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Peloton revenues surge 66%

Peloton revenues up 66% as online fitness booms

The online biking and fitness company has expanded from spin classes to treadmill classes to bootcamp, crossfit, running and many other fitness activities. Last month it hosted a class with 23,000 participants. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: If you haven’t tried this COVID winner, you will find that the quality of the workouts is as good as any expensive exercise studio in town, save for the camaraderie. Peloton’s short-term success will put a long-term dent in fitness clubs. Fitness clubs will need to emphasize and promote personal training, as classes at home are as good as at the club.

Microsoft unveils more Surface options including earbuds

Microsoft continues to refine its Surface line, with additional units and accessories, including a docking station, upgraded headphones and new earbuds. Microsoft’s high quality hardware line gets stronger in the midst of slumping PC sales. Wired

dis-rup-shun: While the economy is in shambles, higher-end technology companies are seeing strong demand for quality products among those that are spending an extraordinary amount of time on screens at home. Microsoft continues to compete well with its biggest customers, such as Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer and others. The big PC makers will need to continue to find ways to expand into consumer electronics — something they have failed to do many times, as the PC business continues to mature and as Microsoft and Apple continue to carve out strong shares.

Best online games to play with friends during lockdown

CNET reviews the top online games to keep us entertained during lock down. Some favorites include Jackbox Games — easy online games, the Escape Game — the best virtual escape room, Tabletopia — the best online board games, Houseparty — best mobile games, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons for a hang-out activity.

dis-rup-shun: Two ironic truths of the lockdown are that, one, technology is bringing us community, and two, our sense of community has strengthened. These are generalizations, but it is safe to say that our pre-COVID fears that out culture was unraveling in part due to people’s immersions into their small screen has reversed. Screens are now the conduit for maintaining and even deepening our communities, and casual gaming together is a new way to have fun together.

Smart home platform Wink abruptly shifts to subscription model

Wink, the smart home hub with much promise, purchased by will.i.am in 2017, has stated that due to economic conditions, the company will now charge a monthly fee of $4.99 to subscribers who wish for their hub to continue operating.

dis-rup-shun: The smart home business is a tough one — requiring players to have deep pockets in order to make complicated business models pay off over time. The upside to the category has always been the ability to charge a monthly fee in exchange for a valued service, as just selling hardware works only for a few very efficient companies. will.i.am will be better served at less complicated ventures.

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Connected kitchen dead on arrival (so far)

September 23, 2019September 22, 2019by sbsikes3 Comments

Connected kitchen is a total miss, according to accomplished cook

So far the connected kitchen has consisted of appliances with fewer physical controls, augmented with Bluetooth and an app. Wired’s Joe Ray states that the problem with smart kitchen gadgets is that they don’t cater to cook’s needs for instant and constant adjustment. The kitchen, he says, is a place where creativity and craftsmanship trump algorithms and automation.

dis-rup-shun: Just automating existing devices is an unfortunate temptation by device makers. Adding highly valued non-existent functionality to kitchen devices is the path to value and customer delight. Device makers should focus on millennials and Gen Xers who have not yet developed kitchen skills, redefining the tools and spaces required to create great food quickly. Companies should emulate the success of Peloton’s exercise bike and top instructor model to bring pros into the kitchen and to create a support network of millions of other novice cooks.

Peloton, to be valued at $8 billion, redefines the home exercise market

Peloton to go public this week to raise $1.16 billion, following $994 million raised through venture capital. The Peloton network has the support of 1.4 million members and a cult like following that has made its trainers celebrities. TechCrunch

dis-rup-shun: Peloton has done a fair job of creating attractive and adequate quality stationary bikes, but has nailed content production, combining strong, attractive personalities with great photography, music, and an interactive network of members. While the company is a long way from profitability, its platform is primed to sell products such as exercise apparel, supplements, other exercise machines, and even premium programming. Expect a very successful IPO and a long line of imitators.

Interlogix — long a provider of basic home security — quits

Interlogix, purchased by UTC from GE, will cease operations by the end of this year. The company that had 11% of the market only two years has lost its place in the market. Security Infowatch.com

dis-rup-shun: The home security industry has forever been changed by sophisticated, well-price home automation, and by DIY products that promise peace of mind. With somewhere around 75% of U.S. households without security, the opportunity for low cost, high functioning devices to win a share of the space is increasing. While many channels are pursuing this opportunity, it is clear that security and home automation are inextricable, and companies such as Interlogix who are not leaders in AI and home automation have no place in new security households.

Apple cuts corners on charger for iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 is far less expensive than the Pro or Pro Max, which arrive this Friday. The low priced iPhone, however, ships with a 5 watt charger, rather than the 18 watt charger included with the more expensive units. With an after market 18 watt charger, at the cost of $50 (charger and cable), the iPhone 11 can fully charge in slightly over an hour, an important feature new to the 11 family. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: Fast charging is highly valued by consumers. Samsung took the lead on making wireless PowerShare a differentiating feature of the Galaxy S10. Apple will recoup a fair amount of revenues from those that decided to buy the low cost iPhone 11 after they buy Apple accessories — using a time honored tactic of offering lower end models and charging a premium for “dealer add-ons.” Expect to see more of these tactics with consumer electronics as many categories approach maturity.

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Hitting China where it hurts

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019by sbsikesLeave a Comment

Chip designer ARM ceases work with Huawei

ARM is the UK based company that licenses the semiconductor design spec used by most smartphone chip makers. Although the company is not based in the U.S., it has stated that many of the design elements in its specification originated in the U.S., therefore it can not lawfully license its design to Huawei. Gizmodo

dis-rup-shun: This second blow to China’s equivalent of Microsoft or Apple, coming on the heals of Google announcing that it will not license Android to Huawei, essentially finishes off the smartphone division of Huawei. If China chooses to get even, first it bans its contract manufacturers from building certain products designed in the U.S., then prohibits the sale of certain components to U.S. companies and poof, there goes the majority of non-South Korean (Samsung) smart phone business. That would be ugly.

Cannondale Treadwell smart bicycle

Cannondale’s new exercise bike, designed not for racers but for ordinary people who like tracking their fitness, features a sensor on the front wheel which tracks speed, distance and location. The data is uploaded to a special smartphone app, and there is a mount for the smartphone — turning the smartphone into a cycle computer. Wired

dis-rup-shun: There is one piece of this product that seems to be missing, or at least has not been described — it is the bike’s role in an online community. Either by posting (bragging) personal fitness progress to one’s social media accounts, or by being a part of a Peloton-like competition of peers, the bike needs to create an alternate reality to create a viral following. Measuring personal progress for one’s own satisfaction only works for a small audience — and that audience will want a racing bike.

Amazon spends $1.2 billion last quarter on new acquisitions

The company’s growing profits are leading to an increase in investments in emerging companies. Several Amazon investments are in the autonomous auto industry, including car companies Rivian and Aurora. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: Bezos, through aerospace company, Blue Origin, is conquering space. Amazon is aggressively investing in the autonomous and auto industries and his ambitions are far greater than delivering packages. The company, no doubt, seeks to disrupt Uber and Lyft, as well as city busses, Ford, Chevy and Toyota. The company will continue to boldly charge in every direction, experiment and unafraid of failures.