Probes of Big Tech Coming

This headline says quite a bit, especially given the toxic political environment in the United States today.

AG Barr Promise to Probe Big Tech Unites Democrats and Republicans

Well then.  I guess this is happening.

The question of technology's place in our world, in our society, our laws, our forms of government, and much more, has been growing as the impact becomes more understood.

What is government but a place where the voice of the people can be heard?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Earnings Recovery

The times they are a changing if you are Apple and your iPhone is struggling to help your company hit its earnings marks.

The early growth days are long in the rear-view mirror for Apple now.  Last year saw a decline like Apple hasn't seen in decades but there appears to be a stabilization in effect so far this year.


Here is the full story:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/tech/apple-q2-earnings-preview/index.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

"It has been Apple's pricing hubris on iPhone XR that was the major factor in the company's December earnings debacle in China," Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, wrote in an investor note on Friday. "However with some recent price cuts demand trends are slowly turning around in this all-important region for Cupertino."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

New Streaming Video Services

With the news from Apple's big event today you would think I would write about the new AppleTV streaming service.

Nah.

Amazon is the really interesting kid on the block to look at.

Why?

Data.

I've heard Amazon employees talk about swimming in oceans of data.  Outside looking in we have little idea what they have on us.  Let's take a small look at that and how it gives them a competitive advantage in streaming video services.

Read a part of the story here:

Facebook knows who you want to be, but Amazon knows who you really are,” says Alan Wolk, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst at TVREV, a TV- and advertising-focused analyst group. “People may like Starbucks on Facebook even if they only go three times a year, but Amazon knows they have a standing order for Maxwell House. The advantage for a lot of these franchises is, Amazon can sell a lot of merchandise and a lot of ads.”

That point extends far beyond The Lord of the Rings. Sports content is another big entertainment focus; Prime members can stream Thursday Night Football. Last week, the company also reportedly reached a deal with the New York Yankees and Sinclair Broadcasting to purchase the YES Network.

“Amazon knows who’s tuned into the Giants game,” says Wolk. “When Eli Manning goes for a touchdown, they can put jerseys on sale and see if people buy them if they’re $38 or $40. Do they buy two minutes after the touchdown or five? It’s scary how much they know about everyone.”

Here is the full story:

https://www.clickz.com/amazon-entertainment-advantages/228248/

Here is a piece on how Apple's new streaming service might lead to an Apple Prime membership:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-apples-streaming-video-service-should-lead-to-apple-prime-subscription-bundle/

Oh, and, here is a piece on AppleTV's new streaming service:

https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2019/03/25/apple-tv-gets-an-overhaul-is-now-available-on-more-devices/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Google Phone vs Apple iPhone

Great little article from the folks over at TechCrunch that looks at the most recent offerings from Google and Apple.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

First off, if you’re strapped for cash, or more accurately just want to be more responsible with the cash you do have, the price tags of these devices communicate some loud differences. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL go for $200 less than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, respectively. Paying $1,000 for a phone is wild, but it’s the world we live in...

Here is the full article:

https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/09/pixel-3-vs-iphone-xs-how-do-they-stack-up/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple's New Products 2018

Yawn.

Yes, I've been saying that for years now.  I'm a week removed from the product launch event and still haven't posted anything.

A new iPhone.

A new iPad?

A new iWatch err, I mean, Apple Watch.

This is the result of maturation of the product line and therefore isn't really newsworthy any more.  That is all fine.  Really.

Here we go:

iPhone Alphabet Soup

Who in the world came up with their naming convention for this lineup?  Last year we went from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 to the ... iPhone X.  Heh.  So clever (I have one and it is fantastic).  So where to go now?

The iPhone XS
The iPhone XS Max
The iPhone XR

What? Yeah.  A bigger option.  A cheaper option.  30 minutes more battery life! Faster! Fine. 

"Hey Joe, is that the new iPhone?"

"Yeap!  I love it.  This one is the "ten ess MAX".

"Huh? You mean the X S Max right?"

"Huh?"

Apple Watch Series 4

My Series 1 watch just had a issue.  The watch face, the screen of the tiny computer on my watch, just went flying off during a workout.  I'm on standby considering my options.  Apparently the early batteries had an issue where some would gradually enlarge.  Apple was even forced to increase the warranty from 1 to 3 years.  Mine is 3 and 1/2 years old.  Mmmhmmm.

The Series 4 has a bigger flatter screen and more rounded edges.  Okay.

