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Mark Cuban says this skill will be critical in 10 years, and Elon Musk agrees Ruth Umoh | @ruthumohnews 15 Hours Ago PLAY VIDEO
Research shows that one million U.S. jobs are expected to disappear by 2026 and one-third of U.S.workers could be jobless by 2030 — all due to automation. And workers in the U.S. are ill-prepared for this impending shift, says billionaire investor and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, he warns that jobs that are currently viewed as safe could be displaced in a matter of years. To remain competitive in the future job market, Cuban says that employees will need one critical skill: the ability to think creatively.
“I personally think there’s going to be a greater demand in 10 years for liberal arts majors than there were for programming,” Cuban tells Bloomberg. Why? Because when the data is already being “spit out” for you in industries like finance or tech, he says, companies will want employees who are “freer thinkers” and can bring a “different perspective” to the information. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk holds a similar view. When seeking innovative and creative solutions to large scale problems, Musk asks that his employees use the first principles method, in which you boil information down to it's most basic idea and "reason up" from there. PLAY VIDEO How Elon Musk inspires Kobe Bryant This creative "framework for thinking" requires a substantial amount of mental energy, Musk said in a 2012 interview with the tech-focused video series Foundation. However, it allows you to innovate in leaps and bounds, rather than making small improvements on pre-existing ideas. Musk again highlighted the first principle strategy at a 2013 TED conference, where he noted that the concept is similar to the methodology used in physics. "When you want to do something new, you have to apply the physics approach," the billionaire explained. "Physics is really figuring out how to discover new things that are counter intuitive." Using this creative form of thinking was instrumental in building his companies, Musk added, and he reportedly passed it on to basketball legend Kobe Bryant. In an interview with CNBC, Bryant recalls Musk telling him that anyone can boost their knowledge, "but if you don't have the imagination to then take it to another level, it doesn't mean anything." As for Cuban, he tells Bloomberg that his warnings may sound “fatalistic,” but we see the "direction everything is going, and how quickly it’s going.” In effect, it’s time for people to start viewing creativity and flexible thinking as a valuable skill. “Someone’s got to start dealing with this stuff,” says the billionaire. “To me, it’s one of the most critical issues, from a job perspective, that we face.”
科技公司Stripe公布最新研究，發現多邊購物平台正在改變港人消費模式，當中近八成半人認為購物平台對經濟有利。公司預計未來數年香港的實體商店將趨向電子商貿模式經營。
部分服務使用率勝星洲
研究數字顯示，去年有48%受訪者曾使用網上酒店及旅遊平台，為9個市場類別中使用率最高；其次是餐廳訂座平台，佔36%。
另外，有70%受訪者傾向透過網上平台預訂交通工具、旅遊及外賣速遞服務，顯示本港消費者的消費模式已經出現巨大轉變。
與電子商務發展成熟的新加坡比較，香港部分類別的使用率更明顯較高，例如本港受訪者去年以手機訂購外賣速遞及使用餐廳訂購平台的使用率分別為76%和73%，比新加坡多出4個及9個百分點。
Stripe香港及東南亞主管Piruze Sabuncu【圖】解釋，消費模式轉變主因是網上平台較為安全、方便及具彈性，當技術水平許可時，網上使用率自然增加。她指出，研究顯示有四成人認為，若平台提供電子支付便會增加瀏覽。
對於不太熟悉網上平台的僱主未能投入新趨勢，Sabuncu認為通常是由於資源及人力不足所致，建議這類有需要的僱主尋找商業科技公司協助，利用較少的資源開發網上平台。
以色列應用軟件開發商Redkix公布，已經接納全球最多用戶社交媒體Facebook收購，其Workplace平台將與Facebook結合。
Redkix開發的Workplace平台，是結合電郵與團隊即時訊息的產品，並且以月費方式供客戶使用。根據Facebook發言人提供Redkix資料，現時使用Workplace平台的有30萬間公司。
Facebook與Redkix未有公布交易的財務細節。不過，路透引述消息人士稱，交易價值少於1億美元。
Redkix曾進行上市前融資2000萬美元，當時投資者包括Salesforce Ventures。
Facebook and Netflix both rely on growth of users/subscribers, and both FANG stocks disappointed on this key growth metric leading to post-earnings declines. Google and Microsoft received a positive response from Wall Street after earnings backed by strong growth in enterprise — specifically, the cloud. FANG has always been a mix of consumer discretionary and technology, but it is the core technology side of it that is winning right now. Amazon, with investors focused on both consumer metrics like Prime memberships and its booming AWS cloud business, could break either way when it reports. Eric Rosenbaum | @erprose Published 3 Hours Ago Updated 1 Hour Ago CNBC.com For investors trying to make sense of the huge decline in Facebook shares and where the social media giant — and the rest of the FANG stocks — go from here, there is a simple and compelling way to think about it: a major fault line has been exposed in the market's dominant stocks, and it has been a make-or-break issue this earnings season. At the risk of oversimplification, it is better to be a seller of the cloud than a major user of it. At least right now it is better to be selling the cloud to businesses than relying on cloud to offer services to the hordes of consumers needed to keep growth metrics moving up. Facebook Amazon Netflix Google FANG Source: CNBC With both Facebook and Netflix taking a hit on earnings, it is important to remember that the growth metrics for these two tech leaders are focused on signing up more consumers — in Facebook's case it is users, and in the case of Netflix it is subscribers. Facebook fell short on users in its most profitable market, North America. Netflix, already saturating the U.S. market, fell short on adding international subscribers.
