"The French, when they work, are quite productive--in production per hour they are second in Europe to Norway, " says Favre, who notes that the most productive French workers will likely get the most overtime.

FORBES: Vive la Difference

Over the last three decades, American factories have become vastly more productive in terms of output per hour of labor.

FORBES: Connect

On average knowledge workers could regain an hour per day through more productive communication activities.

FORBES: Unified Communications: Still Not Unified ... But Getting Closer

As I walked through it alone during a visit there this spring, it reminded me in some ways of Ian Fleming's Goldeneye in Jamaica, a spartan but splendidly labyrinthine retreat devoted to both a productive life and to the elegant sunset cocktail hour.

WSJ: At Home in the World

Mr. WESSEL: If Chinese workers were as productive as American workers, meaning if they - if the stuff they produced per hour of work were as valuable as the stuff that American workers produce, their wages would be much higher.

NPR: U.S. Productivity and Economic Forecasts

So, when my outdated smartphone costs me an extra hour at the airport, it feels a like an unnecessary waste of potentially productive time.

FORBES: Ex-BlackBerry Addict: My Smart Phone Wasn't Smart Enough