SMARTER DISPLAYS

From Worldometer (new deaths yesterday):

        DAY  USA  WORLD   Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9     1093    4732        1185       246          82

July    22     1205    7128        1293      1120         572

Aug    12     1504     6556       1242       835         130

Sept     3      1094    5886        830     1083         174
            9      1208    6222        1136      1168          82

Oct      8        957    6420         730       967        160

          20       952     6169           662       714       164

          21     1225     6849            571       703         85

          27     1039      7023          530       519         45

Nov     4      1199      8192          276        511          74 

          11       1479    10178            564       550         60 

          12      1190       9659           926       521         65

          13      1297       9951            614       539         77

          14      1260       8823           727       449         53 

          16        740       7367          256       450         73

Summary:  

• Surprisingly good day for Humanity, but the USA had 162,149 new cases again, of course, #1.  I'll guarantee you it will be worse tomorrow.
• How bad is this current third wave?  From The New York Times this morning:

• 
  Switzerland had 12,839 new cases.  Not so bad you might think.  But with a population of  8.5 million, when compared to the 328 million for the U.S., the equivalent new cases for Switzerland would be nearly half a million.  Europe is getting better, but is still in really bad shape.

• 
  Now, there are two vaccines looking good.  Moderna, linked with Anthony Fauci's NIH home, has stoked the stock market to perhaps end the day above 30,000 on the Dow Jones Industrials for the first time later this week:
• Moderna was founded in 2010 to genetically engineer mRNA for vaccines.
• They have 23 such drugs and vaccines in various portfolios.
• Received $2.5 billion from Operation Warp Speed.

• 
  The key scientific breakthrough came from the University Pennsylvania (where Donald Trump got his MBA degree) led by Hungarian-born (note: immigrant) Katlin Kariko.  Her mother was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.  Interestingly enough, soon after this lab development, in 2013 she joined BioNTech, the German biotech firm that produced the Pfizer vaccine.
• Moderna said its dose would cost around $35 each.
• Stock price was stuck at $20/share the past two years.
• Yesterday, the leap reached $95, and should lose a point or two today.

The consensus sense is that Donald Trump is cleaning house at the top in the Defense Department to pull out troops from Afghanistan.  My fears are a lot worse, for I think this was all planned many weeks ago for the purpose of bombing Iran or having the military protect him when he just took-over the government.  Apparently his staff prevented the attack, and, further, it looks like his judicial strategy will fail, making a coup now all but impossible.  More and more it is looking like he will whimper out after, perhaps, reducing a small number of troops from the Middle East.  

He will, though, commit a whole range of baneful acts over the next two months, just one example being to sell drilling leases to oil companies for Alaska/s Arctic refuge.  His attempt to insert crony Judy Shelton into the Federal Reserve, however, has incurred the disfavor of at least three Senate Republicans.  Her last gasp nomination now might be doomed.

Yesterday I focused on smart speakers.  Today, smarter displays.  These are visual interfaces to schedule your day, help you cook, show you photos, play videos, watch You Tube and handle home security.  I don't see an Apple product at this level, so the competing two are Google and Amazon.  

Why no Apple product?  They made a company decision against immediately competing in the smart home market.  They do have tradition to let others test the waters.  In so doing, they are falling behind, as Alexa is so much brighter than Siri today.  For now, and maybe forever, the iPad is their option for a smart display.

Come to think of it, I really don't need a smart display.  A smart speaker will do.  As all my devices are Apple, their HomePod speaker, is already two years old and not as capable as competing products. However, that costs $300.  However, their HomePod Mini is just about to be marketed at $99.  Anyway, I would first go to the local Apple store to ask questions and ascertain that my iTunes library can be accessed.  But they are currently all closed in Hawaii.  Ah, no rush, I still have various JBL and Altec-Lansing blue tooth portables that can substitute for the broken down Bose.

On the other hand, I just read an article showing how to connect Apple's iTunes library on my iPhone to Amazon's Alexa from the Dot with Clock.  I looked into this, and it is available on Amazon by December 10, with delivery promised before Christmas.

 Let me start the smarter display comparison with Google.  For privacy reasons, it has no camera.  The options are confusing:

The Google Home is the original and a happy medium between the Home Max and Home Mini - the latter of which has been succeeded by the Nest Mini. ... The Google Nest Hub Max adds a larger display and a camera, making it a full Nest device, as well as a smart display.

Essentially, what was once called Home Hub is now Nest Hub.

• Nest Hub costs $90 with 7" screen.
• Nest Hub Max costs $230-$300 with 10" screen.

• 
  Home is a smart speaker at $100.  The original.
• Home Max is a bigger smart speaker from $250-$300
• The Nest Mini is a smart speaker at $30.

Amazon Echo Show options are not any more simple:

Amazon is Alexa, around since 2014.  All their smart displays have cameras.

• Show 10 (3rd generation) at $250, but will not arrive until Christmas.
• Show (2nd gen), 10" screen, the product you buy today for today.
• Show 8, 8" screen, $104.
• Show 5, 5.5" screen, $75.
• Dot (4th gen), a small smart speaker, $50.
• Dot with Clock, same as dot, $60.  Now shipping.
• Dot Kids Edition, $60.
• Glow, just changes color, $30.  Really a smart light for kids.
• Flex, a far-field microphone and speaker, $25.
• Buds, wire-free earphones, $130.
• Wall Clock, one that has Alexa features, $30.
• Smart Plug, yes, an Alexa plug in device to turn on and off by voice, $25.
• Frames are glasses with Alexa, $180.
• Loop, which is a smart ring to summon Alexa with tp, $130.
• Sub, subs-bass smart speaker, $130.
• Link, to control steer music, $200.
• Link Amp, $300.
• Microwave, simple microwave oven with Alexa control, $60.
• Smart Oven, good-sized Alexa controlled oven, $250.
• Auto, attaches to dashboard to respond to questions, $50.
• Fire HD10 color tablets..I'm losing it, $150.

Continuing on to foreign lands, the two I'm considering for #41 are:

• Espana Cani:  Spain
• Ode to Joy:  European Union

I started with some anthems:

• Uruguay:  considered by many to be #1 of all.  Okay, but not impressed.
• Poland:  said to be #2 by some.  Also, nothing much.
• Russia:  sometimes #3.  Pretty good.  

Espana Cani is a Paso Doble piece of Spanish music composed by Pascual Marquina Narro around 1923.  It is also know as the Spanish Gypsy Dance.  It has no lyrics.  Neither does the official Spanish national anthem, Marcha Real.

The Anthem of the European Union from 1972 is based on Ode to Joy, the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, composed in 1823.  We'll see Ludwig van Beethoven again, but for now, this is my favorite song #41.

Remember all those hurricanes making landfall close to Lake Charles, Louisiana?  Hurricane Iota made landfall as a Category 4 over Nicaragua about 10 miles away from Hurricane Eta, also a Category 4, less than two weeks ago.  Looks now like this storm will dissipate before reaching the Pacific Ocean.

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