But Alphabet and Microsoft, focused on getting more businesses and profit from enterprise cloud services, received a positive response from investors after reporting. FANG always has been a mix of consumer discretionary and actual technology, and the actual tech part is more important right now to short-term investor confidence. In fact, analysts looking for ways to wrap their heads around the Facebook disappointment and look ahead to the next big thing asked a revealing question on the Wednesday conference call: Given the massive data center investments the company has made, are there ways to improve the return on investment of those investments, "perhaps service third-parties to maybe just improve those returns in the way that other tech and internet companies have in terms of investments in infrastructure?" Mark Zuckerberg dismissed the idea: "I mean, the quick answer is that we're not planning on going in to the cloud services. We're not planning on doing that. We have to build out all this capacity to serve our community. It's a very computationally and resource-intensive set of services that we provide, and we need to build that out." Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, on the other hand, talked up the cloud growth its earnings called and said rather than seeing it as a zero sum competition right now, there is business growth for all the major players still to come. Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights, said this divide between secular trends within the FANG group of stocks — the cloud trend on one side and the consumer trend on the other — is key right now to understanding tech stocks. "There is a massive transformation in the cloud and a growth trend giving major power to Amazon's AWZ, Microsoft's Azure and up-and-coming cloud player Alphabet. Ives said Netflix has owned streaming in the U.S. market, but the miss on international subscriber growth was the culprit for softer earnings and guidance. Facebook's highly profitable North America growth has been stagnant and disappointing. "With FB and NFLX, their sweet spot, their DNA has been growth domestically and looking to expand internationally. ... When you look on the enterprise side, it is a unique secular trend. We're staring at a fork-in-the-road situation," Ives said. He added: "The enterprise guys and cloud players have a much easier time, as well as competitive dynamics that are benefiting the clear winners, whereas on the consumer side it is becoming a much more crowded, competitive landscape and some of the traditional sweet spots have backfired from a growth perspective for FB and NFLX." "We're staring at a fork-in-the-road situation." -Dan Ives, chief strategy officer, GBH Insights Netflix was less of a "worrywart" quarter relative to Facebook, Ives said. To be clear, Facebook has many company-specific concerns — the Cambridge Analytica hangover and widespread privacy concerns and Newsfeed issues still unresolved after the election. "It is one of most difficult periods in its 14-year history," Ives said. The secular challenges on the consumer side of tech have been highlighted by the guidance that blindsided Wall Street. But there also is the more general question about what is the next big driver, even with Instagram "white hot," Ives said. He said it makes sense that Zuckerberg dismissed the idea of getting into the cloud services game, as that is not in its core DNA. But it still leaves the question of what new growth drivers the company can unlock. "It's almost been a tale of two cities in terms of earnings and how stocks react, trying to discern the consumer business vs. the enterprise," Ives said. GBH estimates that current workloads worldwide are already 30 percent to 35 percent cloud or hybrid cloud, and that will reach 55 percent over the next three to five years. "It is one of the more unique and transformational growth opportunities we've seen in tech in the last 20 years." It is not news that the cloud is booming, but this FANG earnings season has so far revealed it to be on one side of a major fault line, at least in the short-term outlook from tech investors. And all of these tech stocks have been priced for perfection, with tech valuations and returns dominating the market's recent run. Ives maintained a buy rating on both Netflix and Facebook after their earnings disappointments. Amazon could break either way. "Everyone is bullish on Amazon going into the earnings. The Uber driver is bullish. So expectations have gone up, and it is a high bar. ... It is gonna really be a key barometer," Ives said. Amazon has the enterprise trend in its favor, with its AWS unit being "massive," but on the consumer side investors will be keying in on Prime memberships with growth in competition from Walmart and others. "This is not just a key earnings for AMZN, but just for tech, to delineate some of trends in consumer and enterprise," the analyst said.
Eric Rosenbaum Editor, CNBC.com by TaboolaMORE FROM CNBC Facebook just hit a new high, and it could break out more after earnings this week Investors should 'stay away' from Facebook for the next quarter, Loup Ven… Southern California home sales crash, a warning sign to the nation Should you get an Amazon Prime Rewards credit card? Here are the pros and cons Facebook fails to add North American users in the second quarter Facebook has a history of earnings calls that hurt the stock by Taboola Sponsored Links FROM THE WEB Meet Blinkist, The App That All The CEOs Love Blinkist This App Replaced The NYT As The First Thing I Read Every Morning Download From The App Store | NewsPicks This 29-Year-Old is Disrupting the $72 Billion Watch Industry Linjer Language expert shares the secret to learning a language in 20 mins a day Babbel
113 craigcannon 2 hrs 17
A post about summer reading on Hacker News inspired us to put a list together for 2018. Here’s what we’ve been reading.
