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Digigram | September 2023

Published by Gert Christen

In this edition of Digigram:  #1: AI Boom in San Francisco: The Next Gold Rush? – The whole world seems to be bashing San Francisco for empty offices, high prices, and drug addicts downtown. Away from this noise, AI startuppers have quietly taken over the Hayes Valley neighborhood behind the Opera House and turned it into the world’s leading AI hub under the cryptic name of “Cerebral Valley”. From state-of-the-art hacker houses to a focus on inclusivity and transformative technology, this enclave has become the stage for the next wave of startups. Can Cerebral Valley revive San Francisco’s tech scene and establish it as the epicenter of the AI boom? The VCs think so and are all over this emerging community. #2: When Tech Titans Rebrand: Driven by Business or Ego?  – Bye-bye Twitter; meet “X.” Farewell Facebook, hello “Meta.” Adios, Google, call me “Alphabet.” When big tech companies suddenly change their names, is it a brand makeover for the better or just an ego show of their high-profile CEOs? While Elon Musk seems to …

AI Boom in San Francisco

Published by Gert Christen

If You Think San Francisco is Dying, You’re Looking in the Wrong Place: Cerebral Valley Is The New Epicenter of the AI Gold Rush While downtown San Francisco grapples with vacant office spaces—equivalent to “more than 14 Salesforce Towers”—a seismic shift occurs a few miles away in a neighborhood called Hayes Valley: Meet Cerebral Valley. Cerebral Valley is rapidly establishing itself as the epicenter of Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation. Why Hayes Valley? If you think the San Francisco tech industry is fading, you’re simply not looking in the right place. Strategically positioned in an upwardly mobile neighborhood, Hayes Valley offers a unique blend of modernism and intellectual brain power. It has become a thriving nucleus of AI innovation, no longer merely a hotspot for boutiques and trendy restaurants. The influx of AI-focused “hacker houses” provide shared living spaces and act as incubators, setting the stage for hackathons, fireside chats, and AI meetups. These are not just makeshift accommodations; AGI House, for example, is a $58 million mansion with a koi pond and a climate-controlled wine …

When Tech Titans Rebrand: Driven by Business or by Ego?

Published by Gert Christen

In an era where the pace of change is breakneck, even giants in the tech industry are not immune to the impulse—or necessity—to rebrand. A logo tweak? Sure. A new color scheme? Why not. But completely changing a company’s name? That’s a seismic shift with far-reaching consequences. To dive into this high-stakes game, let’s examine a few notable examples: Twitter’s transition to “X” post-acquisition by Elon Musk, Facebook’s morphing into Meta under Mark Zuckerberg’s directive, and Google’s metamorphosis into Alphabet. The Pros: A Fresh Coat of Paint Twitter to X: Fueling Aspirations Badly When Twitter was acquired and rebranded as “X” by Elon Musk, it was more than just a name change—it signaled a broader ambition. The rebrand set the stage for the platform to stretch beyond its 280-character comfort zone, potentially tapping into other Musk ventures. This bold move captured investors’ imaginations (Twitter needs more revenue streams. Always did!) and users’ wrath. The intransparent, clumsy communications led to confusion, causing advertising clients to cancel their campaigns. My personal opinion: this blunder was so unnecessary …

Best of Digigram Results

Published by Gert Christen

Happy 4th birthday to us, and what better way to celebrate than by reflecting on the stories that have shaped our community! We asked our readers to vote on your favorite “Best of Digigram” articles. Boy, did you come through! The contenders ranged from a fascinating look at the winning teams behind the ‘Connected Life’ Entrepreneurship Class at UC Berkeley to the all-important discussion on “Silicon Valley Mindset Post-Covid Takeaways.” We even had hot topics like “Streaming Overtaking Cable,” “Hybrid Work and San Francisco Commercial Real Estate don’t go well together,” and the emerging “Browser wars reloaded: The emergence of ARC.” There was something for everyone, and the competition was stiff! And the winner is… drumroll please… our in-depth feature on the security device Mitipi and our exclusive interview with the company’s founder in “Mitipi and KEVIN’s USA Launching Pad!” You showed your keen interest in learning about the brains behind groundbreaking products. It’s especially exciting to hear you are eager to learn about innovative startups looking to break into the American market via the …

Gert’s Digigram Newsletter of June 2023!

Published by Gert Christen

Happy summer! This season brings not only many exciting tech highlights (including $3500 VR goggles, more below) but also many great opportunities to travel, explore, and enjoy some much-needed sunshine after a rainy winter season. In this edition of Digigram: 1: Best of Digigram – Digigram is turning four years old with this edition, a great reason to celebrate. Let me know which topics you like best. Cast your vote for the stories that have connected with you the most! Which topics of the last few issues resonated with you, and what do you want to see more of? #2: Climate Change as a Business Opportunity – With the pressing issue of climate change, I am convinced that innovation is a critical key to winning the race to stall or reverse damaging effects on the climate. Environmentally sustainable solutions and climate tech are booming, and entrepreneurs have a tremendous opportunity to solve global issues with ideas and businesses that scale. Over the last six months, I have given a talk on this topic at many conferences …

AR/VR Google Wars – Is Apple Vision a Vision of the Future?

