Month: February 2014

Is the iWatch going to be Apple’s next Big Thing?

Posted on by georgefattell

As we draw closer and closer to the introduction of the Apple iWatch I have been giving this mysterious product some thought and wondering if it will have an impact similar to that of iPod, iPhone or the iPad.

Apple Monthly Chart
Apple Monthly Chart

Apple, as it usually does, has maintained a high degree secrecy around the development of this highly anticipated product.

I am guardedly optimistic about the iWatch. I think the iWatch will redefine the product category it is in in a way that is similar to the way iPod, iPhone and the iPad redefined their respective product categories. In the past Apple has studied products in a particular category for a fairly lengthy period before introducing their own and the blowing the competition out of the water. Take mp3 players, for example. Remember, there were many mp3 players on the market well before the iPod was introduced. Apple produced a product that mated best in class hardware with best in class software via iTunes and the rest is history. Total market domination was the result.

I really don’t consider any of the so called “smart watches” on the the market currently to be “must have” products. Pebble, Qualcomm, Samsung and a few others have introduced smart watches that are interesting in some ways, but really don’t offer features that I think most people find compelling.

I think the iWatch will offer a lot more capability than any smart watch currently on the market and I think it is logical to assume that the iWatch will be customizable via apps that will be available on iTunes. I also think the iWatch will be much more atheistically attractive than any of the current smart watches on the market. Of course, I am not privy to the design details and features of this product. I am simply basing my assumptions on Apple’s now well established record of innovation and beautiful industrial design.

It should be apparent soon after the iWatch has been released if it is a home run or not. If it is, it will probably be a good time to go long AAPL.

UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann – Las Vegas

Posted on by georgefattell

Woman’s Bantamweight: Ronda Rousey 8-0 (-420) vs. Sara McMann 7-0 (+375)

McMann won a Silver medal as wrestler in the 2004 Olympics and is probably the best athlete that Rousey has been faced with to date. However, McMann’s MMA game is simply not as well rounded as Rousey’s is, especially in view of RR’s improved striking. Ronda would probably like to win this fight in some manner other than securing an arm bar, just to show us all that she can. But Rousey is a very smart fighter and she will take what McMann gives her. If the arm bar is available then Rousey will take it and she won’t fool around because McMann is capable of winning this fight if RR lets her guard down.

Rousey wins by submission, 2nd Rd.

Light Heavyweight: Daniel Cormier 13-0 (-925) vs. Patrick Cummins 4-0 (+725)

This might be the most interesting fight of the evening. Patrick Cummins makes his UFC debut against one of the best fighters in all of MMA. Cummnins was working in a coffee shop in Dana Point, CA two weeks ago. Cormier was scheduled to fight Rashad Evans, but Evans had to withdraw due to knee injury suffered in training. Cummins was offered an opportunity to step in and he leaped at it. Cummins previously served a wrestling training partner for Cormier and claims he got the better of Cormier in training, when Cormier was preparing for the Olympics. Cummins is a very good athlete and earned All- American honors twice as a wrestler at Penn St. He has also won all 4 of his MMA fights in the old Strikeforce promotion.
Cummins may prove to be a capable UFC fighter, but I find it hard to believe he can win this fight with only about 10 days of preparation time. However, anything can happen in MMA and if I had to bet on this fight I would probably want to place a small bet on Cummins simply because of the payoff with Vegas making him the +725 underdog.

Cormier wins by TKO, 3rd Rd.

Welterweight: Rory MacDonald 15-2 (-295) vs. Demian Maia 18-5 (+265)

An important fight for two top ten welterweights coming off losses. The winner will remain in the hunt for a championship fight. Both are well rounded fighters, but MacDonald is 24 and Maia is 36. The loser may not see that opportunity for a long time, if ever. Maia has real shot if he can take this fight to ground and use his world class Jui-Jitsu (former world champion). That will tough task because MacDonald is quick, a great striker and has good take down defense. He is also very experienced for age and has trained for years with fellow Canadian , and UFC icon, Georges St. Pierre. Like GSP, MacDonald is also a very good wrestler, so even if Maia does manage to take MacDonald down he may not find him easy to deal with on the ground, yet that is where Maia would seem to have his best chance.

