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kmi

kmi
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  • Android inches past Apple's iOS to grab a 27% share of recent smartphone buyers, to Apple's 25%. While the BlackBerry OS (RIMM -0.7%) remains in front with 33%, only 42% say their next phone will be a BlackBerry, vs. 71% for Android (GOOG +1.3%), and a whopping 89% for iPhone (AAPL +1.9%).  [View news story]
    Apple-ATT was a 5year exclusivity deal, Verizon deal not happening, wonder why that rumor keeps popping around, best case scenario Apple loses in court is forced to expand carriers and adds... T-Mobile... since iPhone compatible with that network, but not its 3G, so iPhone on Tmobile still not a carrier expansion solution.... They'd need to make new hardware, I'd guess that's also why Apple has ignored a few other markets.
    Aug 3 07:44 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Heavyweight investors - including Bill Gross, Jeremy Grantham and David Tepper - are bracing for a bout of deflation, a development that could cripple global economies. Gross: "Deflation isn't just a topic of intellectual curiosity, it's happening. It's an uncertain world that's tipping toward deflation."  [View news story]
    Think some flirtation with deflation because of dollar strength, which is fading. Dollar strength dropped costs on imported goods, energy, etc, but that's all gone now.

    If dollar keeps falling I expect another engineered 'crisis' in Europe/Euro though... Times were good for a minute out in Euroland...
    Aug 2 10:15 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Sources say the SEC is fast-tracking a push to ban stub quotes - orders placed well off the market price of stocks, many of which were executed in the May flash crash for as little as a penny.  [View news story]
    Didn't ETFs destroy price discovery long ago...
    Aug 2 10:09 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Android inches past Apple's iOS to grab a 27% share of recent smartphone buyers, to Apple's 25%. While the BlackBerry OS (RIMM -0.7%) remains in front with 33%, only 42% say their next phone will be a BlackBerry, vs. 71% for Android (GOOG +1.3%), and a whopping 89% for iPhone (AAPL +1.9%).  [View news story]
    hmm how is it that so many claim their next phone will be an iPhone when Android based phones have been coming from behind? Does that indicate iPhones will pass back by Android?

    In any event will be interesting how it plays out when the new windows mobile7 comes out in the 4th quarter and what kind of marketing push RIM puts behind their OS6.
    Aug 2 03:52 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Visa (V -2.2%) and MasterCard (MA -3.1%) are both taking a beating on reports AT&T (T +2%), Verizon (VZ +1.3%) and T-Mobile USA (DTEGY.PK +1.6%) are working to supplant credit and debit cards with a smartphone payment system.  [View news story]
    Win for the consumer?

    Wonder how this will play out in terms of fees.
    Aug 2 03:49 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • The domino effect begins: Saudi Arabia indicates it will follow the United Arab Emirates in blocking key BlackBerry (RIMM) services. (previously)  [View news story]
    That's a red herring argument, typical of the overzealous previous administration which used the threat of terrorism to do pretty much anything it wanted.

    Terrorists, or others intent on doing no good, will always find a way. Do you suggest we also block encrypted Skype transmissions here in the US or block AT&T's new encrypted voice service (which incidentally is mostly being marketed to gov't employees and the like)?

    End justifies the means is a slippery slope and I'm not prepared to start walking down it.
    Aug 2 08:20 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • As many BlackBerry (RIMM) users had feared, the United Arab Emirates will halt BlackBerry services in October because of security concerns, affecting 500K users and potentially paving the way for other Gulf states to follow suit. Nokia (NOK) and Apple (AAPL) smartphones will continue to operate as usual.  [View news story]
    I don't see anything sepcific about US and Europe being allowed to monitor Blackberry traffic in the article, although I grant it is in the realm of the possible.

    But if encrypted Blackberry communications are not alolowed in US I would wonder how ATT can introduce a voice encryption service...

    www.fiercemobileit.com...

    Seems contradictory.
    Aug 1 10:02 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • As many BlackBerry (RIMM) users had feared, the United Arab Emirates will halt BlackBerry services in October because of security concerns, affecting 500K users and potentially paving the way for other Gulf states to follow suit. Nokia (NOK) and Apple (AAPL) smartphones will continue to operate as usual.  [View news story]
    Really?

    Blackberry isn't more secure?