The Years of Lyndon Johnson The Years of Lyndon Johnson
“As in many of the best books of history I’ve read, the author (Caro) makes an argument larger than LBJ and tells a story that can’t be encompassed by any one person or sequence of events. His writing is some of the best I’ve read. His analysis of the man, his time, and the structure of power shifted the way I look at the world.” – Aaron Harris
H is for Hawk H is for Hawk
“A powerful memoir about loss, grief, and the fluidity of sanity, obsession, and madness. Macdonald’s descriptions of the world and of her mind blur the line between poetry and prose.” – Aaron Harris
The Three Body Problem The Three Body Problem
“The first book in a science fiction trilogy about a group of scientists who have given up on humanity and look to alien civilization to redefine human life on earth.” – Cadran Cowansage
Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents Parable of the Sower
“A two-book science fiction series about the collapse of society and one woman’s journey to survive and spread her new belief system.” – Cadran Cowansage
Oryx and Crake Oryx and Crake
“A novel about a post-apocalyptic world where a man must coexist with genetically-engineered humans as he recounts the story of how the world imploded.” – Cadran Cowansage
Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet taming the sun
“Solar is very clearly our next major source of energy. The problem with solar is that it’s only sunny during the day and not every day. Without the right policies in place and cheap energy storage we phase a risk that solar growth will very soon tap out.” – Gustaf Alstromer
Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World Clean Meat
“Science have already proven we can grow all kinds of animal protein in labs. This book is the founding story of a revolution that will how we eat and the planet forever.” – Gustaf Alstromer
High Growth Handbook High Growth Handbook
“Elad Gil is maybe the most successful recent angel investor in Silicon Valley and have written the best blog for startup founders and I’ve been a follower of his writing since the beginning.” – Gustaf Alstromer
The Lathe of Heaven The Lathe of Heaven
“Ursula LeGuin’s early scifi novel that succinctly explores the morality of absolute power, and the relation between our personal power and sense of responsibility for others. The setting is a drama between therapist and patient that begins to affect reality in strange ways.” – Joe Betts-Lacroix
The Golden Notebook The Golden Notebook
“An intimate portrayal of the interior experience of a woman. Almost certainly autobiographical to some degree, it is a joy to follow her brilliant mind, and torturous to feel the conflicts between her wants and the realities of what she can have, both in her relationships and her political idealism.” – Joe Betts-Lacroix
The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists
“A pragmatic little book on how to handle interactions with people who have narcissistic personality disorder, a DSM-V classification fitting about 1% of the population. Useful even if all you learn from it is how to spot them.” – Joe Betts-Lacroix
The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past)
“Book 2 of The Three Body Problem is great! I love the concept of a ‘wallfacer’ who has to solve a complex multi-year problem entirely in their own mind. First book was ok but long and confusing.” – Eric Migicovsky
Radiolab: Border Trilogy Radiolab
“Features Jason De Leon’s book, Land of Open Graves. Does a really great job walking through how the US/Mexico border/immigration policies came to be the way they are now. Very moving podcast episode broken into three parts.” – Adele Gower
The Untethered Soul The Untethered Soul
“This book does a nice job of repackaging Eastern philosophy concepts in words that appeal to the hyperational Westerner mindset.” – Daniel Gross
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance Endure
“If you like any form of endurance cardio, this book will be like crack candy for you. Warning: it’s fairly Gladwellian in style, which some may find displeasing.” – Daniel Gross
Finite and Infinite Games Finite and Infinite Games
“It’s hard to rationally explain the benefits of this book, but I find that many who read it really enjoy it. It gets you in the mode of thinking long term. And it provides a powerful shared language with those who read it (‘play the infinite game’).” – Daniel Gross
The House of Getty The House of Getty
“Like all American titans, John Paul Getty is a mixed bag. He’s by no means perfect, but he was an undeniable empire builder. If you enjoyed reading about JP Morgan or John Rockefeller, you’ll enjoy this one as well.” – Daniel Gross
Lost in Shangri La
“An awesome page turner based on a true story.” – Daniel Gross
Startup by Gimlet Startup
“It is interesting to hear someone from no experience break into this small cottage industry of Venture Capital in Silicon Valley. Note: I’m a small LP in Backstage.” – Holly Liu
Dollars and Sense Dollars and Sense
