On Sunday my family and I will unwrap our Christmas presents under a glossy Nordmann fir tree that was brought to the door of our London home last week. It is festooned with decorations and a string of lights.
There is nothing unusual in that: the same or similar no doubt goes for many readers. But our Christmas tree and its decorations are symbols of more than the festive season. They also epitomise the way in which technological innovation occurs steadily and stealthily as companies compete globally.
This thought occurred to me the other day as I was admiring our tree and realised that its appearance would have been impossible not long ago. It is covered with light-emitting diodes instead of incandescent bulbs and they glow in a warm white that is cosier than the harsh blue-white of older LEDs.