Locator: 48044ABTB.
Personal investing: whoo-hoo -- I've held two of the five for decades; two of my biggest holdings --
US electricity demand: will continue to set records for several years. EIA.
Did US economy just hit a wall? Several headlines today suggest just that. Some folks are already suggesting an "emergency cut" to turn things around. Obviously, all eyes will be on the Friday unemployment numbers for May, 2024. If we have a 4-handle, market could respond in two different ways. Can't predict.
Auto glut this summer? My hunch -- best deals of 2024 will start during the week of August 24 - August 31, 2024, and will continue through the end of the year.
World war? US short-range missiles to be used against Russia -- inside Russia. A Biden decision. Long-range missiles still off-limits for targets inside Russia.
Immigrant asylum: another Biden decision. Have not yet read how this affects sanctuary cities.
MSFT: layoffs hit HoloLens, Azure cloud teams. Link here. Like so many MSFT projects, HoloLens will simply fade away.
Spotfy: from Information --
Who said inflation was moderating? Spotify on Monday announced its
second price increase in less than a year: The two price rises together
total between 20% and 30%, depending on the tier.
Jacking up prices so
much in such a short period of time is a gutsy move by CEO Daniel Ek,
whose company has long struggled to make any real money, due to its need
to pass on most of its revenue to the music companies that own the
rights to the songs it streams. If Spotify pulls this off without a
surge in cancellations, we will have to put to rest the idea that it is
somehow at a disadvantage to Apple, its main rival in streaming and the
controller of a major digital platform. After all, Apple Music is now
indisputably cheaper than Spotify.
What could make Ek regret this move, however, is the fact that all the
video streaming services have also been regularly raising prices. The
cumulative effect of all this subscription inflation may prompt more
consumers to scrutinize their expenses more closely. If that happens,
they don’t have to go far in music streaming, particularly if they're
not a fan of audiobooks. Not only are the individual and family tiers
now cheaper on Apple, but the iPhone maker offers discounts for
customers who sign up for several of its subscriptions, such as Apple TV
Plus and Apple Music. (Buying an Apple bundle through another firm,
like Verizon, adds to the discounts available). Of course, Apple might
also choose this moment to raise its prices, in which case all bets are
off. Right now though, Apple Music has never looked so appealing.
Fujifilm X100VI: never saw this coming. Two separate issues here. I've never seen anything like this. Review here. Link here and everywhere. Likewise it appears Fujifilm Instax film is also in short supply. Must watch: how does the Fujifilm X100VI compare to a high-end iPhone? Be sure to read the social comments. You might be surprised. This was typical:
