Update: According to Engadget, the University has absolved the iPhone for their unexplained network problems. The overall question of our nation's system capacity and its ability to handle rich information in times of maximum useage remains an open question in my mind, however.

Like Newton, Duke's internet has apparently been struck by an Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). In this case, Apple's iPhone. According to an AP story, students and faculty using the new device have brought down the school's wireless network, locking it up for up to ten minutes at a time. And this is in summer, when only a relatively handful of students are on campus.

A school's spokesman said that there are 100-150 such phones registered on the network, but even one of them could cause the system indigestion.

Duke, while huge in basketball, has a very small student class; only 6,197 undergraduates attended in the fall of 2006. It is, however, one of the pricier schools in the country, and so might be expected to have a disproportionate number of students who can afford the iPhone.

The problem isn't new. During the heyday of music swapping, a number of universities had to cap student access due to system overload. Nonetheless, large universities such as Ohio State are probably scrambling today to check bandwidth capacity.

What will happen in an emergency, say another 9/11, if thousands of people are attempting to access the internet? Can our existing systems handle the load?

Welcome to the age of rich content!

As Americans get fatter and fatter, their employers are looking to do something about it. But it seems that most companies aren't just guided by altruism. According to an Associated Press piece, "A study published in April by a group of Duke University researchers showed obese employees had higher rates of workers' compensation claims, more lost work days and costlier medical bills than their trim coworkers."

Even Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) has gotten in on the act. In April, I wrote that Wal-Mart was starting a line of self-help classes and group for its employees. In the states where the programs have been launched, 50% of employees have signed up for programs that involve quitting smoking, saving money on electricity, and healthy eating. Group aerobics classes and employee jogs have also taken root at the company.

Some might see efforts at helping employees lose weight as intrusive or big brother-ish. But this is a health issue, and given the employers will ultimately pay the price for unhealthy lifestyles, it's great that they are looking to help employees change.

While it's surprising that Wal-Mart is quietly leading the charge on this issue, it's indicative of the great power that Wal-Mart has to do good when it wants to.

A week of less funny and more irony, shame, and disappointment for some, and plenty of outrage as usual. I do not think anything was more outrageous than the announcement that Halliburton will take the money and run! by moving it's headquarters from Texas to Dubai. Halliburton Co. (NYSE:HAL) framed the move as "it's just good business" and it had a few supporters -- I was not among them. To summarize: "The company can rationalize it to the world press, Wall Street, and the three blind mice for all I care, but it still stinks to the high heavens!"

Sick Of It, wrote: "First we loose Michael Jackson to Dubai & now Halliburton......." I think HAL's reasoning is not so far off from MJ's. After taking our money, and behaving scandalously, they do not feel loved and respected anymore.

American Idol or Sad Idol?

Sanjaya is now among the top eleven competitors on Amercan Idol or Survivor: It's for real and may start to get some sympathy votes now because he looks so sad and remorseful on stage, his joyful smile turning to nervous laugh. He does have many legitimate supporters, but the Vote the Worst crowd bothers me as much as Halliburton. They have rationalized their existence as poorly as HAL its departure. They have contributed to a mean-spirited, tortuous-to-watch situation, which in the end will have a long-term detrimental affect on Sanjaya that may be inescapable for his whole life. I don't think this is how he would like to be remembered. At the same time they choose to mock American Idol, they probably have helped stir things up on a relatively boring season ... but this stinks to the high heavens also!

March Madness is upon us and the first two big names to depart were Duke and Notre Dame. It was also reported today by the Associated Press that Oil Prices Drop Below $57 Barrel. I'm not sure which is truly bigger news, or more important, but tomorrow oil will be some other price and Duke University and Notre Dame players will be watching the remainder of the tournament on television. While oil prices fluctuate daily so traders and speculators have something to do all the time, the players will have to lick their wounds and think about next year. I think the games were the bigger story.

In business, the 'players' will think about a next year, next quarter, and next month -- but it seems that for traders - everything is in the moment just like the basketball teams! When I read the AP headline above I started thinking about how the story was reported as if it was a sports headline...'OIL DOWN - Fans cheer around the nation'. Then I started thinking about how sport is a business. More headlines... 'Duke and Notre Dame Lose - A cold chill hits the east!' In sympathy the market was down (unrelated) and Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) was also down (perhaps in sympathy) and all will rise again - - but without the hype who would pay any attention?

So we all need something to talk about on the front porch, at the water cooler, by the coffee machine, on the bus, down on the farm, and in the White House. Especially in the White House where they are hoping for things to cool off a little. Ahh, but that is sport too. Democrats and Republicans, market bulls and bears, calling each other out at every turn.

Business is a sport and sports is a business and we read each with similar allure -- which do you turn to first?

Disclosure: I am a shareholder of Duke Energy. I am a graduate of USC.

Check out my other posts for BloggingStocks here.

Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the vice president for design and research at an architecture & planning firm.