In Silicon Valley where Apple is located, burglaries are up more than 30 percent, largely because police have stopped responding to them. If you are reasonably well off, particularly if you are Asian, and you like nice stuff, the chance you'll get burglarized near Apple's new headquarters is approaching 50 percent odds. If things continue, it will be virtually certain by the end of the decade. Apple employees are solidly in this demographic and they won't be able to concentrate on work if they are constantly wondering if their stuff will be on the Internet for sale before they can get home. Nor will the rest of us living here. Steve Jobs' home was just burglarized, probably one of the most protected homes in the valley. While his family likely still has a special relationship with the police force -- which is why his burglar was caught -- the normal Apple employees won't be so lucky. This implies that Apple's new flying saucer headquarters is already out of date, because it doesn't provide protected living space for employees.
I think it is time to revisit the idea of an arcology. That may be the only way Apple employees and the rest of us will be safe by mid-century. It is also what I think Mountain View wanted Steve Jobs to build and perhaps what Tim Cook and other technology CEOs should now consider building. I'll close with my product of the week: the weapon that could both protect your home and make your food taste better.
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