February 2012
8 posts
Mitt Romney’s Conservatism Called Into Question... →
“It confirms yet again that Romney is not a limited government conservative.”
One RIM Every Two Days
Apple reported its Q4 2011 earnings after the market closed on January 24th. Since then, there have been 18 trading days, and Apple’s market cap has increased by $76.2 billion, from $392 billion to $468.2 billion. That’s a rate of $4.2 billion per day.
According to WolframAlpha, RIM had an average market cap of $8.3 billion during the same 18-day trading period.
For more than three weeks...
Where are the WSJ’s Fact Checkers? →
Taos Turner, reporting for the Wall Street Journal:
Apple sold about 87 million iPhones world-wide in 2011, according to its latest quarterly report.
No. Apple sold 93 million iPhones in 2011.
Apple to Take On Windows 8 with OS X Mountain Lion →
Paul Thurrott:
Apple surprised tech enthusiasts this morning with an announcement about a coming Mac OS X update, dubbed Mountain Lion, that will ship this summer. There were absolutely no rumors to indicate such a release was coming, and—given the timing—one can logically assume that Apple is trying to steal some thunder from Microsoft’s eagerly awaited Windows 8.
Yep. That’s why Apple...
Congress Sends Letter to Apple Over Path Debacle →
If only congress worked as fast on the real issues that face this country.
Calling Captain Obvious →
Josh Ong at AppleInsider:
A new analysis from investment bank J.P. Morgan says Windows-based ultrabooks are unlikely to achieve similar success as Apple’s MacBook Air in their first generation and will not become “meaningful enough” to drive growth in the notebook PC market until at least 2013.
Why will 2013 be different?
To Catch a Hypocrite →
MG Siegler:
These assclowns should be fined out of existence or go to jail for a level of hypocrisy so bad that it makes Newt Gingrich seem like a good husband fully qualified to lecture others on ethics.
Sell Apple Shares at $475 →
Bullshit. In the short- and long-term, $AAPL is one of the safest investments you can make.
January 2012
15 posts
School Bans Fuzzy Boots Used to Hide Cell Phones →
Dave Warner at Reuters:
Starting Monday [Pottstown Middle School] is banning the wearing of fuzzy open-top boots, including the popular Ugg brand, to middle school classes because students have been stashing cell phones in the loose footwear, according to district director of community relations John Armato.
Seriously? Should they ban backpacks because students can hide their phones in them,...
The Austerity Debacle →
Paul Krugman:
Such invocations of the confidence fairy were never plausible; researchers at the International Monetary Fund and elsewhere quickly debunked the supposed evidence that spending cuts create jobs. Yet influential people on both sides of the Atlantic heaped praise on the prophets of austerity, Mr. Cameron in particular, because the doctrine of expansionary austerity dovetailed with...
Apple Predicted to Sell Up to 40M iPhones on China... →
At current sales prices, that would be more than $13.5 billion in profit.
I was Wrong →
Back in March of last year, I predicted that Apple would be 2011’s largest PC manufacturer. It turns out that Apple sold 58.3 million PCs in 2011, and HP sold about 61.4 million.
Apple was, however, the largest PC manufacturer in Q4 2011.
Takeaways from Apple’s (Q4) 2011
Apple just reported earnings for the fourth calendar quarter of 2011. It sold 37.04 million iPhones, 15.43 million iPads, and 5.2 million Macs. With a record $13.06 billion in profits, it was Apple’s best quarter ever — by far. If we do some quick math with Apple’s (fourth quarter) 2011 sales numbers, we can determine some incredible things.
In 2009, Apple sold more iPhones than it did in 2007...
Perspective
Picture the entire political spectrum, from communism all the way on the left to fascism all the way on the right.
Now picture America’s two mainstream political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
If a ruler represents the entire political spectrum, with communism at the 1 inch mark and fascism at the 12 inch mark, then Democrats and Republicans are at the 5 and 7 inch...
Kodak Files for Bankruptcy Protection →
A sad day.
RIM is Still Screwed, Just in Case You were... →
Jonathan Geller at BGR:
We have heard that Jim Balsillie is actively meeting with almost every company that might be interested in either a part or all of RIM, in addition to having talks about licensing.
It Looks Like Apple was the Number One PC Vendor... →
Horace Dediu, today:
Apple is ahead of schedule on their taking the top spot in terms of units.
Me, six months ago:
Apple […] will be 2011’s largest PC manufacturer.
HP Can’t Match Apple’s Prices →
And they make nowhere near the profits.