“Interesting book on how we make financial decisions that are far from rationale. Why we will walk an extra mile to save $4 on coffee but not even flinch when we lose $50 at the casinos.” – Holly Liu
The Help
“This is just a great summer favorite read from a while ago, told in a time where racial lines looked different, from the eyes of two perspectives with destinies that intertwine more than they know as they help each other tell their stories.” – Holly Liu
Eat Sleep Poop Eat Sleep Poop
“Great infant book for first time parents. Written by a doctor after having kids so provides well balanced practical advice.” – Michael Seibel
Ready Player One Ready Player One
“This is the VR dream I had as a kid – taken to the next step.” – Michael Seibel
Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency Powerhouse
“An interesting history of the largest talent agency in the world.” – Michael Seibel
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds The Undoing Project
“The book is the story of the collaboration between Danny Kahneman, the Nobel Prize winning psychologist and author with Amos Tversky – and the extraordinary way they forced economists to completely rethink how human beings actually make decisions.” – Geoff Ralston
Mind of Napoleon: A Selection of His Written and Spoken Words Mind of Napoleon
“An incredible primary-source portrait on a brilliant (but obviously deeply flawed) individual. Broadly applicable thoughts.” – Sam Altman
Man’s Search for Meaning Man's Search for Meaning
“I first read this book years ago but it didn’t really resonate with me at the time. Last year, feeling somewhat despondent about the state of the world, I read the book again and found it to be tremendously helpful, the most important book I read all year.” – Paul Buchheit
This is Water
“David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech at Kenyon College. Transcript here. A helpful reminder on the importance of monitoring your thoughts.” – Craig Cannon
How to Change Your Mind How to Change Your Mind
“There’s been a wave of new writing and research on psychedelics since we released the podcast with Rosalind Watts on Psilocybin therapy. Pollan applies a healthy dose of science to a subject that’s often only described in woo-woo California terms.” – Craig Cannon
Shoe Dog Shoe Dog
“One of my favorite reads in a long time. Captivating story that takes you play-by-play in Nike’s ascension from a 22 year old’s unfleshed idea to a huge national brand. Great portrayal of how far grit, relentlessness, and creativity can get you.” – Matt Bogrand
每年這段時間都是休漁期，街市上本地海魚乏善可陳，漁貨大都是從東南亞進口的，直到8月15日休漁期解禁後才有本地新鮮魚。
全球漁業資源枯竭是不爭的事實，同時全球對海鮮的需求有增無減，商人不斷開發新的來源。香港人均海鮮消耗數量冠及全球，可是對海鮮的來源卻不太關心。
分配不公
Netflix紀錄片Rotten揭開食物業黑幕，其中一集「鱈魚已死」講美國政府為了控制新英格蘭漁業的撈捕量，把配額分給漁民。由於配額按個別漁民的規模分配，結果大型企業獲得最多配額。而小經營者的配額少得可憐，一個星期的漁獲可能已經是全年的配額，結果無法經營，只好把配額賣給其他漁民或大企業，整個地方的漁業因此萎縮。
配額制原意是保護海洋資源，但結果令漁業被壟斷，破壞市場運作。結果大量便宜的漁貨如吳郭魚和鯰魚從海外進口，然而這些進口魚類品質參差，很多滲進了防腐劑。進口海鮮成為食安問題的重災區，因為未能通過美國官方檢測而遭到退回的食品中，進口海鮮的數量比其他食品都高。
另一邊廂，香港漁業也進入夕陽，香港本身是漁港，大澳、香港仔、流浮山等地都是漁村，六十年代起機械化漁船淘汰舊式帆船，八十年代更是漁業的高峰期。漁民不斷更換新船，裝置馬力更大的機器，到更遠更深的漁場。到九十年代，香港漁船的作業範圍遍及越南、韓國及台灣。九十年代後，新機場工程污染本港西面水域，內地漁業發展迅速，來自台灣、越南等地區的競爭，加上2013年政府禁止在本港水域拖網捕魚，本地漁業漸漸式微。漁業產量由八十年代末的高峰22萬噸降至今天約17萬噸。
昔日本港漁民都會把漁貨運回香港售賣，可是近年內地消費力強勁，漁民都改到廣東沿岸的港口賣魚。一位漁業前輩透露，往時香港買的都是一級漁貨，但今天卻是揀剩的二線貨色。有些冰鮮漁貨從緬甸、斯里蘭卡等地運來，經過4至5天運輸，加入不少防腐劑。除了野生漁貨，飼養海鮮的數量與品種都不少，但很多海鮮養殖都用上大量農藥和抗生素，給環境帶來污染，農藥殘留也多。
筆者從事飲食業十多年，經常進出街市，對海鮮有一定認識，懂得憑時令、外觀和價格分辨漁貨質素。一般人不懂漁業，連白鯧、鷹鯧也分不清，加上奸商伎倆不斷進步，不易分辨出有問題漁貨，食安中心宜多加抽驗。
欣賞劇團排練與一頓免費午餐，似乎風馬牛不相及。不過，最近太古地產其位於鰂魚涌的藝術空間「ArtisTree」就離奇地把兩者結合。此活動被命名為「公開排練系列」，公眾入場只看到劇團在公演前的排練過程，活動較隨意，免費入場，還向每位送上一頓免費的輕盈午餐，真是前所未聞的藝術體驗。
節目於7月及8月進行，每月共上演4場約一小時的場次。7月即首個公開排練的劇目名為Emoto，由日本團隊「國際劇場藝術中心」（International Centre for Theatre Arts）夥拍本地劇團「糊塗戲班」共同創作。熟悉劇場的朋友，大概知道「糊塗戲班」由前新聞主播魏綺珊及其丈夫陳文剛創辦。8月的節目，則由歐洲舞團ilDance以「衍變」為主題的現代舞蹈表演。節目於午飯及黃昏時段舉行，觀眾可免費享用由Butler Luxury Caterer設計的輕盈小食，體驗一場視覺與味覺的藝術之旅。
美食吸引
究竟是免費午餐太吸引了，還是有得免費看劇團排練太吸引了？卡記相信較多人為了前者而來，因執筆之時所有場次已全部爆滿了。
卡記早前獲邀去觀看其中一日的節目，即Emoto的綵排「演出」，全場一小時的節目，其實都頗難明，要靠最後Q&A環節才得知背後含意。至於美食方面則頗豐富，有3款精緻的迷你三文治，還有牛柳串燒，配以甜品及咖啡。
水有感覺
Emoto的主題其實頗特別，話說有名日本科學家江本勝博士曾就有關水結晶過程發表理論，及出了一本書《水知道答案》。他的研究顯示，把一張含正面訊息的字條放在水瓶底部，例如「愛與感謝」，水樽在進入冰櫃後得出的結晶，在顯微鏡下形成美麗的六角形。但若水接觸負面訊息，如「混蛋」的字條，水結晶則變得沒那麼漂亮。
Emoto就引用這概念，在舞台設置淺水池，透過語言、肢體擺動、木偶、舞蹈、音樂及投影等媒介，去思考實驗過程，與美麗的含意等等。不過，卡記問此劇目來自日本的導演天田（Tatsuya Yasumoto），有沒有做過相關實驗？他就說沒有，因為要巨型冰櫃才能做到。
形體演出
至於他是否相信這理論？他則引述一些反對者的說法，指水結晶每次不同，難反覆驗證，可能是偽科學。雖然他對實驗的可信性存疑，卻認為這是一個有趣的想法。「人體由水份構成，接收正面或負面訊息，也會影響自己的身體狀況。」他回答。
是次表演沒有太多對白，只輔以部分廣東話旁白。由於是免費入場，及「演出」（用引號是因為那其實是排練）過程較為難懂，難免有部分觀眾在吃完免費午餐後就離場，當時「演出」尚未完結，實在有點不禮貌，但恐怕也是人之常情。現場所見，觀眾有不少是退休的老友記，或附近的上班族，也有母親帶年幼的兒子前來。魏綺珊則希望觀眾不要先入為主覺得形體演出很難懂，而是抱持好奇心及開放態度，至少可享受藝術表演的樂趣。
撰文：卡夫卡
kafka@hkej.com
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Apple (AAPL) may be working on a new base, but four hot software stocks that are in or near buy range could be worth watching as well: RingCentral (RNG), Paycom Software (PAYC), Okta (OKTA) and Apptio (APTI). RingCentral stock was slightly lower at Monday's open. So were Paycom stock, Okta stock and Apptio stock. Also, Apple stock dipped 0.3% at the open.
