mosquitoes

Viral Video: Bill Gates's TED Talk on Innovating to Zero Emissions

Kara Swisher in News on February 24, 2010 at 5:15 am PT

One of the more remarked-upon talks at the recent TED conference was by Microsoft co-founder and mega-philanthropist Bill Gates. Rather than talk about his work around AIDS and other global medical issues, or education reform, he focused, surprisingly, on the future of energy and the need to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050. In fact, Gates said that if he had one planetary wish, this would be it. It’s well worth a watch.

Kara Visits TED (The Belated Video)

Kara Swisher in News on February 11, 2009 at 8:30 am PT

Last week, BoomTown traveled to Long Beach, Calif., to attend the TED conference, a longtime gathering of digerati and others who have come to love its eclectic and outward-looking program. The four-day TED2009, titled “The Great Unveiling,” included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates unleashing a small swarm of mosquitoes in the hall, a long list of varied speakers and a whole lot of schmoozing. Here is my belated video of the event, including my kids trying to steal a futuristic car.

Weekend Update, 02.07.09

Beth Callaghan in News on February 7, 2009 at 4:24 pm PT

What spreads faster than economic gloom and doom, and is more infectious than professional anxiety? That phenomenon known as “25 Things.” Just in time for Facebook’s fifth birthday, the record-breaking waste of time may have reached critical mass this week. Elsewhere this week…