One of the more positive developments to hit the mobile industry of late is the immense media exposure being placed on the working conditions of those who build the devices that delight us and infuriate us. Media interest in this topic has been gaining for years, but it seems to have hit a new crescendo in the last couple months.

Device makers of every kind operate with virtual impunity. And yet we hear stories of mass suicides, debilitating ailments and poisoning — all a direct result of building the products we can’t get enough of. Not only has it become more difficult for journalists and consumers to ignore this reality, but also Apple and hopefully many companies to come. We all know that buying products built in China and other countries that treat millions of workers like modern-day slaves comes at a price that lingers well beyond the cash register. We vote with our pocketbooks, the saying goes, and this is what our money supports. Read more

** As published in RCR Wireless News **

LAS VEGAS–As if there wasn’t enough evidence already of mobile’s growing power in the consumer electronics space, Qualcomm Inc. Chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs gave his first-ever keynote at CES this morning.

When it comes to wireless communications, one would be hard-pressed to find a company that’s become as entrenched and integral to the growth and innovations the industry has achieved as Qualcomm. Indeed, the San Diego-based company’s rise has been lock-in-step with the exponential rise in global mobility.

And yet, Jacobs began his speech today: “Qualcomm’s not exactly a household name.”

Jacobs believes every electronics device will eventually be like a cellphone, in varying form factors of course, but the key ingredient being that always-connected data capability. Read more