The market for smart home devices is expected to grow 20% in the coming years, but for that to happen, we'll need a lot more energy and new ways to store it. [Outsider Club Header]
Jan 23, 2023 By Alexander Boulden for the Outsider Club U.S. Needs 20% More Energy by 2031 Dear Reader, It seems like every piece of tech these days gets the lofty âsmartâ label. Just speak into the ether and you can play your favorite song while also saving on electric bills. Smart speakers... Smart meters... Smart security systems... Smart watches... Smart glasses... Did you know Ray-Ban recently partnered with Meta to build glasses called Ray-Ban Stories? There are two cameras attached to the companyâs iconic Wayfarer shades. [rayban] Hereâs the companyâs pitch: From the rock revolution of the '60s, to the art scene of the '80s, to the forefront of hip-hop culture â Wayfarer has become an enduring icon across endlessly shifting horizons. Now the journey continues with the latest in wearable tech. Ray-Ban Stories Wayfarer integrates the best of your phone with the timeless frame, bringing you a new way to capture and share your adventures. For just $299 you can give away your last bit of privacy â and you have to charge them. Not to mention thatâs the price before adding prescription lenses. What a rip-off! $6 Billion in Funding Going to a Single Company? Biden has been dishing out funding as if these are his last days on Earth. Heâs handed out more than $2 trillion in funding during his first few years in office. One of his biggest goals is to develop the future of energy. Shockingly, it has nothing to do with fossil fuels OR renewables. A full $6 billion is headed to an industry dominated by one tiny Virginia-based company. A few critical patent approvals means very few others are on the shortlist. And early investors in this game-changing technology could reap a massive windfall. [You need to immediately check this one out for yourself.]( I couldnât find information on sales for these monstrosities, but I canât imagine anyone is buying them. This is one of Mark Zuckerbergâs first projects after announcing his companyâs pivot to the metaverse. I donât see the payoff of this investment, but maybe Iâm just getting old. There was a time when spying was done in secret. But with Facebook â er Meta â thereâs no hiding it anymore. Itâs all out in the open. For example, my parentsâ washer broke recently, and it turns out itâs a smart washer. As is typical for a new piece of technology these days, what with planned obsolescence and all, theyâd only had it for a few months. When the GM technician came out, he plugged in his iPad and was able to see every single wash performed on the machine. He even commented that theyâd overloaded the washer several times. Now, I donât know about you, but I find this incredibly creepy and invasive. Sure, it can be âhelpfulâ to some extent, but at what cost? And thatâs not even the worst of it. Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Garmin, Oracle, Huawei, Samsung, Fitbit... Theyâre all guilty of overstepping their bounds through invasive smart devices. Now, look, the benefits of smart devices abound. They save us time and money in some cases. But Iâd argue that while voice-activated devices are convenient, we donât learn anything by using them. And while our homes are working on their college degrees, our brains are floundering. For instance, I have a Google Home Bluetooth speaker. I mute the mic in the back, not because I donât want it to hear what Iâm saying, but because itâs an invasion of privacy, plain and simple. The sound quality is just OK and the Bluetooth functionality works about half the time, which is super frustrating. Yeah, I could turn the speaker on and say âOK, Google, play Poison," but that would cheapen the experience. Because I believe humans learn more through touch. Hereâs what I mean. Turn the Global Chip Crisis to Your Benefit TODAY The microchip shortage is causing industries to lose hundreds of billions of dollars... And itâs impacting YOU financially. The prices of everyday tech products like laptops, phones, printers, and graphics cards are as much as $350 more expensive. Itâs absolutely ridiculous... But there is a silver lining. Because [Iâve uncovered a TINY, virtually unheard-of company...]( Which is at the very CENTER of Americaâs initiative to solve this crisis. Investors who get in on the ground floor today could rake in gains as high as 9,737%... Which turns every $2,500 invested into $245,925! [Get all the details now.]( A friend of mine moved to California and gave me his Pioneer record player and stereo receiver. Iâd only had Crosley record players in the past, so Iâd never set up a real one. The first step was to find some speakers at a yard sale. By trial and error and a little common sense, I connected the wires from the record player and speakers to the receiver. I had it set up in maybe 15 minutes. But now Iâll always know how to set up a record player. And to play music, I have to physically make it happen, not just spout off some catchphrase like âHey, Alexa.â It's the same with art. Sure, you can use an AI program to paint you a picture, but youâll never learn what it takes to paint. The feel of the bristles, the consistency of the paint, stirring the colors yourself until theyâre just right, the pressure of the brush on canvas. Once you start messing around with these things yourself, you force your brain to fire on all cylinders. But, as with all things tech, thereâs money to be made in your smart home. According to Future Market Insights, the smart home devices market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 18.7% from 2021â2031. And a whopping 72.5% of the sales are expected to come from North America. So yeah, itâs no wonder our Big Tech giants are pushing this industry onto U.S. consumers. The problem with all this tech is that it uses an incredible amount of energy. Most of these devices either have rechargeable batteries or run on the power grid. If the industryâs going to expand by nearly 20%, the math just doesnât add up and we'll need more and new ways to store energy. That's why my colleague Jason Williams has been pounding the table for months about a new form of energy storage. Jason says itâs [theÂ]([future of global energy](. It doesnât use lithium or cobalt... It doesnât use solar or wind... It just uses steel and concrete... In fact, it creates its own power. Once itâs built, thatâs it. Itâll produce all the energy you need without having to do a thing and then stores that energy forever. Itâs the definition of [limitless energy...]( But investors have yet to catch on. We're entering an exciting new age of energy storage. Stay frosty, Alexander Boulden
Editor, Outsider Club After Alexanderâs passion for economics and investing drew him to one of the largest financial publishers in the world, where he rubbed elbows with former Chicago Board Options Exchange floor traders, Wall Street hedge fund managers, and International Monetary Fund analysts, he decided to take up the pen and guide others through this new age of investing. [Check out his editor's page here](. Want to hear more from Alexander? [Sign up to receive emails directly from him]( ranging from market commentaries to opportunities that he has his eye on. Follow the Outsiders [Twitter]( | [Facebook]( | [LinkedIn]( | [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. You can manage your subscription and get our privacy policy [here](. Outsider Club, Copyright © Outsider Club LLC, 3 E Read Street Baltimore, MD 21202. Please note: It is not our intention to send email to anyone who doesn't want it. If you're not sure why you're getting this e-letter, or no longer wish to receive it, get more info [here]( including our privacy policy and information on how to manage your subscription. If you are interested in our other publications, please call our customer service team at [1-855-496-0830](tel:/18554960830).