Doomed.
Business
Guess how many iPhones Apple sold in 2015
Doomed.
On pricing an iOS app
Tough to know the right apps to develop and to find the right pricing sweet spot at which to sell them.
Patent troll drops case, but now the hunter has become the hunted
The way I read this, Newegg is a hero. They could easily have paid the troll and gone on with their business. But what they did serves the entire community. Standing up to a patent troll and winning shows that it can be done.
VMware abruptly fires Fusion dev team, outsources to China
This appears to have been sudden, but I can’t imagine this was an overnight decision. That’s rough.
Inside the hidden world that handles your holiday returns
“You don’t know where the product went after it left your store, so you can’t put it back on your shelf.” There’s a shadow world out there that resells your returned goods.
Tim continues Apple’s investment strategy
Pouring money into R&D and releasing products during such a downturn is both brave and smart. Apple has long done this and Tim is keeping that strategy in place.
Apple’s ‘Project Titan’ at crossroads, team in hiring freeze, source says
Apple Insider reporting on a hiring freeze for Apple’s rumored car project.
Apple’s quarterly fiscal results call at 2p PT today
Links to the Investor Relations page, as well as the webcast of the earnings call.
Amazon Prime’s latest salvo in the battle against Apple TV, Chromecast
Janko Roettgers, writing for Variety:
Amazon’s Prime members just got a new perk: Showtime and Starz, unbundled and cheap.
Things are getting interesting.
WSJ: Apple’s electric car project lead leaving company
Daisuke Wakabayashi, writing for the Wall Street Journal, writes about Steve Zadesky, a 16-year Apple veteran and former Ford Engineer, leaving Apple.
Why Apple assembles in China
John Gruber, addressing Donald Trump’s “we’re gonna get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country, instead of in other countries” comment.
Apple opening Europe’s first iOS app development center in Italy
Apple is investing heavily in bringing iOS dev to the masses, so far announcing sites in Brazil, Indonesia, and now in Naples, Italy.
Apple, new accusations of child labor, and the chain of logic
Click through to the post, which walks through the logic chain linking Apple to Huayou Cobalt, with details of how child labor fits into all this.
Apple may be on hook for $8 billion in taxes after Europe probe
Some analysis and math on Apple’s tax situation in Ireland. By my take, the reports are worst case and the math seems a little off.
New York state introduces bill to ban sale of encrypted smartphones
This is troublesome, and outrageous on many levels. It obviously impacts Apple more than any other company.
Consider the source: Apple keeps close eye on potential Time Warner spinoff
Note that the story comes from the Rupert Murdoch owned New York Post. Read on for thoughts on this.
Apple has this, others do not
Jeffrey Mincey, writing for Mac360, on a major difference between Apple and companies like Google, Samsung, Dell, etc.
Apple CarPlay wins NAIAS tech of the year award
Nice win. Be sure to check out the CarPlay video on the press release page.
Elon Musk: It’s an open secret that Apple is working on an electric car
Elon Musk, in a BBC interview, talks about the Tesla Model 3, in production next year, designed to be affordable for the masses. When asked about Apple’s plans, he (almost reluctantly, it seems) makes the point that it is an open secret that Apple is working on a car of their own.
Struggling Philadelphia Inquirer is donated to nonprofit in groundbreaking deal
This is a groundbreaking business model for newspapers. Could it be a path for other papers to follow?
Bill Ford isn’t scared of Apple
This is a great read. Veteran journalist Steven Levy got the chance to interview Ford’s Executive Chairman Bill Ford (former CEO and namesake Henry Ford’s great-grandson). Like everything Steven Levy writes, this is well written, thoughtful, and entertaining.
Apple: “No, we’re not making an iPhone-to-Android switching tool”
A definitive “No we’re not” from Apple.
Apple shares open below $100 for first time since 2014. But why?
Why the stock drop when Apple is breaking all sorts of sales records? One explanation is a possible inventory buildup.
Lego, a better investment than gold
Who knew Lego sets would appreciate so well?
On Apple entering the car market
Horace Dediu’s interesting take on Apple entering the car market, comparing that risk to the risk Apple took entering the smart phone market.
Interview with Apple COO Jeff Williams
This audio interview gives you a chance to get to know Jeff Williams. He’s a well-spoken advocate for Apple’s health care efforts.
Apple announces record breaking Holiday Season for the App Store
$20 billion spent in apps last year. That is an incredible number.
Lawsuit alleges Apple feigned partnership with Valencell to glean key Apple Watch heart rate sensor tech
Bad business. Presumably, the truth will out on this.
How to run your business when you don’t know what you’re doing
If you are running a small business, perhaps as a freelancer, consultant, or app developer, this is an invaluable read, especially if you’ve never had any formal business experience.