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Developers, designers, entrepreneurs and corporate innovators gathered at the Web Directions South Conference in Sydney last week to hear about some of the big picture issues facing the technology industry. Here are seven takeaways from the conference. 1. The network is the new electricity The world is entering a new era, where thanks to the Internet of Things, everything is on “the network”, BERG co-founder Matt Webb told the conference. It’s a technological development that has the potential to be just as impactful as electricity was in the 20th century. He says the network is not about Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, the things that make up the Internet of Things, but it’s about relationships between people. 2. Communication is key for user research Nokia product marketing team head dreamer Younghee Jung passed on some wisdom she learned during her time conducting user research in India for Nokia. She says given it can be difficult to judge whether or not testers are telling the truth about the products they’re being exposed to, it’s important for researchers to follow their gut instinct, and put their testers in the best possible environment for honesty. For Jung, this involved ensuring her testers had tools to communicate that they were comfortable with, including chalk and blackboard and coins to help with value attribution. When confronted with extremely polite testers she manufactured a situation in which it would be socially acceptable for them to be critical of the product – a debate. 3. Be open to discovery Building on the idea that it’s difficult to know exactly how accurate user research can be, Jung says it’s important to expect the unexpected. That ensures researchers become aware of, and open to hearing about, issues they might not have even known existed. 4. It is important to understand the concept of time and how that relates to the interaction of users with products When working on products, designers should take into account both the measureable and unquantifiable aspects of time and how that influences users, Twitter senior UX designer Erin Moore says. Moore came up with a handy formula to help designers and developers negotiate this topic: In order for people to feel (blank) > We must build an experience that (blank)> some ways we could achieve that are (blank) > and in order to do that we need to (blank). 5. There’s an opportunity for startups targeting the aspects of humanity that are “in flux” Intel anthropologist Genevieve Bell says there are a number of stable and “in flux” attributes that make up what it means to be human. While many startups and technology have appealed to those stable attributes, those in flux attributes have been neglected to some extent, and that presents an opportunity for new startups. Those in flux attributes include the need manage our reputations, a desire to be surprised and on occasion bored, a desire to be different, an ability to be forgotten and a need to feel time. 6. Trust amongst team members is essential to design great products Google UX designer Jonny Mack’s had an interesting insight into team dynamics, when he was working on two projects, one with a large team that struggled with team work, and another smaller team of three where each individual went out of their way to make it work. He says while designers tend to want to jump right in and get to work, it’s necessary to first think hard about how to foster a great team. One way to go about this is by tackling four separate stages. The first stage is forming, a period where the team get to know one another and the project and make decisions about high level goals. The second stage is storming, which occurs once the team has built up enough initial trust so as everybody feels comfortable speaking their mind. This ensures everybody feels their views of been heard, and helps them feel like stakeholders in the process. The third stage is norming, where people have aired their grievances but have now committed to the direction the group has decided to take the project. The final stage is performing, where all members of the team are collaborating well and operating with less oversight from managers. 7. The concept of open internet is under threat There’s a growing movement among entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley to avoiding using the phrase the internet, according to designer and futurist Tobias Revell. He says it’s important to remember and protect the idea of the internet as a great democratic, egalitarian platform not a “series of increasingly expensive walled gardens where you’re constantly spied on”. Follow StartupSmart on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Technology isn’t changing humanity, certain parts of what make us human have always been changing, according to Intel anthropologist Genevieve Bell. “What I want to suggest is that sometimes it’s really easy to be taken with all the things that change, and you forget the things that don’t,” she says. “The reality is there are things that make us humans, that have made us human for an incredibly long time that move slowly. “In fact, the way to think about it in my mind is there are some things about being human that make us very stable, and some things that make us human that have been in flux forever. Or at least as long one might want to contemplate.” Bell says startups that want to make a product aimed at satisfying those stable traits are on a good path to success. They include the importance of relationships, shared values, meaning beyond our individual lives, things that help us talk about who we are, and the need to keep secrets and tell lies. “Big longstanding technologies of the arcs of our lifetime have aimed here and been successful,” she says. “And technologies that play to one of those things usually endure.” However, where Bell believes there is a real opportunity for “flashes of sudden brilliance” is in some of those human traits that are constantly in flux. They include reputation, the desire to be bored or surprised, the need to be different, the desire to feel time, and an ability to be forgotten. “If you can be the person to crack the code in one of these spaces, or find a new way of thinking about it, a new approach to that set of problems, or a new way of assuaging those anxieties, there is extraordinary work to be done there,” she says. “It’s in some ways easy to say people care about friends and family, we’re just going to build things that let you have more friends. “What it would mean to think about crafting a new generation set of algorithms that deliver the delight and surprise and wonder is a very different kind of project. “It’s different intellectual work, it’s different design work, it’s different regulatory work.” Over the next 10 years, Bell says she’d like to see the tech industry have a conversation about the fact that there are things about being human in multiple cultural contexts that are stable. But also there are parts that are in flux. And those things that aren’t changed by the internet, but by electricity and lots of other things before it. “These technologies were made by us, and as a result they will encode all of our preoccupations and biases and in some ways blind spots,” she says. “And we have an obligation as human beings, as citizens, as builders, as designers as creators, to make sure we’re asking the harder questions and doing the hard work.” Follow StartupSmart on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Dropbox says it hasn’t been hacked, after claims surfaced that seven million accounts have been compromised. The company says it performed password resets on the accounts named when it detected suspicious activity a few months ago. “Recent news articles claiming that Dropbox was hacked aren’t true,” the company says. “The usernames and passwords referenced in these articles were stolen from unrelated services, not Dropbox. “Attackers then used these stolen credentials to try to log in to sites across the internet, including Dropbox. We have measures in place to detect suspicious login activity and we automatically reset passwords when it happens.” The company encouraged users not to reuse passwords across services and recommended enabling two-step verification on accounts. Intel reports better-than-expected results Intel has announced its revenue rose $US1.1 billion ($A1.26 billion) year-on-year to $US14.55 billion. The company revealed its third quarter financial performance, which along with that revenue jump included earnings per share of $0.66. Analysts had expected that Intel would earn $0.65 per share and revenue of $15.45 billion. Checkr raises $9 million San Francisco-based background check startup Checkr has raised $9 million to expand, The Wall Street Journal reports. The startup reduces the time it takes to complete background checks on new hires and delivers them in bulk to businesses. Overnight The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 5.88 to 16,315.19. The Australian dollar is currently trading at US87 cents.
