The latest smartphone from Apple hit stores this weekend and reportedly the bell of the ball is the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Customers want it for its advanced telephoto lens, large display and battery life. Investors want it to keep up with the Joneses. While Apple remains one of the globe's most valuable tech companies, there is growing concern on Wall Street that the industry leader is lagging behind some of its rivals when it comes to artificial intelligence. Ideally the new model addresses some of that chatter.

Competition — the bedrock of a free market society. Without competition, innovation is stifled and choice becomes an illusion.

Case in point: Prior to 1984, AT&T customers were required to rent AT&T telephones for its services. Sounds innocuous until you realize through a series of acquisitions and regulatory rules changes, the telecommunication company was able to take control of 80% of all telephones in the U.S. This was not by accident. One of the company's earliest presidents, Theodore Vail, introduced a motto in 1907: "One system, one policy, universal service." Vail........

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