Dear Friends,

This week’s WWDC announcements and demoes were amazing. So much of our current technology was predicted in the Science Fiction that I read as a youth. To be able to have a wireless video conference with someone half a world away by holding a thin device in your hand is simply otherworldly to an old man like me. My first cell phone had a little suitcase that came with it.

The fast pace of technological advance is one of the keys to our success. Our ability to respond quickly to changes in technology, to understand those changes and to explain them to our customers is a strength of the company. We sell the products of a company that understands this and also understands how the devices they make can also change society. Steve Jobs showed how FaceTime can be used for signing by hearing-disabled people. Families separated by circumstance will also be able to share live video using this relatively inexpensive device.

If technology is used correctly it can enhance people’s lives, it can bridge cultural gaps and it can be used to build, rather than destroy. As you know, I spend time each evening chatting with Simon, our agent, and our suppliers and friends in China. I would say that while a considerable portion of the time we chat, we are talking about business, we are also using the technology to discuss our respective cultures, to learn about each other, to find common ground (by the way, Simon is a Boston Celtics fan!) and discuss world events and life.

I used to do this when I was a child with amateur radio, but today with IM it is so easy; with new technology, it will even be easier in the future. It gives me great hope for better understanding and cultural exchanges to see people-oriented technology. Okay, so Apple didn’t re-name the iPhone OS to “siamese” but hey, I predicted the name change and I like iOS just fine!

I am beginning to think that I am a bit of a jinx to my beloved Boston Celtics. It seems that just about every time I go to a game, the boys in green lose. I said this to Grace last night and she said, “except when you take me” because it turns out that every time I have taken Grace to the game, the Celtics have won. Now, I wonder if I should go down on Sunday and look for tix.