APPL and China

During our current interesting times in geopolitics, everyone is exposed to fascinating phenomena about which we never knew.  This article appeared today, explaining:

For a quarter-century, the tech giant [Apple] has made massive investments in equipment and sent thousands of its top engineers to hundreds of factories across the country, training China's workers how to meet near-impossible engineering standards and then scale production to enormous volumes.  

 

Apple's Chinese suppliers employ 3 million people.

 

 Each iPhone is made from 1,000 components. For Apple to ship one million units a day requires hundreds of factories in China to build one billion parts per day.

Pegatron employed 100,000 laborers; at times the company was losing 25,000 workers a month, according to a former China-based Apple executive. This meant that "they needed to hire 25,000 just to stay in a steady state," he related. A contemporaneous "attrition memo" from Apple corroborated this, saying: "Worker exit rates at Pegatron Shanghai averaged 6 percent per week, and average tenure was only 68 days." (It's not hard to grasp why: These jobs are often 12 hours a day, 6 days a week of tremendously monotonous work.)

And, of course, the Huawei iPhone clones are exceeding the iPhone capabilities at a fraction of the price.

If you are intrigued, go read the whole thing. It's short.

Beyond the Light Horizon (Lightspeed #3)

This series draws the reader in with its intriguing premise, great characters, and cosmic scope. It delivers a solid, if not spectacular, resolution to its central conflicts. The world-building and pacing keep the reader engaged, but the final reveal of the universe's mysterious force falls flat, leaving awe replaced by disappointment. Adding a book or two between the second and third installments could have deepened the narrative and elevated it to greatness.

It's a fun read for space opera fans, but don't expect a mind-blowing payoff. 3/5 Stars.

Shadow of the Silk Road (2007)

In this captivating travelogue, a renowned writer and scholar embarks on a vivid exploration of the Silk Road's ancient routes, weaving together past and present. With a keen eye, he traverses diverse regions, offering concise, engaging summaries of their historical significance. He searches for echoes of this rich past in the customs, faces, and landscapes of today's inhabitants, creating a compelling narrative that bridges centuries.

This book is a must-read for anyone eager to discover how history's shadows shape the vibrant cultures of the modern Silk Road. Clear, insightful, and beautifully written, it invites a broad audience to journey through time. 4/5 Stars.

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A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (2023)

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Beyond the Reach of Earth by Ken MacLeod (2023)

I like the continuation of the story and the character arcs.  Fun. 4/5 Stars.

Steel World by B.V. Larson (2013)

I think a 12-year-old version of me may have enjoyed this book; however, the writing is horrible. The politics are awful, I did not like any of the characters, and the story is meh at best. 1/5 Stars.  Reminder to self: do not buy any other books by this author.