INSIGHTS
FEB
21
COSTA’S CORNER
“Mr. Watson. Come here, I want to see you”
First words ever spoken over that new gizmo, the telephone. Edison’s invention changed the World, and in some ways, is still changing it.
With the introduction of Samsung’s new Flip Phone, The Galaxy Fold, it makes me think of something much bigger. For 140 years, we have been re-inventing a singular product. Making it more sophisticated. Jamming more technology in a smaller space, endlessly and it literally has changed the World. Few inventions have transformed and continued to transform like the telephone. You can say that transportation has changed with automobile, trains and plane but based on physics and economic reasons, we may have reached our zenith as far as moving from one place to the next. Yet, the telephone continues to evolve.
The giant steps we have seen are now being replaced by incremental improvements and those improvements seem to be more tweaks than actually improving the technology we have now. Could we be reaching that Zenith as well?
If you look at technology as a whole, in the last 20 years we have improved technology more than at any period in human history. The breakneck pace has transitioned from the hardware we use to the software we need to run all of this technology. Even in this, we see limitations.
The point I am getting at and it’s something I don’t have an answer to is, what will be the next great technology?”. What will transform our lives so much it can be put on the scale of the telephone, the steam engine, the internet?
This is where we need to be looking for the middle of the 21st century. The breakthrough that will transform our lives again.
My guess is that nanotechnology will be transformative along with some form of Artificial Intelligence component. It is a scary thought but so was television and radio. However, it could be something else.
To put this problem in perspective let me bring up Apple (Samsung’s competitor).
Apple has not released a game changing technology in over 10 years. Everything they have done has been an improvement, incrementally or otherwise, of an existing product. While they still generate billions in profits, they need to again be ahead of the curve and bring something to market that will prove that Apple is the greatest company in the World.
Like all great technology companies, Apple’s reign may be coming to an end.
Just something to think about long term, short term, I am stuck here.
50% Stocks
25% Fixed Income
25% Cash
First words ever spoken over that new gizmo, the telephone. Edison’s invention changed the World, and in some ways, is still changing it.
With the introduction of Samsung’s new Flip Phone, The Galaxy Fold, it makes me think of something much bigger. For 140 years, we have been re-inventing a singular product. Making it more sophisticated. Jamming more technology in a smaller space, endlessly and it literally has changed the World. Few inventions have transformed and continued to transform like the telephone. You can say that transportation has changed with automobile, trains and plane but based on physics and economic reasons, we may have reached our zenith as far as moving from one place to the next. Yet, the telephone continues to evolve.
The giant steps we have seen are now being replaced by incremental improvements and those improvements seem to be more tweaks than actually improving the technology we have now. Could we be reaching that Zenith as well?
If you look at technology as a whole, in the last 20 years we have improved technology more than at any period in human history. The breakneck pace has transitioned from the hardware we use to the software we need to run all of this technology. Even in this, we see limitations.
The point I am getting at and it’s something I don’t have an answer to is, what will be the next great technology?”. What will transform our lives so much it can be put on the scale of the telephone, the steam engine, the internet?
This is where we need to be looking for the middle of the 21st century. The breakthrough that will transform our lives again.
My guess is that nanotechnology will be transformative along with some form of Artificial Intelligence component. It is a scary thought but so was television and radio. However, it could be something else.
To put this problem in perspective let me bring up Apple (Samsung’s competitor).
Apple has not released a game changing technology in over 10 years. Everything they have done has been an improvement, incrementally or otherwise, of an existing product. While they still generate billions in profits, they need to again be ahead of the curve and bring something to market that will prove that Apple is the greatest company in the World.
Like all great technology companies, Apple’s reign may be coming to an end.
Just something to think about long term, short term, I am stuck here.
50% Stocks
25% Fixed Income
25% Cash