Here is an article on this subject that provides some details I did not:

https://www.recode.net/2018/9/12/17850362/apple-iphone-xs-event-apple-watch-series-4-airpods

Some reports indicate Apple will announce new iPad and Mac devices later:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2018/09/15/up-next-for-apple-2018-macbook-air-new-ipad-pro/#5070fa843e26

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The New iOS for your iPhone and iPad

iOS 12 is out now and once again Apple is playing catchup with its hardware.

The hardware in their mobile line is 2nd to none in most areas but the software behind it lags year after year. 

The first two paragraphs in this story tells quite a bit:

Apple's iOS 12 software update is available today for supported iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices, and on the surface, it looks like one of the smallest new iOS releases Apple has pushed out.

This isn't a surprise; Apple said earlier this year that iOS 12 would be more about performance and stability than adding new features. Some major additions that were originally planned—like an overhauled home screen—were reportedly delayed to a later release.

Here is the full story:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/ios-12-thoroughly-reviewed/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Are You Willing to Pay More for Your iPhone?

...and more ...

...and more ...

How did they do it?  How did Apple get us to pay more for our iPhones?

The most recent line of phones has one that finally topped $1000.  That's the price of a pretty good television and folks are lining up to pay that for a tiny computer your carry in your pocket.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

"Apple has been intentionally testing the price elasticity of its products in the past few years, and what it found is customers have an appetite for more expensive iPhones," said Wayne Lam, an analyst at IHS Markit.

The iPhone XS, which replaces the similar iPhone X, keeps the $999 price tag but is now in the middle of the new X-branded line, not on top.

Here is the full story:

https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/13/technology/apple-iphone-prices/index.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The New Nike Mobile App Store

We've been hearing it for years now.

Bricks & Mobile, the play on the descriptive "Bricks & Mortar".

Truer words were never said.

When I was building the shopping assistant app for regional supermarkets the concept was an in-store shopping assistant.  I envisioned mobile would soon enable concierge level service for the masses.

Hello Nike.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

A year later, the mobile strategy is showing results with direct-to-consumer sales that rose 34% and comparable store sales gains of 5% in fiscal Q4 2017 from a year earlier, per eMarketer research. Nike's website also had about 11% of the online traffic generated by the top 10 U.S. apparel retailers in Q1 2018, one of the only direct-to-consumer brands in the top 10, according to SimilarWeb.

Here is the full article:

https://www.mobilemarketer.com/news/nike-melds-mobile-physical-retail-with-new-la-concept-store/527832/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0259 Regulating Technology

Best Reading of the Day

"Robber Barons"

That's what they were called.

In the late 1800s they industrialists who used questionable methods to get rich came to be known as robbers. 

Here is a bit more on that subject:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robber_baron_(industrialist)

That is the language now in use to describe Google, Facebook, Amazon and more who have convinced the masses of the population to hand over their valuable personal data for free.  Time for regulations of these giants in technology?  There is an argument to be made.

Read more here:

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611425/its-time-to-rein-in-the-data-barons/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

When Mark Zuckerberg appeared before Congress earlier this year to discuss how the now-defunct political-data company Cambridge Analytica acquired data of up to 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge or consent, one of the few pointed questions came from Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina. “Who’s your biggest competitor?” Graham demanded. After Zuckerberg replied that Google, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft all had some overlap with various Facebook products, Graham chafed at the answer.

“If I buy a Ford and it doesn’t work well and I don’t like it,” pressed the senator, “I can buy a Chevy. If I’m upset with Facebook, what’s the equivalent product I can go sign up for?”

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Car Play Finally Opening Up

Do you have a preferred map navigation program?

I admit I became completely hooked on Waze when you could select Elvis Presley for your navigation voice.

<Elvis Voice> Uhh Right hand turn comin up baby.<End Elvis Voice>

Not so much since it was acquired by Google, lost the Elvis voice, and the real-time traffic data began showing up on Google Maps.

My new car, a 2017 I bought last summer, has Apple CarPlay in it that I never use.  Why?  It works great if you stay within the walled garden of Apple programs.  Want a map program other than Apple's?  Nope.  Music? Just play from your iPhone (Apple Music) and it works great but Sat Radio?  No, not going to be friendly with that.

Finally some of that will change with the new version of iOS coming soon.

