An interview with Daniel Gross and Nat Friedman about the AI hype cycle, what products are working, the current state of ChatGPT, the data constraint, and Nvidia.
Microsoft, Activision, and Ubisoft(?!); The Activision Deal; Foolhardy Forecasting
Microsoft has substantially reworked its deal with Activision to satisfy U.K. regulators; it’s a win for the CMA, and time to consider what comes next.
Amazon Earnings, Amazon and AI, Amazon’s Improved Delivery
Amazon’s earnings touched on its position in AI and the impact of its renewed investments in logistics.
Microsoft Earnings, Google Earnings, Snap Earnings
Three sets of earnings, in which AI played a bit of a role, but a less important one than the company’s core products.
Microsoft-Activision Updates; Reader Follow-Up; Free Speech, the Government, and Scale
An update on Microsoft-Activision, and then a response to a reader upset at my take, weaved in with commentary about free speech in the context of last week’s ruling about social media moderation.
Microsoft Can Acquire Activision, The FTC vs. the Record, The FTC’s Failed Vendetta
Microsoft didn’t just win its case against the FTC: the totality of its victory calls into question the FTC’s legitimacy, and may lead to more acquisitions in the future.
Reddit Rage, The Tadpole Shrimp of the Internet, Judge Pauses Microsoft-Activision Deal
More on Reddit, including why my previous Update was not so much wrong on details as it was wrong in feeling; plus, how Microsoft might carve the UK out of the Activision acquisition.
FTC Sues to Block Activision Deal (Again), Global Companies vs. Regional Regulators, How Big is the Xbox Business?
The ongoing saga around Xbox Game Pass raises a host of issues, including the FTC’s overall approach, the question of regional regulators and global businesses, and whether or on the Vision Pro will be truly open.
Windows and the AI Platform Shift
Microsoft argued there is an AI platform shift, and the fact that Windows is interesting again — and that Apple is facing AI-related questions for its newest products — is evidence that is correct.
EU Fines Meta, Big Tech Exposure, The Degradation of Scalability
The E.U. fines Meta for data transfers, an issue that affects companies of all sizes. This may be rectified by an agreement, but tech scalability is still diminishing.