My Time At SMU
My time at SMU: Greatest 4 years of my life
The past 4 years at SMU have been the greatest years of my life. Although I am only 22, and only a fraction of the way through my life, i know that these years will always stick out.
Author Archives: James Mangum
Amazon Smartphone
Amazon Smartphone
Amazon Logo
Amazon has plans to announce an Amazon smartphone in June, that will be shipped out by the end of September.
Tech Stocks Flop
The Nasdaq Composite Index showed its biggest one-day fall in nearly 2 and a half years: Tech Stocks Flop
The Nasdaq Composite index notched its largest one-day slide in nearly 2 and half years as investors resumed selling risky biotechnology and other technology stocks. What this means? It is now time for the Tech Stocks Flop.
Picture of Nasdaq Falling- Tech Stock Flop
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Is there an Apple Innovation Decline?
Apple CEO Tim Cook criticizes new book
Tim Cook and Steve Jobs together
Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs, by Ykari Iwatani Kane, argues that the company has lost its innovative touch since the death of Jobs. Is there an Apple innovation decline?
When Steve Jobs died, everyone knew that Apple would take a hit? How big of a hit was up to the consumer to decide. So far, the company has more-or-less remain stagnant. If and why is there a Apple innovation decline?
Former Wall Street Journal Reporter Yukari Iwantani Kane, argues that Apple is slowly declining from an iconic to “just another company.”
To see more of Tim Cooks response to CNBC Click Here for Wall Street Journal Link.
So that leaves the question, is there actually an Apple innovation decline? Well lets take a look at their three successful products.
Macbook
Progression of MacBooks
The Macbook is a notebook computer manufactured by Apple from early 2006 until today. The only chance, adding in a single word, the Macbook Pro. Although there has been some changes in design of the computer by changing the casing as well as the screens that are used, all in all the computers are pretty much the same. While some companies are incorporating touch screens and making Tablets, Apple has stayed the same. No Innovation.
Ipad
The iPad is a tablet computer made by Apple which was released in 2010. They use both Wi-Fi and cellular data plans and have sold over 170 million since 2010. Well the iPad is about the only real product we have seen some innovation. What did they do? They made it mini!!! Now the mini iPad is a great devise but lets be real here, it is either A) A smaller iPad. B) A larger iPhone. or C) A whole new invention that blew the minds of the consumers. Correct answers A and B. No Innovation
Iphone
Well, we all know what I am about to say here. I use the iPhone 5. And that is not even the most recent phone they have. I think that is enough said. No Innovation.
To be fair the company has made efforts to compete with Microsoft office with its Pages, Numbers and Keynote. However these applications are new and most people don’t want to make the change from what they already know.
The Future
Apple is a fantastic company that has seen adversity before. They will bounce back, and they will come up with the next hit product. It is just a matter of time…
Facebook Restricts Guns?
Facebook Restricts Gun Promotion
Is Facebook the Next Major Arms Dealer?
Firearms attempting to be sold on Facebook
When people post about a gun for sale, Facebook will now regulate who sees the post. They will now make sure that only people above the age of 18 may see it. Additionally they will not be allowed to offer to sell items that can be used to evade or help others evade the law.
For example, private sellers of firearms in the U.S. will not be permitted to specify “no background check required, nor can they offer to transact across state lines without a licensed firearms dealer.
Different pages such as “Guns For Sale” will now be limited to users that are 18 and older. This is their attempt to monitor and limit posts and pages illegal gun sales.
WSJ- Under Pressure, Facebook Restricts Gun Promotion
New York Attorney Generals Office said”The Biggest step ever for social media to limit gun sales.”
The Movement:
“American moms are gratified that Facebook and Instagram have agreed to take meaningful steps to prevent illegal gun sales to children and dangerous people on its platforms,” Said Shannin Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Moms Protesting in Favor Of Gun Control
Mothers and anti-gun supporters are teaming up in order to create a safer and more controlled social media platform in the U.S. They are happy the companies are listening to the mothers and believe these new changes are major steps toward making rue people who buy or sell guns on their platforms know the law, and follow the law.
Here is the Facebook Press Release.
Warren Buffett is a Boss
Warren Buffett is a boss;
there’s no arguing against it.
