Strange New World: Tech Picks of the Week

Jan. 30, 2009— -- The bait-and-switch presidency begins. Yes, there are still 90 or so days left in the First 100 Days, and President Obama deserves a little bit of slack.

But still, this was a week of the "never was" here in the strange new world of technology. And that has to count for something, even this early in the game.

Not only did a major retailer let us down with a liquidation sale that seemed to leave out the sale, but two presidential tech initiatives gave us a gutless tech vibe: the low-rent feel to the tech stimulus plan and the potential postponement of the analog TV shutoff. Now sure, the guy who just left the presidency probably couldn't reliably spell "technology," but the fact is, these half-measures do not make a techno whole.

The Sale That Never Was?

Consumer electronics box store Circuit City, even in liquidation, is somehow figuring out how to disappoint customers. The Richmond, Va.-based retailer, which is closing over 567 stores, does not seem to be generating the sales frenzy people expected. And from what we have seen shopping in New York and Kansas City, it is clear why: pricing is far from "discount." In some cases, Dan actually noticed that prices on some TVs were lower at competitors like Best Buy. Now, what's going on here makes business sense. Liquidators are outside companies Circuit City hires to clear stores. They make their living keeping prices high, so they do not seek to discount. But still, you would think this once-ground-breaking electronics retailer could find a more creative way to go out in style.

The Stimulus That Never Was

Yes, we're nerds. And we like money. And yes, maybe we spend too much time watching the World Series of Poker. But still ... we were expecting a little more "stim" in the new tech stimulus package the Obama administration announced this past week. Turns out, the president is pushing for a measly $37 billion in combined spending for health records, the power grid and high-speed Internet connections. Sure, that sounds like a lot of money. But for our tech-minded selves, that is just chump change. Compare that with some real national infrastructure investments like the Interstate Highway System. That thing ran a gaudy $425 billion adjusted for 2006 dollars -- the system probably cost about $115 billion to put in back in the age of Ike. And if the United States is arguing that we are facing a real-deal Depression 2.0, then we are going to have to start spending like it. $37B just ain't enough change.

The Digital Transition That Never Was

Like the final season of "The Wire," where what was once television's greatest story just meanders around waiting to die, the analog television shutoff just can't seem to get itself into the ground. It looks fairly certain that the Feb. 17 shutoff date for RF-based TV is now getting backed up to June 12. Why? Well, let's see … Nobody can get it together to get $40 coupons into enough hands to make sure that all have TV. Some people are worried about the liability of putting new digital antennas on the roof in the winter. And folks simply need more time. Honestly. This was the country that not only went to the moon once, it even figured out how to use its cell phones. The fact is, digital TV is now a trivial upgrade. Read our lips: It's no big deal. The sooner we treat it that way -- and not as some national technology enabling fest -- the happier we are all going to be.