Technology and Society
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Malware Hits iOS, The Importance of the App Store, XcodeGhost: What Happened and What Now?
(Legitimate) iOS has been hit by malware for the first time. It’s a big deal because it gets at the heart of why the App Store is so important not just to Apple but to the entire industry. Plus, how on earth did this happen, and what will happen next?
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Aggregation and Antitrust, BuzzFeed Makes News, BuzzFeed’s Valuation in Perspective
The differing approaches to antitrust in the U.S. and Europe could mean completely different outcomes in the long run for aggregation companies. Meanwhile, BuzzFeed has raised a new round and seems to be doing better than ever, which is great news for journalism. Plus, how to think about startup valuations.
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Aggregation and the New Regulation
Because of the Internet realities described by Aggregation Theory a smaller number of companies hold an increasing amount of power. However, an increasing focus on market forces reduces the latitude for bad behavior, and the incentives — and means — to hold those companies to account are greater than ever.
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Amazon Continued and the Role of Journalism, Three Streaming Developments: HBO, Amazon Prime, and ESPN
The Amazon story continues, and it is striking how there is zero common ground between people who work in tech and the journalists who cover it. Will this mark a shift in the relationship? Plus, what HBO’s Sesame Street deal, Amazon’s Top Gear deal, and NBC’s Premier League deal say about the future of streaming.
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The New York Times on Amazon, Jeff Bezos’ Email, Why Work for Amazon
The New York Times has a very in-depth critique of Amazon’s work culture. Some of what was reported was truly deplorable, and Jeff Bezos wrote that he agrees; other parts, though, deserve a much more nuanced and respectful discussion than what the New York Times provided.
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China’s Yuan Depreciation, The Yuan’s Effect on Apple, The Yuan and Unicorns
The most important story of the week has been China’s ongoing depreciation of the Yuan. Clearly, the company that will be impacted the most is Apple, but there is a a potential impact on Unicorns as well.
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The Liability Shift and the Apple Pay Opportunity, The Apple Pay Advantage, MCX Unravels
The upcoming liability switchover offers the best ever chance for Apple to drive Apple Pay adoption, at least in the United States. Apple should put all its efforts behind making it happen, even if it helps Android Pay too. Plus, MCX unravels.
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Intel and the Delay in Moore’s Law, Another Android Vulnerability
Moore’s Law has officially hit a slow-down. The more important question is why — and it is necessarily as bad a thing as we expected? Plus, the latest Android vulnerability points to a big Apple advantage and the implications of tradeoffs.
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In Defense of Markets, The Qualcomm Mess, Uber and de Blasio
I think that the stock market tends to get a bad rap amongst tech pundits and executives; in fact, it is a critical part of how new companies defeat incumbents. Still, sometimes markets get it wrong and I think that is the case with Qualcomm. Plus, what Uber’s episode with New York City mayor Bill de…
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Apple Loses E-books Appeal; Apple Music and Antitrust; Producers, Consumers, and Apple
Apple’s E-book case finally came to it’s likely end a few week’s ago; it’s worth reviewing what was at stake in light of recent news that Apple Music could face a similar investigation. Then, if Apple Music will do for musicians what the App Store did for developers, is that a good thing? Plus, why sites…