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The Trouble with Social Computing Systems Research
Backlink: http://www.slideshare.net/mbernst/the-trouble-with-social-computing-systems-research
Showing posts with label systems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label systems. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
THE APPLE INVESTOR: 90% Of Apple's Sales Powered By Its Operating Systems (AAPL)
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Stocks opened higher in early trading amidst another round of corporate earnings. Shares of AAPL are up strong versus the rest of tech after selling off last week. Potential catalysts for the stock include news regarding Steve Jobs' health and return; the rumored second quarter launch of the next generation iPad; monthly NPD data (Mac / iPod business); iPhone sales updates as well as the launch of the iPhone 5 anticipated this summer; new revenue streams such as video, books, newspapers and social (Ping); moving iTunes into the cloud; and the continued evolution and adoption of Apple TV. Shares of Apple trade at 12x Enterprise Value / Trailing Twelve Months Free Cash Flow (incl. long-term marketable securities).
The App Store Hits 10 Billion Downloads In Two And A Half Years (Apple)
After two and a half years, 90 countries and a plethora of categories, Apple's App Store has hit more than 10 billion downloads worldwide. The company also revealed that it has 160 million iOS users in the world, or about 62 apps per user (that's a lot of apps). Additionally, there are more than 350,000 applications in the App Store with more than 60,000 apps available for the iPad.
Ninety Percent Of Apple's Sales Built Off Operating Systems (asymco)
According to a report from Asymco, the iPhone, iPad and iPod (iOS products) collectively generated sales last quarter of approximately $17.3 billion, accounting for 65% of Apple's total revenue. While iOS dominates, the remainder of Apple's revenue comes from OS X-based products (20%), OS X software (3%), iTunes music sales (2%) and accessories and other non-software products (10%). Based on these figures, 90% of Apple's sales is derived from hardware and software powered by OS X or iOS. Check out Business Insider's Apple model with charts on quarterly revenue breakdown.
Apple Taps Ex-Naval Academy Graduate To Head Global Security (All Things Digital)
Apple has hired David Rice, former Naval academy graduate, executive director of the Monterey Group and faculty member with IANS, as its global director of security. It's the latest in a series of high-profile security hires for the company. Former Mozilla security chief Window Snyder was hired as a senior security product manager last March. David may be familiar to some as the author of Geekonomics. Apple is clearly bolstering its security profile going forward with the rise of iOS devices in enterprise and government.
Despite Wall Streets Gripes, A Good Use Of Cash For Apple Has Been Supply Chain Agreements (Fortune)
The Street has made it abundantly clear what it thinks Apple should do with that cash: dividend, stock repurchase program or both. What analysts fear is that the company will go on a buying spree and start gobbling up something huge (Facebook, Yahoo!, Disney, Sony, etc.). Historically, that has not been Apple's style. A great use of cash for the company has been the $3.9 billion dollars worth of agreements with three unnamed companies in its supply chain.
Apple Nearly Through Approval Process to Begin Selling 3G iPads in China (The Wall Street Journal)
After a key government certification body for gadgets approved what appears to be a 3G-enabled version of the iPad, China Unicom may be about to get the iPad. An Apple device labeled “model A1337″ (with specifications consistent with the tablet device) has passed the State Radio Monitoring Center’s testing process and obtained approval. Because a 3G iPad would likely need to undergo further tests and pass more certifications, the actual date when Apple will announce the device’s availability in China is unknown.
The iPad Is Taking Over Small Business Functions (Cult of Mac)
The iPad is becoming more prevalent in small businesses, including doubling as a cash register. The tablet gets the java going for the crowds at Joe in Grand Central Terminal in New York. ShopKeep is behind the point-of-sale application designed for small businesses with the ability to print receipts, track real-time sales and manage inventory. The iPad is also ringing up customers in the city at Steve’s Ice Cream and Joe up by Columbia University.
Apple Is Back To Infiltrating The Education System With The iPad (The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Students attending the private Webb School in Knoxville, Tennessee will be required to have an iPad for classes. Jim Manikais, technology director, said this new policy was designed to let students use the device whenever necessary and useful. The school is offering rental plans for parents unable to purchase the tablet. Other academic institutions like Seton Hill and the University of Notre Dame encourage the usage of iPads in the classroom, while textbook publishers like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are developing applications for use in academic setting.
