The announcement that Shop Pay is available to any merchant on Facebook and Google marks an evolution in both e-commerce and Shopify itself
Ben Thompson
The Cicilline Salvo
A package of new proposed laws for regulating tech companies are in part a negotiating ploy, but also an indicator of change.
Starfield, an Xbox Exclusive; Xbox Cloud Gaming; New Consumer Paradigms
Microsoft’s E3 announcement give more shape to its cloud gaming ambitions, and highlight how difficult new consumers paradigms are today.
Apple and Creators; Fanhouse and a Middle Way; Pragmatism and Conversions
Apple is receiving objections from the creator economy about its share, but it is likely that creators will have to accepts Apple’s terms as they are.
ShazamKit and Weather, iOS 15’s New Privacy Approach, Mail Privacy Protection and Newsletters
Apple and Microsoft have similar approaches to developers, and iOS 15’s approach to privacy is better than iOS 14.
Integrated Apple and App Store Risk
WWDC highlighted how Apple’s differentiation is based on integration; the company ought not risk that differentiation for exploitive App Store policies.
Passport Update, F8 Refresh, Trump Ends Blog
F8 was all about developers, and there is reason to believe that Facebook is serious about building a real platform, particularly on messaging.
A Note to Subscribers
A note of explanation to subscribers about this crazy week, and an expression of gratitude.
Passport
Announcing Passport, the new infrastructure supporting Stratechery.
Amazon Buys MGM, The Streaming Opportunity, Anti-Monopoly vs. Antitrust
Amazon’s purchase of MGM makes sense strategically, but also points to bigger ambitions; it also highlights how a lot of antitrust talk is actually anti-monopoly.