In the pervasively connected world of the 21st century, creating and sharing knowledge has never been easier. But the fact remains that many people still lack the skills required to access this information and an inequity gap is growing. Consider this quote: You know you’re from the ‘90s if you remember being disappointed when the CD’s leaflet didn’t have the lyrics to the songs. How else were you going to learn that damn line on track three? For those of us with smartphones in our pockets, we simply Google the lyrics and voilà! The answer materialises in less than a second. Yet this is a privilege available only to those who have access to the internet and the means to use it. Inequality of access Two-thirds of the world’s population do not have access to the internet, many of whom are women. These 4.6 billion people rely on the lyrics in the CD case to learn that song, assuming they have a CD player at all. This is a representative issue on the far side of the great digital divide between the technically literate and illiterate. The benefits of digital technology can only be realised if people are empowered with the knowledge and skills to access and use them. In developing countries, women are 25% less likely than men to be online. This gap soars to 45% in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. By way of comparison, in both France and the US, women’s internet use exceeds that of men. Illiteracy is a barrier to online access that affects women more than men. Averaged across all developing countries, 75% of women are literate compared to 86% of men. In India, as few as 51% of women are literate compared to 75% of men. Internet-based economic activity in India accounts for more than 5% of GDP growth. Without access to the internet, and the fundamental skills required to use it, women cannot benefit from the tools, resources and opportunities that the internet affords. Bringing women into the mainstream of the digital revolution can empower them with access, information, choices and opportunities that they have never had before. Not just for themselves, but for their families, communities and nation. But what might this look like? Being digitally literate means more than simply knowing how to operate a computer. Digital literacy means having the ability to find resources, critically evaluate and create information, and to do this by using digital technology. UNESCO considers it a necessary life skill. Technology is knowledge and power Digital literacy promotes democracy by giving access to a vast repository of knowledge. It also provides a platform from which to speak out and make your views heard. An Iranian woman, for example, who posted a scarf-less photo of herself on Facebook, now has over 230,000 followers who are supporting her crusade of bareheaded subversion. These women want to voice their opposition to the compulsory hijab. Facebook gives them the means. Social networking sites greatly increase women’s understanding of what is possible, giving them a powerful tool that can be used to change their situation. For women in developing countries, the internet is an open doorway to tangible benefits; education and employment opportunities. According to Plan UK, an extra year of education increases a woman’s income by 10-20%. It is a necessary step on the road to breaking the cycle of poverty. A number of worthy initiatives are underway to develop women’s digital literacy skills. The Women’s Annex Foundation was established to train women in digital literacy so they can create a viable economic model for themselves and their families. The She Will Connect project, an initiative by Intel, is similarly committed to improving the digital literacy skills of women in developing countries. Intel recognises the role that technology plays in improving the quality of and access to education. Closing the gender gap There is a recognised link between a woman’s level of education and the size of families. The more educated she becomes, the fewer children she is likely to have. With over-population being one of the principle difficulties faced by developing countries, digital literacy has the potential to give women access to education and the means to begin reversing the trend towards ever-expanding populations in the developing world. The inequality of internet access around the world is compounded by where you live and your gender. If you are a woman in a developing part of the world, you are likely to be coming up very short on access to the kinds of digital resources that are readily available elsewhere. This can make a big difference to the quality of life for your whole family. The authors do not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article. They also have no relevant affiliations. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
10 massive announcements from Google I/O: A new version of Android is coming for cars, smartwatches and TVs6:48AM | Thursday, 26 June
Google’s head of Android, Sundar Pichai, delivered a keynote speech overnight to the tech giant’s annual developer conference, Google I/O. In terms of big announcements, he didn’t disappoint, with key points including a new version of Android – called Android L – that will work with smart cars, wearables and TVs. For small businesses, a major piece of news is Google Drive for Work, a new cloud computing product set to go head-to-head with Microsoft’s Office 365 and OneDrive. The new product will cost businesses just $US10 per user per month, and allow them to access unlimited storage. Where Microsoft bumped its storage limits to one terabyte earlier this week, Google will allow individual files of up to five terabytes in size. Meanwhile, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are now able to create or save Microsoft Office files in both Android and Chrome Browser, with support coming soon to iOS. Here are 10 other massive announcements from the Google I/O keynote: 1. Android is absolutely hammering Apple in the marketplace Sorry Apple fans, but the iPhone has well and truly been left in the dust. According to figures read out during Pichai’s keynote, the number of users to have actively used an Android smartphone in the past 30 days has grown to over a billion. This is up from 77 million in 2011, 233 million in 2012, and 538 million last year. But it’s not just in smartphones that Apple is being left behind. Google revealed that in 2012, 39% of all tablets ran Android, growing to 49% last year. This year, that has grown to 62%. In even worse news for the iPad, those figures exclude non-Google Android devices such as Amazon’s Kindle. As if Google needed to stick the boot in to Apple further, Pichai told the conference: “If you look at what other platforms are getting now, many of these things came to Android four, maybe five years ago.” The quote was a reference to a number of features, such as maps, text prediction, cloud services, widgets and support for custom keyboards, which have long been features of Android since around version 1.5, but have only recently been added to iOS. 2. Android L, with a new app platform and interface The biggest news out of the conference was, of course, the newest version of Android, codenamed “Android L”. The latest version is designed to power a range of new devices, including wearables, cars and TVs. The assumption will be that while users will always carry their mobile around with them, they are increasingly likely to be simultaneously using a second device. Cosmetically, the new version will be built around a new, “flat” design language called “Material”, which bears a slight resemblance to Microsoft’s tile interface. The new interface will be carried through Google’s mobile apps, including its Chrome web browser. However, the biggest changes are under the hood, with Android L getting upgraded to 64-bit. It also adds BlackBerry-style containerisation separating work and personal apps. Meanwhile Dalvik, the app runtime environment used in Android, is getting dumped in favour of the new Android Runtime Environment (ART). For most developers, the change will mean better performance with no need to change their code. ART is also truly-platform, meaning developers will be able to write apps once and deploy them to devices running Intel x86, ARM or MIPS processors. Android L will be available to developers starting from today. 3. Android Wear One of the big growth areas for mobile device makers is in wearables. Google has developed a platform for these devices, known as Android Wear, which it demonstrated at the conference. “Android Wear supports both round and square displays, because we think there will be a wide array of fashionable choices,” said Pichai. As many have predicted, notification cards and Google Now integration are key features of its wearables platform. LG has made its first Android Wear device, the LG G Watch, available for pre-order, while Samsung is releasing a version of its Gear smartwatches that runs Android Wear, known as “Samsung Gear Live”. Meanwhile, Motorola’s smartwatch, with a round clockface, will be available later this year. For developers, Google has made a software development kit (SDK) available allowing for customer user interfaces, support for voice actions, and transferring data to or from a smartphone or tablet. This article continues on Page 2. Please click below. 4. Android Auto Google has also released its smart car platform, known as Android Auto. Google says it has now signed up 25 major auto makers to the platform, including Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Volvo, Volkswagen, Kia, Renault, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Skoda, Jeep, Suzuki and Nissan. Android Auto will be able to be driven by voice commands, and is designed to make app development for cars as simple as developing apps for smartphones and tablets. Again, for developers, Google has released an SDK allowing for car and auto apps. Key focuses for the platform are navigation (Google Maps), communications (both audio and messaging) and streaming audio services. Android Auto also contains a screen that displays notification cards in real time. 5. Android TV Google’s new smart TV platform, announced during the keynote, is known as Android TV. It can be used to power a range of different devices, from smart TVs to set-top-boxes and dedicated streaming sticks. Android TV allows the user to use their smartphone, tablet or smartwatch as a voice-powered remote control for their TV. Android TV devices will include all the functionality of ChromeCast, but also add the ability of directly running apps directly. 6. ChromeCast Speaking of things TV related, Google says its low-cost ChromeCast sticks are currently outselling every other streaming device combined. New capabilities coming to the sticks include a new section on the Google Play app store for apps designed with added ChromeCast capabilities. ChromeCast owners will soon be able to mirror the screen of their Android smartphone or tablet wirelessly on their TV screen. Users will also soon get the capability of sending content to a ChromeCast device by logging in with a PIN, even if they aren’t on the same WiFi network. Another new feature is that users will be able to set a picture or photo as a wallpaper on their ChromeCast for when they’re not using the device. 7. Android L integration with ChromeBooks Up until now, Google has maintained two separate operating systems: Android for smartphones and tablets, and Chrome OS for its ChromeBook series of laptops. A massive update for Android L is that ChromeBooks will now be able to run Android apps. Meanwhile, apps running on a users’ tablet or smartphone will be mirrored on the screen of their ChromeBook device. 8. Google Fit At Apple’s WWDC, the introduction of a health framework was one of the largest announcements. Given the sheer volume of announcements at Google I/O, the introduction of Google Fit is almost an afterthought. Basically, like Apple HealthKit, Google Fit is a single set of APIs that blends data from multiple apps and devices to create a comprehensive picture of a users’ health. Google is promising a developer preview of Google Fit in the next few weeks. 9. Google Play Already, I’ve noted one big upgrade to Google Play, namely the addition of a section dedicated to apps with ChromeCast playback. Presumably, there will be similar sections dedicated to Android Wear and Android Auto. But there are other changes afoot for Google’s Play download store. First, Google says that it has paid out $US5 billion to app developers over the past year, which is two-and-a-half times higher than a year earlier. Second, Google also announced the takeover of a startup called Appurify, which will provide automation services for apps being developed either for Google Play and Android or iOS. And thirdly, for those interested in games, Google Play is adding the ability to save a snapshot of your progress in a game to the cloud, as well as special quests for games. 10. Cloud tools and services Last, but certainly not least, Google has added a range of new cloud tools and services. These include Cloud Monitoring, which provides a dashboard with real time metrics for apps running in Google’s cloud services. A second, called Cloud Dataflow, is a data pipeline service similar to Amazon’s Data Pipeline. And a third, called Cloud Debugger, allows developers to more easily trace slowdowns in cloud-based apps. This article first appeared on Smart Company.
Apple has suggested users should change their Apple ID password after a number of Australian users reported finding their iCloud-connected devices locked with a message asking for money. According to ZDNet, Apple said that iCloud had not been compromised. “Impacted users should change their Apple ID password as soon as possible and avoid using the same username and password for multiple services,’’ the statement said. Intel jumping on wearables The chip maker has unveiled a new push into wearables and robotics. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich appeared at the Code Conference in California wearing a ‘smart’ shirt featuring sensors that measure heart rate and other vital signs aimed at joggers and cyclists. He also showed off Jimmy, a white robot designed to walk, talk and dance. Krzanich says the company is focusing on these new trends because it felt they missed an opportunity with the rise of tablet computers. Apple announces Beats Music Acquisition The company will purchase Beats Music and Beats Electronics for approximately $2.6 billion and $400 million that will vest over time. Beats co-founders Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine will join Apple. Overnight The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 42.32 to 16,633.18. The Australian dollar is trading at US92 cents.
