Apple data center powered by wind
Apple is following through on its commitments to move to sustainable energy, investing in the world’s largest onshore wind turbines in Denmark. The turbines will power its data center in Viborg, Denmark which houses the App Store, Apple Music, iMessage and Siri. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: While Big Tech companies are being battered for anti-competitive practices, leading the world in sustainable data centers should shore up some consumer sentiment. As Apple moves ever more aggressively into service businesses, data centers will be as important as assembly factories in terms of fair wages, practices and responsible resource use.
Ford bundles pay-per-mile insurance
Ford has partnered with insurance company Metromile, a company that sells auto insurance “by the mile.” The odometers of the connected Fords immediately communicate to Metromile how many miles have been driven and when, resulting in consumers insuring their cars based on usage, not based on time of ownership. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Connected cars can tell the cloud how many miles they have been driven. Gone are the days of insurance actuaries having to calculate premiums based on averages when exact data is available. Insurance-as-a-service is a game changer that will lead many other fixed-rate services to become usage based (remember when phones were based on usage?). What’s next? Major appliances, including washer and dryers and HVAC units being charged on actual cycles, rather than on ownership?
Peloton adds to product line with an Apple-like strategy
How do you follow a strong IPO, blockbuster demand and a loyal subscriber base? Give them more! Peloton, replete with workout content to a loyal subscriber base is pulling an Apple and enhancing the product line, giving its community more entry points to its content. The company is reportedly offering a lower-end treadmill ($3000), a step down from its $4,295 offering, and a premium bike, bike +, with plans to lower to price of its current bicycle mainstay. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: Like Apple, the company has a very loyal base and a growing library of content. By opening the platform to a more price conscious consumer while giving the premium buyer some upgrade choices, Peloton is set to extend its lead in the increasingly competitive connected fitness market.
Evoca offers a fourth way to get HD TV
Options for HD TV signals include antennas, cable, streaming and now Evoca. Evoca, based in Boise, offers Next Gen TV, complete with 4K, HDR and higher frame rates over the air. Think of it as cable TV broadcast to the home not over wires, but wirelessly. For those with questionable internet connections, this is sort of like cutting the cord yet you receive a decoder set top box. CNET
dis-rup-shun: New TV keeps looking like old TV, just using better technologies. The host of new options should keep competitors from jacking up prices too high and getting too fat and happy, like pay TV providers of yesterday. Providers, however, continue to get squeezed by rising prices of content, especially by the ever hungrier sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA). To feed these fat cats, TV services with live sports will never be much less than they are today.