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Hot Software Stocks Paycom Software stock leads these software names with an IBD Composite Rating of 98 out of 99, while RingCentral stock earns a 97. Apptio stock has an 84 while Okta stock lags with a 78. The software stocks sector currently ranks No. 1 out of the 33 sectors IBD tracks, and has collectively seen a more than 30% gain since Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, Apple stock's Composite Rating sits at a 92.
RingCentral Stock RingCentral stock is trading in buy range from a double-bottom base with an 80.80 buy point. A double-bottom base gets its name from its "W" shape. The second leg down should be lower than the first, and then the buy point is 10 cents higher from the middle peak.
IBD Newsletters Get exclusive IBD analysis and action news daily.
SIGN UP NOW! The business communications software firm broke out last Tuesday, but hasn't seen considerably strong volume. Strong volume on a breakout is a bullish signal, suggesting that big institutions are buying up shares.
Paycom Stock Cloud-based payroll and human resources software firm Paycom is working on its own double-bottom base. The entry point is 115.64, and Paycom stock is trading just 3% below that level.
Okta Stock Okta stock is working on a cup base with a 61.10 entry. The cybersecurity software company's shares are trading 8% below the buy point. The left-side high of the base was formed because of a big bearish reversal after the company's last quarterly earnings report. But shares found support at their 50-day moving average.
Apptio Stock And Apptio stock is nearing a potential 38.45 buy point after five consecutive weeks of closing in a tight range. But that buy point would be an add-on entry for existing shareholders. With that, you want to buy as close to the buy point as possible.
Apptio, which specializes in cloud-based software-as-a-service applications for technology business management, could form a flat base after a few more sessions of trade.
Apple Stock Elsewhere in the tech sector, Apple stock is working on a flat base and is trading just 1.5% below the 194.30 buy point. While the stock has gotten support at the 50-day line as it forms the base, institutional support is not currently strong. Apple's Accumulation/Distribution Rating is a C-, while an A equals heavy buying by institutions and E equals heavy selling.
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195 ChanningAllen 20 hrs 167
I'm an advocate of two things when bootstrapping: do it for free, and don't reinvent the wheel.
Now, that's not to say you shouldn't code things from scratch, or that 'free' means bad quality. Actually it's quite the opposite. There are plenty of amazing platforms out there that will give you a solid foundation at little-to-no cost while giving you the assurance that your product isn't going to go down when you need it to perform the most.
My product, Closet Assistant, is a front-end 'plugin' (like Intercom). It pops up on the retail website Poshmark and automates some processes for the users. It saves them time, and potentially makes them more money.
It runs on a serveless tech stack because it's mostly front-end code, with a sprinkle of back end for things like payments and task automation. Here's what I use:
Every single one of these platforms costs me $0 to use.
Github Pages is super easy to use if you're a developer. Jekyll is a lovely static-site building engine. The reliability and flexibility is reassuring. Cloudflare is also incredible. It allows you to have secure pages and will protect you from DDoS/high traffic scenarios (Github Pages won't, necessarily).
Webtask is something I had never heard about until making this product, yet it's been the backbone of the project. For free, you can have a Node.js back end that allows you to receive GET/POST requests, and listen to webhooks. I use POST requests for creating new subscriptions, ending subscriptions, and updating credit card info. I use webhooks to disable accounts if the user hasn't paid, or to send out an email when someone converts their free trial. Oh, and it's already hosted and ready to go (with an easy npm integration). You just provide the code and they give you a URL. Pretty awesome.
Firebase is perfect for bootstrappers, because it allows you to quickly create new users, and the NoSQL database is incredibly easy to manipulate and use. I use the database to verify that users are paying, and keep track of settings/stats used in the app.
Stripe is a given. It's the most flexible and useful payments platform out there. Once you get your head wrapped around the API and their webhooks, it's very easy to build features that would be a massive headache on other platforms.
I use Google Analytics mostly because it's easy to integrate (and it's free). I have a separate tag for the website and for the product. It lets me track how and when my users are using the product.
It took me about a month to learn how to develop with these platforms and integrate them together. But, when in harmony, it's a killer tech stack that will allow you to scale at little-to-no cost.
980 donnemartin 22 hrs 158
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30 the-enemy 16 hrs 10
Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1881 classic Treasure Island tells of Jim Hawkins’s adventures on board the Hispaniola, as he and his crew – along with double-crossing pirate Long John Silver – set out to find Captain Flint’s missing treasure on Skeleton Island. Now, more than a century later, children can try and find it themselves, with the bays and mountains of Stevenson’s fictional island given a blocky remodelling in Minecraft, as part of a new project aimed at bringing reluctant readers to literary classics.
From Spyglass Hill to Ben Gunn’s cave, children can explore every nook and cranny of Skeleton Island as part of Litcraft, a new partnership between Lancaster University and Microsoft, which bought the game for $2.5bn (£1.9bn) in 2015 and which is now played by 74 million people each month. The Litcraft platform uses Minecraft to create accurate scale models of fictional islands: Treasure Island is the first, with Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom just completed and many others planned.
While regular Minecraft is rife with literary creations – the whole of George RR Martin’s sprawling setting for Game of Thrones, Westeros, has been created in its entirety, as have several different Hogwarts – Litcraft is not all fun and games, being peppered with educational tasks that aim to re-engage reluctant readers with the book it is based on. Lead researcher and head of Lancaster University’s English and creative writing department, Professor Sally Bushell, calls it “an educational model that connects the imaginative spatial experience of reading the text to an immersive experience in the game world”.
An example of Minecraft’s flexibility - users have recreated entire literary worlds, like JK Rowling’s Hogwarts. She says, of the Litcraft Treasure Island: “We hope it will motivate reluctant readers – we can say, ‘We’re going to read the book and then at one point, we’ll go play on the ship.’ I would have loved it as a kid. It is an empathetic task – you do what the characters did yourself, so you understand why they act they way they did in the book.”