6:55am Five minutes before Lyle is scheduled to wake up. Wrist monitors check his pulse to figure out when the best time to stimulate him awake is. Good, he has been asleep for at least eight hours and his heart rate and breathing is almost optimal. A quick traffic check confirms no need to wake him up early. His water heater starts for his daily morning shower and his thermostat for the bathroom is increased for when he gets out. 7:05am Lyle’s coffee-maker turns on and starts brewing a fresh cup of joe. His fridge checks to make sure he has his usual breakfast ingredients–orange juice, eggs, yogurt, and a banana–and orders more eggs for the next week. 7:35am Lyle departs his house on time and ready for the day ahead because of a refreshing shower and delicious breakfast. All of this has become possible because of a recent paradigm shift in technology known as the Internet of Things, or as it is most commonly referred to in tech circles and articles, the IoT. In 1999, Kevin Ashton, a British technologist who helped to found the Auto-ID Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coined the term ‘Internet of Things,’ but the idea of devices connecting with each other hails from as far back as the creation of the internet itself. The dawn of the internet age kickstarted an era of growing and shrinking. The amount of information that could be created, stored, and shared grew exponentially with the ability to create and harvest from across the world–or, at least, from across the world wherever servers were at the time. Simultaneously, places and people that once seemed far away and beyond one’s own scope could now be reached and interacted with on a more personal level. Unfortunately, the interactions allowed by the internet were limited to only those few scholarly elites or academic institutions that invested in this process and new contact was limited. And connection with devices was even more stringent since wireless technology did not exist and wired connections had to be used through ethernet cords to communicate with the internet. As a result, machine-to-machine (M2M) interactions were nearly impossible, and M2M links over long distances were unheard of; Internet interface was solely between a computer and a human. How did the Internet of Things come to be then? Futurist and technologist Richard Yonck, who has written extensively about the IoT, explained the precipitation of devices connected to the internet and each other: "If you think about it, the IoT is a fairly natural evolution of processing and communications technologies. Computers have continued to become smaller and cheaper over the decades. As they continue doing so, where will they go and how can we use them? Throughout our environment, naturally!" The first internet-capable machines do not seem like much today, but when they were first created, Carnegie Mellon University programmers and engineers developed the first appliance connected to the internet in the early 1980s. They rigged a Coca-Cola machine to send status updates and messages about the availability of a can of Coke so that a trip to the snack area would not be in vain. Other similarly sized projects became the norm for bored or experimental college students with enough resources and time. None of these devices became commercially viable and the Internet of Things remained a topic confined to academia. It wasn’t until the late 1990s and early 2000s that the concept of having a network of interconnected devices became popular and drew interest from corporations and consumers. Kevin Ashton led the movement at his Auto-ID Center at MIT with research into the field of radio-frequency identification, or RFID. Bill Joy supplemented Ashton’s research with a proposal for a “Six Webs” framework. Joy graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science, and then went on to co-found Sun Microsystems. His initial thoughts into the development of a standardized system (a Web) paved the way for M2M interactions that occurred through similar protocols and syntaxes. However, it was a combination of his theory and Ashton’s research that a truly useful and pervasive Internet of Things could be developed. Although Ashton and Joy began the process of creating a standardized system of communication and interaction in the beginning of the millennium, the Internet of Things remains a rather fragmented and developing field. Since the Internet Coke machine, many more devices have been created by university researchers and commercial companies, but most have stayed rather proprietary and do not discuss results with other devices. Some of the most prominent products today represent huge leaps in technology from even ten years ago, but the status of the Internet of Things remains a gradual acceptance into society. Many media outlets predict that 2014 will be hailed as “The Year of the IoT” but few care to define by how much or through which methods. In fact, despite most tech pundits believing this year to be the year, many also point out that the IoT will grow slowly. Brian Proffitt of ReadWrite, a prominent online magazine about technology, argues that, “the Internet of Things won’t see any big splashes in 2014, just steady and incremental progress toward automating … everything.” Currently, the biggest problem facing the IoT is the lack of standards for communication. Without a “common communication method,” devices will only be able to talk to their own brands and severely limit the helpfulness of connected machines. For example, currently, sleeping monitors only give results to phones for users to analyze themselves. Imagine a future where sleeping monitors could give results to doctors or alert users of abnormal or unhealthy sleeping patterns and suggest fixes that could in turn be prompted by communication with a coffee machine (if caffeine is suspected of hurting the user) or thermostat (if temperature could be negatively impacting sleeping habits). To remedy this situation, Intel, Cisco, GE, and IBM have come together to form the Industrial Internet Consortium, a conglomerate nonprofit with the goal of increasing inter-operability standards in devices connected to the Internet. As a thriving industry, M2M has proved that people are willing to allow more and more technology into their lives. Yonck wrote an article last year that discussed the adoption of innovation into mainstream culture and the process a prototype undergoes to become a product: "Consider that in order to move all the way from concept to prototype to marketable product, every idea has to pass through a succession of filters. Is the idea possible within the laws of physics as they’re currently understood? Then forget retro-causality (time machines), perpetual motion, faster than light travel/communication, etc. Do our existing, or soon to be existing, engineering capabilities, materials, tolerances, etc., allow us to realize the idea or will it remain on the drawing board for centuries, as did Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machines or Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine? Can a need be established? That is, can consumers, corporations, or the military be convinced this is something they must have? Because without a perceived need, it will surely go the way of the [Ford] Edsel. "And what of other institutions? Regulatory bodies, insurers, political organizations and others must be persuaded to support or at least tolerate and accept the new tech. And ultimately is this an idea that is right for its time? An invention must fit within the established mores, accepted behaviors and realities of user understanding and functionality. Without all of these, the idea will die stillborn. Given all this, it may seem a miracle any new tech ever comes to life and gets the opportunity to walk the earth, even if only for a few years." The Internet of Things meets all of these criteria and therefore has seen dramatic commercial success. In fact, according to a Business Insider Intelligence report on the future of the internet: "The IoT will account for an increasingly huge number of connections: 1.9 billion devices today, and 9 billion by 2018. That year, it will be roughly equal to the number of smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, wearable computers, and PCs combined." And Cisco CEO John Chambers predicts that the Internet of Everything (as he refers to it) could be worth $19 trillion in the near future–a future where objects all over from house to airport will know people’s preferences and set themselves to certain modes to best suit the individual. However, The Internet of Things caters to a growing category of what people enjoy calling “first world problems.” The technology that has been developed in hopes of creating the IoT is great and innovative and nothing can be said to take away the promise of advancement. Unfortunately, many of these technologies have not been created with the idea of helping developing countries and economies. A thermostat that optimizes the temperature of your floor and shower down to a degree may seem like a necessary item to some who struggle with a bathroom that is too cold after a searing bath, but to a farmer in Africa or artisan in India it fails uselessly. As more and more companies start connecting their products to the internet and the markets of industrialized and modernized countries become saturated, hopefully devices will be created to help the people who truly struggle and could benefit with a system of interconnected machines. Perhaps an irrigation system that interacts with a weather prediction service and a local water storage facility for baths and showers of citizens as well as drinking water for local livestock. With better water management, farmers could optimize crop yield and sell to other through an online or other system that tracks grain production. The application of such devices to different environments is inevitable, so it is just a matter of when companies will realize the opportunities in creating an IoT for those countries. Yonck, as a futurist, understands the current trends of technology and predicts where they are headed. "As it develops, the future of IoT is to basically make our world more intelligent. Technology everywhere will literally have the ability to sense it’s environment and respond to it. While this may not result in direct physical action on the particular device’s part, it will be capable of relaying data to servers elsewhere that will potentially cause other devices to respond." In the information age that we live in technology regularly changes the way we live. In the 1970s it was mainframe computing. In the 80s it was the PC. The 2000s saw the rise of social media. Today, the Internet of Things is revolutionizing the way we live. Techie and entrepreneur with a passion for soccer and a distaste for chocolate, Dylan Steele dabbles in a little bit of everything, including that new crypto-currency/property. This post first appeared on Medium.
Twitter released its 2014 results this morning with revenue reaching $250 million for the period, up 119% on a year-over-year basis. In addition the social media giant added 14 million new monthly active users. Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo says the quarter was very strong. “Revenue growth accelerated on a year-over-year basis fuelled by increased engagement and user growth,’’ he says. “We also continue to rapidly increase our reach and scale.” Analysts were predicting revenue of around $241 million for the quarter. eBay beats revenue expectations Also announcing better than expected results for the quarter was eBay, which posted revenue growth of 14%. The company announced that revenue for the quarter reached $4.3 billion. Apple drops Macbook Air prices Consumers in the market for a Macbook Air will now be able to pick one up starting from $899. The refresh features Intel's Haswell processor and is now $100 less than the previous model. Overnight The Australian dollar was trading at US92.68 cents, up from 92.39 cents on Tuesday. The Dow Jones average is up to 16535.37.
