Amazon Go is licensing its technology, contrary to my previous prediction. Then Waymo is taking on outside investors which should result in a needed shift in incentives.
An Interview with Matthew Ball About Disney and Bob Iger
An interview with Matthew Ball about Bob Iger’s exit; Disney, Netflix, and streaming; and how metaverses are digital theme parks.
Bob Iger Steps Down From Disney, Why Now?, Why Bob Chapek?
It was a huge surprise that Bob Iger was stepping down as Disney’s CEO, but the rationale makes a lot of sense, as does the timing and replacement.
Facebook’s Platform Opportunity
Facebook is under pressure from all sides, but that actually means it has an opportunity to build the platform it has always wanted — in digital ads.
Bluesky, The Twitter Protocol Tragedy, Alternatives
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that the company would be setting up a team to pursue a more open alternative to social network; unfortunately, the time to do so was ten years ago.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin Step Down, Why Now?, Google Going Forward
Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s impact on Silicon Valley is incomparable; now, though, they are formalizing a departure that arguably happened years ago. Why now, and what should Alphabet and Google do next?
Tech and Liberty
The First Amendment is not about a law, but rather a culture — specifically a culture of liberty. It is essential to tech, and in this context, Facebook is mostly right about political ads (but can still do better).
HBO Max, AT&T’s Challenges, The Streaming Battleground
AT&T announced details about HBO Max, which are both safe and aggressive, and also raise questions about AT&T’s long-term stewardship. Then, why Netflix and Disney are the long-term winners.
Amazon Earnings, AWS Concerns, Google Earnings
Amazon’s earnings are encouraging because profits are down. Still, there is reason for concern around AWS. Then, Google’s top-line continues to impress, but the company continues to waste huge amounts of money, hurting the bottom line.
SoftBank Rescues WeWork, Owning WeWork, Zuckerberg in Congress
SoftBank is rescuing WeWork in a very strange transaction, then re-visiting what I have written about WeWork. Plus, Zuckerberg’s appearance in Congress confirmed why Libra is the wrong approach for the company.