Usually, I write a “Sunday Morning Essay” about a particular issue or company but there’s a number of things on my mind so here’s some “mini-essays”:
- After Research in Motion posted better-than-expected second-quarter results on Thursday, investors and analysts got all excited about how RIM’s troubles had been over-rated. In a blog post, I suggested that good quarter was not enough to jump back on the bandwagon. Even though the BlackBerry Torch appears to be selling, it is impossible to ignore the iPhone4′s popularity and growing impact of Google’s Android OS, which is quickly becoming a dominant force. To ignore these two themes, as well as the fact the Torch is a good but not great device, would be a folly.
Lo and behold, the Financial Post has a large feature story on Android yesterday, along with a sidebar that analysts are taking a sober second look at RIM’s results. One thing that jumped out at me was that RIM “shipped” 12 million BlackBerrys in the second-quarter but only add 4.5 million subscribers. It sounds like there might be an inventory glut so do not be surprised to see carriers off the Torch at low prices in the coming months.
- When you think technology, condos are probably low or non-existent, which is why a story in the Toronto Star about two 50-story condos in suburban Toronto is so eye-catching. In particular, the “Marilyn Monroe” building is as much an architecture feat as a construction technology accomplishment. The building has curve – hence the Monroe reference – that made its construction a lot different than your typical slap ‘em up condo.
- For anyone who’s married or who has paid for a wedding, you’ll know how expensive they can be. In particular, there are many high-cost items that only get used once such as wedding dresses and decoration. And given the high rate of divorce, the money spent is often a bad, short-term investment. This is why SmartBride Boutique seems like such a smart idea. The Toronto-based startup is sort of a like a Craigslist for weddings in which you can buy sell wedding items at significant discounts.
