A Financial Slant

The FCC Allows Others to Do What Google Already Does

3/30/2017

Either All or None, Which Is It?

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting write-up wherein they explain how the FCC rule change is essentially allowing internet providers to do what Google already does. Profit from your online history.

The telecom providers had argued the rules put them at a competitive disadvantage to online ad giants Google and Facebook,which generally aren’t regulated by the FCC.
Google and Facebook have built huge businesses powered by reams of data they collect about consumers’ online actions, both on their own properties and across the web. That trove of information largely explains their dominance -- combined, they have a roughly 47% share of the global digital ad market, according to eMarketer. – Jack Marshall, Wall Street Journal

The Circle Is About Google, Not Apple

3/28/2017

Talk about an uncanny resemblance. A movie that’s all about a tech company which is collecting data on every person alive. Hmm, who could that be?

The movie The Circle opens on April 28th and it looks great. I'm a sucker for anything with Tom Hanks in it anyway.

Trouble Ahead for Samsung

3/27/2017

Let the Android Civil War Continue

When Google unveiled their Pixel phone the tech press went crazy with how Google was attacking Apple(AAPL) on their own turf. The high-margin premium smart phone market.

Despite Google’s assertions otherwise, I wasn’t buying it. This was a phone aimed at people who liked Android but were thinking about switching to iOS simply because they like the iPhone’s reputation for quality, design, and craftsmanship. It wasn’t really aimed at trying to get iPhone users to switch to Android.

How to Prepare for Employment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

3/26/2017

It's Still Decades Away

Excellent article by Ben Dickson from The Next Web regarding how to prepare for AI in the workplace.

With developments in artificial intelligence continuing at a chaotic pace, fears of robots ultimately replacing humans are increasing.However, while AI continues to master an increasing number of tasks, we’re still decades away from human jobs going extinct. With AI finding its way into more and more domains, the demand for tech talent is growing.—Ben Dickson, The Next Web

I Wish I Could Use Two iPhones

3/26/2017

The Apple Watch Is the Answer

In the latest podcast episode of The Committed, Kirk McElhearn brought up a thought that I’ve had often. He was torn between using the smaller iPhone 7 and the larger 7 Plus. He made the statement that he wished he could use the 7 Plus around the house and the smaller 7 for when he was out running errands.

Where Apple Sees Their Future

3/25/2017

Goodbye Sal, Hello Workflow

Apple (AAPL) announced this week that they were purchasing the popular iOS automation app, Workflow. Very interesting indeed. Workflow is all about taking iOS to the next level via automating various tasks in an “If This Then That” (IFTT) format.

Steve Mnuchin Gets Automation

3/25/2017

The High Cost of Automating Jobs

Donald Trump’s new Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, has impressed me this week with his grasp of the economic reality of the manufacturing world. He’s right--technology won’t be a huge factor in overall job levels for many decades. If ever.

Apple's Two Opposing Strategies

3/22/2017

Old Components and High Margins vs New Technology and Low Margins

Apple’s (AAPL) new $329 iPad continues down the same road that the iPhone SE blazed last year. They’re both parts-bin specials that assemble components from previous or newer devices to give Apple a budget-priced foothold.

Is Automation to Blame for Jobless Recoveries?

3/19/2017

The Usual Luddite Fear of the Unknown?

Adi Gaskell writing for Forbes shared some interesting data that goes against the popular belief that manufacturing automation will lead to mass unemployment.

A big thanks to Forbes for helping to quell this harmful myth…

The Future of Apple's 3D Touch

3/19/2017

The Universal Language of the Future

Engadget’s Edgar Alvarez reviewed Levis new smart jacket a few days ago and was optimistic about the future of non-traditional touch interface. This reinforces my belief that Apple (AAPL) is on the right track with its work on touch.

Tim Cook on the Globalization of Apple

3/18/2017

Discount Merchandise or American Jobs? Pick Only One

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Tim Cook is defending the globalization of Apple.

I’ve written about this before and as unpopular as it may be, Tim Cook is right.

