A year-end review of tech’s five most important companies.
Apple Drops Planned Live TV Service, YouTube’s Top Ten Videos of 2015, Apple and the NFL?
Apple gives up on its rumored live TV service, which should come as no surprise to Stratechery readers. YouTube’s top video list is a hint as to why. Might apple bid on the NFL to get the train rolling?
Amazon Unveils New Drone Video, Amazon Flying Airplanes?, Amazon the Logistics Company
Amazon is showing off drones, and may even be flying airplanes. Are we sure this is a retail company?
Amazon Opens Physical Bookstore, The iPad Pro’s Half Launch
Amazon’s physical bookstore is first and foremost an experiment. However, it’s worth considering how it fits into Amazon’s measurement of success. Then, the iPad Pro launched, but not its accessories. It’s part of a worrying trend.
TensorFlow and Monetizing Intellectual Property
Google has said repeatedly that machine learning is key to their future. Why, then, did they open source the secret sauce? Is it a mistake, or are there lessons to be learned for IP creators everywhere.
Amazon’s Transformation, Continued; Microsoft’s Transformation…and Threat
As predicted last quarter, AWS is increasingly the engine driving Amazon’s financial results. However, there is evidence the e-commerce side is changing as well. Then, Microsoft has completely changed itself over the last few years, but the company is not out of the woods just yet.
In Defense of The New York Times
Amazon and The New York Times had a fascinating exchange this week, on Medium of all places. What that exchange represents — the search for truth, now open to anyone — is far more important than the particular article in question.
AWS Re:invent, Pure Storage IPOs, Dell to Buy EMC; Enterprise Disruption; Dell’s Logic
Three news events from last week — Amazon’s AWS conference, the Pure Storage IPO, and Dell’s plan to buy EMC — make for a text case of disruption in all its forms.
Amazon to Stop Selling Chromecast, Apple TV; Google’s New Hardware
There are lots of reasons why Amazon may have decided to stop selling the Apple TV and Chromecast; the true answer probably is a little bit of each. Plus, Google announced new devices, and it wasn’t that exciting.
The AWS Platform, The Liability Shift Has Arrived, Samsung Pay Launches in the U.S.
With all the talk of platforms I’d be remiss in discussing what may be the most vibrant platform of all: AWS. Then, the liability shift arrives today, and a surprising number of merchants aren’t ready. Maybe Samsung Pay had the right strategy after all…or maybe not.