Recently, your humble correspondent looked at vertically integrated companies. But if you’re just starting a business, the chances are you will – at least initially – be focused on a single stage of production, dealing with companies that are far more vertically integrated than you are. Well, as Old Taskmaster says, business is war. The dark side of vertical integration comes when someone else tries to take your businesses out of the supply chain. It happens. Just think about all the small businesses that supplied specialty foods to Coles and Woolies, only to find their lines deleted and a generic product taking their shelf space at $1 per litre. Or, for that matter, the local servo owners who used their local supermarket as a supplier of their convenience store, only to find a shiny new Coles Express or Woolworths Plus Petrol opening down the road. In theory, the ACCC should do something about it when it happens. In practice, Australia’s competition watchdog is more of a chihuahua. On the other hand, Apple seems to be doing just fine, despite the fact its vertically integrated arch-rival (Samsung) also supplies a number of key iPhone components, including the processor and display. And it’s not the first time Apple has found itself in such a predicament. Way back when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were in their parent’s garage, guess who the supplier was for the main processor in the original Apple I and Apple II computers? It wasn’t Intel. Nor was it Motorola. And ARM didn’t exist yet. No, Apple’s first computers from the late 1970s were built around an MOS 6502 chip. From Commodore. As in, Jack Tramiel’s Commodore. A number of their competitors did likewise, including Atari (including the 2600), the original Nintendo NES and Acorn (who built the BBC Micro B). All used a variation of the processor in the Commodore 64. When Tramiel started a price war by dropping the retail price of the Commodore 64, all of those companies were left buying processors at retail price while Commodore was effectively buying them at cost price. Jobs actually referenced the industry shakeout that resulted while unveiling the Macintosh: “Nineteen eighty three… The shakeout is in full swing. The first major firm goes bankrupt, with others teetering on the brink. Total industry losses for ’83 outshadow the combined profits for Apple and IBM, for personal computers.” So what can you do when a key supplier or customer decides to compete against you? Apple survived by marketing premium, value-added products. Premium products command premium prices, and are less susceptible to a price war. After all, you might build your own computer, but it won’t be an Apple. In the long run, Jobs also built his own vertical integration. That’s why you can buy Apple’s Final Cut Pro for your Apple Mac from an Apple store. Perhaps the best response is to avoid getting locked into a single supplier in the first place. Look for products where you can get a second source – that is, a second company that can competitively supply you a similar product. Likewise, avoid getting yourself in a position where your entire business is locked into supplying a single customer or outlet. After all, there’s no use crying over spilled, non-generic milk. Finally, the next time you revise your long-term strategy, evaluate what would happen if your largest supplier, business partner or customer decided to compete with you. Is there a risk? If so, what would you do? Old Taskmaster says it’s time to evaluate the risks facing your business from potential rivals – and reduce them! Get it done – today!
When it comes to smartphones, there’s a whole heap of jargon. Quad-core processors? AMOLED displays? Android or iOS? If you’re not a techie, it can be tough to make sense of it all. So here’s a layman’s guide to some of the mobile mumbo jumbo you’ve always wondered about, but been too afraid to ask. (Before we get started a note to the techie uber-geeks reading this. Old Taskmaster is completely aware some of these points are gross oversimplifications, that your early-90s BeBox had more than one processor or that I didn’t bother to mention MeeGo. No need for snarky comments. This is intended as a layman’s guide, so sue me!) What exactly do iOS, Android and Windows Phone do? A good, simple way of thinking about your mobile phone is as a pocket-sized computer that can also make calls. On most computers, there’s a piece of system software, called an operating system that basically manages the relationship between a computer’s hardware and the programs that run on it. In the computer world, most PCs use Windows or Linux, while Apple Macs use Mac OSX. Operating systems like iOS, Android and Windows Phone basically do the same thing, except they’re designed to work on a smartphone. If you run an iPhone, you run Apple’s iOS. If you run a recent Nokia, it almost certainly uses Windows Phone. Pretty much everything else – most notably Samsung Galaxy smartphones – use Android. So why do Androids come in Cupcake, Ice Cream Sandwich or JellyBean? Each major version of Android is code-named after a dessert. The first letter of each dessert goes up in alphabetical order. So you’ve had Android Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jellybean. Why? Basically, because Google thinks ‘Android Gingerbread’ sounds cuter than ‘Android Build G’. What are the most recent versions of the major smartphone operating systems? The current version of Android is 4.2/4.3 Jellybean, although Google has announced Android 4.4 KitKat is coming soon. As fairly well publicised by their recent announcement, the latest version of Apple’s iOS is iOS 7. Windows is up to Windows Phone 8, although 8.1 is just around the corner. Finally, BlackBerry is up to BlackBerry 10.2. Given their current business status, Old Taskmaster wouldn’t bet on 10.3. LCD or AMOLED? LCD (of various descriptions) and AMOLED are the two common technologies you’ll find powering smartphone screens. An LCD (liquid crystal display) display is made up of thousands of tiny liquid crystals that modulate light to achieve a desired colour. The light itself is either provided through backlights or through a reflective back panel on the display. AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) displays are made of a thin film of organic material that lights up when charged by an electric current. The charge that makes different parts of the screen light up is provided by a thin-film transistor that sits behind the organic material. Which is better? LCD is the more mature technology of the two. Generally speaking, LCD will be clearer at different viewing angles and produce more realistic colours, but is less good at contrast. AMOLED colours are brighter, have better contrast and (because they don’t need to be backlit) generally use less power. Traditionally, they are less viewable in direct sunlight. What’s this resolution business? Whether your display is LCD or AMOLED, the number of pixels or dots of colour per square inch of screen size determine how clear your image is. In the past, Windows PCs used 96 points per inch, while Apple Macs used 72. The usual standard for the printing industry is 300 dots per inch. By comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 displays 441 pixels per inch. Dual-core? Quad-core? Octo-core? What-the-core? Historically, most computers were built around a single processor – called the CPU (central processing unit) – that computer programs ran on. One processor core, one chip, one computer. These days, most smartphones have more than one of these processor cores on a single physical computer chip, and these are known as multi-core processors. In effect, it’s like having two or four computer CPUs on your phone, except they’ve been shrunk down to fit on a single piece of silicon. Most current smartphones use a quad-core processor, although some older ones use a dual-core processor, while octo-core processors are beginning to be offered on some newer models. How is the processor in my smartphone different to the one in my computer? If you open up your PC or Mac, you’ll probably find it’s built around an Intel processor. The ancestor of this chip was the 8088 and 8086 chips in the very first IBM PCs. Over the past couple of decades, the design of these chips has been optimised for maximise performance, often at the expense of using more power. In contrast, the processor in your smartphone is most likely an ARM chip. Its great ancestor first appeared in a 1985 accelerator card add-on for the BBC Micro B. (Yes, the BBC Micro B is a distant relative of your smartphone!) Acorn’s Archimedes and Apple’s Newtons used this series of chips, too. Because they’ve spent most of the past 20 years being used in mobile devices, they’ve been optimised for battery life as well as performance. But my smartphone processor is built by Qualcomm/Nvidia/Samsung? ARM comes up with the basic designs for its processors. It then licenses them to a range of other chip companies, including Qualcomm, Nvidia, Samsung and Apple. In turn, these companies don’t usually make chips, they just market them. The chips themselves are manufactured by companies with chip manufacturing plants (foundries), including TSMC and Samsung. SNS integration? It stands for Social Network Service. It’s a fancy, jargony way of saying this phone has an app or hub that pulls your social media messages into one place. Over to you Are there any other bits of smartphone jargon you’ve heard but have been too afraid to ask about? If so, leave your question in the comments below! Mobile and mobile commerce is an increasingly critical part of every business. If there’s some piece of mobile mumbo jumbo you don’t understand, make sure you get it cleared up! Get it done – today!
Current research tells us the average person thinks about themselves, and how the world impacts them as an individual, almost every minute they are awake.
European car brand BMW is the world’s most reputable company in an age where consumers are more swayed by a business’ image than its product, according to the latest Global RepTrak 100.
Start-ups are being encouraged to think twice before borrowing money from loved ones, with a new report revealing 20% of Australians have lost friends over borrowed money.
There is an old adage that you should keep your personal life and business separate, but it is a rule James Milne chose to ignore when recruiting for his technology company.
Selling your wares online is an instant recipe for success, right? Not according to Pierre Boutros, who learnt that even the most straightforward business needs strategies in place to secure sales.
The Federal Government will stage National Telework Week in November in a bid to highlight the benefits of working from home, on the back of the National Broadband Network rollout.
Intel has created a $100 million fund to invest in developing technologies that work across multiple devices, announcing the fund at its annual Global Summit.
Great by Choice by Jim Collins and Morten T Hansen (Random House, RRP$45)
Online auction house GraysOnline has cashed in on the popularity of internet retailers, selling a quarter of its business to fund manager Caledonia Investments in a deal believed to be worth about $35 million.
Following months of hype, the Oprah publicity bandwagon has finally hit our shores.


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The cancellation of the legal tender of 1000 & 500 rupees note has come up as the most surprising and unprecedented move from the Government of I...
The mixed use development spread across 165 acres has the potential to attract $2 billion worth of foreign investment
The warehousing sector is expected to add around 40 million sft space across the top eight cities in 2020, while space absorption will rise to 35...
The highest number of these, ready-to-move-house, units (68,070) will be delivered in the National Capital Region (NCR)
Southern cities launch more new projects than Delhi NCR and other northern cities
Noida International Greenfield Airport, seen as a realty game-changer, will come up in a 5,000-hectare area at an estimated cost of Rs 30,000 cro...
Developers are strategically launching projects in the premium category with select designs and sizes to cater to the market demand
The 33rd GST council on Tuesday has approved the plan to implement a new tax structure for residential projects, which is considered to provide a...
