Meituan-Dianping Merge in China, Facebook Messenger’s Business Model, Facebook and Teens

China’s O2O market is in the consolidation phase, and the competition is fierce. That, though, helps highlight why an advertising business model is sometimes so attractive, like, for example, the one that Facebook has. Plus, why the “Facebook has a problem with teens” narrative really isn’t a big deal

Mobile First

Last Friday was the eight-year anniversary of the announcement of the iPhone, the event that began the mobile epoch. It was, though, an Apple rumor that to my mind illustrated just how much the world has changed. Mark Gurman is reporting at 9to5Mac that the next MacBook Air will have a radical redesign. The biggest […]

Daily Update: A Teenager’s View on Social Media and the Social Communications Map

Good morning, As I noted last week, I will be going to Beijing the Wednesday to Friday. As of now I plan on keeping the same posting schedule, but my apologies in advance if there are any delays. In addition, my schedule isn’t yet completely set, so I’m not sure if I will be ableSubscribe […]

Daily Update: Box Updates S-1 (and Look Great), Instagram Passes 300 Million, Microsoft Acquires HockeyApp

Good morning, According to Panic, Apple changed its mind about Transmit’s ability to add external files to iCloud Drive. This is certainly a positive development, and while I might be biased, I think it actually fits with what I wrote on Wednesday: a major stink was raised, alerting Apple’s engineering team to the issue, andSubscribe […]

Daily Update: Another (Inevitable) Uber Controversy, Why Instagram’s Hyperlapse Damns Windows Phone, Pouring Water on Fire Phone

Good morning, I wrote a brief piece on Stratechery about Amazon buying Twitch; my takeaway was in the title: Amazon: Not an E-Commerce Company. One could argue that makes the upside in their stock even greater, but were I an investor, I think I’d be out. I buy the e-commerce story; Amazon ruling the world,Subscribe […]

Instagram Direct, Twitter DMs, and the Social/Communications Map

Instagram today announced Instagram Direct. From the Instagram blog:1 From a photo of your daily coffee to a sunrise shared from the top of a mountain hike, every Instagram moment contains something you find special—something you broadcast to your followers when you tap “share.” There are, however, moments in our lives that we want to […]