Exitlog | Leaving Impressions

While the credit crunch continues to dominate both public imagination and the press (who like patrons of the Amphitheatrum Flavium begging for blood continue to erode confidence) today there is a little rest. Inauguration Day rescue…

The hopes of many Americans, countries and the markets look to Barack Obama. The web will be buzzing with video streams of the event. Joost is already on the case and the BBC iPlayer won’t be far behind. Pundits have been marking the occasion since the early hours. This is a moment of optimism in a turbulent sea which has seen Royal Bank of Scotland shares crash by 68% and more job losses announced just yesterday.

Inauguration Day may usher in a new era – if Hollywood can reboot Star Trek and the Terminator franchise there is a chance the decline in finances, personal responsibility and the White House can have one too.

Technology on wheels…

4 out of 7 feeds from Wired News yesterday, available thanks to NetNewsWire on my iPhone, were about cars. It is good to see that technology news and interest doesn’t just have to be about hackers, slackers and gadgets. Thankfully there was no Clarkson or the carefully coiffured Hammond pedalling their Top Gear opinions. The success of the Chevrolet Volt, the Honda Insight hybrid or the new Toyota Prius is every bit as interesting as Palm’s financial recovery hopeful, the Pre. Vroom, vroom, roll on innovation.