Liberty Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/shape-things-come Thanks for sharing. Reading the introduction made me realize that my Apple position is probably too large. I would hate to wake up to the press release of Ive's retirement. "In recent months, Sir Jonathan Ive, the forty-seven-year-old senior vice-president of design at Apple—who used to play rugby in secondary school, and still has a bench-pressing bulk that he carries a little sheepishly, as if it belonged to someone else—has described himself as both “deeply, deeply tired” and “always anxious.” He is now one of the two most powerful people in the world’s most valuable company. He sometimes listens to CNBC Radio on his hour-long commute from San Francisco to Apple’s offices, in Silicon Valley, but he’s uncomfortable knowing that a hundred thousand Apple employees rely on his decision-making—his taste—and that a sudden announcement of his retirement would ambush Apple shareholders. (To take a number: a ten-percent drop in Apple’s valuation represents seventy-one billion dollars.) According to Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’s widow, who is close to Ive and his family, “Jony’s an artist with an artist’s temperament, and he’d be the first to tell you artists aren’t supposed to be responsible for this kind of thing.” Indeed, but make sure to read the whole thing and keep it in context. Most of this interview was done around the time of the Apple Watch release, with Jony working himself very hard (pneumonia), right before going on vacation. Chances are he's feeling much better now. The man is clearly in love with what he does (or rather, he is what he does), he'll never stop designing things, he's just 47, and he couldn't do what he does anywhere else than Apple (scale, culture, technology, breadth of projects). So maybe he'll retire tomorrow, you never know, but I wouldn't give that risk more weight than it deserves based on a journalist catching him at a very hectic time when he's tired and sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txlaw Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 While I agree with the stance, I don't see how it is a competitive advantage. Counterpoints: - Many, many people don't mind exposing some of their private life on Facebook - I believe quite a few Android users swear by Google Now (or did the name change at some point?), the app that pulls information about your trips, where you live, and so on, to suggest optimal routes/inform you about the weather/... You can't really go by what people do on FB as the be all, end all on whether or not they care about privacy. There is a well known phenomenon there called the "privacy paradox" that details how people care about privacy in a way that isn't necessarily reflected in their actions. That paradox is likely a result of bounded rationality, lack of consumer options, opacity on the part of tech providers, etc. People are only now starting to understand the privacy implications of all of this new technology and the business models associated with companies provisioning said technology. There's a reason why things like "ephemeral messaging" have been growing more popular. As for Google Now, I know people who think it's fantastic, but I also know people who think it is "creepy," including people who actually work at Google! There will definitely be people who would rather not have Google know and attempt to figure out what it is they want by hoovering up as much personal information as possible -- and those people will be more likely to buy devices from companies like Apple. I'm one of those people, actually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txlaw Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 While I agree with the stance, I don't see how it is a competitive advantage. Counterpoints: - Many, many people don't mind exposing some of their private life on Facebook - I believe quite a few Android users swear by Google Now (or did the name change at some point?), the app that pulls information about your trips, where you live, and so on, to suggest optimal routes/inform you about the weather/... You can't really go by what people do on FB as the be all, end all on whether or not they care about privacy. There is a well known phenomenon there called the "privacy paradox" that details how people care about privacy in a way that isn't necessarily reflected in their actions. That paradox is likely a result of bounded rationality, lack of consumer options, opacity on the part of tech providers, etc. People are only now starting to understand the privacy implications of all of this new technology and the business models associated with companies provisioning said technology. There's a reason why things like "ephemeral messaging" have been growing more popular. As for Google Now, I know people who think it's fantastic, but I also know people who think it is "creepy," including people who actually work at Google! There will definitely be people who would rather not have Google know and attempt to figure out what it is they want by hoovering up as much personal information as possible -- and those people will be more likely to buy devices from companies like Apple. I'm one of those people, actually! Also, keep in mind that although I believe there is a "competitive advantage" there for Apple with respect to privacy issues, I'm not saying at all that I think this allows Apple to sustain the current level of profits, or that Apple's business model is superior to others' business models on an absolute basis. When I say "competitive advantage," I'm really talking about privacy as an important "point of differentiation." So maybe I should be using that term instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namo Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Also, keep in mind that although I believe there is a "competitive advantage" there for Apple with respect to privacy issues, I'm not saying at all that I think this allows Apple to sustain the current level of profits, or that Apple's business model is superior to others' business models on an absolute basis. When I say "competitive advantage," I'm really talking about privacy as an important "point of differentiation." So maybe I should be using that term instead. Ok, I can get behind that more easily. It doesn't seem an important point to most consumers though, hence my disagreeing with the competitive advantage part. It might become one in the future. (As an aside, I use an Android phone, but I use an app called XPrivacy which gives me fairly extensive control over what information apps have access to. However, it requires a rooted phone and it's not easy to use at first.