mayfly

eightzero said:

OK, I really don't get this. How does GS lose money on a credit card? Are they paying Apple a disproportionate amount of their rake from the cardholders? The article says "credit losses" so somehow more Apple Card holders are welching? 

Or...it is possible GS thinks they just aren't making the billion they planned? Not sure that's a "loss."

Nope. They're losing plenty. Their customer acquisition cost is $350 per account. In addition, the Apple Card attracts a much more affluent demographic who pay their balances every month, depriving GS of interest charges. On top of that, there is the "buy now, pay later" program that allows customers to pay over 4 months without interest charges. That's how they're losing money. I wouldn't cry for GS, though. They made $10.9 billion in the second QUARTER of this year, even with the Apple Card losses.

No one is a bigger Apple fan than me. I worked for an Apple VAR, then for Apple, Inc. My wife and I have at least two of everything Apple makes (except a Mac Pro and only one iMac), and subscribe to AppleOne. We both have AirPod Pros.

But when it came time for over the ear headphones, we both found the AirPods Max hot and uncomfortable. Didn't like the fit and finish of the Beats, either. Then we tried the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones. And bought two of them on the spot. They're lighter, more comfortable, and never have condensation, even when I wear them during my morning LifeCycle workout. Their audio fidelity is comparable to Apple's. But then, there's the ANC (noise cancelling tech). It's the BEST, bar none. We wear them when we travel by air or rail, and I've used them in noisy restaurants (they also have good voice priority settings) and at the movies and the symphony. Did I mention they're $200 less than the Max, and sometimes can be found on sale for $250? And that they fold flat to fit in a supplied case? They also have an audio jack, with an airplane adapter. They only come in two colors, and the app is an Android port (but I almost never use it). Other than that, they're superior to AirPods Max.

Well, I guess my immutable law of government still applies:

Apple MacBooks & MacBook Pros used to have a tool-free latch on the back to get at and replace the battery. Sure would be nice to have that on most of the current Apple devices. Sure, LiON batteries are rechargeable, but they sure do deteriorate over time. If you're determined, experienced and have pentalobe tools, you can replace the batteries in them, but you can also break other, more expensive things while doing it. And maybe get in front of future EU regulations by making the RAM and SSDs replaceable/upgradeable again!

ajohn said:

Can someone explain to me how Elon Musk buys Twitter but Twitter somehow inherits the debt? I’m very confused. 

Can I also go out and buy a business but not have to be the one paying for it? 

Business 101: It's how every private takeover happens. Instead of paying cash, the buyer (Musk in this case) uses what is called a "leveraged" buyout. Meaning exchanging shareholder equity for cash, which the buyer borrows from a bank, or banks, or VC's or angel investors. Since the new private entity (Twitter) is still a corporation, the buyer's personal assets are indemnified from the debts of the corporation, unless he pledges some of them as collateral.

That Elon Musk runs Twitter like captain Joseph Hazelwood ran the Exxon Valdez: aground!

I asked ChatGPT to write me a limerick about Musk's new "everything app" rhyming with crap.

Ooh, Ooh! I know the answer, teacher! Call on me!

Take Instagram off your iPhone. TWO problems solved:

1. No more overheating
2. No more brain damage from addiction to mindless cat memes!

hodar said:

If I am accused of breaking the law, I expect that I will have my day in court.  I will have my chance to plead my case; then I will be either found innocent, or will face the consequences.

Why any agency (Fed, State, County or City) is exempted from this very basic idea, escapes me.  Without consequences, there is zero reason they won't continue, or further encroach on our freedoms, privacy and basic rights.

One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all (old white men with money).

Can't imagine what's going on here. If this is accurate, those pastels are nasty! The black is OK, but all the others look like 1950's bathroom tiles. If Apple is targeting the consumer market, why don't they make brighter colors? If they're targeting the business market, then why not use the same color scheme as the Pro phones?