|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 27, 2024 11:13:41 GMT -8
Why is APPL now up 3 dollars on the day? Did someone decide it was a bargain after it went under $170? Is Luca establishing a floor here? This is the way AAPL and a few others looked earlier today. To me it's an indication that anyone who decides to time the market better either be very good or very lucky...and both is better. I'm sure folks who bought NVDA after its dramatic rise are wondering what's going on...as are the folks who sold AAPL and expected it to drop like a rock. I don't think AAPL will drop like a rock and I think NVDA will continue its climb, although not perhaps as dramatically. Any long-term AAPL investor has heard that Apple is doomed many times before. I think we'll see some very interesting announcements in June.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 26, 2024 10:18:27 GMT -8
I only read JD’s posts in order to execute my responsibilities as a Moderator. What a very elitist statement. And I thought that it was your responsibility to read every post looking for those that do not conform. Conform to what exactly, Dave? Do you remember the post made by gtrplyr last Thursday, a little over an hour after JD's political commentary(which you and 3 others gave a "Like", BTW)? And of the 4 who gave a "Like" to JD's obviously political commentary, 2 of the 4 are AFB Moderators. I guess the 2 of you decided that JD's comment *conformed*.
Anyway, this was gtrplyr's response: ========= Haven't posted in a long time but still here and still long AAPL. I don't think it's fair to blame Biden's administration for the DOJ, they are separate entities. I see JDsoCal is stil pushing his right wing bs. "Daddy" ... pathetic. I'll take AAPL at $0 rather than have that moron back in the WH.iPhone is only somewhere near 60% market share in the US, I don't think that qualifies for a monopoly. I hope Apple fights this one tooth and nail. Picked the wrong day to come back to this forum========= His post got a "Like" from 10 members, only one of which is a moderator.You will note that he only occasionally responds to follow-up posts. IMHO, that is because he is not really interested in dialog, since he cannot imagine that anyone who disagrees with him could be adding any valuable thoughts.Strange, that is how I view the small group here that only post their disagreements of others. Those that they deem unworthy and whose viewpoint has no value. Those that must be silenced. What a heavy burden you must carry. A " small group here that only post their disagreements of others"? Dave, 10 members gave a "Like" to gtrplyr's comment and only 4 to JD's...w hich is the smaller group of members?
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 24, 2024 18:27:32 GMT -8
I read this in an Apple news forum. I think it’s pertinent back here. “We live in an era where fairness is judged by highly biased people with a personal agenda, who are often so jealous of other’s success, that they become obsessed with attacking it as a career opportunity, in the name of doing good. All driven by a media circus that doesn’t know, much less care, what the truth is.”I think there may have been a few members with a personal agenda in the past...but the AFB guidelines have mostly caused them to either move on completely or to visit AFB less frequently. I can think of one member in particular who only shows up when comments get political. “Here are a few tips to developing a thick skin: Don't take things personally. Sometimes you may need to reframe a person's bad behavior by remembering that it's not about you. Don't let others get to you. Refuse to get overly responsive to the negative feelings and provocations of others.” That’s good advice…but please remember that the AFB guidelines were put in place only *after* some members got " overly responsive to the negative feelings and provocations of others”. In March of 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I started a thread in the Dungeon which I titled, "Coronavirus *information/Update* Thread - No Politics”. I felt the need to append “No Politics” to the end of the title because I thought the subject was important and I didn’t want political comments to dilute the information that could be posted there. As it turned out, some members, two in particular, couldn’t leave politics out of it and after numerous warnings from him, 4aapl felt the need to shutdown the thread in late August of 2021, after yet another unnecessary political comment on a thread titled to be politics free. Note: I shake my head. I smile, or smirk. I’ve thumbs upped JD, not for the politicking, but for the point about Apple, or a snark I find clever. I have also appreciated JD’s Apple-related comments in the past...I’m not sure why he occasionally seems to act like he’s off his meds and insists on adding his political opinions to the mix. You apparently found JD’s Thursday’s snark clever enough to give it a “Like” and a smile...you can certainly like whatever appeals to you, you're not an AFB Monitor…but it’s up to *all* AFB members to follow the AFB guidelines. Push me off my pedestal. Shield yourself. Block me. "To get started, click the Profile button found in the top menu bar and then on your profile page click the Edit Profile button. You'll then be taken to the Edit Profile & Settings page; once here, click on the Privacy tab. On the privacy page, look for the Member Block List option found at the bottom of the page with a search field. In the search box, begin to type either the username “Ono” or the display name of the member that you want to block and you'll see some search results appear as you type. Once you see the member you want to block appear, click on their micro-profile in the search results list. Once you have selected a member account to block, 4 check boxes will appear asking you which interactions you want to prevent with the member you chose. Check the boxes next to the interactions you want to prevent, and when you have made your selections click the Save Privacy Settings button found at the bottom of the page to complete the process.
Once you have a member blocked in your profile, you can return to the privacy page of your profile at any time to make changes. You can add or remove member from your Block List or change the type of interactions you want to block for any member."Blocking a member is certainly an option, but I would never advise AFB members to block other members…especially if those other members, like JD, *mostly* make worthy, Apple-related comments. Blocking them would mean the blocking member would never read and possibly benefit from those comments that pertained to Apple. Also, if a comment doesn’t conform to the AFB’s guidelines, blocking a member doesn’t solve the problem. If *any* member can say FU to the guidelines, it not only makes the AFB Monitor’s tasks more difficult, it also make other members think they should be able to say FU to the guidelines and respond to the political commentary. As Lstream suggested, if a member *occasionally* shows no regard for the AFB guidelines, one of the boards’s monitors should move that offending comment to the Dungeon and remind the member about the guidelines that *all* members should be following. I believe that if guidelines are to be effective, every member must follow them…period. Allowing certain members to ignore the guidelines whenever they feel like doing so is inviting full-on dueling political comments which will threaten the survival of this board.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 24, 2024 11:34:16 GMT -8
I do agree, above post by JD is indeed very political, extremely so. Yup. But it does raise a big point. The 50% rule. When is 50% a monopoly? Why go after AAPL, when you can buy all sorts of other phones? It has always puzzled me. I have another way to raise that big point...one that's not at all political: " 50% market share has never been held to be a monopoly".Now, that does leave off the first part of that particular line, which was, " The good news is, this case will be abandoned in 2025 when daddy comes back..."...but I believe it makes the point perfectly without the political commentary. And why is Tim Cook connecting with the powers to be? He is trying to take the pressure off Apple. But it hardly seems to be working, although I think it is good. So, in your opinion, the best way to express that Tim Cook is "connecting" with the powers to be is by saying, " So glad all that pandering to the Democrats worked out for Tim Cook and Apple."? "connecting" ≠ "pandering"I think the post is thoughtful, and fun because it is tongue-in-cheek. No, actually, it's not. You may *consider* it's tongue-in-cheek...but this is a definition of tongue-in-cheek. His post certainly didn't fit into #1 or #2...and if you think it's #3, "Cleverly amusing in tone", then I'd remind you that you started of your post saying that the post was " very political, extremely so". Which means, given the member guidelines, a member should refrain from posting a political comment about TFG, for example, even if it is " cleverly amusing in tone".