The Treasure Island “level” has been extensively road-tested by children such as Dylan, whose school is set to adopt Litcraft in 2019. “It’s really fun,” he says. “I enjoyed it because I’ve read the book, but you have to follow rules in that. In games, you can explore. Now I know exactly what the book looked like.”
What did he like most? “I like that you get to see the pictures. You don’t have to make them in your head. And I liked the ship, Ben Gunn’s cave and the parrots. And there was that weird pig that kept jumping off that cliff. That wasn’t in the book!” (“That was a game glitch,” says Bushell).
The kids know how to use Minecraft more than the teachers do. It inverts the relationship
Sally Bushell, Lancaster University The project, which is featured on Microsoft’s Minecraft.edu website, is currently being presented to school teachers and librarians across the UK. There has been “an enthusiastic response” to the trials under way in local schools, with plans to roll Litcraft out to libraries in Lancashire and Leeds from October 2018.
Dylan, like many nine-year-olds, enjoys books but is more enthusiastic when talking about Minecraft, which he does with the casual expertise that many children have with their favourite games. He’s already made his own Hunger Games world in Minecraft at home, but couldn’t get some of his traps to work.
This know-how seems to both frighten and impress less tech-savvy adults – which Bushell hopes will not deter schools from adopting it. “The kids know how to do it more than the teachers do,” she says. “It inverts the relationship: you’ve got kids who know more than the adults. You need quite confident teachers. They’re more worried about it. I want to say, ‘Don’t be worried, because all your eight-year-olds will know how to do this.’”
Libraries are particularly interested in the possibilities of multiplayer, Bushell says, adding that one of the future projects will be Lord of the Flies: “In that case, you want all the kids in there playing out a scenario and asking philosophical questions. We hope they do some reading, then play the game, then do some empathetic writing based on what they did in there.”
The Kensuke’s Kingdom map, based on Morpurgo’s story of a boy washed up alone, is particularly aimed at engaging reluctant readers and has just been completed. “The library resources we are putting together include audio and in-game reading and writing as well as graphic novels as a step to the full text,” said Bushell. “The resources are designed to encourage them to either return to or connect with the book through the immersive experience.”
Bushell said more literary Minecraft islands will follow. “Treasure Island is the first world for Minecraft.edu but they anticipate a series – most likely, the next will be The Swiss Family Robinson, The Tempest and Robinson Crusoe,” Bushell says. A recreation of Dante’s Inferno, with a map for each level of hell, is also in development.
