Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Pentium Bug Revisited -- Intel in Gaza.

Remember the Pentium Bug? Intel had an obscure floating point math problem with their Pentium chip, and they totally mishandled the public/customer relations spin -- similar to Dick Cheney's handling of the press after last week's shooting, or Coke-Cola's mishandling of the awful tasting New Coke vs. Old Coke/Coke Classic fiasco in the late 80's.

Why Intel has decided to bother with this hot potato is beyond me.

Investing cash in a Gaza technology park? And this is after last year's mystery disappeareance of seven hundred million dollars from the Palestinian Authority budget?

Intel, the world’s largest semiconductor company, announced on Monday that it plans to set up a technological center in Gaza aimed at providing Palestinians with training in the technological information field.

The project is estimated at USD 1 million, and the staff will be comprised mainly of Palestinians.

ANERA Director Peter Gubser said he believes that despite the difficult security situation in Gaza, Intel’s willingness to invest there will encourage other American corporations to follow suit.

Other American Corporations? Winchester Firearms? Olin Chemical? Raytheon?

Perhaps an infusion of technology is exactly what Gaza's budding Qassam rocket industry needs.

Then again, in 1993 after the "Jericho and Gaza First" Olso accords were signed, Intel donated office furniture to the Palestinian Authority in Jericho.

Its a shame Intel's making the same mistakes again...you would have thought they learned the first time around.



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

9 comments:

Steg (dos iz nit der šteg) said...

I thought the Jericho half of that Jericho-Gaza deal has been working out pretty good, comparatively :-P

Robyn said...

Hmm, and people wonder why I think tech people should also study some small amount of history

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Steg: Jericho is a haven of murderers and terrorists (MK Rechavam Zeevi's killers live there).

Mike: the R&D development people figured out what was beeping. (thank G-d!)

Y: I think everyone should study a small amount of history. Never hurt anyone...except for Lakewood and Artscroll.

JoeSettler said...

Jameel,

You of all people should recognize protection money when you see it.

A million dollars is cheap if it keeps the Kassams away from their Kiryat Gat plant and the suicide bombers away from their Jerusalem and Haifa facilities.

But most especially the Kassams from their Kiryat Gat plant.

Truth said...

Joe,

I'm gaining a great respect for the way you think...

You sure you don't have someone 'inside Intel'? ;-)

Truth.

westbankmama said...

Does the idea of a tax write-off sound crazy? Or perhaps someone in the insurance industry is getting a kick-back...

JoeSettler said...

Truth,

Gaining respect?
I didn't know you could go higher than 100%.

Truth said...

Joe,

One can go higher - the 'above 100%' is making those kind of penetrating observations [that are absolutely correct], that most 'smart guys' would scoff at because it's too 'conspiratorial' [like it makes perfect sense, there's a perfectly 'conventional' explanation for how some hack slob(s) can aquire 10's of millions of $'s over their many years of dedicated 'public service', and/or be number-30-something on a 'party list' and suddenly become the new Prime DiKtator due to refrigerated hospital rooms and embalming fluids mixed with the 'miracle grow'(plant food) in the IV's].


Truth.

Anonymous said...

I worked at Intel for many years both here in Israel and in the US. During that time, many donations were made to good causes but I always felt the company’s motives were financial/political and not altruistic. Office computers and peripheral equipment older than current generation processors was donated to the MOE. The tax write-off was substantial and some lucky dude got to charge the schools a hefty sum for maintaining these old computers. Intel Israel’s management, namely Dov Frohman, Maxine Fassberg, Alex Kornhauser and others have overtly stated their left of center political views in the past, pretty much in line with Dershowitz's "The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved" way of thinking so the news of donations to a Hamas led Gaza comes of no surprise. Something you will never read in the MSM is a case which involved a mid-level manager who was brought over from the US by the name of Benny Adams. Both he and his wife worked in FAB 8 in Jerusalem in the mid 90s for about 2 years. Adam's daughter attended the American International School in Kfar Shmaryahu and somehow befriended some Jew hating Palestinians. As a prank, she and her friends faxed a bomb threat to the school in Arabic. Luckily, the Shabak was able to trace the origin of the call and brought her and her parents in for questioning. Had it not been for the intervention of Intel’s upper management they surely would have been expelled and never would be allowed to return to Israel.

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