Archive for the 'Predictions' Category

iPhone

Tuesday, January 9th, 2007

What do you get when you cross an iPod and a cell phone, and then throw a web browser into the mix? The Apple iPhone, of course, available in June.

They are also introducing a video player, called Apple TV that can download digital content from the Internet and play it on a television.

Steve Jobs announced the new products at the MacWorld expo.

My prediction – the iPhone will be a huge hit. It’s exactly the easy-to-use, all-in-one device that the market has been hungry for. The Apple TV, not so much. I think between Tivo, DVR, Netflix, Video On Demand, and people just generally being busier than they used to be, the market for more video content is over-saturated. iTunes videos probably sell specifically because they can play on portable computers and iPods, not because people can’t find anything to watch on their televisions. Bottom line: Apple TV, no; iPhone, oh yes.

But however it turns out, Bravo to Apple for once again pushing the envelope and moving us to the next level.

2008 Fever – Don’t Catch It Just Yet!

Sunday, January 7th, 2007

Answer: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rudy Guiliani, John McCain, and Barack Obama.

Question: Who are four people who are not going to be elected president in 2008?

Ignore the polls. At this early stage, the name recognition factor is always going to skew the results. As new faces emerge and old stalwarts define themselves anew, you’re going to be hearing a lot more names than just those four.

Note: The prediction above does not pertain to party nominations, vice-presidential selections, or future presidential elections. Nor does it predict who is going to be elected president. Right now, a Biden vs. Romney contest seems not entirely out of the question. Pataki had an unusually prominent spot in the 2004 Republican Convention, which is usually a tell. And Gore, if he decides to run, will likely be the automatic front runner among Democrats who are still sore from the 2000 election, and would be helped in the general election by swing voters with buyer’s remorse. Plus, he’s a movie star now, and we all know how helpful that can be.

But my whole point is that it’s way too early for this kind of speculation. All I can tell you right now is that none of the first four people I mentioned will be our next president. That’s my prediction, and I’m putting it in the blog.

I’ll also add a new category “Predictions” so if this blog lasts longer than next Wednesday, we can track my predictions and see how I’m doing.