The iPhone 6: From Louis Vuitton to Chanel

The iPhone 6 is going in the opposite direction that Apple’s critics think it should: more expensive, not less. It will work because Apple owns the high-end.

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 […]

Daily Update: Print, Chinese Walls, and "Objective" Journalism; Twitter’s New Photo-removal Policies; Steve Ballmer Leaves Microsoft’s Board

Good morning, I will hopefully – finally – have a new article up later today about video games. I think you might be surprised. But now, on to the update. Print, Chinese Walls, and “Objective” Journalism Clay Shirky, who has been forecasting the death of print for years now, bemoaned the business ignorance of journalistsSubscribe […]

Daily Update: Twitter is Great for Unprofitable News, Microsoft’s Chromebook Response, Google to Offer Accounts to Children

Good morning, To be perfectly frank, it’s quite difficult to focus on writing these updates; mid-day here is midnight in Ferguson, and Twitter is incredibly compelling. So we’ll start there. On to the update. Twitter is Great for Unprofitable News Mathew Ingram wrote an article exploring why the news in Ferguson is being experienced soSubscribe […]

Daily Update: The New Structure of Mobile Gaming, The Hidden Cost of Microsoft’s Devices, Amazon Affiliate Links in the Washington Post

Note: I put the wrong link in the Daily Email for Tuesday, September 2, 2014. The daily update for that day can be found here. Good morning, I’m really glad to be back in Taiwan and look forward to being back on a regular schedule – you’ll note how much earlier this update is arriving!Subscribe […]

Daily Update: The Twitter Tradeoff, Lenovo Impresses Again, Beleaguered

Good morning, Hello from the transit hotel at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, where I’m holed up with a couple of kids for the night. I’m looking forward to being in Taiwan tomorrow. As I noted previously, expect updates to be a little irregular for the rest of this week. Thanks for your understanding. On toSubscribe […]

Daily Update: Amazon Local Register, Messaging Apps Are Extremely Profitable, Samsung v HTC

Good morning. Hello from somewhere between Madison and Chicago. I’m in the car on the way to the airport, heading back to Taiwan. As I noted yesterday, updates for the rest of the week will come at odd hours, including, obviously, today’s. Thanks for your patience. Yesterday on the main site I asked Is BuzzFeedSubscribe […]

Is BuzzFeed a Tech Company?

It’s telling that Chris Dixon, in a blog post explaining Andreessen Horowitz’s $50 million investment, goes out of his way to explain that BuzzFeed is not really a media company, but a technological one: We see BuzzFeed as a prime example of what we call a “full stack startup”. BuzzFeed is a media company in […]

Pleco: Building a Business, not an App

This past week has not been the first outbreak of independent developer angst over the app store, but it feels like it has been one of the more intense. The pump was primed by the news that Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is on pace to make $200 million this year, news that was in stark contrast […]