Freight Is the New Labor: Why Apple Manufactures in China

Netflix Is Going After Movies Now

3/14/2017

Bloomberg Tech is reporting:
Now, the world’s largest paid video service is devoting more attention to motion pictures, looking to shake up that business just as it has TV. “Bright,” with a $90 million budget, is one of about 30 original films Netflix will release this year, from micro-budget pictures made by independent producers to lavish Hollywood productions. That’s a bigger slate than most major studios. --Lucas Shaw

In two years, if their bid in movies is successful, a $60 billion price tag for Netflix is going to look cheap.

Is Apple a Monopoly?

3/12/2017

9to5Mac reported that a UBS analyst says Apple is an 'anti-fragile monopoly' because of its iPhone pricing power. That is laughable. The Macalope said it best “Rejected headline: “Prominent UBS Analyst May Not Know What A Monopoly Is.

Drones as Weapons of War

3/11/2017

Writing for BuzzFeed, Mike Giglio talks about how ISIS is furiously using all means at their disposal to wage fierce war. One of those resources is using drones to drop bombs on the US-led coalition.

The iPhone 7 Plus Is a Terrible iPod Nano

3/11/2017

The Consequences of Size

The very first Apple product that I ever purchased was the 3rd generation iPod Touch introduced in the fall of 2009. I bought it specifically to store my music when I went to the gym or out for a run, but I was blown away with how much more capable it was compared to the Creative Zen mp3 players I had been using prior. Despite how great it was, I disliked having to carry a flip-phone in one pocket and an iPod in the other. One of them had to go.

Artificial Intelligence versus God

3/8/2017

Technology as Destroyer of Mankind?

The more I see and hear artificial intelligence discussed in a future context, the more I hear echoes of the biblical story of the great flood. Some use this account to dismiss the God of the Bible, Elohim, because it seems so extreme. Many are quick to throw accusations at Elohim such as how could a good god allow pain and suffering in the world or how could a good god allow mass genocide by wiping out mankind with a flood. This flood accusation I find particularly interesting, because the more we start to discuss the future power of artificial intelligence (AI), the more relevant it becomes.

The Abrupt Departure of Tesla’s CFO

3/5/2017

CFO Departures Are…Odd

It’s interesting that Tesla’s CFO had an abrupt departure from the company just before the quarterly earnings were announced.

More than any other function within a company, the Accounting and Finance group has accountability to the board of directors. The CFO is hired by the CEO and reports to him, but he works for the board of directors as well. As such, the accountants have a fiduciary responsibility to adhere to generally accepted accounting principles whether the CEO agrees with them or not.

iPad Pro: Book Reading Should Progress beyond the Current Paradigm

3/5/2017

That Which Was Not Possible, Now Is

One of the reasons I love my 9.7" iPad Pro is because it can do things better than either my iPhone 7 Plus or my MacBook Pro. One of those “things” debuted with the original iPad but can be further improved. That would be reading books.

Why Does the iPhone Need ANY Ports?

3/4/2017

So the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the next flagship iPhone may move to a USB Type C connector versus today’s proprietary Lightning. The question isn’t whether or not Apple would move the iPhone to USB-C, the question is why does the iPhone need any ports in the first place?

This Jeff Sessions Thing Is Trumped Up

3/2/2017

The Liberal Media Is a Disgrace

When the Russians hacked the DNC I said that it didn’t matter where the info came from because it didn’t change the nature of how the DNC conspired against Bernie Sanders. And when the leaks showed that Mike Flynn lied about speaking with his Russian counterpart I had the same attitude. Leaks or not, Trump had to let him go.

Remember Last Year’s Collective Freak Out over Apple’s Stock Price?

3/1/2017

I didn’t understand the doom-and-gloom last January. As growth funds started selling their positions in Apple (AAPL) when it became evident that the iPhone had suffered its first ever decline, writers were freaking out as if Apple stock was on a long ride to zero. They totally ignored the fact that Apple had a steady business, high margins, and a good management team. Their pessimism didn’t make any sense.