Published by Gert Christen

Several companies offer augmented reality headsets, from Magic Leap to Meta’s Quest to Microsoft’s Hololens to specialized makers such as Almer for industrial use. However, the only one people could talk about this month was the new Apple Vision Pro augmented reality headset unveiled at the WWDC 2023 conference. Here’s what we know about the device: The price tag is HIGH! Early adopters might want to save their pennies when the device is released early next year – its starting price is $3,499! It comes with its proprietary operating system. The Vision Pro runs on visionOS, Apple’s dedicated operating system designed specifically for spatial computing, encompassing augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. The three-dimensional interface of visionOS promises a new experience, allowing Apps to appear side by side at varying scales. The user interface cleverly incorporates adaptation to the surrounding light and adds shadows to convey the scale and a 3D effect. The launch App partners include native Unity apps for gamers, Adobe Lightroom for creatives, and Microsoft’s Office suite for the enterprise. And everybody else can use FaceTime to brag to their friends. Other …

Climate Change As A Business Opportunity

Published by Gert Christen

The most enormous business opportunity since the invention of the PC! In the face of the unprecedented challenges posed by climate change, a new frontier of business opportunities emerges, where sustainability and profitability intertwine to shape a better future for our planet and economy. Computers were the source of the 20th century’s wave of growth and prosperity. Climate change is the equivalent opportunity for the 21st century. Innovation and entrepreneurship are the keys to unlocking it. Tackling issues as significant as climate change can seem daunting. Still, our most fantastic opportunity lies in leveraging the knowledge and tools we already use every day, tools that are in our pockets right now! In our connected world – which we have spoken about extensively in past Digigram newsletters – our always-on lifestyles can and should intersect with sustainability in big and small ways. Climate change is not about lamenting and tree-hugging. It is about creating innovations and taking them to market thru entrepreneurship. Using today’s tools, we can effectively address climate change challenges. In November 2021, President …

Gert’s Digigram Newsletter of May 2023!

Published by Gert Christen

Happy May! Spring has sprung and the flowers in California are blooming – so much so, that you can even see them from space! As the spring semester is winding down and I will be back at UC Berkeley in just a few months for my class on Connected Life, I want to center this edition around all the ways that a connected life affects us daily, even in ways that we don’t always see. In this edition of Digigram: #1: Connected Life. Online. Everybody, everything, everywhere, all the time: Everybody and everything is now online all the time. This is how a majority of us live our lives today: Connected! This is enabled by technologies. Innovations that were once a pipedream of human ingenuity relegated to sci-fi novels and utopian thought exercises are now our daily reality. But in creating these solutions, questions, and considerations arise. Will these technologies really enhance everyday life for everybody? #2: A deeper look at the humanitarian impacts of a connected life: What is the role of entrepreneurs in creating …

State of the Metaverse… metawhat???

Published by Gert Christen

Remember when there was a lot of buzz about the metaverse? But ask a random person on the street today what it all means, and you’ll get dozens of different answers. There is definitely less buzz around the “metawhat???” Mark Zuckerberg promised us a network of virtual worlds that are interconnected and that would allow us to interact with each other and with digital objects in a seamless and immersive manner. This would leverage virtual reality, and augmented reality, and would revolutionize industries. Or would it? Companies like Meta (or the artist formerly known as Facebook) have seemingly gone all in on the metaverse, but it seems like their biggest use case thus far has been virtual reality conference rooms.  What happened to the promised revolution?Who asked for this? And how is the Metaverse coming along? So far, the payoff hasn’t been very solid. According to a recent report, most people don’t care about the metaverse – unless it’s in a gaming context. And some gaming applications are pretty cool, and are gaining popularity such …

Connected Life: Utilizing Next-Gen Technologies for Humanitarian Action

Published by Gert Christen

As we explore a connected life, our society is still trying to comprehend how digital technology plays a role in creating life-changing and life-saving solutions that would not have been possible even 5-10 years ago. What is the role of entrepreneurs in creating technology that can solve some of the hardest problems in the world, such as humanitarian law and policy, or environmental impact? With the incredible advances in connected technologies built on systems like the blockchain, digitalization has become a priority not only in the tech sector but also for organizations providing solutions for uses with extremely high stakes, such as humanitarian relief in conflict areas. A colleague of mine, Yannick Heiniger, is currently working as a Senior Technology Diplomacy and Cyber Advisor for the Swiss foreign ministry in San Francisco. Yes, Silicon Valley’s tech companies have become so important that countries send diplomats to the Bay Area. Denmark started the trend by appointing a “Tech Ambassador” and Switzerland’s consul general in San Francisco also has the rank of an ambassador. Why? Because in …