating corporate PR budgets. The problem is these cost-cutting high-tech executives are eating...
Power To The People The return of cold fusion Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, March 15, 1999 Read the original article here. Cold fusion is back. On Friday, March 26, 1999, the director of Menlo Park-based SRI International's Energy Research Center, Dr. Michael McKubre, will present the results of SRI's 10-year, $6 million-dollar...
Biotech Rules Part II: Science, Serendipity, and The Web Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Tuesday, March 2, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/03/02/biotech2.dtl Thanks to a deluge of recent optimistic press reports, expectations for the biotech industry have reached a fever pitch. But will we, in our lifetime, really see the kinds of revolutionary biotech advances...
Biotech Rules Part I: Anyone Wanna Buy a Cure for Cancer? Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Tuesday, February 16, 1999 URL: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Biotech-Rules-Part-I-Anyone-Wanna-Buy-a-Cure-2946789.php I've got my fingers crossed for Dr. Judah Folkman, the Boston researcher who captured world attention in 1997 when his anti-cancer drugs made tumors shrink in mice. To his credit, Dr. Folkman...
Online Government Bringing the Public Sector up to Speed Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, February 1, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/02/01/govsites.dtl Recently, I visited the FCC website to look for a public document filed late last year by Telmex, Mexico's telecommunications monopoly. At the site, I found nice pictures of the FCC's chairman and...
Speed Kills How PacBell's New DSL Service Trips Up the Competition Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, January 18, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/01/18/dsl.dtl Pacific Bell's recent announcement that it is increasing the availability and slashing the price of its DSL service is both great and horrible news. First, the good stuff: in exchange for a...
Net Unemployment Will the Internet Put You Out of Work? Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, January 4, 1999 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/technology/archive/1999/01/04/unemployment.dtl In March, Palo Alto's landmark bookstore, Printers, Inc. will shut its doors for good. The owners cite competition from online vendors like Amazon.com as a primary reason for the store's demise. Similar closures...
Time for a Silver Bullet How To Make Tech Companies Do The Right Thing Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Tuesday, December 22, 1998 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/12/22/silverbullet.DTL Recently, at my request, Silicon Valley Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's press secretary, Tracy Warren, sent me a list of the most significant digital communications policy issues facing Congress and...
The Socket Wars How Intel is giving R&D a bad name Hal Plotkin, Special to SF Gate Monday, December 7, 1998 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/12/07/socket.DTL Years ago, most "research and development" spending went into the lab, giving us everything from light bulbs to integrated circuits to pacemakers. By focusing on the "Really Big Questions," R&D often...
Free Money Here! Online help for finding venture capital -- which you may not want to use Hal Plotkin Monday, November 23, 1998 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/11/10/epigram.DTL Last year, one of my editors at Inc. magazine had a brilliant idea: Call up top Silicon Valley venture capitalists and ask them for a list of the 10...
Poof! Instant LAN (You're already wired) Hal Plotkin Tuesday, November 10, 1998 URL:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/11/10/epigram.DTL When I learned that Cisco Systems' well-respected PR ace Adam Stein had recently joined Epigram, Inc., a little-known Sunnyvale, Ca. start-up, I wanted to know why. No one leaves Cisco. Unless, perhaps, their options have vested and they move to Kauai, or...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine The Few, the Proud, the Bankable A look at how companies from the 1998 Inc. 500 managed to land bank loans or lines of credit right from the start. From: Inc., Oct 1998 | By: Hal Plotkin Looking for a line of credit for your newly minted start-up?...
Closing the Digital Divide Is the dream of racial equality stuck in an infinite loop? Hal Plotkin Wednesday, October 8, 1998 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/10/19/divide.DTL I've been thinking a lot about infinite loops lately. I am something of an expert on the subject, having created dozens of them in my first BASIC computer programming class. For the...
Why It's Not Clicking For Asia More Economic Turmoil in the Far East? Hal Plotkin Wednesday, October 8, 1998 URL:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/10/09/asia.DTL The Internet is renown for speeding things up. We can now get immediate stock quotes, sports scores, and even hot news like Ken Starr's White House Tour with the click of a button. But,...
New Age Voting How Technology Might Revitalize Democracy Hal Plotkin Wednesday, September 23, 1998 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/10/26/voting.DTL New technologies have improved many old processes to enhance outcomes. Computer simulations, for example, give us safer airplanes; specialized software fixes our mistakes on the fly; and medical monitoring devices lengthen our lives. We don't do very many...
