So, gentle reader, please consider this week’s statement from Tim Cook that, when it comes to future acquisitions, “We could definitely buy something larger than we bought thus far.” With the exception of Beats Electronics, which had a profitable line of premium-priced headphones, Apple has purchased technology to add to its portfolio. So there was Siri, […]

Before I discuss Microsoft, let’s look at Google. Once upon a time, Google tried to build smartphones, and failed. In 2011, the search giant announced it was buying Motorola Mobility, a maker of mobile handsets, set-top boxes and other gear, for $12.5 billion. The purchase was finalized in 2012. But Motorola handsets had been on […]

The critics suggested that Amazon had it all wrong pricing the Fire Phone at $199 with atwo-year contract, not to mention having it available at just one carrier — AT&T. In the past, Amazon, famous for generating cash flow but little or no profit, has sold hardware at roughly cost. The hope was to generate […]

When Steve Jobs famously said he’d go “thermonuclear” against Android because it was stolen property, and vowed to invest all of Apple’s huge cash hoard to pursue that fight, the statement was taken seriously. That Apple began to sue Samsung and other companies for patent infringement was merely the expected follow-up to the promise that […]