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The ethos of Dutch cool, from Reuters:
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Help is at hand for pet owners and their neighbors troubled by barking dogs — soothing recordings of “new age”-style music blended with sounds of nature.
“Piano music with twittering birds and murmuring water apparently has a soothing effect on dogs,” said a spokesman for LindeTree, the company marketing the new age CD.
“The owner can put it on whenever he leaves the house or needs some peace of mind.”
The firm’s idea was inspired by research at the University of Belfast into the effect of different types of music on 50 dogs: heavy metal songs caused them to howl and growl; classical music calmed them down.
A good idea in Amsterdam! My cat would definitely buy the CD.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Wal-Mart's highly awaited Black Friday ad promises hot deals on high-definition TVs, Blu-ray players, laptops and holiday gift favorites such as toys and DVDs, according to a copy of the retailer's circular obtained by CNNMoney.com on Saturday.
The world's largest retailer promised last month that it would do whatever was necessary to be the most competitive on prices during the year-end holiday shopping season.
A quick look through Wal-Mart's circular shows that the discounter is ready to take on its rivals, especially in the key electronics and toys categories.
According to the circular, Wal-Mart will unveil some Black Friday deals in stores on midnight -- while other, juicier "doorbuster" bargains will be available while supplies last from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
A company spokesman confirmed that most Wal-Mart stores will open at midnight that day.
"Customers can avoid standing in the cold waiting for stores to open and get an early jump on the season's best savings," he said. The early sales will focus in items like toys, pajamas, and small kitchen appliances, with the electronics and HDTV deals kicking in at 5 a.m., he said.
Among the doorbuster deals the circular advertises: the 32-inch Emerson 720p LCD HDTV for $198; 42-inch Emerson 1080p LCD HDTV for $398; 42-inch LG 1080p LCD HDTV for $478; Magnavox Wi-Fi Blu-ray player (with a $10 credit for on-demand movie service Vudu) for $68; 8GB iPod Touch for $225, plus a $50 Wal-Mart gift card; Kodak C183 14-megapixel 3-inch LCD digital camera for $59; and an HP 15.6-inch 250 GB harddrive laptop for $298.
Doorbusters also include $7 and $8 videogames, more than 90 DVD movie titles for $1.96, and Blu-ray disc movies for $5 and $10.
Other deals that kick off at midnight on Black Friday include Zhu Zhu Pet toy hamsters for $4 each, $5 Barbie dolls, children's clothes for $4, Rival brand slow cookers and handmixers for $2.97, Hamilton Beach slow cookers and coffeemakers for $9.97 each, and Oster Electric griddles or waffle makers also priced at $9.97 each.
Additionally, deals available only on Saturday include Sony's 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $698.
Last week, Wal-Mart signaled its intention to be very aggressive with its holiday strategy by announcing free online shipping on 60,000 holiday items with no minimum purchase required -- a significant move likely to rattle its competitors in the crucial year-end sales race to Christmas.
These gimmicks aren't entirely surprising, given that Wal-Mart has struggled to lift sales at its discount stores this year and has even lost market share to other value-priced and dollar store competitors. The crucial November-December period can account for 50% or more of retailers' sales and profit for the full year.
Wal-Mart executives recently expressed a sense of urgency about upping the ante to ensure that the retailer is highly competitive in the run-up to Christmas.
Wal-Mart U.S. head Bill Simon said Wal-Mart's holiday strategy will place heavy emphasis on toys and electronics.
Sam's Club executives also said the iPad would be in Sam's Club locations over the holidays.
More bad news for Sears. The iconic retailer may sell storied brands Kenmore and Craftsman as sales continue to plunge at Sears and Kmart and losses pile up. More
Andrew Crider lost his welding business and his home when the real estate market crashed. Now the Nevada man is offended by comments Donald Trump made showing the billionaire rooted for the housing collapse. More
A jury is currently deliberating a landmark court case between Google and Oracle that has broad implications for the software industry -- and could force Google to pay Oracle billions of dollars. More
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More
When so many families are stuck having to borrow money to send their kids to college, these middle class students were able to graduate debt-free. More


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News For The Inventor In All Of US
Interested in the latest new ideas, innovations and inventions from around the globe?
For the latest news updates, please subscribe to our "Latest News" articles.
If the crew on the International Space Station can have a zero-gravity football (aka soccer ball), they can certainly have a zero-gravity espresso machine - if no one minds drinking espresso through a straw. Two Italian companies, coffee roaster Lavazza and space food expert Argotec, have developed a special espresso maker for the ISS, they aptly named the ISSpresso.
E3 2014: Alienware's Dipping It's Toes Into The Console Space With The Alienware Alpha Steam Machineby Nicholas.Greene
According to Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, the uncanny valley shouldn't exist. Robots should make people smile - they should make humans feel happy and comfortable.
To that end, his company Softbank earlier today unveiled Pepper - a cooing little robot that's capable of understanding emotion.


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BMW to roll out electric car
Bayerische Motoren Werke announced on Friday the details surrounding Germany’s first factory to mass-produce battery-powered cars.
With an investment of 400 million euros ($561 million), they’ll be supplying the funds to 2013.
The production will occur in a location that is already creating verisons of the 1 Series model. The new vehicle, named Megacity, will be starting its production in Leipzig.
BMW is the latest large carmaker to begin to produce an electric car, and has already started its marketing campaign far before it is ready. Although this lacks a prototype, we have seen sketches.
According to a recent article in the NYTimes, this is new territory for the popular car company. “We have never been this open about an ongoing development process. We sense a hunger for information,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s head of design.
BMW has decided on their basic design of the car and will soon begin road-testing prototypes.
Read the full story here.


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In an era where technological advancements are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, one of the most anticipated ventures has been Apple’s foray into the world of automobiles. The company that revolutionized personal computing, smartphones, and wearables is now setting its sights on reimagining transportation. Yes, you heard it right – Apple Cars are the talk of the town, and they are poised to redefine how we perceive and interact with vehicles.
Table of Contents
The Intersection of Innovation: Apple’s Journey into the Automotive Realm
For years, rumors and speculations about Apple’s plans to build an electric car have been circulating in tech circles. The tech giant’s obsession with seamless design, cutting-edge technology, and user-centric experiences has sparked imaginations about what an Apple Car could look like. Although Apple has been secretive about the project, the tech world is abuzz with excitement.
Electric Dreams: The Green Vision
As concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability rise, the automotive industry is experiencing a paradigm shift towards electric vehicles (EVs). Apple, true to its eco-conscious ethos, is expected to contribute to this shift by producing a zero-emission electric car. This move aligns with the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and championing renewable energy sources.
Revolutionary Design: Where Aesthetics Meet Functionality
One of Apple’s trademark characteristics is its emphasis on design aesthetics. With the Apple Car, we can anticipate a harmonious fusion of form and function. Imagine a sleek, minimalist exterior, featuring clean lines and premium materials, combined with an interior that mirrors the user-friendly elegance of Apple’s products. The cabin could boast a futuristic interface, seamlessly integrating advanced driving assistance systems, infotainment, and connectivity features.
Autonomous Ambitions: Navigating the Self-Driving Landscape
While details about Apple Car’s autonomous capabilities remain speculative, it’s almost a given that the vehicle will leverage
Navigating Uncertainty: What to Expect from Apple Cars
The mere mention of Apple’s venture into the automotive realm has ignited fervent debates and sparked imaginations. As the world eagerly awaits more concrete information, here are a few aspects to consider about the potential landscape of Apple Cars:
Apple’s history is synonymous with disrupting industries, from personal computers to smartphones. The automotive sector, steeped in tradition, is ripe for innovation. Apple’s entry could catalyze a shift in how we perceive vehicles – not just as modes of transportation, but as integrated smart devices.
One of Apple’s strengths lies in its ecosystem of interconnected devices. Imagine seamlessly transitioning from your home to your car, with your digital life effortlessly following you. Integration with existing Apple products could extend to navigation, entertainment, communication, and even remote vehicle management through your iPhone or other Apple devices.
Apple’s success can be attributed to its relentless focus on user experience. Applying this philosophy to automobiles could lead to a radical rethink of how we interact with our vehicles. User-friendly interfaces, intuitive controls, and attention to comfort and convenience might redefine what it means to be inside a car.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Entering the automotive market requires collaboration with experts in manufacturing, engineering, and automotive technology. Apple might form partnerships with established manufacturers or technology companies to leverage their expertise while infusing their own unique approach.
Regulation and Safety
Safety and regulatory compliance are paramount in the automotive industry. Apple would need to ensure that its vehicles meet rigorous safety standards, especially if the cars are equipped with autonomous features. Addressing these concerns will be essential to gaining consumer trust and regulatory approval.
Competition and Industry Response
The automotive market is already evolving with the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles. Apple’s entry could stir established automakers to accelerate their innovation efforts. This competition might result in a faster transition to sustainable transportation options for everyone.