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innerscorecard Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I use an app called XPrivacy which gives me fairly extensive control over what information apps have access to. However, it requires a rooted phone and it's not easy to use at first.) Almost no one in the world uses technology like you, or would even be able to. I'd be extremely wary of trying to think through consumer preferences through your own experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namo Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Almost no one in the world uses technology like you, or would even be able to. I'd be extremely wary of trying to think through consumer preferences through your own experiences. Of course!! It was an aside, because I recall from other threads that there are a lot of engineers (including I.T.) on this board. :) The use of Facebook and Android is, to me, proof that privacy is not in practice a determining criterion for most people. (But as txlaw indicated, when asked, they will rank privacy fairly high as a theoretical criterion.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txlaw Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Also, keep in mind that although I believe there is a "competitive advantage" there for Apple with respect to privacy issues, I'm not saying at all that I think this allows Apple to sustain the current level of profits, or that Apple's business model is superior to others' business models on an absolute basis. When I say "competitive advantage," I'm really talking about privacy as an important "point of differentiation." So maybe I should be using that term instead. Ok, I can get behind that more easily. It doesn't seem an important point to most consumers though, hence my disagreeing with the competitive advantage part. It might become one in the future. (As an aside, I use an Android phone, but I use an app called XPrivacy which gives me fairly extensive control over what information apps have access to. However, it requires a rooted phone and it's not easy to use at first.) I do think consumer attitudes are finally changing, particularly with respect to data that they understand is stored in the cloud. Interestingly, part of that change is being driven by the consumerization of enterprise IT. Take this announcement by MSFT: http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2015/02/16/microsoft-adopts-first-international-cloud-privacy-standard/ . You can see that they are really trying to market this adoption of privacy standards to enterprise customers, but this will have a side effect of better protecting privacy on the consumer side. One more thought, though, on developing markets. There will be much less focus on privacy issues in developing markets, where the benefits of new technology could potentially be orders of magnitude greater than in the developed world. I am quite pessimistic that the notions of privacy that we have in NA and Western Europe will not take root in a way that would be beneficial to those developing markets. Indeed, I just read an article about how there are many people in emerging markets who get FB-only plans who don't even know they're accessing the Internet. Talk about situations where consumers are really at a disadvantage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Some good stuff here: http://overca.st/Bihn3Stfw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 http://dcurt.is/fashion "From a technological perspective, the car had transformed human society well before 1930. But it didn’t truly feel human until the 1940s, when the raw technology was infused with cultural significance in the form of fashion. Computer technology is on the same path–we’re at the inflection point where our devices transition from being objects that are very utilitarian and mechanical into things that we want to integrate into our bodies. I think watches are just the beginning." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LC Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 One could look at Apple as a design company whose medium is consumer technology. Computer technology is on the same path–we’re at the inflection point where our devices transition from being objects that are very utilitarian and mechanical into things that we want to integrate into our bodies In light of this quote, Apple should do well going forward. Their innovation is not "inventing" the device, but designing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Why the Gold Apple Watch Edition Must Cost $10,000 http://grail-watch.com/2015/02/16/gold-apple-watch-edition-must-cost-10000/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurgis Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Apple Gold Watch must cost ... 10 million dollars! http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OjrbRW6e1VE/THP3sett2tI/AAAAAAAAFBw/rsQC8kBELBw/s1600/Dr_Evil.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Why the Gold Apple Watch Edition Must Cost $10,000 http://grail-watch.com/2015/02/16/gold-apple-watch-edition-must-cost-10000/ I won't be getting one, but I bet they surprise everyone both by how much they cost and how many they sell. $10K could be a low estimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Why the Gold Apple Watch Edition Must Cost $10,000 http://grail-watch.com/2015/02/16/gold-apple-watch-edition-must-cost-10000/ I won't be getting one, but I bet they surprise everyone both by how much they cost and how many they sell. $10K could be a low estimate. Agreed. If you're the kind of person who buys a solid gold watch, more expensive is better, not worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 http://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2015/2/19/apple-is-on-track-to-buy-back-20-of-itself-by-2017 Apple began buying back shares in 2013. If Apple continues the current pace of buyback through 2017, the company would have bought back approximately 30% of the company, meaning roughly one out of three AAPL shares that existed in 2012 would have been bought back by the company.