15 Million Can't Be Wrong

Over the course of one year, 15 million consumers bit the hook and forked over the cash in exchange for Apple’s iPad. It’s the newest hard drug. It makes the people who use it happy. Seeing your friends use it makes you want to use it. People don’t want or need to pay all the money it costs but they do anyway. Hoards anxiously await its newest release and distribution.

The recent global debut of the iPad 2 was greeted with the open arms of massive crowds to which Steve Jobs is accustomed. It seems not too long ago that people doubted the functionality of the tablet, that no one would need such a thing. While it is true that nobody needs an iPad like they need food and water, the iPad has shown that almost everyone has a need for one.

The tablet is an interesting piece of technology that exists between a laptop computer and a smartphone. Laptops are getting thinner and lighter, and smartphones allow you to play your music, pay your bills, and everything in between. Why would anyone need a tablet?

The tablet market was nonexistent and its future looked grim. Then, people started actually using the iPad.

The arrival of Apple’s newest product is compared to the arrival of the microwave oven by tech writer Matthew Guay and WIRED writer Brian Chen:

Succeeding the conventional oven, the microwave oven could heat food faster and use less energy. Even though it wasn't as good at cooking as an oven, and it wasn't obvious why anyone would want a microwave, the microwave became a staple in practically every home, because people kept finding new ways to use this technological wonder.

Just like the microwave, the iPad’s functions are essentially limitless. This is made possible with the support of Apple and hundreds of thousands of downloadable applications, or apps.

Watching movies and playing games are probably the two most popular functions of the iPad. Beyond entertainment, however, it offers a variety of productivity applications full-size calendars and maps at your fingertips. It even offers the adaptation of a Windows environment for more compatibility with enterprise functions.

Other than all the apps available, the design of the tool makes it desirable for all demographics. The sharp visual graphics are friendly to eyes of all ages and prescriptions. The thin and light body is easy to carry in a backpack, a shoulder bag, or a briefcase. The overall sleekness and simplicity of its design makes it usable for both children and seniors, described in a full product review.

Improving on its performance and design, there is no mystery or surprise as to why the crowds started forming outside the Apple store at an ungodly early hour. Those who had the first-generation product wanted an upgrade. Those who did not own one, wanted to.

With all this excitement regarding the recent iPad 2 release, it is needless to say that the tablet has found its place in our technology market. For now, that market belongs to Apple. No competitor has created a tablet that has nearly as much buzz and popularity among the masses.

Jotting down notes, playing Angry Birds, watching movies, reading a book, sending email, outlining a presentation, perusing the newspaper, social networking. Few of us can honestly claim we do none of those things. The iPad rolls combines all those tasks, and more, into a single, 8.8 millimeter-thin package.

Its wide array of capabilities makes the iPad a common bond between children and seniors, teenagers and adults, students and teachers. The one division the iPad creates is between the haves and the have-nots. Which one are you?

Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

Among the many lessons to be learned from the tragedy in Japan, the most significant to our future is nothing but nuclear in matter and anything but atomic in scale. The earthquake and tsunami natural disasters in the Asian Pacific wreaked havoc on Japanese nuclear reactors, instilling global fear and unease about nuclear energy as a source of power.

But even with violent multi-car crashes at the Indy 500, the race continues and ultimately comes to a finish. So while the field is currently under the yellow caution flag, waving that green flag and getting back up to full speed in nuclear power is essential to winning the energy race against time.

As Japan continues to investigate the failures and damages to their reactors caused by the natural disaster, we will learn more about the general safety of harnessing nuclear energy. The anticipation from forthcoming results should encourage, not discourage, advancement in research, development, and production.

Ongoing inspection of current facilities for physical maintenance and code compliance is absolutely necessary. Improving the safety conditions and procedures at existing plants and applying these higher standards to concepts in design are methods of learning from the present devastation. But this is not all we can do.

The meltdown at Three Mile Island occurred over three decades ago. While safety was improved as a result, “the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not approved a single application to build a new reactor in this country” since then. Moving forward and exploring the construction of new nuclear plants following the discoveries from Japan is a progressive step towards solving our energy crisis. We should not only learn more this time around, but do more as well.

Moreover, eventual approval and implementation of new facilities creates a bundle of new jobs for Americans. Some pessimists insist we cease utilization of our current reactors, which involves layoffs across the country and slimming the job market in a recovering economy. Building and operating new plants would provide numerous opportunities for the unemployed to reenter the workforce, and help stimulate our economy from a different angle.

But what about the risks? Anybody could rightfully ask, observing the not-so-friendly reminder across the Pacific.

A truth concerning energy as it is a truth in life: you would be hard-pressed to find a risk-free reward.

The dangers of exploiting nuclear energy are inherent, their hazardous potential realized most recently and famously at the hands of a natural disaster. However, possibly the most dangerous of energy sources is not receiving the limelight that Three Mile Island or the BP Oil Spill received.

Coal mining and extraction has noiselessly taken more lives than nuclear power plants over the same time period. Mining incidents certainly are not as catastrophic as meltdowns, but occur at an infinitely more regular basis. As a result, there is a lack of media attention and public knowledge about these dangers.

Furthermore, the constant air pollution by coal plants presents yet another risk. The pollutants are not only sources of sicknesses like lung cancer, but the heavy amount of carbon dioxide emissions add to the environmental threats as warned by global warming advocates.

Perhaps the danger of harnessing nuclear energy seems overwhelming to some because it reaches our sentiments on mental and emotional levels that other incidents cannot. But going by the numbers, it would more advisable to start building nuclear reactors than coalmines.

