Terry Storch Dispatch w03.2019
Dispatch w.03.2019
The Consumer Electronics Show, CES, kicks off each year setting the tone and future direction in consumer technology. I have been able to attend a few times but wasn't able to make it this year. Many previous trends still dominate the show and media headlines, with voice holding steady as the primary interest. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa were massive elements of the show for 2019. I love seeing Google and Amazon going head to head, as it will inevitably produce better products for all of us. Here is a great highlight reel of the 2019 CES.
It’s fairly obvious to see the smartphone trend changing, and this isn't a new thought. For years we saw massive growth and innovation in the smartphone space. Now we are seeing that innovation and growth move to other microservices and technology. Internet of Things (IoT) is exploding, and I believe we will see IoT continue to grow as users look for specialized devices to excel at single functions. The smartphone is a wonderful tool, but the very fact of it being a multitasker is also its downfall. Many people are now looking for less interruption with simpler and singularly focused interactions. Reference Mary Meekers' 2018 Internet Trends report for a more in-depth discussion on this topic.
Apple is feeling this shifting trend in a big way. One obstacle is that new phones are very expensive, and we are seeing people opt out of upgrading because last generation phones are “good enough”. Maybe the three new iPhones coming in 2019 will help, or perhaps the iPhone 11(XI) will slow the trend.
I always appreciate Om's opinion and thoughts. Apple’s revolutionary ideas for Television.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. — Ferris Bueller
This past week, the Open Digerati community asked me to share my content on "How to Become Irrelevant". I had an opportunity a few months ago to give a short Ted-style talk to our staff. In case you missed it, you'll find both the post and video here.
Since I don’t want to become irrelevant, last week, I switched off my MacBook Pro and turned on my new Microsoft Surface 2 laptop. It’s been about 16 years since I have been on a PC...but I want to understand the platform. As of now, my primary devices are Google Pixel 3 XL, iPad Pro, & Surface 2 laptop. Google, Apple, & Microsoft. What I like most about the Surface laptop is having a touch screen, however, I dislike going back to a proprietary power plug.
Many people have recommended Blinkist, so I decided to subscribe and give it a shot. If you’re not familiar with Blinkist, it’s basically a book summary service that not only summarizes books into text but also provides audio summaries. As I'm learning to master the 80/20 mindset, book summaries are a great way to consume content.