[...] Even after three years of aggressive share repurchase activity and paying quarterly cash dividends through 2017, Apple would have more than $225 billion of gross cash remaining on its balance sheet. Also, Guber makes a good point here: http://daringfireball.net/linked/2015/02/19/9to5mac-apple-car Lauren Ciminera (new hire). Joining Apple back in September, Lauren Ciminera is likely playing a role in recruiting employees for Apple’s project after leaving a position as Tesla’s Lead Recruiter to join the company. Before joining Apple, Ciminera was responsible for hiring manufacturing and mechanical engineers globally at Tesla. Why poach Tesla’s lead recruiter unless you were building an electric car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I was contacted by an Apple recruiter yesterday. I told him if Apple ever opens a design center in southern NH or northern MA I'd be interested. There's no way in hell I'd move to CA for any company or any job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurgis Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 There's no way in hell I'd move to CA for any company or any job. Off topic: can you elaborate on the reasons? :) This winter is pushing me the other way. :) CA RE is ridiculously expensive, but X feet of snow is getting hard to handle. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fareastwarriors Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 There's no way in hell I'd move to CA for any company or any job. Off topic: can you elaborate on the reasons? :) This winter is pushing me the other way. :) CA RE is ridiculously expensive, but X feet of snow is getting hard to handle. :( It's a wise decision. You will be paying so much for the weather. It's not worth it most people. Housing cost here is ridiculous. Commute/transportation is not great either. Come visit though. It's beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 More on Apple Watch Edition pricing: http://daringfireball.net/2015/02/apple_watch_pricing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 There's no way in hell I'd move to CA for any company or any job. Off topic: can you elaborate on the reasons? :) This winter is pushing me the other way. :) CA RE is ridiculously expensive, but X feet of snow is getting hard to handle. :( You said it: "ridiculously expensive". Not just the real estate, but also the taxes. I also don't like the gun laws and big government in general. I've lived in New England all my life and love the snow. I'm 42 years old and still get exited when it snows and can't wait to go outside and fire up the snow thrower. I like snow-shoeing, skiing, and just the way the landscape looks (Christmas without cold weather and snow? That's just crazy talk). I'd miss it if I moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 There's no way in hell I'd move to CA for any company or any job. Off topic: can you elaborate on the reasons? :) This winter is pushing me the other way. :) CA RE is ridiculously expensive, but X feet of snow is getting hard to handle. :( It's a wise decision. You will be paying so much for the weather. It's not worth it most people. Housing cost here is ridiculous. Commute/transportation is not great either. Come visit though. It's beautiful. I've been to CA a few times on both business and vacation. It is certainly a nice place to visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurgis Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I've lived in New England all my life and love the snow. I'm 42 years old and still get exited when it snows and can't wait to go outside and fire up the snow thrower. I like snow-shoeing, skiing, and just the way the landscape looks (Christmas without cold weather and snow? That's just crazy talk). I'd miss it if I moved. Can you snow-throw my driveway and pathways? ;D I hate it. We have a guy who does the driveway, but I still have to do the paths. Plus parts of the roof. And it still ice dams on the roof and leaks into walls and - this year - into house itself. :( I'd be completely happy with no snow (although in CA you can drive for couple hours and get to snow if you want it). I did my Ph.D. in UCSB, spent 6 years there. A paradise. Not counting RE prices and, yeah, taxes are starting to bite a bit nowadays. Not very much more than MA, but yeah. Though I should not hijack the $1M-dollar-watch thread. 8) (And forum crashed as soon as I posted :)). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I've lived in New England all my life and love the snow. I'm 42 years old and still get exited when it snows and can't wait to go outside and fire up the snow thrower. I like snow-shoeing, skiing, and just the way the landscape looks (Christmas without cold weather and snow? That's just crazy talk). I'd miss it if I moved. Can you snow-throw my driveway and pathways? ;D I hate it. We have a guy who does the driveway, but I still have to do the paths. Plus parts of the roof. And it still ice dams on the roof and leaks into walls and - this year - into house itself. :( I'd be completely happy with no snow (although in CA you can drive for couple hours and get to snow if you want it). I did my Ph.D. in UCSB, spent 6 years there. A paradise. Not counting RE prices and, yeah, taxes are starting to bite a bit nowadays. Not very much more than MA, but yeah. Though I should not hijack the $1M-dollar-watch thread. 8) (And forum crashed as soon as I posted :)). "Not very much more than MA" I cringed when I read that. I lived in MA all of my life until I escaped for New Hampshire 3.5 years ago and hope to never have to go back. The taxes, the politics, the state and local-level corruption. ... It's a cesspool. "Not very much more than MA" is pretty damn bad. Like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Now back to the megamoney watch thread.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurgis Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 "Not very much more than MA" I cringed when I read that. I lived in MA all of my life until I escaped for New Hampshire 3.5 years ago and hope to never have to go back. The taxes, the politics, the state and local-level corruption. ... It's a cesspool. "Not very much more than MA" is pretty damn bad. Like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. I like MA as a place and I am mostly OK with paying its taxes. I am quite pro-government and definitely pro gun control. I am not involved in politics, etc. though. Could Apple make a golden iGun? ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Could Apple make a golden iGun? ;D I'm not sure if they could improve on Glock perfection and I'm not a big fan of putting electronics in firearms (I wouldn't want to need a gun to defend myself for the one time in my life and discover that the battery is dead), but I'd be interested to see what they come up with. I doubt I'd pay what they would charge if they made one though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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