But what book does Dylan hope to see next? “The Hunger Games,” he says with no hesitation. “A proper one.”
中央近年嚴打ICO（首次代幣發行），內地不少相關團隊被迫出海，為區塊鏈（blockchain）發展尋找其他出路，當中包括物流、供應鏈及金融科技等項目。《信報》StartupBeat於RISE科技論壇上，請來500 Startups合夥人楊珮珊，分析區塊鏈應用的趨勢，以及投資新機會。
主持：尹思哲 《信報》科技編輯
嘉賓：楊珮珊 500 Startups合夥人
尹：你一直專注投資內地初創，亦有涉足加密貨幣等範疇。目前內地政府封殺ICO，你們如何發掘國內投資機會？
楊：去年9月起，內地禁絕所有ICO、加密貨幣交易所，內地初創無計可施，被迫轉攻國際市場。當中不乏優秀的區塊鏈團隊，他們會以美國三藩市、香港、新加坡、瑞士等地區為據點，此舉有利我們的投資計劃。
尹：作為一位專業投資者，你如何把區塊鏈及加密貨幣區分出來？
楊：區塊鏈有不同演變方法，不一定等同加密貨幣，技術應用於物流、供應鏈、金融科技等層面。為應付每一個投資新趨勢，我們的考慮相對不同，近期便專注於軟件，尤其是底層技術。至於比特幣（Bitcoin）、挖礦（Mining）及應用程式（Application），均需要數據中心（Data Center）支援，這就屬於硬件方面的投資。
期望政府更多支援
尹：你認為香港在區塊鏈可擔當什麼角色？若本地金融專才有意進軍初創，你有什麼建議？
楊：就人工智能（AI）而言，香港這地方太小，缺乏數據及專才支持。區塊鏈、加密貨幣的發展，一半源於技術，一半依靠金融體系。但作為國際金融中心，我們需要把握既有優勢，如完善的金融體系和國際聯繫等，爭取區塊鏈的國際地位，期望政府提供更多支援。
以我所知，現時大部分的加密貨幣交易所，後台均擁有強大的團隊，他們透過應用程式界面（API），自動地完成各種交易，成為一門新興產業。此外，加密貨幣的投資者主要在Telegram及Twitter等途徑討論心得，吸引不少人參與其中，在以上平台推廣市場。
我過去投資科技企業時，曾發現有不少詐騙集團，特別是ICO相關的企業。我會物色專業的團隊驗證真偽，如查探對方在Telegram等社區是否活躍，好像CIA（美國中情局）般「起底」。
北上發展永不會遲
尹：中美貿易戰白熱化，自由貿易年代或已成過去；兩國科企巨頭競爭激烈，爭相投資及收購初創。你們作為專業投資機構，覺得這是衝擊還是契機？
楊：500 Startups起步較早，相信以上的環境因素對我們的投資影響不大。不過，我從沒想過從事科技行業會變得如斯政治化，對中興通訊（00763）有點不公平。特別是美國的媒體，偏向發掘中國企業的不是。在科技發展方面大家應持中肯立場，若兩國互補不足或有所得益。
假如中美貿易關係持續惡化，甚至限制內地的智能手機企業無法使用美國芯片技術，則並非好事。短期而言將為中國帶來痛苦；惟長遠而言，若內地自立門戶，研發新的硬件技術則毋須再依賴美國，反而對美方不利。我認為，中美貿易關係危機可刺激中港企業推動「原創」，未嘗不是一件好事。
尹：據了解，你本身是香港人，其後往美國發展，在內地相當活躍。港人目前到內地發展是否已經太遲？
楊：我自小在灣仔長大，香港是我的家。最近，我往返內地的次數頻密，主要到北京、上海、廣州及深圳等地方公幹。論到港人身份，其實有點尷尬。我們接受西方教育、產品銷售至東南亞，甚或國際市場，卻有中國籍的背景。
若真的渴望北上發展，永遠都不會太遲。事實上，有不少非常出色的港人，其實早已往內地工作，如小米集團（01810）創辦人之一的黃江吉（KK），他就是相當優秀的人才。特別是互聯網領域，一定要往內地學習，再決定何處發展。
若香港初創企業期望深層發展，不必急於建立什麼，應該先了解市場需求，花時間跟用戶聊天，思考如何解決問題。最重要明白市場規模，如潛在市場太小，即使成為第一，亦難以進軍大市場。我經常問朋友想成為「小池塘的大魚」還是「大池塘的小魚」？即使你在香港首屈一指，亦不及登上國際舞台般亮眼。港人應該要有衝勁，毋懼跟其他人比併。人生苦短，嘗試去做一些事讓你過了10年後仍會引以自豪，透過不斷研究並改善，自然吸引投資者青睞。
註：以上嘉賓訪問屬個人意見，與本報立場無關。
香港首家「共享單車」公司Gobee.bike宣布結業，帶來兩個不意外。第一個不意外在於創業公司，尤其是科技類初創，夭折率向來超過九成，能幸存才是意外，故此不必因為這個案例而否定創業活動之價值。第二個不意外，緣於「共享單車」的商業模式注定不可能自給自足，這類玩意在內地大行其道，皆因阿里巴巴、騰訊（00700）等巨頭視之為兵家必爭的流量入口，借此爭奪客戶和數據，用來幫助其他生意賺錢；而香港缺乏這一整套體系，共享單車自不可能單獨生存。
被當噱頭 日趨泛濫
內地官方宣傳部門今年初把共享單車列為「中國新四大發明」之一，但實際上，如同其餘3項事物（流動支付、高鐵、網購），全都並非由中國發明。早於1965年，荷蘭NGO Provo在阿姆斯特丹街頭放置50輛單車讓市民共享，首開先河。至於配合數碼科技的大型共享單車計劃，亦早自1998年由德國鐵路局（DB）推行至今。
共享單車不但並非中國發明，甚至有點名不副實。事關近十年來冒起的「共享經濟」（Sharing Economy）模式，原本意思是借助網絡科技，讓人們可以把自己擁有的東西跟其他人分享，既提升使用效率，同時便利他人，還可賺取一點報酬，達致多贏。Uber就是最典型的共享經濟模式，讓人們利用自己的私家車載客，撈一點收入。此外，有些App供用戶列出自己擁有的家具和器材，例如BBQ爐、電鑽、裁縫機等，讓附近街坊借用或租用，同時自己也可借（用）其他人的物件，這也算是真．共享經濟。
至於所謂共享單車，所有單車其實全都由經營者擁有，再放在街邊租給用戶，跟傳統「租單車舖」無異，只不過借助電子支付和GPS等科技，方便用戶隨時隨地自行租車和還車，屬於傳統租單車生意之數碼升級版，而非共享經濟。同樣道理，Airbnb堪稱真．共享經濟，讓小業主把閒置房間出租。但現在有些大型酒店集團自己出App，提供短租空置房間，則只算是傳統酒店生意之靈活升級版，與共享沾不上邊。愈來愈多人濫用「共享」噱頭，例如商務中心改稱共享辦公室，劏房美其名共享居住空間，財務公司叫做共享金融，令整件事立刻很「潮」。
