Fives.
Guthrie Govan.
Sunset from our backyard tonight.
Do No Evil
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”William Gibson (via sabino)
Apple’s Massive Numbers And Some Context
Simply looking over the numbers, it might be hard to wrap your head around what Apple just announced for their Q1 2012 results. A company this big is not supposed to be able to nearly double revenue year-to-year. Nor are they supposed to more than double profit. But Apple did both. The numbers are so big that they almost seem like they should be typos… So perhaps it’s best to point out some bigger numbers and to frame some of them in ways to make them easier to understand.
The following is a quote from Phil Zimmerman, creator of PGP, one of the most important pieces of 20th century technology. It’s from an interview that will appear in my upcoming book:
I think that there’s something grotesque about having the internet turned upside down just for the entertainment industry. When you look at how much economic activity is driven by the internet and compare it to that of the entertainment industry—the entertainment industry is not that big! It’s a small part of it.
For the entertainment industry to have this control over the internet…it’s like if the auto industry was assembling cars at the command of companies who manufacture FM radios. Imagine if the people who make FM radios had absolute control over where highways can be built, and dictate crashworthiness. It’s perverse. This is an example of powerful lobbies purchasing legislation.
The rise and fall of personal computing. A fascinating analysis by Horace Dediu.
If iOS and Android are added as potential substitutions for personal computing, the share of PCs suddenly collapses to less than 50%. It also suggests much more collapse to come.
Cosmic Dancer.
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