Warren Buffett Headshot
With a net worth of nearly $58.5 billion, Buffet is widely considered one of the most successful investors of the 20th century. And being the giving philanthropist that he is–Buffett dished out five key tips to potential investors across the globe in Fortune Magazine today. (http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2014/02/24/warren-buffett-berkshire-letter/)
In Buffett’s always highly-anticipated annual letter to Berkshire-Hathaway holders, he compared two of his past property investments: a 400-acre farm in Nebraska (which he paid $280k for in 1986) and a retail property near New York University that he acquired in 1993. Both of theses investments were made after prices collapsed.(http://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffetts-investing-fundamentals-2014-2)
While discussing each of these investments, Buffett listed the following fundamentals of successful investing:
1. “You don’t need to be an expert in order to achieve satisfactory investment returns.” So investors should keep things simple.
2. “Focus on the future productivity of the asset you are considering.” No one knows whether an investment will actually be profitable in the long haul.
3. “If you instead focus on the prospective price change of a contemplated purpose, you are speculating.” Investing for the productivity of an asset and investing crossing your fingers that he asset’s price will change are two different ballgames.
4. “Games are won by played who focus on the playing field–not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard.” Focus on the big picture… What will serve you well in the long run?
5. “…listening to the macro or market predictions of others are a wasted of time.” So put you TV on mute and stop scanning through Bloomberg.com.
Buffett urges investors to take these tips to heart when looking to choose the right company to toss their money to.
But with all Buffett’s success aside… John Reese at Forbes argues that we bourgeois, commoner investors actually have leg up over Buffett when making a common investment. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2014/02/19/if-only-buffett-could-buy-these-five-small-caps/)
Reese writes: “As an individual investor, you have at least one advantage over Buffett, and it’s a very big one. The advantage: Buffett is constrained by the size of his Berkshire Hathaway empire. Because the company has a market cap of nearly $300 billion and an investment portfolio of more than $90 billion, the universe of stocks from which Buffett can choose is dramatically smaller than the universe from which you and I can choose.”
Because Buffett has to be able to take a large chunk of capital from any investment he makes (due to his gargantuan portfolio), investing in small cap companies wouldn’t make a difference in Buffett’s profile.
We, however, can invest in these smaller-cap companies and reap the benefits, making our playing field a whole lot bigger and more diversified than Warren’s…an exciting and empowering notion.
Jamie Benn: A Dallas Hero?
Jamie Benn: A Dallas Hero?
Is Jamie Benn a hero or an enemy?
Dallas Stars Headshot
Jamie Benn is a 6’2″ 210 pound Left Wing for the Dallas Stars. He was born July 18th 1989 in Victoria, British Columbia. In his career, he has scored over 100 goals, 140 assists and has 244 points. So Benn is the captain for the Dallas Stars, and has done great things for them… What makes him an enemy then?
Well for those of you who have not kept up with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Jamie Benn really screwed the pooch for the USA Mens Hockey team.
To make it simple, Benn scored the lone goal for Team Canada in a 1-0 semifinal win over USA today.
Benn in Canadian Jersey
What makes him a hero?
Well, Dallas fans have known for a while that Benn is an elite NHL forward. After this semi-final round in the Olympics, he became a national hero. Not for team USA and his beloved Dallas Stars, but for his home country Canada.
Today, Jamie Benn announced his presence and was finally accepted as an elite hockey player to all those that doubted him. What this means for his future is still unknown. USA fans may look down on him, while Canada fans are loving him.
The question remains, will Dallas fans forgive him?
Well at the start of the 2013-2014 season he was award a “C” on his Stars Jersey. One thing is for sure, he did step up. All we can hope for is that he brings the fire he has in his eye as a Canadian, back to the Big D.
Corvette Museum Sinkhole
Corvette Museum Sinkhole:
40-Foot-Wide Sinkhole Swallows Eight Priceless Corvettes.
The sinkhole that swallowed 8 priceless Corvettes
On Wednesday this week, a 20-foot-wide and 30 foot deep sinkhole swallowed eight priceless Corvettes at the Church of Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Today, the doors opened as usual but the mood is slightly different.
As you can imagine, this is not an everyday occurrence. The Museum surprised everyone by opening up this soon after such an event.
“We’ve been given an OK and everything is safe” Said Museum spokesperson Katie Frassinelli.
Although the Museum may be open the Sky Dome, where the sinkhole took place, will remain closed indefinitely.
The cars that were affected by the sinkhole were two on loan from General Motors, a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder and a 2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil”. Also affected were a 1962 black Corvette, a 1984 PPG Pace Car, a 1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette, a 1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette, a 2001 Mallet Hammer Z06 corvette and a 2009 white 1.5 Millionth Corvette.
