Trade shows are opportunities for companies to spend large amounts of money on booths, demos and shiny giveaways, while hordes of attendees tromp around collecting miniature candy bars and tossing loot in a canvas tote like giddy kids at Halloween. Com ... read more

Here at the Odd Parity social media and wasting time department, we're aware that belonging to Facebook is essential to survival these days, especially if your idea of survival is having an intimate relationship with flypaper. Because that's what Faceb ... read more

Right after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, his business partners said, "Nice gizmo Alex, now how can we get this telephone thing to invade everyone's lives at inopportune times?" And so began the invention of the electronic tether, which ... read more

The electronics industry has finally caught on. It now follows the marketing path that the fashion industry has used for years. It goes like this: "Whatever we told you or sold you last year is obsolete. If we said to wear wide ties, this year you'll l ... read more

OK, let's just admit it. A few short weeks ago, after our third cup of eggnog, we started making New Year's resolutions. "Gonna start jogging regularly right after the New Year," we said. "Nothing but oat bran and Pilates videos for a few months." Sa ... read more

When did it come to this? One we were grizzled editors, who gleefully slouched through trade shows, press conferences and the like. We never expected to be on-screen personalities. We were wordsmiths, wearing ratty corduroy coats and attacking buffets ... read more

Aahh, summertime! Most of the trade shows are over and the office is as quiet as a ghost town. Tumbleweeds are rolling through the coffee room and those few who are at their desks are surfing the Home Shopping Network for shorts, sandals and some ch ... read more

It seems like only a few short years ago that business trips were an excuse to indulge in prime rib dinners and hang around the hotel lounge until the wee hours under the guise of conducting business. That was before the constant barrage of sobering re ... read more

February 9, 2010 -- I’m sure that at one time or another, we’ve all been involved in a dress-code debacle. The problem usually starts on the Friday before a three-day weekend when a few courageous souls try coming to work in casual attire. Prett ... read more

Late at night in a parking lot somewhere in America, a group of men and women file silently to a waiting van. They're in full camouflage, with branches woven into their hair and special makeup to render them almost invisible in the darkness. They are o ... read more

The office is a place where we go every day to make phone calls, conduct business, and write nasty memos and notes about our coworkers’ annoying habits. It’s a place that forces a group of strangers to be civil about issues that, in their personal live ... read more

The first known team-building exercise took place around 435 A.D., when Attila the Hun addressed his disjointed group as they were planning a sacking and pillaging outing that would sweep across the Roman Empire. "All right, hordes, listen up," Attila ... read more

It’s August and you know what that means — the company picnic! It’s time to feast your senses on mountains of bacteria-laden potato salad and fawn over the CEO incinerating hot dogs, chickens and whatever else meanders by the executive conflagration. A ... read more

April 8, 2009 -- I think I know why the economy is in trouble. It's business travel. Billions of dollars worth of business deals are conducted daily by people who, after the rigors of business travel, have the mental capacity of a ball of yarn. ... read more

With the collapse of many of our most established and corrupt financial institutions, it's no wonder that many of us find ourselves asking, "How do I know that these established and corrupt institutions are really using my benefit contributions to give ... read more

That wondrous time of year is here again when we put on our holiday finery, go to office parties, eat mutant cocktail weenies and participate in lively holiday chatter about our bottom lines. At least that's where the conversation usually ends up. It’s ... read more

The first business meeting took place in prehistoric times when civilization was divided into hunters, gatherers and executives. One day Thog, a highly esteemed but generally useless executive in his village, proposed that instead of another round of ... read more

As editors roam through DAC and other trade shows, they’re always on the lookout for newsworthy stories about technological advances that will enrich the lives of engineers and consumers alike. They’re also trolling for shiny objects, snacks and invita ... read more

History tells us that the first expense report was filed by Attila the Hun. It seems that the only way he could get backers for his pillaging expeditions was to promise that he'd keep careful records and bring back lots of receipts. Attila's downfall ... read more

Editors covering the electronics industry get a lot of their information by attending press conferences. Sometimes, countless press conferences, like at DAC or ESC. But press conferences are not a 20th century invention. They actually began when a cave ... read more