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 23, 2024 12:20:04 GMT -8
I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t appreciate what everyone brings to the board, JD included. And I don’t need big changes either. Really though, it’s not rocket science: If someone posts something that is flagrantly and unnecessarily political and inflammatory, then, just as Lstream suggests, that post should quietly be placed in the dungeon with a respectful message sent to that member explaining why it was moved. Done. As long as the same rule applies to everyone, we’re good. I really like what Ted said. And I think any editing should be light. And as for JD, I bet almost every member reads his post, because they are thoughtful. For me, his posts are the best to read. He adds fun to this board, and brings life to it ! That's nice...I really like what Ted said, as well...especially, this part: " If someone posts something that is flagrantly and unnecessarily political and inflammatory, then, just as Lstream suggests , that post should quietly be placed in the dungeon with a respectful message sent to that member explaining why it was moved. Done. As long as the same rule applies to everyone, we’re good.
So, you *liked* what Ted said...but you think "any editing should be light". Now, since Ted's suggestion about dealing with "flagrantly and unnecessarily political and inflammatory" posts didn't sound like light editing to me, I'm apparently missing something. Please help me out and identify what part of JD's post, enclosed below, that you find thoughtful and fun. Well, there it is, Apple's friends, Joe Biden and Merrick Garland! So glad all that pandering to the Democrats worked out for Tim Cook and Apple. The good news is, this case will be abandoned in 2025 when daddy comes back, just as happened with Microsoft in 2001. 50% market share has never been held to be a monopoly. Seems to be crickets from the usual suspects defending the Biden Admin on this one. In case you are wondering where this one is headed: Biden Directs DOJ to Reinstate ‘Slush Fund’ Settlement Payments to Special Interest GroupsBiden's DOJ wants cash. Hopefully Apple can hold out until January 20 2025.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 22, 2024 16:06:18 GMT -8
Well, that was quite the thread yesterday. I didn’t see it until late last night. I’ve got a comment. 4aapl, you seem to feel that the poll you took two years ago frees you from having to moderate at all, but the fact is that there’s only one person on the forum who can’t refrain from periodically being an obnoxious political troll, and who feels it’s okay to piss off half of us by shitting in the pool. If there are no rules and no enforcement, then why shouldn’t I come on here every few days and rile up the conservatives with childish trolling too? We all could do that - why should any of us have to respect other people on the board? I see a lot of hemming, hawing and equivocating on your part, but no willingness to set limits on the one poster who refuses to self-moderate. Ted, what exactly is it that you want to see here? Why have you come here for years, and what keeps you coming back? If there were no more posts, would you miss it? I've found this place helpful over the years, and want to see it continue. But this is our board, and so we get to collectively decide what it is or isn't. I can't speak for Ted but the fact that he's continued to come here for years means to me that he would surely miss it...and so would I. That's why we're willing to speak up when a member ignores the *guidelines* whenever it suits him. In order for guidelines to properly work, *everyone* needs to follow them. Not most people...not everyone except for him...everyone. Like life, it's easy sometimes to get swept up by the few vocal ones, and so I created a poll nearly 2 years ago. With almost 30 people voting, the most votes were that there was a decent level of moderation, or that a little less moderation should happen. And this was likely driven by the history of the board, where Lovemyimac was pretty lax for a while, and then we had no moderation for a long time until Since84 managed to help moderate and gather the current group of moderators, while also approving new members. Your words above, and Lucky's from then and now, both point to this former poll being somehow flawed. So make a new one, in your words, to get the current preferences. What do we want to see here on this board? And the followup is that if people want changes to be heavy handed on moderation, how exactly do you want to deal with it and make it happen? Yes, I think the poll should have been worded a little differently...but it's not about a poll. Polls can certainly *address* the problem...but who decides the difference between "a decent level of moderation" and "heavy handed on moderation"? Do we take another poll? It should be enough that members agree that *specific* political comments are not permitted for the ongoing survival of the board. Personally I was bugged the most by Lucky's response. The truth hurts. But it's more than that, it's that it is exactly how I feel this board should be, of being open enough to hear other viewpoints. Of realizing that yes, people are more "riled up" when big frustrating things happen, especially financially. I'm *very* willing to hear other viewpoints about anything *directly* related to AAPL/Apple. I'm *not* willing to have someone post their political beliefs and opinions to this board with no regard for the people who feel differently and are uninterested in being subjected to periodic tirades. If I were interested in discussing politics or hearing from someone ranting about their political beliefs, I'd seek out an online political board. And yes, there should be a little humor, personal stories, or even outside information. Without that we'd just be "just the facts, ma'am" boring summarization without any real draw. I agree completely. My personal take is that we're all adults here with a similar investment mindset on AAPL, and can manage to get along well enough. And while we might disagree with things or people here sometimes, we also have the tools to personally squelch posts if needed. My personal take is that some of us appear to be more adult than others. If young kids can understand they must follow simple guidelines in a classroom, it's not asking too much to expect adults to follow them in an online board such as this one. Our past 12 years of primarily self-moderation has worked out generally well, and unless we are going to have a strict and specific set of rules that a script or an outside paid moderator can follow, there is always going to be varying opinions on any moderation task.Then I would ask why it is that, AFAIK, there are 0 incidents of members posting a similar comment regarding TFG? It doesn't take a genius IQ for any long term AFB member to realize what doesn't work...we've *seen what doesn't work when it comes to mixing one's political ideology with the ongoing AAPL/Apple related discussion on the board. While I've had lots of people in the past thank me for helping out with the near-thankless task here, due primarily to Lucky's comments I'm going to take a break here while you guys figure out what you want to see here, and how you are going to implement it. I was addressing a member who's proven himself to be selfish and immature for refusing to follow the general guidelines that everyone else seems to have no trouble following. If you took my comments as a critique of you *specifically* as a moderator, I apologize to you...that was not my intention. You've been an important member of this board for many years and have contributed *immensely* to its ongoing survival.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 21, 2024 19:32:36 GMT -8
Well, there it is, Apple's friends, Joe Biden and Merrick Garland! So glad all that pandering to the Democrats worked out for Tim Cook and Apple. The good news is, this case will be abandoned in 2025 when daddy comes back, just as happened with Microsoft in 2001. 50% market share has never been held to be a monopoly. Seems to be crickets from the usual suspects defending the Biden Admin on this one.