(Via John Gruber)
This Is Weird →
Scott Wilson and Greg Jaffe, reporting for The Washington Post:
Obama favored what Donilon described as a broad discussion of U.S. strategy and priorities, including the need to expand its military influence in Asia.
Why do we need to expand our “military influence” in Asia?
Time To Take Profits In Apple →
Thomas Kee, the president and CEO of Stock Traders Daily, kindly shares some of his wisdom with us:
In the case of Apple (AAPL +0.95%), the demise of the growth rate of what was once one of the best on the planet is happening in front of our eyes. Unless Apple starts to serve its customers better, it will begin to materially lose market share and revenue and earnings projections will come down...
A False Dichotomy →
The Wall Street Journal on Mitt Romney:
He says the coming election represents “a very simple choice” between Mr. Obama’s “European social democrat” vision and “a merit-based opportunity society—an American-style society—where people earn their rewards based upon their education, their work, their willingness to take risks and their dreams.”
I don’t understand that type of thinking. It doesn’t...
Verizon iPhone Sales More Than Doubled →
Maybe the pattern will continue?
Those Are Some Great Analysts →
Theresa Tedesco and Matt Hartley, reporting for the Financial Post:
Much of the negative sentiment around RIM in 2011 was caused by the underwhelming launch and poor performance the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer, a device that was supposed to be RIM’s answer to rival Apple Inc.’s iPad. While some analysts expected RIM to sell several million PlayBooks in its first year, to date, RIM has...
December 2011
12 posts
1 tag
The Six Words That Can Fix America
Wages are at an all time low while corporate profits are at an all time high. Big businesses continue to ship jobs overseas while unemployment is at 8.6 percent. The median net worth of a congressman has more than doubled since 1984 while it has dropped for the average American.
Our government used to work for the middle class. Not anymore.
Even if you make 100 times the median income (i.e. if...
Will Apple Outsell Every Android Vendor Combined...
Nearly six months ago, on June 28th, Android chief Andy Rubin told us that 500,000 Android devices were being activated daily. On December 20th, he gave up an update: 700,000 Android devices were being activated every single day. Because those two dates are exactly 25 weeks apart, you can calculate the average rate at which Android activations have increased.
Things have changed since Andy...
RIM is Screwed, Part Three →
Jonathan Geller at BGR:
In what is something of a serious allegation, our source told us that Mike Lazaridis was lying when he said the company’s new lineup was delayed for that reason. ”RIM is simply pushing this out as long as they can for one reason, they don’t have a working product yet,” we were told.
Isn’t purposefully misleading investors illegal?
Blackberry ASP is on the Rise
RIM just reported earnings for the final calendar quarter of 2011. 79% percent of their $5.2 billion in revenue came from the sale of hardware, which includes both Blackberrys and PlayBooks. That means RIM brought in $4.108 billion from hardware sales.
If you multiply the 150,000 Playbooks RIM sold by the same $554 Playbook average selling price I’ve used in previous quarters, then RIM took in...
RIM is Still in Trouble (Who Could Have Guessed?) →
Dan Gallagher for Marketwatch:
The weakening sentiment drove Research In Motion shares to new lows as the stock slid more than 2.5% to close at $15.08; the shares earlier slipped below the $15 mark for the first time in more than seven years, on a split-adjusted basis. The stock is down nearly 74% for the year.
RIM is reporting earnings tomorrow. I think they’ll announce blow-out results and...
Putting It In Perspective →
Jesse LaGreca:
Let’s put it like this, if some country screwed over America the way Goldman Sachs did, you can rest assured that Republicans would be demanding that we bomb the shit out of them and then invade them for their natural resources.
NYU Will Offer Classes on Occupy Wall Street Next... →
Why take this class when you could go out and actually take part in Occupy Wall Street?
The Economy and the School System →
Someone who goes by the name of “Galatea”:
It really only takes one innovative person to have a huge impact on the economy. But what exactly is the problem: that not enough people are trying or have the mental capacity to do so? That we as a generation are too risk-averse, a characteristic compounded by a faltering economy?
Yes. We, as a generation, are too risk-averse. And you can’t fix that...
The Fourth Estate →
About half an hour into a lecture titled “WikiLeaks, one year later”, P.J. Crowley, the former State Department official who was fired for calling alleged WikiLeaker Bradley Manning’s treatment “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid”, reveals the cozy relationship between the federal government and The New York Times:
At our request, they actually did not report on certain matters that...
“Until They’re Ready” →
Better than last time’s “it takes guts to not allow a product to launch that may be 90% ready with a quarter end in sight”.
