Death and taxes may indeed be the only certainties in life. But the former has more mettle than the latter. While some perversely rich people can avoid paying their taxes, or at least a considerably big part of the monies they owe the government, no one, not even the filthiest and wiliest among them, can escape Death.

Of course, sometimes, their money, which allows them to afford the most expensive medical care and professionals, may delay Death’s coming. But in the end, Death is inevitable.

Death is the great equalizer. In fact, it is the mother of all equalizers. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. The wisest and the most stupid among us, they all crumble along with everything they ever did, thought, owned, and dreamt of.

So, how come some people would lie, cheat, and kill to amass wealth. They plunder, they steal, they accept bribes, they maim, and then lie, cheat, and kill some more. They hunger for more, so much more, as if money and power could make them live forever. They are constantly on the prowl, seeking occasions for gaining more money like junkies itching for their next fix.

Dell Smartphones in China
PC vendor Dell is reportedly developing a smartphone for China Mobile, the largest mobile phone carrier in mainland China. Dell has been rumored to be making a mobile phone since 2007.

Dell executive Matthew Parretta was quoted by media saying that the company has presented a “proof of concept mobile device prototype” to China Mobile.

Does this mean that soon we would be seeing genuine and not-so-genuine Dell handsets in Recto, Greenhills, and Quiapo?

Pirated Solar Energy
For quite sometime now, Germany has been the world’s leader in solar power technology. The country’s lead in the solar power industry, however, appears to be threatened by lower-cost rivals from Asia, particularly, from China.

Competition has adversely affected Q-Cells, the world’s largest solar cell manufacturer. Recently, the company declared some 700 million euros in losses. The slowdown in the

German solar energy industry has also affected the smaller solar energy companies. Some were even forced to declare bankruptcy.

German solar power companies are losing market shares to Chinese and American competitors. However, Chinese companies pose a more serious threat.

China-based solar cell manufacturers can price their products up to 30 percent cheaper than those manufactured by the Germans. Cheap labor and silicon allow them to compete in terms of price.

Soon, the world will be using electronic appliances, gadgets, and devices manufactured in China, and powered by electricity generated by solar cells made by Chinese vendors.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.