Apple’s global brand recognition could have a profound impact on the adoption of electric vehicles. If the company can strike the right balance between affordability, performance, and design, it could play a significant role in normalizing EVs for the average consumer.
As with any major technological advancement, ethical considerations come into play. Autonomous vehicles raise questions about decision-making in critical situations, data privacy concerns, and potential job displacement in industries like driving and transportation.
The Road Ahead: A New Chapter in Transportation
While the specifics of Apple Cars remain shrouded in secrecy, the possibilities are tantalizing. Imagine a world where cars are not just a mode of transportation, but extensions of our digital lives – seamlessly connected, intelligently guided, and environmentally responsible.
As we eagerly anticipate more news from Cupertino, it’s clear that Apple’s entry into the automotive market is not just about building cars; it’s about redefining transportation for the modern age. The road ahead is uncharted, but if Apple’s history of innovation is any indication, we’re in for a journey that could reshape the way we move, connect, and experience the world around us. So, fasten your seatbelts – the era of Apple Cars is on the horizon, and it’s bound to be a thrilling ride.
A Glimpse into the Future: Envisioning Apple Car Scenarios
As we delve deeper into the realm of speculation and anticipation surrounding Apple Cars, it’s natural to ponder the potential scenarios that might unfold. While we await official announcements, here are a few possible directions Apple’s automotive venture could take:
The Autonomous Revolution
One of the most intriguing possibilities is the development of a fully autonomous Apple Car. Imagine stepping into a vehicle that not only transports you from point A to point B but also becomes a personal cocoon of productivity or relaxation. Apple’s emphasis on user experience could redefine how passengers engage with their surroundings during a journey.
Electrifying the Masses
Apple’s commitment to sustainability could translate into a wide-reaching impact on the electric vehicle market. If the company manages to create an affordable yet highly desirable electric car, it might encourage a broader demographic to embrace cleaner transportation options, thereby accelerating the transition to a greener future.
Mobility as a Service
Apple’s prowess in software and services could extend to transforming the car ownership model. Instead of traditional car ownership, Apple might explore a subscription-based service that offers access to its vehicles whenever needed. This concept could revolutionize urban mobility and potentially reduce the need for personal car ownership in congested cities.
With Apple’s expertise in connectivity, the Apple Car could serve as a hub for seamless communication and interaction. Imagine a car that integrates with your smart home devices, allowing you to control your home environment from the road. Additionally, the car might offer enhanced in-car entertainment, infotainment, and advanced features for communication and productivity.
Apple’s knack for ecosystem integration might result in a car that seamlessly interacts with other Apple devices. From using your Apple Watch to unlock your car to having Siri seamlessly control navigation and entertainment, the Apple Car could enhance the overall Apple ecosystem experience.
Just as Apple’s devices boast a distinct design language, the Apple Car might redefine automotive aesthetics. Sleek lines, minimalist interiors, and attention to detail could set a new standard for automotive design, making the vehicle instantly recognizable as an Apple product.
Data Privacy and Security
As cars become increasingly connected, data security and privacy become paramount. Apple’s commitment to user privacy could manifest in robust security measures, ensuring that the data collected by the vehicle is used responsibly and ethically.
Apple Cars Release Date and Price
There are still a lot of things we don’t know about the Apple Car, including:
- When it will be released.
- What it will look like.
- What features it will have.
- How much it will cost.
Closing Thoughts: Buckle Up for the Unknown
The journey of Apple Cars is an unfolding story that blends innovation, technology, and transportation. While we’ve let our imaginations roam wild, it’s important to remember that the reality might surpass our wildest dreams or take a slightly different route altogether. Apple’s history of transforming industries encourages us to embrace the excitement of the unknown.
As we eagerly anticipate more concrete information from Apple, we find ourselves on the brink of a new chapter in transportation history. The convergence of technology and mobility promises a future where cars are more than just machines; they are extensions of our digital lives, revolutionizing the way we move, connect, and experience the world.
In the meantime, as the speculation continues and the world awaits the unveiling of Apple Cars, let’s remain open to the possibilities, inspired by the potential for innovation that this venture holds. The road ahead is paved with anticipation, curiosity, and the promise of a transformative journey.


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Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) latest earnings report on Jan. 29 maintained a familiar, impressive narrative. Its Azure cloud business continued to demonstrate its position as a growth powerhouse, with revenue growing 62% year over year. This has helped Microsoft stock power 15% higher so far in 2020. And some analysts expect the stock to climb another 15% over the next 12 months.
However, the average analyst expectation — a price target of 196.79 (about 7% up from current prices) — is much more tame.
So who should we listen to? Is it time to join the party in Microsoft stock, or is more patience required in light of its impressive earnings beat?
Important Things to Consider With Microsoft Stock
While the average price target on Microsoft has yet to shift much after its latest earnings report, many analysts have boosted their expectations for its revenue gains in subsequent quarters.
Analysts and Main Street agree that the success of Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure, is a pivotal piece of Microsoft’s long-term bull case. It has also helped it constantly contend with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) for the title of largest company in the world.
In fact, Eric Fry, Editor of Fry’s Investment Report, places Microsoft among the “Big 5” stocks that have ruled the S&P 500 over the past five or so years — boasting a 387% gain in that time frame as of his writing. A big part of that lift is due to its advancement in cloud technologies, which is second only to Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Amazon Web Services.
And that leadership gap is constantly diminishing with Amazon’s growth in the space slowing down. While it’s unrealistic to expect Amazon to lose the No. 1 spot any time soon, what Microsoft can do is keep leeching new customers from the e-commerce behemoth by establishing its position as the “best” choice in cloud.
The fact that it has recently managed to “steal” promising government contracts from Amazon is often cited as evidence of its growing respect among perspective customers. While I understand why investors might be optimistic about this deal, it isn’t done yet. In fact, a judge temporarily blocked the JEDI contract as Amazon’s lawsuit works through the court.
The Bottom Line on Microsoft
Microsoft is an interesting case of what was once a seemingly quaint dinosaur — “Mr. Softie” — managing to roar back into modernity and make itself relevant again with its pursuit of pertinent advancements at the edge of countless other technological innovations.
The cloud helps make the world a more efficient space, both personally and professionally. And if its growth path over the past few years is any indication, Microsoft will continue to push its strength in this space for years to come.
It’s usually not wise to jump in when everyone else is buying — at least if you want a strong bargain. So this is less of a buy recommendation at current prices and more of an examination of the longer-term prospects that continue to make the stock tick moving forward.
It doesn’t seem like Microsoft’s success in the cloud will slow down any time soon. And as InvestorPlace.com Markets Analyst Luke Lango puts it, “History shows that as goes Microsoft’s cloud business, so goes Microsoft stock. So, as Microsoft’s cloud business roars higher in 2020, Microsoft stock should follow suit.”
That inevitability certainly makes it a key stock to watch in the months ahead. It also gives good reason to consider buying it on a dip.
Robert Waldo has been a web editor for InvestorPlace since 2016. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


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How Tech Companies Are Making A Complete Hurricane Disaster Somewhat Bearable (AWAY, T, VZ)
Published 10:28 am, Friday, November 2, 2012
Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath led several tech companies to lend a helping hand in one way or another.
Just yesterday, Airbnb decided to waive all of its fees for both hosts and guests in areas affected by Sandy through November 7. It normally collects a service fee from guests and a payment-handling fee from hosts.
It's also encouraging hosts to open up their homes and lower prices in order to provide shelter to those who need it.
Currently, there are more than 20,000 listings within Sandy-affected areas, according to an Airbnb blog post.
For large families or those who might need a bit more space, vacation rental service HomeAway has organized a directory to help displaced residents find fully-furnished homes for both short- and long-term stays.
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On-demand car service Uber swallowed a huge, $100,000 expense on Wednesday when the company decided to pay drivers twice the normal rate to persuade them to take to the streets, but charge customers the normal rate. It didn't want to appear to be gouging customers the day after the storm hit.
It has since returned to its standard "surge" pricing for passengers, where fares vary based on demand, but is waiving the fees it would normally take out of payments, so those higher fares are going directly to drivers.
Wireless and Internet Connectivity
AT&T and T-Mobile made a temporary agreement to let customers roam on either network in areas where there's poor cell coverage. (The two companies happen to run on compatible wireless technology.)
Verizon recently set up Wireless Emergency Communications Centers in New York and New Jersey to provide victims with charging stations and cell phones for making free calls to contact friends and family.
AT&T is also reportedly bringing in trucks with satellite connectivity to offer Wi-Fi and cell service in New York City. The trucks will also come loaded with charging stations.
Let us know in the comments if there are any companies we missed.


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Muhammad Bilal has created a wonder of a fox car and a motorcycle to show something new. Muhammad Bilal is praised for seeing such a car on the roads of Islamabad. Muhammad Bilal has named it Foxy Rickshaw. Bilal has told Urdupoint reporter Usman Paracha
that he has bought an old Foxy car
and adjusted it with a bike to make a new style car.