Tear Down The Walls College in the Digital Age Hal Plotkin Monday, August 31, 1998 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/08/31/digitaleduc.DTL No one could believe it when our high-school buddy, Chip (not his real name) -- easily the most-talented member of our graduating class -- was rejected by the college of his choice. Chip was a brilliant...
As originally published on SFGate.com at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/1998/08/03/open_source.DTL Hal Plotkin Monday, August 3, 1998 Just when Justice Department lawyers, Wall Street analysts, and most pundits are telling us that Bill Gates' juggernaut is unstoppable, Microsoft is finally facing a kind of digital Waterloo: It's called the open-source software movement. In just a few short...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Funeral Chain Exploits Demise of Tradition Pioneers thrive as old ways die From: Inc., April 1998 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catskill Casket Co. founder Joe White began receiving calls last year from consumers wanting to purchase caskets directly from his then-year-old distributorship, based in East Meredith, N.Y. "I...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine What They Do (and Don't) Teach You in Business School An M.B.A. will help you run an established business, but it can't provide the real-world experience needed to run a start-up. A look at when an M.B.A. comes in handy. From: Inc., Dec 1997 | By: Hal...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine I'm Your Assistant, and I'm Not Here to Help You From: Inc., Oct 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two years ago, when Cheryl Richardson found herself in need of office help, she confronted a quandary familiar to owners of home-based businesses: "I didn't like the idea of...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine A Blockbuster Video Idea Inc. 500 CEO Greg Pabich finds a market for used movies and video games with his company, Movies & Games 4 Sale. From: Inc., Oct 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'The market was shouting' for Movies & Games 4 Sale. When Greg Pabich's 9-year-old daughter...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Trillion-Dollar Jackpot Bypasses Small Biz, Says SBA A look at how a public pension fund came to the aid of one businessman, and how such a fund could help you. From: Inc., Aug 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Tape When Michael Jensen needed a large chunk of capital...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Seeking Quality, Juicer Squeezes Out Franchisees Given the choice of franchising or setting up company-owned stores, here's why a fruit-juice firm opted for the stores. From: Inc., Jul 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Growth Strategies COMPANY: Jamba Juice Inc., maker of fruit-juice smoothies GOAL: Dominate a niche by opening 1,000...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Vineyard Here's how an aspiring vintner established a mobile wine-bottling operation to raise money for his own vineyard. From: Inc., Jun 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Road NAPA COUNTY, CALIF.--The Bottling Room Inc. fills an industry niche...
Cisco's Secret: Entrepreneurs Sell Out, Stay Put Here's a look at how a high-tech giant is buying up small companies and bringing their owners on board, too. From: Inc., Mar 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLUE CHIPS Over the past three years Cisco Systems, a networking-hardware behemoth based in San Jose, Calif., has acquired...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Cisco's Secret: Entrepreneurs Sell Out, Stay Put Here's a look at how a high-tech giant is buying up small companies and bringing their owners on board, too. From: Inc., Mar 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLUE CHIPS Over the past three years Cisco Systems, a networking-hardware behemoth based in...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Jig May Be Up on Fantastic Stock Multiples from Roll-up Acquisitions New SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin may spell the end to the roll-up gravy train. From: Inc., Feb 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fast Money "I wanted work to be optional by age 44," says Steve Wilson, founder...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Hollywood Lures High School Animators with Sweet Deals An innovative training program in a California high school is churning out graduates who command high salaries. From: Inc., Jan 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Road ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CALIF.-- "My parents told me we really couldn't afford college...
