Tech Friday: When will 5G be coming to Apple’s iPhone?
Posted By RichC on March 27, 2020
If Daniel Ives of Wedbush is right, the new 5G capable Apple iPhone release seems "extremely unlikely" for the normal September or October release this year. Most iPhone iOS users have been anticipating or even holding off on an upgrade thinking they might want the new 5G promise data. Personally, I’m relatively satisfied with my iPhone 7-plus, but will likely be interested in the 5G model once carriers have fully rolled out and "appropriately" priced their 5G upgraded service.
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives says it’s "extremely unlikely" that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will launch the 5G iPhones in September or October.
Ives sets a 10-15% probability for an iPhone launch in that window.
The analyst cites continuing supply chain issues and the fact that key iPhone engineers are locked down in California and unable to travel to China.
Wedbush maintains a Buy rating and $335 target, continuing to see 5G as a long-term tailwind.
More at Seeking Alpha
The LTE model pretty much covers most of what we need, but after just battling with our home ISP and fiber delivered television, I can’t wait to have options.
Cincinnati Bell Fioptics has been excellent from the speed and service standpoint, but their "normal telephone and cable" promo-expiring and jacking up contract pricing leaves must to be desired. Frankly all the cable and ISP services I’ve used in the past have operated the same way and the only way to deal with them is be willing to switch. I grow so tired of playing that game.
Will we ever see modest interest rates again? #TBT
Posted By RichC on March 26, 2020
When I was growing up, I had a passbook savings account that was a teaching tool used by my parents to instill responsible money management. I deposited a small amount in it every few months or so when my mom would go to the bank and got my passbook stamped with an update as to what was in the account. I the early years, the update generally reflected my birthday money from my aunt, uncle and grandparents … plus interest compounded each month … almost always it seemed at a steady 5% rate. As I grew older, I began to earn money as a young entrepreneur who mowed lawns and collected/buried dead fish for a commercial fishery. The passbook savings account grew and I loved seeing the interest added each year … still 5%/year.
There were the few occasions that I dipped into my savings to make a major purchase (also part of the lesson), I never recall using all the money that was in the account. The two big purchases that I can recall:
1) a ten-speed bike and
2) a 3.5 HP Eska outboard motor for my dinghy.
Both provided me years of service and I kept the dinghy and used it on our first boat Brenich!
The point of this ThrowBack Thursday #TBT post, including a 1992 bank letter to Brenda and me regarding a “change” in interest rates on our savings, is that the only return on savings today comes with risk. Sure there was risk associated with bank savings accounts in the past, but it was that inflation could deflate the value of your savings plus interest (meaning inflation would need to exceed 5%/year). That seemed like a tolerable risk in the 1960s, but then came the late 1970s and 1980s (something we were well aware of when saving for and buying our first house in 1982 – we assumed a 12% interest mortgage when new mortgages were at 18%).
Then in the 1990s as a young business owner and father, saving again became critical as college costs and retirement savings became important to think about. I recall purchasing my first U.S. Treasury Bond and contemplating that “if I could ladder enough of these 9.75% bonds together over my lifetime that we could retire comfortable on the interest?” It was not to be for conservative returns (as can be seen with ALL pension plans). As rates continued to plummet, there was no way to generate a nest egg or save for college using any of the “safe” methods of saving money. The only returns possible was with a risk in the stock market or the variety of funds “spreading the risk” instead of investing in individual companies. Interest rate products were out as the few meager percent (if that) were almost a guaranteed way to lose buying power. I can’t imagine being in Europe where savers pay banks to hold their savings!
Where are we going? Well … with the latest 2.5 Trillion dollar infusion of money by the U.S. government to fight the Coronavirus caused economic crash, who knows? We are in uncharted territory, unless you can remember the 1930s. Perhaps the lesson to learn is that when we humans think we have things figured out, we likely don’t.
Prediction: An advancement in superconductivity is coming
Posted By RichC on March 25, 2020
It may not come from space in the form of meteorites as mentioned in the story below, but I think the biggest advancement in this decade will be in superconductivity.
Physicists have made fantastic advancements in reducing electrical resistance ever since Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes experimented with ferromagnetism in 1911, but getting superconductivity state of near zero resistance without a material supercooled to absolute zero degrees has been the challenge. One can only imagine the efficiency gains once superconductivity is do-able and affordable.
#/media/File:Mundrabilla_meteorite,_Western_Australia_Museum.jpg)
Scientists Find a Superconductor in Bits of Meteorite
Scientists have detected trace amounts of superconducting material inside one of the world’s largest meteorites, according to a new study.
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electrical current without resistance, and they’re coveted by researchers who study quantum computers and companies hoping to transfer energy more efficiently. The superconductor inside the Australian meteorite is a known material, but the discovery itself comes as a shock.
“The big takeaway is that there is superconductivity in the sky, naturally occurring,” Ivan Schuller, one of the study’s lead authors from the University of California, San Diego, told Gizmodo.
