Microsoft and Apple Double Down

Both Microsoft and Apple made news yesterday, and while one was unexpected and the other predictable, both are effectively doubling down on their strategies. And both may not matter.

Peter Thiel, Comic Book Hero

What Gawker did to Peter Thiel is inexcusable, but Thiel’s response is threatening to the industry that made him rich in the first place.

Trouble at Lending Club, Lending Club and Aggregation Theory, What Went Wrong

FinTech seems like the perfect application of Aggregation Theory, but over this past week it has blown up in the face of serious issues at Lending Club. The mistakes that were made in do to a degree validate why I haven’t covered the space to date.

Apple, Didi, and Occam’s Razor; Uber in China

Apple investing $1 billion in Didi could signify all kinds of things, but only one explanation makes sense. The big loser, though, is Uber.

Defending Facebook, Amazon Video Direct

The actual details of the Facebook Trending News scandal probably don’t warrant the outrage; what is more interesting is how Facebook found itself in hot water. Then, Amazon Video Direct is very interesting, but not because it’s going to be a YouTube competitor anytime soon.

The Real Problem With Facebook and the News

Facebook is receiving a lot of criticism for allegedly interfering with conservative topics when it comes to “Trending News”. In fact, though, the polarization reinforced by an engagement-driven feed is a much bigger concern.