In case you are wondering where this one is headed: Biden Directs DOJ to Reinstate ‘Slush Fund’ Settlement Payments to Special Interest GroupsBiden's DOJ wants cash. Hopefully Apple can hold out until January 20 2025. The DOJ lawsuit against Apple is complete and utter bullshit. But we should at least be aware that it *started* under daddy's administration...and daddy could sure use cash right now. U.S. Moves Closer to Filing Sweeping Antitrust Case Against AppleWhen the Justice Department started its tech investigations in 2019, it prioritized its antitrust review of Google over Apple because it lacked the financial resources and personnel to fully evaluate both companies, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. That changed in 2022 after the department’s budget increased.When the Justice Department started its tech investigations in 2019, it prioritized its antitrust review of Google over Apple because it lacked the financial resources and personnel to fully evaluate both companies, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. That changed in 2022 after the department’s budget increased.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 21, 2024 19:18:40 GMT -8
It's not a question of what *I* would prefer. It wasn't that long ago that you were trying to get more people to comment on the daily tread...this periodic, highly abusive political commentary is only going to attract people who agree with it...but will repel those who don't. And, IMO, the people who insist on making these periodic abusive political statements don't give a rat's ass about whether the AFB is around a year from now or not. Keeping the discussion *completely* non-political and focused on AAPL/Apple will help this board survive. The Moderators should be moderating...otherwise, why are they needed? It looks like you've only been averaging about a half a post a day for the past 3 weeks, including all threads. Yes, because even though I *visit* the AFB several times a day, I only post something when I have something to share about AAPL/Apple. I don't comment on the weather or what my wife and I are doing that day. Today you posted 3 times. Around 600% of normal. It seems like this abusive political commentary isn't only going to attract people who agree with it. Are you serious? I posted my comments today without responding to the poster because that would only cause a back and forth political argument. Are you suggesting that I should respond *directly* to the poster in the future? That's fine with me. But hey, lots of people were down today, with several of us down 7 figures like you were, and I think some people even down 8 figures. That can really get people riled up, and being absolute in troubling times is a little tone deaf. Not all of us can completely be "an unemotional investor". Down 7 figures? Down 8 figures? Big deal. AAPL finished at $171.37 today, $46.30 higher than on 01/03/23. Did people get *riled up* on that date? JD's comments were a little political, but I don't think you can truthfully say that there is no truth in them. Different political parties do lean different ways on different issues. Imagine that! If you consider JD's comments "a little political", you should be absolutely silent when someone responds to JD's taunt, "Seems to be crickets from the usual suspects defending the Biden Admin on this one." Again, the poll from before showed that most people felt the moderation was at a fairly good level, with a slight tilt towards worrying about things a little less. Some people said that they couldn't possibly agree with any of the poll choices within the 5 options given. Yes, the poll that you wrote with the options you decided should be there. You seem to consistently dislike JD's posts, worrying that his inability to 100% keep politics out of it will sink the board. Actually, I think JD contributes a great deal to the board when he sticks to AAPL/Apple. But he knows he can say anything he likes and nobody will say boo. We have 4 active moderators across the spectrum of political views, and no moderator brought it up. Well, if none of the other 3 brought it up, I guess there's no problem. /s I think we realize we are all different people and have different idiosyncrasies (or issues), along with different preferences. We don't agree with all things that posters here believe or feel. But getting viewpoints from a variety of different people here has been important enough that we keep coming back here for well over a decade. The political arguments in the Dungeon were shutdown for a very legitimate reason...you've apparently forgotten what that reason was. Thanks for your input. It's nice to see the thoughts and reactions of multiple users across a wide range of viewpoints. Right.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 21, 2024 13:12:34 GMT -8
And it was difficult to keep my two sons from constantly arguing when they were young...but now that they're adults, they *behave* like adults. They monitor their own behavior and don't get "a little worked up" when they have a difference of opinion. The members of this board are adults...are you suggesting that members don't need to monitor our behavior and can/should respond in kind when another member posts a ridiculously political comment mentioning both individuals and parties? What's the point of having *Moderators* that don't moderate? Definition of moderatorINTERNET & TELECOMS someone who makes sure that the rules of an internet discussion are not broken, for example by removing any threatening or *offensive* messagesNone of us are perfect. It seems like we have to go down this path every time that someone brings up politics. It would be an easy path to just ban people left and right (ohhh, I wasn't even trying to be political there) whenever politics even was mentioned. Did I say anything about banning someone? I suggested that having the post removed and losing the privilege of posting for a week or two may encourage people to control their political urges. But when asked here, most people said they wanted politics to be avoided, but that we shouldn't be absolute in following a rule about this. Yes, I remember the poll...and I remember who decided the choices that should be *in* that poll. I guess that makes it more of a guidance than a rule. So, no rules...only *guidance*...got it. But if you are tired of seeing a particular user's posts, we also each have the ability to "Block Member". For me I see this choice when I click on a User, and then use the dropdown settings menu. I think for non-moderators it is also available in the main view. It's not a question of being "tired of seeing a particular user's posts"...it's a question of is this a board which will focus on all things AAPL/Apple or does anything go? Blocking a user does nothing to prevent harm to the longevity of the board.Sorry if that is not the solution or the board feeling on the guidance that you would prefer. It's not a question of what *I* would prefer. It wasn't that long ago that you were trying to get more people to comment on the daily tread...this periodic, highly abusive political commentary is only going to attract people who agree with it...but will repel those who don't. And, IMO, the people who insist on making these periodic abusive political statements don't give a rat's ass about whether the AFB is around a year from now or not. Keeping the discussion *completely* non-political and focused on AAPL/Apple will help this board survive. The Moderators should be moderating...otherwise, why are they needed?
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 21, 2024 11:15:23 GMT -8
We all get a little worked up at times.It's hard to not flip to politics when the government is involved. And it was difficult to keep my two sons from constantly arguing when they were young...but now that they're adults, they *behave* like adults. They monitor their own behavior and don't get "a little worked up" when they have a difference of opinion. The members of this board are adults...are you suggesting that members don't need to monitor our behavior and can/should respond in kind when another member posts a ridiculously political comment mentioning both individuals and parties? What's the point of having *Moderators* that don't moderate? Definition of moderatorINTERNET & TELECOMS someone who makes sure that the rules of an internet discussion are not broken, for example by removing any threatening or *offensive* messages
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 21, 2024 8:03:44 GMT -8
Haven't we already learned our lesson about allowing *blatant* political commentary to be posted to the AFB? This board's original purpose was for discussing all things Apple...*not* political positions. In previous years, I spent way too many hours in the Dungeon expressing my views and countering others...it was a *ridiculous* waste of all of our time.
A *reasonable*, intelligent person can still express frustration with government's actions towards Apple without specifically naming persons or parties. IMO, the only person who *wouldn't* comment in this manner is a person who doesn't care whether the AFB survives or not.