Daily Trader: Do You Secretly Own Shares Of AAPL? (The Motley Fool)
Many investors own Apple without knowing it. The tech giant is a major component in these popular ETFs:
- Internet Architecture HOLDRs (IAH): 23%
- PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQQ): 20%
- iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF (IYW): 13.4%
- Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK): 12%
- iShares S&P Global Technology (IXN): 10.2%
The next time you hear Apple news, make sure you don't own the stock before you dismiss it. Check out Business Insider's ETF Database.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- THE APPLE INVESTOR: Who Generates A Better Return On Capital – Goldman Sachs Or Apple?
- THE APPLE INVESTOR: Analysts Look Past Steve Jobs, See Apple's Compelling Value And Vision As A Mobile Device Leader
- THE APPLE INVESTOR: Apple Gaining PC Market Share (Without The iPad) But Android Crushing On Mobile Advertising
THE APPLE INVESTOR: 90% Of Apple's Sales Powered By Its Operating Systems (AAPL)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
WorldWinds Selects Slidell as Home to One of Most Powerful Computer Systems in the New Orleans Area
WorldWinds, Inc. Selects Slidell Center as New Home to One of the Most Powerful Computer Systems in the New Orleans Area - SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO RUN STORM SIMULATIONS FOR HURRICANES
Slidell, LA--- WorldWinds, Inc., has installed one of the most powerful computer clusters in the New Orleans area at Slidell’s Gause Boulevard Complex. WorldWinds purchased the system to run storm surge simulations for historical and hypothetical hurricanes that will be used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop new flood zone maps. WorldWinds' executives think it is an ideal location for the new computer cluster because of its high level of security and multiple sources of backup power, allowing for work without interruption. The Slidell Gause Boulevard Complex also houses Textron Marine and Land Systems and the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office.
The site once served as home to the former NASA Slidell Computer Complex where NASA first placed computers in 1962 to support Saturn space vehicle construction at the Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans. The NASA Slidell Computer Complex was one of the most powerful in the country.
Those early computer systems were strikingly different from today’s sleek and modern machines. The old systems would often fill an entire room with thousands of circuit boards, card readers, printers, and racks of tape drives. Additionally, an army of technicians were needed to toggle switches, mount tapes, and repair equipment, which failed every few days.
Dan Yeates, Superintendent of Public Operations for the City of Slidell reminisces, “Contractor’s cars filled the entire parking lot at Gause Boulevard and Robert Road. A large room housed key punch operators who typed instructions and data onto punch cards that filled many boxes.” John Autry, Slidell's Information Systems Manager, added, “The systems were so fragile that if the lights blinked, the maintenance engineers would start running towards the computers like they were firemen to protect the equipment.”
In stark contrast, the new computer cluster purchased by WorldWinds, Inc. fits in two racks only six feet tall by four feet wide. It is housed in the computer room in the basement of the building, and only requires two WorldWinds' staff members to operate it. Hurricane storm surge simulations will run around the clock on the new computer, with much of the operation unattended.
“Storm surge simulations that previously took days to run on our old computer system now take only a few minutes”, explains Elizabeth Valenti, WorldWinds CEO. “The new hurricane storm surge simulations will be used by FEMA to determine the likelihood of flooding in coastal areas as a result of hurricane water and winds. A high performance computer is needed for the model runs in order to correctly position levees, roads, and channels.”
The model estimates the water level at each 30-foot grid point every 15 minutes, given the characteristics of a simulated hurricane (size, forward speed, maximum winds). Model runs will initially be made for Georgia and northeast Florida while new flood maps for the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts were produced shortly after Hurricane Katrina.
WorldWinds, Inc. continuously gathers weather and ocean information from many sources and packages it into usable products for the public. This wealth of information is evaluated, assembled, and disseminated through a network of computers located across the southeastern US. In addition to running storm surge models, WorldWinds, Inc. provides customized weather information for mariners and emergency responders. In cooperation with Baron Services, detailed satellite images, sea surface temperature maps, buoy observations, and wind forecasts are transmitted via the XM WX Satellite Service, http://xmwxweather.com. To help fishermen in their quest, WorldWinds developed a product called FishBytes that identifies preferred fishing locations. It is available on the same XM WX Satellite Service.
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WorldWinds, Inc. develops cutting edge technology from NASA, the US Navy, NOAA, and other government partners into state-of-the-art products and services that benefit the public. WorldWinds is an active member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA). MBA’s goal is to impact economic development by serving as an advocate for small and medium sized businesses. For more information about WorldWinds, Inc., visit www.worldwindsinc.com.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Practical Textbook on Remote Sensing from Goldin-Rudahl Systems
Goldin-Rudahl Systems, Inc. (GRS) has announced that their new textbook, "Learning Remote Sensing Using Dragon/ips and OpenDragon", is now available from Amazon and other booksellers.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
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