Here is the full story:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-carplay-ios-12-will-finally-let-you-use-google-maps-waze/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE** The big iOS update has quite a bit more to it.  Read on: iOS UPDATE DETAILS at CNET

What Facebook's Problems Mean to You

As the Federal Trade Commission looks in to Facebook's interactions with the now widely known company Cambridge Analytica people across the U.S. and the globe are waking up to a startling revelation ...

Facebook has a ton of data about you.

Wait. That isn't news to you? Good!

Here is that story in case you are interested:

https://www.cnet.com/news/ftc-confirms-its-investigating-facebook/

Here is the next startling revelation ... ready?

Every company out there wants your data too. The only difference is Facebook got caught with its hand in the cookie jar and the company it was in business with, Cambridge Analytica, is engaged in some very dirty business. Setting up politicians so it appears they had sexual relations with Ukranian escorts. According to their CEO on video it doesn't matter if the person actually engaged in the behavior it just has to appear that way. Great business you have there, but, hey, so long as your kids get to go to expensive private schools who cares if you help destroy democracy.

Apple is reportedly interested in seeing Facebook put under the microscope for this.

Of course they are. Facebook eats Apple's lunch on personal data. Apple might gain more marketing dollars if Facebook loses out. It's a gold rush to get your data and all of the technology companies, and retailers, want in.

Where Facebook has really done is overstepping on what they gather without proper notification. Android users woke up to a shock over this when they found Facebook was gathering their phone conversations.

I have been predicting we will see a general pullback in technology due to security concerns. Privacy concern are trumping that. Regulations are next.

Is it time we the people gained a measure of control over the technology that has become central to our lives?

Giving out your personal information is a trade-off  You give something of value and receive something of value in return. I have a rewards card or my favorite supermarket. No worries. However when the data gathering is unclear or used in ways you don't agree with and without your consent you should be concerned.

Happy Reading.

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**

I have several articles to add to this.  First up is news the U.S. immigration force, rounding up illegal entrants, is using Facebook data to track, locate, and presumably remove folks:
http://fortune.com/2018/03/27/facebook-data-ice-immigrants-deport/

Can the consumer gain from this fiasco?  Yes according to one analyst and I agree.  This is an important moment, a wake-up call, to folks who haven't followed what is happening to them digitally. Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/facebook-data-scandal-should-be-a-wake-up-call-about-online-footprint.html

When an issue enters the public awareness to a level it is parodied in TV comedies you know it is a problem.  Facebook is spelled in Russian during the new opening for Season 5 of the hit HBO comedy 'Silicon Valley'. A reference to Russian trolls using Facebook data to attack the 2016 elections. See it and read more here: https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2018/3/26/17164094/silicon-valley-season-5-opening-credits-facebook-easter-egg-russian-cyrillic-letters-fake-news

More bad news for Facebook on the front page of Bloomberg's marketing pages: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-03-27/ad-scammers-need-suckers-and-facebook-helps-find-them

What Facebook's troubles mean to marketers, that's you right? Read on:
https://econsultancy.com/blog/69902-facebook-is-in-real-trouble-what-it-could-mean-for-marketers/

I'll add more if I find worthy entries in this ongoing story.  I think we are about to see some technologies become treated as equivalent to utilities such as electricity, running water, and phone service.  How that changes the game is easy to see.  A vacuum will be created and other companies, such as Apple, will rush to fill it with their services.

The In-Store Shopping Opportunity for Mobile Apps

When I was first imagining the mobile app I would build for regional supermarkets the biggest opportunity I saw was to help reinvent the in-store shopping experience.

Want to find a store?  Don't you already have a favorite supermarket picked out?  Doesn't google do that for you?

After you've been to the store?  What?  Recipes to cook the food you bought?  Sure, but there are a few resources for recipes available already right?

In the store?

Now you're cooking with butter!

(I love that saying)

Walmart is at it in a big way and it is worth following.  With resources I could only dream of they are reimagining the shopping experience.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

With a new mobile app experience, Walmart is hoping to change the way people shop at its brick-and-mortar stores. The multinational retail chain, which now has more than 11,600 stores under 59 banners and ecommerce websites in 11 countries, recently debuted a new mobile app experience that promises to get customers in and out of stores more quickly, reimagining in-person shopping.

Walmart’s new Store Assistant is an all-encompassing mobile app solution...

Here is the full article:

http://streetfightmag.com/2018/02/27/walmart-reimagines-in-store-shopping-experience-with-mobile-update/

Now imagine if none of the past were present and no stores existed today and you wanted to open a store.  What would you do .... today?  Mobile interactions?  Social media interactions?  You bet.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

What to do About Smartphone Addicts?

