Folio

Slightly OT, but I was happy to see Apple immediately credited my hike today and gave me National Parks badge. So if 100 million iphone users in US and one tenth have watches and one in ten of Watch owners take a hike or 3 mile walk, that's 1 million badges! If anything near that I hope Apple notes that publicly as they appear to be collecting that badge data real time. (Hope AI considers a quick story, improving my back of envelope, not in the least to generate a few forum user experiences)

That this "humble card" is more than a card was evident when I downloaded Etsy app and looked for artisan stoneware coffee mugs. The ecommerce was nearly perfect with some random potter in the Cascades. My new Applecard automatically offered my choices of shipping addresses, so it was as frictionless (though my first time) as my well-used Amazon Prime account. The only thing missing was an upfront Apple Sign In, imminent which will complete the circle. What's next step? As I've suggested in the past, Apple Mall. Where each week nearly half billion users can frictionlessly shop, in ever changing stores, advertising with bargains galore. Etsy e.g if it wanted more exposure might rent space next to GlobeBrand. If Apple is savvy, they'll create the most compelling shopping district in virtual (and AR) world.

I opted for the wholly virtual embodiment. Immutable luster, I hope. Funny both Wapo and Guardian and no doubt countless others have stories on this. You know what they say about publicity...

The biggest question for me of 2019: how many defections from troubled Huawei phones, especially in Europe, will Apple pick up? Quite an opportunity for a mass conversion if Apple creates right incentives.

Actually when you subtract retail employment at over 500 stores, Apple seems leaner than Google, which has grown now to over 100,000 heads. Talent and motivation are key, I'd like to see Apple expand in Toronto. Biggest tech workforce in North America after Silicon Valley, NYC, and Washington DC, according to WSJ. Much cheaper and you spread the risk on ill-conceived worker immigration policies.