MacDonald wins by decision

Visit to New York City

Posted on by georgefattell

20140213-063459.jpg

I made a trip to New York City and the Lehigh Valley in PA last week to visit family and friends. I had a great time in both places and took quite a few pictures. The picture above is one my favorites. I love this view of Lower Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge. The striking Freedom Tower, aka World Trade Center 1, has redefined the skyline. Great to see that building nearly complete after all these years. I have seen the building on prior visits to NYC, but this was the first time I have seen it since the top floors were completed. If you blow up the picture below you will notice that there is one small section of the top of the building that is still exposed. Glass panes are still being installed on the top eastern corner of WTC 1, but other than that the exterior of the building seems to be finished.

I know that the design of the WTC 1 has not received universal praise, but I like it. I think WTC 1 projects power and strength and that the new World Trade Center complex gives lower Manhattan a true 21st Century look.

Lower Man fr Brooklyn

I took the PATH train over to Hoboken to take some pictures of WTC 1 from the west side of the Hudson. I will post more pictures soon.

WTC 1 from Hoboken

SuperBowl XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos

Posted on by georgefattell

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos

Well, the Big Game is finally here and I can’t wait see this debate of Best Offense vs. Best Defense finally settled on the field. My initial assessment, right after Seattle defeated San Francisco in NFC Championship was that the Seahawks would not be able to contain Denver’s offense enough to win this game. However, after studying the stat’s and the match-ups and going back and forth on which team I would pick to win I have come to the conclusion that I have to give the Seahawks the edge. If I had one more day to think about I might very well change my mind again, but I’m going to stick to my guns here and pick the Seahawks to be the next Champ’s of the NFL. Picking Seattle was not an easy choice for me because I favored Denver to win the SB pretty much all season, going all the way back to the preseason, when I picked Denver to defeat San Francisco in my NFL preseason post on this blog.

I have not been a fan of either team in the past, so I really don’t have a dog in this fight. I admire players and coaches on both teams, but I really don’t think I have bias toward one team or the other. I would enjoy seeing Peyton Manning win another ring, but I also wouldn’t mind seeing Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman (Yes, I like Sherman) win a ring. Ditto, Pete Carroll and John Fox. They are all deserving. So, why did I change my pick? Well, like many others who have studied this game, I think that the winner of this game will in large part be determined by the outcome of the battle between Peyton Manning and the Bronco receivers vs. the Seattle secondary, the vaunted Legion of Boom. I don’t think the LOB can totally shut down QB Peyton Manning and his talented receivers, but the LOB and the rest of the Seahawks D can limit the production of Denver’s offense enough to put the game within reach of Seattle’s offense. The Seahawks may not have an offense is nearly as prolific as the Broncos, but it is clearly good enough win games against the top tier teams teams in the NFL when the Seahawks defense is playing at high level. I think San Francisco, the team I picked to win the NFC, is just as good an all around team as Denver and Seattle handled SF, albeit narrowly. This game too should be close, but this is another game in which the Seahawks can emerge victorious imo.

This is how I think the scoring may unfold….

DENVER: Peyton throws 2 TD’s, RB Knowshon Moreno rushes for a TD and Prater chips in with a FG

SEATTLE: Russell Wilson passes for 1 TD, Beast Mode (Marshawn Lynch) runs for a TD, the Seattle D produces a TD and the Seahawks kick 2 FG’s

If Denver is able to jump out to big lead in 1st half, it may spell doom for Seattle because I don’t think they really have what could be considered a quick strike offense, even with the return of Percy Harvin.

Denver must make sure they contain Russell Wilson, who possesses much greater running ability than the last two QB’s Denver faced in the playoffs. Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, although great passers, weren’t much of threat to bolt from the pocket and pick up significant yardage. Russell Wilson, OTOH, is very capable of tucking the ball and taking off for some big chunks of yards. Wilson tends to look to pass first and only run when he has to, but I think we may see a few designed run plays for him in this game.

We’ll see soon enough. May the best team win!!

Seattle 27, Denver 24