無論如何，對於共享單車的約定俗成名稱不必深究，這種玩意也確實在中國內地最為熱鬧，自2013年起有逾100家相關初創誕生，至今淘汰剩下摩拜和ofo兩大巨頭，共佔逾九成市場份額；該兩大公司均已累計融資超過10億美元，背後最大金主分別是騰訊和阿里。現時走在內地大中小型城市街頭，隨處都見摩拜小紅車和ofo小黃車，而且往往「車多過人」，即使通勤繁忙時間仍有大量空車曬太陽，可見市場擠擁程度。
營運模式 難以自足
香港方面，Gobee.bike自去年4月開始營運，由居港法國人Raphael Cohen創辦，除了是本港首家共享單車公司，規模也是最大，高峰期有1萬輛車，該公司去年8月完成首輪逾900萬美元融資，投資者包括阿里巴巴創業者基金。豈料融資未滿一年，Gobee.bike本周一宣布結業，原因是「經過一年多以來，業務仍未能錄得盈利，龐大的單車維修開支致難以繼續營運」。
實際上，共享單車的商業模式注定了不可能自給自足營運。據了解，目前本港共享單車每輛車價成本約500元，而Gobee.bike收費為每小時10元，理論上每輛車租出50小時便可回本，之後就是淨賺利潤。問題是正如Gobee.bike指出，最大負擔並非車價，而是持續營運開支，包括每輛車都要安裝電子支付、GPS和通訊系統，每月都有固定費用；此外，單車在街邊日曬雨淋，若不定期維修保養很快報廢，但上萬輛車若安排人手逐一維修，開支肯定不菲，還未計被偷車、故意毀壞或胡亂棄置所造成的損失。
再者，香港並非bicycle-friendly城市，絕少人用單車通勤代步，大多在周末才會踩車郊遊，導致本港共享單車被租用頻率極低。就算在很多人騎車上課上班的內地，基於數碼系統和維護成本高昂，摩拜和ofo這兩大巨頭同樣沒有盈利，每日租金收入絕不足以覆蓋營運開支，業界人士也坦言看不到有燒錢完結的一日。
生態體系 支持擴張
既然如此，摩拜和ofo為何不像Gobee.bike拉閘執笠，反而繼續積極擴張，並吸引到騰訊和阿里重金入股？皆因科網巨頭都把共享單車視作兵家必爭的線下流量入口，本身賺不到錢沒所謂，最重要能幫助其他核心業務。舉例說，要租共享單車必須用電子支付，摩拜當然使用微信支付，ofo則用支付寶；只要爭取到更多用戶，讓他們慣用自家的支付工具，後續將有無限商機。相反，假若騰訊和阿里其中一方放棄了共享單車市場，其支付工具的市佔率勢被對方蠶食。
此外，共享單車設有GPS系統，記錄了每一個用戶的行走路線以及使用時間和頻率等資料，這對於科網巨擘是非常寶貴的大數據，既可用於分析城市消費版圖，還可透過手機直接向用戶推送location-based服務及廣告。
換言之，共享單車即使注定不可能賺錢，某程度猶如一種公益服務，但只要在科網巨企整個生態體系中能夠貢獻價值，便可以繼續依存下去。至於香港，暫時並不存在同類生態體系，像Gobee.bike等共享單車公司只能自己燒錢，背後沒有金主補貼，自然很快就會彈盡糧絕而關門大吉。
過去兩周筆者多次應內地及國際業界邀請，分享自己對中美貿易爭端的觀點，部分海外媒體亦有重點轉載。上周五（7月6日）中美貿易戰展開，不過在新關稅措施實施數小時後，美國貿易代表署突然公布商品豁免關稅辦法，在90日內可提出申請，有效期為1年。美國在開戰後馬上作臨時宣布，究竟特朗普態度是否出現軟化？
內地外滙佔款或下調
中美貿易戰持續，不確定性增大，內地及國際經濟增長難免受影響。與此同時，內地金融去槓桿，貨幣流動性中性偏緊，股市大幅波動亦為內地其他投資領域及大宗商品市場蒙上一層陰影。
美國對從中國進口的首批價值340億美元的商品進行加徵25%關稅，中國馬上回擊，但中國同時正穩步推進區域全面經濟夥伴關係協定（RCEP）談判，擴大對外開放程度，故此，筆者相信美國仍將進行策略性觀察，在中美貿易戰第一階段，中國進出口所受影響尚可控。
更需要留意的是內地7月份流動性的問題，目前人行的貨幣政策雖已調整為「合理寬裕」，嘗試釋放邊際放鬆的預期，但筆者預期7月份貨幣流動性未必如6月，大環境使得7月的流動性環境可能較6月略有收緊。
從供應角度出發，基礎貨幣供應呈現壓力。在內地財政領域，7月份為繳稅高峰期，疊加政府財政支出收窄，基礎貨幣或呈現收緊。自7月6日起，美國開始對中國商品加收關稅，貿易順差將呈現下降。此外，受到人民幣貶值影響，資金或有流出壓力，筆者估計外滙佔款將下調，同樣對基礎貨幣的投放產生不利影響。
從需求角度出發，筆者預計內地融資需求將出現邊際上升，同時7月份債務到期量較高，借新還舊將出現趨勢性上升，為市場帶來壓力。
筆者參考內地製造最新PMI數據，整體尚能保持韌性及擴張。觀察商務部言論，美國對中國340億美元商品徵稅清單中約59%是外商企業生產產品，如果美方啟動徵稅，實際上是對中國和各國企業、包括美資企業的徵稅。中國不願與美國打貿易戰，如果美方實施徵稅措施，中方將被迫反制。此外，目前RCEP談判正在穩步推進，今年下半年中國對外貿易將不會受到嚴重衝擊。
上周四（7月5日）內地定向降準正式實施，將釋放流動性約7000億元人民幣，對壓抑資金成本有一定的作用。展望內地第三季度流動性， 國務院常務會議於6月20日與 6 月27日召開的第二季度貨幣政策委員會例會均以流動性「合理充裕」替代「合理穩定」，從利率市場趨勢判斷，內地貨幣市場利率有可能已進入緩慢下降的周期。
不過，內地流動性紓解的程度還取決於風險的變化，市場將更為依賴人行對流動性政策的操作方向。中美貿易談判未來發展將繼續曲折離奇，牽涉兩國千絲萬縷的利益關係，談判在鬥爭與妥協中前進，在貿易壁壘、產業補貼、知識產權等領域進行長時間的博弈。
回顧八十年代中期持續10年的日美貿易爭端，為解決當年美對日貿易赤字問題，彼此展開了整整10年的談判，包括《廣場協議》和3次貿易談判，但都最終均未能成功解決日美貿易。反而是後來因中國經濟崛起，美日問題從而淡化。美國新增的貿易赤字主要對中國的貿易衍生，美對日貿易赤字的比重變相縮小。
加快發展戰略新興產業
中美貿易戰對中國經濟影響有多層次的影響，從關稅和非關稅角度分析，目前外界估計中美貿易戰有可能令到中國整體出口下降約1.3%至2.7%，GDP增長則下降約0.2至0.5個百分點。
無可否認，無論貿易戰加碼與否，中美貿易逆差問題將會長期存在，談判空間巨大，不過筆者估計美國真正是希望中國進行一系列系統性改革，如降低貿易壁壘、擴大進口、知識產權等方領域，進行持續性的系統性監察。
中美貿易戰對人民幣滙率帶來貶值壓力，中國經常項目順差在2016年至2017年都是負增長，在2018年頭4個月更是大幅減少。中美貿易戰將導致中國貿易順差大幅減少，加大人民幣貶值壓力。
在科技領域，中國對美國的高科技出口業將受到影響，反而對進口美國高科技產品將成為替代趨勢。但長期而言，中國定必加快發展自身的戰略新興產業，投資者應加強戰略性關注。