Blake Perdue - Website & app reviews, and technology & startup commentary

1.7 Million Missing iPhones

January 30th, 2008 in General

iPhoneThat’s right, Apple reported selling 3.7 million iPhones in 2007, but less than 2 million were activated. That leaves over 1.7 million iPhones which have probably been unlocked and are being used on networks other than AT&T.

Apple still makes a pretty penny on the sale of iPhones, but is missing out on an estimated $10 per customer per month payment from AT&T for these 1.7 million phones. That’s $200 million a year.

This news, along with some disappointment with product announcements at Macworld Expo have sent Apple’s stock tumbling 34% this year. Might soon be a good time to get some Apple stock on the cheap.

How Do You Know What You Know?

October 3rd, 2007 in General

How do know what’s going on in our community, the communities next door and the rest of the world? Most of us rely on the traditional new gathering and distribution establishment (ie, CNN) to provide us information. In some occasions that source can have real value. But in others it can really under deliver.

Over the past few years I’ve begun to seek additional news sources to stay informed. I’ve subscribed to the WSJ, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur Mag, Wired, Fast Company, Business 2.0, and Inc. I learned an enormous amount by reading these publications. But the most valuable new source I’ve developed over the years is citizen news.

Blogs, videologs, podcasts, and social news sites provide a wealth of news that the networks ignore or simply never hear about. They also provide great coverage on very niche topics while giving you opinions that the networks are afraid to express.

I thought I’d share the news sources that I find most valuable to my tastes and interests: