While the investing community this morning is focused squarely on the very disappointing iPhone 5 relaunch and the lack of a cemented China Mobile deal, which has resulted in a $20 billion loss in market cap in early trading for the second most widely held hedge fund stock, a thing that we find more curious in the aftermath of the latest revalations of an implicit, if not explicitly voluntary, joint venture between Apple and the US government and specifically its NSA uberspies, is just how much of Apple's product suite is derived thanks to developments by the US government. As the following Goldman breakdown of various components used by Apple in its products over the ages shows, one can understand why the NSA felt it was owed a little kickback by Apple and its "zombie" clients. After all, without the US government's technological innovation, Apple as we know it, would not exist.
Is it any wonder that the NSA believes it is entitled to a little crowdfunded effort by Apple and its zombies clients when it comes to building its next generation fingerprint database?
I didn't think the iPhone 5S was disappointing. It was the same as Apple as already done during the S (second) iteration of a model: good incremental improvements.
The A7 processor is a big leap. It enables other improvements, like the improved photo and video modes. The fingerprint sensor is a nice touch, but won't be very useful except for people that are required to enter a password to unlock their phone (per corporate email policy).
I was disappointed in the 5C, due to the price. At only $100 off, it wasn't anything new. In the past, Apple just discounted the previous model by $100 and that's all they did this time, except they wrapped the previous model in a new plastic cover.
It's still $550 for an off-contract 5C. If they had been able to lower the price to $450, or even $350 for an entry level iPhone, Apple could have expanded their marketshare significantly in emerging markets like China and India -- where there's no 2-year contract subsidy.
Disappointing to see such misinformation promulgated by zero hedge. DARPA had nothing to do with inventing the microprocessor (or even the integrated circuit for that matter). It is well known that the microprocessor was invented at Texas Instruments by Gary Boone and Michael Cochran succeeded in creating the first microcontroller (also called a microcomputer) and the first lone-chipped CPU in 1971 and its first applied use was for the hand held calculator.
The chart is correct regarding GPS and the Internet, but I can’t speak to the rest off the top of my head.
Three projects delivered a microprocessor at about the same time: Garrett AiResearch’s Central Air Data Computer (CADC) (1968), Texas Instruments (TI) TMS 1000 (1971 September), and Intel’s 4004 (1971 November).
Garrett AiResearch is credited with inventing one of the first complete microprocessors, when it developed the Central Air Data Computer for the US Navy’s F-14 Tomcat fighter in 1968-1970.
