Apple is softening App Store lock-in by the barest amount possible. Then, Google shows its power in France, but a case against Facebook shows how limited that power is.
Ben Thompson
Exponent Podcast: Distracted at Facebook
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Facebook from multiple angles, including child sexual abuse material, encryption, Oculus, and a leaked all-hands meeting. Listen to it here.
Microsoft’s Surface Event, Victors and History, Microsoft’s Hardware Prospects
Microsoft (eventually) selling a phone that runs Android is not particularly meaningful in terms of its impact financially but is a totem of a major shift culturally.
Facebook’s All-Hands Leak, Facebook Versus Warren, Zuckerberg’s Culture
The most newsworthy aspect of Facebook All-Hands leak is what its existence says about Facebook itself. What is most interesting, though, are not the comments about Elizabeth Warren but what Mark Zuckerberg showed about himself.
Beachheads and Obstacles
Facebook and Amazon had events on the same day for Oculus and Alexa. Both are driven by lessons from the mobile era, but Amazon seems to have learned more than Facebook.
Child Sexual Abuse Material Online, The Problem With Community, Towards More Friction
A horrifying article on Child Sexual Abuse Material online is actually a sign that Facebook is doing the right thing, at least for now. Encrypting private communications, though, may make things worse.
Neither and New Follow-Up, Adam Neumann Forced Out, Peloton IPOs
Why Neither/New companies are different than traditional marketplaces, how Vision Fund’s flaws led to Adam Neumann being forced out, and why Peloton has a big opportunity it might not see.
Neither, and New: Lessons from Uber and Vision Fund
Uber represents something new: a company that is different than incumbents because of technology, yet not itself a tech company — just like the Venture Fund is not a VC.
Facebook Acquires CTRL-Labs, Acquisitions and Value, The Portal and Facebook’s Reputation
Facebook is acquiring CTRL-Labs, a computer-neural interface that is potentially a great fit with Oculus. At this point, though, is Facebook’s involvement in this new technology value-destructive?
Exponent Podcast: The Exponent IPO
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Cloudflare and what it is like going through an IPO, as well as what has gone wrong with WeWork. Listen to it here.