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Latest Podcast

Concepts

Hardware

  • Netflix Goes Global, iPhone Worry

    Netflix’s surprising announcement that the company was extending its service to nearly every country on earth was impressive in its execution, what it said about the company’s strategy, and it raised interesting points about Aggregation Theory and Netflix’s future opportunities. Plus, there is a lot of smoke when it comes to worries about the iPhone.

  • CES 2016, Augmented vs Virtual Reality, The Resilience of Video Games

    I continue to think that CES is getting more interesting, thanks to the maturation of the smartphone. Then, the differences between augmented and virtual reality, and how that explains the resilience of video games.

  • The Big 5 Year in Review: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook

    A year-end review of tech’s five most important companies.

  • 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.

  • Twitter Follow-up, Nintendo’s Conundrum

    Some follow-up and clarification on yesterday’s piece on Twitter’s advertising business, plus a rumination on where exactly Nintendo is going as a company.

  • Stop Doubting the iPhone, The Macintosh Company

    There have always been iPhone bears, but the latest set seems to be ignoring reality. Plus, the amazing success of the Mac and what that means for the iPhone.

  • Microsoft’s Hardware Event, Satya Nadella Versus Windows, The Surface Strategy

    Microsoft’s hardware event was very compelling on multiple levels: what it said about Windows, what it said about Microsoft, and what it said about Satya Nadella.

  • The iPhone 6S, The End of the iPhone 5C, The iPhone Upgrade Program

    The iPhone 6S is an impressive upgrade, particularly 3D Touch. The iPhone, though, has far deeper advantages: first, in China where its status remains unchallenged, and also in developed markets where Apple is commoditizing carriers.

  • From Products to Platforms

    Apple was at its best in its most recent keynote: unveiling the sorts of products the company is uniquely capable of creating. The question, though, is whether the company has the vision and capability of making those products into platforms.

  • Amazon Retrenches on Hardware, Apple to Create Original Programming?

    Amazon is making big changes at Lab126, its hardware subsidiary, after the Fire phone flop. I think it’s a fantastic sign for the company going forward. Plus, Apple is reportedly thinking about getting into original content; there are both optimistic and pessimistic spins to put on this, but ultimately I think it’s a bad idea.