Google's Huawei problem

The Trump administration's recent move to limit Huawei's access to US technology may be an immediate problem for Huawei but it's a double edged sword that also cuts deep into US companies' bottom line including Google.  

Right after the announcement of putting Huawai on the "entity list", the initial response is Huawei's hardware, mostly advanced chips, suppliers would be affected.  Most of their stock prices tumbled last week.  This week's news is on the software side when Google followed by not allowing Huawei use the GMP suites.  In fact, the key item here is not GMail or Google maps but the Google Playstore, which essentially put Huawei out of the Android ecosystem.  Although Huawei's Chinese users won't be affected as they don't have access to Google services for almost over a decade, Huawei's international markets outside China (e.g. EU and beyond) is the main victim.  Currently, the international markets contribute to roughly 40% of Huawei's cell phone revenue. 

It may be death by a thousands cuts. For Huawei, this is a bit too late.  Since 60% of its cell phone sales are in China and not affected by this Android ban, Huawei will survive this, unlike Blackberry or Microsoft. Once again, it will approve that compartmentalized markets are resilient to globalization issues.  If anything, Trump just handed the Chinese government the best defense of it's ban on Google's services.  

Moreover, this Android problem is actually Google's.  The recent development just reminded every Android phone makers (Samsung and alike) that their survival is in a pair of hands controlled by a head with an orange hairdo.  First, all the Chinese phone manufactures will have no doubt joining Huawei continue to develop a complete Google-less mobile app ecosystem.  Now the soon to be release P30 Mate would be equipped with the ecosystem in the EU market.  Since Samsung and other cell phone makers have already joined this ecosystem in their Chinese market offerings, it won't be a surprise they expand the option to other markets.  

This is why it's a problem for Google, which is already in a tough position in Europe.  Comparing to hardware makers, it may be feasible to move its Android licensing location (maybe some support, but that's hard to avoid the US ban) to Europe.  However, the damage is done and it would just slowing down the new ecosystem's progress.  Mobile app revenue is small for Google, but the mobile user market is the largest user base for its bottom line: e.g. search, map, etc.  It will be interesting to see what Google would do.  

Okay, my view on Google was wrong 20 years ago, let's see how it turns out this time. 

LA Times' publisher and editor are leaving the newspaper

LA Times' publisher Jeffrey M. Johnson has been fired for not cutting enough staff and other cost. Times editor Dean Baquet resigned to protest the decision by its parent company, the Tribune.

I see both sides of the argument. There may be more than just these above mentioned differences between Johnson and the Tribune board. Although very successful in publishing Pulitzer winning articles, day-to-day profitability is what Tribune cares.

As much as I enjoying reading the times, which is my favorite, I have to admit that I am not a subscriber. Just buying the Sunday edition from time to time while shopping at the Albertson's. Most of the articles I got are from its web site while not (yet) bought anything from their ads sponsors. How do they make money off me?

May be eventually, we will also get use to paying for these services. I've been saying that for years, still not there yet.

Car sharing: a new way to own and to rent

While I was looking for station information at DC Metro web site, I found the Car sharing option at many stations.

The concept is easy: take Metro as much as you can and only driven for the last part that usually takes the most time (e.g. bus transfer or where bus doesn't go). You can rent by the hour, which is very cost effective. For people living in big cities with a good Metro system (DC, NYC, Boston etc.) this is a great way to go places without all the problems associated with owning a car. Of course, you also helped to keep our planet cleaner (anything counts).

Besides Metro, they are also working with Universities, which is a very good idea to solve on campus parking problems and economic for students who avoid paying a premium on insurances.

So far there's two companies doing this:
Flexcar and Zipcar. Since the rate includes insurance and gas, there now is an incentive for the rental company to put out hybrid cars! As for Zipcar, they even have BMW or mini!

Air travel mess and high gas prices

With all the new security measures at airports, I'm seriously thinking of driving more whenever possible. In the time after 9/11, we do need to be more defensive. Looking at the higher cost (both time and cost) on air travel and ever increasing gas prices ($3.8/g for me last week), however, we are actually losing. When we looking back 20 years later, the war on terror (or at Iraq) may not be our wisest moves against Bin Laden.