Nonlinear Thinking: A New Kind of Industrial Robot

Posted on September 23, 2012 by macromon

A smarter, safer new industrial robot [Rethink Robotics] could bring automation to new areas of manual work and help many U.S. manufacturers regain a competitive edge.
– Technology Review

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Apple Stalling?

Posted on September 23, 2012 by macromon

Two things surprised us about Apple’s trading action on Friday.

First,  given the mania around the iPhone5,  we were surprised the stock was not stronger.   Second,  how easy it was for sellers to knock the stock down from the morning’s all-time high of $705.07 and pin it at the $700 strike on options expiration.   Ballsy for shorts to to take on the world’s largest company and clip its market cap by almost $5 billion for an options pin.

We lightened our position and will wait/hope/pray for a pullback to reload.  Riots at Foxconn this morning, which manufactures the iPhone – though unclear if they do at this plant — may be the catalyst for a sell off or it may not.

Foxconn Technology, a major supplier to some of the world’s electronics giants, including Apple, said on Monday that it had closed one of its large Chinese plants early Monday after police were called in to break up a fight among factory employees…

A Foxconn spokesman declined to specify whether the Taiyuan facility made products for the Apple iPhone 5, which went on sale last week, but he said that it supplied goods to many consumer electronics brands. Foxconn said it employed about 1.1 million workers in China.  – NY Times

Who knows,  iPhone5  sales could have blown away expectations over the weekend and the stock may open up $10 higher.   Lots of positive news priced and the stock has come a long way, however.   It really could use that pause that refreshes before starting the assault on $800.    Discipline über alles!

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Week in Review

Posted on September 23, 2012 by macromon

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Shanghai Ugly

Posted on September 23, 2012 by macromon

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Global Trend Indicators

Posted on September 23, 2012 by macromon

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‘Toon of the Day: iMania

Posted on September 21, 2012 by macromon

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TedTalks: What is the Internet, really?

Posted on September 21, 2012 by macromon

When a squirrel chewed through a cable and knocked him offline, journalist Andrew Blum started wondering what the Internet was really made of. So he set out to go see it — the underwater cables, secret switches and other physical bits that make up the net. – TedTalks

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Weekly Eurozone Watch: Ireland Trades Through Italy

Posted on September 21, 2012 by macromon

Key Data Points
German 10-year Bund 11 bps lower;
France 12 bps wider to the Bund;
Italy 10-year 14 bps wider to the Bund;
Spain 8  bps wider;
Portugal 11 bps wider;
Ireland 13 bps tighter;
Greece 75 bps tighter;
Large Eurozone banks consolidate recent gains;
Euro$ down 0.95 percent.

Ireland trades through Italy 10-year yield;

Comments
– Spain’s successful 10 year bond sale brought yields down  to an average yield of 5.67%, compared with 6.65% at the previous auction;
– Poor PMI figures  in Europe, the US, and China sent Bund yields and bank equities lower;
– Bundesbank president, Jens Weidmann, will meet Italy’s economy minster, Vittorio Grilli, next Wednesday;
– Spain’s Rajoy may be considering freezing pensions and bringing forward a planned rise in the retirement age.  The  austerity measures will hurt the PM politically but gives Madrid more cred with EU policymakers;
– Momentum for independence in Catalonia,  the wealthy region of northeastern Spain and 20 percent  Spain’s economy, is increasing;
– German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble says Spain should not yet take a bailout as borrowing costs have fallen in recent weeks.

Source:  Guardian and Reuters

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ReutersVideo: Impact of QE3 one week later…

Posted on September 21, 2012 by macromon

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Nonlinear Thinking: Perspective 2.0

Posted on September 21, 2012 by macromon

Given today’s launch of the iPhone5 we thought you’d enjoy this Western Electric ad of “the phone system of tomorrow” from the October 1977 Technology Review.  Perspective!

Twenty-five years later we have the iPhone5, which can pay your bills,  find you a date for Friday night, or turn your phone into a medical clinic.  The explosion of apps now allows a smart phone to monitor your heart with an EKG app, do an ultrasound, or check for blood disorders or cataracts.   Simply amazing!

Who would of thunk it then and just think what will the next twenty-five years bring us as we are at the elbow of the innovation exponential curve.   Nonlinear thinking, folks!

And this why we love transformative tech.

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