More of Evidence of Vertical Integration

It seems with each passing week, more examples of the changing structure of technology companies emerge.  Just before the workday closed on the east coast of the US, the following headline was splashed across the Wall Street Journal “Apple in Advanced Talks to Buy Intel’s Smartphone-Modem Chip Business.”  The ultimate “Platform Company” from the 2000s is adding to their arsenal of chip IP and chip development teams.

The day before the Apple/Intel news broke, there was another interesting headline in the Wall Street Journal.  This link points to an article about China leasing port capabilities in Cambodia.  Specifically, the article states “China has signed a secret agreement allowing its armed forces to use a Cambodian navy base near here, as Beijing works to boost its ability to project military power around the globe, according to U.S. and allied officials familiar with the matter.”

If you had read the July 2019 Essay on naval strategy in the lead up to the First World War, the concept of a zone of denial is discussed.  China securing port facilities in Cambodia provides the PLAN their first real site of power projection outside of the China Mainland.  The Gulf of Thailand provides the PLAN with a point with which to project power towards Singapore and Indonesia and it extends the geographic area to be covered by forces opposing the PLAN.

I am working on a longer essay about anonymity and accountability in the Internet age.  I hope to have it posted within the week.

As always, my thoughts on these matters might be completely wrong.