If a person just can't comment on the board without ranting against individual politicians or political parties, the monitors should remove that comment and limit the person's ability to make *any* comments for a set period of time. We don't need a poll to identify what would eventually cause this board to wither and die.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 18, 2024 14:58:29 GMT -8
Sep 18, 2012 That was right after the peak at about 700 and the start of the decline to about 350. Dark winds.And on to the 7-1 split on 06/09/14, less than 2 years later...*nice* winds.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 16, 2024 21:06:13 GMT -8
Trying to keep this away from being political, even if it would be very easy to make it so, these are the tax ideas being pushed by Biden: “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” ― Frédéric Bastiat So much for trying to keep this from being political.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 13, 2024 13:41:11 GMT -8
So, which excuse do we use for AAPL today? It's difficult for me to feel that market manipulation isn't a *huge* factor in a stock's movements. It's certainly been responsible for AAPL's pullback in 2024, IMO. And just look at the market at close today: AAPL down -1.21%...why?...OK, never mind, I forgot AAPL is doomed because they have no AI, the Apple car was canceled and the Vision Pro is a terribly expensive, flawed product that nobody wants to buy. But NVDA was down -1.12%, META was down -0.84% and TSLA was down -4.54%. Someone made money on these 4 stocks today but it wasn't long-term holders of the stocks. And that's just fine with me...the market is irrational, I get it. But I can hold AAPL longer than the market...never mind. 😎
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 9, 2024 11:10:09 GMT -8
Really? You felt you were able to somewhat see the future for AAPL/Apple? Admittedly poor word choice on my part. Believed in the strong likelihood of changes rumored to occur, as mentioned in the post (3G to 5G, etc etc.). It was that belief that allowed aggressive buying during the dips mentioned. Not a problem...I understood what you meant. My wife and I weren't smart enough to do *aggressive* buying at any time...we typically bought the stock whenever we had the extra money, regardless of the share price. As far as "lightening up" on AAPL goes, I really believe that AAPL is purposely being driven down and it will continue to be a great investment, as it has been over the years...but, as with all investing, there's no guarantee and you may be right. I just think folks are flocking to NVDA and other stock associated with AI because they see the stock rising so quickly...and, of course, that makes the stock rise even quicker. I would encourage you to try PED 3.0 to see if you like it.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 8, 2024 22:33:31 GMT -8
For those with access to an Apple Vision Pro, I'd like to suggest some apps to try. I heard about both of them from a long time member of AFB who's owned an AVP for over a month and has the background and interests to find some pretty cool stuff. (Yes, I'm old...that's why I still use the word cool 😎) The first is Puzzling Places. Check it out on the App Store to get both a text and video clip idea of how this 3-D jigsaw puzzling works. I don't normally spend time doing puzzles but I must admit, the two I've worked on so far are pretty damn fun...and the way they work are, IMO, pretty amazing. I'd advise anyone interested to follow the link below to learn more about how the puzzles work. Puzzling Places on Apple Vision Pro™Gameplay The Apple Vision Pro is a unique new platform for spatial computing and we quickly realized porting Puzzling Places as-is wouldn't feel right. Instead, we re-designed it from the ground-up taking advantages of the unique interface of Vision Pro. Don't be surprised if the gameplay feels a bit different than what you'd would expect if you've played Puzzling Places on Quest, PlayStation VR, or other VR platforms! Each puzzle begins with a central piece that you connect all the other pieces to. You're presented with four or more pieces in the shelf that you can pull out, move, and connect to the central piece. Instead of having to lift your arm to grab and move pieces you can select them with your gaze and a tap before you move them to their destination with a slight dragging of your hand from a more comfortable position.
Content Puzzling Places comes with three unique puzzles which you might recognize from previously released Monthly Puzzle Packs.
You start off with the simple, 25-piece Cozy Cabin puzzle, located in a snowy Czech forest. You then advance to the beautifully detailed 100-piece interior of Prayer Hall located in the Uzbek Registan complex, captured by Global Digital Heritage. Finally, you round it off with the breathtaking 200-piece Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO world heritage site towering over the tidal sea of northern France, scanned by Gerpho3D via airplane.You start off with the simple, 25-piece Cozy Cabin puzzle, located in a snowy Czech forest. You then advance to the beautifully detailed 100-piece interior of Prayer Hall located in the Uzbek Registan complex, captured by Global Digital Heritage. Finally, you round it off with the breathtaking 200-piece Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO world heritage site towering over the tidal sea of northern France, scanned by Gerpho3D via airplane.
Given the fact that we now have a library of over 150 puzzles other VR platforms, we're starting off with a humble selection of puzzles on Vision Pro while we continue to learn, experiment, and understand what works best on this new platform. We're working on bringing more puzzles to Puzzling Places on Vision Pro in the very near future! Spatial Computing Spatial computing is a somewhat new term to describe what a operating system native to AR/VR could be like–It's all about being able to do your personal computing, movie watching, and gaming without being bounded to a screen size limitations of a phone, tablet, or a computer monitor. We've designed Puzzling Places on Vision Pro to exist as a "volume" app within the VisionOS Shared Space, meaning, it can float alongside your other apps for easy multitasking–pull up a movie or podcast and place it alongside Puzzling Places! Call a friend on FaceTime to chat while you finish a puzzle!======================= The second app is also a free app for the next few months and allows one to see incredible works of art from all over the world in an enormous hall. Pretty spectacular. After several months, it will require a membership, so now's a great time to check it out to see if it's something of interest./ Introducing the Art Authority Museum: A new type of art museum for a new worldIt’s All Led to This: The Art Authority MuseumNot a brilliantly done Youtube video, but gives you the general feel. Art Authority Museum on Apple Vision ProThis another introduction of the Art Authority Museum, made later in the month than the first one I included: Introducing Art Authority Museum for Apple Vision ProThis is a review from a person who used the iPad app. I'm guessing from his high praise for that app he was awestruck by the AVP app.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 8, 2024 16:33:00 GMT -8
Trying to work out if this is back the truck up territory sub-170. Is anyone else considering adding to their position? My wife and I have been "adding" to our position for 12+ years...since Apple restarted their dividend program in 2012. So, four times a year, regardless of the AAPL share price at the time, we've auto-reinvested the AAPL dividends in our IRA's(60% of our AAPL). Our highest *recent* auto-purchase was on 11/16/23 when AAPL shares were purchased at $189.28/share. Nevertheless, the average cost basis of those 12+ years of auto-purchased AAPL shares is $48.08/share. Since I have no desire to try to time the market(mainly because I suck at it), the best time to buy AAPL shares is when one has the money to buy AAPL shares, IMO. No suggestion from me just voicing that I am unsure what the top 10 easy growth opportunities are today that seemed so obvious over the last decade. Contemplating lightening up based on not being able to see the future as well as I felt I could previously. Really? You felt you were able to somewhat see the future for AAPL/Apple? I never felt that way so I'm not in a position to miss it. Been tempted to toss $20 at PED 3.0 for a month to read some of the really interesting looking headlines. Not sure it’ll make me take any action but it’ll scratch an itch to read anything AAPL besides the junk on Yahoo Finance. I've subscribed to PED 3.0 for several months now and have been very happy with both PED's content/contribution and with the comments from other subscribers...many of whom provide some real thought and insight.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 8, 2024 13:29:47 GMT -8
We've all seen this before...Apple is doomed, it's no longer a thriving, successful company. Apple no longer innovates...Tim Cook is a terrible CEO...no AI in its future, etc. AAPL has ended down for 7 or so market days and most everything else, especially NVDA, has been going gangbusters. And now, today...AAPL is green and everything else is red. Well, OK, not everything...but many of the stocks that were green all those days are red today. What's happening? IMO, it's the stock market...it's how many traders make money. Are we going to ignore that AAPL was down -35% in 2002, -57% in 2008, -5% in 2015, -6.8% in 2018 and -26.8% in 2022? The same folks who held AAPL through those down years shouldn't be so nervous, again IMO, about AAPL having a rough two months or so. I'm not selling a single share of AAPL because of the share price pullback over the last two months or worries about future performance. Those selling AAPL and moving on to other stocks may prove to making the right decision for the right reasons...but I still have plenty of confidence in Apple and its plans for continued commercial success.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 4, 2024 22:26:59 GMT -8
