Samsung has now overtaken Apple as the leading phone manufacturer.  This leads one to wonder if Apple would be better off deploying its formidable cash reserves to innovation and competition, rather than trying to drown the competition in endless questionable lawsuits based on 1960s science fiction.

In contrast to Apple’s clear desire to shut competition down and “hold exclusive rights to produce any modern smartphone or tablet, claiming ownership of all multi-touch in mobile devices and all thin, rectangular minimalist mobile device designs”, sources in Samsung have suggested that Samsung  ”does not truly wish to restrict consumers selection, rather they hope that a potential sales ban would force Apple to drop its questionable lawsuits out of self-interest and let consumers decide which company’s products are victorious”

Personally I’m a fan of letting consumers decide rather than attempting to legislate forced consumption based on designs featured over 40 years ago in popular science fiction.

PHP Freelancer

Music is the universal language of all complex life, potentially even of our very reality. It is not an expression, it is a projection of a mind-state. As humanity evolved, we developed our capability to project our individual and collective mind-states for both enjoyment and enrichment. This is why our tastes in music may vary or stabalise along our life course, or even the time of day. Music is the rich tapestry of our life. It can be found everywhere from the playful warbling of a magpie, to the digital realm, to even the cosmic (yes, Jupiter sings, if you speed it up). I will share some of the music that enriches my life and I hope some it enriches yours too. One day, I may even share some of my own creation.

My Music

PHP Freelancer

The latest (October) edition of the The Harvard Business Review writes that Customer Loyalty Isn’t Enough – Grow Your Share of Wallet (note: you may need to register to view this material – article authors listed below).

Essentially, the authors (below) are reminding us of the importance to focus less on ourselves, and more on the competition.  Or more specifically, why our customers focus on the competition.  They go further and present a number of simple formulas to estimate your businesses “wallet share” of your customers, or the proportion of their spending that is going to you or away from you to your competitors.  They suggest that where you are not number one in your niche, to ask why, and not get distracted with satisfaction measures that may only lead you to preach to the converted.

[...]

PHP Freelancer

What do you think of all the suing and counter-suing occuring in the market place at the moment?  Samsung recently announced (regarding their largest customer, ironically) that Apple’s Been “Freeriding,” We’re Getting aggressive

Personally, while I am glad to see a little ‘pay back’ for what I am inclined to perceive as un-necessarily aggressive and broad sweeping behavior by Apple using some dubious “look and feel” type patents, I do wonder if all these this arms race is a waste of time and money.  With the Western world teetering in the edge of economic collapse, would these reserves be better deployed to innovation?  Not only would this benefit a lackluster global economy, but it would also enrich our lives.

[...]

PHP Freelancer

More sobering news just in - Australians working beyond 65 because they have no money for retirement | News.com.au.

This is an all too common scenario and no matter how often this is repeated by government campaigns and financial planners, this advice sadly often goes unheard.

What are your thoughts?

[...]

PHP Freelancer

Are Telcos ignoring the threat of commoditisation?

I have argued for some time that this is the case and telcos risk becoming just another dumb pipe and as we know commoditisation spells the death of profits.  And low and behold, Telstra’s profitability has plummeted in recent times, admittedly as part of a deliberate strategy but one none-the-less bought about by these dreaded competitive forces.

[...]

PHP Freelancer

I am a minimalist republican.  What does this mean?  It means I love Australia and embrace its heritage, good and bad, acknowledge our faults, and see a bright future.  I am grateful for the British aristocracy and the Westminster system endowed upon us.

Whilst I continue to harbour deep concerns about our fragile commodity dependent economy, I believe that Australia needs to become a republic for the following reasons.

[...]

PHP Freelancer

Peter Martin, a respected commentator for the Fairfax Sydney Morning Herald and The Age today had the courage to challenge what is increasingly appearing to be a blind religion in Australia’s national psyche and called out some very real risks to our national economy.

The World Trade Organisation and an increasingly loud chorus of commentators are now supporting my position that I have pushed for over a year now.  I have grown increasingly concerned with Australia’s reliance on commodity exports, and I am convinced that the single main reason Australia avoided the worst of the GFC was due to China’s insatiable appetite for our red and black dirt (iron ore and coal) which account for around half our entire national exports, perhaps more.

[...]

PHP Freelancer

It seems I was right, never grow complacent, never take your market position for granted!

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/252196,nokia-stalls-painful-job-cut-talks-to-end-of-april.aspx

Posted from WordPress for Android

PHP Freelancer

Beware The Vortex of Doom!

Competition is heating up, your suppliers exerting upward pressure, your customers are exerting downward pressure, your products and strategies are being imitated.

Sooner or later no matter how successful your product based business is, you will hit a wall unless you are very lucky.

So how did Apple beat this game?  Lets look at the smartphone market.

[...]

PHP Freelancer