Bad temporary stuff happened yesterday:
+ European fines for Google. (Here.)
+ Russian stuff and share sales with Facebook. (Here.)
+ Amazon slowdown, especially in AWS.
+ Apple’s awful iPhone 8 sales.
Bad tech stories tend to come like a tsunami, do their damage. Then it’s back to business, tech stocks bounce and we pose our usual question: Are tech stock prices too high?
+ People who like tech stocks say NO. They’re not overpriced. They have growth and most have earnings.
+ People who like the normal metrics of growth, reasonable P/E, real earnings and dividends don’t understand how an electric car/battery company called Tesla can be worth over $300 a share — when it’s losing money.
Apple is growing, is profitable and pays a dividend. Next year the iPhone X will boost earnings, too. Raymond James just upped its PT (Price Target) for Apple to $180. This morning Apple is $152.63.
I’m buying an iPhone 8 plus today. For me, its charms are:
+ Easier to type on. My fingers are fat.
+ Faster processor (I only have an iPhone 6.)
+ Better cameras. In fact, superb cameras.
+ Better screen than what I have. The iPhone 8 plus has 2.07 million pixels. My iPhone 6 has one million. In contrast the iPhone X has “only”2.74 million pixels.
I upgraded to IOS 11 over the weekend. There are improvements. Best: The screens have bigger type and are easier to read. Important for alta kakas, like me.
Here’s the reason everyone has an iPhone. It’s called FaceTime. I’m walking along West 65th Street in Manhattan. Two kids are in a stroller. The girl, aged 3, is FaceTiming with her grandmother — in Australia. I borrowed the phone and talked to the grandmother. She really was in Australia — a suburb of Melbourne. Her granddaughter loves speaking to the grandmother. I did too. She had a funny accent, just like mine.
Subaru cars can come with Apple CarPlay — a total joy. The good stuff on your iPhone now shows up on a touch-sensitive screen on your dashboard. I wonder if FaceTime will show up on the dashboard’s screen?
Friend invests in three startups.
Two fail. He lost 100% on one and 98.8% on the other.
The third will give him a 6.62% a year return on his money — not enough to make up for his losses.
But better than a slap in the belly with a cold fish.
The lesson he learned? (I asked.)
Don’t invest in early stage companies.
Amen. I agree.
There are three types of startups:
+ Shares of the best ones go to friends and family.
+ Shares of the second best ones go to venture capital companies.
+ The dregs go to you and me.
This is simplistic.
Freezing Susan
I frooze the credit reports of my wife Susan on the weekend. That felt good. I had to fiddle a bit to find the right web sites
The four companies and their freezing are:
+ Experian. Click here.
+ TransUnion. Click here.
+ Equifax. Click here.
+ Innovis. Click here.
You should NOT sign for a credit reporting or credit alerting service that will cost you a monthly fee that they will charge forever. These companies are now trying to make big money off the Equifax data breach. Don’t fall for the fancy offers with the fancy names. You don’t need any of them.
If you’ve frozen your credit reports, you do not need LifeLock (at $9.95 a month).
Most freezing is free, but in some states it costs money. I don’t know why. I live in New York State and I frooze for free.
Freeze everyone in your family who has a social security number.
The Vietnam War continues
The next episode is tonight at 8 PM
For the full TV schedule, click here.
There are lessons from this incredible 18-hour series:
+ Our leaders are delusional. LBJ was the worst. Leaders can (and do) lie big-time. LBJ did.
+ Pulling out of a war is far more difficult than getting into one.
+ The U.S. can’t bring democracy to most countries. And it can’t stop corruption. The government of South Vietnam, which we supported, was corrupt big-time.
+ Today’s wars are unwinnable. Please answer me: Why are we still in Afghanistan (after 15 years), Iraq, Syria, etc.?
+ Why did we issue M-16 rifles to our troops in Vietnam — knowing that the rifles jammed in the field? The series talks of dead American soldiers cradling M16s that had jammed. Had they worked, many of our kids would probably still be alive today.
+ Why did someone not figure out that the VietCong tracked American troops by following our discarded cigarette butts?
I’m grateful Trump has shifted his focus from war with North Korea to NFL kneeling. It’s harmless nonsense.
The new hearing aid
A man was telling his neighbor, ‘I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars. It’s state of the art. It’s perfect.’
‘Really,’ answered the neighbor. ‘What kind is it?’
‘Twelve thirty.’
Harry Newton, whose friend bought a 2018 Subaru Outback. All new Subarus now come extensive safety features. I tested a couple of them:
+ Put the car in Cruise Control. Magic happens. It slows when the car in front slows. It stops when the car in front stops. And it starts moving when the car in front does. It did this without my touching the brake or the accelerator pedal. It was awesome.
+ When you move out of my lane, it will bring me back. Yes, it actually turns the steering wheel. It felt freaky. But comforting.
anyone know how to test if their credit is actually frozen?
TRy to pay for something with a credit card. IF it’s rejected your credit is frozen.
Let’s get this straight. You’re not freezing your credit. You’re freezing access to your credit reports. If today, I have $25,000 credit line on my credit card, I’ll still have it. This doesn’t affect who you’re dealing with now. What are you missing?
Who needs Lifelock ripoffs? My homeowners Insurance covers us for up to $1 Million against Identity Theft. Check your’s…it probably does too…has for years. The thing it does not cover is the years of aggravation that identity theft can cause you.
Harry, your joke about hearing aids made me want to comment since you have commented on them in the past. I have had a lot of experience (mixed) with them. Then I went to Costco. I hate to say it, but Wow. They blew me away with their professional service and pricing. Two things in my shopping life: Amazon and Costco.