There comes a time when husbands and wives, or other domestic partners, to finally recognize situations for what they are and have the guts to throw in the towel and call it quits. Especially, when trust is lost, or there never was trust in the first place.

Look at the case of Intel’s recently ended partnership with the One Laptop Per Child program, that project seeking to provide millions of children in poor countries with a laptop each. The divorce served to formalize what had been a long-simmering, barely camouflaged dispute between the nonprofit and the world’s largest semiconductor company.

Previous to joining the OLPC initiative, Intel had been criticizing, if not disparaging, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-based nonprofit group’s idea of equipping millions of children with low-cost notebook computers. Intel has claimed that the organization’s demand that the chipmaker exclusively support the OLPC notebook campaign was the last straw that brought about the breakage of the proverbial neck.

Some quarters, on the other hand, assert that the use of AMD microprocessors as main processors for the XO laptop of the organization has kept Intel from fully supporting the project. Intel, for its part, has its own low-cost laptop project.

Well, this campaign to bring information technology to millions of the world’s poor children is getting to be quite interesting. It also seems to acquire twists and turns as numerous as those of any of Hollywood’s bestselling box office hits. I just hope that all parties involved in the project, even its harshest critics, would never forget what is at stake here.

As with any other divorce, this one could end up hurting those the parties involved were trying to help in the first place, the poor children.

While some marriages lack the energy and spark to last a lifetime, some alternative energy sources are getting closer to that universal dream of clean and long-lasting power.

Take the HydroPak fuel cell, for example. This portable power generator, made possible by a partnership between fuel-cell manufacturer Horizon and hydrogen-storage technology vendor Millennium Cell, is designed to supply up to 14 hours of power per disposable cartridge. Each of the water-activated cartridges costs and comes with a multi-year shelf life.

With the rate fuel-cell technology is advancing, consumers ought to have reasons to be extremely optimistic for an early weaning from their dependence on petroleum-based power supplies. And who knows, economies might also find themselves divorced and free from the shotgun marriage with cartel-controlled petroleum sources.

For this instance, we say down with marriage.

Microsoft head honcho Bill Gates, for the 10th time, is the designated main speaker at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Gates, as usual, is expected to highlight some new products and technologies from his company. Also, Gates would be expounding on his predictions for the future of computing.

As with any other prognosticators, Bill Gates had his own share of hits and misses. Some critics, meanwhile, claim that he has had more of the latter. But whatever his batting average might be, there is no denying that Gates remains one of the most interesting and in demand speakers there are.

With his mere presence, Bill Gates brings added color and excitement to an event that is not lacking in both departments.

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