This is a good detailed review of the Apple Vision Pro: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtp6b76pMakBut the very best way to understand the importance and future impact of this product is to visit an Apple Store and demo it.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 4, 2024 15:17:34 GMT -8
Um, no. www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/opinion/sunday/democrats-economy.htmlExcerpts: "A president has only limited control over the economy. And yet there has been a stark pattern in the United States for nearly a century. The economy has grown significantly faster under Democratic presidents than Republican ones. It’s true about almost any major indicator: gross domestic product, employment, incomes, productivity, even stock prices. It’s true if you examine only the precise period when a president is in office, or instead assume that a president’s policies affect the economy only after a lag and don’t start his economic clock until months after he takes office. The gap “holds almost regardless of how you define success,” two economics professors at Princeton, Alan Blinder and Mark Watson, write. They describe it as “startlingly large.” The evidence now overwhelmingly suggests that recent tax cuts have had only a modest effect on the economy. G.D.P. grew at virtually the same rate after the 2017 Trump tax cut as before it. If anything, the Clinton tax increase of 1993 has a better claim on starting a boom than any tax cut since. One possibility is that the two parties are both responding to the interest groups that support and finance them, suggested Ms. Wanamaker, who worked in the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Trump administration. But the Democratic-leaning groups (like labor unions and civil-rights organizations) may favor policies that lift broad-based economic growth, while Republican-leaning groups (like the wealthy) favor policies that mostly shift income toward themselves. Since 1933, the economy has grown at an annual average rate of 4.6 percent under Democratic presidents and 2.4 percent under Republicans, according to a Times analysis. In more concrete terms: The average income of Americans would be more than double its current level if the economy had somehow grown at the Democratic rate for all of the past nine decades. If anything, that period (which is based on data availability) is too kind to Republicans, because it excludes the portion of the Great Depression that happened on Herbert Hoover’s watch. But if the causes are not fully clear, the pattern is. The American economy has performed much better under Democratic administrations than Republican ones, over both the last few decades and the last century. And as Ms. Wanamaker said, “Administrations do certainly have the ability to affect economic outcomes.”" New York Times lost its cred long ago. Nothing in that article is sourced. Besides beyond legit sources one must consider the geo political economic situations 1. Under Obama the average growth to the GDP was 1.5%. Under Trump in average was 2.6. President Obama is the only president since Herbert Hoover to not have guided the US economy to 3 percent growth in any year he was in office. Steady anemic growth you can give him that. The US economy grew 1.6 percent in 2016 from the previous years, according to the Commerce Department, which tracks GDP. Obama’s best year, as far as growing the economy, was 2015 when it grew 2.6 percent from 2014 — after growing 2.4 percent that year from 2013. 2. The unemployment was the result of Pandemic in Trumps last year 2020. Facts are the economy was booming pre covid because of his economic policies and was pivotal in boosting the economy post covid, the old jobs lost to lockdowns, new manufacturing jobs (Trump initiatives) and new jobs during 2021 and 2022. Biden didn’t build that. 3. Trump administration spent billions in the first & 2nd quarter 2020. It was called Warp Speed. Supplies such as Iron lungs, masks and other medical equipment were manufactured as a war setting initiative here at home and sent all over the world. It wasn’t Trump that sent Covid infected people into old age homes, it was Democrat governors. Not to mention how democrats were against cutting travel from China. Not to mention billions given the Pharmaceutical industry that brought us vaccines that were fast tracked worldwide but only came online in the spring of 2021, Biden was president. Brought the world back from the brink and Biden did not build that. 4. The deficit did increase but remember the defense budget increased, the result of 8 years of neglect where military readiness was at its worst in 2016. Add that to the trillion spent on Covid and the trade wars expenses, the result of 30 years of unfair trade wars. Nevertheless brought about having Mexico pay for the wall through increases Mexico encountered by the Trade agreements between North American partners. Sources? Observable facts Well, thanks goodness someone is speaking up about Trump's insight into COVID and the pandemic...he *knew* it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. Sure, he missed out on the extent of COVID-related deaths...but, *damn* was that a strong economy from 2017-2020.
And after all, a strong economy is much more important to one's way of live than something like taxes, amirite? Trump’s tax cuts helped billionaires pay less than the working class for first timeEconomists calculate richest 400 families in US paid an average tax rate of 23% while the bottom half of households paid a rate of 24.2%
Thanks to the controversial tax package the top 0.1% of US households were granted a 2.5% tax cut that pushed their rate below that of the lower 50% of US earners.========================= 'It's going to disappear': A timeline of Trump's claims that Covid-19 will vanishTrump’s Statements About the Coronavirus“This is a pandemic,” President Donald Trump said at a March 17 press conference. “I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
While it’s not possible to know what Trump “felt,” there’s no doubt that Trump had minimized the threat of the new coronavirus for weeks in statement after statement.
Here’s what the president said in public remarks, interviews and tweets from Jan. 22 to March 10 -– one day before the World Health Organization declared the global outbreak a pandemic.
Jan. 22: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” — Trump in a CNBC interview.
Jan. 30: “We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five — and those people are all recuperating successfully. But we’re working very closely with China and other countries, and we think it’s going to have a very good ending for us … that I can assure you.” — Trump in a speech in Michigan.
Feb. 10: “Now, the virus that we’re talking about having to do — you know, a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat — as the heat comes in. Typically, that will go away in April. We’re in great shape though. We have 12 cases — 11 cases, and many of them are in good shape now.” — Trump at the White House. (See our item “Will the New Coronavirus ‘Go Away’ in April?“)
Feb. 14: “There’s a theory that, in April, when it gets warm — historically, that has been able to kill the virus. So we don’t know yet; we’re not sure yet. But that’s around the corner.” — Trump in speaking to National Border Patrol Council members.
Feb. 23: “We have it very much under control in this country.” — Trump in speaking to reporters.
Feb. 24: “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!” — Trump in a tweet.
Feb. 26: “So we’re at the low level. As they get better, we take them off the list, so that we’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So we’ve had very good luck.” — Trump at a White House briefing.
Feb. 26: “And again, when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.” — Trump at a press conference.
Feb. 26: “I think every aspect of our society should be prepared. I don’t think it’s going to come to that, especially with the fact that we’re going down, not up. We’re going very substantially down, not up.” — Trump at a press conference, when asked if “U.S. schools should be preparing for a coronavirus spreading.”
Feb. 27: “It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.” — Trump at a White House meeting with African American leaders.
Feb. 29: “And I’ve gotten to know these professionals. They’re incredible. And everything is under control. I mean, they’re very, very cool. They’ve done it, and they’ve done it well. Everything is really under control.” — Trump in a speech at the CPAC conference outside Washington, D.C.
March 4: “[W]e have a very small number of people in this country [infected]. We have a big country. The biggest impact we had was when we took the 40-plus people [from a cruise ship]. … We brought them back. We immediately quarantined them. But you add that to the numbers. But if you don’t add that to the numbers, we’re talking about very small numbers in the United States.” — Trump at a White House meeting with airline CEOs.
March 4: “Well, I think the 3.4% is really a false number.” — Trump in an interview on Fox News, referring to the percentage of diagnosed COVID-19 patients worldwide who had died, as reported by the World Health Organization. (See our item “Trump and the Coronavirus Death Rate.”)
March 7: “No, I’m not concerned at all. No, we’ve done a great job with it.” — Trump, when asked by reporters if he was concerned about the arrival of the coronavirus in the Washington, D.C., area.
March 9: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!” — Trump in a tweet.
March 10: “And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.” — Trump after meeting with Republican senators.
