Technology and Society

WhatsApp Founder Speaks, EU Deception?, Facebook Ideology

Thursday, September 27, 2018

More Facebook drama, this time from an interview with WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton. What was most noteworthy, though was the response.

New Alexa Devices, Amazon and the EU Commission

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Why is Amazon selling more Alexa devices? More broadly, do the company’s house brands leave it susceptible to an antitrust challenge?

The iPhone XR Delay, India, and China; Discriminatory Job Ads on Facebook; EU Versus Internet Follow-Up

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

More follow-up on the iPhone, then how discriminatory job ads on Facebook demonstrate how to police bad behavior on platforms with zero marginal costs. Plus, follow-up on The European Union Versus the Internet.

Apple’s iPhone Event, Facebook Fact-Checking, Vimeo Pivots Again

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

A preview of Apple’s iPhone event, a revelatory controversy about Facebook fact-checking, and yet another pivot by Vimeo thanks to mistakes made years ago

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Augustus; Zuckerberg’s Blindspot; The Liberal Arts Fallacy

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

The New Yorker is out with a huge profile of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook; what does the article get right, what is the real problem with Facebook, and where do critics go wrong?

AMD and Modularity Follow-Up, Trump and Tech, Tech’s Vulnerability

Thursday, August 30, 2018

The problem with AMD’s modularity approach; then, Trump attacks tech. The claims are baseless but that hardly means the industry is in the clear.

Fortnite’s Bad Bug, Epic’s Complaint, The Downside of Open

Monday, August 27, 2018

Fortnite has a bad bug, and while the company is being blamed for circumventing the Play Store, Android’s design is a big part of the problem.

Facebook, Germany, and Filter Bubbles; The Nutella Factor; Facebook’s Response

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

A new study suggests that Facebook is to blame for increased attacks on refugees in Germany. The data isn’t perfect, but the worries about filter bubbles should be taken seriously.

Facebook Stories Follow-up, Twitter and Newton’s Third Law

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

History suggests that Stories will be an advertising success; then, the Alex Jones episode shows how un-monopoly-like social networks are.

Uber Loses in New York City, The Modern Medallion?, Driver Pay Floors

Thursday, August 9, 2018

New York City has enacted a moratorium and pay floor on ride-sharing services. Uber may be losing its political power, and the effects could be wide-ranging.

(Preview) Xi Wants the Strait of Hormuz Re-Opened; Cakes and An E-Commerce Crackdown; The Next Stage of Decoupling; The MATCH Act in Congress

New Alexa Devices, Amazon and the EU Commission

Fortnite’s Bad Bug, Epic’s Complaint, The Downside of Open

(Preview) Xi Wants the Strait of Hormuz Re-Opened; Cakes and An E-Commerce Crackdown; The Next Stage of Decoupling; The MATCH Act in Congress

Tim Cook Steps Down

Panic Rankings: Pistons Picking Up the Pieces, Rockets on the Ropes, Blazers Pinching Pennies, and More from the NBA Playoffs

John Ternus and Apple’s Hardware-Defined Future, SpaceXAI and Cursor

TSMC Earnings, New N3 Fabs, The Nvidia Ramp

An Interview with F1 Driver and Venture Capitalist Nico Rosberg About the Drive to Win

(Preview) Xi Wants the Strait of Hormuz Re-Opened; Cakes and An E-Commerce Crackdown; The Next Stage of Decoupling; The MATCH Act in Congress

Tim Cook Steps Down

Panic Rankings: Pistons Picking Up the Pieces, Rockets on the Ropes, Blazers Pinching Pennies, and More from the NBA Playoffs

An Interview with F1 Driver and Venture Capitalist Nico Rosberg About the Drive to Win

An Interview with Asymco’s Horace Dediu About Apple at 50

An Interview with Arm CEO Rene Haas About Selling Chips