Is there a smartphone addict in your life?

Is it you?

Your significant other?

Children?

Co-workers?

Students?

What can you do about it?

Plenty.

Read more here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/02/05/this-millennial-discovered-a-surprisingly-simple-solution-to-smartphone-addiction-schools-love-it/?utm_term=.7e4c900d9068

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Ditch the phones.

He founded a company, Yondr, whose small, gray pouches swallow phones and lock them away from the fingers and eyes of their addicted owners. Since it started in 2014, hundreds of thousands of the neoprene pouches have been used across North America, Europe and Australia.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Struggles with Supply of iPhone X

Reports indicate Apple has taken the path of “an aggressive design” with the iPhone X and is attempting to fulfill demand with “a very aggressive schedule”.

Okay. Maybe I should wait to order mine?

Here is a snippet from the story:

As of early fall, it was clearer than ever that production problems meant Apple Inc. wouldn’t have enough iPhone Xs in time for the holidays. The challenge was how to make the sophisticated phone—with advanced features such as facial recognition—in large enough numbers.

As Wall Street analysts and fan blogs watched for signs that the company would stumble, Apple came up with a solution: It quietly told suppliers they could reduce the accuracy of the face-recognition technology to make it easier to manufacture, according to people familiar with the situation.

Here is the full story:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/inside-apple-s-struggle-to-get-the-iphone-x-to-market-on-time?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Apple has pushed back against this story.

Why I’m Going to Buy the New iPhone X

What matters to you when it comes to smart phones?  Latest and greatest?  Well, okay, but what does that do for you?  Why does the latest and greatest matter to you?  Utility then?  Okay.  What does this new gadget do that I need and wasn’t available before?

What if it’s just better?

That’s why I’ll pick up the iPhone X when it comes out.  Forget about the silly (but perhaps hyper futuristic) “Face ID” capability where you unlock the device with you face.  This new beauty has the very best screen, OLED, and the best camera, and is in the form that I prefer.

Here’s what sold it for me: the dimensions of the device.  I’m going to boor you a moment with some numbers.

Dimensions of previous iPhones:
iPhone 6S – 5.44” x 2.64”
iPhone 6S Plus – 6.23”x3.07”
iPhone 7 and 8 are similar to the 6S
iPhone X – 5.65”x2.79”

Let us take a look at that.  Starting with the 6S series the camera was improved in the “Plus” version over the smaller phone.  This has continued through the 7 and now 8.  Want the nicer camera?  You have to get the much larger device.  This has bothered me, but Apple just changed that.

They took the hardware of the larger “Plus” models and put it in to the much smaller iPhone X, plus they  greatly improved the screen to OLED technology, and only had to make it slightly bigger than the smaller non-Plus phones. That’s what I’ve wanted all along.  The quality phone of the “Plus” with the form factor of the non-Plus.

That’s it.  I’m in.

Prediction time.  We’ll see the iPhone X sell well and the next generation will bring back the “Plus” concept to the premier level phone.  We’ll get something like an iPhone 8S with 8S Plus and a premium iPhone XI with XI Plus.  Coming to your local Apple store in 2018.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Event 2017

I actually wrote this up quite a while ago but then needed to transfer it to my blog.  Ugh.  My new workflow for this is not pretty, but I'll find a way.

Here goes...

iPhone
Three new phones: the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and … the iPhone X (or “ten”).  I’ll pop an article or two at the bottom of this entry.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Think iPhone 7 improved.  Or as one writer noted about the new glass backed phone “now you can shatter the glass on the front AND back of your expensive new phone”.  It is necessary for wireless charging introduced with this version so … okay, fine it looks good too.

iPhone X
This is the one we had heard about and were waiting for and it mostly lived up to the hype.  They basically took the guts of the iPhone 8 Plus and put it in to a form factor like the plain ole 8.  Not huge like the Plus, but with the excellent camera and a greatly improved screen with (finally) OLED technology.  This is a really great phone.

Apple Watch
Fitness and health is the mantra for these wearables and with good reason.  The series 3 mostly improves the software around those with version 4 of the software but also adds an option for LTE connectivity so you can leave your phone at home and still get data, phone calls, etc.  The first time you hail a Lyft ride from your watch you’ll gasp I’m sure.

Apple TV 4K
So now that the whole world of television has gone to 4K resolution Apple is finally following.  Great.  Next.

