Intel HQ As Seen From McAfee HQ

Intel and McAfee have been close for many years, at least physically :-) This is a view from the seventh floor of the McAfee headquarters on Freedom Circle in Santa Clara looking at Intel's HQ on Mission College Blvd. I drive by Intel every day on my way to work. This past Thursday was the first time I stopped there to support the announcement of the acquisition of McAfee by Intel. An exciting experience.

The End of Garbagemen

The street I grew up in back in the Netherlands has changed little over the years. When I visited last weekend I noticed some change though: two new high tech garbage deposit units, underground dumpsters.

To be entirely honest, I didn't notice the receptacles at first. I first noticed that both my parents and my grandmother (they live on the same street) had a new ATM/credit card type pass in their kitchens. I found out that the passes allow access to the new garbage cans (to prevent strangers from dumping and filling up the dumpsters.)

Instead of putting out the thrash once a week for the garbage truck to pick it up, residents now walk to the new receptacle whenever they have a full bag and dump at will after opening the system with their personal card. When the underground dumpster is full, it calls out to the city for a truck to empty it. As a result their is no longer a need for people who walk behind trucks and throw bags into them.

It all seems to make sense, though grandma is sad that the friendly garbagemen are gone and won't wave at her anymore. Also, when I was there he spiffy new dumpster was broken and there was no dumping.