#FoxyCar #FoxyAlteration #FoxyCarModels
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The Good Box has collaborated with the Petbarn Foundation to launch “The GoodPet Box”, helping pet-owners experiencing homelessness maintain the welfare oftheir four-legged friends.
The box features a selection of products for pets’ health, including food,treats and other items.
“Pets provide love and companionship, which is often really hard to get whenyou are experiencing homelessness,” said Gali Blacher, co-founder at The GoodBox. “Our friends experiencing homelessness often put their pet’s needs beforetheir own which is why something like The Good Pet Box is so important,especially with the holiday season coming up.”
The box is available for donors to purchase online at $15. Donated boxes willbe sent to one of The Good Box’s 20-plus charity partners to help theirclients experiencing homelessness and who have pets.
“We know pets have a positive impact on a person’s mental health and well-being. It’s extremely important to ensure pet owners experiencing homelessnessare supported” said Janelle Bloxsom, manager at Petbarn Foundation.
Source: Inside Retail Australia
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Edinburgh Woollen Mill to expand by opening another 100 shops after posting record annual profit
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill is to open another 100 shops
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill, the company behind high street clothing chains, Peacocks, Jane Norman and Ponden Mill is to open another 100 shops after posting record annual profit.
The group, which also owns golfing brand ProQuip, has been buying chains and now has more than 1,000 shops across the UK after opening 71 during the year.
Based in Langholm, Scotland, it employs more than 10,000 staff in the UK and Ireland.
Pre-tax profit rose by 28 per cent to £91.2million for the year to February and the total sales rose 2 per cent to £562.6million.
Steve Simpson, group commercial director said: ‘Each of our brands has its own core focus, but they are united in their determination to reward customer loyalty with quality, value for money and customer service.
‘Whether they are cost-conscious mums looking for family fashion or discerning shoppers seeking a more timeless sense of style, our customers know they can rely on us to deliver what the quality they want, at the price they want, both on the high street and online.’
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text: HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Vegetable prices in major Chinese cities surged more than 60% in November from a year earlier, with ginger and garlic among those seeing the highest price gains, according to reports Tuesday citing government data. A Ministry of Commerce survey of prices for 18 vegetables across 36 cities conducted during the first weeks of November found average gains of 62.4% from a year earlier, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The Commerce Ministry said factors for the price increases include bad growing conditions and late summer floods, in addition to higher pesticide, labor, transport and petroleum prices. Speculation was also cited as factors in pushing up wholesale prices for garlic which rose 96% and ginger which rose 90%. The release follows October inflation data last week which showed CPI gains of 4.4% from a year earlier, the fastest rate of increase in 25 months.


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Vitamin D made by Sunshine
Sunshine deficiency leads to vitamin D crisis
MILLIONS of Australians are exposing themselves to bone disease, fractures, diabetes and cancers by failing to get enough vitamin D, a crucial nutrient produced when skin is exposed to sunlight.
Experts have warned the highly acclaimed "Slip Slop Slap" campaign may have been taken too far by a nation terrified of skin cancer.
Melbourne Pathology director Ken Sikaris, who oversees 1500 vitamin D tests a week, said the rate of deficiencies was "mind-boggling".
Dr Sikaris said people had become overly protective when it came to sunshine, pointing out that Slip Slop Slap "is a pendulum and it's gone a bit too far".
"There's a balance you need sunlight but don't go out in the middle of the day for an hour when the UV is most harmful," he said.
Sydney endocrinologist Terry Diamond said under current recommendations 20 to 30 per cent of the population had deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D.
But he said there was emerging evidence the optimal level to maintain bone health should be 40 per cent higher than national guidelines.
"That would mean 60 to 70 per cent of the population have deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D," Professor Diamond, of St George Hospital, said.
Vitamin D is converted from cholesterol in the blood by sunlight and helps increase calcium absorption in the intestine, which builds stronger bones. Australians receive about 90percent of their intake from sunlight production, a function that is hindered by wearing sunscreen.
But in the past six years, average daily presentations to Australian hospitals with broken bones due to osteoporosis have risen from 177 to 262 - costing the medical system $1.9 billion a year.
Osteoporosis Australia head Peter Ebeling said the situation had become "very serious".
"I think we need to do everything we can to prevent the number of broken bones that are occurring," he said. "If people think about getting out into the sun for a little time when it's safe during the summer months that would be good. If they're not able to do that I think vitamin D supplements are very important." Professor Ebeling said emerging research had linked vitamin D deficiencies to colon, breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
"I think a lot of us have been worried about it for a long time but have just realised how widespread it is over the last five to 10 years," he said. "Like most people, we wouldn't have thought it would be very widespread in Australia but it seems that it is." Australia remains the skin cancer capital of the world, with more than 9500 cases of melanoma diagnosed every year and 1600 deaths.


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Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (VIFW) November 20-25 highlights how fashion can build connections with Indigenous values, wisdom, and history
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Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art presents the Canadian premiere exhibition of Sho Sho Esquiro: Doctrine of Discovery from September to June.
The Museum of Vancouver’s next webinar will explore the concept of shopping Indigenous First and outline the importance of supporting Indigenous businesses this holiday season.


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Car makers around the world are constantly researching and developing better ideas that can allow them to reduce their carbon footprint and make it convenient for the consumers to drive their vehicles without impacting the environment. Honda has remained in the lead with the new efforts and technologies that they have invented to make things simpler and better for car buyers. Honda has now made an announcement that they have teamed up with TDK Corporation and Japan Metals and Chemicals Co better known as JMC to reuse rare earth metal extracted from nickel metal hydride batteries in hybrid vehicles for magnets of new hybrid vehicles.
Sharing more information on this Honda said that they have always come up with better strategies to make this world a better place. The automaker has already started supplying rare earth metals extracted from used nickel metal hydride batteries at the JMC plant for reuse in the new hybrid car batteries. The Japanese car maker said that this will help them to make more usage of recycled materials in their hybrid cars and save precious resources. The usage of the rare earth metals will also allow Honda to reduce the cost of production for hybrid vehicles and they can bring down the price range of hybrid vehicles in the future.
So far the three companies have decided to discuss on how they will initiate the process and how the metals will be reuse in the new nickel metal hydride batteries. The automaker claims that they will gradually increase the production capacity to introduce more recycled products.


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'Ne russische Bank in Kasachstan will Ultraluxus-Kreditkarten rausgeben, gemacht aus Gold, Diamanten und Perlen. Die Dinger sollen 100.000 Dollar kosten. Go, Capitalism, go!
Russia’s Sberbank in Kazakhstan has announced plans to issue an exclusive new credit card—which the bank claims to be the world’s first bank card to be made entirely of gold, diamonds and pearls. Called ‘Visa Infinite Exclusive’, this limited edition card will be made with “pure gold, 26 diamonds and inlaid mother of pearl”.
It was reported that it will cost US$100,000 to obtain the card—with $65,000 going into minting the card, and the balance will remain in the user’s accounts.


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FRANKFURT, Germany — German car makers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz have teamed up to buy digital mapping service HERE for 2.8 billion euros ($3.07 billion) from Nokia, the Finnish telecoms group said Monday.
The sale “should be concluded in the first quarter of 2016,” Nokia said in a statement, adding that it expected net proceeds from the deal of just over 2.5 billion euros ($2.74 billion).
The three German luxury car makers, which were already clients of HERE, said in a separate statement that they would hold equal shares in what would be an unprecedented type of partnership in the sector.
“HERE is laying the foundations for the next generation of mobility and location-based services,” they said, adding that HERE’s technology would eventually be used in self-driving cars.
The companies touted HERE’s maps of nearly 200 countries in more than 50 languages as being able to use “swarm intelligence” to provide constant updates on hazards such as icy roads, accidents and traffic jams.
The joint acquisition, which will have to be approved by competition authorities, is aimed at maintaining HERE’S products and services “as an open, independent and value-creating platform” in the automotive industry and other sectors, the car makers added.
Nokia paid $8.1 billion in 2008 (the equivalent of $8.89 billion today and about $11.53 billion at the time of the sale in October 2007) for U.S. digital map provider Navteq, one of the firms that merged to create HERE, a direct competitor of Google Maps. The German acquisition deal had been in the works for months.
Although much less familiar to consumers than its rival, HERE has a solid list of industrial and Internet clients, including Facebook and Amazon, and its maps are used by four of every five cars in Europe and North America with integrated GPS.
‘They didn’t want to be dependent on Google or Microsoft’
Formerly the top company in the mobile phone sector, Nokia aims now to focus on network equipment and is working on a return to the handset business, which it sold to Microsoft in 2013.
Nokia struck a 15.6 billion euro ($17.12 billion) deal in April to buy its rival Alcatel-Lucent to create the world’s biggest supplier of mobile phone network equipment. It also expects to finalize that deal in the first half of 2016.
The taxi app Uber told The New York Times in May that it had made a $3 billion offer for HERE.
Analysts said Nokia could be happy with the sale price.
“Nokia paid a very high price for the service then (by buying Navteq in 2008), but that was a long time ago,” equity strategist Kristian Tammela of Nordea Bank Finland told AFP. “Back then, they paid too much, but now the price is reasonable.”