A day later, on March 11, the WHO declared the global outbreak a pandemic.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 4, 2024 10:26:30 GMT -8
Obviously a protectionist shakedown by Europe, an envious innovation graveyard. Well they will have a protectionist US administration to deal with in about 10 months. Help is on the way! Um, no. www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/opinion/sunday/democrats-economy.htmlExcerpts: "A president has only limited control over the economy. And yet there has been a stark pattern in the United States for nearly a century. The economy has grown significantly faster under Democratic presidents than Republican ones. It’s true about almost any major indicator: gross domestic product, employment, incomes, productivity, even stock prices. It’s true if you examine only the precise period when a president is in office, or instead assume that a president’s policies affect the economy only after a lag and don’t start his economic clock until months after he takes office. The gap “holds almost regardless of how you define success,” two economics professors at Princeton, Alan Blinder and Mark Watson, write. They describe it as “startlingly large.” The evidence now overwhelmingly suggests that recent tax cuts have had only a modest effect on the economy. G.D.P. grew at virtually the same rate after the 2017 Trump tax cut as before it. If anything, the Clinton tax increase of 1993 has a better claim on starting a boom than any tax cut since. One possibility is that the two parties are both responding to the interest groups that support and finance them, suggested Ms. Wanamaker, who worked in the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Trump administration. But the Democratic-leaning groups (like labor unions and civil-rights organizations) may favor policies that lift broad-based economic growth, while Republican-leaning groups (like the wealthy) favor policies that mostly shift income toward themselves. Since 1933, the economy has grown at an annual average rate of 4.6 percent under Democratic presidents and 2.4 percent under Republicans, according to a Times analysis. In more concrete terms: The average income of Americans would be more than double its current level if the economy had somehow grown at the Democratic rate for all of the past nine decades. If anything, that period (which is based on data availability) is too kind to Republicans, because it excludes the portion of the Great Depression that happened on Herbert Hoover’s watch. But if the causes are not fully clear, the pattern is. The American economy has performed much better under Democratic administrations than Republican ones, over both the last few decades and the last century. And as Ms. Wanamaker said, “Administrations do certainly have the ability to affect economic outcomes.”" Now, Ted...don't be unreasonable. Having a person at the top of the administration, who's admires both Putin AND Kim Jong Un,...and has actually *negotiated* with Kim Jong Un, may be a good thing in the long run for both the U.S. and Apple. Maybe the U.S. needs someone unhampered by laws...someone who has friends in high courts places. Besides, I think it's always best to not respond to trolls.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 3, 2024 18:42:34 GMT -8
I think it's appropriate for us to have a thread dedicated to Apple's newest product...the Vision Pro. And I also think it's appropriate to start the thread with the comments from crispin and pauls from February 2nd. Members can use this thread for all things related to the Vision Pro and for any personal experiences they may have with the product. I've been scanning reviews from new purchasers of AVP on Reddit and what I'm seeing is nearly universal "HOLY SH*T!" reactions. A lot of these people are experienced consumers of VR with collections of previous headsets, and they almost all are completely blown away by the AVP experience, saying things like "game changer" and "1000x ahead of the others" and yes even "magical" ; ) I think this bodes very well. Put me down as another "HOLY SH*T!" It truly is an experience that is tough to put words to. Spatial Videos that I've been taking here and there with my recent iPhone 15 max are just....amazing. As are the Environments, the 3d content (movies, apps, special content made by Apple to demo the possibilities....). It's very easy to read (Apple News app, for instance). It's amazing to be in our very brightly lit living room on this unseasonably sunny day, with the sun reflecting off the river-- an environment we could never watch tv in, for instance....and be able to see these bright, clean windows of content arrayed around, amongst the familiar room, with zero issues of the room's brightness....and be able to turn the dial and fall back into an immersive environment--same windows, but now in the desert, or at a lake, or volcano, or mount Hood at night, in the rain.... It's crazy. The fidelity-- sound and vision-- is superb. The eye tracking feels magical. I imagine using it in the mornings-- watching the market, getting news, checking weather, reading email....all in different windows, maybe even with windows placed in different rooms (a couple in the kitchen, where I'm drinking coffee, some in front of the couch, etc-- windows stay where you put them, until you tell them to move). I can definitely see watching movies and TV. I'm alone a couple nights a week at some property we have in the country. I work all day out in the woods, or fixing up the old house. At night I watch movies and TV. This will be amazing. If you don't watch a lot of movies or TV, ymmv. But there is no comparison between the Vision Pro and ANY large, modern TV screen. None. The most annoying thing-- It's a little tricky to share. There is a 'guest' mode, but it requires the guest to go through a series of setup motions-- each time you hand it to the guest. So in our case, I handed it to my wife perhaps 4 times, as I was discovering new things to share with her, and each time required her to scan her hands, scan her eyes, etc. It only takes a couple of minutes, but to view a spacial video of our dog that I took a couple days ago, that was only an 8 second clip, is kind of a pain. Maybe this is something they can work on and remove friction on in the coming weeks in an update....? My preference would be a real sharing situation, where the vision pro could recognize multiple users, and save settings for each user for future use. It's very clear that Apple has made a huge commitment to this tech, this 'future'. It's not perfect-- I've only used it a total of maybe 1 hour. But it truly is astonishing.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Mar 2, 2024 15:35:09 GMT -8
Many people may consider these dark days for Apple seeing as revenue has been flat for over a year now. Some investors are upset about their lost opportunity cost by hanging in there, and that's understandable. The thing about AAPL and stocks in general is that performance of course is never straight up, and we shouldn't harbor unreasonable expectations - esp with the Ever-Doomed© AAPL. We've been here before where there are few catalysts for excitement and where (more than the usual amount of) gloom and FUD can thrive. For me, I'm fine with giving Tim and the team more time to generate new and compelling hardware, software, services and content. Given that my average compounded annual return from AAPL over the last six or seven years has been ~30% - nearly twice the return of NASDAQ, they've earned my trust and patience. Do as you will, but every time I think I'm making a clever move by selling something in my portfolio, I regret it down the road. With MSFT, GOOG, CRM, AMZN, FB and many more, buying and holding would've made me significantly more wealthy. Hopping around almost always hurts in the long run when buying the highest quality companies. My $0.02. ✌🏼 I agree with everything you wrote, Ted...we may both be wrong. 😁 The stock market is aflame with investors flocking to companies that are labeled as leaders in AI. The Nvidia share price, for example, is gaining amazingly fast in 2024 as a result of both its AI chips, which are used by companies rushing to upgrade their AI offerings, and from its recent stellar earnings report. Meanwhile, as of market close on 03/01/24, Apple stock is down -7% from where it was at the end of 2023, a little more than two months ago. At times like this, it's sometimes difficult for long-term investors to remember why they invest for the long term…but this is exactly when we need to remember it. As I’ve previously commented, even though AAPL has given its long term investors extraordinary results, they have not provided the highest return over the last 23 years. They were bested by Monster Beverage (MNST)...by a lot…and no doubt by returns from other companies as well. Nvidia, however, has soundly beaten both AAPL and MNST since 2006…but since 2001, MNST is the clear winner with AAPL 2nd and NVDA right behind. Last year and this year however, both MNST and AAPL are being left in the dust. As Ted mentioned, and speaking only for my wife and myself, Apple has earned our trust and patience over the last 23+ years. I’m as frustrated as other AAPL Longs about how the market is treating AAPL/Apple this year while furiously propelling any stock associated with AI higher and higher. With no disrespect to members who own META or NVDA, those stocks are prime examples of this activity, IMO. If you’ve owned either or both of these stock for awhile, congratulations on your gains. But for anyone thinking about jumping into those stocks at the moment, I’d urge a little caution and perspective. After a 2023 gain of 184% for META and 246%, for NVDA, the share prices of both are increasing *incredibly* fast in the first two months of 2024. As you can see from the tables below, as of 03/01/24, META is up 42% for the year and NVDA is up 66%. Can that pace be maintained for the rest of the year? Does this look like thoughtful investing or a stock market buying frenzy of stocks closely associated with AI? Who knows? I may be *completely* mistaken…NVDA may end 2024 with a 396% gain and META may be up 252%. I’ve never claimed to understand the stock market and that’s true now more than ever. Note: As always, if I've made any errors in the table, please let me know and I'll correct it.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 28, 2024 15:42:24 GMT -8
