Apple: Inflection, Reflection or Reset

One of Apple's core players, lead designer Jony Ive, is departing after a decades-long stint to start his own design firm. Yes, Apple will be his main client, but no, it's not clear just how much this move will impact the design-side of the venerable brand. Is it possible the firm is setting itself up for a reset? THIS WEEK's FAST FIVE > North Korea is in the news, but this time it's not politics but a new Pyongyang 2425 smart phone that features enough censor software to make it an ideal collector's item. > Google goes undersea as it lays its 14th subsea cable connecting Europe with Africa. > The CTO of mobile provider Nokia apparently doesn't think much of Huawei's security features, and Nokia doesn't think much of his public comments. > Cisco has set its sights on making sure enterprises have the tools necessary to re-skill the IT workforce. > Equinix and IBM expand their collaboration efforts through the ECX Fabric to expand private, scaled connectivity options for enterprise clients. This week's Tech Bites Winner: Google and a hundred drivers who rely far too much on Google Maps demonstrated the risk of over-relying on technology as driver after driver followed an erroneous detour on their way to Denver's airport. Rather than short-term parking they found themselves in a long-term mud pit on a private road. Our Crystal Ball: Just when will Apple CEO Tim Cook hand the firm over to the next CEO? We take a look at the year and month it just might happen. INFORMATION: This Futurum Podcast features Daniel Newman (@danielnewmanUV), Fred McClimans (@fredmcclimans) and Olivier Blanchard (@OABlanchard). If you haven't already, please subscribe to our show on iTunes or SoundCloud. For inquiries or more information on the show, email the team at [email protected] or follow @FuturumPodcast on Twitter. To learn more about Futurum Research please visit www.futurumresearch.com. DISCLOSURE: Futurum Research is a research and analysis provider, not an investment advisor. The Futurum Tech Podcast (and all related written notes and materials) is a newsletter/podcast intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. Futurum Research does not provide personalized investment advice and no investment advice is offered or implied by this podcast.