The Sky Dome Untouched
What Other Sinkholes?
Well, this past year there have been a lot of publicized sink holes in the US. Cars have been swallowed in Toledo, Ohio, Broken water mains in Chicago, and even summer homes destroyed outside of Disney world. Click Here for other articles on recent Sinkholes in the US.
Summer Bay Resort Lies Collapsed after a large Sinkhole
Why do we care?
Sinkholes can be explained by science, erosion, mining, water main breaks, but the unanticipated appearances sometimes lead witnesses to interpret them as acts of God.
The giant holes can wreck vehicles and buildings, people can be killed and possessions lost.
“I’ve always said its a given that when you move to Florida you get beaches, sunshine, hurricanes and sinkholes,” Said a Florida Geological Survey Scientist.
Want to see more? Click Here to see more shocking pictures of a sinkhole in Midwest City in Oklahoma. The images and story here show some of the most significant road damage recorded by sinkholes in the US.
Conditions At Sochi
Conditions at Sochi
Opening ceremony malfunctioning ring
Are the conditions as bad as they seem?
By now, we have all seen the viral pictures of the “terrible” conditions at the Sochi Winter Olympics. These images have ranged from the horrifying water and bathroom conditions at hotels, to the overall unprepared nature of the city.
Stacy St. Clair tweeted “Water restored, sorta. On the bright side, I now know what very dangerous face water looks like. #sochi #unfiltered”
Stacy St. Clair’s picture of water conditions
We also have all seen the multiple pictures of the side by side toilets. This photo comes from the NYDailynews.com and was uploaded to show the bathroom conditions that the athletes and reporters are using.
Twin Toilets in Sochi
However, many people have not heard the positive things about the Sochi conditions. Alex Ovechkin has spoken up about these negative remarks.
New Coke machine staring Alex Ovechkin
“I remember Turin and Vancouver and nobody said Something bad about Vancouver and Turin. Why you guys always try to find some bad things in Sochi?”
He continued to say,
“It’s Olympics, guys, come on. Everybody has to enjoy it and don’t find bad stuff out there. Everything in Turin was where the construction was and nobody said anything about that. Of course world is changing, everybody is focusing on different stuff, political stuff, but just settle down.”
So in the end the media may be blowing up about all the negatives of the Sochi Winter Olympics, however are positive aspects just being overlooked?
More to come on the Sochi conditions next week!
Dave & Buster’s: Arcade or Sports Bar?
Image
Dave & Buster’s:
Arcade or Sports Bar?
Dave & Buster’s is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Most think of D&B as strictly an arcade, however it is so much more. D&B’s arcade reputation makes it seem as though it is only for children, however each D&B has a full-service restaurant and bar, attracting an older crowd.
Attracting the older crowd:
While the new D&B keeps its arcade intact with over 120 games, they have made an effort to expand into an older demographic. In recent years D&B has brought on their “Eat and Play” deal. This deal starts by giving the customer about 10 different items to choose from including; burgers, chicken fingers, Philly cheesesteaks, and other bar items. Then you can choose the $16.99 deal( includes a $10 play card for games) or a $24.99 deal(includes a $20 play card). All of this while sitting at a booth or at the bar, with a plethora of televisions giving the customer a true sports bar feel.
This Eat and Play combo deal brings in an older crowd of sports fans and college students to come grab some bar food, watch the game, and after getting nice and lubricated, drunkenly competing against their friends at the variety of different racing and shooting games.
Oh did I forget to mention that they have beer towers everywhere? 
They have even begun to advertise their sports bar. Click here
Keeping the younger crowd:
The new D&B in Dallas has over 120 games readily available for the younger crowd. While some of these games include Fruit Ninja, Mario Cart, and Doodle Jump, D&B has done a fantastic job integrating addicting iPhone and console games into their lineup.
As always, the ultimate goal still remains to collect as many tickets as humanly possible to buy that sweet ice cream maker, or even the Xbox. However, as adults, lets be real, it would take thousands of dollars to win those gifts…
Trust me, I have tried… Many times.
So what to change?
Dave & Buster’s has done a great job at what they do for many years (they are an arcade that still exists…) But it is time to bring in the big guns. Launching a social media campaign to bring out that group of 18-30 year olds, that do not have children, is the final goal. With the new Dallas location, they have the goods to get it done. Time to start advertising those happy hours and posting pictures of those beer towers.
Want a new sports bar to go check out? Click Here