Half those soccer fans are in second and third world countries. What's the point of buying rights to programming that has a bunch of poor people watching in their huts? Is Apple going to sell BMW ads in Costa Rica? My wife and I have been to some of those "second and third world countries"...saw BMW's but not a single instance of poor people living in huts. Not all TV markets are created equal.It's all rhetorical, since I think it's ill advised to bid on sports programming. It gets more expensive every year as salaries go through the roof. A big reason Disney is going to spin off ESPN. That, and their culture and talent suck. I'm happy to remain a long-term Apple shareholder and let folks like Eddy Cue deal with the TV markets and whether or not to bid on sports programing. I'm guessing he knows a lot more than either of us about both.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 28, 2024 13:10:58 GMT -8
Cmon. It’s the most popular sport in the world. I care. Do I count? Did you watch the World Cup final between Argentina and France? That was compelling, and yet you think no one cares?! The problem with this “most popular” argument about soccer is that a lot of people around the world follow *their favorite teams*, but no single soccer matches pull viewership within a magnitude of NFL games. The Super Bowl gets 10X the ratings of the World Cup Final in the U.S. If Apple only sold its products, including everything on Apple TV, in the U.S., having the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV may not make sense. But Apple sells its product all over the world...and according to Availability of Apple Media Services, Apple TV content, in addition to the United States and Canada, is available in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Russia and Central Asia, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Turkey. The MLS Season Pass is not available in all countries...but it's available in enough of those countries that I wouldn't doubt that many people in other countries will subscribe to MLS Season Pass if only to have a chance to see Lionel Messi play with Inter Miami. Turns out, after I looked into it, Eddy Cue has indicated that's *exactly* the case. ===================================== Apple TV riding Lionel Messi wave with 'significant' viewership ahead of 2024 MLS season <==Link may not work...if not, search for title. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue thought Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas was crazy.
Sign Lionel Messi? You gotta be kidding, right?
“He had this dream of signing Messi, and I thought he was crazy. Crazy people do amazing things sometimes,” Cue said next to MLS commissioner Don Garber at Chase Stadium before Messi and Inter Miami’s season opener on Wednesday.
MLS and Apple are continuing to ride the wave of momentum Messi has brought with his arrival to Inter Miami last summer.
“I won’t give you the exact number, but pre-Messi it was very U.S. dominant. Post-Messi, it changed materially,” Cue said of Messi’s impact on Apple subscriptions and viewership. He had a significant number of subscribers from South American and Europe. So, it was a big change.”
Apple TV’s latest documentary “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” also debuted on Tuesday night, which Cue credited Mas for introducing him to Messi, leading to the behind-the-scenes access of his 2022 World Cup run in Qatar.
Apple TV will also capitalize on its second-year of streaming MLS games on MLS Season Pass with a “significant” increase in subscribers thanks to Messi.
“He feels very, what I understand, very comfortable here. We are very supportive of him. We couldn't be more excited,” Garber said. “I mean, we should not forget that the best player in the history of the game is in Major League Soccer.”
Garber says MLS is receiving more buzz internationally than domestically because of Messi.
But he also understands Messi’s presence in MLS is a fleeting moment.
“At some point Messi won’t be in our league. Who will the next Messi be? It’s no different than what anybody thought when David Beckham left, when Thierry Henry left, when Zlatan left,” Garber said.
In the meantime, Garber is concerned with Messi’s experience in South Florida, and ensuring the league continues to grow in a positive direction for the next soccer star that may come along.
“Getting [Messi] signed was a statement about Major League Soccer that we can compete that we can deliver a great experience for a player with a competitive environment where they can further their career. There's going to be another Leo Messi at some point. And I hope that MLS is in a position to be able to sign that player.” World Cup Vs Super Bowl By The Numbers: Viewers, Revenue, RatingsIn 2022 the USMNT’s group stage game vs. England had a record U.S. viewership of 19.9 million people tuning in across English and Spanish broadcasts. Although the NFL and the Super Bowl continue to hold the top ratings spot in the U.S., overall World Cup viewership dwarfs that of American football.
During the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, a record 1.5 billion tuned in to see Lionel Messi’s Argentina knock off defending world champion France.
By comparison, the most-watched Super Bowl was the 2023 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL reported that the broadcast reached 200 million viewers in the U.S. and 56 million people outside the U.S. tuned in as well. Nielsen reported that the game drew and averaged 115.1 million viewers in the U.S. across all platforms.
Simply put, the Super Bowl does not have the international viewership the World Cup commands.
The 2021 Super Bowl between Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs was the least-watched Super Bowl since 2008. Its 96.4 million viewers in the U.S. was below the 105 million Americans who watched 20 minutes of at least one game from the 2014 World Cup.
World Cup vs Super Bowl Revenue
The massive viewership numbers of the World Cup and Super Bowl pad the coffers of FIFA and the NFL respectively.
FIFA has turned a profit of nearly $5 billion or more from the last three World Cups. The TV rights for the 2014 World Cup ($2.43 billion) exceeded all of FIFA's expenditures ($2.22 billion) for the tournament in Brazil.
The Super Bowl typically accounts for over $600 million of the NFL’s revenue with the number rising each season. That number helps make the NFL the leading revenue generator among all professional sports leagues, having surpassed $18 billion during the 2022 season.
Although the World Cup lasts just a month and features 64 games, its 2022 revenue in Qatar smashed FIFA’s previous record with $7.5 billion.
So, where does the money go? In 2022 Argentina’s national team received $42 million from FIFA in exchange for winning the World Cup. That $42 million was considered a cost for FIFA, so it did not come out of its $7.5 billion profit from the tournament.
A total of $440 million of prize money was split between the 32 teams at the 2022 World Cup. Runner-up France received $30 million of the purse. Each player on France’s national team was given £265,000 or roughly $346,000 per player.
If Argentina’s federation gave their players the same cut of the winnings as the French, then that means each player on Argentina’s 2022 World Cup roster went home with around $485,000.
The World Cup winners’ haul looks handsome compared to the $157,000 each member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning team received from the NFL in 2023. Philadelphia Eagles players took in around half of that sum at $82,000 apiece. Each NFL team has a 53-man roster, but a few extra players earn that bonus by being on the roster for at least half of a team’s games.