IDC Expects Windows 8 Tablet Sales Will Be... →
What a guess.
RIM is Screwed →
From RIM’s press release earlier today:
As previously disclosed, RIM has a high level of BlackBerry PlayBook inventory. The Company now believes that an increase in promotional activity is required to drive sell-through to end customers. This is due to several factors, including recent shifts in the competitive dynamics of the tablet market and a delay in the release of the PlayBook OS 2.0...
November 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Math Has Become Politicized
Russ Roberts on Paul Krugman:
Krugman is a Keynesian because he wants bigger government. I’m an anti-Keynesian because I want smaller government. Both of us can find evidence for our worldviews.
Paul Krugman, responding:
Russ Roberts may choose his economic views because they support his political prejudices. I try not to. Maybe I sometimes fall short — but I try to analyze the economy as...
Apple could become leading global PC vendor in... →
Jim Dalrymple at The Loop:
Market research firm Canalys on Monday said it expects Apple to overtake HP and become the world’s leading PC vendor before the second half of 2012.
I think it’s highly likely that Apple will overtake HP this year, not next.
One in Ten Mobile Phone Owners Over 13 Have an... →
Just wait until kids under 13 get their first phone.
October 2011
8 posts
Why We Unfortunately Need More Deficit Spending
Home prices soared 47.9 percent from 2000, when the median home price was $147,300, to 2007, when the median home price was $217,900. Because most people’s wealth derived from the value of their homes, the burst of the housing bubble directly led to the Great Recession.
Hard-working, everyday people lost their jobs, and, in some cases, their life savings. This led to a decrease in spending,...
HP is Keeping Its PC Division →
My guess: Nobody wanted to buy it.
ARM’s Profit Doubles →
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: ARM is going to take over the world.
An Incredible Statistic →
Jordan Golson at MacRumors:
The combined average selling price of the Mac and iPad — Apple’s most “computeresque” offerings — is $852 for the first 9 months of 2011. When the iPhone is added to that, the combined ASP of Apple’s three most popular products is $733, nearly 50 percent higher than average selling price of a Windows PC sold at U.S. retail.
And...
Apple’s Fourth Fiscal Quarter by the Numbers
Apple just reported earnings for its fourth fiscal quarter of 2011. It was Apple’s best September quarter ever, with year over year revenue and profit growth of 40.0% and 53.6%, respectively. Apple sold 17.07 million iPhones; a record 4.89 million Macs; and 11.12 million iPads, another all-time record.
The average selling price of an iPhone grew 5.20% year over year and 0.55% quarter over...
Apple Sells 4 Million iPhone 4S’s →
Doesn’t look like they’ll have any trouble continuing the pattern.
“Dead in the Water” →
People preordered a total of 600,000 iPhone 4’s in 24 hours last year. AT&T sold 200,000 iPhone 4S’s in 12 hours today.
Maybe my 2011 iPhone sales estimates are actually too low?
Rest in Peace, Steve
Here’s to the crazy one. The misfit. The rebel. The troublemaker. The round peg in the square hole. The one who saw things differently.
He wasn’t fond of rules. And he had no respect for the status quo. You could quote him, disagree with him, glorify or vilify him. About the only thing you couldn’t do was ignore him. Because he changed things. He pushed the human race forward.
And while some...
September 2011
5 posts
3 tags
Democrats Suck at Politics
Whether you agree with them or not, Congressional Republicans boast a clear, concise message to the American public. It goes something like this: “The government is too big, spends too much, and over-regulates the market. It needs to be shrunk, spend less, and stop being a burden on businesses.”
We can debate all day long (and probably the next day, too) whether or not that’s true, but it makes...
4 tags
The Decline of Blackberry ASP
RIM just reported earnings for its second fiscal quarter of 2012. 73% of its $4.2 billion in revenue came from the sale of hardware, which includes Blackberrys and Playbooks. That means RIM brought in $3.066 billion from hardware sales.
RIM shipped 10.6 million Blackberrys and 200,000 Playbooks. Assuming the average selling price of a Playbook is $554 (what I used last quarter), then RIM brought...
Where Do Analysts Get Their Numbers? →
Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster thinks Apple will sell 143 million iPhones and 68 million iPads in 2013.
Apple will handily beat those numbers next year, yet alone in 2013.
The Republican Strategy →
Recently retired Republican congressional staffer Mike Lofgren:
A couple of years ago, a Republican committee staff director told me candidly (and proudly) what the method was to all this obstruction and disruption. Should Republicans succeed in obstructing the Senate from doing its job, it would further lower Congress’s generic favorability rating among the American people. By...