Not a bad event this year, but, these keynotes are really feeling unnecessary to me.

Here are the articles:
Wired.com has a page with links to a few articles, one for each new product line.
https://www.wired.com/2017/09/apple-iphone-2017-liveblog/

Want to save some money on the new iPhones?
http://fortune.com/2017/09/14/apple-iphone-x-black-friday-deals/

Did Face ID fail on stage?  No, the rehearsal failed, according to Apple
https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-face-id-didnt-fail-during-iphone-x-demo/

Who Is Innovating in Personal Computers?

iPhone

Tablets

Laptops

Computers

While Apple is frequently pushing the edge with its iPhone its play in the PC space is lagging substantially.  Who is the leader now?  One article says it is Microsoft.

The software company that ruled the world once upon a time is doing pretty well with hardware today.  Worth a read.  Here is a snippet from the piece:

...today, the company is making the most visionary computers in the industry, if not the best machines, period. In the last two years, while Apple has focused mainly on mobile devices, Microsoft has put out a series of computers that reimagine the future of PCs in thrilling ways.

Here is the full story:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/technology/microsoft-pcs-apple.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The iPhone at 10 Years Old - It Begins

We will be seeing a bunch of these articles as the 10 year anniversary approaches.

I have one phone from each major update, including a working original iPhone.  I have the Game 4 from the 2004 ALCS MLB game between Boston and New York on it that I pull up some times.

Good little read here to see how far the smartphone has come:

https://www.cnet.com/news/using-the-2007-iphone-in-2017/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple's WWDC 2017

The Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) Apple holds every year is an opportunity for the folks in Cupertino to showcase their software work, but has recently been a source for hardware announcements as well.

I think we are seeing the end of the big event announcements from Apple as their new products have been underwhelming year after year.

At this year's conference we saw a slew of software updates such as the new iOS as well as upgrades to hardware and Apple's first new hardware in over 2 years.

I'll capture a bit of the news and provide links for further reading.

The biggest news is a great point of focus to help us see how different Apple is under CEO Cook vs. the days under Jobs.  Cook was the supply chain guy at Apple so why should we expect great creative new product breakthroughs?  Incremental work is what you'd expect from such a leader and that's what we've seen.  Take, for example, the announcement of the Apple HomePod.  This is their competitor to the Amazon and Google devices, the Amazon Echo and Google Home, that have both been quite successful.

Apple HomePod

In the old days under Jobs Apple would have been 2nd or 3rd to the market, exactly as they've done here, but they would have taken the time to learn what works & what doesn't to provide an entry that blows away the competitors.  This device is underwhelming in every way including the name.  Only in one way does it retain the Apple method of old: its the most expensive version of such devices.  This time, however, it isn't nearly worth the price.

Anything Else?

Sure.  Updates to iOS.  An incremental set of changes to the iPad Pro that make it more like the Microsoft Surface tablets (yet still well short).  A super expensive MAC and new MacOS.

Anyway, to read on check out the folks at Re/Code.  As usual their write-up is excellent:

https://www.recode.net/2017/6/5/15740882/wwdc-2017-need-to-know-apple-ios-watchos-mac-ipad-siri

You should read this piece on why one analyst misses Steve Jobs:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/i-miss-steve-jobs-and-his-reality-distortion-field/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0249 Microsoft vs. Apple

Best Reading of the Day

The never ending war continues.  It is as if the novel "1984" was actually about computer wars struggling for the hearts and minds of customers everywhere (not to belittle the tragedy of war).

Great read though:

http://www.cio.com/article/3188853/it-industry/microsoft-vs-apple-strategies-change-but-the-battle-continues.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The Microsoft vs. Apple argument is getting old. At this point, it's safe to say there's enough room in the enterprise for both tech giants. Still, it's difficult to ignore when one starts to surpass the other in either enterprise or consumer popularity.

Earlier this month, Apple revealed to TechCrunch that Windows 10 is four times as popular as macOS or OS X, with 400 million estimated devices running Microsoft's OS. And earlier in 2016, Microsoft claimed that disappointment over the MacBook Pro drove sales of the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.

Although the numbers suggest Windows 10 is more popular, it's also important to note that Windows 10 is available on more tablets and laptops than macOS or iOS, with greater options for entry-level and budget models. It's easier to own multiple Windows 10 devices on a budget, compared to Apple's smartphones, tablets and notebooks.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant