Signals

The most hi-tech piece of electronics on my (vintage) BMW motorcycle is the magneto ignition or, possibly, the brake light. But I fully admit that electrical engineering has come a long way since 1962. Thus, today's motorcycles have somewhat more sophisticated do-dads. Way more sophisticated.

Look at you! All sleek and cool, speeding down the road! A beautiful sunny day! Nothing can hold you back now! You are unstoppable!

Then you hit the wall. A brick wall. No, better yet, a massive Machu Picchu-style wall. An immovable wall. Then you remember — you forgot to put "unstoppable" in quotes.

There are things we know to be true. Sometimes we don't want to admit they are true. Sometimes we just don't get around to admitting them and instead carry them around as unspoken truths. But when I read the Grace Notes blog yesterday, a truth dawned on me, and now I'm ready to admit it.

You probably saw the news story last week. Unbeknownst to them, a couple's Alexa Echo recorded their conversation, then emailed it to someone in their contact list. Creepy. Here's how you can determine what Alexa has recorded in your house, and edit the archive and delete files.

"I live my life a quarter mile at a time."

Who uttered that famous declaration? Was it: a) Confucius, b) Friedrich Nietzsche, c) Vin Diesel, d) Dominic Toretto? Of course, that is a trick question because both “c” and “d” are correct. The movie was The Fast and the Furious , a cinematic masterpiece about street racing and skid marks.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general and military theorist living in the 6th century B.C. He was the author of The Art of War, a treatise on military strategy and tactics. In addition to its profound military importance, his work has influenced many other competitive enterprises. I imagine that business executives are studying Sun Tzu right now, as they plan for one of the greatest corporate wars of all time.

When you buy a fine automobile such as a Rolls Royce, you have a chauffeur drive you around. When you buy a fine automatic Rolex, you store it in a watch winder so it winds itself. And now, when you buy a fine piano such as a Steinway, it plays itself.