It appears that the current state of nuclear energy is merely in caution, and should continue to move forward and progress. The thoughts of the president and chief executive of the Nuclear Energy Institute are about as optimistic as one can get at this point in time:

It is premature to reach conclusions, but I believe that expansion of the nuclear energy sector will proceed. Our industry has been forecasting the development of four to eight new reactors between 2016 and 2020; four are under development. The forecast beyond 2020 is unclear simply because so much depends on market conditions.

Before the checkered flag is out and the finish line comes into sight, the green flag must be waved, an apparently imminent spectacle with the support of Mr. President. So in a world of scarce and limited fruit trees, it seems as though the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

This One's For Keeps: Last Call for a Comprehensive Energy Policy

$2.92, $3.19, $3.54, $4.07, $5.13, $6.45, an arm, a leg, an arm and a leg, your firstborn son.

Those are the average U.S. per-gallon gas prices over the last three months, the current cost, and a slight projection into the ensuing months to come. Alright, so maybe you won’t be handing over a baby boy to the gas station attendant in exchange for a full tank by September, but there is no argument that gas prices are certainly on a steep rise once again.

There is argument and debate, however, regarding the best solution for our gas and energy problems. The answer lies within our own borders and territorial waters, not in Northern Africa or on the Arabian Peninsula. We must not panic and tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve either, but what we must do is actually realize and implement a comprehensive energy policy, one that does not stall on Capitol Hill.

The turbulence in Libya and Saudi Arabia is the most likely culprit for the skyrocketing pump charges for Americans. Some believe the solution to our gas problem is simple: bombs. We insert ourselves and our advanced warfare technology into the ongoing conflict and impose peace using our big stick. However, turmoil in this oil-endowed region of the world is seemingly endless. The current uprisings may be quelled and barrel prices brought down for a couple happy years, but how long until the next Arabian snafu? History is not on our side here.

Others are flustered by the rapid escalation of gas prices and insist we start utilizing our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to ease the pain at the pump. This could be, and probably would be, a fatal mistake in the future. The reserve “exists to protect the United States in case of a significant interruption in our oil imports. It was not designed as a means for the government to manipulate the price of gasoline.” Tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at this point would be nearsighted and not strategic at all, as the existing energy sources in the world are slowly dwindling. Each gallon taken from the reserve is just a little more vulnerable we leave ourselves in the instance of a true emergency.

Instead of dropping bombs in the desert or drawing from the SPR, those serving our country in Washington need to establish and sign a comprehensive energy policy to resolve not only the current situation but future oil and energy crises. Past attempts of this kind came to a halt due to bipartisan disagreement. If there were a policy in place already, we would not be suffering as much from the price of oil as we are today.

Domestic drilling and looking into alternative energy sources like natural gas should both be detailed in this plan. While these seem like contradictory, opposing forces, both are important for short-term, long-term, and longer-term relief.

The call for such progressive actions requires the need for a workforce, providing the potential to significantly dropping the unemployment rate. Both extraction and exploration creates jobs for the proverbial blue-collar and white-collar worker. Getting Americans back to work will make it considerably easier to endure the gasoline prices, until they drop due to this plan that is, and future fluctuations in oil production, domestic and foreign.

With high pump prices come high costs of doing business, decreasing the consumer market in our recuperating economy. Fortunately, the opposite also holds true. From a comprehensive energy plan, wallets will be heavier and people will have the means to spend more on leisure, bringing the status of our economy from recovering to booming.

In the long run, not only will our dependence on foreign oil will be incredibly reduced, but the dependence on oil in general will diminish. People will worry less about the next crisis in the Middle East and concern themselves more with the decision between buying a new set of golf clubs or a jet ski.

Treasure in Foreign Sands

Last summer, this monstrous structure resembling a cruise ship dropped anchor next to the financial district of Singapore. It is the latest enterprise of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the new Marina Bay Sands.

The six billion dollar project is yet another mega-casino center developed, with shopping malls, restaurants, condominiums, a museum, convention centers, theaters, nightclubs, and hotel rooms (almost forgot those). What this particular getaway has unlike any other, aside from its ship-on-stilts appearance, is its Sands Sky Park. This main attraction is elevated 57 stories above Singapore, and features public gardens, a restaurant, observation decks, and a 150-meter infinity swimming pool (pictured). It is truly an architectural and scenic wonder, while the massive cantilever on which it is supported is a structural marvel.

Not yet one year in age, Marina Bay Sands, along with the other Singapore development Resorts World Sentosa, are “well on track to achieving the target of contributing 5.4 billion Singapore dollars (4.3 billion U.S. dollars) per year to the economy.” U.S. efforts by gaming corporations have been made as well to try and jumpstart our struggling economy, namely MGM’s $8 billion City Center development in Las Vegas. However, the projected results of Marina Bay Sands are going to benefit the city-state of Singapore in much greater measures. Perhaps the most efficient strategy to lift the building and construction industry is to explore overseas, and contract work while also helping a foreign economy.

Sheldon Adelson, chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp., has certainly not been shy about scouting and surveying development sites outside our country’s borders. Las Vegas Sands has two prominent properties, Sands Macau and the Venetian Macau, in the world’s new gambling center. While the Marina Bay Sands came in at second after the aforementioned City Center, Adelson looks to claim that top sot, setting his sights (and course) for Spain.


From a building perspective, whether its land development, design or construction, it evidently appears that the hefty bankrolls, the large-scale projects, the colossal conceptions, are being realized overseas. Personally, I am grabbing my portfolio and my passport, boarding the next plane to Barcelona, and hoping for a serendipitous run-in with Mr. Adelson.