Active Rigs Down To 157 -- January 12, 2015

Active rigs:

	1/12/2015	01/12/2014	01/12/2013	01/12/2012	01/12/2011
Active Rigs	157	192	182	200	167

RBN Energy: a new series, break-even points, economics.

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Yet Another Apple Update

I mentioned the other day with regard to Apple it was no longer about the "coolness" factor. I was wrong: in Hong Kong, apparently, it's all about the "coolness" factor. Forbes is reporting:

[In Hong Kong] the Apple stores have become some kind of Apple afinado Mecca where people meet, talk and share laughs together. All under the gaze of a half eaten piece of fruit. Even if the store is closed and there’s something of cultural significance happening elsewhere, you’ll still find the die-hard loiterers lingering outside.

So what’s driving this all-engrossing love affair with iPhone 6 in Hong Kong? – Apple products have become synonymous with a particular lifestyle. Everyone wants to look young, wealthy and carefree. Flicking through selfies on the MTR says that – even if it’s far from the truth.

The other comes from mainland China. The iPhone 6 went on sale in the mainland about a month after Hong Kong on the 17th October, which drove the initial shortage as tourists crossed the border to join a very long queue. But there’s also the fact that it’s also $100 cheaper in HK – making the relatively cheap trip across the border worth it.

This data point is most interesting:

Analysts say that the launch of the iPhone 6 arrested at 9 month decline in retail sales and actually boosted them by 4.8%.

And it isn't going to end any time soon:

The manic hunger for the iPhone 6 is still very real in Hong Kong. An Apple store clerk I spoke to told me that it’s common for people to try and buy one through the reserve system for two months. Two months. That’s 60 days of getting up at 7.45 am, turning on your laptop, and hoping today is your lucky day.

That’s extreme by any metric. Especially when you consider the abundance of other, cheaper, smartphones available at one of Hong Kong’s many gadget shops.

What’s become clear is that this will be a perpetual problem for Hong Kongers. A resident tells me it’s been like this since the iPhone first arrived, and it’s getting worse. The more exclusive the iPhone 6 becomes purely because of a lack of stock, the deeper the need for one is entrenched.

In the US, iPhone 6 supply has finally caught up with demand, if you believe J.P. Morgan.

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AppleWatch

By the way, anticipation for the Apple Watch is starting to build. Several stories are coming out today.

Over at Macrumors:

Marsh Supermarkets and inMarket today are announcing the launch of a new iBeacon platform throughout Marsh's 75 supermarket locations that will enable Apple Watch users to receive interactive alerts and other content on their devices based on their proximity to Marsh's beacons. The program is the first integration of iBeacon technology with Apple's wearable product, which is expected to launch to the public in the next several months.

Over at Yahoo!Finance, Apple Watch could be most successful Apple product ever:

So, does Apple Inc. have what it takes to change the smartwatch industry? Thus far, Motorola, Samsung and other smartwatch manufacturers have failed to build a mainstream product. 

Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry referred to these products as "launch and forget" devices. They receive a ton of hype at launch, but people quickly forget about them and move on.

"Apple doesn't have the mindset of 'launch and forget,'" Chowdhry told Benzinga. "[The] iPhone 6 was launched in September -- four months later we still talk about it." 

Chowdhry estimated that the Apple Watch will be Apple's "most successful product. "[It] will break all the previous records," Chowdhry said confidently. "Why are we so convinced?

We have attended numerous WatchKit hackathons. We have seen the potential of WatchKit and the Apple Watch platform. We have seen where the competition got it completely wrong."

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Apple: A Camera Company

Apple passes Nikon to become second most popular camera brand on Flickr.

Flickr over the weekend released data detailing the most popular camera rankings of 2014 for the online photo sharing service. With 100 million users uploading 10 billion photos last year, the usual standouts of Canon and Nikon edged out most of the competition, but most interesting was Apple moving past Nikon to take second place in the rankings.

Flickr also looked at the top mobile device cameras used on Flickr, where Apple unsurprisingly dominated the top ten list. In first through fourth were the iPhone 5 (10.6 percent), iPhone 4s (7.0 percent), iPhone 4 (4.3 percent), and the iPhone 5c (2.0 percent). The iPhone 6, iPad, and iPad mini also placed in the top ten. It is unclear why the iPhone 5s is not included on Flickr's year-end lists, as it has been registering as the most popular camera overall for a number of months now.

Based on the percentages, it looks like the top five camera companies took market share from camera companies not in the top five.

Disclaimer: I post links to articles on Apple for several reasons. First, I grew up with Apple. I am officially Apple Fanboy #3. Or maybe unofficially. I don't invest in Apple directly; I have never owned shares of Apple in my name, but I can no longer say I never will. I love the technology; I love the story (coming from out of nowhere in 1984); I love the vision Steve Jobs had. 

Second, I need to follow some technology company to sort of keep up with technology. Right now I'm listening to my own personal "radio station" on iTunes through the "new" UE Boom. No advertising. No interruptions. Just non-stop, free music. 

Third, I'm doing this for a reader of the blog who happened to mention some time ago he/she owns shares in Apple.

And there was a fourth reason, but I forgot. Be that as it may, this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, or relationship decisions based on what you read here.  

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Slick, Useful Apps Put the Wow in Apple Watch

The Wall Street Journal is reporting:

I’ve seen some of the applications that will launch for the Apple Watch when it makes its debut as early as March, albeit in simulation, and some are extraordinary. Along with the details Apple has already released about how the watch will work, it’s convinced me Apple Watch will be a launching pad for the next wave of billion-dollar consumer-tech startups.

Contrast that with the predictions of many pundits that the watch will flop, or sell only modestly. Others, like the analysts behind a Morgan Stanley note from November, are so optimistic they project the watch will sell 30 million units in its first year, increasing Apple’s value by more than 10% and adding more than $50 billion to its market cap.

Apple has already revealed the sleek, customizable watch itself, and this being Apple, it’s safe to assume the company is going to release hardware that’s best in class.