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Latest Podcast

Concepts

Understanding Users

  • A Technical Glitch

    Facebook Live is likely a lot more meaningful than Facebook expected: it’s a plus for society, but Facebook should expect more scrutiny. Given that, they have work to do when it comes to transparency.

  • Apple Makes Major Changes to App Store, The App Store and Apple’s Nature, Additional Notes

    Apple made major changes to the App Store; in this double Daily Article I explain why they’re a big deal but not yet perfect, and how that demonstrates the difficulty of change.

  • The Curse of Culture

    It is very fair to say that Apple is threatened by the potential rise of AI. Google, though, is also threatened by its inability to own customers’ attention. The solution for both companies may entail changing their culture, a very tall order indeed.

  • Facebook, Phones, and Phonebooks

    There are two types of social networks, and Facebook wants to be both. The problem is that the company already chose public sharing over private communication.

  • Twitter to Stream NFL Thursday Night Games, About That Gmail April Fool’s Joke

    First, a deep dive into Twitter’s deal with the NFL and why it’s not about the money. Then, why Gmail’s failed April Fool’s joke was so outrageous and worrying.

  • Snapchat’s Ladder

    Snapchat is on the verge of conquering the toughest messaging market in the world: the United States. The way they did it is by laddering-up.

  • Apple-FBI Follow-up; Xiaomi, Samsung, LG and High-End Android, Spotify Moves to Google’s Cloud

    First some follow-up on Apple versus the FBI, then a discussion about how high-end Android is a distinct market, and how that impacts new phones from Xiaomi, Samsung, and LG. Finally, why Spotify’s move to Google makes sense.

  • Twitter Earnings; Twitter Retrenches; Facebook, Andreessen and India

    Twitter’s earnings had good and bad parts, and one big red flag. More interesting was the company’s decision to retrench and own “live.” Then, how Facebook and Marc Andreessen managed to screw up so badly.

  • The Reality of Missing Out

    Tech is entering a period of inequality where the big winners lift the sector as a whole even as smaller companies suffer. The best example is Facebook, Google, and digital advertising.

  • Josh Horwitz: Uber in China, What Uber Got Right, Is Second Place Winning?

    Ben is on vacation; in a guest post, Josh Horwitz explores Uber in China. What did they get right that so many other Western companies get wrong, and is it sustainable? What if they are only ever second place?