Technology

No wonder Donald Trump is worried about the technological and commercial threat Huawei’s poses to US companies.

Good policy can help to give people the flexibility and adaptability to succeed in changing circumstances.

Bill Gates wants a tax on robots. But what about all the other things that have made us ever made more productive?

There are ethical and legal issues regarding most future innovations. Some may be resolved by applying existing legal principles. Some will require us to rethink what civil and criminal liability means in a world in which machines make decisions on our behalf.

The idea of abolishing all roaming rates across the EU may have populist appeal, and it is easy to see why EU politicians are pushing the idea. However, it is equally clear why such a policy does not make much sense.

Next time you visit a politician’s Facebook profile or Twitter account, do not be fooled that their working days consist mainly of kissing babies, cutting ribbons or speaking in Parliament. Who knows, they might have gone on a holiday around Cambodia instead.

Two countries, two successful internet entrepreneurs, two clashes with government. Last week we witnessed an epic Twitter battle between Trade Me founder Sam Morgan and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce over the usefulness of research grants. Meanwhile, founder of Thawte Consulting and the Ubuntu Linux OS, Mark Shuttleworth, won a long legal fight against the South African Reserve Bank.

The older I get, the more I feel at home in the hardly changing world of government-provided services. It’s scary, and I am only 39.