Still, the projected total player winnings of $12.6 million from the Super Bowl accounts for less than two percent of the revenue the game generates for the NFL.
When it comes down to the international TV audience, revenue generated per game and even the pay that winning players receive, the World Cup vs Super Bowl debate has a clear winner. The World Cup is top dog.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 27, 2024 22:58:23 GMT -8
And soccer. We already have 3 big sports -- football, basketball, and baseball. With a large entrenched audience. Soccer anyone? I don't know a soul who cares. Cmon. It’s the most popular sport in the world. I care. Do I count? Did you watch the World Cup final between Argentina and France? That was compelling, and yet you think no one cares?! My wife is an avid 49ers football and Giants baseball fan...has been since she was a kid. Yet she and I are very much enjoying ‘Messi World Cup: Rise of a Legend’ on Apple TV...and my older son has a season pass to see the local San Jose Earthquakes soccer team as well as MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Soccer has been making inroads in the U.S. for many years. Seeing the absolutely packed stadiums for the soccer games in various countries and the rabid fans makes me appreciate just how much soccer is a *world sport*. Yes, baseball and basketball are played all over the world as well...but all that's needed for young kids to play soccer is a ball and an open field. You can't play a game of baseball without a bat and you can't play basketball without a net.
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 27, 2024 22:36:21 GMT -8
I also wonder if the AVP is a beautiful bridge to nowhere. The interview is excellent, and Mark Zuckerberg's critique is thoughtful, and frankly, makes a serious point against Apple. It is hard to dismiss what he says. It is not a good sign for AAPL. I expect Zuck to talk his book. Have you demo'd the Vision Pro yet? Have you demo'd the Vision Pro yet?
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 26, 2024 11:29:14 GMT -8
When you can earn more from a risk-free CD than from a stock, there is definitely something wrong. Today is the 5th test of the 181 level since the start of the year, 10% below ATH. Meanwhile, nasdaq making new ATH each week. It’s definitely disappointing. I had a Applevision Pro demo last night. It's for real and nobody, nobody is ready for this. I don't see how Google or MIcrosoft are going to compete with this. It is the biggest leap forward since Xerox Parc invented Smalltalk and graphical interfaces. I was staggered and am still trying to envision the impact. It is not a question of whether it will be adopted or a success. It was just xxf**king incredible. I almost bought 2 of them. The Apple associate said that 20% of the people who see the demo buy it. I think this is a home run for Apple and it will just gt better as the technology is applied. I cannot find words to describe it adequately, please go try it. This is big Exactly right! The Vision Pro is the first edition of a product that is unlike *anything* most people have ever seen. The enthusiasm evident in bud777's comment is what will be felt by any thinking person who tries the Apple Vision Pro...it's truly remarkable. Shortly after we got ours, my wife and I watched the initial "Raiders of the Lost Ark" movie after choosing the moon's surface as our environment. So, a massive screen for the movie and completely out of our normal living room environment when looking at the sides of the screen(or behind us). My favorite experience with the AVP, however, is the short clip made by Apple called Encounter Dinosaurs. It's a relatively short clip and I've watched it more times that I'm willing to admit. I just can't get over the sensation of walking up to the "screen" and having the dinosaurs, small and *very* large, come over very close to you(within 2 feet) and sniff you. Plus, when the very large T-Rex comes close to the screen at one point, it appears to stick its head into the room. Unfingbelivable! I can't emphasize it enough...what bud777 said about the AVP is absolutely correct. Don't listen to the naysayers. Yes, it's expensive...yes, it's heavy on your head, etc. But this is the first edition of the product. Go to the nearest Apple Store and try it for yourself. It's the only way to truly understand what Apple has done. There's a very good reason that Mark Zuckerberg felt that he had to make a video denouncing the Apple Vision Pro and stating that META's product, the Quest 3, was superior. I can't imagine Tim Cook feeling the need to make a similar video knocking a competitor's product. Explore Encounter Dinosaurs on Apple Vision Pro
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 20, 2024 12:48:20 GMT -8
Does it have to go anywhere? If you're a trader, then yes. If you are an owner, maybe not. When AAPL's stock price stalls like it is now or when it hits new highs, I'll ask myself, "Would I buy it today at this price?" My answer is most often, "Yes." There are probably 30+ reasons that I consider Apple to be the best company to own. Based on the track record of this management team, the continued upgrading of products, the ever expanding number of customers, subscriptions, and the 25 other reasons I sleep well at night. I am an owner who enjoys seeing a net income that has averaged nearly $2 Billion per week over the past 2 years. Fidelity tells me AAPL has averaged like 22% since 2007. I spend many hours a day on this investment and don't see anything yet that makes me think this is going to stop soon. Just my 2 cents. on this date two years ago up till today at 2:30 Apple has gone up $15.72. Doesn't look all that good. That's only the difference in share price over 2 years...but, IMO, one should also consider how many AAPL shares the company has repurchased and quarterly dividends they've paid to AAPL shareholders over that same time period. Apple is currently at $181.07/share...down -6% for 2024 but up +66,983% since the first market day of 2001. For my wife and myself, our current yearly AAPL dividends ~ 5 X (my yearly pension[23 years]+wife's yearly pension[29 years]+my yearly Social Security). Considering the difference in our lives Apple has made, I'm more than happy to be patient and hold AAPL while many different market manipulators continue to drive the share price down. The lower they drive the share price the more AAPL shares are purchased each quarter from the AAPL dividends in our IRA's. After almost 12 years of auto-reinvesting those dividends to buy new shares, the average cost basis of those new AAPL shares is $47.48/share. If our conviction that AAPL is an excellent long term investment changes in the future...we'll sell our AAPL shares
|
|
|
Post by Luckychoices on Feb 15, 2024 19:19:39 GMT -8
The interview is excellent, and Mark Zuckerberg's critique is thoughtful, and frankly, makes a serious point against Apple. It is hard to dismiss what he says. It is not a good sign for AAPL.I expect Zuck to talk his book. Have you demo'd the Vision Pro yet? I think it's clear-- this is the first inning, as far as Apple's plans are concerned. We will need to see what developers create over the next 6-12 months. Also content creators, Vision OS upgrades, increased functionality. Just adding the ability to 'share' a single headset with another would be a major upgrade, for instance. Mainstream acceptance of the entire idea of strapping a computer to your face (or 'wearing' computer glasses, or some other smaller, lighter form factor), is still years away, regardless of platform. But today, if you watch television or love to watch movies, it is already a major game-changer, and without peer. It will likely be an incredible way to watch pro sports and other live events, as well. If you haven't demo'd, you really can't imagine, imo. I like Apple's chances very much. Having probably 20 hours on the Vision Pro, I believe this really is an iPhone 1 moment, which was dismissed by some of the biggest names in tech, not to mention the online, very real, anti-Apple-ANYTHING brigade. People forget how 'hopeless' the Apple iPhone was....remember how they said they will NEVER sell in China? Or that cheap copycats would 'kill' demand? Quest is NOT a better product, lol. Just cheaper (and HUGELY unprofitable). Once again you're seeing bad signs...first it was from Mark Zuckerberg praising META's product over Apple's...no surprise to most of us. Now you're seeing an article that you take as bad sign for the Vision Pro. Let me repeat paul's quesion from yesterday...have you demo'd the Vision Pro yet?
|
|