Monitoring the COVID19 while working on bookshelf project
Posted By RichC on March 24, 2020
It has been good to be distracted with a painting and bookshelf project while "staying at home" these last few days. Unfortunately the COVID19 Coronavirus doesn’t look to be disappearing or dissipating as quickly as we were all hoping … so it looks as if we’ll be struggling to figure out how to not only occupy ourselves without a daily "out of the house" work routine, but will likely trying to figure out how to pay the bills — both personally and as a country. 
So far (as of this writing on Monday afternoon), Congress cannot come to an agreement that will assist citizens with immediate needs and business so that people have jobs to go back to when this is over. I’m not sure if it is all political wrangling (DEMs vs Republicans) … or if philosophically each side sees the crisis differently? I don’t know what could be more commonsense than assisting those sufferings a paycheck loss and no money to pay for food and bills as well as keeping our countries businesses alive due to mandated shutdowns. Unlike the 2008 financial mess, the current situation was not easily foreseen or something we created. Both individuals and businesses need some kind of assistance to prevent a dire situation that could send the U.S. into something resembling a depression. The moves government makes or doesn’t make this week will likely determine our inevitable direction … and this is an opinion coming from a small government conservative.
Senate Democrats on Monday blocked a cloture vote that would have allowed a $1.8 trillion coronavirus stimulus package to advance for a full vote in the upper chamber.
The vote to end debate on the massive package failed because 60 votes were needed and just one Democrat, Alabama’s Doug Jones, voted aye, with the final tally 49 to 46.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needed 60 votes to end debate on the bill and allow it to go to a full vote in the Senate, which means at least 12 Democrats would have to have joined all Republicans in voting in favor.
The sweeping bill, meant to offset the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, was blocked Sunday night by Democrats who said the package did not do enough to protect American workers and was essentially a slush fund for the GOP’s spending.
McConnell immediately slammed the vote and said it could delay the “Phase 3” portion of the federal aid package for days.
“This has got to stop and today is the day it has to stop,” an exasperated Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor. “The country is out of time.
“As a result of this procedural obstruction, let me explain where we are. By refusal to allow to take this first step, which would have still given them plenty of time to negotiate, we have put the senate in the following position,” the Kentucky Republican said.
More – New York Post 3/23/2020 4PM
Music Monday: Band on the Run – Paul McCartney and Wings
Posted By RichC on March 23, 2020
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The “Stay-at-Home” plan for COVID19 will continue for a while
Posted By RichC on March 22, 2020
We are definitely not the only ones praying a little bit more that usual nowadays while listening to those who are trying to help the country and world manage and get through the Coronavirus threat. 
I reluctantly worry about the elderly and less capable of fending for themselves especially if they have underlying health issue – stay isolated and stay safe. Hopefully their children, neighbors and gig economy delivery services will be able to help them weather this contagious disease.
For now, I’m continuing to keep myself occupied at home with our room painting and bookshelves project … although without regret am moving slowly and allowing myself to get distracted with cleaning and organizing projects (the furnace room was a disorganized mess – well still is, but with less stuff).
Brenda is relatively content streaming something on Netflix or Amazon Prime … which leads me to an interesting movie we watched last night (our evening routine). It is not that I’m recommending Super 8 the movie, but don’t think you can go wrong with a J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg film?
For some background on my movie pick: One of the road-trip vacations we took with the kids when they were younger is a trip around Lake Michigan and hitting Lake Superior as 
well as Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and at that time I had signed up for some kind of “special perk” discount when staying at Super 8 motels … so I semi-planned stops at as many Super 8s as possible … quoining the term SOUP-er 8 vacation and the exaggerated pronunciation (it always invokes a smile).The name along wasn’t the end of the movies calling to us … it also took place in a small Ohio town … and when I hear “train derailment” I automatically though about the small town of Ada, Ohio where Brenda and I went to college since the freight trains regularly ripped through the middle of town at high speeds. Of course the town was fictional … yet one scene in the movie “mapped” the location of the town far closer to our house than I imagined. We both enjoyed pausing the movie to look at the map!
The weekend (weekdays) bookshelves and painting project
Posted By RichC on March 21, 2020
The painting projects continue without a need to rush or complete anything quickly. Finished the ceiling paint, some patching and trim area and “might” paint the first coat of paint that Brenda has picked on Saturday – “Bermuda Sand” (which is more yellow than the pink sand color that comes to mind – see below).
Besides the Music room / Library painting project, I’m continuing my slow progress on the bookshelves. After edge banding and priming, I’ve moved on to pre-painting the first coat of gloss for the shelves before assembly. Hopefully they will stay relatively decent while I flip to paint each side and then fit in place. I know I’ll still be cutting the center section to fit, so suspect some chipping and scratching will occur.
Annalyn’s artwork and Ellerie is already 4 weeks old!
Posted By RichC on March 20, 2020
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Has it been 4 years since we donated the beloved Toyota Rav4?
Posted By RichC on March 19, 2020
Every once in a while MyDesultoryBlog’s “Year(s) Ago On This Day" script pops up something that shocks me. It is hard to believe we donated Brenda’s 1998 Toyota Rav4 back in 2016? It does not seem that long … but "life moves pretty fast …" as the Ferris Bueller line goes. So I’ll repost one of the last photos from the UStream-ed Raspberry Pi garage cam and link from several years ago for this weeks Throwback Thursday #TBT.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.