Google has made a rather odd deal with HTC — basically an acquihire. What are the two company’s motivations? Then, Apple Watch news and reviews, and a smartphone-related acquisition that is actually more important than Google’s.
The iPhone 8 Price Rise, The Cellular Apple Watch, Apple TV 4K and Disney
The iPhone 8 price raise was unexpected and a reminder of how much Apple values margin. Then, the cellular Apple Watch was the real glimpse of the future, and why no one should be surprised Disney didn’t make a deal with Apple.
The Lessons and Questions of the iPhone X and the iPhone 8
The iPhone X is a quintessential Apple product, because it is the best; is there a market for iPhone 8?
Alexa and Cortana, Apple Moves Siri, Tim Cook’s Blindspot
Alexa and Cortana’s partnership makes sense when you consider the company’s business models, goals, and partnership impetus (and it shows why Apple and Google won’t come along). Then, why Siri’s reorganization won’t help much.
ARCore, Google’s Benefit to Apple, AR’s Killer App and Apple’s Business Model
Google announced ARCore, which is basically copying ARKit (and abandoning Project Tango). The company that stands to benefit the most from the news is actually Apple.
Apple and the Oak Tree Follow-up, Is HomePod Late?, Apple Earnings
More on Apple’s earnings, China prospects, and HomePod’s potential beyond simply being a speaker.
Apple and the Oak Tree
Apple’s business, thanks to Services, is growing ever stronger, even as Apple loses the model — and the product — that made the company what it is today.
YouTube and the iPhone, Facebook Wins Privacy Case
The lessons that can be learned from YouTube and the iPhone, plus Facebook’s problematic victory in a privacy case.
The Justin Caldbeck Affair; The Enablers; Avis, Hertz, Waymo, and Apple
A salute to Danny Sullivan, then a note on the Justin Caldbeck affair: he must be held accountable, but so must his enablers. Then, the changing structure of the car industry.
Podcasts, Analytics, and Centralization
The answer to podcast monetization is not analytics: it it true centralization, and it seems unlikely that Apple has it in them.