The annual Stratechery review of the state of technology, and call to build products that unlock human potential
Media Monday: Bill Simmons’ HBO Show Cancelled, Axios Unveiled (Kind-of)
It’s the return of Media Monday, including the cancellation of Bill Simmons’ TV show and the unveiling of Axios, and what both say about finding value in media.
AT&T Launches DirecTV Now, Sling TV Adds Cloud DVR, Regional Sports Networks
AT&T’s DirecTV Now product seems underwhelming, but there is a market for it, and zero rating is a big differentiator. Plus, the problem with OTT and regional sports networks
Facebook’s China Censorship Tool, The Fake News Connection, A Thanksgiving Note
Facebook has pre-emptively built a tool for censoring content in China even as the Chinese government is talking about “fake news”. Then, a note of thanks from me to you.
Amazon Explores Sports Rights, Insta-Snapchat-Gram, Zuckerberg on Fake News
Amazon is looking into sports, but real changes won’t happen for a while. Then, Instagram continues to battle Snapchat, which is a useful reminder that the best Facebook antidote is competition.
Fake News Follow-up and Twitter Bans, Facebook Screws Up More Measurements, Snap Files for IPO
A follow-up to Fake News, and why Twitter’s bans are different. Then, the better approach to Facebook’s power is more transparency. Plus, Snap is both IPOing and showing why they are following in Facebook’s footsteps.
Fake News
Facebook is under fire for fake news and filter bubbles; they are a problem, but most of the proposed solutions are far worse.
Snapchat Spectacles “Launch”, Facebook’s Real Problem
Recent news about Snapchat (Spectacles) and Facebook (its effect on elections) couldn’t be more different; that’s why they are, in fact, related.
Twitter vs Facebook and Adam Bain’s Departure, Samsung Readies AI Assistant, Three Snapchat Updates
A reminder that the bubble problem applies to everyone, while Twitter is losing a key exec. Then, the riddle of Assistants on premium Android, and three Snapchat updates.
Donald Trump is the President-Elect, Tech Under Trump, The Big Picture
Donald Trump is the president-elect, and the temptation is to reduce his success to black-and-white issues. That would be a mistake for the tech industry in particular.