Wal-Mart Throws the Book at Small-Biz Vendors An overview of a program that has assisted more than 3,000 entrepreneurs with distributing their goods at Wal-Mart. From: Inc., Jan 1997 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Chips "There's no better place for an entrepreneur than inside a Wal-Mart," says Steve Faught. His Hawaiian Fashion Jewelry...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Running on EmptyA quick look at a bank online service that warns small-business owners when their accounts are dwindling. From: Inc., Dec 1996 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Banks At a focus group run by Terri Dial, a Wells Fargo Bank vice-chairman, to develop a new on-line service,...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Small Biz Gets No Charge from Electricity Deregulation Here's why small businesses better pay attention when its electric-utility market becomes deregulated. From: Inc., Dec 1996 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Tape Long plagued by some of the highest rates in the country, California is about to deregulate its electric-utility...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Business, Bureaucrats Reinvent Local Gov't A look at how an assemblage of local business leaders are teaming up with local government to effect a change. From: Inc., Nov 1996 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Tape When local Silicon Valley government managers encountered gangs of name-brand high-tech entrepreneurs and process...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Slow Fingers Stall FDA Approvals While the FDA has learned how to quickly get its approvals in the Federal Register, it still faces other slow downs. From: Inc., Oct 1996 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1994 Roger Salquist, then Calgene's CEO, complained that delays in printing his...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Prop 13 Time Bomb Explodes, Start-ups Hit Author:Hal Plotkin Source: Inc magazine - October 01, 1996 Eighteen years after California passed Proposition 13, restricting taxes and inspiring similar measures across the nation, the law has reentered the headlines. At issue: the tax inequities created by the 1978 law,...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Student Uprising A look at why, faced with poor job prospects, university students today are starting companies in record numbers. From: Inc., Aug 1996 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Faced with poor job prospects, today's university students are starting companies in record numbers When Elaine Salazar, 37, decided to...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Speed Bumps The promise and problems of ISDN, the next generation of data transmission technology. From: Inc., Jun 1996 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An ISDN transmits data about nine times faster than a standard modem. But making it go takes a lot more than cruise control. by Hal Plotkin It...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Dining a la Data The owner of a chain of Chinese restaurants explains how and why he turned to technology to automate his eateries. From: Inc., Dec 1995 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When customers stopped coming to him, Roger Kao automated his Chinese eatery so he could go...
Despite new blood and a policy of glasnost, the Hoover Institution still carries the conservative torch...
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As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Spin Doctors The early days of audio CDs were pioneered in the U.S. by this company that is spread out across the country. From: Inc., Jun 1995 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scattered over 6,000 miles, Rykodisc may be the best-connected company in the world. Imagine how in tune...
The Partnership for Peace The 1994 World Economic Development Congress in Madrid, Spain was one of the high water marks for the Middle East peace process. My job involved helping organize the conference discussions, as well as inviting U.S. and other business leaders to attend to share ideas about how to...
When congress talks about eliminating 'unfunded mandates', it's talking about undoing laws like the Clean Air and Water Acts...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Riches from Rags After nearly failing, the clothing manufacturer profiled in this article turned to technology, and business is booming. From: Inc., Mar 1995 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nearly sunk by a cash crunch, Brenda French turned to technology. Now she churns out custom-made garments with industrial-age speed Quick...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine The CEO Who Came in from the Cold Story of an entrepreneur who ran a legitimate shipping company that reserved one branch office for CIA business. From: Inc., Mar 1994 | By: Hal Plotkin Ever wonder what it would be like to build your legitimate business while being...
San Jose Mercury News (CA) October 28, 1993 Section: Business Edition: Morning Final Page: 13D $3.25 MILLION SETTLEMENT DIMS LIGHT BULB Mercury News Staff Report Consumers who purchased General Electric Co.'s "Energy Choice" and "Miser" light bulbs will be eligible for cash rebates under a $3.25 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that was announced Wednesday. The lawsuit...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Growing Business by Going Global Market intelligence on People's Republic of China. From: Inc., Sept 1993 | By: Hal Plotkin IN THE CHINA SHOP How big must a company be before it considers setting up operations abroad? Not very. Tiny Conveyant Systems Inc. has gobbled a 3% slice of...
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A look at Supervisor Zoe Lofgren's efforts to save Santa Clara County's failing mental health system....
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine International Partners California company produces goods in Taiwan because of the excellent service. From: Inc., May 1989 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many American companies move their production offshore to save money. But Sausalito, Calif.ñbased Presentables-Cinzia Inc. manufactures in Taiwan because of service -- and therein lies a lesson...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Chinese Checkers An entrepreneur dramatizes his business in novels and uses the royalties as capital for his next start-up. From: Inc., Feb 1989 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These days, there's no shortage of businesspeople trying to leverage their corporate success into best-selling books. Lewis Perdue is one of...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine The End of the Line One company, plagued by competition of ex-employees, built a technical-information library and lost that, too. From: Inc., Feb 1989 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poor old Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. For much of its life, it was plagued by ex-employees who kept going out...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine Do Not Pass Go Dual deck VCR manufacturer sues Japan Inc. for blocking access to parts. From: Inc., Nov 1988 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The case of Go Video versus Japan Inc. and the Hollywood moguls probably won't go to trial until spring, but already the small Scottsdale,...
As Originally Published in Inc. Magazine How Now, Ed Zschau? One CEO's desire to build a company and then run for Senate. From: Inc., Dec 1988 | By: Hal Plotkin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The last time we saw Ed Zschau, he was riding off into the political sunset, having narrowly lost his bid to unseat Alan Cranston...
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