Mikael Rautanen of equity research firm Inderes said it was the right acquisition at the right time for the German car makers. “It is a good deal — and, above all, strategically important for them. The biggest threat for them was that HERE would be sold to Silicon Valley. They don’t want to be dependent on players like Google or Microsoft,” Rautanen told AFP.
He noted that digital services are transforming the car market.
“In the future, carmakers won’t differ from each other so much by their motor or by their design, but rather by the services that come with their cars,” Rautanen said. “Let alone driverless cars, which will very quickly become a part of everyday life.”
London-based IHS Automotive said the acquisition could spur the establishment of a “de facto standard” in the industry, spurring high-tech development.
“The consortium model has many benefits for the industry,” the group said in a statement including the ability to combine resources to secure and continue developing a long-term strategic resource.”
By Estelle Peard
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015


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Miami & Austin Are Wreaking Category Violence On Silicon Valley
Who will be the new category king "tech hub" region in the US?
Arrrrr! 🏴☠Welcome to the free edition of Category Pirates. Every Wednesday, we publish radically different ideas with the goal of helping you create, design, and dominate your own category—in business and in life. If you enjoy this letter, we encourage you to check out some of our other favorites:
To hop aboard the pirate ship, subscribe below 👇
Dear Friend, Subscriber, and fellow Category Pirate,
Right now, we see category design happening in PLACES in the US.
Legendary places are legendary because they design and dominate a category.
Nashville: category queen city for songwriters.
Hollywood: category king city for entertainment.
New York: category queen city for finance & fashion.
London: category king city for international finance.
Bay Area: category queen city for technology & startups.
(We are using “queen” and “king” interchangeably.)
These are regions that became known for a niche they own—and did so intentionally. Nashville doesn’t market itself by saying, “Come to Nashville! Nashville, Nashville!” This would be the equivalent of marketing the brand first, which is a cardinal sin in category design we expounded upon in this letter.
Legendary places market the category of which they hold the leadership position.
When someone says “I’m going to visit the songwriting capital of the US,” they don’t need to say the city—you know they’re talking about Nashville. Or if they say, “I’m going out west to pursue my dream of becoming an actor,” you know they’re headed for LA. That’s because these cities have established themselves as queens and kings of specific categories—and successfully defended their positions from prying competitors.
But what happens when the category king of an industry, sector, or in this case, region of the United States, starts to neglect their precious category? More importantly, what happens when other cities witness this vulnerability and begin to attack?
We call this Category Violence.
Which is exactly what’s happening between Miami, Austin, and Silicon Valley right now.
Since the beginning of COVID, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been actively marketing for entrepreneurs and investors to leave SF, LA, and NY for Miami.
But when in the history of Silicon Valley has anyone in tech ever cared about Miami?
Silicon Valley is the legendary region that gave birth to Google, Facebook, Adobe, Netflix, Apple, Cisco, Oracle, Tesla and thousands of other groundbreaking companies. If you’re an entrepreneur, specifically a tech entrepreneur, why would you want to go anywhere else besides “The Valley”?
You didn’t—until the pandemic hit.
When COVID cases surged, and every company in the country was forced to shut down their offices and move their workforce remote, the rules of the game changed.
All of a sudden, living in Silicon Valley was irrelevant—you were working out of your apartment or house just like everyone else. As a result, people started asking themselves, “If Silicon Valley isn’t really a region, but more of a network of people I can talk to over the phone or Internet from anywhere in the world, why am I paying a 30%+ premium to live here?”
And they started leaving in droves.
Now, not everyone who left SF in 2020 went searching for the next-best tech capital in the US.
On a practical level, the living cost of an apartment or house in SF compared to other cities like Denver, Austin, Seattle, or Miami is so disproportionate that unless you physically need to live in the Bay Area, it’s very hard to rationalize paying such an absurd premium. It’s estimated that rent prices in San Francisco are 89% higher than in Miami, with other living costs like restaurant prices and grocery prices also being higher, at 17.9% and 27.6% respectively.
But when you see California as a state hemorrhaging companies and wealthy individuals left and right, it stops being about “just the rent.” For example, Oracle, Palantir, and Hewlett-Packard, along with billionaires like Larry Ellison, Drew Houston, and Elon Musk all left California in 2020.
So, what does this exodus mean for cities like Denver? Seattle? Austin? Miami?
It means right now there is a game of Jump Ball for Category King status around where white collar tech-knowledge workers work.
Just like there was in the 80s.
People forget there was a time in history when Silicon Valley was not the category king region of technology.
In the 70s and 80s, that region was Boston—home to pioneers like Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, and Wang Laboratories based in Cambridge. At their respective peaks, Wang Laboratories had annual revenues of $3 billion and DEC had annual revenues of $14 billion, ranking it one of the most profitable companies in the country. In addition, DEC was responsible for creating and designing the category of “mini computing,” with its VAX line of superminicomputers and workstations being one of the most successful product lines in the history of technology. There was a point in time when the greatest job you could have in tech was selling VAXs.
And then the tech scene in Boston came to a screeching halt.
The 80s were a period of such rampant economic growth for the region that the decade became known as The Massachusetts Miracle—largely due to multibillion-dollar enterprises like Wang Laboratories and DEC creating jobs and paving the way for future innovation. Then, a little company named Hewlett-Packard from Palo Alto, California started expanding (for context, HP’s sales were only $5.5 million in the early 50s. By the 80s, sales had reached $6.5 billion and the company was employing 85,000 people). Then, another little company named Oracle, based out of Santa Clara, CA, started gaining traction. And then Cisco, in San Francisco. And then Apple. Google. Facebook. And so on.
There was a moment in the late 70s and early 80s where Boston was what Silicon Valley is today.
That is, until Boston’s category king position was wrestled away.
And not only did Silicon Valley emerge victorious, but it left this once-innovative region of Massachusetts borderline irrelevant.
Seminal companies, breakthrough products, partnerships with renowned institutions such as Stanford, and the creation of a venture ecosystem (the region’s data flywheel) led by people like Don Valentine, the founder of Sequoia Capital (and “grandfather” of the SV venture capital scene) and Eugene Kleiner, Tom Perkins, Frank Caufield, and Brook Byers, the four founders of the visionary early-stage fund, Kleiner Perkins, created an unstoppable, radically generous region for tech entrepreneurs.
The northern corner of California successfully redesigned the category of “tech hub.”
And as we have written about extensively in our other Category Pirate letters, the region captured (more than) two-thirds of the opportunities and economics as a result.
You either become legendary at category design, or fall victim to it.
Fast-forward to 2021, and here’s the irony:
The government of California and the leadership of Silicon Valley are acting the same way Blackberry and Xerox executives did right before they got wiped off the face of the planet, neglecting their categories and vacating their thrones. In 2009, BlackBerry was #1 on Fortune’s 100 fastest-growing companies list, boasting 37% market share in the U.S. smartphone market.
3 years later, BlackBerry’s market share was a little more than 7%.
Today, the company is a meme stonk.
Category violence is underway. And the techniques that made Silicon Valley companies “Silicon Valley companies” are now being used against Silicon Valley as a region by Miami, Austin, and other cities in the United States.
Silicon Valley today is risking being Boston in the late 80s.
The category “The Valley” used to own is now being threatened by cities like Miami and Austin who are actively and intentionally redesigning their regions to be new and radically different hubs for startup entrepreneurs.
Here are just a few of those radical differentiators:
Florida and Texas don't have a state income tax (whereas based on bracket, California’s state tax can get as high as 12.3%).
Both states are marketing “Young & Hungry” budding startup scenes (versus Silicon Valley’s legacy, incestuous, now-elitest startup scene).
Miami is attracting high-profile investors like Keith Rabois (Founders Fund general partner) and David Blumberg (Blumberg Capital founder). Austin has built a tech startup and venture ecosystem over years and is now home to Tesla and Oracle.
Miami has fully endorsed Bitcoin, becoming the first state to invest a portion of its treasury assets into the cryptocurrency.
Right now, Silicon Valley is doing nothing to remind the United States it is the epicenter of tech.
In fact, we could argue the technology that created Silicon Valley is now destroying it.
Meetings can happen over Zoom. Co-workers can chat over Slack. You don’t need to show up to a physical office to work at Twitter or Square. Why “live” in Silicon Valley?
Further, best we can tell, there is little indication by regional governments or the Newsom administration this exodus is even being acknowledged. California as a state, and the Bay Area as a region, is acting like a fat old queen resting on her laurels while her kingdom is being destroyed by up-and-coming pirates.
Regions ignorant of category design will fall victim to it.
Just because things are the way they are right now, doesn’t mean they will stay that way forever. Places like Miami and Austin have caught the Bay Area committing category neglect. And now, they are responding with category violence—with Texas’s recent massive energy failure representing yet another advantage for Miami.
Heed this warning: Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area need to evangelize and redesign the category and niche they once claimed as their own.
Otherwise, they will suffer the same fate Blackberry did to Apple.
A region is no different than a business.