    Please review how your data is being collected by apps from your iphone below:

    news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20...

    We aren't even talking government entities here.
    Aug 1 09:53 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • The domino effect begins: Saudi Arabia indicates it will follow the United Arab Emirates in blocking key BlackBerry (RIMM) services. (previously)  [View news story]
    So the countries intent on controlling their people and keeping tabs on what they do and what they say will block Balckberry software.

    Annnnnd... this is bad press for RIM?
    Aug 1 09:50 PM | 4 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • While long-term damage from the BP spill is "unknowable" only three months after the blowout, it looks increasingly like the "greater environmental catastrophe in U.S. history" talk was exaggerated. Or is it a government cover-up?  [View news story]
    Since oil can just disappear like that why do we ever bother cleaning it up or worrying about it, clearly environment is more resilient than we thought and we should just dump crap with wild abandon into the sea, nature will clean it up for us.
    Jul 31 08:06 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Research In Motion (RIMM +3.6%) plans to introduce a tablet computer in November to compete with the iPad (AAPL +0.4%). The "Blackpad" will be about the same size as the iPad and be able to use a BlackBerry's internet connection. But Dan Frommer can't figure why would anyone want to buy it.  [View news story]
    Just as a side note, after Apple's entrance to the smartphone industry, Blackberry sales shot up; before Apple smartphones were mostly niche, today they are mainstream.

    Blackberry continues to be a larger player in the smartphone industry than apple although it has lost market share.

    It would be interesting to compare sales volume of Blackberries before the iPhone to today.

    Apple - I wouldn't say created the tablet market - I had a windows OS 7" utraportable before iPads came out (made by a company called Viliv) - but they are moving them to the mainstream and out of the niche.

    I continue to think Apple will eat marketshare from Wii, Xbox, Playstation more so than anywhere else, and I think since tablets are not RIM's primary business, making one available is essentially a free revenue stream.

    I would love it if the device has hdmi out and a full version of Microsoft Office on it, I'd never use my desktop!
    Jul 31 07:42 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • A primary cause of the crisis was "government policies promoting homeownership," Henry Paulson says, urging lawmakers to shrink Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC). Barry Ritholtz isn't buying Paulson's "thinly veiled attempt to rewrite what actually occurred... to shift his own sad role from conductor of the theft to hapless victim."  [View news story]
    In addition to that, can I remind folks of oil's metoric rise to almost $150?

    In my business - investment real estate - energy is the second largest cost (after debt service). when energy skyrocketed, we all pulled back, stopped doing improvements, cut down costs,, retrenched.

    I was paying energy costs incurred in 07 well into 08. For me, the commodites bubble precipitated the crisis way before the August the 'market' froze.

    Today I've reduced energy use in some properties by almost 30% and I'd keep pushing that down if lending environment was better.

    Cost cutting seems to be everyone's play these days.
    Jul 30 04:05 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Research In Motion (RIMM +3.6%) plans to introduce a tablet computer in November to compete with the iPad (AAPL +0.4%). The "Blackpad" will be about the same size as the iPad and be able to use a BlackBerry's internet connection. But Dan Frommer can't figure why would anyone want to buy it.  [View news story]
    Blackpad is for those of us who want a tablet but want it *secure*.

    I sure don't want my info shared with servers in China.

    Both Apple's OS and Google's Android do it.

    news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20...

    Yes, I am a Blackberry fan.
    Jul 30 03:55 PM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Fed's James Bullard tells CNBC that the Bush tax cuts should not be allowed to expire - "increasing taxes while you're trying to get the economy to recover is not a good plan" - adding his voice to the growing debate.  [View news story]
    middle class/small business getting hammered by the new 1099 law already anyway, so yeah tax the rich too jeez...
    Jul 30 02:56 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • In some areas, the solar-energy sector is hitting its magic number, providing cheaper power than local coal-fired plants, with a trade-group spokesman saying a "tipping point" is coming in the next 12-24 months. Panel efficiency's up, but future savings will have to come from squeezing supply-chain costs. (ETFs: TAN, KWT)  [View news story]
    These are energy producers selling energy to the grid, not homeowners.

    The issue has been that the cost of setting up and providing renewable energy has cost more money than using non-renewables and the article is indicating that we are on the verge of renewables being cheaper than fossils. This is a big deal.
    Jul 28 05:41 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
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